Duels of Every Sort

by Sarah Brown

  “I am much better, now that I am here with you. Though I am afraid my morning did not go quite to plan.” I sighed, twisting my signet ring. Gloomily, I continued, “I have much to tell you and your father.”

  She looked at me with concern. “Should you like to go to him now? Simply be finished with it so that we may enjoy the day?”

  I glanced at Fitzwilliam and ran a hand through my hair. It did not appear that he was likely to leave his current position in the near future. “Yes, I suppose that is best.”

  Elizabeth and I rose and explained our purpose to the others before quitting the room. However, once we were in the hallway, I could not let the opportunity to be alone with her pass. Wickham’s lies, the mortification of informing Colonel Forster about his true nature only to discover him gone, and now the prospect of reliving my past with Wickham for the second time in one morning had left me feeling empty and angry. I needed Elizabeth’s comfort.

  She walked ahead of me down the hallway, but I reached out and caught her hand, pulling her into a secluded alcove near the stairs. “May I hold you, Lizzy? I am afraid the morning has left me a bit frazzled.”

  She smiled up into my eyes and, by way of an answer, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around my waist, leaning her head on my chest. I, in turn, wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of roses from her hair. We stood thus for several minutes, until Elizabeth whispered, “Will, you need not tell my father or me anything about Mr. Wickham if it distresses you so.”

  I held her tighter and whispered back, “No, I want to tell you. It may be unpleasant for me, but you must know the truth. I cannot allow Wickham to go about spreading such falsehoods unchallenged.”

  Elizabeth nodded and looked up at me with her bewitching amber speckled eyes. Those eyes radiated calm and peace, and I relaxed in her arms. I felt as though she had been made just for me to hold. Slowly, her arms slipped from around my waist to circle my neck and pulled my head down to hers. She kissed me, tentatively at first and then more confidently. It was the first time that she had initiated such an encounter, and I rejoiced in it, deepening the kiss.

  I could have stayed there in that corner with her for the rest of the day, and I sensed she would have been content to do the same. But it was only a matter of time before someone happened upon us. Reluctantly, we parted, though I held on to her hand, gazing at her in a manner I was sure appeared somewhat dimwitted. She asked, a glimmer of impertinence returning to her eyes, “Feeling better now?”

  I laughed and kissed her fingers entwined with my own. “Yes, much better, my Elizabeth.” Her eyes glinted happily at my appellation for her. “Come along, let us go see your father and put the ugly business of the day behind us.”

  She kept my hand in hers as she led me down the hallway and knocked on the library door, only releasing it when her Mr. Bennet called for us to enter. Inside, Mr. Bennet was sitting behind his desk, his spectacles on his nose and a book in his hand, while Bingley and John sat in the chairs opposite him with books of their own. Bingley rose when Elizabeth entered, but her brother and father merely set their books aside. “Has Lydia run out of compliments for the adornments on the gowns of each and every young lady who attended the ball?” Mr. Bennet asked, sardonically.

  Elizabeth smiled. “Lydia and Maria decided to walk to Lucas Lodge, Papa. Oh, and Colonel Fitzwilliam came to visit with Mr. Darcy this morning. He is currently speaking with Jane and Charlotte in the drawing room.”

  “Very well,” Mr. Bennet replied. “I shall go and say hello to the gentleman.”

  He began to rise, but Elizabeth stopped him. “Actually, Papa, Mr. Darcy has something he would speak with you about.”

  “Yes, sir. There is something that both you and Miss Elizabeth should be aware of regarding a common acquaintance of ours. If you are at leisure, I would speak with you.”

  “By all means, son,” Mr. Bennet said. He had never called me anything other than Mr. Darcy or possibly just Darcy before, nor had I even heard him refer to Bingley in such a manner. I had a great deal of respect for Mr. Bennet, as well as a great deal of gratitude for having brought up such a wonder as Elizabeth, and dearly hoped that he meant it. I wanted nothing more in the world than to become his son by marrying Elizabeth.

  Bingley excused himself, saying, “I have already heard this tale and have no desire to do so again.”

