The Guest | F. Darcy

Prologue: The Parsonage

Adele looked out of the carraige and sighed. Many things had happened in the past many months, since a certain someone left Hertfordshire with many certain persons. Elizabeth was asked for her hand by Mr. Collins, who was rudely rejected. Not that one can blame Lizzie, for a woman can take only so much. Commiserating with Mr. Collins, she told him how much Charlotte fancied, which was NOT far from the truth. Charlotte did think that he would make a good husband and Adele knew that they would both be happy in their marriage. However, what Adele did not know was how much the helping would cost her.

As soon as Elizabeth got the sniff of the news, her vanity was deeply wounded, for  after three day, Mr. Collins proposed Charlotte and she accepted. The other grim outcome of the affair was that Adele and Elizabeth were verbally tortured about it by Mrs. Bennet for  about a month, before she could talk without reminding them about the whole incident. The worse lashing about it was heard by Adele, who ignored Mrs. Bennet like she did not exist. 

She already had much in her plate without her mother insulted her so badly. She already lost Fitzwilliam for the second time and she always felt guilty when she would watch Jane staring silently into the oblivion. She did not even had her time to lick her wounds, for she would always be surrounded by people. 

All the same, ever since the Ball, Miss Adele Bennet got her humour back and she smiled more often then not. The other only good thing that happened was Mary being engaged. The same day as Mr. Collins and Charlotte's wedding, Mr. James Lucas announced his wish to court Mary. He talked to Mr. Bennet and gladly accepted to court her, that is, if Mary accepted, which she did happily and with tears in her eyes.

Right now, Miss Adele Bennet sat with Elizabeth, Mr. Lucas Sr and Maria Lucas in a carraige and was travelling to Kent, specifically to see her cousin and his wife. Collins wanted her to meet Lady de Bourgh, on her ladyship's demand. She was dreading the whole ordeal.

Do not get her wrong, she was happy for Charlotte, however, her ladyship was not the person Adele would like to ever meet again. However, the letter from Charlotte, following after Mr. Collins', was particularly to change her mind. The newly wed had literally pled for her presence and she could not refuse the pleadings, out of pure sympathy, and knowledge that Lady Catherine does not take a no well. 

As for Jane, she was in London with their Aunt and Uncle at Cheapside so that she could overcome Bingley's absense. Oh, Lord knows how guilty Adele was!

The carraige stopped and she stepped down after the whole party. She was immediately embraced by Charlotte, tightly, causing her to chuckle in delight and surprise. It may have taken Elizabeth ample months to forgive Charlotte for accepting a marriage proposal, Adele never was envious of the woman. She was rather delighted.

"Oh Charlotte," Adele smiled, "how I missed you!"

"Thank you," Charlotte whispered, "Mr. Collins told me that it was all your suggestion, to make a proposal for my hand, that is."

"Anything for you and partly to remove his presence," Adele replied, half jesting. "However, mother would not be quiet with it for atleast a month. I am sure, the only one who is sad is my dear mother."

Charlotte laughed and dragged her with her hand inside the humble adobe. Mr. Collins was boasting about his parsonage, which, Adele knew, was for Elizabeth, to show her how much she lost by not accepting the parson's proposal. The parson was specifically proud of his garden, which they walked in. However, at the two meadows, the women left the men to move on, as they had not the shoes to walk forward. 

After that, the women sat at the parlor and talked animatedly. Adele, unlike her old self, was quite an active participant in the conversation. Elizabeth brought out the most dreaded topic of all... Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

They had already learnt that Lady Catherine was still in the country. It was spoken of again while they were at dinner, when Mr. Collins joining in, observed: 

"Yes, Miss Elizabeth, you will have the honour of seeing Lady Catherine de Bourgh on the ensuing Sunday at church, and I need not say you will be delighted with her and Miss Adele had already had the pleasure of making her acquaintance, of course. She is all affability and condescension, and I doubt not but you will be honoured with some portion of her notice when service is over. I have scarcely any hesitation in saying she will include you two and my sister Maria in every invitation with which she honours us during your stay here. 

Her behaviour to my dear Charlotte is charming. We dine at Rosings twice every week, and are never allowed to walk home. Her ladyship's carriage is regularly ordered for us. I should say, one of her ladyship's carriages, for she has several." 

"Lady Catherine is a very respectable, sensible woman indeed," added Charlotte, "and a most attentive neighbour." 

"Very true, my dear, that is exactly what I say. She is the sort of woman whom one cannot regard with too much deference." 

The evening was spent chiefly in talking over Hertfordshire news, and telling again what had already been written; and when it closed, Adele had the fortune to remember how coincidently they had arrived during the same time of the year, when two other guests make their annual appearance at Rosings Park. Elizabeth sat on the other canopy bed of their shared chamber, thinking and giggling, feeding on whatever her lively imagination had to offer.

About the middle of the next day, as the two sisters were in their room getting ready for a walk, a sudden noise below seemed to speak the whole house in confusion; and, after listening a moment, they heard somebody running up stairs in a violent hurry, and calling loudly after them. Adele exchanged glances with Elizabeth. She opened the door and met Maria in the landing place, who, breathless with agitation, cried out— 

"Oh, Miss Adele! My dear Eliza! pray make haste and come into the dining-room, for there is such a sight to be seen! I will not tell you what it is. Make haste, and come down this moment." 

Elizabeth asked questions in vain and Adele did not even bother; Maria would tell them nothing more, and down they ran into the dining-room, which fronted the lane, in quest of this wonder; It was two ladies stopping in a low phaeton at the garden gate. 

"And is this all?" cried Adele. "I expected at least that the pigs were got into the garden, and here is nothing but Lady Catherine and her daughter." 

Elizabeth giggled, for she thought in the same line.

"La! my dear," said Maria, quite shocked at the mistake, "it is not Lady Catherine. The old lady is Mrs. Jenkinson, who lives with them; the other is Miss de Bourgh. Only look at her. She is quite a little creature. Who would have thought that she could be so thin and small?" 

"She is abominably rude to keep Charlotte out of doors in all this wind. Why does she not come in?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Oh, Charlotte says she hardly ever does. It is the greatest of favours when Miss de Bourgh comes in." 

"I like her appearance," said Elizabeth, struck with other ideas. "She looks sickly and cross. Yes, she will do for him very well. She will make him a very proper wife." 

"Oh, you have no idea," Adele replied, "She is always like this. She is a very frail creature, Lizzie, and helpless against her mother. She always does what her mother says, however, she is very sweet, when talked to. I love her and her companion, a Mrs. Jenkinson. You would be delighted to meet her, however, I think not that would happen under her ladyship's hawk eyes."

Mr. Collins and Charlotte were both standing at the gate in conversation with the ladies; and Sir William, to Elizabeth's high diversion, was stationed in the doorway, in earnest contemplation of the greatness before him, and constantly bowing whenever Miss de Bourgh looked that way. Adele found it very amusing, for Anne wasn't looking at him but Adele, who at last winked at the frail woman, as a sign that they would meet soon. Miss de Bourgh smiled lightly.

At length there was nothing more to be said; the ladies drove on, and the others returned into the house. Mr. Collins no sooner saw the three girls than he began to congratulate them on their good fortune, which Charlotte explained by letting them know that the whole party was asked to dine at Rosings the next day.

"The next day," Adele chuckled in disbelief. Collins just nodded and she supressed the urge to make a very unlady like sound from her throat.

Tomorrow was going to be a long, long day.