The Portrait of Elizabeth

by Jane Angwin

  Chapter Twenty Five

  An unpleasant encounter in Meryton

  It had only been a fortnight since Darcy had been away from Pemberley, but he was worried about his houseguests and particularly the health of Frederick's father. He had written to his sister before he left his townhouse in London, but thus far, he had not received a response. He was just about to go out for a ride into the village with Bingley when Mr. Blair came to him and handed him a salver with a letter from his sister. He was anxious to read it, so he went to the library and closed the door.

  Dear Brother, she wrote. I received your letter from Darcy House before you left on your journey with Mr. Bingley, and I was so glad to learn that you arrived in London safely. You know that I worry about you when you ride instead of taking our carriage. I hope that you are well and enjoying Hertfordshire. I am sure that Mr. Bingley has appreciated having you with him to determine the worth of the property he has found. There is no one better than you to teach him the proper way to run an estate.

  Darcy had to chuckle as he knew Bingley hadn't realized all that was involved with the endeavor.

  I do miss you, Brother, but I must tell you that I have very much enjoyed having Frederick and Angelique here to keep me company. Yes, Monsieur Charron has convinced me that we are practically like family now, and I should call him by his Christian name. I have grown to care so much for them, Brother. Angelique is such a lovely woman, and we have shared many wonderful afternoons together exploring the estate and the countryside. She is so kind, and she doesn't make me feel like I am so much younger than she is. I can talk to her with ease, and it almost feels as though I have an older sister! I have dreamed of having a sister one day, and this is how I imagined it would be!

  Darcy closed his eyes and thought about how many times he had tried to imagine the women he would meet as Georgiana's sister, and he never could see any of them in that role. All that they wanted was his wealth and his estate, and none of them would care about Georgiana, or even him for that matter. A vision of Elizabeth walking arm in arm with Georgiana gave him a start, and he had to shake his head to erase the image before he could continue reading.

  I know I shouldn't gossip Brother, but I have heard Frederick call Angelique "Angel" when they did not know I could hear them talking together, and yesterday I saw them walking in the garden, and he kissed her! I was a bit shocked at first, but Mrs. Annesley reminded me that they are French and not British, and the courtship rules between men and women may be different for them. They are all that is respectable when in my company though, so do not admonish them when you return. I have seen how Angelique cares for Frederick's father, and it is as if he is her own father. I have not been allowed to see him since you left, but they tell me he seems to be doing quite well. Our physician comes every day, and Cook prepares the meals that he suggests will help his health. I am sure that our wonderful Pemberley has been the perfect place for him to rest and get stronger. We are so blessed to live here, and it has made my heart happy to share it with these wonderful people. I must go now, as Mrs. Annesley wants me to begin my Latin studies. I cannot understand why I must learn Latin, but when we are finished, I will take a walk with Angelique and practice my French! You have promised me a trip to France one day, and I plan to be a fluent speaker of their beautiful language when we visit.

  Be well, and hurry home.

  Fondly,

  Your sister, Georgiana Darcy

  Darcy folded the letter and put it in his pocket to read again later. It was quite obvious that his sister's disposition was greatly improved having their houseguests, and particularly Angelique. It was clear that this letter had been written before the arrival of Janine and Nicolas, and he was keen to learn about the great surprise to Frederick and their father. "It has not been good for her being alone at Pemberley. It will be a lovely addition to have another young girl there for my sister. I must do something to increase her exposure to other females in the future," he thought. An image of Elizabeth walking with Georgiana at Pemberley once again flashed in his mind. "What is happening to me? This place, this girl, this feeling. I must leave Hertfordshire as soon as possible." As expected, Darcy sniffed the air and smelled the familiar lavender scent that always came when he was thinking about Elizabeth.

