Truth about Mr. Darcy (2 page)

If Elizabeth had not known exactly what to expect, Darcy surmised from her shocked expression it certainly was not this. Steadily and with no small degree of increasing agitation, he continued to give her a detailed account of Mr. Wickham’s rather lengthy history of disreputable behavior.

When he came to the events of the previous summer at Ramsgate, however, the pain was still too fresh, and Darcy found his pride would not allow him to utter the name of his beloved sister. Instead, he revealed only the attempted seduction and elopement of an estimable young lady of his acquaintance. At last, he had done.

Elizabeth’s gaze remained on Darcy’s face. She was sickened to think she, who had always prided herself on her abilities of discernment, had been so ready to tease and insult the taciturn man before her—a man whom she had known for many weeks now—in favor of a complete stranger whom she had only just met and was, even now, for the most part, still unknown to her. Wickham’s easy countenance and pleasing manners had, in the mere quarter of an hour she had spoken with him, managed to make quite a favorable impression upon her, but what a mistaken impression she had apparently formed! Elizabeth blushed with mortification. That it should have taken place in the presence of Darcy made her agitation all the more extreme. For some reason she could not quite explain or even fathom, Elizabeth could not abide Darcy thinking any less of her than he already did for having erred so greatly in her judgment of such a man as Mr. Wickham.

Elizabeth’s anxiety was apparent, and Darcy felt all the responsibility of it as he stopped and, in a low voice full of heartfelt concern, said to her, “Miss Bennet, I am sorry, exceedingly sorry if what I have just related has caused you such distress. Please believe me, my purpose in doing so was solely to warn you and your sisters of the very great danger to yourselves from Mr. Wickham’s society. It was not my intention to be malicious or to cause you pain, and I must beg your understanding and hope you will forgive me for having upset you.”

Elizabeth looked away. “No, sir, I am perfectly well, and indeed, you are mistaken. There is nothing to forgive, but I find I must now confess to you how unprepared I was to hear such an infamous account of the same amiable gentleman with whom I have only just become acquainted. I find it almost beyond me to credit such dreadful accusations and such duplicitous behavior, yet, given what I have come to know of your character, and given it is also your intimate history with Mr. Wickham, I fear I must believe you and allow it is true.”

Darcy uttered an audible sigh of relief and ran the back of his hand across his mouth. “Yes,” he said quietly, “it pains me to insist it is true in every particular. Please believe my sincerity, Miss Bennet, when I say there is no one who wishes more than I that Mr. Wickham’s gentlemanly appearance would ever be more than just an appearance.”

By the time Darcy and Elizabeth returned to the rest of their party, Wickham and Denny had since taken their leave. Elizabeth went to Jane and requested they all return home without delay. Jane readily agreed. Bingley, who proclaimed he was not entirely prepared to part with the ladies so soon, begged leave to accompany them back to Longbourn—a proposal that was met with happy acceptance from Jane. Feeling the danger of spending more time than he ought in the disconcerting company of Elizabeth Bennet for one morning, Darcy declined to join them, saying he had some pressing correspondence he had long put off but now found required his immediate attention.

***

That evening, in the privacy of their room, Elizabeth disclosed to Jane the particulars of her conversation with Darcy. Never wanting to think ill of anyone, Jane insisted Wickham could not possibly be so very bad as Darcy’s account of him made him seem.

“But, Lizzy, are you certain, absolutely certain, he has such designs at this time? Perhaps he has come to regret his past actions and is anxious to reestablish his character in the eyes of the world. He seems to possess such an expression of goodness in his addresses.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “No, Jane. I would well wish to think as you do, but I cannot help but believe it unlikely. Though Mr. Darcy’s countenance bespoke the most vehement dislike of Mr. Wickham, you did not notice the way Mr. Wickham looked at Mr. Darcy. His expression was one of such derision and insolence. No, I cannot so easily acquit him of the crimes Mr. Darcy has laid at his door. I feel most inclined to believe he is not a man to be trusted.”

“By this account, then, Lizzy, he appears to feel as passionately for Mr. Darcy as Mr. Darcy does for him. Something very bad, perhaps even worse than what Mr. Darcy has related to you with regard to their association, must surely have occurred to promote such strong feelings of aversion.”

