by P. O. Dixon
Early the next morning, Darcy waited for Elizabeth in their usual place. When she came into view, he noticed she was not alone. Moments later, when they were face to face, he said, “This is not a complaint, but you might have told me that your companion would be with you this morning.”
She huffed. “Her being here is not by my design, I assure you.” Indeed, Elizabeth was quite surprised to see Miss Greene waiting by the doorway to accompany her on her morning walk. Insisting that she must be allowed to do her job properly, she would not take no for an answer. She did not say that the Duke of Dunsmore would be most seriously displeased to know that Elizabeth had a habit of arising before the rest of the household and taking long, solitary walks about the countryside, but those words were buried in her tone. At least she had agreed to give Elizabeth a bit of privacy, which explained her having settled herself some distance away, once Darcy was in sight.
Darcy said, “I suppose it is just as well, your being accompanied when you are away from Longbourn, especially now that the likes of George Wickham are lurking about.”
“Pray we will not spend what little time we have together this morning discussing that gentleman again. I thought we had reached an agreement—you hate him, and I do not. Further discussion is inconsequential.”
“No—I am not content to leave it at that. I need you to understand the basis for my dislike of the man, and then I trust you will know how to act.”
“Mr. Darcy, you ought to know that Mr. Wickham attempted to poison my mind against you earlier on in our acquaintance. I would not hear a single word spoken against you. Do you not suppose I ought to give him the same courtesy?”
“I would like to think your allegiance to me does not compare to any loyalty you may feel towards that scoundrel.”
“You are correct, sir. As you are determined to persuade me of the gentleman’s unworthiness, I am obliged to listen, so long as you will give me leave to think what I will afterward.”
“Elizabeth, it is important to me that what I am about to confide in you be regarded with the utmost discretion, for it has to do with my sister, Georgiana. You know enough of my family’s history to know that my father loved George Wickham.” Darcy went on to convey to Elizabeth the basis of his abhorrence of the vile man.
What an unfortunate circumstance that had been—one he wished to forget. “Georgiana had been in a Mrs. Younge’s care for nearly a year, ever since I took her from school and put her in her own establishment. The entire time, Mrs. Younge had presided over the establishment without incident and thus given me the impression that she was truly a decent woman, as all her credentials had advised.
“I had no idea she had a prior acquaintance with George Wickham. Undoubtedly by design, that despicable man followed Georgiana and Mrs. Younge to Ramsgate last year. By the latter’s connivance and aid, Wickham so far recommended himself to Georgiana, whose affectionate heart retained a strong impression of his kindness to her as a child, that she persuaded herself she was in love with him and she consented to an elopement.
“What a travesty such a scandal might have wrought upon my family had I not arrived when I did. Georgiana, unable to support the idea of disappointing me by acting in a manner that she knew must certainly grieve and offend me, acknowledged the whole scheme.
“I knew precisely how to act. Wickham’s chief object was, without question, Georgiana’s fortune of thirty thousand pounds. Still, I cannot help supposing the hope of revenging himself on me for what he continues to insist was my ill use of him regarding my father’s final wishes and the living in Kympton was a strong inducement. Wickham’s revenge would have been complete indeed.”
How wretched Elizabeth now felt having defended a man who was capable of such wickedness. “I am very sorry for all that your sister had to endure as a result of Mr. Wickham’s cruel intentions.”
“Pray now you understand why I find the thought of your spending time in his company so objectionable. He does not warrant your approbation or your kindness.”
“Of course, in my defense, I always supposed that you two were practically family, and in time the gulf between you would be healed.”
“I dare say that will never happen. My greatest wish is that I never lay eyes upon him again, although I know the chances of that are next to impossible with his being in the militia encamped just outside of Meryton.”
“Is this your way of saying that you plan to remain in Hertfordshire for an extended amount of time, Mr. Darcy?”
“Indeed, I do. I know you need this time with your family, but I need you—I need to be able to see you and spend time with you every day.” He took her hand in his and brushed a kiss across her knuckles.
“I owe you an apology where my cousin is concerned as well. I ought to have heeded your advice, for I suspect her feelings for me are vastly different from those I had long supposed.”
“Oh?”
“Indeed. However, I have made it perfectly clear to her that, when the time is right, I plan to make you my wife.”
Chapter 16 ~ An Unspoken Commitment
Darcy had not been in Hertfordshire for a fortnight before receiving an urgent missive from his uncle, the Earl of Matlock, to return to Derbyshire post haste to attend to an important family matter concerning his cousin Lady Victoria.
The letter was rather cryptic, for it spoke of her ladyship’s ill health. Her situation demanded that Darcy return to her side and do what was right by his cousin.
Darcy’s pacing nearly wore a trench in the garden path. What was his uncle’s purpose in summoning him back to Derbyshire? Why wasn’t the earl more forthcoming as to the reason? Certainly, if his cousin needed him, then he would be there, but some explanation as to the nature of her affliction would surely have sufficed.
Now, I am left to wonder, to hope, and to pray her situation is not grave. Lady Victoria is a young, healthy woman. Surely she will recover from whatever malady has befallen her.
