So Material a Change-Chapter 2, part 2

Its hard to believe its already the end of September (cold weather is coming, boo!) but then comes my favorites time of the year, the holidays! So hopefully you won’t be too tired of me after So Material a Change because I have a holiday novella coming along as well. Heart Enough is now on preorder and will release on October 25, by itself as well as part of a larger anthology (‘Tis the Season) of Pride & Prejudice based novellas.

But for now, another little tidbit of So Material a Change!  For those who have not had a chance to read the other posts you can find them by clicking the links below. Just to get us all up to speed– Caroline Bingley tried to compromise Mr Darcy, Mr Darcy got out of it by claiming to be engaged to Elizabeth Bennet (quite without her knowledge) and then he took her out for a walk and informed her they were engaged. Elizabeth in turn served him a big helping of ‘heck no’ … and now here we are!

Chapter One

Chapter Two, Part 1

Chapter Two, Part 2

Hope you enjoy! So Material a Change is presently available for preorder, and will release October 11!

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Mr Darcy stared at her curiously. “Need not tell anyone…what?”

“That I have refused you.” Elizabeth shrugged and grinned. “Ignorance is bliss?”

“You mean to deceive them?”

“No, you have already deceived them. I am merely offering to not expose you.” 

Mr Darcy pondered that as they stood in a patch of autumnal warmth that was too comfortable to be relinquished to go indoors. “I should not have done any of this. I was always taught that disguise of every sort should be an abhorrence to me, yet…”

Against all natural inclination, Elizabeth found herself warm with pity for Mr Darcy. It was not fair that by no fault of his own, he should suffer his whole life. He seemed to feel acutely the misery of the situation although he was not nearly so inclined towards railing at the injustice of it all as she might have done. It almost made her admire him a little. 

“How did she manage to gain entry?”

“The housekeeper’s keys? Or so I suppose.”

“Jane and I shall leave tomorrow. If I were to remain silent on the matter until then…”

He raised his head, seeming to have come to some new resolve. “I could leave for London soon. Bingley wishes to see Miss Bingley settled and believes that with hope of securing me gone, she will decide on a husband rather quickly.”

“So you would merely stay out of his way—”

“Until she was engaged to someone.” Relief made him look younger and certainly much happier. 

“Very well, then,” she said with a broad smile and a tiny curtsey-like bob. “You may be assured of my silence.”

He grabbed her hand and bent low over it. “I am forever indebted to you. If ever you have need of me, just ask.”

* * *

Mr Bennet sat in his study, looking upon the sweating, pompous creature before him. 

His cousin, the heir to Longbourn, Mr William Collins. The man who would become Elizabeth’s husband. 

Mr Collins was presently the recipient of the living in the Hunsford parish, granted to him by Lady Catherine de Bourgh of Rosings Park, and it was a distinction he felt keenly. Most of his conversation thus far—and there had indeed been quite a surfeit of it—had been in praise of his benefactress. Although it could not be said that it was an ill-considered strategy to admire the one on whom you were dependent, it was inarguable that Mr Collins was neither sensible nor witty.

When Collins had written, informing Mr Bennet of his intention to visit Longbourn, Mr Bennet had anticipated no more than an agreeable se’nnight spent silently mocking the man. But now? Now he had a far different opinion of the matter. 

On the night of Mr Collins’s arrival, when he and Mrs Bennet had retired, she had called him excitedly into the sitting room adjoining their chambers. He met her there, wondering at her enthusiasm. 

“Oh, Mr Bennet, we are saved, we are saved!” his wife had exclaimed, her voice a loud whisper. 

“I did not realise we were in peril, Mrs Bennet, but it is good to know it will come to naught. Good night, then.”

His teasing had no effect. She continued to speak effusively, eyes wide and hands waving frantically. “Mr Collins intends to offer for one of our girls! How delightful, is it not?”

As it was, Mr Bennet thought such a notion was quite absurd. Mr Collins lacked any attribute which might render him agreeable to any of the Bennet ladies. He was neither handsome enough for Jane nor witty enough for Lizzy. The absence of a red coat meant the two youngest ladies would not like him. And Mary? Well, Mary would not likely wish to marry anyone. 

“Is there a daughter in particular he admires? Or will they draw straws, see who gets him?”

Mrs Bennet tittered, too ebullient to let her husband’s teasing distress her. “It should be Lizzy. She is next, you know.”

“Has Jane married?” he asked in mock astonishment. “I was not informed!”

