Page 14 of Introducing Mrs. Collins
‘And tall!’ added Maria breathlessly.
‘And tall,’ agreed Charlotte, ‘it does not follow that he is practised at wooing. Why else would he pay you such attention?’
‘He did not come to paymeattention; he came to visit all of us. It was bad luck for him that you were out.’
‘Yes, I’m sure Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy was desperate to talk to the vicar’s wife about the weather or discuss a passage of scripture with Maria here.’
‘Indeed!’ Maria began indignantly.
‘Sorry, Maria. But he did not come for us.’
Eliza sighed. ‘Well, you will not be persuaded otherwise, but in any case, his overtures would be of no use while I think so ill of him. I should do much better with Colonel Fitzwilliam!’ She said this with a laugh, but Charlotte did not join her.
‘You would.’ She had turned very serious suddenly. ‘He is a fine match. I am not sure he has much money to keep a household, but he is a very good man, I think. Will you return his interest? He certainly likes you.’
Eliza caught her friend’s odd tone and looked at her appraisingly. ‘I was only joking, really.’
‘Why would it be a joke to you? He is a good match and worthy of your serious consideration.’
In the pause after Charlotte spoke, Elizabeth was trying to read her – the conversation felt suddenly precarious, and she was not sure why.
‘Has he mentioned something to you, about me? Last night?’ asked Elizabeth, trying in vain to piece together her friend’s sudden investment in this scheme.
‘When might he have done that? He did not speak three words to me all evening, and neither did you.’
Maria wordlessly slipped out of the parlour at this point, but only to listen to the exchange more comfortably from outside the door.
‘You seem angry,’ said Elizabeth warily. ‘Is it something I have done?’
‘No, I am not angry,’ said Charlotte, angrily. ‘I just hope that your eyes are open, Eliza, to the opportunities before you. As I see it, Darcy’s cards are almost laid on the table. And the colonel is very obviously interested in you, and yet you laugh at the idea of him as a suitor. If he is a joke to you, you should not have acted as you did with him last night. You encouraged him. Either that or you used him to spark interest in Darcy, which, if that was your goal, worked very well. I congratulate you on the scheme.’
This was shot with a cold venom at Elizabeth, who was hurt but, moreover, dumbfounded. She was not used to such cool hostility from her friend – or such judgement.
Charlotte felt a flush in her face and realised her fists were clenched. Yes, she was angry. Why? She began hurriedly unfastening the lace around her neck.
Elizabeth did not match her friend’s anger with a fire of her own; she was too occupied in trying to understand her friend, trying to solve her reaction like a puzzle.
‘I think,’ she began haltingly, ‘that you want me to be more grateful for the attentions I receive.’
Charlotte thought about that for a minute. Her first instinct was,Yes, precisely!but upon further reflection, she did not like its implications. Why should her friend be grateful for something she had not asked for? Lady Catherine had seemed irked by Elizabeth’s prettiness, which was absurd. Was Charlotte not behaving similarly in blaming her friend for being charming? Yes, she returned the lively conversation she received, but so would Charlotte if she were single and being pursued. She imagined she would, anyway – for her, it would always be a hypothetical.
Elizabeth had had interest in the past from many quarters, all of them unworthy, and Charlotte had never examined her response to them or thought she should behave differently. Why did she feel so now?
Her breathing had slowed. She removed her cap from her head and found herself able to meet Elizabeth’s eyes. ‘I am sorry. I do not think that. I did not enjoy last night. I suppose I am getting used to being just a wife – and an unimportant one – in a gathering such as that.’
Instead of instantly contradicting her, Elizabeth took a moment to consider what she was saying and took her hand. ‘I am sorry I was so distracted. For what it is worth, you are the most important person in my life. You and Jane.’
Charlotte smiled at the sentiment but said knowingly, ‘But I think not for long, Eliza. Let us see.’
Elizabeth, relieved that the storm seemed to be over, laughed and said, ‘You sound like a fortune-teller.’
Charlotte sat, relaxing a little. ‘Cross my palm with silver then, I would take it.’
‘No. You would only give it to the poor.’
‘Eliza! You are godless. And I would not, actually. I would buy a new apron.’
‘Such indulgence! She is as hedonistic as Prinny!’ cried Elizabeth, and Charlotte cackled at her and at herself.