  John, however asked, “Do you mind if I stay? As I have first hand knowledge of the matter, I offer any assistance in the retelling.”

  “Of course you may stay, John. I would appreciate your support.” Elizabeth took the seat Bingley had vacated, and Mr. Bennet offered to have another fetched for me, which I declined. The topic was such that it made me prefer the freedom of movement that standing allowed.

  I paused to collect my thoughts then began thus, “The history I need to relate to you Mr. Bennet, and you Miss Elizabeth, is one that is painful to me. I would ask that you allow me to speak without interruption, and I will answer any questions you may have when I am done.” Elizabeth and her father nodded. I took a deep breath and continued. “In order for you to understand just the type of man that Wickham is and why he might spread such falsehoods as you have heard, I must relate to you the whole of his connection to my family, the details of which both Colonel Fitzwilliam and John can verify.

  “Wickham was the son of my late father’s steward and my father’s godson. When old Mr. Wickham died, my father took in the son and supported him at school and afterwards at Cambridge, where John met him. My father loved Wickham as another son, and we grew up almost as brothers. However, it has been many years since I thought well of him. I had opportunities to see his want of principle and his vicious propensities that my father did not.” Here I paused again. I had begun speaking in a very matter of fact tone to Mr. Bennet, but now I sought Elizabeth’s compassionate eyes. She gave me the slightest nod, encouraging me to continue.

  “When my excellent father died almost five years ago, he recommended in his will that a valuable living on my estate be made available to Wickham should he follow my father’s advice and enter the church as well as a legacy of one thousand pounds. However, Wickham wrote to me that he had no interest in the church and would rather study the law, requesting an additional three thousand pounds in lieu of the living. I hoped rather than believed him to be in earnest regarding his studies, but I knew he ought not to be a clergyman. Therefore, I granted his request and all connection between us seemed now dissolved.”

  I ran an agitated hand through my hair and paced about the room as I spoke. “I know not how he lived. However, three years later he returned when the living he had given up became vacant. His circumstances were apparently very bad; having squandered the money I gave him. He claimed that he now fancied a life in the church and demanded I give him the living. Naturally, I refused such a request. He became enraged, spouting all manner of abuse, and quitted the house. Every appearance of acquaintance was dropped.”

  What followed was the most painful part of the story to relate to them. John already knew everything, but I did not know how to go about informing Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet. I stopped pacing and stared out the window with my back to the room. “I—I must now,” I stumbled. “I must now relate to you a circumstance which I would wish to forget myself.” I could feel all the pain of the summer return to me, suffocating me, making it hard to speak. I do not know how long I stood in silence before I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and looked down into the caring brown eyes of Elizabeth. She took my hand and led me to the bench set in one of the windows. There, she sat beside me and entwined her fingers with my own. I looked down at our hands and drew strength from her support and understanding—and her bold intimacy in front of her father and brother.

  “Last summer, my sister, Georgiana, of whom I share guardianship with Colonel Fitzwilliam, was taken from school and sent to Ramsgate for a holiday. There she was placed under the care of a Mrs. Younge, in who
se character we were most unhappily deceived. Thither, too, went Wickham, undoubtedly by design, where he and Mrs. Younge undertook to recommend him to Georgianna, who only remembered Wickham’s kindness to her as a child. She was persuaded to believe herself in love and consent to an elopement.” Elizabeth gasped, and squeezed my hand.

  I turned to acknowledge John with an appreciative nod of my head as I continued, “By some miracle, John happened to be in Ramsgate at the same time and in the same place as my sister. He overheard the plans being made, and, though we had not seen each other for some years, he immediately recognized Georgianna and Wickham’s names and sent me an express divulging the scheme. I arrived in Ramsgate in time to prevent the elopement. When I appeared, Georgianna confessed the whole of it to me even before I asked, being unable to grieve the brother she looks up to almost as a father. She is but fifteen years old.

