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anghraine · 3 months ago

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what happens to charlotte lucas if mr. collins dies early (before he inherits longbourne)?

That is the worst possible scenario for her, basically.

Mr Collins's living with regard to Hunsford only lasts for the duration of his life, so she gets nothing from it. Unless her child (she's implied to be pregnant at the end of P&P) is a son and, iirc, falls within a set number of generations as laid out by the original entailment, she also gets nothing with regard to Longbourn (and if the child is a girl, she now has another dependent to worry about and provide for; I think Mr Bennet's daughters would receive preference over Charlotte's if Mr Collins never inherits and there's no son).

There would have been legal documents accompanying their betrothal that laid out exactly how much property or money Charlotte and her potential children would receive during and after the marriage (this is what is meant by references to pin money and jointure; pin money is what the woman will regularly receive for her private expenses during the marriage, and jointure is what she gets if she survives her husband). There's a straightforward example of this with Mr and Mrs Bennet, for instance.

Mrs Bennet brought a dowry of four thousand pounds to the marriage. Mr Bennet or his family settled an additional one thousand pounds on her at the time (23 years earlier). So there's five thousand pounds attached to Mrs Bennet and her children specifically that is essentially secure—the income from it can only go to her or her children. Since her children are all daughters, however, this pretty much automatically includes her daughters' husbands as well, since women were legally and financially subsumed into their husbands' identities upon marriage and it took some legal shenanigans to protect their resources. Lydia's share of Mrs Bennet's fortune, one thousand pounds, effectively goes to Wickham as part of the marriage arrangements, and it's not clear if Lydia's money is legally secured to her in the same way since it was part of bribing Wickham to marry her at all.

(Tangent: a lot of analysis tends to assume that income from a lump sum of this kind would generate an income of 5% of the principal via low-risk, low-reward government investments. Mr Collins himself explicitly estimates that Elizabeth's portion of Mrs Bennet's settlement would generate an income at a 4% rate, leaving her with a mere 40 pounds a-year. This might seem Mr Collins-style negging, but in reality these kinds of safe government investments could and did drop to rates closer to 3% due to various economic upheavals at the time.)

Returning to Charlotte's situation, eighteenth-century advice urged men (even much less affluent men) to set aside a significant portion of their incomes every year to add to what was settled on their wives/children, so that if they died, their children and widows would have more to live on. The original settlement, as in Mrs Bennet's case, could be pretty small, especially for multiple people to live on. Mr Collins is enough of a rules guy that he might set aside the suggested percentages of his income, especially if Lady Catherine considers it proper. But even if we assume he's setting aside, say, 20% of his income, I doubt that would amount to very much if he dies soon; the Hunsford living is good, but not that good, and he's only 25, so there just hasn't been much time. Charlotte would essentially be a poor cousin by marriage of the Bennets and dependent on her own family (already in straitened circumstances) for anything more than her settlement, which given the circumstances wouldn't amount to much.

People often kill Mr Collins young to given Charlotte a chance at a better life, but in reality, this would likely be a disaster for her.

#anon replies #respuestas #austen blogging #charlotte lucas #william collins #long post #anghraine's meta #mr bennet #mrs bennet

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profeyandere · 1 year ago

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𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐌 𝐂. ─── ☾ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂 ²

ʟɪɴᴋꜱ ↪ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ ↪ ᴘʀɪᴅᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴇᴊᴜᴅɪᴄᴇ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ ↪ ᴡᴀᴛᴛᴘᴀᴅ

ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ��ꜱ ↪ ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 3.4ᴋ ↪ ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍ ᴄᴏʟʟɪɴꜱ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

English is not my native language, so I apologize for any mistake and if you can help me improve it, I will greatly appreciate it. I hope you enjoy it :D

A small and lopsided smile delicately and angelically decorated your jovial face, showing something more in you than your usual seriousness or disgust for the company of others at social gatherings or parties of the people closest to you. Your heart, finally feeling happy and euphoric about the scene that was presented before you, did not stop beating against your fragile and warm chest, making you think at times that it was very likely that in a matter of minutes, you could faint due to lack of air or a heart attack. That last assumption was too extreme and exaggerated, and it almost made you laugh because of how imaginative you were and how melodramatic you could be, but it was inevitable to show that side of you that you had so hidden when you saw your dear brother wrapped in the arms of the woman he loved, finally enjoying the first dance they shared as husband and wife. The couple looked at each other with affection, which was obvious from the moment Fitzwilliam asked to woo Elizabeth, but now it was different. You could see with perfect clarity the love that one transmitted to the other with the elegant movements of their joined bodies, whether it was through their joined hands or the clash of their bodies when Darcy wanted to spin his current wife, and you could not stop to see those smiles. Your brother's pale, glued lips showed the happiness that was palpable in his person, perfectly completing his being with a touch that made him look more attractive and special than he already was, while your sister-in-law's bright and teasing smile shamelessly showed how happy and lucky she felt to finally be with the man she had worked so hard not to fall in love with. Watching them both, you knew that it was impossible to control the feelings that developed in those around you because the two of them were a clear sign that no one was capable of fighting what was in their hearts.