“Well, for Jane, as beautiful as she is, only a wealthy man like Mr Bingley will do. No, it must be Elizabeth for Mr Collins.” Then, in a stroke of uncommon brilliance, Mrs Bennet said, “Are you not always going on about how much quicker Lizzy is than the other girls? I daresay Mr Collins will need her help if he is not going to run the place into ruin.” 

His wife’s surprisingly astute insight struck Mr Bennet silent, and he retired that evening with a racing mind and a heavy heart. He had been a disinterested steward of Longbourn and had not done as he ought for either his heritage or his daughters. Now it seemed both of those errors might be remedied by one act, the uniting of Elizabeth to Mr Collins in matrimony.

Could he truly commit his Lizzy to life with such a foolish man? 

Then again, if he did not, what would become of them all when he died? What if they did not marry well? What if Longbourn declined? Beauty and wit could not overcome lack of fortune in the case of his death. Were there not many who withered in genteel poverty from just such circumstances? 

Surely marriage to Mr Collins would be preferable to poverty or employment. Lizzy was, above all, a reasonable girl. If there were any of his daughters who could make an agreeable husband out of this fool, it would be his Lizzy. 

As Mr Collins blathered on about the chimneys at Rosings Park, Mr Bennet allowed his mind to wander. Elizabeth would comprehend her duty as a daughter. She would see the advantage to the family, to Longbourn, that would be realised with her acquiescence. She would understand what must be done and done for the best.

…

Having begun in a most strange manner, Elizabeth’s day did not improve. 

Miss Bingley remained in her chamber; Elizabeth had overheard the maids discussing the tantrum she had thrown when she learnt of Mr Darcy’s betrothal. There were shattered vases, a gauzy nightshift rent into pieces, and a hairbrush thrown at her unsuspecting maid. Fortunately, her maid had ducked; nevertheless the brush had hit the girl with a glancing blow that was of sufficient force to leave a bruise on her face. 

Mrs Hurst gave up any pretence of politeness and either ignored Elizabeth or spoke with thinly-veiled spite. Mr Bingley regarded both Elizabeth and Darcy thoughtfully, though he was amiable enough. Mr Hurst behaved as usual, ignoring mostly everyone in favour of drinking and eating to excess. 

Mr Darcy at first seemed determined to play some sort of love-struck suitor, giving Elizabeth his arm whenever she wished to walk more than three feet, sitting close by wherever she sat, and even once calling her ‘my dearest’ right in front of Mrs Hurst. With that she knew she needed to put a stop to it all. 

He was escorting her on her return to her chamber to dress for dinner, and in a low voice she said, “Please behave as you usually do. This is too strange to be borne.”

“I am simply behaving as a man would who has just become engaged.” He sounded affronted. 

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Let them think we had an argument, something to account for a bit of distance between us, I beg you.” 

Dinner was a desultory affair as their hostess was still in self-imposed exile in her chambers and Mr Bingley merely wanted to reach the portion of the evening when Miss Bennet would appear. When at last she did, Bingley occupied himself in having the fire stoked and ensuring that Jane’s chair was drawn near enough to it. Then he decided it was too warm and insisted her chair be moved away from such a punishing heat. So it went for nearly a half an hour, providing Elizabeth with a good bit of amusement. 

She sat off to the side with her needlework, occasionally glancing up at her sister, whose flushed face, she suspected, had little to do with her recent illness or the ‘punishing’ fire. Jane is falling in love. Elizabeth lowered her head to hide her smile. 

Was Mr Bingley growing likewise attached? She did not know him well enough to say, but he certainly showed favour to Jane. Although she hated to speak in haste, she could not but reflect on how well settled Jane would be to find herself wife to such an amiable gentleman with a fine income and living so close to her family. 

It was for Jane too, she realised, this little farce in which she had engaged herself. Surely Mr Bingley wanted to see his sister settled before he married, so if Miss Bingley were engaged, it was to Jane’s benefit. 

Mr Darcy was much occupied with his book for the first part of the evening, or at least it seemed so to Elizabeth until she noticed that he never turned any pages. She glanced at him, noticing a rather worried and drawn look on his countenance that made her feel a bit of pity for him. His was a difficult spot through no fault of his own save the fact that he chose to keep society with the Bingleys.

He happened to glance up and see her looking at him, and for a moment their gazes were locked. She offered him a small smile, thinking for some reason that she wished to reassure him.

~~~

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