Sweeping his fingers through his hair, he exhaled a frustrated breath. If I have but one regret, it is that my time here with Elizabeth has come to an end far sooner than I would have wished.
Indeed, and the fact of the matter was he had no way of knowing how long it would be before he would be able to return. It would help if he had some idea of what his cousin was suffering. Darcy had a startling feeling he did not wish to know. They had not parted on the best of terms because his determination to be in Hertfordshire had indeed met with his cousin’s great displeasure.
Did Victoria tell her father that she thinks she is in love with me? Is that what this is about? What if she is not ill at all, but she has instead fabricated some malady in order that I might leave Elizabeth? Pray my cousin has not taken to deception.
Then, as he began to consider the alternative that she was indeed ill, he supposed he much preferred that she was not. A lie he could abide, even if it was the means of tearing him away from Elizabeth’s side, but Lady Victoria’s ill health was something he could hardly contemplate without despair.
The instant Darcy saw Elizabeth heading his way he set off to meet her. “My dearest Elizabeth, thank you for meeting me like this.”
“I can imagine that whatever you have to say is of grave importance else you would not have resorted to such subterfuge,” she said, referring to the brief missive neatly hidden inside a book that was delivered to her from Netherfield. She looked at him and noticed the sad turn of his countenance. “What is the matter? You look as though you have lost your best friend.”
“I would say you are not too far from the truth.”
“You are beginning to worry me, Mr. Darcy.”
“Forgive me, for it is not my intention to lay my troubles at your feet.”
“Then you will admit that something is terribly wrong. What is it?”
“I had to meet you here today, for what I have to say is not something that could be conveyed in a letter and it is not something that I wanted to discuss in the company of others. I received
a letter from my uncle, Lord Matlock. An express rider delivered it first thing this morning. The earl said that my cousin Lady Victoria has suffered a drastic change in health.”
“Oh dear, did he say what is the matter?”
“He did not, but he did say that I owed it to my cousin to come to Matlock without delay.”
“This sounds grave indeed.”
“Pray it is not, but I have to do as he says. If my cousin needs me, then I ought to be there.”
“Of course.”
“You understand that I would not leave Hertfordshire otherwise.”
“Yes, family is important. You must go and do what you must to be of comfort to your cousin.”
Darcy walked over to Elizabeth and placed his hands about her arms. “You truly are wonderful. I thought you might be upset over my leave-taking so soon after I arrived. I had planned to stay for another month, at least.”
“I understand that you must do what you must do. You need not worry over me. Go; be by your cousin’s side and know that I will be here waiting for your return.”
“Before I leave, I wish to give you this.” Darcy retrieved a silk pouch from his pocket. Opening it, he removed a gold necklace that held a single, lustrous, white pearl. “I want there to be more than an unspoken commitment between us.”
Pleasantly surprised, she obliged his silent beckoning to place the necklace around her neck. He lingered, sending waves of excitement throughout her body. Feathering soft kisses in his wake, he said, “I love you, Elizabeth.”
~*~
Bingley was obliged to be in town on business for a week and, thus, he was away from Netherfield Park when Darcy received the letter from the Earl of Matlock. As dissatisfied as Miss Bingley and Bingley’s other sister, Mrs. Hurst, were that Mr. Darcy would no longer be a member of their country party, the news did not meet with their complete displeasure.
“Was Mr. Darcy’s being here not the reason for all of our being here? I cannot imagine staying here in this dreary place now that he has returned to Derbyshire. This is the perfect time for us to escape to town.”
Principally occupied in playing with her bracelets and rings, Mrs. Hurst said, “Caroline, I should imagine Charles will be terribly disappointed if he does not have a chance to settle things with Miss Bennet properly. You know how disappointed he was over our manner of leave-taking after the ball last year.”
“Nonsense, Louisa! We had every right to act as we did. We are not our brother’s prisoners and, should he take offense to what we have done, he can come here and open the house himself. I would much rather return to town and prepare for the upcoming Season.”
“But what shall we tell Miss Bennet?”
“Why should we tell her anything? Why should we give her any cause to believe that she is more worthy of such a consideration than the rest of our brother’s neighbors?”
“Caroline, you know very well that she is. You know that Charles fancies himself half in love with her. She might one day be our sister were he to return and make her an offer, which, no doubt, he may very well plan to do.”
“That is all the more reason for us to take our leave, for he is far less likely to return to an empty house. I shall simply write a letter to Jane and tell her that we have decided to go back to town—as an act of courtesy, if you will.”
~*~
Two days later, Jane was sitting all by herself in the garden when Elizabeth came upon her. She held a letter in her hands as she fought to hold back the tears that threatened to escape from her eyes.
Elizabeth said, “Jane, I am surprised to find you here. When I did not see you in the house, I supposed your Mr. Bingley had called and the two of you were enjoying a walk to Oakham Mount.” A closer observation revealed her dearest sister’s anguish. “Jane, what is the matter? Have you been crying?”
