Page 17 of Five Gentlemen at Netherfield (Pride and Prejudice Variations)

Breakfast Parlor

Longbourn

Elizabeth walked into the breakfast parlor and made her way to the buffet, where muffins and scones and ham and eggs and coffee were waiting.

She had risen very early and gone for a walk and then had ascended to her bedchamber to read a novel, which had proven surprisingly interesting, and thus she found herself the last of the Bennet daughters to enter the room.

Kitty and Lydia were nearly at the end of their meals, Mary and Miss Fairchild were engaged in low conversation, and Jane was absently eating a muffin with her eyes fixed on the blue sky beyond the window.

Mr. Collins and Mrs. Bennet were already present as well, and the former said, “Miss Elizabeth, good morning! I hope you are well?”

“I am very well, yes, thank you,” she replied, putting two blueberry muffins and a scoop of eggs on her plate. She placed it on the table next to Jane, who was nearly halfway done with her meal, and then poured herself coffee and added milk before sitting down and beginning to eat.

“Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Collins said, his plump face creased in a smile, “it is good to see that you enjoy a healthy appetite. Lady Catherine de Bourgh has often said that it is an excellent sign for a lady to take pleasure in her food.”

Elizabeth blinked at her cousin, uncertain of what to say in response to this inanity. Her gaze shifted towards her mother now, who had an oddly smug look on her face. What was going on?

“Does Lady Catherine’s daughter, Miss de Bourgh, have a good appetite?” Jane asked innocently, turning to face their visitor.

Mr. Collins frowned and said, “Erm, no, sadly she does not, but then her health is not good, so that is, perhaps, no great surprise. But Lady Catherine herself eats very heartily indeed.”

“I am certain Miss de Bourgh is a handsome young lady, at least,” Mrs. Bennet suggested.

Mr. Collins turned a beaming countenance on his hostess.

“She is a most charming young lady, indeed. Lady Catherine herself says that, in point of true beauty, Miss de Bourgh is far superior to the handsomest of her sex; because there is that in her features which marks the young woman of distinguished birth. She is unfortunately of a sickly constitution, which has prevented her making that progress in many accomplishments which she could not otherwise have failed of, as I am informed by the lady who superintended her education and who still resides with them.”

“She sounds remarkable,” Elizabeth said in a neutral tone.

“Oh, she is, she is!” Mr. Collins said approvingly. “But please, Miss Elizabeth, will you not tell me what your plans are for this fine day? Would you care to play a game of backgammon or something of the sort?”

Elizabeth liked backgammon, but she had no desire to play with Mr. Collins.

“Oh, I am certain Lizzy would enjoy that very much, would you not, my dear?” Mrs. Bennet said in a minatory tone.

“Elizabeth,” Mary said, “you were planning to come to Meryton with me so that we could purchase paper and ink and the like, were you not?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth agreed, casting a grateful look at her next younger sister. “I am sorry, Mr. Collins, but I am promised to my sister. Perhaps you could play backgammon with my father.”

“Mr. Bennet is not feeling well today and is still in his bedchamber,” Mrs. Bennet said, “but I am certain that Mr. Collins would enjoy walking into Meryton with you.”

“I would very much,” the clergyman said.

Elizabeth blew out a breath and said, “Of course, Mr. Collins. We will leave in perhaps half an hour?”

“I will be ready!” Mr. Collins said brightly.

***

On the Road to Meryton

Forty Minutes Later

It was a rare walk indeed that Elizabeth did not enjoy, but Mr. Collins had the remarkable talent of rendering even the most enjoyable activity dreary and tedious.

She was entirely weary of hearing about the parsonage at Hunsford, and the neat little garden in the back of the parsonage at Hunsford, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her patronage of the parsonage at Hunsford.

Once or twice Jane generously sought to draw the rector’s attention and relieve Elizabeth for a time, but their cousin stolidly refused to be distracted.

He insisted on walking beside Elizabeth and speaking with Elizabeth, and her alarm grew with every step as she came to the conclusion that he was, perhaps, considering her as a possible mistress of the parsonage at Hunsford.

Such a union could only be disastrous. Collins was, in the plainest of terms, an idiot, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh sounded unbearable.

Elizabeth could not countenance for a moment accepting any offer from their cousin, no matter if it meant losing Longbourn.

The thought struck her mute with horror, and she glanced pleadingly across at Jane.

Jane once more heroically stepped up to speak with their cousin, but he granted her only a few polite sentences before shifting his focus back to Elizabeth.

Kitty and Lydia were of no help, as both girls were arm in arm giggling about officers and red coats, while Mary and Miss Fairchild trailed behind the rest of the party as they discussed possible purchases for the former schoolroom at Longbourn.

By the time they attained the dusty main street of Meryton, Elizabeth was so unutterably weary of Mr. Collins's droning voice that even she hailed the sight of Captain Denny with delight.

A moment later, she noted with curiosity the presence of a stranger at his side.

The newcomer was in every respect a fine, handsome fellow, with extremely good looks and an impeccable figure.

"Kitty, look!" Lydia exclaimed, gesturing across the street at the milliner's shop, and all but dragged her party over to peer into the windows. This conveniently resulted in them reaching the other side of the street precisely as Captain Denny and his compatriot arrived at the spot.

