Unforgiving Temper (44 page)

“The animosity between Lord Grissholm
and myself began during our years at university. We were never
great friends, but society brought us together often enough. In his
fourth year, he became involved with a young lady. They were seen
frequently in each other's company, and it had even been rumored he
would offer for her. Then, one day she disappeared quite suddenly.
Publicly, he claimed ignorance of the whole affair, but in private
he insisted I had something to do with the lady's
disappearance.”

“Oh!” Elizabeth took a moment to digest the
troubling revelation. “And was she ever found?”

“No, not a trace.”

The frown resulting from her attempt to
reconcile what she thought she knew of both gentlemen only
deepened. “Do you have any idea why he would form such an opinion
against you?”

“I do not. I assured him I had nothing to do
with the lady or her disappearance. Still, these past ten years, he
has made it his mission to privately plague me with accusation and
innuendo whenever out paths cross He dares not make any formal
accusation. He knows there is no basis for his ridiculous
assertions.” Mr. Darcy paused suddenly, and when he continued,
Elizabeth detected a definite change in his tenor. “Not long after
the unfortunate incident, the death of my father recalled me to
Pemberley. My days were instantly filled with the care of my sister
and the affairs of the estate. I had neither the time nor the
inclination to give credence to any capricious gossip that managed
to make its way to Pemberley. To this day, Grissholm's resentment
continues. My own resentment stems from his attempt to attach my
name to the affair and his repeated attempts to defame my
reputation and vilify my character. That, Miss Bennet, is the
reason for our mutual dislike.”

Elizabeth tried to take in all that she had
heard. It was a disturbing tale, indeed. She was pleased, though,
that Mr. Darcy had been willing to explain himself so fully.
Lord Grissholm, in all their time together, all the hours they
had spent in conversation, had never mentioned
Catherine Monroe – for Elizabeth was certain that was the
young lady who had disappeared – beyond his cursory explanation of
the paintings and Rebecca's presence at Everton. If she were to ask
him to explain his prejudice against Mr. Darcy, would he be
willing to relate his side of the story? That was something she
intended to find out at the earliest possible opportunity.

“Thank you, Mr. Darcy, for telling me.
You have given me much to consider.” Having satisfied her curiosity
on that count for the time being, she turned her attention to the
second question that had been niggling at her since their last
meeting. Glancing at Darcy, she was happy to see his demeanor still
open and affable. “May I ask you something else?”

“Whatever you wish, Miss Bennet. I shall
answer if it is in my power to do so.”

“When our last conversation was cut short,
you were saying something about 'my condition'…what exactly did you
mean?”

Darcy cleared his throat, and Elizabeth was
surprised to find him somewhat embarrassed.

“Actually, the answer to that question is the
very reason for my asking you here. Please know this is not
something I would speak of under ordinary circumstances; however,
time is of the essence.”

“Time is of the essence? I am afraid you are
not making any sense at all!”

“I shall explain as best I can,” he replied
at her mystified look. “Not long after your departure from
Longbourn, a woman visited Meryton. She stayed at the inn only one
night, and when she left, there was found in her room a pamphlet
from London's Magdalene House.”

Elizabeth had never heard of the place. She
wondered at the gravity with which he mentioned it, and her
curiosity showed plainly on her face.

“Magdalene House is a charitable institution
for the care of young ladies who find themselves shunned by polite
society for behavior unbecoming a lady, if you catch my meaning.
This unknown woman made several pointed remarks that gave the
impression you were a resident of that establishment.”

Elizabeth's puzzled expression instantly
melted into one of abject horror. Stunned beyond belief that anyone
she knew would even consider her capable of such behavior, she was
totally unprepared for his next words.

“Rumors of your compromised reputation were
apparently not enough for some. The reports have grown into the
belief that obvious consequences require your extended absence for
a requisite number of months. You have been gone nearly four months
now. Add that to the three or four months where your supposed
condition could have gone unnoticed, and you will understand why
time is so short.”

“Do you mean to say that people think I …that
I am...
that
is the condition to which you were
referring?!”

