Of Hearts and Highlands: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Jae George

Author:Jae George [George, Jae]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2022-09-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

When the couple had begun to relax and return to their breathing had returned to normal, Elizabeth realized that Mr. Collins was still standing in the corner of the room. Releasing a sigh of resignation and shaking her head slightly, she rose and began her first official duty as Mistress of Pemberley.

“Mr. Collins, I will arrange for a room to be prepared for you unless you wish to return to Kent. It appears that all three of your fellow travelers will be our guests here for the interim.”

“Oh no, Cousin Elizabeth, I could not possibly abandon Lady Catherine in her time of need. I came here to unite Miss de Bourgh and Mr. Darcy in matrimony. Her ladyship has brought a special license.”

Elizabeth stopped on the stairs and gave her cousin a look of incredulity. “So, Mr. Collins, you have come here to unite my husband and his cousin in matrimony? Has the Church of England now changed its ordinances to allow for bigamy?”

“No, of course not, but I am sure there must be some error. You could not possibly be married to Mr. Darcy.”

“Really, Mr. Collins, could I not? Would you like to see the marriage certificate or speak to the witnesses to our nuptials? We have been married for nearly two months now. If you plan to continue to argue the point, I can make arrangements for you to be moved to the inn in Lambton. In fact, the more I consider it, the more I believe that would be the best option.”

“No, Cousin Elizabeth,” he pleaded, “please allow me to stay and minister to Lady Catherine. I saw how your words offended her and caused her to collapse.”

“My words? Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine came into my home uninvited and began to berate me using language that should not come from a gentlewoman’s mouth. I spoke to her only in response to her own words, which were both vulgar and untrue. Now, if I hear one more disparaging word from you, Mr. Darcy will have you taken to the inn for the night and then put on the mail coach to Kent in the morning. Are we clear, Mr. Collins?”

“Yes, Cousin, completely clear,” he bowed and followed her to a room on the guest wing.

*****

Darcy had been busy in his study with the Colonel, sending an express to Lord Matlock to apprise him of the actions of both himself and Lady Catherine and to ask him to expedite the transfer of Rosings from his aunt to his cousin. After explaining all that had transpired, he added:

Uncle Henry, I am sorry that I had to keep my plan and actions a secret from you, but as you know, Lady Catherine has spies in all of our homes, which must be how he learned of Elizabeth’s presence here. I am grateful that she did not know of our marriage until she arrived, preventing her from attempting to defame my wife’s good name.

However, now that she will be here and

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