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The first morning of her visit in Hunsford, Elizabeth rose early and joined Mr and Mrs Collins as they broke their fast with weak tea and some toast. The table was not set with butter, preserves, or other foods.

But rather than remark on the meagre offerings, Elizabeth asked about the parsonage furnishings, the kitchen’s appointments, and the plans for the garden.

Mr Collins had turned the ground for a large vegetable garden in the back of the house. Charlotte prepared the beds with fertilizer from the empty henhouse before she planted green peas, onions, and a variety of greens. Interested in the garden, Elizabeth asked, “Did you plant potatoes?”

“I do not have any seed potatoes to plant,” Charlotte revealed. Rather than continue that avenue of discussion, Mr Collins directed the conversation to the schedule for cleaning the house that Lady Catherine shared with his wife during a visit in the winter.

“Lady Catherine advised Charlotte to clean the carpets on Mondays, the windows on Tuesdays, and to bake bread on Wednesdays,” Mr Collins informed his cousin. “And I am pleased that my dear Charlotte follows these directions most faithfully.”

Elizabeth smiled at her cousin and his wife but kept her opinion to herself.

At Longbourn, Mondays were wash days, with the housekeeper ironing items all day Tuesday and Wednesday while Mrs Bennet or her daughters came behind the chambermaids on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as they cleaned the house from the top down, cleaning the carpets being the last task completed before supper on Wednesday.

Mr Collins gathered his hat, scarf, and gloves before departing for Rosings Park. Once the parson departed, Elizabeth asked, “Does Mr Collins spend every day with Lady Catherine?

“Almost every day,” Charlotte replied. “Her Ladyship depends on his advice for dealing with the tenants, her neighbours, and spiritual matters.”

“Do you spend time with him?” the visitor asked gently.

“We have pleasant conversations after supper each evening,” the housewife replied. “I ask his advice concerning the garden and the windows.”

Elizabeth remained silent as Charlotte continued, “Eliza, I have learned that marriage requires many adjustments. My only complaint is that I do not have the chance for conversations in my day. Buttercup, my chambermaid, is a pleasant, hardworking girl, but she has never been into the shop in Hunsford, let alone had a conversation with anyone.”

“Then we shall converse every day,” Elizabeth replied.

Charlotte retorted, “Nonsense, you deserve a constitutional, and I believe that the gardens around Rosings Park are beautiful in the spring. Gather your wrap, bonnet, and gloves before walking to the manor house to view the gardens.”

Because she desired to walk out and see the gardens described by Mr Darcy and others, Elizabeth quickly gathered her outerwear and departed, following the path Mr Collins had followed an hour earlier.

The distance to Rosing Park was two miles, and Elizabeth covered the distance quickly.

She entered the gardens, and as the sun rose higher in the sky, the visitor made her way into the western side of the gardens, where beds of flowers were in full bloom, filling the air with sweet fragrances.

‘The gardens are lovely,’ Elizabeth thought. ‘But I wish Mr Darcy was here.’

As she made her way through the lovely gardens, Elizabeth observed a young couple at some distance walking behind a screen of boxwoods that hid their figures from the great house.

The young man was dressed much like the young gentlemen back in Meryton–good and sturdy clothes but not the latest fashions in London such as Mr Bingley or Mr Darcy wore last autumn.

The young woman was dressed in silks not meant to be worn outside–much like Miss Bingley’s gowns worn to tea in the afternoon.

Turning around, Elizabeth walked away from the couple because she did not wish to intrude on their privacy.

As she traced her earlier steps back toward Hunsford, the young woman again observed the many fields and woods that bright green with new leaves and grasses.

And she would tell Charlotte that the gardens at Rosings were particularly beautiful.

‘I shall enjoy my walks during my visit,’ she decided.

When she returned to the parsonage, Elizabeth noticed that the lunch Charlotte set on the table included only a few slices of toast, weak tea, and a small salad of wild greens.

Their supper that night was again the same offerings with the addition of some fried Black Pudding.

Focusing her attention on first Charlotte and then Mr Collins, Elizabeth thought her friend was noticeably thinner than she had been in December while Mr Collins remained well-fed.

The conversations after supper were stilted until Elizabeth mentioned the lovely garden at Rosings Park.

This allowed Mr Collins to pontificate on the beauty of the gardens, the house, the many windows, and the furnishings found within Lady Catherine’s abode.

The man spoke for many minutes, and Elizabeth did not mention the couple she had observed in the garden.

When Mr Collins decided it was time to retire, he led the way above stairs and begrudgingly permitted Cousin Elizabeth to carry her lighted candle into her bedroom.

The man whispered to his wife, “Mrs Collins, you must make certain Cousin Elizabeth knows not to use the candle in her bedchamber longer than necessary to change for bed. There will be no reading of books or writing letters while the rest of the house is dark and peaceful.”

“I shall discuss the matter with Eliza tomorrow, Mr Collins,” Charlotte assured her husband. “Our guest did walk out for an hour, and I am certain she will retire immediately to rest.”

