Page 20 of To Go Against Her Heart (Pride and Prejudice Variation)
He had arrived that evening solely for the opportunity it offered to be in her company, fully aware that there would be talk about Wickham.
Yet he was willing to endure it for the chance to converse with her.
However, he was stunned to see her walk in on the arm of Mr. Collins; he was completely baffled to understand that they were related.
“I see,” he replied, and Mr. Collins did not waste a moment in renewing the conversation.
“I must assure you, Mr. Darcy, Lady Catherine is well and was in the best spirits when I left Kent many weeks ago. And you must be particularly interested to know about the well-being of your cousin, Miss de Bourgh,” he said.
Darcy immediately noticed Elizabeth’s face darken.
“And yes, it is with great happiness I inform you that Miss de Bourgh is well, although she was a little sick when I left. It is not an uncommon occurrence since you have known her since birth. But other than that, she is in remarkable spirits.”
“Mr. Collins, I thank you for the particulars about Rosings Park,” he replied.
“Of course, it is my duty, sir. You can be assured that in the future, too, I will be at your service after your marriage,” he said with pride and confidence.
“If you would excuse me, I must meet my friend,” Elizabeth cried, excusing herself, not wanting Darcy to observe her distress. Unfortunately for her, Darcy witnessed her expression as she left them, and his anger knew no bounds.
“Mr. Collins, if I may remind you, my marriage is none of your business. And for the last time, I warn you not to utter a word about whatever my aunt mentioned about my future concerning Miss de Bourgh. I cannot tell you how enraged I feel now to think you may have spread this misinformation among society here,” Darcy cried in a low yet stern voice.
“I…I apologize. My intention was not to upset you; I just mentioned what my patroness has been anticipating.”
“Enough! I hope you will take my warning seriously,” he said and walked away, leaving Mr. Collins perplexed.
Though Elizabeth could not overhear Darcy’s words, she could sense that he was upset with the parson.
“Mr. Collins looks aghast; I wonder what happened?” Charlotte mentioned.
“I have no idea. He mentioned Mr. Darcy’s marriage, and I think that upset him,” Elizabeth replied. She noticed Jane and Mr. Bingley seated together, and his sisters sat beside them.
“By now, one would expect Mr. Bingley to openly court Jane. I wonder if something is stopping him. Could it be his sisters?” Charlotte asked.
“Charlotte, you are being too hasty. We must give them time; it is not even two whole months since they met.”
“There is no question of time in love, Lizzy. Again, I worry if he doubts Jane’s sentiments.”
“I do not think that is the case; she is shy. You are well aware of that.”
“Of course, I am; yet it is high time she made her sentiments known, or, at the very least, not give room for doubt.”
They were interrupted by the arrival of Mr. Collins.
“Fair cousin, forgive me for depriving you of my company. I was engaged with your uncle, and my genteel manners did not allow me to upset him by breaking away from our conversation to seek you out, and not to mention Mr. Phillips needed my advice on caring for his garden during spring.”
Charlotte smiled at her friend. As for Elizabeth, she had long passed the temperament of being amused by his talks. However, she was grateful to Charlotte, as she chose to stay with Elizabeth, which provided her with some respite.
Elizabeth noticed Darcy’s eyes on her more often than not, and he somehow seemed displeased.
I wonder what he said to Mr. Collins, she thought.
As anticipated, Sir William brought up Wickham’s topic, and Darcy handled the same with patience.
“Mr. Darcy, I have to apologize on behalf of all my friends here; when we heard his lies, none of us wanted to report it to the colonel. I am glad that the truth came to light and that you have saved our society from harm. I must extend my deepest gratitude in the matter.”
“I assure you, you need not thank me or feel guilty about the matter. I only acted how I ought to,” he said.
However uncomfortable the conversation was, Darcy could sense the genuine concern from Sir William and resonated with the fact that his old self would have avoided the conversation instead of hearing the man out.
He was grateful to Elizabeth for making him a better man in more ways than one.
He observed her seeming boredom beside her cousin and pondered whether she believed him already betrothed to Anne.
The last thing I need is for her to misunderstand me.
He noticed Mr. Collins leave and join Mr. Bennet and Mr. Phillips. As Darcy was unwilling to hesitate in any matter concerning Elizabeth, he walked up to her, much to the surprise of Charlotte.
“I hope I am not interrupting you,” he said, looking at Elizabeth after greeting Charlotte.
“No…not at all,” she replied with confusion.
“My mother needs me, Lizzy. If you would excuse me,” Charlotte said and left them. Elizabeth composed herself, not understanding what he wished to say to her.
“Much to my discomfort, most of your friends have thanked me for exposing Mr. Wickham. I feel guilty to accept their sentiments as the only person they need to thank is you.”
“That is not true. Nothing would have altered had you not chosen to travel here, willing to revisit what pains you.”
Darcy looked at her intently, and Elizabeth raised her eyebrow.
“Whatever you heard from your cousin is not true.”
“I beg your pardon.”
“If he informed you that I am engaged or plan to marry my cousin, Miss de Bourgh, then it is all nothing but falsehood.”
“Mr. Darcy, you do not have…’’
“Please, allow me to explain,” he said, quickly relating that his aunt was the only person who wished for his marriage to Anne.
“It has been many years, and my cousin and I have failed entirely to make her understand that we are under no inclination to marry. Mr. Collins, however, takes every word of Lady Catherine without reasoning, and it pains me to realize how far he has spread this misinformation,” he said, observing the change in her expression as there was unmistakable relief on her face, which she tried to conceal.
“I understand, but I am not certain why you would bother to explain this to me,” she said with a sense of irritation.
“Because you are my well-wisher; at least I believe so,” he said, and Elizabeth did not know whether to agree or disagree with him. They were interrupted by Miss Bingley, who joined them and inserted herself into the conversation, much to Darcy’s displeasure.
Elizabeth was grateful for her intervention. She could not understand why she felt such relief upon understanding that Darcy was not engaged, nor could she fathom why he chose to explain it to her, rekindling her doubts about his intentions.
The evening ended in happy spirits for everyone who looked forward to the ball, except for one: Mr. Collins, who was troubled about what Darcy had said and felt devastated to understand that his noble patroness was to be disappointed in her expectations concerning her daughter’s marriage.