A Contractual Affair Read online

  The Bennet household bustled with the livelihood of daily chores and gossip, a few hushed whispers exchanged between the younger sisters from behind curtains and the occasional closed door. It was a rather cheerful day, as the sun poured into the main hall and covered the floor with rays of light. Simply put, the mood for the day was quite enjoyable, if not pleasant. Still, Elizabeth had unfortunately awoken to a splitting headache but was put into a better mood when she opened her drapes and let the rest of the sunlight spill in.

  Sitting upright in bed, Elizabeth slowly made her way out of the covers, yawning as she pulled undergarments from her wardrobe to find a suitable outfit for the day. Although her head still pounded profusely and it was hard to make sense of what she was even doing, Elizabeth eventually mustered enough strength to pull out a simple dress to wear for the day. From outside her room, she could hear a growing commotion, highlighted by her youngest sister, Lydia, and her undeniably loud giggles.

  “Oh, wait until Lizzy hears of this!” The young girl exclaimed, immediately quieting down as soon as Elizabeth was dressed and had emerged into the corridor. While Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow at her sibling, the girl quickly ran off into the hallway, her skirt dragging along the floor behind her. At the sight of this, Elizabeth sighed. Although she loved her sisters, it felt as if perhaps they teased her a bit too much. Nevertheless, Elizabeth didn’t seem to mind it at all.

  As Elizabeth continued to walk down the hall and make her way into the dining room where she was sure everyone would be for breakfast, there was a foreboding feeling that something troublesome was about to happen. Not bad, necessarily, but it was not a pleasant feeling in general. With hands clasped nervously together, Elizabeth opened the door to the dining room and was greeted with a few pleasant good mornings and how are yous.

  Taking a seat, Elizabeth began to lightly spread a jam onto her piece of toast, careful not to get the sticky solution onto her fingers. As she did this, her parents had already begun to talk, with Mrs. Bennet doing most of the speaking.

  “I received a letter from our dear nephew, Mr. Collins this morning. Isn’t that delightful, girls?” Mrs. Bennet’s voice bounced as she spoke, obviously more cheerful than she would have been from the arrival of the letter. As a distant cousin of Elizabeth’s and a straightforward clergyman, Elizabeth found Mr. Collins to be quite boring, really. Besides, it was not as if the man interested her in any other way. Shrugging to herself, Elizabeth looked around the room. It seemed that all eyes were on her.

  “It says he is to arrive later this afternoon. I can’t believe it was so sudden. I have so much to do- I shall need to tidy the house, get dinner ready… you must all help out, alright?” Mrs. Bennet directed her attention from Elizabeth onto her other siblings who either nodded obediently or silently groaned. It was a simple family reunion, was it not? Elizabeth thought her mother always seemed to worry too deeply about these sorts of events.

  “Of course, mother.” Elizabeth agreed, taking a bite of her toast. Peculiarly, Elizabeth could still feel all eyes in the room concentrated on her. Whatever the matter was, she was sure she would find out sooner or later. It wasn’t as if her sisters were particularly keen at keeping secrets in the end.

  …

  As the sun went down and the Bennet estate returned back to its dull grey, Elizabeth worked around the house, tidying up the living spaces while also checking in on her mother and eldest sister, Jane, in the kitchen. An odd sort of smell had begun to protrude from one of the ovens, and when Elizabeth asked what they were cooking, she was simply waved off with more questions than answers. Seeing that her help in the kitchen would probably be fruitless, Elizabeth turned her attention towards seeing that Mr. Collins arrived safely at Longbourn. Though she had no particular feelings for the man, it seemed fit that she should help him get settled after a long day of traveling.

  “Miss Elizabeth- and how are you on this fine evening? How kind of you to welcome me at such a late hour in the day.” Mr. Collins had begun to strike up a conversation, walking alongside Elizabeth as she showed him towards the family parlour. Despite her reluctance to answer, Elizabeth knew that it would be rather impolite of her to ignore his comment altogether.

