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William Collins did his best to soothe his patroness on the short ride from Longbourn to the inn in Meryton.

He had been quite put out when Mr. Bennet had ordered him from the library, but his offense had turned to shocked surprise when he heard Lady Catherine’s voice coming out of a nearby room.

He had done his best to support her in her efforts to make Cousin Elizabeth see reason and give up Mr. Darcy.

The poor man must have been completely enticed by her, Collins thought .

I cannot imagine he would behave so toward his nearest relation if he had not .

His attention was pulled away from his inner contemplations by the slowing of the carriage.

He listened as Lady Catherine instructed her coachman to go into the inn and secure rooms for her.

“You will come inside with me, Mr. Collins. I have a task for you to accomplish.” The lady glanced out the windows on both sides. “It would not do to speak of it here; we do not know who might be listening.”

Collins bobbed his head and assured her he was her servant, but his brow creased. What could she have to say that anyone could not hear?

It took only a few minutes for the driver to come back and help Lady Catherine descend.

Collins followed her into the inn and up the stairs to a suite of what appeared to be the best rooms they had.

He watched as the servant carried her valise into the bedchamber that connected to the sitting room he stood in.

A maid from the inn waited for the groom to leave before entering the bedchamber to do her work, leaving the door open as she did so.

When the room was silent, Lady Catherine called him to the window, where she had seated herself in a chair at the small table that sat there.

She looked around and when she spoke, her words were quietly said.

“You wrote to me that my nephew had publicly compromised this Bennet girl?”

Collins’ head began to bob vigorously. “He did. He walked right up to her in front of everyone and kissed her in a most unseemly manner. Why, I have never-”

Lady Catherine interrupted him. “Keep your voice down.” She looked around again.

“I want that betrothal broken up. You are to imitate Mr. Darcy. I want you to compromise Miss Elizabeth Bennet more thoroughly than he did. I care not how you accomplish the matter, but I want my nephew to be left with a great disgust of her, so great that he jilts her. You will then marry her. I will pay for a license so that it can be accomplished quickly.” Her gaze drilled into her rector.

“Do you understand what I am telling you?”

“I, I do. But … I am a clergyman …”

“Mr. Collins.” Lady Catherine’s voice rang with authority, making him straighten his posture and pay close attention. “Your position is dependent upon me. You will do as you are told.”

Collins’ lips flapped in silence for a full minute as he tried to both process what she said and form a reply. “My living cannot be stripped from me. It is a life appointment.”

She leaned forward. “Indeed. However, I can make your life miserable, and I promise you I will. For the rest of your days.” She glared at him.

Collins swallowed. “Yes, ma’am.”

Lady Catherine leaned back again. “You understand your assignment, do you not? You are to compromise your cousin, completely and utterly and as publicly as possible, so that my nephew breaks his engagement with her.”

“Compromise her … completely, utterly, publicly … yes, Lady Catherine.” He swallowed.

It did not feel quite right, but what was he to do?

She held his future felicity in her hands.

Elizabeth’s pretty face and comely figure flashed in his mind.

The thought of having her to wife as he had been fighting to have for weeks now made the task he was assigned seem less onerous.

“When do you plan to do this?”

Collins thought as quickly as he could. “There is to be a ball Wednesday next,” he confidently informed her. “I know of no other amusements between now and then. It will be the most public place I can find to do as you ask.”

Lady Catherine nodded. “Very well. I will return to Rosings in the morning. I will expect a report from you no later than the day after the ball. Send it express.” She stood, and her rector stumbled to his feet beside her. “You are dismissed.”

“Yes, Lady Catherine.” Collins bowed and backed out of the room, continuously praising his patroness and everything about her he could think of until the door finally closed.

Lady Catherine resumed her place at the table the moment the wood panel shut and turned to stare out the window.

In the bedchamber, the maid, Alice, stood wide-eyed out of sight of the sitting room.

