Love by Turns: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary Novella by Kimbelle Pease

Author:Kimbelle Pease [Pease, Kimbelle]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2022-11-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

The road between Netherfield and Longbourn…

On the journey home, Kitty and Mary were both looking at Mr. Collins with such hope in their expressions that he was a little uncomfortable. Mr. Collins cleared his throat and shifted in his seat a second time, then fully turned his attention to Mr. Bennet.

“Cousin, given that your ten o'clock hour is currently claimed, might I join you in your study at eleven tomorrow morning? I hope that Cousin Mary and Cousin Kitty will also join us. I have invited Miss Lucas and Sir William to join our discussion as well,” Mr. Collins said forthrightly.

“If I did not know you better, it would seem that you are trifling with three girls at the same time.” Mr. Bennet frowned severely.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. I hope to, at that time, ensure things are settled and that my intentions are understood, sir, for I must leave within the week,” Mr. Collins offered quickly.

“Then I shall be looking forward to the appointed time. Tomorrow is shaping up to be a most interesting day when I had been quite convinced that nothing would ever top today’s events,” Mr. Bennet attempted to joke with his family.

“It was a most extraordinary day,” Mrs. Bennet agreed quietly as the carriage pulled into the drive for Longbourn.

A glance out the window forced one to observe the light shining in the distance from a single upstairs room of Longbourn that was a lonely reminder of the one who was not with them.

“What shall we do, my girls? I do not want to punish Lydia for our shortcomings as parents, yet an intervention must be extreme enough that she will have no occasion to misunderstand our meaning,” Mr. Bennet solicited the advice of the ladies in the coach.

“Mayhap our soon to be son-in-law will have knowledge of a good school she might attend, or perhaps he may offer an explanation of why her behavior is unacceptable in terms blunt enough that she might listen,” Mrs. Bennet mused.

“Captain Saunderson intends to stop by tomorrow to ask permission for me to correspond with him while he goes to war. Whilst he is at Longbourn he and I can have a forthright talk with Lydia,” Mary suggested.

“What was that?” Mr. Bennet asked, gazing at his middle daughter in surprise.

“As I said, he intends to request that we be allowed to correspond while he is away at war. He has only one older brother who is a vicar and has proven to be a less than faithful correspondent. Colonel Forster has given his men to understand that they lose less of themselves during wartime if they are able to maintain an open communication with a woman they esteem and is able to remind them of who they are. I nurture no expectations, only the hope of the Captain’s safe return. That said, I admit that we do enjoy each other’s company and conversation. We now have enough acquaintances from Meryton and his unit in common so as to have ample to relate to one another.

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