You weren't aware of it, and very few would be sure of it, but your eyes sparkled with emotion when you saw the small bubble that had engulfed the newlyweds, even if that detail seemed to be something quite minuscule compared to the perfect scene taking place in the center of the large ballroom, there was a person, a little man in a simple suit who kept his gaze fixed on your person. Before his eyes there was only something more beautiful than the union of the people who were enjoying the dance piece that formally made them a perfect couple, and that 'something' was you. Your face, your brilliant eyes that seemed clearer in the light of the candles and the lamps that decorated the room, and the beautiful light-colored dress that you were wearing at that moment made you look like a queen, a goddess, or an angel fallen from heaven to bless the whole world with your radiant beauty, as natural and graceful as that of a swan finally showing its wings as it takes off for its first flight. Mr. Collins had the happiness of being able to get to know you correctly, going to the house where you lived with your brothers to be able to share several afternoons with you, whether it was playing countless games of chess or the happy checkers with which he always beat you and giving long and leisurely walks in the great gardens of Pemberley, Derbyshire, as you searched for a way to establish a moment of peace and quiet to talk to each other without your younger sister's cheeky smile or your older brother's sharp, cold stare at Mr. Collins.

Those two relatives of yours were looking for a way to torment you once they found you alone in some room of the house. Ever since that conversation so far back in time that you had with Mr. Collins about his possible marriage, or future proposal for a hand, towards one of his cousins, he had given in to your wishes and had taken your advice as if they were orders that he really should follow as if he was a faithful servant of yours; Georgiana often teased you about it because, in her view, no man would have agreed to a woman talking to him that way and most likely would not have paid any attention to you, he was too likely to ignore your advice, but he took it and promptly denied his wish to marry one of his cousins because of the disgust you seemed to have shown at such an idea. You never mentioned or questioned him about why he had listened to you, what it was that had pushed him to ignore society's expectations and listen to you, specifically you of all the people in this world. On the one hand, he had had Lady Catherine, your aunt, behind his back, scandalously encouraging him to marry as soon as possible, and, on the other hand, he had found Mrs. Bennet, his cousin's wife and mother of the newlywed, who was constantly after him insisting that he marry one of her younger daughters, but it wasn't until he found you that he realized that his life did not have to be as two women wanted, no matter how much one wanted. One of them would have offered him so much help and was someone he truly appreciated and admired.

Your sincerity was what he needed to get out of that little hell, and it was what saved his cousin Elizabeth and the other girls from marrying him.

A wave of applause brought the clergyman out of his thoughts, who promptly joined the ovation as he joyfully congratulated the newly married couple who shared a little kiss as a sign of his deepest love and affection. Collins couldn't help but feel a slight pressure on his chest as he watched his cousin enjoy her husband's company, hoping deep inside that he might be as lucky as Elizabeth to woo Darcy and thus, try to show his affection towards you and charm you with his attentions.

"I thought that at some point you would be the one to take the step, Mr. Collins, but I see that you are still proud enough not to go over to talk to the person you are burning with your eyes."

Your voice, remarkably serious that contrasted perfectly with your mocking tone and the mischievous smile that you shamelessly showed, caused his body to begin to tense and become more and more rigid until he was completely stretched out in his position, almost becoming a little taller than you by a couple of centimeters. The cleric's mind began to race a mile a minute, trying to find an ingenious response to your simple words that, being as true as his affection for you, could show you how aware he was of your presence with him and that there was no been surprised.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

His tone of voice, slightly muffled, caused a soft laugh to escape from you, which quickly dissipated into the air and was barely heard thanks to the festive atmosphere around you, which was made even happier when some relatives and friends from both sides of the couple gathered on the large dance floor to enjoy the music.