  Bingley knocked and entered the library, inquiring if Darcy was ready to ride into town. "Yes, let's be on our way," he responded. They went to the stable and mounted their horses, riding off toward Meryton. As they rode side by side, Darcy asked "Have you thought more about our conversation yesterday, Charles? I feel that there is no time to hesitate if you are serious about Miss Bennett. Ordinarily, I would not encourage you to court a country girl from a family the likes of the Bennetts. The mother is eccentric and the daughters have no dowries, but Mr. Bennett seems to be an intelligent and agreeable gentleman, and he is a landowner, a higher rank than your own father. While it is certainly not my place to tell you how to live your life, I would have preferred that you meet a young lady of the ton in order to improve your standing in society, but Miss Bennett is quite a special lady, and I have noticed a difference in you when you are with her. This is not the usual infatuation I normally see, but rather a more mature and meaningful response to a woman, which is admirable, and I am reassured that this could be different this time."

  "I must say that I am quite surprised at your words, Darcy. You have always warned me against the quickness of my romantic thoughts about ladies I meet. And you have always warned me about being pursued for my wealth. Miss Jane has no dowry at all, and I am surprised you do not doubt her motives toward me."

  "Yes, you are right, Bingley, but although her mother is quite preposterous and is surely attempting to have you marry one of her daughters to save her own future, I do not feel that Miss Bennett is mercenary. I spoke with her sister, Miss Elizabeth, and she assured me that neither she nor her elder sister would ever consider marrying for anything other than the deepest love." Darcy realized that he had just said more than he should have about his conversation with Elizabeth. His face burned with embarrassment, and he kicked his horse into a faster walk to move ahead of Bingley.

  "Hold up there, Darcy! Pray tell, when did you have this enlightening discussion with Miss Elizabeth?" He caught up with Darcy and asked him again. "How did you learn this very personal information?"

  "I was riding early yesterday morning, and I happened upon Miss Elizabeth who was out walking." He hoped that was enough information to silence Bingley, but it wasn't.

  "How in blazes did you come to discuss her views on marriage? And her sister's as well! That seems an odd thing to discuss early in the morning with a girl you hardly know who you just happened to meet out walking!"

  "Yes, well that is exactly what happened, Bingley. We had a very brief encounter, and the subject of Collins's visit came up. She simply shared with me that she would never accept a proposal from him as she plans to only marry for love. She also told me that she knows her sister feels the same way about marrying only for love, but she also shared her concerns about Jane possibly feeling obligated to marry Collins for her mother's sake. That is all we discussed. Now, can we change the subject, please?"

  Bingley eyed Darcy strangely as if he had a sudden inkling about the odd way he was acting, trying to perceive if he had feelings for the girl. "Is there something else you wish to discuss with me, Darcy? You seem rather interested in the subject of Collins marrying one of the Bennett girls. Could there be one of the daughters you might fancy as well?" he teased.

  "Don't be ridiculous, Bingley. Of course not. I am only concerned for you, and I fear that you might lose your chance to court a woman who would love you for yourself and not your wealth for a change." With that, he rode ahead, hoping Bingley hadn't noticed his discomfort.

  They rode into the village of Meryton and in the distance Darcy noticed a group of soldiers in their red coats talking to several ladies. As they neared the group, he saw that Elizabeth and two of her sisters were part of
the gathering, and he slowed his horse to greet them. When Elizabeth saw that it was Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, she widely smiled and turned to welcome them. "Hello gentlemen!"

  Darcy gave her a warm smile, and she once again saw his dimples that seemed to come from nowhere. He dismounted from his horse, and as he bowed, he took her hand and kissed it. "Good morning Miss Elizabeth," ignoring all the others.

  She curtsied, and visibly blushed at his intimate greeting. "How nice to see you here today. We were just getting acquainted with several of the men in the militia who have recently encamped near Meryton." As she was speaking, he turned to see the soldiers she had been speaking of, and Darcy gasped as he recognized one of them to be George Wickham. Wickham's face turned pale and the smile that Darcy given Elizabeth was replaced with a look of rage. Neither of them acknowledged the other, their faces cold as stone. Without a word, Darcy mounted his horse, pulling on the reins to turn around, and he kicked his horse to leave, throwing dust in the air as he rode away.

  "Whatever is wrong with that horrible man?" Lydia exclaimed. "He is so rude!" She returned to flirting with the soldiers, and the awkward moment was over, but Elizabeth stood motionless, not knowing what to make of the strange encounter. It was obvious that the two men knew each other and that there were bad feelings between them.

  "I'm terribly sorry for our friend's manners, Mr. Wickham" she said. "Have you and the gentlemen previously met?"