“Yes, I am afraid so.”

“How could they possibly think that I…oh,
this is dreadful! What has been done?”

“When the rumors first started, every
possible attempt was made to quash them, but it could not be done.
We then searched for the mysterious woman, hoping to wring an
explanation from her, but she left no trace beyond Meryton. No one
has any idea of who she is or where she came from.”

“I know exactly who she was,” Elizabeth
flared indignantly. “It was Mrs. Younge! She was furious with
me when we parted at Everton, and promised to repay me. I have no
doubt this rumor was her revenge.”

The revelation startled Darcy.
“Mrs. Younge? Mrs.
Ann
Younge!?”

“The very same woman you dismissed at
Ramsgate. Regrettably, I have experienced her duplicity firsthand.
It seems she and Mr. Wickham still enjoy one another's
company.”

“I knew it! This whole affair smacked of
Wickham, but I could not prove it!”

“He had everything neatly arranged long
before he came to me. It must have been so, because once he had my
cooperation, my departure was almost immediate. The only one who
knew anything to be other than it appeared was my father, but he
did not know the whole of it nor that it was Mr. Wickham
pulling the strings – and I had no idea my travelling companion was
to be the infamous Mrs. Younge of your letter.”

“I should have guessed. She and Wickham go
back a very long way. Did you not suspect anything in her manner to
alert you?”

“No, nothing at all. She presented herself at
Longbourn as a Mrs. Tipton, and was all ease and friendliness. It
was only when Mr. Wickham joined us, very soon into our
journey, that I discovered her real name.”

“I am guessing she was the 'distant relation'
with whom you were supposed to be traveling?”

“Yes. To discover her real identity was quite
a shock. Your sketch of her character was all I could think of. I
could not imagine what was going to happen.”

“Was there nothing you could do?”

“Nothing,” she replied a little too sharply,
her eyes hardening at the memory. “They took what little money I
had even before we left Hertfordshire, leaving me completely at
their mercy. Mr. Wickham is every bit the scoundrel you had
described, and more.”

Darcy nodded in grim understanding and they
walked a few paces in silence. Elizabeth worked to push the
unpleasant memories back into the corner of her mind, and
Mr. Darcy, she discovered when he next spoke, had been
struggling to dispel unpleasant thoughts of his own.

“Wickham's deed is unconscionable and I
assure you he will answer for it; however, you must know that it is
crucial you return to Longbourn as soon as may be. Once you have
been away beyond everyone's expectations, it will be very
difficult, if not impossible, to disprove the rumors.”

Utterly frustrated with the perverseness of
her situation, Elizabeth struggled to keep her temper in check. “I
understand, Mr. Darcy! Believe me, I do! I shall return the
very instant I am able to, but there are certain aspects of
Mr. Wickham's scheme that must be resolved before that is
possible.”

“If I may ask, Miss Bennet, why did you
agree to Wickham's design in the first place? Did you not believe
my account of him?”

“Oh, yes, I quite believed you. Once I began
to observe Mr. Wickham without prejudice, I could see that he
was not the man I thought him to be. Would that I had done the same
for you,” she murmured softly. “I agreed to his scheme,
Mr. Darcy, because he threatened to destroy my family's
reputation. Mr. Bingley's return to Netherfield had given me
every hope that he would renew his addresses to my sister, and I
could not allow Mr. Wickham to ruin it.”

“Your family is one of long standing in
Hertfordshire. I cannot imagine any of Wickham's lies would stand
against the word of your father.”

“Indeed not, if his threats were based on
lies; but they are not. He holds letters that were written to him
by my youngest sister, Lydia. Their content, if known, would be
enough to destroy our family, and he has promised to publish them
if I return before he wishes. So you see, the letters must be
recovered first or my going home would be just as ruinous as
staying away. Lord Grissholm has been working diligently to
recover them, and I am hopeful he will succeed very soon.”

“Miss Bennet, I do not wish to offend,
however, I know Robert Grissholm too well to believe he would
expend his time and resources in assisting a companion to his ward
without expecting something in return. I would caution you with all
urgency to have a care.”