“I confess I am of your opinion on this matter. Mr. Darcy was most disturbed, Jane. Even as he was speaking privately to me of Mr. Wickham, he remained visibly so. It is most out of character for him to reveal such emotions on any matter, and given this, I cannot help but wonder whether he may yet be keeping something further to himself.”

Jane was thoughtful for a long moment before saying quietly, “Lizzy, I do believe Mr. Darcy must be in love with you.”

Elizabeth stared at her and laughed. “Jane! Whatever makes you think such a thing? Surely Mr. Darcy feels nothing for me. You remember his comment at the assembly, do you not?”

“Indeed, it was very wrong of him to say such a thing at all, never mind in company, but, Lizzy, does it not strike you as incredible that a man of Mr. Darcy’s notoriety—such a proud, private man of much significance in the world—would speak with you so willingly and openly about his dealings with such a man as Mr. Wickham? I can hardly credit it. No, it could only be a compliment to
you
, my dearest sister.”

“Really, Jane, this is too absurd!” She laughed again. “You know just as well as I do, Mr. Darcy holds me in contempt for my decided opinions and my impertinent manner. He would never deign to pay his addresses to me, an unknown country miss with nothing more than fifty pounds and my charms to recommend me, not when he could have a fashionable woman with fifty
thousand
and a title.”

Jane smiled. “I beg to differ.”

Elizabeth made to protest, but Jane silenced her. “You forget, Lizzy, I, as well as Charlotte, have noticed the attention Mr. Darcy pays you, even if it is nothing more than staring at you from across the room. It cannot have escaped your keen observation that
you
are, indeed, the
only
lady he stares at.” Jane shook her head. “No, there is no other explanation for it. Mr. Darcy
must
be in love with you.” The discussion was continued in earnest, and half the night was spent in conversation.

The next day saw the arrival of an unexpected addition to the family party at Longbourn: Mr. Bennet’s cousin and heir, the Reverend William Collins. With the intention of making amends for an ongoing estrangement by his late father and the entail of Longbourn estate to himself upon Mr. Bennet’s death, Mr. Collins journeyed from Kent to choose a wife from among Mr. Bennet’s five daughters. If this did nothing to recommend Mr. Collins to the young ladies, it did at least add the promise of entertainment for their father, who was an enthusiastic admirer of the ridiculous. Mr. Collins did not disappoint.

Though none of Mr. Bennet’s daughters, with the exception of Mary, could receive Mr. Collins’s arrival or his attentions with genuine pleasure, the same could not be said for Mrs. Bennet, who welcomed him with open arms—as she would any gentleman of an eligible age and a good income. Mrs. Bennet introduced him to her girls with great cordiality and enthusiasm.

Being the most beautiful of the five sisters, Jane immediately caught his eye. Fortunately for Jane, however, her mother most dutifully pointed out to him that Bingley and his five thousand a year had preceded him. It was then only fitting for Mr. Collins to transfer his affections from Jane to Elizabeth—the next in age and beauty—and he did so with surprising alacrity.

“Lord, Lizzy!” her youngest sister, Lydia, laughed that evening after the gentlemen had withdrawn after supper. “I daresay you are becoming quite popular with all the pompous gentlemen in the neighborhood. First you are seen in Meryton talking
alone
with that dull Mr. Darcy, and now you have gone and caught Mr. Collins’s eye, as well! What a good joke if Papa were actually to force you to marry one of them! I could not imagine being shackled to such wretched bores!”

“Oh, yes!” Kitty joined in. “But really, Lizzy, you are being selfish. Will you not leave
any
eligible prospects for the rest of us?” she admonished before bursting into a fit of giggles.

Elizabeth folded her arms and scowled. “Lydia! Kitty! I would remind you both not to talk of such things, particularly when you know nothing of the circumstances.”

“Who shall be next then, do you think?” Lydia asked merrily. “Oh! I know! Mrs. Goulding has an old, incontinent relative visiting her. Perhaps he will do nicely for Lizzy, as well!”

Mrs. Bennet interjected. “Now, girls, that is quite enough. You know perfectly well Mr. Pritchard is far too elderly for your sister… although, he would likely leave her with a very pretty estate in Devonshire…” She frowned. “Now, Miss Lizzy, what is this I hear about your talking alone with that odious Mr. Darcy?”

