Page 81 of Introducing Mrs. Collins
‘Have you any plans for the remainder of the summer?’ asked Charlotte of her mother. ‘Might you and Maria take in the end of the season in London?’
‘No, we have no plans to. We may visit Bath in September – your aunt is keen to see Edward before he goes back to Eton.’
‘I don’t want to go back!’ interjected Edward petulantly.
‘Don’t be silly, Edward,’ his mother chided.
‘I am not being silly. I do not like it.’ He suddenly looked much younger than his fourteen years.
Lady Lucas softened in tone. ‘Darling, you still have much to learn, and not all of it academic. Do you not miss your friends?’
‘I do not have friends,’ the boy returned sullenly. Suddenly, tears pricked his eyes, and the mood around the table changed.
Lady Lucas realised this was not now a topic for general discussion. ‘We shall discuss it later.’
Determining a change of subject was needed, Charlotte said lightly, ‘If you do go to Bath, we may accompany you.’
‘Oh?’ said Lady Lucas, rather put off by the wordwein that offer.
‘Yes, it would be pleasant to take a trip together, would it not, my dear?’
‘Certainly,’ replied Collins, happily surprised by the suggestion. ‘I have long desired to visit the Pump Rooms.’
Lady Lucas blinked. ‘Well, I will tell you when our plans are fixed.’
At this point, their butler entered with a bottle of champagne and began pouring it into their glasses. Charlotte’s initial confusion at such decadence was quickly supplanted by joy as her father shared the news that Maria was engaged to be married to Mr Denny.
While Denny’s less savoury connections had given Charlotte pause in the past, one look at Maria’s blushing, giddy face allowed her to set those concerns aside, and she determined to focus on how well-mannered and honourable he had always proved himself. It was clearly a love-match, something she had always prayed her sister might be able to have.
‘How wonderful,’ said Mr Collins, who had evidently been preparing what he would say for some minutes. ‘May God bless your union, as he has blessed ours.’ It was more succinct than anyone had expected. He looked at Charlotte then, with such love, and as she met his eyes, she was surprised to feel tears coming. She blinked them back and raised her glass with him.
Walking with her mother in the garden that afternoon, Charlotte launched her interrogation. ‘Has the courtship been going on all this time? The last occasion I saw them together was before I wasengaged. She has not mentioned him since – not last year, or since I returned. It seems odd.’
Lady Lucas nodded. ‘I know. She has been secretive about it, or she thought she had; I had some inclination. You see, at the start, your father and I were not encouraging of the match. You can imagine why.’
Charlotte could indeed. Life in the militia shared many of the same shortcomings as life in the regulars: absence from home, unpredictability and a lean income.
‘When the militia removed to Brighton, we expected their courtship would come to a natural end. But then, of course, there followed the events concerning Lydia Bennet and Wickham.’
Charlotte felt herself lean in.
‘You will remember, Denny and Wickham were friends, but Wickham’s behaviour in Brighton, even before he left with Lydia, was shocking, and Denny had started to distance himself from him. When Lydia and Wickham eloped, it was Denny who alerted Colonel Forster to Wickham’s nature, albeit too late. I cannot know the truth of it, but I believe if Denny were guilty of anything, it is being too slow to react.’
‘But what of Maria?’
‘Ah, yes. He had seen Maria that summer, when she was in London with Miss Ainshaws, and he still liked her very much, and she him. In October, he presented himself here, to your father.’
‘In October! Why have you not told me this before?’
‘Because you have had plenty to think about, my darling – last October was not an easy time for you – and because I did not know how it would play out.’
‘So, he asked permission to marry Maria?’
‘Yes, but your father said no.’
Charlotte gasped.
‘He said no, conditionally. He said that a life in the militia was not one fit for marriage, and he offered to help Denny into a career in trade; your father has excellent connections there.’