Elizabeth studied Darcy's face. She was
tempted to ease his mind as to Lord Grissholm's intentions by
disclosing the depth of their relationship, but was it wise? Would
it help heal the breach between the two men or only make it worse?
It took only a moment for her to decide. She had asked for and
received honesty from Mr. Darcy, and she could do no less in
return.

“His lordship is not so menacing as you seem
to think, sir,” Elizabeth gently rebuked him. “He has done nothing
objectionable. Quite the opposite, in fact. When he discovered
Mr. Wickham's power over me, he was exceedingly sympathetic
and offered to render whatever assistance was needed. As to his
expectations…he has made me an offer of marriage.”

Darcy stopped in midstride, his face draining
of all color, and it was a full minute before he regained
sufficient composure to respond to the devastating revelation.

“Have you accepted?” he asked quietly.

“I have asked for time to speak with my
father, or at least try to, before I give him my answer. I only
tell you this so that you can see his intentions are
honorable.”

“Forgive me if I do not share your
sentiments, Miss Bennet. In spite of what you have told me, I
still question his motives. Would it not be prudent for you to
question them as well? Marriage is an irrevocable undertaking.”

“I have no cause to think ill of his
lordship,” Elizabeth replied.

Darcy's eyes seemed to look straight into her
soul. “Can you claim a deep affection for him, then?”

Elizabeth glanced away, unable to meet his
eyes.
A deep affection? No, but until I know what has happened
between Jane and Mr. Bingley, this may be the only chance I
have to keep my family from penury. I was once naïve enough to
think I would marry only for love – before Mr. Wickham turned
my life inside out, before father fell so ill! If he should die, we
will all be dependent upon Mr. Collins for our every need; and
after refusing his hand, I have no great hope for his charity. I
would marry Napoleon himself, if it would keep dear Jane and the
rest of the family safe!

She had been silent too long. “That is not an
appropriate question, sir,” she told him.

“Perhaps not,” he replied with a slight smile
before turning serious again. “I had not thought to mention this
until I had more information, but under the circumstances, I feel
you must know it is very possible that you are being deceived.”

“In what way, Mr. Darcy?”

“I have received a report that Wickham has
come into a sum of money.”

“It is quite possible that
Lord Grissholm has finally completed his dealings. That is
very good news!”

Darcy remained grave, unwilling to share in
her enthusiasm.

“As I said before, I believe you are being
deceived. While I received the information just yesterday, the
report suggests that he received the funds no less than three weeks
ago.”

Elizabeth's smile faded at once. Three weeks?
That was not possible. Lord Grissholm had assured her he would
inform her as soon as he succeeded in his negotiations, and as of
this morning there had been no news. There must be some mistake,
some misunderstanding that Mr. Darcy was not aware of.

“Mr. Darcy, did your report indicate
where the funds came from?”

“No, it did not,” he admitted grudgingly.
“There are other reports I have yet to receive which could verify
the source, as well as other suspicious dealings regarding the
viscount.”

Elizabeth was thoughtful for a moment.
Although she had discovered Mr. Darcy to be an honorable man,
Lord Grissholm had given her no reason to think him any
less.

“Mr. Wickham is a very resourceful man.
It is possible his new-found capital has come from someone other
than Lord Grissholm. His lordship's efforts on my behalf
deserve far more courtesy than to suspect him of deceit, especially
based on so little evidence. I have learned the difficult lesson of
not judging a person too quickly, especially as regards the respect
due a man who has proposed marriage,” said Elizabeth, looking down
with a sudden blush on her cheeks, “and I do not wish to be found
wanting a second time.”

“I understand,” Darcy said softly. “When I
have more substantial information, I shall send word.”

“Thank you, Mr. Darcy.” Elizabeth gave
him an understanding smile and offered a farewell curtsy. Looking
up to his face as she rose, she was momentarily held captive by the
intensity of his gaze. Another enigmatic sensation fluttered
through her before she pulled her eyes away.