Charlotte - Pride and Prejudice Continues Page 5

  “No, I am a witness. A young lad, who ran away from the war in the Peninsula and has been apprehended finally, I am to stand as a character witness for him. Unfortunately, I fear it will not go well for him. The Army does not look kindly upon deserters.” He looked sadly down at the floor, a frown creasing his forehead.

  “I am sorry to hear it Colonel.” She knew that the boy would be shot. “I am sorry for the boy and for his family.” He looked into her eyes and she could see how deeply he felt about the boy, “I think he has been important to you.”

  “Undeniably, he has been. I took him under my wing. You cannot imagine the horrors of war Mrs Collins and the poor boy suffered greatly from his fears, he experienced recurrent nightmares. I was not surprised when he ran away. Even the hardiest war veterans suffer from nightmares. God knows I do.” He reached up and rubbed at his neck and she remained silent, sensing his need to unburden himself emotionally. “War is a ghastly business.” He seemed to collect himself. “I am sorry Mrs Collins to speak so freely.”

  “Do not apologise Colonel. I think if you did not talk about it then it would be harder upon you.”

  He looked up into her eyes again, “Yes, you understand. You are a remarkable woman.”

  Charlotte blushed, why am I blushing? She thought uncomfortable with herself.

  “I shall return after…, in about six weeks I estimate. I do sincerely hope we can continue our walks and discussions.”

  “I hope that too, they have been most enjoyable.” He held her gaze for longer than was necessary and her pulse began to race. His eyes traced her face and then fell upon the miniature Mr Collins had given her for Christmas tied around her neck, “Mrs Collins may I enquire as to what that might be hanging around your neck?”

  Seeing the look of shock, interlaced with astonishment and revulsion on his face Charlotte did then give way to laughter, “I know,” she exclaimed, “It is hideous, is it not?”

  The colonel was glad that she felt the same way he did, as he feared giving her offence and he joined her laughter, relaxing into their new friendship.

  * * *

  Once the Colonel took his leave and departed Charlotte decided to walk into Hunsford to visit the Misses Thomas.

  She found only the younger Miss Thomas at home and she was glad of a visitor. “Mrs Collins, I am so glad you are here. Do sit down.”

  “Thank you Miss Thomas.”

  “Oh I think it is about time we dispensed with formalities, we are becoming firm friends, please I would prefer it if you were to call me Louisa.”

  Charlotte was surprised but very glad to be able to do so; it was turning out to be a day of improving friendships. She indicated that Miss Thomas should also return the compliment and now call her Charlotte.

  They smiled at each other a little nervously at their new intimacy and then giggled like schoolgirls. “I am sad to have missed your sister today.”

  “Mrs Thomas is running errands today and has probably been waylaid by Mrs Brown,” she giggled.

  “Mrs Thomas? I thought she was your sister, another Miss Thomas.” Louisa looked surprised at Charlotte’s misunderstanding.

  “Not at all! Oh my dear,” she moved to sit next to Charlotte on the sofa and laid her hand upon hers, “I am so sorry that you had misunderstood.”

  She seemed to think for a few seconds and chewed her lip in a way that made her look younger, and Charlotte realised she did not know her friend’s age at all but surmised she could not be above five and thirty.

  “I suppose I should tell you the whole history then.”

  Charlotte turned towards her friend, “I would appreciate that, and I apologise for the misunderstanding.”

  “Not at all, I suppose when we are usually referred to as the Misses Thomas then that assumption is quite natural. Anne is my sister in law. She was Anne Fields and married my brother Henry.” Charlotte’s eyebrows raised in surprise, “Oh you didn’t know about Henry either. Oh my dear, this is going to be a long story, I should call for the tea now.”

  Louisa giggled in the childish way she was wont to do and rang for tea. Charlotte liked her very much, she was a kind and genteel woman with no pretentions, and who found the humorous side in most situations.

  “Now Henry was my older brother.” She sat back down and Charlotte took note that she had said 'was'. “There were just the two of us and he married Anne. We all lived here together and Anne had two children Charles and Henrietta in quick succession.” She choked on the words, drew out a handkerchief, and covered her mouth. Her eyes screwed up with pain at the memories.