Elizabeth blushed. “It is nothing, Mama. I was merely showing him some of the village. It was all quite innocent, I assure you. I have no interest in that particular gentleman, and I am quite certain Mr. Darcy has very little interest in me.”

“I do not doubt that one bit,” she agreed as she wrung her lace handkerchief. “I will admit there was a time when I would have been happy to see one of you girls so advantageously settled as mistress to that man’s estate—goodness!
Ten thousand a year!
—but he has since shown himself to be such a proud, disagreeable man that I would not have him near any of you for all the gold in the Kingdom! No, Mr. Collins will do very nicely for you, Lizzy. Mark my words. You are very lucky to get such a man… so affable! So promising! So fortunate in his patroness, the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh!”

Elizabeth, for all her protests, could not convince her mother she would not suit Mr. Collins at all, nor would he suit her. In the end, she only retired to bed, determined to avoid Mr. Collins as much as possible and to also avoid doing anything in the future that might incite any unwelcome speculation about her and Mr. Darcy.

Over the course of the next few days, Elizabeth found herself often in the presence of Darcy. Though that gentleman continued to stare at her just as steadily as he always had, Elizabeth was startled on several occasions to have him approach her as well, with the obvious intention of engaging her in conversation. Elizabeth did everything in her power to quickly extract herself from his company and to avoid him whenever possible, making a point to speak politely with every officer or gentleman, save Lieutenant Wickham, who paid her even the slightest attention. She had no intention of speaking with Darcy, either alone or in the company of others.

Each evening Darcy now passed in Elizabeth’s society, saw him become brooding and withdrawn. He could hardly like her friendly attentions to others, not when he wished for nothing more than her eyes, her lively teasing, and her smiles to be directed at him. He could not understand what could have occurred to make her wish to avoid him now, for it was quite clear to him Elizabeth
was
avoiding him. Though Darcy felt a great deal of pain over her inexplicable actions, he could at least rejoice in the fact she did seem to take his warning about Wickham to heart. She avoided prolonged contact with that gentleman, as well.

***

The following evening, the Bennets were all to dine at the home of their Aunt and Uncle Phillips in Meryton. Mr. Collins was delighted to find himself included in the invitation. He had been loath to part from Elizabeth, to whom he had been attentive since he had decided upon her several days earlier. Mrs. Bennet wasted no time by publicly proclaiming her immense delight with the match and encouraging it in whatever way she could.

To Kitty and Lydia, this continued to be a ceaseless source of amusement, especially since they considered themselves most fortunate to have escaped any such notice by the stodgy Mr. Collins. After all, in the opinion of Mrs. Bennet’s two youngest daughters, what woman could ever be bothered to give two straws about a droll clergyman when there were far more satisfying prospects to be had parading themselves about the countryside of Hertfordshire in regimentals? They delighted in making their sentiments known.

With immense relief, Elizabeth managed to slip away from Mr. Collins’s attentive and somewhat overbearing society while he spoke with great enthusiasm to her Aunt Phillips about the grandeur of Rosings Park and the condescension and affability of his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. In her aunt, Mr. Collins was sure to find a most obliging listener and, in Mrs. Phillips’s guests, an audience eager to hear his raptures on his favorite topics for the greater part of the evening.

She soon found herself uneasy, however, as she recognized Mr. Wickham standing slightly apart from the other officers and guests in her aunt’s home, an insincere smile gracing his face, and his gaze resting upon her. She had not spoken with him at any length since their first meeting in Meryton, when Darcy had cautioned her not to be taken in by his easy manners. Elizabeth had imagined any association with Darcy would have been enough to deter Wickham from wishing to renew their slight acquaintance, but in that she had been mistaken. He had taken every opportunity, on the few occasions when their paths did cross, to attempt to engage her in conversation. She could see by the determined look in his eyes that tonight would be no different, and indeed, no sooner had she left Mr. Collins than Elizabeth found herself being addressed with a low bow and an ingratiating smile.

“Good evening, Miss Elizabeth. I must say you are looking lovely this evening.”

She returned his compliment with guarded civility. Wickham was far from discouraged. “I must confess I had hoped to have become better acquainted with you by now, but alas, I have not had the pleasure of seeing you in Meryton with your sisters these six days at least. I can only imagine this is due to some far more rewarding pursuit of yours, which must, undoubtedly, have a prior claim on your time.”