  “I’m fine, thank you. And you, Mr. Collins? I can’t imagine such a trip was an easy one. You’ve only just come back from a missionary trip, am I correct?”

  Having obviously stricken at a soft spot in Mr. Collins, the older man smiled from ear to ear.

  “Ah, yes. I may have become a bit tan, but serving under the faith of God is the least I can do for those poor children. As a Christian yourself, you must understand, of course?” The man had fallen into a deep rant, not stopping for Elizabeth to answer and instead continued to ramble on about his good deeds. Elizabeth suddenly realised why she had been subconsciously deterred from seeing to Mr. Collins in the first place.

  After the two had sent the clergyman’s belongings away and tidied up, Elizabeth and Mr. Collins made their way to the dining hall where dinner was now being served. Thankfully, the odd smell from the kitchen was nowhere to be found, instead replaced with the homely smell of roasted fowl and freshly-baked bread. It seemed as if the headache that had bothered Elizabeth all morning was starting to come back, but Elizabeth quickly shoved the feeling into the back of her mind and instead tried to focus on the food in front of her.

  For the most part, dinner seemed quite normal. While her sisters entertained Mr. Collins with light gossip from town, Elizabeth took to staying quiet and concentrated on the meal at hand. After the main course had been cleared and dessert had been served to everyone at the table, Mrs. Bennet cleared her throat. It seemed that she had something to say outside of her regular babble.

  “Now, I know this is a bit sudden, but Mr. Collins is actually here for a very specific reason.” Mrs. Bennet seemed almost nervous as she wrung her hands together. As her eyes shifted from Elizabeth and back to Mr. Collins, she took a deep breath. “Lizzy, Mr. Collins is here to ask you something very important. He wants to know if you’ll take his hand in marriage.”

  At this statement, a few gasps were heard throughout the room. Although Elizabeth’s sisters were shocked that their mother would say it so blatantly, especially at the dinner table, they weren’t truly surprised by the announcement. After all, they had all known it was bound to come sooner or later.

  Elizabeth paused, fork still laid limply in her hand. Had she heard correctly?

  “E-excuse me?” The question came out weaker than what Elizabeth had imagined. It felt preposterous to her that the announcement would be so sudden and the fact that it hadn’t even been uttered by Mr. Collins himself somehow made it even worse. “You aren’t joking?” Elizabeth knew it was unwise of her to question her mother’s motives like this, but she couldn’t help it. Everything had been so sudden.

  “Elizabeth!” Her mother adopted a stern voice, brows furrowed together as she snuck a glance at Mr. Collins. His cheeks seemed to be beet red as he avoided eye contact with Elizabeth, apparently too embarrassed to say anything himself. This behaviour only got on Elizabeth’s nerves even more. Why hadn’t he asked her himself instead of letting her mother do the dirty work?

  Setting down her utensils, Elizabeth quietly stood up from her seat. Now, all eyes in the room were definitely trained on her. From the corner of her eyes, Elizabeth could spot Jane trying her best to calm down her mother who could only sputter half-whispered protests against her daughter’s actions. Clenching her fists, Elizabeth made way towards the door and exited the room.

  As Elizabeth stormed down the hall and paid no attention to her evening gown that seemed to catch on the heels of her feet, she wondered where she would go. It didn’t seem like the right time to
head back to her room, as it was easy for her parents to come back in and force her to return to the dining hall. Still, it was the afternoon and although it wasn’t terribly late, the sun would eventually set and there wouldn’t be much to decide after that. Shaking her head, Elizabeth decided to make a split decision. She would travel to her dear friend Charlotte Lucas’s house and seek her guidance.

  In Elizabeth’s mind, Charlotte was a sensible and intelligent woman, far beyond the peers that Elizabeth was constantly surrounded by. If there was anyone in the world that would be able to respond to Elizabeth’s worries with an unbiased view, it would have been Charlotte. For the most part, Elizabeth greatly admired Charlotte’s wisdom.