  Wickham's composure had returned, and he smiled at her as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. He had not missed the broad smile that Darcy had given to Elizabeth, as well as the unusual gesture of kissing her hand, and he knew immediately that Darcy must be quite interested in her. "Darcy doesn't smile like that at anyone, and I have never seen him kiss a lady's hand," he thought to himself. "Yes, you are correct, Miss Elizabeth. I have known Mr. Darcy all my life. My father was his steward, and we were boyhood friends. I grew up on his estate in Derbyshire, and his father was my Godfather." He moved closer to her so that the others could not hear his words. "You must forgive him for his dreadful manners. I'm afraid that Darcy's father took a fancy to me, and he is extremely resentful of me. George Darcy treated me as if I was his own son after my father died, and he even paid for my education at Cambridge." He paused to see if Elizabeth appeared to be impressed with his pedigree, but seeing no reaction from her, he continued. "Darcy and his father never got on very well, as his father preferred my keen interest in learning the responsibilities of running their large estate. Darcy was a very serious boy, much more interested in his painting and his books, and he was much closer to his mother. I also believe my Godfather preferred my jovial company and our mutual love of riding and hunting. Sadly, Fitzwilliam had no interest in our manly pursuits."

  Elizabeth was stunned that this stranger would stoop so low as to insult Mr. Darcy's manhood, but she remained silent. Feeling encouraged that Elizabeth appeared to be intent on hearing more, he bent down, much too close to her and whispered in her ear, "But our differences are truly a result of him withholding the living that I was promised in his father's will, and unfortunately, we have had a falling out. I have been forced to live a more modest life than his father intended for me, and that is why I have joined the militia, but it is honest work, and I am proud to serve our country."

  Elizabeth was offended by his boldness and astounded that this man that she had just met was sharing such intimate details with her. "Why would he find it appropriate and necessary to do so?" she wondered. There was obviously a deep rift between the gentlemen and perhaps Darcy had jealously held back a gift from his father, but there was always another side to every story, and she knew that there was much more that she didn't know. She eyed George Wickham with a wary look, and he could see that she was not going to be an easy mark. It seemed possible to him that Darcy was enamored with this girl, and seeing her reaction to his greeting, she was already interested in Darcy, so he intended to thwart the relationship in any way he could. He finished with the caution, "And perhaps he has not informed you that he is engaged, Miss Elizabeth, so be wary of his charms. Unfortunately, he is not a man of honor, but I will say no more." He stood up and stepped back, a look of caution on his face.

  Elizabeth was perplexed by his assertions and the unfavorable things he had said about Mr. Darcy. "How dare him come so close to me and whisper in my ear like that." Of all the revelations he had shared, she found it brazen that he would so boldly say that Darcy wasn't an honorable man. Although Elizabeth wasn't particularly fond of Mr. Darcy and knew him to be somewhat arrogant, she hadn't had any indication of his lack of honor. She would have to find out more before she believed Mr. Wickham's words. A man's honor was everything to her, and one of these men would lose her respect.

  Bingley had climbed down from his horse, puzzled by Darcy's bizarre and uncharacteristic retreat. As he surveyed the group, he noticed that Jane was not with them. "Where is your sister this morning, Miss Elizabeth? I see that she has not accompanied you to Meryton today."

  "Are you inquiring about my sister Mary or my sister Jane, Mr. Bingley?" she teased. Mary had chosen not to join them on their walk, as usual, and Jane was at home, still pretending to be ill in her bedroom.

  "Well, I meant to say, ... of course, I meant ...well... yes, actually, I uh," he stammered, "I meant that I had noticed that they are both missing from your group this morning." He could not look at her, knowing that he had obviously been asking about her older sister, Jane and that Elizabeth knew it.

  "Well, Mary is at home practicing the pianoforte, and Jane was not feeling well this morning and has stayed at home to rest." Elizabeth instantly noticed the disappointment on Bingley's face, so she added, "But I am sure that she will be much recovered when you join us for dinner this evening!" Seeing the pleasure on his face, she turned back to the group and informed her sisters that it was time to return home to Longbourn.