"I accept your apology," you murmured, nodding gently in his direction. That statement made the man understand that his assumptions about your discomfort were correct. His face quickly showed a sad face at the thought that he had made you feel bad by looking at you, but you made sure of it in a few seconds and continued speaking to try to calm his afflicted heart. "If you wanted to talk to me, all you had to do was come over. I thought we were close enough that formalities were out of the question."

"Although that's true, I'm afraid to remember that we were in the company of your family and mine," he indicated, briefly lowering his gaze to his hands before placing them behind his back without realizing that your gaze full of surprise was fixed on him. "Furthermore, as a higher-ranking member of society, you should be the one to make me feel blissful in your presence."

You couldn't help it, your eyes moved by themselves, and you rolled them for a moment when you heard him.

"I hope you'll forgive my expression. What nonsense," you said while you shook your head softly, turning your gaze to him quickly with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Since when do you care so much about decency and society when we have shared afternoons in solitude, with no one else us? You have come to my house, as I have to yours, and we have enjoyed the solitude and the company of the other. Why is now different for you, if I may ask?"

Mr. Collins remained silent for several seconds, not knowing exactly what to answer because you were right. Ever since that surprise meeting at the party where he finally met you, he couldn't help but feel attracted to your ingenuity in knowing how to escape from situations in which you didn't feel comfortable, your rebellious attitude towards what society dictated, and the maturity that society had given him allowed him to see the fact that marrying just any woman would not bring him the happiness that every human being deserved. When he saw you, he could only think how lucky he was to be able to enjoy your company in the large garden of your brother's house while you talked about his progress with Lady Catherine and what he was getting with his work within the church, while that you only listened attentively. If you were similar to your brother in anything, apart from the serious face you used to show everyone around you, it was in your ability to listen attentively and carefully to others, soaking up their achievements and feeling proud of them, even advising them if possible.

When the man was ready to answer you, having finally managed to compose himself from your sudden question, he felt a strong pull on his wrist that led him to move towards the small dance floor where a large part of the bride's family was enjoying a party calm music, as well as lively, with the other wedding companions. Your little sister, your adored Georgiana, had arranged for your courageous and agreeable conversation partner to share a little piece with each of his cousins, dancing among them like a dizzy duck that doesn't quite know where to move; You couldn't help but feel bad for William, but the little laugh that escaped your lips wasn't something that went unnoticed by him. Just hearing from you more than your small voice in a clipped, authoritative tone was music to his ears.

"Dear sister, you are too mean," you spoke mockingly, losing sight of your partner.

"What's wrong with wanting your loving and shy boyfriend to share a room with his cousins?" She questioned in the same sarcastic tone, making you roll your eyes when you heard the title that Collins had acquired in your relative's mind. True, you two were pretty close, it was almost scary how well you knew each other, but he never seemed to take that kind of interest in you because if he did, why hadn't he already asked your permission to woo you?

"Georgina, it would be better for everyone if you stopped making such absurd ideas about my relationship with Mr. Collins."

The young little woman Darcy glanced at your perfect profile and how your eyes almost seemed to sparkle. Georgina was not a silly girl with the idea of getting married as soon as she got the chance, being the complete opposite of her sister-in-law's young sisters, but she was observant and quite like you in the more serious aspects of her current life and want to wait long enough to find, in his brother's case, his Elizabeth or, in your case, your Mr. Collins, but her assumptions couldn't be wrong, she refused. For her, in addition to Lizzie and her brother, the unique couple that you and the cleric made was quite pleasant since the male's submission together with your dominance caused the relationship to be quite balanced, in addition to your respective knowledge on various topics that interested the other made your conversations enjoyable and quite fluid, but what most managed to distinguish that possible affection that you had towards the man was in the brightness that your eyes had. Fitzwilliam and you had always been more serious than her because you were older since he had to be the perfect man and you the most educated damsel in the entire region, so you had learned to show only one side of yourselves, a little shell that seemed to crack little by little when Elizabeth and William respectively arrived, and the crack caused your eyes to shine like the brightest stars in the firmament and your hearts to open wide to the new experiences that the sun could bring you. love.

"Like I'm lying," she murmured gracefully, being subtly scolded by you with a little touch of your shoe against hers. "You can't say I'm lying, everyone knows it."

“It's not that simple, Georgina, and I don't think it's very appropriate for you to press the issue any further."

That blunt statement of yours went unnoticed by the young woman, who simply shook her head when she saw how stubborn you were. Many times she did not know who was worse, your brother or you.

