Love Among the Gifted - A Pride & Prejudice Alternative

Chapter Twenty-Two

"I hope, my dear," said Mr. Bennet to his wife as they were at breakfast the next morning, "That you have ordered a good dinner today, because I have reason to expect an addition to our family party."

"Who do you mean, my dear?" Mrs. Bennet queried. "I know of nobody that is coming, I am sure, unless Charlotte Lucas should happen to call in, and I hope my dinners are good enough for her. I do not believe she often sees such at home."

"The person of whom I speak, is a gentleman and a stranger."

Mrs. Bennet's eyes sparkled. "A gentleman and a stranger! It is Mr. Bingley, I am sure. Why Jane, you never dropped a word of this. You sly thing! Well, I am sure I shall be extremely glad to see Mr. Bingley. But ... good lord! How unlucky! There is not a bit of fish to be got today. Lydia, my love, ring the bell. I must speak to Hill, this moment."

"It is not Mr. Bingley," said her husband. "It is a person whom I never saw in the whole course of my life."

This roused a general astonishment; and he had the pleasure of being eagerly questioned by his wife and five daughters at once.

After amusing himself some time with their curiosity, he thus explained. "About a month ago I received this letter, and about a fortnight ago I answered it, for I thought it a case of some delicacy, and requiring early attention. It is from my cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases."

"Oh! my dear," cried his wife, "I cannot bear to hear that mentioned. Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world that your estate should be entailed away from your own children. And I am sure if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it."

Jane and Elizabeth attempted to explain to her the nature of an entail. They had often attempted it before, but it was a subject on which Mrs. Bennet was beyond the reach of reason. "I still say it is bitterly cruel to settling an estate away from a family of five daughters, in favor of a man whom nobody cared anything about."

"It certainly is a most iniquitous affair," said Mr. Bennet. "And nothing can clear Mr. Collins from the guilt of inheriting Longbourn. But if you will listen to his letter, you may perhaps be a little softened by his manner of expressing himself."

"No, that I am sure I shall not be. I think it was very impertinent of him to write to you at all, and very hypocritical. I hate such false friends. Why could not he keep on quarrelling with you, as his father did before him?"

"I see," he hummed, as he once again perused the letter in question. "Then I shall spare you the bulk of his correspondence. The gist is that he was recently ordained, has a comfortable living in Kent, and ... just listen ... 'I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace in all families within the reach of my influence ... the circumstance of my being next in the entail of Longbourn estate ... concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters ... my readiness to make them every possible amends ... I propose myself the satisfaction of waiting on you and your family, Monday, November 18th, by four o'clock, and shall probably trespass on your hospitality till the Saturday se'nnight following." He set the letter down and removed his spectacles. "At four o'clock, therefore, we may expect this peacemaking gentleman."

"Well, if he is disposed to make our daughters any amends, I shall not be the person to discourage him."

"Is he aware, do you think, of the disquiet the area has been suffering under?" Elizabeth asked. She assumed the coaches had continued their schedule, even with the violence of the radicals.