Elizabeth did not know whether or not she trusted his words and, with a raised brow, replied, “I engage in many pursuits I find to be rewarding, Mr. Wickham.”

“Do you indulge yourself in these rewarding pursuits daily, then?”

“Yes, I suppose I do, whenever I find I am at leisure.”

“I see. And which pursuit, if you do not mind my asking, brings you the most pleasure, Miss Elizabeth?” Wickham inquired.

Elizabeth hesitated. “I am partial to any form of exercise that might afford me an opportunity to be out-of-doors, particularly when the weather is fine.”

“You enjoy taking your exercise out-of-doors, do you? How interesting. Tell me, Miss Elizabeth, would I be correct to assume you also enjoy taking your pleasure
indoors
whenever you can?”

Elizabeth observed him with a puzzled expression. “Indoors, Mr. Wickham? I am not certain whether I understand your meaning. Certainly, when the weather is uncooperative, one will find pleasure in one’s needlework, at the pianoforte, or in a good book, but you must own that one can hardly compare taking a turn in a stuffy drawing room to the satisfaction of a leisurely ramble in the fresh air of a wooded path.”

Wickham’s voice took on a tone she could not like. “Oh, come now, Miss Elizabeth, there is no need to be coy. I have noticed your intimacy with a certain gentleman from Derbyshire… or, to be more accurate, his marked preference for you. I can imagine it must be rather gratifying for a young lady such as yourself to be singled out by such a wealthy and distinguished man who has lived very much in the world.”

Elizabeth gasped as comprehension dawned on her. Wickham lowered his voice in a disturbing manner and said in a throaty whisper, “Does his… society satisfy you, Miss Elizabeth? Because I, for one, would be most obliged to step in and instruct you myself whenever you may feel the urge for far more superior
companionship
. I assure you, I have never been known to disappoint a beautiful woman.” He took a step closer while his gaze roamed over her form. A smirk began to tug at the corners of Wickham’s mouth, and the same insolent sneer he had worn for Darcy appeared for her.

Elizabeth was appalled and sickened by the vulgarity of this man, and before she could stop herself or recall where she was, she raised her hand to slap him hard across his face. To her further horror, Wickham caught her hand roughly in his and forced it, instead, to his lips as he let out a soft, derisive laugh.

“Of course, I knew you and I would soon come to an understanding of sorts.”

Elizabeth struggled to pull her hand from his grasp, but he gripped it tightly—almost painfully—his gaze boring into her in a most offensive manner before he finally released her, but not before muttering in her ear, “He is a very lucky man, Miss Elizabeth. Please be sure to give him my best compliments when you are next with him. And if you should ever change your mind…”

In alarm and disgust, Elizabeth broke away and fled from Wickham. If there had been any doubt in her mind about the credibility of Darcy’s information regarding Wickham’s character, the offensiveness of his address and his repulsive behavior had just removed it completely. She saw Jane in avid conversation with Charlotte Lucas on the other side of the room. Bingley, she was certain, had very likely been attending them, though at this moment he was moving quickly and deliberately in her direction with a frowning countenance. Elizabeth found herself extremely grateful that, for once, Jane had not succeeded in monopolizing his attention. When he reached her, Bingley drew her quietly aside into an unoccupied corner and addressed her with great concern. “Miss Elizabeth, are you well? Forgive me, but I could not fail to notice your distress as you were speaking with Mr. Wickham. Did he impose himself upon you in any way? Did he insult you?”

Elizabeth struggled to regain her composure. After a minute, she was able to find her voice and said shakily and with revulsion, “I believe, Mr. Bingley, were you to reveal to me at this very moment prior knowledge of Mr. Wickham’s intent to come here with the express purpose of insulting me in a most vulgar and offensive manner, I would not be at all surprised to hear it.”

Grimly, Bingley then asked her to relate to him the entirety of her conversation with that gentleman, but Elizabeth, feeling far too mortified to think upon all that had been said, let alone repeat it to Bingley, adamantly refused. Wickham’s disgusting manner and offensive implications of an intimacy between her and Darcy made her agitation extreme.

Offering Elizabeth his arm, Bingley scanned the room. Wickham had been observing them before sauntering over to Mrs. Phillips to take his leave. Once he was out of the house, Elizabeth visibly relaxed. Bingley was most solicitous as he steered her to Jane’s side before politely excusing himself to speak privately with Colonel Forster.