  “You need not continue Louisa if it is too much.” Charlotte did not want her friend to experience more pain.

  “Oh, thank you. However, I must correct the misunderstanding. The memories are still so painful.” She cleared her throat and collected herself to continue, “I worked sometimes for Lady Catherine in those days, I am rather good at needle work, and instead of sending to London for small repairs and alterations she would ask for me. I would also then help Anne with the children and I was glad of the occupation after my disappointment.” She paused once again at another painful memory; Charlotte decided that that particular story could wait for another day. “I was at Rosings when Jim Harvey came with a message for me that the whole household had been taken ill with the grip that was sweeping through the village. I thought that Lady Catherine was being gracious when she invited me to stay in one of the guest rooms in the meanwhile. I had never seen such a glorious room and I confess the bed was far too soft for me to get a good night’s sleep even if I could have slept in my distress. I spent the days caring for my family and returned to Rosings at night. So, you can imagine I was saddened one day to overhear Lady Catherine telling Lady Metcalf that she had not asked me to stay out of compassion but because she did not want to lose her seamstress to the grip as it would incommode her terribly.”

  She looked into Charlotte’s eyes, hers were brimmed with tears, and Charlotte was once again feeling irritation at Lady Catherine. “I determined to leave immediately and I wrote a note informing Lady Catherine that I felt obliged to return to my family.” Again, she paused to wipe her eyes. “Charlotte I blame myself for not being here so diligently. I blame Lady Catherine for her interference.” Here she had to blow her nose, “Forgive me.”

  “Not at all.” Charlotte was glad that the tea things arrived and took charge of making it while her friend composed herself again.

  What had Lady Catherine done to Louisa? This was an indication of Lady Catherine’s selfish desire to dominate those all around her, but was certainly no reason to be bitter against her. Louisa was obviously implying more than she was saying and although her curiosity was up Charlotte did not intend to push the point at that moment.

  Charlotte handed some tea to her friend who drank deeply and then continued with her narration. “I thought the fever had broken and they were on the mend but young Charles was the first to be taken. Henrietta soon followed her brother heavenward. I could not bring myself to tell Anne nor Henry. They were languishing in their infirmity, such terrible news could wait.” She drank more tea, her face wet with tears. “Henry died two days after his children and it was on the same day that Anne finally regained herself and came back to us.” Her voice was breaking and she was crying freely now, “Oh Charlotte, I was beside myself. You cannot imagine the joy I felt that she had come through the worst and the anguish I also felt knowing that I had to inform her of her worst nightmare.”

  Charlotte refilled Louisa's cup while she continued, “The funerals were held quietly and I thought Anne would never speak again she was so badly grieved. Only prayer seemed to comfort her in her sorrow. That was two years ago this spring.” She looked up again at Charlotte clearly relieved to have completed the tale, “There now, you are informed and I am glad of it. I am sure she will need your sensitivity when the anniversary comes around.”

  Charlotte placed her hand on Louisa's, “As will you my friend.”
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br />   Louisa's revelation had put their friendship into a new light. They had suffered greatly from the ravages of illness and suffered losses, which no parent ought to know, Charlotte thought as she walked home much more slowly than usual that day. The thought that Lady Catherine had somehow injured Louisa by interfering once too often also worried her. It did not bode well for herself and Mr Collins if that was the case. She was already tiring of her apparent judiciousness, she pouted sadly. She knew that at some point she would want to know the particulars and wondered if it had anything to do with Louisa’s disappointment.

  9

  Charlotte and Mr Collins dined at Rosings in the week between Christmas and the New Year. Interestingly Lady Catherine was not concerned by her usual subjects of conversation. She felt no need to neither advise, reprimand, patronise, nor demand anything. Instead, she was occupied with the thought of her daughter Anne. Anne was a sickly girl according to Lady Catherine, but Charlotte had never observed any illness whatsoever in the girl. It was true she had a pale sickly pallor but that was most probably attributable to her rarely being out of doors and never taking exercise. Lady Catherine was regaling them with a fine list of accomplishments, which Anne would have had, if only she were well enough to have them. Charlotte could barely contain a laugh. Poor Anne! She had never been permitted to do anything that Lady Catherine thought would fatigue her or that could possibly lead to her becoming ill such as taking exercise out of doors.

