[ UNDERGOING EDITING 08-18-24 ]
- Ever since she could walk, Elodie Bennet had expectations set upon her, as many other women did. As the second eldest, she was meant to care for her younger sisters and fulfill her duties without complaint.
Bei...
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A WOMAN FIRST, A DAUGHTER SECOND.
With her sisters no longer in the room, the atmosphere became oppressively awkward as Mr. Collins moved to stand behind Elodie's chair.
She kept her eyes firmly on the table, refusing to acknowledge him.
After a brief moment of silence, a rough hand appeared from the side, holding a wilted purple flower—a weed, she recognized with disdain, that grew in abundance near the lake.
As he pushed the flower closer, Elodie turned her head away, licking her chapped lips in a silent prayer. No, please God, no!
"Dear, Miss Elodie." Mr. Collins finally spoke, defeatedly placing the flower upon her plate and moving to her side. Elodie spared him only a sideways glance, her expression souring. "I'm sure my intentions have been too masked to be mistaken. Almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out to be the companion of my future life."
Elodie's fingers gripped the fabric of her dress tightly, her mouth clamped shut to keep from unleashing the sharp retort that almost escaped her lips.
Mr. Collins cleared his throat, preparing to continue. "Before I am run away with my feelings, perhaps I may say my reasons for marrying-"
Elodie immediately gasped at the word she had so vehemently wished to not hear and stopped him from continuing his speech. "Mr. Collins-"
But he pressed on, fumbling with his coat as he spoke. "Firstly, that it is the duty of a clergyman to set an example of matrimony in his parish. Secondly, I am convinced that it will add greatly to my happiness. And thirdly, that it is at the urging of my esteemed patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh that I select a wife.."
"My object in coming to Longbourne, was to choose such a wife from among Mr. Bennet's daughters." He swallowed thickly as his arms fell to his sides. "I am to inherit this estate, and such an alliance will surely... suit everyone."
Elodie couldn't believe that those awful, threat-filled words spilled from his mouth. In her mind, he had essentially said she had only two options: marry him or lose their home. Both prospects were equally horrifying.
"And now," Mr. Collins resumed after a brief pause, allowing his words to hit their mark, "Nothing remains but for me to assure you in the most animated language of the violence of my affections-"
He dropped to his knee, causing Elodie to leap up from her seat and back away into the table, her hands held tightly onto the edge.
"Mr. Collins." She said firmly, horror still stricken upon her face. He looked up at her, bewildered by her reaction. "You are certainly too hasty. If you've not cared to notice, I have not given you an answer to your... heartfelt proposal."
