Four Letters

Hunsford Parsonage, Kent, Friday

Dear Lizzy,

Two letters from Hertfordshire reached us today. Mr. Collins' letter is from your father, and mine is from Maria. Both letters bear the same news, though presented in very different style. Your father writes economically, and Maria effusively, describing events and people and discussion as well as fact.

My joy in hearing of your engagement knows no bounds and is in every way unalloyed. The advantages of a match with a man who is handsome, rich, and well-connected are, I know, less important to you than love, and that he loves you is in no way unexpected. If you remember, I suspected something of partiality on his side last spring when you visited us and Mr. Darcy was visiting his aunt. That you love him now yourself is also apparent, for I know you would not be induced to marry without love. But Lizzy, do write soon to tell me how this change in your affections for him has come about. Your father's letter is too brief, and Maria's intelligence too far removed from the situation to give me any idea of your own thoughts on the matter.

I rejoice in your news and wish you every happiness that married life can provide.

Your devoted friend,

Charlotte Collins

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Hunsford Parsonage, Kent, Monday

Dear Lizzy,

You will wonder at receiving another letter from me so quickly, but my reason you will discern from the two enclosed letters from Miss deBourgh.

You may be surprised to learn that Miss deBourgh and I are on a more intimate footing than we were when you visited us in the spring. Ordinarily, I believe, Lady Catherine would not consider me an appropriate friend for Anne, but her Ladyship is under the impression that Anne enjoys being read to and that I am a better reader than Mrs. Jenkinson. Under this guise, we enjoy long conversations. Anne is a more intelligent and observant than most people credit at first acquaintance, and I feel sure you would enjoy her company as I do, Lizzy.

Anne and I have talked at length about her feelings about your impending marriage to her cousin, which are quite the opposite of her mother's. She is as delighted as any of your own relations could be, and determined to write to both you and Mr. Darcy to wish you joy. She has spent the best part of our visit today in composing the letters, with a very little assistance from me. She is not in the custom of writing letters and thus is not completely satisfied with either their form or content, but I have assured her that both you and Mr. Darcy will receive her wishes in the spirit in which they are intended. You are too kind, and he must know her too well, to see anything but good in her expressions, however inadequate or awkward she might find them.

I have kept myself as much out of Lady Catherine's way as politeness allows, but today she commanded my attentions after my visit to Anne. How fortunate that she did not come upon us while Anne was writing her letters to you! The substance of our conversation is that Lady Catherine, knowing you to be my friend and Mr. Collins' cousin, is beginning to find us at least partly culpable for Mr. Darcy's "desertion" of her daughter, for having you to visit at the same time as Mr. Darcy was at Rosings. She thinks it possible that Mr. Collins and I might have actively planned - either with you or on behalf of you - to throw you and Mr. Darcy together last spring. My gentle reminder that we had had no previous knowledge of his coming, she dismisses by saying that we had only no previous knowledge of it from her. Lady Catherine's ire is not the less expressed for being misplaced, and we have deemed it prudent to absent ourselves Hunsford until her wrath dissipates.

Mr. Collins and I are to come to Hertfordshire on Monday fortnight. We will stay at Lucas Lodge and will return after Christmas to Hunsford, unless Lady Catherine writes to hasten our return. Anne and Mrs. Jenkinson get little peace from Lady Catherine's continued complaints, and I am sorry to leave Anne, but we have both agreed it is best for all. At present, Lady Catherine has not even the possibility of pursuing charitable visits to distract her, since the villagers and tenants on the estate are, inconveniently, happy and contented, having no negotiations or disagreements requiring her intervention.

I am pleased about our hasty departure to Hertfordshire on one score, Lizzy, as it means we will be able to come to your wedding, and visit you as a bride. Lady Catherine would not pleased about that, of course, but she will not learn of it from Mr. Collins or me, and I am sure you will not tell her!

You will, I am sure, understand and sympathize with Mr. Collins' present dilemma. Much is due to Lady Catherine, of course, not simply for her rank and standing in the community, but also for her generosity toward us. And yet we cannot help but be pleased for both you and Mr. Darcy, for your own sakes. We must tread lightly where we tread at all. Our current situation has driven Mr. Collins much into his bookroom, where he reads and researches extensively, looking, I believe, for spiritual guidance. Much of what he finds on the subject of family loyalty is almost contradictory to what he finds related to loyalty to the church and to patrons, which stimulates extensive discussion, as you might imagine. You might care to warn your father, Lizzy, as I am sure Mr. Collins will make a point of visiting Mr. Bennet at Longbourn. And since it is not to be expected that joy in being married will make you and Mr. Darcy entirely insensible to the intrusions of others, we will keep our visit short to spare you much of his conversation on that subject.