  Then Lady Catherine moved on to talk about Anne being jilted by Mr Darcy in favour of that girl, as she called Elizabeth. Again Charlotte was close to laughing aloud, it was apparent that Mr Darcy had never had any intentions nor designs to marry Anne and by the looks of her Charlotte could not imagine her mustering the desire to marry anyone either. The understanding that had been supposed between Anne and Mr Darcy was entirely of Lady Catherine’s invention. However, Lady Catherine was a woman who usually got her own way and having had her nose put out of joint once she was not to be outdone again. She was determined to get an excellent husband for her daughter and was discussing the idea of having a party of young people, by young people Charlotte assumed she meant gentlemen, to visit Rosings in the hope that one of them would propose marriage to Anne.

  “What an excellent idea your Ladyship. I cannot imagine how any gentleman could resist the charms of your excellent daughter,” fawned Mr Collins who had been making such comments throughout the evening.

  “Yes indeed, who could resist.” She said fondly looking at her daughter, “Of course only suitors with a fortune and preferably a title will suffice. Only such a man would be suitable for my daughter.” She smiled at Anne. Charlotte noticed that Anne looked away from her mother, discomfited by the idea of being sold off to the man with the highest income. “Of course Colonel Fitzwilliam would be a good match. Despite being the youngest son of my brother the Earl he still has a fortune of his own.” She watched Anne and seemed to be mulling the idea over. “Yes indeed, I think I will broach the subject and inform the Colonel that he has my permission to court Anne.”

  Poor Colonel Fitzwilliam, thought Charlotte, I wonder how he, a colonel in His Majesty's Army will take to being told what to do by his aunt and having his marriage arranged for him. Charlotte was glad he was not present to be embarrassed in front of company in such a way and knew that being told such information would be better done when alone with his aunt where he could express how he felt without hurting his cousin’s feelings either.

  She had often heard Lady Catherine bemoan Elizabeth’s connections, but sitting there and watching her, Charlotte was not sure who had the worst connections, Elizabeth or Mr Darcy.

  * * *

  Charlotte was hampered in her designs to visit Louisa and Mrs Thomas during the following days by the weather. It seemed that the clouds could hold more rain than ever before and Charlotte sat in the sitting room watching it beat upon the windows of the parsonage and slowly monitored the progress of the road turning from muddy to quagmire. Not even a carriage could pass in such weather and Charlotte turned her attention to the needlework she ought to have been doing for the poor. Her mind however, would not be engaged and wandered from Lady Catherine, to Anne, to Colonel Fitzwilliam, to Louisa, to Mrs Thomas and her unfortunate history and back again. She put down her needlework and went to Mr Collins book room to find something to read, he was writing his letters and barely looked up as she entered. She browsed the shelves but nothing took her fancy. Mr Collins taste in reading material did not extend to novels, he thought them crass and a non-productive use of one’s time, and therefore his collection of books was too serious to tempt Charlotte into reading any of them. She then remembered Mrs Higgs was a novel reader and carefully closed the door behind her and made her way to the kitchen.

  Mrs Higgs and Jenny were sitting at the table and rose when she came in.

  “Oh Mrs Collins, I have just made some buns, would you like some?”

  She had not seen Mrs Jones the cook immediately but was glad of the welcome and the chance to do something. “Thank you Mrs Jones, I would like that.”

  Jenny pulled out and dusted off a chair for Charlotte and they sat down again.

  “Would you like some hot chocolate too?” Asked Mrs Higgs rising once more and walking to the range.

  “Yes please, it’s such a damp miserable day I need my spirits lifting.”