  By the time Elizabeth arrived at Charlotte’s estate, it was well past the time that Elizabeth would usually retire to bed, opting to read a book before she slept or have a simple chat with her family members. Although it was definitely out of the norm, Elizabeth didn’t seem to mind much as she remembered the matter at hand. Mustering the courage to do so, Elizabeth rasped on the Lucas’s front door. After a moment’s pause, the door finally opened, and there stood Charlotte, one hand clutching a candlestick while the other held onto her shawl.

  “Eliza? And what are you doing here at this hour? Come, come in. It’s horrible to be standing outside while it’s so dark out.” Hurriedly, Charlotte ushered Elizabeth into the building, looking twice outside before closing the door.

  Feeling as if her heart could pound out of her chest, Elizabeth made her way inside and followed Charlotte wordlessly to the other girl’s bedroom. Once the door was closed behind them, Charlotte spun around to face her friend. “Heavens, Eliza. You almost gave me a fright. We almost never have visitors at such an hour, especially unexpected ones. Are you alright?”

  Elizabeth cautiously took a seat near the bed, exhaling a deep breath before speaking up. Although she trusted Charlotte, the situation that had led up to her arriving at the Lucas estate was almost embarrassing, to be honest.

  “I’m not sure how I should put it… But you will understand me, won’t you Charlotte? The matter is… well, my mother had invited over Mr. Collins, my distant cousin, to come over tonight. Of course, I had only dismissed it as a normal family matter, but he had actually come to ask for my hand in marriage! And the request did not even come from his own mouth, but rather from a slip of the tongue by my mother… what do you think, Charlotte? I’m not sure what there is to do when my family wants me to marry soon yet I cannot bear to be around that man for more than an hour.”

  Although Elizabeth did not expect Charlotte to answer right away, the other woman seemed to be deep in thought, processing every bit of what Elizabeth had said. As the two sat side by side in silence, Elizabeth wondered what her family was doing now. They had probably seen her go in the direction of Charlotte’s home and had assumed the most. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence that Elizabeth would go over from time to time, but it certainly had never happened because of such an outburst.

  By the time Charlotte finally spoke up again, Elizabeth had almost forgotten that she was even in the Lucas estate in the first place.

  “This… is a difficult situation to be in, I understand.” Charlotte began gently, laying a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “But if I were in your shoes, Eliza, I think I would just accept the man’s offer. Of course, this is not something any of us wish to be forced into, but we must think in terms of the future. You may not like it now, but in a few years, what else can you do? That is merely my own feelings, however. You can choose to follow my advice or not.”

  Elizabeth sighed. Had she expected any different? Although she was grateful that her friend had heard her concerns and willingly listened, the answer was not what she had hoped to hear. Still, Charlotte was right. In the end, this was her decision. Despite the pressure from the people around her, Elizabeth knew that in the end, it would be her making the final call on whether or not she was to accept Mr. Collins’s offer.

  “Thank you, Charlotte. I understand that fully. Would it be alright if I stayed here for the night? I’m terribly sorry for intruding on you like this.” Elizabeth finally said, concern laced in between her words. Charlotte nodded, as she understood to a certain degree what Elizabeth was going through.

  “Of course. I’ll get everything ready for you.” And with that, Charlotte exited the room and left Elizabeth with her own thoughts.

  …

  The next morning, Elizabeth woke early and left the Lucas estate as soon as she could. If she was being honest with herself, Charlotte’s advice had done nothing to clear her conscience, and rather, had made her more furious than she already was. Thankfully, Charlotte had fetched a carriage for her, so Elizabeth arrived back at Longbourn before it was time for afternoon brunch. Anxiously, Elizabeth thanked her driver and walked back to the front door, cautiously reaching for the handle. She knew that her family was bound to be upset, but knew she had to face them sooner or later.

  Closing her eyes, Elizabeth opened the door and was greeted with an empty hallway. Thankfully, it seemed that the rest of her family was in another part of the estate, probably scattered around the home as they usually were on days like these. Relaxing her shoulders, Elizabeth could finally breathe normally. She had braced herself for a sudden confrontation but was glad that she would not have to defend herself as soon as she walked into the house.

