"Mr Collins, will you join me in a walk to Merryton?"

Eleazar had been waiting for the man in question to appear from upstairs, ambushing him before breakfast had even started. Last night had been a disaster, though somehow Mrs Bennet had made it even worse with endless comments regarding the beauty of her children. In a fifteen minute tete-a-tete she had convinced the man, who had originally set his sight on Jane, that Eleazar was just as handsome.

Seldom did Eleazar actually want to physically maim his mother, last night had been one of those moments.

And Mr Collins had laughed and smiled and nodded along. The glimmer in his mother's eyes told him she expected a proposal before the week ended. Two children married before the new year, nothing could make her happier. It was not happening.

"Of course, my dear cousin, will your sisters join us?"

The man wasn't stupid, he hoped Eleazar's sisters would stop Eleazar from becoming actually violent, in the way Mr Collins would surely remember from their university days.

"They are already on their way, my mother taught it best I would show you the way as we are basically engaged already."

Mr Collins stayed silent and let himself be let down the road to Merryton in the distance.

"So you heard that."

Mr Collins was not a sensible man, nor had he become it by the help of a proper education. He had finished university without making any friends who could help him in the world, and only luck had his name mentioned to Lady Catherine when she was in need of a vicar.

"Yes I did, you can imagine my surprise when you said nothing against it."

Unfortunately being sensible had nothing to do with making smart choices regarding the more important people one surrounded oneself with. Mr Collins knew very well how to please people, give them compliments and always agree with them on whichever subject their opinion mattered. Lady Catherine dearly appreciated him for that, something which had given the man a rather high opinion of himself.

"Well my dear cousin, what would you have wanted me to say? Objectively speaking you are the most fair of your siblings, and as Jane is soon to be engaged, who else would I choose?"

Mary or Kitty, those who had less prospects or who would benefit from the stability Mr Collins would provide them.

"There is no need to propose to me to atone for the sin of inheriting Longbourn, you should ask Mary if that is your reason."

Eleazar raised his hand to stop William from speaking more.

"Nor has my answer to a proposal of yours changed in the years we spent apart."

They had arrived at the borders of Meryton and for a moment Eleazar stopped their walk to look Mr Collins in the eye.

"I hope this will be the last we speak of this matter."

"There you are! Come Eli, I need to borrow some money from you."

Lydia had seen their arrival and ran down the street to be the first to reach them, ignoring the officers stopping their walk to gaze after her. For everything there needed to be a first, if Lydia being the tiniest bit more sensible would cost Eleazar some money then he would be more than willing to provide.

"I saw the most beautiful bonnet laying in the shop, and I need it. Surely who else could wear it without seemingly trying to catch the officers eyes. And—" Here she stood on her tiptoes to reach Eleazar's ear who happily leaned down to accommodate her. "We just saw the most handsome man in red who I had never seen before, he is still with Kitty and Jane by the shop. You should meet him, you'll surely love him too."

This was not music to Eleazar's ears, another officer that would surely trample on his sisters' hearts, but there was little he could do about it. Beside that, there were certain standards officers had to meet, so the man couldn't be too horrible.

"We were looking for Mr Denny as you knew, and he was walking down the street with this mysterious gentleman, so of course Kitty and I crossed the street to naturally meet them on their way back. This was right in front of the shop I found the bonnet in, maybe he can buy it for me if you don't have enough money."

He really hoped Colonel Foster had actually looked into the man's past and hadn't taken Mr Denny's word for it. Suffice to say that Eleazar wasn't a fan of that particular officer.

"We were all struck with the stranger's air and handsome face; even Jane, you should have seen her red cheeks."

Jane always blushed so easily, it certainly didn't surprise Eleazar she would be overwhelmed by the handsome cheek of an officer, even if Mr Bingley held her heart.

"Mr Denny introduced us to him, Mr Wickham, isn't his name wonderful, and he is an officer too. Came back with Mr Denny and accepted a commission in their corps, he will surely be there once Mr Bingley holds his ball."

Colonel Foster had most certainly not checked the man's past before giving him a position. Eleazar turned stone cold if he even thought about that man being anywhere near Meryton, let alone Longbourn.

"His appearance is greatly in his favour, all the best parts of beauty. A good figure, better than yours, and a very pleasing address. How could he get even more perfect after all that?"

He could only pray William was as unsensible as ever and had forgotten about that man long ago. Or would be too stupid to connect the dots and start babbling about things that better stayed where they were.

"But come, do you see him standing? His manner of speaking is also very comfortable, easy without being presumptuous."

Six feet under without a single person in the know about where to dig.

They had arrived and been introduced, Mr Wickham kept his composure as Eleazar had expected of him. They were trying, well he himself and George Wickham, to keep polite conversation when the sound of horses coming down the road disturbed the silence.

It was, of course, who else could it have even been, Mr Bingley in the company of Mr Darcy.

Eleazar kept all emotion from his face and tried to join Jane in her excitement about meeting Mr Bingley so soon again. Everything was better than looking at Lydia flirting with Mr Denny, or Mr Darcy's imploring eyes.

In doing so he unfortunately saw the exact moment Wickham and Darcy locked eyes. One turned bright red the other lost all colour. Mr Wickham after a few moments composed himself and touched his hat, a salutation which Mr Darcy didn't deign to return.

It couldn't be. Was Mr Darcy the man Wickham had spoken about with such fervour the first time they met? Mr Darcy did have a younger sister, who was now barely above marrying age.

Mr Bingley had finished speaking with Jane, and in another moment he took leave and rode on with his friend.

Mr Denyy and Wickham walked with the Bennet family to the door of Mr Philip's house where they said their goodbyes. Nothing Lydia nor Mrs Philips said could persuade them to come inside for some tea as they were wanted back in the officers housings.

Eleazar wasn't too sad to see them gone, though they would have produced something for his aunt to latch onto that wasn't his upcoming engagement with Mr Collins. Mrs Philips was quite awed by the young man's introduction and his very polite manners. Though nothing he said could hold her attention for very long with the exciting news of a new officer in town, namely Mr Wickham.

She had of course already heard many things about him, though nothing her nieces hadn't already figured out themselves. She had been watching him walk down the street for the last hour, an occupation Lydia and Kitty would have surely continued had it not been for the fact that no one interesting was walking by.

None of the officers that had previously caught their attention could hold onto it for any longer now that Mr Wickham was in the picture. Something Eleazar was none too happy about, he had not liked the other officers either but at least they were not scum like George Wickham. Those officers would dine with their aunt and uncle the next day and after little encouragement from her nieces, promised Mrs Philips to extend the invitation to Mr Wickham.

Lydia and Kitty couldn't comprehend their luck at being able to meet Mr Wickham again so soon and their family parted ways amiable a short while later.

On their way home did Eleazar ensure Mr Collins was unable to walk next to him as he had claimed Jane's arm so they could speak without interruption. He wasn't sure if he should tell Jane what he had seen regarding the exchange between Wickham and Mr Darcy. In the end he decided not to, if he would speak about that he would have to tell her everything he knew. Something he would not be ready for soon.