  With hot chocolate and buttered buns warming their bellies, the ladies began to chat away and Charlotte’s boredom abated. She listened to their gossiping and laughed with them at the tales from the village and some of the servants tittle-tattle from Rosings, she was amazed at what they knew, and was made uncomfortable recalling her chiding of Mr Collins for gossiping, while there she was involved in such an activity.

  She then remembered her reason for coming to the kitchen in the first place. “Mrs Higgs, I remember that you are a reader of novels.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Aye, she loves a good bit o' romance at night!” laughed Mrs Jones.

  Charlotte blushed and smiled to hide her embarrassment, “I wonder if you could lend me something to read? Mr Collins is not in the habit of keeping novels.”

  This made Jenny and Mrs Jones laugh more and the latter could not help but comment, “Wouldn’t do him any harm though!”

  Charlotte caught the insinuation and her blush deepened and she wondered at the wisdom of being so friendly with her servants.

  Mrs Higgs caught the look on Charlotte’s face and rose, “If you’ll follow me ma’am, I keep my books in my room.”

  Charlotte thanked cook for the buns and quickly followed Mrs Higgs out of the kitchen and up the stairs glad to be away from their knowing glances and wondered what tales they were telling about her and Mr Collins.

  Once they were in Mrs Higgs room, the housekeeper spoke, “Ma’am, I am sorry about downstairs. Sometimes they just do not know what is inappropriate to say to the mistress. I hope you do not think me presumptuous but I would avoid such informal visits to the kitchen in future. I would hate for them to start gossiping about you.”

  “You are right Mrs Higgs, thank you.” She blushed again ashamed at her own naiveté and looked down at the floor.

  “What sort of novel would you like to read then?”

  She was glad of the change of subject and directed all of her attention to the small collection of books on the shelf. She saw Ann Radcliffe’s Mysteries of Udolpho and smiled to think what Mr Collins’ reaction would be if he saw her reading such a book. She decided to take a chance and read it but she would hide it in their room all the same. She made another choice with Mrs Higgs advice; Samuel Richardson's Clarissa, took both books, thanked her, went to her room, and began to read.

  By tea time there was no let-up in the rain but Charlotte's mood was much improved from reading and immersing herself in another world of her own imagining. She took Mr Collins his tea as he was still ensconced in his book room, this time he was reading from Fordyce and sat in an easy
chair by the fire. He smiled up at her as she entered and asked him if he would like a piece of cake. He did not and she left him to his reading, grateful that she could also go back to her reading and smiling to herself at the very different subject matters.

  Therefore, her boredom passed away and she no longer minded the rain incessantly beating on the windows. She was far too engrossed in the life, perils, trial, and romance of the heroine of her book to even notice. Her tea remained on the sofa table at her side, getting colder and colder. She was so interested in the outcome of the plight of Clarissa in her book that she barely noticed even the passing of the afternoon and she did not perceive the light fading from the room until she was brought back to reality with a start when Jenny entered to close the curtains and light the candles.

  * * *

  No invitation came from Rosings for them to join the family in celebrating the New Year and Charlotte was glad. She knew that it was a deliberate slight on her Ladyship’s behalf because of Christmas, however Charlotte knew her husband would never even notice such a thing and she minded not in the least as she had already accepted an invitation from Louisa and Mrs Thomas to dine with them. Owing to the terrible weather, the Collinses were forced to use their own gig rather than walk. Thankfully, the rain had stopped that morning or they would not have been able to attend, still Charlotte prayed for a long cessation in the rain as although the gig would save her shoes and gown it would not keep her too dry if the heavens opened once again. She decided to ask Mr Collins about the purchase of a larger means of transport.

  They were glad to arrive and get out of the cold and Louisa directed Charlotte to a chair near the fire. They were happily joined by Mrs Brown, and Mr and Mrs Abbot. Mr Abbot was a milliner who had retired and left his son to run the business in Westerham. Charlotte had met them when they went carolling on Christmas Eve and welcomed the opportunity to converse with them more; Mr Collins though latched onto Mr Abbot immediately and launched into a great discourse on the dreadfulness of the weather and the appalling state of the roads.