  Making her way to her room, Elizabeth was shocked when she opened her bedroom door to reveal Mrs. Bennet, standing over her dresser as she admired a portrait that stood on the dresser surface.

  “Oh! I didn’t realise you had come home, Lizzy.” Mrs. Bennet looked down at her dress, wiping off imaginary dust as if something had dirtied it. “I’d like to talk to you privately, if you don’t mind.”

  Knowing that there was no way out of the situation, Elizabeth complied. For now, her mother didn’t seem terribly angry, but Elizabeth knew that there was probably more to what she had let out.

  As they both sat down next to each other, Mrs. Bennet took a deep breath.

  “Lizzy… Mr. Collins is still here. He will be staying here for a few more days. But, I hope you understand that your behaviour from last night was intolerable. I will not let you behave like this anymore! You realise that your father is quite concerned about our estate too? Mr. Collins is a good man. I think it would be suitable for you to marry him.”

  Elizabeth frowned. “Mother…”

  “I will not hear any more of your protests. If you simply refuse with the same immaturity you exhibited, I’ll have no choice but to… think about disownment!” The last few words came out shaky, as if Mrs. Bennet could not believe even herself as she uttered the latter statement. Even Elizabeth was surprised, as her shoulders tensed up. Disownment? Her mother had never acted like this before.

  Shocked into silence, Elizabeth slowly processed the words her mother said. It was rare for Mrs. Bennet to act this serious, face hardened by the harsh reality that was Elizabeth’s future. Although she did not wish to marry Mr. Collins, Elizabeth knew that if she was to be disowned, there was no way to support herself regardless if her family was still in contact with her. With this information, Elizabeth felt her heart drop. Perhaps Charlotte had spoken some truth after all.

  Quietly standing up, Elizabeth turned her back towards her mom. Her hands shook with fear and anger but took the time to compose herself before speaking up once again.

  “May I ask where Mr. Collins currently is? I’ll talk with him myself.” Elizabeth breathed out, hearing the way her voice seemed to sway with emotion.

  “He is most likely in the guestroom. I hope to hear of a good outcome, my dear.” Mrs. Bennet murmured, still sitting on Elizabeth’s bed. Elizabeth nodded. She hoped so too.

  Just as Mrs. Bennet had said, Mr. Collins was found in the guestroom after a quick knock on his door. Hearing the sound of Elizabeth’s voice, the door opened quickly, and Mr. Collins seemed surprised to see that she had returned home.

  “Ah, M
iss Elizabeth. I’m glad to see you have come home safely. Was there anything you had wanted to tell me?” In his hands was a Bible, a few pages marked for future reference. Elizabeth internally rolled her eyes at this sight. She doubted that he had truly gained anything from the readings.

  “Yes… if you don’t mind, may we speak privately? It is in regard to your proposal.” Though it hurt to say, Elizabeth finally managed to get the words out. Mr. Collins immediately flushed. He was a rather simple man if you stripped him down to his core.

  Mr. Collins nodded. “Of course…” Stepping to the side, he let Elizabeth into the room and hesitantly closed the door. It seemed that the idea of having Elizabeth alone with him in his room made him slightly uncomfortable.

  Elizabeth had thought about what she had wanted to say the entire night before. Though it was a risky move to take, Elizabeth knew that there was almost nothing else she could do. This was her last resort of sorts.

  “Mr. Collins… I appreciate that you have come to our home to offer me your hand in marriage... I want to deeply thank you for your offer. I am glad to accept,” This part hurt her to say the most. “But I require one condition. As you probably can surmise for yourself, I do not think I will love you in any sort of way in our marriage. I request that during our marriage if I am to find someone that I truly love, I will be able to take on a lover. This will all be a private matter, of course, and will not interfere with our daily lives. If you cannot accept these terms, then I have no choice but to decline your offer.”