Wiping her eyes, Jane tucked the letter into her pocket. “No, I mean yes … I mean no. Oh, you must not worry over me, Lizzy. I sometimes suffer the occasional bout of melancholy. I assure you there is no cause for concern.”
“Jane, there is no need to put on a brave front with me. You cannot convince me that there is nothing wrong. Why, the last time I came across you looking so forlorn was when we were together at Pemberley.” The source of Jane’s sadness then dawned upon Elizabeth. “Has this anything to do with Mr. Bingley? Have the two of you suffered some misunderstanding?”
Jane said, “Mr. Bingley is not here.”
“Are you saying that you expected him to arrive at Longbourn and he is tardy? I am sure he has a good explanation.”
“That is not what I am saying at all. You see, Lizzy, Mr. Bingley is not in Hertfordshire. He has decided to remain in London.”
“How can that be when he promised he would take a family dinner here this evening? Mama has been planning for this occasion for weeks. Did Mr. Bingley give a reason for his decision to remain in London?”
“I have not seen or heard from the gentleman.”
“Then how do you know he has no plans to return to Hertfordshire?”
“His sister Caroline told me in a letter. It arrived not long ago.”
“Is that what you were reading when I came upon you? Exactly what did she say in her letter?”
Jane pulled the letter from her pocket and handed it to her sister. “Here it is—you may read it for yourself.”
Elizabeth read the letter rather hastily. Her disbelief that a gentleman as charming and amiable as Mr. Bingley was capable of such thoughtlessness steadily increased. “If what Caroline said is true that means her brother has indeed decided to remain in town. But why did he lead us all to believe that he intended to return?”
“Why does he do anything that he does is a better question. Let us face it, Lizzy; Mr. Bingley simply does not care for me in the way a man ought to care for a woman who has touched his heart.”
“I do not believe it, Jane. Mr. Bingley loves you more than he knows. A person need only observe the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching him.”
“You do not know how much I wish that were true, but the fact is that this is the third time he has left my company without taking a proper leave and each time with no promise of ever returning—not at all like your Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy is a man who suffers every symptom of love for you, and he proves it every day by his actions. Do you know what I would give to enjoy that kind of loyalty and devotion?”
“You have that in Mr. Bingley.”
“If only what you expound was true, but you and I both know it is not. Trust me, Lizzy, I do not mean to disparage Mr. Bingley in any way, for I believe he is a decent man who is easily persuaded by his sisters. The better I know them, the more I detect in them an air of intolerance towards our family.”
All objections to the contrary would have proved quite disingenuous on Elizabeth’s part. Her history with the Bingley sisters had taught her that they not only disdained the Bennets, owing to their lack of fortune and want of connections, they felt this way about everyone whom they deemed their inferiors.
They were, in fact, very fine ladies, not deficient in good humor when they were pleased, nor in the power of making themselves agreeable when they chose it, but they were proud and conceited. They were rather handsome, had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds each, were in the habit of spending more than they ought, and of associating with people of rank.
They were, therefore, in every respect entitled to think too well of themselves and meanly of others. They were of a respectable family in the north of England, a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother’s fortune and their own had been acquired by trade.
Elizabeth never liked them before, and she liked them even less now. If Mr. Bingley truly is so easily persuaded by the likes of those two to subject Jane to heartbreak and disappointed hopes, then I shall suppose he is a fool who is unworthy of my sister after all.
Chapter 17 ~ His T
rue Character
Both Darcy and his uncle looked stunned when Lady Victoria walked into the room. Standing, Darcy regarded her from head to toe. He said nothing.
Lord Edward Fitzwilliam, an august gentleman, did not look kindly upon the interruption. “Victoria, what are you doing here? This matter is between Darcy and me.”
“You are discussing my future, no doubt the particulars of my marriage settlement. I insist upon being here.”
“Marriage settlement,” Darcy said, his voice laced with disbelief. “You’re getting ahead of yourself.”
“It is a pleasure to see you too, Cousin.”
Taking his seat, Darcy resumed his former attitude.
“Darcy and you are not of the same mind, I fear. He insists that your accusations are merely the result of desperation on your part.”
What else could it be? To have behaved in the manner that might reasonably find him in such a position surely would have required rather active participation on his part. Darcy had no memory of ever being with his cousin in that way. It had to be a mistake. He mentioned as much to Lady Victoria and thus there ensued a litany of retorts back and forth.
The earl found himself in the impossible position of not knowing who or what to believe. The two cousins’ bickering was not helping. How untenable the situation was shaping up to be. He knew his nephew to be a decent and honorable man. He had never known him to lie, even as a child.
The earl, out of love for his daughter and out of respect for his only nephew, stood. “Please, this is enough!” He gave his waistcoat a sharp tug. “I know not what to believe. A union between the two of you would meet with no objection from me, but it must not come about amid untruths and misunderstandings. I will leave the two of you to allow you to settle this confusion.” He pointed a finger at his nephew. “But hear me, Darcy, if what my daughter accuses you of is true, you will marry her.” He then turned to Lady Victoria. “And believe me, Daughter, if this all turns out to be a ruse, I will be obliged to lock you up for the rest of your life.”