I rejoice again in your news and wish you every happiness that married life can provide. Expect soon to hear these wishes from the very voice of

Your devoted friend,

Charlotte Collins

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Rosings, Hunsford, Kent

My dear cousin Fitzwilliam,

Be not alarmed, cousin, that this letter contain any repetition of the sentiments recently expressed to you by my honoured mother on her visit to you in London. My feelings are as different from Lady Catherine's as you could wish them to be; indeed, I am writing to express my sincere congratulations and wish you and Miss Bennet every joy in marriage.

I apologize for the furtive nature of this communication. It pains me to be secretive, but it would pain me more to see your marriage go unacknowledged by at least one member of the de Bourgh branch of the family. My friend Mrs. Collins has agreed to enclose this letter, and another to Miss Bennet, in her next to her friend. This will ensure that you both receive my good wishes and that my mother will not know of them. I cannot share my mother's view of your marriage, and feel her error strongly enough to go against her wishes in this quiet way, but I cannot invite her censure of my own actions by open disagreement. Forgive my lack of courage, if you can.

My mother has taken your defiance of her wishes very hard, as I am sure you know. Indeed, it may be your independence of action, more than your perceived desertion of me, that rankles most. However, I hope to reconcile her to your reasonable independence and make her understand ere long that I am not unhappy with your choice of wife. I have always admired and respected you, cousin, and I have loved you of course, but in a manner cousinly rather than amorous. I am sorry if this causes you pain, but so it is! Our differences of temper and understanding are significant and, on this ground, I have long been convinced that you and I would be unhappy in marriage.

I used to wonder that my mother did not notice how much more quiet I became when you and Colonel Fitzwilliam would visit, or that neither you nor I took any pains to forward our union, but I suppose it is hardly wonderful that she did not. I have come to realize that my mother sees what she chooses to see, and what she desires others to see. Is this filial disrespect, or growing wisdom?

Your marrying Miss Bennet (of whom I entirely approve and whom I hope to know better) has relieved me of the expectation of an unhappy marriage, and your marrying for love has given me to consider the possibility that such a thing may be possible for me as well. For both of these revelations, I am in your debt.

My mother has no intention of attending your wedding, in spite of your request, and I deeply regret that it will be quite out of my power to attend without her. Her anger is fearsome to behold at the moment, cousin, but I believe it will not last forever. I intend to work on her, in my quiet way, to secure you her forgiveness and welcome you and the new Mrs. Darcy back into the family. This will, I feel, be the work of some time, so you must not expect a quick result. In the meantime, you and Miss Bennet must enjoy the countless other blessings and felicitations available to you.

I must end here for I have yet to write to Miss Bennet, and Mrs Collins is waiting for me to be done. It is perhaps better if you do not write to me, but if you do, let it be under cover of a letter from your wife to Mrs. Collins. She is an excellent woman and a sympathetic conspirator.

I remain your loving cousin,

Anne deBourgh

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Rosings, Hunsford, Kent

Dear Miss Bennet,

I have written but few letters, and I hardly know where to begin, how to continue, or when to finish such a one as this. I am sure to express myself awkwardly, but our friend (as I am privileged to call her) Mrs. Collins assures me that your kind nature will read all the kindness that is meant in these words, and will ascribe no ill-feeling where none is intended.

I have written already to my cousin, but as I am sure you will read your own letter before you see his, I must start afresh by welcoming you with all my heart to our family.

Be assured that Lady Catherine's ill-will for your usurpation of my intended position as Darcy's wife and the mistress of Pemberley is hers alone. Indeed, I have never aspired to either of those positions. You may think this odd, knowing that it has been intended since my infancy and that I had a steady diet of the expectation from my earliest memory, but it is entirely true. Much as I like, admire, and respect my cousin, I never felt anything other than cousinly regard for him nor noted anything other than cousinly regard in his manner to me.

In spite of hourly encouragement to feel most grievously insulted, I cannot help but feel happy for you both. For myself, I must confess to feeling relief that Darcy's heart is engaged elsewhere. I have long been convinced that he and I would be unhappy in marriage together, the wishes of others notwithstanding, and I am delighted he has found a marriage partner altogether more suited to him, and that he marries for love.

Knowing Darcy as I do - which is still not as well as I would wish - and having made your acquaintance last spring, I think you are well suited. Your happy nature must bring him out of himself, to his benefit, and he will give you the consequence that, even on our short acquaintance, I believe you deserve. I am sure you will be very happy together.

I apologize for such secretive communication, concealed as it is in one of my friend Mrs. Collins' to you. I am brave enough to disagree with my mother, but only if she is unaware of it!

My mother and I will not be at your wedding, to my great regret. However, I hope in time to bring my mother around to my way of thinking, to secure her forgiveness for you both for thwarting her dearest plan, and to welcome you into the family. And I hope one day to hear you call me,

Your new cousin,

Anne deBourgh

Finis

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