Introductions must necessarily be made, and Elizabeth smiled with approval as their new acquaintance, Mr. Wickham, made them an exquisite bow.

Denny clapped his companion's back and said, "Wickham here has just accepted a commission in our fine regiment, and we are on our way down to see the Colonel now. "

Elizabeth let her younger sisters take the lead in gushing, but she also smiled in approval.

Mr. Wickham was all that was gentlemanlike and amiable, and red regimentals were all that were lacking to make the picture complete.

Easy conversation flowed for a while, with Jane gently checking Lydia when she grew too overtly flirtatious, while Mary and Miss Fairchild, after a minute or two, made their way into the bookstore.

Hoof beats approached behind them, and Elizabeth turned to observe a party of five gentlemen on horseback, whom she recognized as the party from Netherfield.

Mr. Bingley, apparently spying Jane’s handsome face and form, urged his gelding into a trot, thus lengthening the distance between himself and the other gentlemen.

Jane turned as well, and the Bennet ladies curtsied. Mr. Bingley dismounted hastily and bowed. "Good morning, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Kitty, Miss Lydia."

“Good morning, Mr. Bingley, may I please introduce my cousin, Mr. Collins? Mr. Collins, Mr. Bingley.”

The gentlemen bowed to one another, and Mr. Bingley turned towards Jane to ask solicitously, "I hope you are well, Miss Bennet?"

"I am very well," Jane replied politely, but Elizabeth's attention was no longer on the exchange.

The other gentlemen had arrived now, and Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham were looking at one another, and Mr. Wickham was suddenly quite pale while Mr. Darcy had gone still, his hands tight on the reins and his face red.

Then, in a sudden, startling, violent movement, Colonel Fitzwilliam vaulted out of the saddle and leaped forward, his usually cheerful face contorted in fury.

“Wickham, you skunk!” he snarled, grabbing the gentleman’s arm with his left hand and punching him in the jaw with his right.

Lydia and Kitty screamed in horrified astonishment as Bingley and Darcy also swung down from the saddle. Bingley, his face twisted with concern, hurried over to Jane’s side while Darcy, his own face dark and forbidding, stepped over near his cousin.

Wickham lay on the dirty ground cowering, his eyes wide. “Fitzwilliam, I am not looking for trouble…”

“Trouble?” the colonel demanded, his eyes gleaming with fury. “Trouble?! You have caused trouble for years, you dissolute vermin, and I can only thank God above for bringing us together today. Why are you here in Meryton, blackguard?”

“He is here to join the militia!” Lydia cried shrilly. “How dare you treat Mr. Wickham in such a cruel way?”

Mr. Darcy’s hands were balled into fists, and he turned and said, “Misses Bennet, I fear that Mr. Wickham has a regrettable past, and while I apologize for such violence in the presence of ladies, I expect it is necessary given … well, Richard, shall we speak to Colonel Forster about Mr. Wickham?”

“I would enjoy that very much,” Fitzwilliam said with a dangerous smile, and as Elizabeth watched in astonishment, Darcy handed over the reins to a shocked Bingley, and then assisted Colonel Fitzwilliam in pulling Wickham from the ground and marching him in the direction of Colonel Forster’s rented house.

“So that is George Wickham?” Lord Stanton remarked, swinging down from his own gelding and taking the reins of his brother’s horse. “I suppose it is no surprise he has caused so much trouble; he is definitely one of the most handsome men I have ever laid eyes on.”

Captain Denny was staring with an open mouth, and he said weakly, “Erm, my lord, I do apologize, but, erm, I am quite confused. I have been an acquaintance of Wickham’s for two years and have always thought him a most reputable individual.”

Lord Stanton shrugged and said, “I have not seen Wickham in many years, but he grew up at Pemberley, Darcy’s estate, as the son of one of the family’s retainers.

I know he left the area under a cloud of debt.

He is the sort of man who plays cards and loses money and fills tabs and then runs away to avoid paying what he owes. ”

“But surely,” Lydia cried out, “such a handsome man could not be a rogue?”

Sir Quinton descended to the ground at this moment and said, “Miss Lydia, I fear that many a good-looking man has proven a rogue. But come, will you not introduce me to your friend?”

Jane introduced Mr. Collins to both Lord Stanton and Sir Quinton, which pleased the clergyman thoroughly, and the two men engaged the Longbourn ladies in conversation for a few minutes before courteously bidding them farewell.

Mary and Miss Fairchild appeared moments later, and the party made their way to the dressmaker, where they purchased various ribbons and thread and accouterments, and then they began walking home, with Mr. Collins glued to Elizabeth’s side chattering endlessly about the courtesy of Lord Stanton and Sir Quinton, and the danger of rascally men, and how Lady Catherine would never permit such an individual as Mr. Wickham to pollute Rosings or Hunsford.

This was, of course, very stupid, but Elizabeth was not required to speak or listen a great deal, which was good as she was shocked by the interaction between Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Wickham.

She had been strongly attracted to the latter by his form and features and charm, and yet, if Lord Stanton was to be believed, the man was a villain.