Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1)(76)
And yet . . . “I could be wrong.”
“I don’t think so,” Charlotte said, her voice clear and forceful.
“You’ve figured it out, then?” Darcy asked.
“Yes,” she said simply. Then she looked her father in the eye and said the words she’d nearly given up on: “And I know how to prove it.”
Her father smiled and held his palms open. “I’m all ears.”
Lizzie looked to Mrs. Bennet. “Mama, I think I shall reconsider Mr. Collins’s proposal after all.”
Twenty-One
In Which Lizzie Sets a Trap
“MR. COLLINS,” LIZZIE SAID, forcing herself to sound pleasant despite the queasiness she felt at the sight of him. Her mother showed him into the drawing room, and he bowed slightly in Mrs. Bennet’s direction before turning to face Lizzie. Behind Collins, Mrs. Bennet gave Lizzie an exaggerated wink. Then she shut the door behind her, leaving Lizzie and Collins alone.
“Good afternoon, Miss Bennet. You’re looking very well, if I may take the liberty of saying so.”
“You may,” Lizzie allowed. Although Collins wore an overly gracious, condescending expression, she couldn’t forget the last time she’d seen him, when she had refused his proposal. The way his face twisted so quickly into fury.
“Shall we sit, Mr. Collins?” Lizzie asked, gesturing toward the furniture near the fire. Her hand shook slightly, and Lizzie tried not to let her own nerves derail her mission. She had to be polite, collected, a touch contrite.
“Yes, thank you.” He moved to sit next to her on the settee, which might have been appropriate for a man who expected to propose but was too close for Lizzie’s comfort.
“Please, do sit in my father’s chair. I assure you it’s the most comfortable seat in the room, befitting your stature.” She nearly choked on those last three words, but they did the trick of complimenting Collins. He smiled self-importantly.
“Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. I’m glad to find your spirits improved from the last time we met—hopefully that’s not your only change in attitude?”
He was so odious, but Lizzie forced herself to say, “Of course, Mr. Collins. That’s why we are here.”
He laughed as if she had told the best joke. Even his laugh was intolerable! Her gaze strayed to his jacket, and the buttons there, but then Collins continued, “I didn’t expect that I’d have to woo you again so soon.”
Focus, Lizzie. “But surely you won’t object to doing so?”
“I’m always happy to offer delicate compliments that are pleasing to ladies.” He leaned so far forward that Lizzie was worried he would fall out of his seat.
“What a credit to your character,” she lied.
“It’s my responsibility, especially where the Bennet sisters are concerned.” His smile bordered on a leer, and he added, “Considering how things are settled, of course.”
Lizzie ached to take this cue to segue into a discussion of estates, businesses, and marriage, but she knew she had only one chance to secure a confession. She wanted him relaxed, not suspicious. Instead she asked, “Do your words arise from the impulse of the moment, or do you practice them?”
He chuckled and leaned back. “I sometimes amuse myself by arranging little compliments that can be adapted to ordinary conversation. Although I always wish to give them an unstudied air.”
“Of course,” Lizzie said. She realized there was a glimmer of calculated manipulation behind his over-the-top demeanor that she’d always been happy to ignore in favor of poking fun at his sycophantic personality. “You strike me as a gentleman who seems prepared in all areas.”
“Preparation is the path to success. I’ve offered to give your father a few suggestions, but he’s turned me down. Although he does always seem prepared in court. Overprepared, even! Last week he spent the morning with a single text to find one line on the off chance that he might need to cite it before the magistrate!”
Lizzie resisted the urge to argue that this characteristic was what made her father a good barrister. Instead, she said, “It’s always best to prepare for success, isn’t it? That way one knows what to do with it when it arrives, and doesn’t waste a single second.”
“Precisely! I’m surprised to hear you agree.”
“The more time I’ve had to think since our last conversation, the more I’ve realized that we might, in a strange way, be far more compatible than I initially realized.”
His gaze did not waver. “How so?”
“Am I mistaken in believing that you are an ambitious man, Mr. Collins?”
“Not at all. Ambition—that’s what my benefactress has always admired in me.”
“I think perhaps you have more ambition than most people,” Lizzie said, trying not to let herself grow too excited at the mention of his benefactress. Slow and steady now. “It took me a while to note it.”
She had him leaning forward once more. “Solicitor now, barrister very soon. And who knows beyond that? Magistrate.” He paused, then with quiet reverence added, “King’s Counsel.”
A small part of Lizzie marveled that such a ridiculous young man thought he could ever have a monarch’s ear. She’d never detected it in him, which made her worry that he was much smarter than she previously thought. But the part of her that was focused completely on the task at hand ignored this doubt. “I had no idea you had such lofty goals. If I had known . . .” She deliberately looked down and feigned embarrassment.