She had been working steadily but quietly and had not been able to avoid overhearing every word the obviously wealthy lady had said to the strange clergyman.

She bit her lip. Her father was a tenant at Longbourn and the eldest Bennet girls had always been kind and generous to those in lower circumstances.

They were well thought of by all the tenant families and by most of the shop keepers.

She could not allow a stranger to interfere with Miss Elizabeth’s life.

She knew what she must do. Straightening her shoulders, she left the bedchamber and slipped into the hallway.

She could not leave until her shift was over, but that meant she had hours to figure out how to accomplish it.

Later that evening, after the rush of supper customers and the last of the post coaches had come and gone for the day, Alice approached her employer to ask permission to complete a personal task.

She was a responsible girl and never one to ask for time off, and there were enough other maids to cover her duties, so the innkeeper granted her request. She pulled on her cape and bonnet and headed down the road toward Longbourn.

She was nearly to the gate when she saw two gentlemen riding toward her from the house.

She stopped at the side of the road. As she examined their features in the dimming light, she realized that one of them was Darcy.

“Excuse me, sir.” She could hear the nervousness in her own voice. “Might I speak with you?”

The gentlemen pulled their horses to a stop beside her.

“You may, yes.” The darker of the two spoke.

She swallowed and then took a deep breath. “Might you be Mr. Darcy?”

Darcy’s brows rose. He nodded. “I am.”

Alice bobbed her head and swallowed her nerves.

“My name is Alice Chamberlain, and I am a maid at the Rosebud and Saber. I was assigned to tend to a lady who took a room for the night. She was with a gentleman and gave him some instructions about Miss Elizabeth. I was on my way to Longbourn to warn her, but perhaps you might do it for me?” A sudden thought made her eyes go wide.

“I did not listen on purpose, I swear. I was working in the bedroom and they were in the sitting room and, well, the lady’s voice carries. ”

She saw Darcy’s brow crease and watched as he glanced at his friend. He dismounted.

“This lady … what did she look like? And the gentleman; can you describe him, as well?”

“I can. The gentleman wore a collar like the rector here at the Longbourn church does. The lady was dressed very fine. She was older, about the age of my grandmother, I would think, and she just turned sixty. She had gray hair and a severe look about her. She is used to giving commands, I think.”

“That sounds like my aunt. Did you hear any names?”

Alice nodded, though she wasn’t certain he could see it in the gathering darkness. “She called the gentleman Mr. Collins.”

Darcy sighed. “I thought that is what you would say.” He paused.

“First, do not fret about overhearing anything. The lady was undoubtedly my aunt, and her voice is generally rather loud. Mr. Collins is the rector to whom she has given a living. What did she say to him to bring you all the way out here to Longbourn?”

Alice proceeded to relate everything she had heard. She was glad she had, for it relieved her of a great weight. “Miss Elizabeth does not deserve such treatment as the lady seems to wish for her to receive. I had hoped to warn her to be on her guard.”

“You did very well. I thank you for taking the time to tell us.” Darcy pressed a coin into her hand. “Would you like an escort back to town? It is rather late to be walking all the way out here.”

“My father is a tenant here at Longbourn. His house is not far … the first one past the turn to Oakham Mount. I often walk home after dark and to work before the sun rises. I will be well on my own, but thank you.” Alice dipped a curtsey.

Darcy made her feel like a fine lady with his concern for her well-being.

It was a feeling she would cherish. “Miss Elizabeth is a lucky lady to have found a gentleman as kind as you to marry her.”

Darcy’s teeth flashed white as he grinned. “Thank you, Miss Chamberlain. I consider myself the lucky one to have earned her love.” He bowed. “Have a good night.”