Spotting Collins again among the great mess of people on the dance floor, you quickly made your way through several of the guests to reach him and move him away from the crowd, seeing his face completely flushed and slightly sweaty from his obligation not to decline any dance offer that he found with each step he took. You could almost laugh again when you saw how he was breathing but, as you had seen in him, it was not easy for him to have to have several conversations at the same time while having to try not to step on women's feet.

"Let's go outside, you need to give yourself some air," you murmured once you had managed to reach him, gesturing with your hand towards the nearest exit that would take you to the small garden outside the building where the party was taking place, allowing him to then to be able to breathe some fresh air and be able to calm their nerves while it was just the two of you.

Seeing Collins nod in agreement gave you the break you needed because you, like him, needed to get rid of the accumulation of emotions that you had felt throughout the day, even if you had not been the protagonist of that evening; Nor would it surprise you to see your brother looking for an outlet to relax before returning to attend to all the guests who demanded his attention. Your heart began to beat more strongly as the minutes passed, while you were alone again in a comfortable silence, going out to the aforementioned garden, allowing you to observe with intensity some of the small flowers that had been taken care of for the very special occasion that was happening that day and enjoy the warm and soft breeze that enveloped you that summer night. Your breathing was not agitated, but you felt on the verge of a mental collapse as you stopped by Mr. Collins's side when he felt far enough from the building and comfortable enough that he could breathe easy and regain his relaxed, placid countenance.

Somehow you couldn't help but think about your sister's words and, therefore, your relationship with the cleric to your right. As one of the women belonging to the Darcy family, London, and the whole world hoped that tomorrow you would be engaged to a man of equal or greater social status to your own, not to a mere clergyman who depended on your aunt to take whatever decision regarding his life; Of course, he was faithful to it, you just had to remember how he used to talk about you the first times you shared a snack at her house, but you made him understand that only he could and should decide who he should marry or when to do it. The only thing you were trying to show him was that he shouldn't be after a woman who told him how to make his life, which you achieved after much persistence and after showing him other pleasures that were deprived of him because of your aunt. You could not aspire to marry Collins, but rather a friend of your brother's or some other bourgeois or marquis your aunt approved of, but your heart seemed complete only when your eyes turned to that man who had seemed so strange to you when you met him. You met your mind only thought of a man when the subject of marriage was mentioned by your aunt and only a name escaped from your lips while you dreamed of the day you would get married. There was only one man in your life who could make you happy, and he was in front of you, as clear as it had been to your sister from the beginning.

"Looks like you needed a moment too," Collins mentioned, drawing your attention. "Don't get me wrong, I just want to point out that you seemed a little out of sorts."

"There's something that bothers me, but it's not important," you commented without giving too much information, seeing the question look that Collins had, making you sigh and knowing that at some point you would have to mention it. "Would you risk everything you have if you believe you truly love a person? Just like my brother did for your cousin."

Mr. Collins seemed to think about it for a couple of seconds, at least that's what you supposed when you saw his frown.

"Well, I suppose so," the cleric replied, making you nod gently at his words. "It's complicated, I guess. Is it good to take a risk? It's possible. Up to what point? Don't know."

"I could lose everything for him," you said quickly, surprising him with that sincere statement. "He is not what my aunt would want for me. He is very different from what she would expect, and all she would do is give him a heart attack as she knew, and that fact came true."

Mr. Collins couldn't help but look at you curiously, wanting to know more about that stranger who was your lover, but also afraid of what he had wanted so much to never come true.

"Your brother did it, you can always lean on him."

Your gaze strayed back to him before turning your gaze forward, being able to make out on the horizon the large whitish ball that had appeared a few minutes ago. Everything seemed to be going in your favor, even if your respective doubts and fear were afloat and in some way had shown themselves over the months when you met, but one of the two had to take the step and, as happened before and in several times, it had to be you.

Your delicate hand, which was then intertwined with the other, slowly slid and touched one of his fingers, surprising him with the sudden touch, but which he did not reject. Your hand managed to wrap around his with an elegant movement and, as soon as you knew it, he had wrapped yours with his; With a simple handshake, you both felt how your hearts became one that full moon night, and it was when all your fears seemed to vanish with the breeze of that summer night.

#william collins #william #collins #william collins x reader #william collins x you #william collins x oc #reader #you #oc #tom hollander #william collins imagine #tom hollander imagine #pride and prejudice #pride and prejudice 2005

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