  “Wickham left the place immediately and Mrs. Younge was removed from her charge. Wickham’s object must have been Georgianna’s fortune of thirty thousand pounds, though I cannot help but suppose that the opportunity of revenging himself on me must have been a strong inducement.” I closed my eyes as I whispered, “His revenge would have been complete indeed.” When I finally looked up, I glanced at Mr. Bennet, who to my utter surprise was looking steadily at me with the utmost respect shining in his eyes. I did not know how this could be, as I saw the Ramsgate affair as the proof of my failure as a guardian and a brother to Georgiana.

  I shook my head slightly and finished, “That was the end of my dealings with Wickham until he appeared in Meryton spreading his usual poison. On my request, Colonel Fitzwilliam has affected a transfer for Wickham to a regiment in the north. Unfortunately, when we went to see Colonel Forster this morning to collect Wickham so that they could be on their way, we found that Wickham is on leave and will not return for another sennight. I do not trust Wickham to make it all the way to Newcastle on his own, so Fitzwilliam has agreed to stay until Wickham returns to escort him personally.”

  I fell silent and closed my eyes again, breathing deeply. In spite of the pain, I felt slightly better for having told Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet the tale. I knew I could trust them to be discreet and not expose Georgiana’s reputation, which I had worked so hard—and refrained from running Wickham through—to protect.

  When I opened my eyes, I found Elizabeth gazing at me in concern. I gave her a weak smile, and she asked, “And how is your sister now, sir? Is she recovered from her ordeal?”

  I was sure my sadness shone in my eyes. “I am afraid she is not. I spent the remainder of the summer with her in hopes that I could convince her of her innocence and lighten her burden, but she remains gloomy and withdrawn. I have found her a new companion, Mrs. Annesley, who is wonderful and has taken great pains to help her. I only agreed to accompany Charles and John to Hertfordshire in the hope that perhaps my absence would give her time to heal, as my presence did not seem to be helping. Her letters do seem to be just slightly more cheerful of late.”

  Elizabeth nodded and quietly asked, “Could not you invite her to Netherfield? I should not think Mr. Bingley would have an objection.” She smiled, “I should very much like to meet her.”

  I smiled back, but my smile was tinged with further sadness. “I would very much like her to meet you, and I had intended to invite her. Wickham’s presence has altered my plans. I am afraid I cannot let her come to Hertfordshire until I know he is safely with his new regiment in Newcastle.”

  Elizabeth nodded in understanding and turned to her brother. “Thank God you had business in Ramsgate, John. I cannot think of what might have happened had you not.”

  John nodded gravely in response. “I am very grateful that I could be of assistance to my friend.”

  I acknowledged his words with an inclination of my head then turned my eyes to Mr. Bennet, who had yet to speak. I met his eyes and he gazed back unwaveringly. That look of esteem was still apparent and still just as confusing to me.

  At last, he spoke, “While I did not believe Wickham’s lies for a moment, I must say that the truth is far more complicated than I could have imagined.” He rose from his seat and came around his desk. My confusion compounded enormously when he extended his hand to me. I rose and released Elizabeth’s hand to shake Mr. Bennet’s, regarding him with a question in my eyes.

  “You have impressed me, son,” he said, releasing my hand and placing a fatherly one on my shoulder. “Your responsibilities have been far greater and more profound than I had been aware and from quite a young age. To stand here before me as the man you are today, having risen to the challenge and acquitted yourself with honor, intelligence, and capability, is a very great accomplishment.”

  I blinked at him in disbelief. “I’m sorry, sir? How can you think so? I failed in my greatest responsibility of all—that of protecting my sister. I only prevented the scheme due to the good luck of John being in the area.”

  I felt Elizabeth’s hand slip back into my own. When I looked down at her, she was shaking her head, but it was her father who spoke, “No, my boy. You did not fail. There was no way you could have known of such a circumstance before hand. Believe me, as a father of four I have learned that you cannot prevent all the wickedness of the world from reaching your children. You can only hope to keep them from any irreparable harm and help them to learn from what you could not prevent.

  “You have done this very well for you sister. You prevented the elopement and have done all you could to help her heal. It is quite a burden to have so young a girl placed in the care of a still very young man along with a great estate and, no doubt, hundreds of people who depend upon you for their livelihood.”