“Good night, sir.” She turned and began walking toward her father’s home.

~~~***~~~

“Well,” Bingley said, blowing out a breath. “What do you think of that information? Will you do anything about it?”

Darcy had by this time remounted his gelding.

He nudged Apollo into motion. “I believe her. My aunt would do anything to get her way in the matter of my marriage. She will not dirty her own hands, of course, but she likes to throw her weight around. And Collins appears to me to be the type to do what he is told, when he is told it.” He grew quiet for a few minutes.

“I hesitate to speak in public, as it were. Let me think about it while we ride and I will share my thoughts when we get back to Netherfield.”

“Very good. I am eager to hear them.”

~~~***~~~

The next day, Elizabeth, Jane, and Charlotte were admitted to Netherfield by the housekeeper, Mrs. Nichols. She led them to the drawing room, where Louisa Hurst was sitting with her stitching in her hand.

Louisa quickly rose, dropping her needlework on the table beside her chair. “Welcome to Netherfield!” She curtseyed. “I am so happy to see you!” She gestured to a seating area near the fire. “Please join me.”

“Charlotte came to Longbourn this morning and we decided we simply could not wait to visit you.” Elizabeth settled on the edge of a settee and clasped her hands in her lap.

Leaning forward, she lowered her voice a little but not so much that her friends could not all hear.

“Of course, you do have three unattached gentlemen here with you, but we thought we could bear their presence well enough.” She leaned back, grinning as all three of her companions burst into laughter.

“They certainly are a trial sometimes.” Louisa laughed. “I am happy you were able to overlook the presence of the gentlemen to visit. To be honest, I am surprised they have not presented themselves at your homes already.”

“I believe Mr. Bingley said something about coming to Longbourn later in the day,” Jane said. “Mama will surely ask him to stay to dine with us. Perhaps you and Mr. Hurst could come, as well? My mother does so love to entertain.”

Louisa glanced out the window. “I will ask Mr. Hurst what he thinks, but he will want to keep an eye on the weather. He said this morning that the clouds looked ominous.”

Elizabeth nodded. “They do. It was sprinkling a little on the way here.” She looked out the window briefly. “At least we brought the carriage. If it does begin to downpour, we will be dryer than if we had to walk.”

“Lizzy and her walking.” Charlotte’s tease made her companions laugh. “I am only happy that we brought a proper carriage and not your father’s gig.”

Elizabeth blushed a little but lifted her chin. “I would have gotten us here much faster in the curricle.” She lowered her face and grinned. “But you are correct; we are much dryer in the carriage.”

Just then, the housekeeper and a maid brought in the tea service and laid it out in front of Louisa. She began to prepare the teapot as she continued to speak to her guests. She did not get far, though, before all four gentlemen in residence appeared at the door.

“I thought I heard voices!” Bingley hastened across the room, pulled a chair over next to Jane, and sat in it.

“I did, as well, and I was certain the laugh of my favorite lady had reached my ears.” Darcy bowed in front of his betrothed, taking her hand and caressing the fingers with his lips.

Elizabeth smiled at him. “I am very happy to see you. Will you join me?” She indicated the space beside her.

“Indeed, I will.” Darcy immediately accepted her invitation, flipping the tails of his coat up as he sat.

The rest of the gentlemen joined their favorite ladies and conversations erupted all around. Louisa passed around the tea and cakes with her husband’s help, and the eight of them passed an enjoyable quarter hour. Soon, though, Jane rose.

“We promised Mama that we would not be long, and it looks like it has finally begun to rain.”

The single gentlemen protested, but Jane would not be moved, and both Elizabeth and Charlotte supported her.

Giving in, Darcy and his friends escorted their ladies to the door and helped them with their gloves, bonnets, and coats, at least one of them stealing a surreptitious kiss or two as they did so.

Then, they led them out the door and down the steps, finally handing them up into the carriage.

They watched it go with matching forlorn looks.

Jane and Elizabeth dropped Charlotte off at Lucas Lodge and then headed home. They had not gone more than a quarter mile before the rain, which had until then been no more than a light drizzle, began to fall in earnest.