  "Oh, Lizzy, we have just arrived and we are having such a lovely time talking to our new friends!" Lydia squealed in her highest voice. "I want to stay!" She put her hand into the crook of Mr. Wickham's arm and smiled at him, fluttering her eyelashes. "Tell her we should stay a little longer, Mr. Wickham!" Wickham pulled her close and smiled down at her, and Elizabeth did not like what she was seeing. There appeared to be a moment where Wickham was actually close to kissing Lydia, right there in the middle of Meryton in front of everyone, and she knew that Lydia would allow it! She wanted to get Lydia away from him at all cost, so she walked to them and firmly took Lydia's arm away from Wickham. Wickham had overheard her conversation with Mr. Bingley, and he inquired, "Are you also dining with Mr. Darcy this evening, Miss Elizabeth?"

  Not wishing to give him the satisfaction of an answer, she turned away, but Lydia whined, "Oh bother, Lizzy. Why do we have to dine with that awful man? He scowls the whole time he is with us, and he never talks. He thinks he is much better than us, and he doesn't even like us!" Bingley blanched at her diatribe, not understanding why Lydia was saying such offensive things about his friend. Wickham smiled as if he had succeeded at something important.

  "Lydia!" Elizabeth scolded. "That is enough! We are leaving right this minute. Come along, Kitty." Kitty looked at Lydia and motioned for her to follow Elizabeth. Kitty knew that Lydia was being inappropriate with these men, and she too noticed that Mr. Wickham was being much too familiar with Lydia. Even though Kitty was older than Lydia, she usually joined her in all of her escapades, but something about this man bothered her a great deal, and she didn't want Lydia to be near him either.

  "I intend to stay, Elizabeth!" Lydia stomped her foot like a small child. "You and Kitty can leave, and I can walk home alone. You go out all alone every morning walking the woods for hours and think nothing of it. I see no reason why I cannot do the same!"

  Elizabeth forcibly grabbed Lydia's arm again, and marched her away from Mr. Wickham. "I will escort you home, ladies," Bingley said. He had seen the improper behavior between Lydia and Wickham, and he also sen
sed that something was not quite right between Elizabeth and this soldier, so he wanted to make sure that they got home safely.

  Lydia turned her head around and waved her free arm at the men. "I shall see you again very soon, gentlemen! I come to Meryton quite often." She proceeded to walk away with an exaggerated sway, knowing that they were watching her curvaceous form. Elizabeth tugged on her arm, making her stop the improper display.

  During their walk home, Bingley tried to determine what had happened, but Lydia wouldn't stop complaining about leaving "her red coats and the charming Mr. Wickham," so he slowed down and allowed Kitty and Lydia to walk ahead. "May I inquire about the awkward meeting we had with Mr. Wickham, Miss Elizabeth? I have never seen Darcy act like that before, and it seemed that Mr. Wickham took great pleasure speaking to you about his dislike of him. I couldn't make out all he said, but it seemed highly improper and very indecent indeed the way he moved so close to you to whisper in your ear."

  "I thank you for your concern, Mr. Bingley. I too was quite surprised at his audacity. He claimed to have been the Godson and the favorite of Mr. Darcy's father, and that Mr. Darcy is jealous of him. But the most disturbing thing he said was that Mr. Darcy was not a man of honor. I find it strange that he would talk to a perfect stranger about his difficulties with Mr. Darcy, and then to defame his honor."

  Bingley thought for a moment. "I do remember Darcy referring to his late steward's son when we were at Cambridge together. I was in a lower grade and never met him myself, as he was quite the scoundrel and part of a different group of older students who were quite wild. Darcy avoided him, and it was only when George got into scrapes and needed money that Darcy intervened. He was always afraid that his father would not believe his account of his friend's bad behavior, and so he kept it to himself and didn't involve his father for some reason. I never knew why, but Darcy is a very private man, and he only shares what he wants to share." Bingley paused to think for a moment, and then remembered more. "I also seem to recall something about his father leaving a living for George to go into the church, but I am afraid I am not familiar with anything further than that. It is quite obvious that he did not take that living." He thought for a moment and then added "However, I can assure you that Darcy is most definitely a man of honor, and the same cannot be said for Mr. Wickham."