With her door closed Elizabeth changed into her nightgown and snuffed out the candle before climbing into bed.

She was tired and quickly fell asleep. In the morning, she dressed in the same gown worn the previous day and came down the stairs with the candlestick that she placed on the table with the other candles to light and use at night.

Mr Collins noticed his cousin bring the candlestick into the dining room and stared at the candle, attempting to determine how long the young woman burned the candle after closing her door. Charlotte inquired, “How did you sleep, Eliza?”

“I changed and fell asleep as soon as I pulled up the covers,” Elizabeth replied, and this seemed to resolve any questions Mr Collins had.

And then, everyone in the dining room heard Elizabeth’s stomach rumble with hunger.

Unfortunately, the offering to break her fast was as slim as the first morning of her visit.

~~~

On the third morning of her visit with Charlotte Collins, Elizabeth helped clean the kitchen and pantry. The scarcity of staples in the secure room surprised the young woman, who exclaimed about the empty shelves, and Charlotte blushed.

“Forgive me, Charlotte; I am not trying to embarrass you,” said Elizabeth. “But why are there not more foodstuffs here?”

“There is nothing to apologise for, Eliza,” Charlotte assured her. “I shall make every effort this summer to grow and preserve foods to ensure sufficient stores for next winter and spring.”

“Mr Collins has a suitable income, does he not?” asked Elizabeth, thinking about the scarce meals and teas she had been served during the first days of her visit.

“Do you remember my wedding, Eliza?” Charlotte inquired.

“Of course. You were a lovely bride,” one friend assured the other.

“After the wedding breakfast, Mr Collins spent his income to purchase stocks in Mr Wickham’s company,” the older woman reminded her friend. “I did not understand that my husband left us with an empty pantry when he spent that money.”

It was Elizabeth’s turn to blush as she remembered the scene Charlotte described in a calm voice, “Mr Collins, Mr Rushing, Mr Goulding, and my father each handed over large sums of money for the stocks.”

“Yes, I remember. My father refused to discuss it,” Elizabeth said but fell silent rather than speak about her words with Darcy.

“Mr Collins handed over six months of his income to buy New World Tea Company stock. I shall not have coins to purchase sugar, flour, or tea until the rents at Rosings Park are collected on Midsummer Day. But Mr Collins says that Mr Wickham will pay profits this spring, and I shall have fresh tea each day of the week after that.”

Her brow furrowed with questions, Elizabeth stated, “Midsummer? Why so long? My father gives the pastor an equal portion of his quarterly income in spring.”

“Yes, but Lady Catherine interferes with rents and money here in Rosings. Mr Darcy is the executor of the estate, and he instructed the steward to pay Lady Catherine her allowance and Mr Collins his salary only twice a year. The tenants know not to give Lady Catherine or her servants any money. It is a distressing arrangement because the tenants are abused verbally frequently.”

“Do not the neighbours object to such treatment of the farmers and their families?”

Charlotte grimaced and confessed, “To my knowledge, no one calls on Lady Catherine at Rosings Park except my husband.”

“Does no one call for tea? Does anyone invite Lady Catherine and her daughter to tea or for suppers?” asked Elizabeth, her confusion growing. When Charlotte shook her head, the first woman said, “This is very strange, Charlotte. How do they live without some company and society?”

The two women worked in silence for a time, finding a large sack of maize that had spoiled with insects.

It took both women and the chambermaid to move the sack from the pantry.

Once they exited the kitchen door, Elizabeth looked about and asked, “Where should we put this sack? One of the tenants can use the corn to feed his chickens.”

Sighing, Charlotte replied, “There is a chicken coop without any birds. I wish we had a few hens and a cock. I could let some hens set to hatch chicks this spring to have young birds to eat late in summer and autumn.”

Once the sack was secure inside the coop, Charlotte said, “I shall visit with Mr and Mrs Tanglewood at Pear Orchard Farm and trade the corn for something from their garden.”

After returning to the kitchen, the chambermaid returned to her work above stairs; Elizabeth paused and frowned as her thoughts multiplied, ‘I do not look forward to the lack of proper sustenance for an entire month. Charlotte has lost weight since marrying Mr Collins; her husband is not providing for his wife. I have money; Father gave me two pounds.’

With a momentarily sour expression, Elizabeth imagined meeting Mr Darcy again while her empty stomach rumbled.

This potentially embarrassing incident spurred the young woman to a course of action.

She asked, “Charlotte, I have my allowance with me. Can we visit the shops in Hunsford for tea leaves and such? For a pound, we can stock your pantry with sufficient food to feed you, Mr Collins and the maid until your garden begins producing this summer.”

“Eliza…I should be forever in your debt if we could. Lady Catherine sends things on occasion, but that makes Mr Collins speak for many minutes about the graciousness of the grand woman.”

Ignoring Charlotte's complaint concerning Mr Collins, Elizabeth pressed ahead, “Shall we walk out this morning?”

~~~