Page 25 of New World Tea Company
None of the sisters could stifle their giggles, and shortly, the three young women laughed aloud. Despite the glare from their mother and the disapproving frown on their guest's face, the twinkle in their father’s eye emboldened the sisters to rise, curtsey and depart the parlour. They hurried up the stairs to the sanctuary of Mary’s bedchamber until supper.
Behind them, Mrs Bennet began speaking about the qualities of her second and third daughters.
“But Miss Jane is the eldest, is she not?” asked Mr Collins.
Mrs Bennet smiled, “Our Jane has formed an attachment with one of the neighbours, and we expect them to be engaged shortly. But there are no claims on the affections of Elizabeth or Mary.”
Mr Bennet coughed to attract the attention of his wife and visitor before he spoke. “Any gentleman wishing to court one of my daughters will spend several months courting her to win her good opinion and affections.”
“Several months? But I am only here for a fortnight! Lady Catherine expects me to be engaged when I return to Hunsford.”
“Oh, Mr Bennet,” Frannie cried. “Mr Collins needs a wife, and we have many unmarried daughters.”
“Mrs Bennet, we shall speak privately. Mr Collins, the family will take supper with our neighbours at a nearby home tomorrow night. There, you may tell the various mothers and fathers your requirements for a bride, but I shall never consent to a rushed marriage.”
While Mr Collins puffed up indignantly, Mr Bennet continued, “We do not want the bishop to hear reports of your improper behaviour that forced a rush to the altar. Can you imagine the disappointment for Lady Catherine de Bourgh if she were to receive a letter of complaint from a father of a despoiled daughter who was hurried before the altar?”
Pausing for a moment, William Collins blinked as he imagined the ire of Lady Catherine costing him the appointment at Hunsford. Then the pompous man replied, “Fear not, sir, I shall not seek a bride among my cousins.”
He thought to leave the room but stopped, realising that he had no notion of the location of his assigned chamber in the house. Mr Bennet summoned the housekeeper to escort the gentleman above stairs to rest until time for supper.
~~~
When they were alone, Frances Bennet approached her husband with tears in her eyes. She confessed her disappointment, “Thomas…he wanted to marry one of our girls. Longbourn would be secure for our girls…for me after you are gone.”
“Frannie, my dear, do you love our girls?”
“Yes, of course,” his wife replied without hesitation.
“And you would never allow anyone to harm one of them?”
Confused, Frances Bennet listened as her husband continued, “The man spoke for an hour in my library about how improper it was for me to refer to you as ‘my lady’ because it besmirched the nobility who rule over us. He is a fool and will alienate everyone in his life. The man has no sense, and I wonder if he can dress in the mornings without assistance.”
“But he inherits Longbourn.”
Nodding once, Thomas sighed and said, “I am sorry my grandfather entailed the estate because Collins will ruin Longbourn within two years when he becomes master. But we can do nothing about that except to ensure none of our daughters is involved in his downfall.”
“But what will happen to me and the girls?”
“Frannie, I promise I shall live for many more years and see our girls well-married.”
The man drew his wife into a comforting embrace, an unusual occurrence in the parlour of their manor house, but Frannie took solace from the gesture. And then the couple shared a thimble of brandy to fortify themselves before supper with Mr Collins at their table.
~~~
In Meryton, George Wickham replied to questions about his conversation with Mr Darcy, saying, “He is a great man from the north with an income of ten thousand a year and the ear of the Prime Minister. I grew up with him in Derbyshire but have made my own way in the world.”
Sir William Lucas, in the village for a moment’s respite and a tankard of ale before returning to Lucas Lodge and continuing the preparations for the next night’s festivities, inquired about the Darcy family, to which Mr Wickham replied, “Yes, his father was a great man. Mr George Darcy was my godfather and left a legacy that founded my business importing tea from the east.”
Someone asked, “I thought the swells had a lock on the tea trade. Something in the Indies?”
Ready with an answer to every question, George explained, “Indeed they do, but I have a special license to sell British tea to the Americas. None of my tea is sold in England. The East India Company has an iron grip on the sale and distribution of tea here.”
“What is your company called, Mr Wickham?” asked Sir William with more respect in his voice than earlier.
“My company is named the New World Tea Company.”
~~~