  I stared at Mr. Bennet in wonder. I had relied on no one but myself for so long, had no father to look up to or ask for advice, that I did not know how to accept his words. He was so earnest, so sincere, and looked at me with such fatherly affection that I was overwhelmed. He was not quite finished. “And now you have done what obviously gave you pain because you believed it your responsibility to protect my family from a man you had already arranged to have removed from the area. I wholeheartedly believe that my family has been very greatly blessed in coming to know you, Darcy.”

  My vision grew slightly wobbly due to an excess of moisture in my eyes as I slowly nodded at the man before me, whose confidence and trust in me had given me a greater gift than any I had received—that of restored confidence in myself. The only gift I could imagine being superior would be that of Elizabeth’s love. I could only whisper, “Thank you, sir.”

  Mr. Bennet nodded and turned away. He collected a few papers from his desk, then headed for the door, calling behind him, “Come along, John. We have a tenant to see to.”

  John shook my hand and smiled at me, then followed his father out the door, shutting it behind him and leaving Elizabeth and I alone. I stood, frozen, blinking in confusion at the door for a few moments, until I heard Elizabeth whisper, “Will?” her hand still in mine.

  I looked down at her to see that her eyes were as suspiciously over bright as my own. Without conscious thought, I sat down in the window seat again and pulled Elizabeth into my lap, gathering her to me and holding her as tightly as I could. She rested her head on my shoulder and clung to me with all her strength, offering comfort and affection and understanding.

  I wanted so much at that moment to propose to her, but I retained just enough self-control to stop myself. Despite the power of the moment, I did not want her to accept me out of sympathy for my story or because her father so clearly approved. I wanted her love and would settle for nothing less. Neither did I want what should be a purely happy moment to be tainted by the recollection of Wickham. And so I simply held her, hoping to convey all of my love for her silently.

  --- --- —

  Bingley, Fitzwilliam, and I returned to Netherfield after tea that afternoon. Bingley went to see to some estate matters while Fitzwilliam and I retired to the billiards room. I was usually the better player t
han he, but I could not concentrate on the sedate game and was beaten soundly. The emotional highs and lows of the day had left me restless. I felt as though I needed to move, to work off the strangeness of the morning physically.

  Annoyed, I returned my cue stick to the rack and asked, “What do you say to some exercise, Fitz?”

  He raised an eyebrow at me. I had not told him just what had taken place in Longbourn’s library that day, but I suspected he had a good idea based on the way Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth responded to me during tea. “What did you have in mind?”

  “A round of fencing?”

  “Are you so eager to be beaten by me again this evening?” he laughed. It was not an idle question. Fitzwilliam was a soldier, an expert dragoon, with hardened battle experience. He had worked to be the best, refusing the major’s commission his father had offered to buy him, accepting only a Lieutenant’s post and working his way up through the ranks on merit rather than money. If he wanted it, he could easily make general in a very few years. His swordplay was superior, and he was one of the few men who had defeated me more often than I had him.

  “Not eager to be beaten, but I find myself restless and wanting to move. I shall certainly move a great deal in a match with you.” Fitzwilliam laughed again. We agreed to meet in the ballroom once we had collected our foils from our rooms.

  I had just left my room, my case of foils under my arm, when I came across Miss Bingley. I wished her a good afternoon, with no expectation of a response, as had been her pattern for more than a fortnight. Therefore, I was stunned when she replied, quite cheerfully, “Good afternoon, Mr. Darcy. How lovely to see you. I had not expected you back from Longbourn so early in the day, though it is a pleasant surprise. I am so glad to see that Colonel Fitzwilliam has decided to extend his stay and that you have returned with him to entertain him. I do not imagine there was much to interest him at the Bennet’s home.”

  I blinked at her in astonishment. She had not spoken more than monosyllables to me for weeks, and suddenly I got whole sentences—a paragraph! I was immediately suspicious. I carefully replied, “Yes, Fitzwilliam’s journey has been delayed, and Charles was kind enough to allow him to stay. As for Longbourn, we returned after tea because the Bennets were engaged to dine with the Lucases this evening.”