He stepped forward. “Mr. Collins,” he said, his voice little more than a menacing growl, “go inside the house. You are not fit to assist the ladies.”
“I am their cousin,” Mr. Collins said stoutly. “I have more right than you to escort them.”
“You are a verydistantcousin, Mr. Collins,” Miss Lydia piped up from the door of the carriage, where she had put herself forward before her other sisters. “We know Mr. Darcy and Mr. Fitzwilliam far better than we know you.”
Darcy agreed. There was a time for words, and that time had passed. He strode forward, and Mr. Collins wisely stepped back. Fitzwilliam placed one restraining hand on Darcy’s arm.
“Mr. Collins,” Fitzwilliam said brusquely, “unless you mean to engage in a brawl in the street, I suggest you repair inside.”
“It would not be a brawl,” Darcy said menacingly. “One blow would end it all.”
Miss Elizabeth regained her voice. “I would have fallen had Mr. Darcy not caught me, Mr. Collins. Please allow Mr. Darcy and Mr. Fitzwilliam to assist us.”
Mr. Collins shook his head sadly. “Cousin, you ought to have taken my hand when I offered it. It is my right as your relation.”
“I fear you labour under a misapprehension,” Miss Elizabeth began, but Darcy had lost his patience.
“You havenoright . . .” he growled, interrupting Miss Elizabeth and taking another step in Mr. Collins’s direction.
Fitzwilliam turned his back to Mr. Collins and placed both palms against Darcy’s chest. “Darcy, return to the ladies. Mr. Collins,” he said over his shoulder, “go indoors before I allow Darcy to teach you better manners.”
“I have no intention of engaging in fisticuffs,” Mr. Collins said. “I am not that sort of man.” He dusted off his sleeves and walked away.
“No, you are the sort of man who would knock a lady from the steps of her carriage,” Lydia said with disdain. Unfortunately, she spoke only to his back, and he was too far away to hear.
“Mr. Darcy.” Miss Elizabeth spoke calmly. “I thank you for your defence, but I must ask that you not interrupt me when I speak.”
He nodded, abashed. “I do beg your pardon. I lost my temper. It was beneath me.”
“You are forgiven,” she told him, then turned to her sister. “Lydia, please allow Mary to exit first.”
This was met with a dramatic sigh, but Miss Lydia moved back into the carriage. Darcy watched Mr. Collins enter through the doorway before he calmed enough to hold out his hand to Miss Mary.
Darcy extended one arm to Miss Elizabeth and then the other to Miss Mary. “Fitzwilliam,” he said, but his cousin waved him off.
“Of course I shall escort the remaining ladies,” he said with a smile, and lifted his hand. “Miss Kitty?”
“My goodness,” said Miss Mary as they approached the house. “So much has happened, and we have not even entered the house!”
“Let us hope the remainder of the evening is less eventful,” Miss Elizabeth said, and Darcy quite agreed.
There were no officers among the crowd of people gathered in her aunt’s home, and Elizabeth could not be sorry for it. Placating Mr. Collins’s offended sentiments would be taxing enough.
“Oh, there you are,” Aunt Phillips said, grasping one of Elizabeth’s hands, then Mary’s. “Good evening, girls, Mr. Darcy.”
“Good evening, Mrs. Phillips,” Mr. Darcy said politely.
“Elizabeth,” Mrs. Phillips said, drawing her aside, “what have you girls done to poor Mr. Collins? He has already had two cups of Mr. Phillips’s special punch.”
“He was not allowed to escort Jane inside,” Elizabeth whispered. “Mr. Bingley was there before him.” She did not explain that he had then wished to haveheron his arm as consolation for losing his prize.
Comprehension bloomed on Aunt Phillips’s face. “Ah,” she said knowingly. “Another one who fancies himself in love with our Jane. To be sure, Mr. Bingley has no estate of his own, but then, there is no guarantee that Mr. Collins will outlive your father and claim Longbourn. Mr. Bingley at least has the fortune to purchase, should he desire.” Her lips pursed as she considered the relative situations of both men.
“Aunt,” Elizabeth said, desperate to end this line of conversation, “shall we sit to cards? Look, Lydia and Kitty are already beginning.”
“Oh yes,” her aunt said, easily diverted, “I should see to that.” She patted Elizabeth’s arm. “I am glad you are come, Elizabeth.”
“Thank you, aunt.”