Remembrance of the Past
Page 19
“Well, perhaps you should not restrain yourself so much,” answered Lady Cassandra; her mocking tone drew Darcy’s reproachful look. He was in no mood for jokes.
“I warned you he would take advantage of you,” Colonel Fitzwilliam spoke up from his chair. “The moment he saw you, he guessed you had an interest in this affair, and he speculated on it as much as he could.”
Darcy answered with no more than a tired gesture of his hand. “You know too well that Wickham is my responsibility, and the present situation is my mistake.”
The colonel attempted to contradict him, but Lady Cassandra interrupted first. “Of course it is your mistake, Darcy! You have always been too kind to Wickham; you always allowed him to take advantage of your generosity. When he approached Georgiana last summer, you should have taken drastic measures against him.”
“Cassandra, I am sorry, but I have to contradict you; I doubt any measures would teach Wickham to be an honourable man,” said the colonel.
“Well, perhaps neither of you is considering the proper measures,” she answered, and the colonel stared at her, not daring to inquire about what such ‘measures’ might be.
Darcy, however, seemed oblivious to their conversation. A week had passed since Elizabeth and the Gardiners had left Pemberley and six days since he arrived in London in search of the runaway pair.
That terrible night in his room at Pemberley, he and Cassandra had talked for more than two hours; she finally revealed everything to him, and only in the end did she mention that Elizabeth insisted on her keeping the secret from Darcy. Though he knew he should feel ashamed of both Cassandra and himself for ignoring Elizabeth’s desire and that he should suffer for Elizabeth’s pain and torment, Darcy selfishly felt nothing but utter happiness. Elizabeth had left not because she wanted to be away from him but because of the deepest consideration for him and Georgiana!
He, who had always taken great pride in his self-control, impulsively considered saddling his horse that moment to follow her, let her know that his peace of mind meant nothing without her, and assure her he would do everything in his power to settle things. He would not allow Wickham to darken the brightness of his future with Elizabeth.
Eventually, Cassandra convinced him to leave for London the next morning. The other guests—who had been informed that urgent business called Darcy to town immediately—left Pemberley a few days later. Among the others in the party, only two were told about the misfortune that befell the Bennets: the colonel—because both Darcy and Cassandra agreed that he would be useful in their search—and Bingley—because Darcy did not want to hide anything from him regarding Miss Bennet.
It was not difficult for Darcy to discover Wickham’s hiding place; one trip to Mrs. Younge’s house was enough for him to understand she was well-informed about the man’s location. Another visit and the proper sum severed her loyalty with her old friend. A day later, Darcy was climbing the stairs of a sordid inn where Wickham was hiding with Miss Lydia. He refused to marry the girl unless his demands were accepted—nothing less than 10,000 pounds. Darcy gladly would have given him that sum if he had the smallest hope the money would help Wickham put aside his old habits and become an honourable gentleman, but that would never happen—not with Wickham. Perhaps Cassandra was correct; perhaps harsh, drastic measures were required against the man.
He was also angry that the youngest Bennet sister would not even consider a return to her relatives’ home or any other place. She wanted only to remain with her “dear Wickham” until they were married, which would surely happen someday. There was nothing to be done except make them marry as soon as possible.
“Darcy, have you informed the Gardiners that you discovered their niece?”
“No, not yet; I plan to do so tomorrow. I did call on Mr. Gardiner as soon as I ended my meeting with Wickham, but I was told Mr. Gardiner was out with his brother-in-law, Mr. Bennet. The servant, who remembered me, informed me that Mr. Bennet is to depart tomorrow morning for Hertfordshire, which is the best turn of events. I would much rather talk to Mr. Gardiner alone as I would not want Mr. Bennet to be aware of my interference in any way.”
“But, Cousin, why on earth do you not want to talk to Mr. Bennet, as well?” asked the colonel. “He has the first interest in this as it is about his daughter and the honour of his family.”
“I do not want Mr. Bennet to know about my involvement—nor Elizabeth. I want you to promise me this will remain a secret matter among the three of us; nobody must know any details. I will tell Mr. Gardiner and perhaps Bingley as much as I consider necessary.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Darcy,” cried Lady Cassandra, rolling her eyes in exasperation. This is quite ridiculous. Elizabeth made me promise I would not tell you about the elopement, and now you want me to promise I will not tell her about your involvement in resolving the elopement. Quite ridiculous!”
“Cassandra, it is not ridiculous at all! And it is your duty as a friend to respect my wish in this; you should understand better than anyone that I do not want Elizabeth’s gratitude! I do not want her to feel she owes me anything or is obliged to repay me.”
“Oh, let it be as you want,” she relented, and the colonel smiled. “But truly, Darcy, if you still believe ‘gratitude’ is the word for Miss Bennet’s feelings, you are an utter fool!”
Then she turned to the colonel—who was laughing openly—and added: “Can you possibly believe this clueless man is the same one who gave Bingley advice on matters of the heart? Of course, I will not share my opinion about Bingley and his wisdom in asking advice, particularly from Darcy. Oh well, I had best go and see whether dinner is ready. In the meantime, Colonel, perhaps you can change his opinion about Miss Elizabeth.”
However, neither the colonel nor Lady Cassandra succeeded in changing any of Darcy’s opinions. He remained firm in his decision to deal with Wickham in his own manner and in his desire to keep everything secret from the Bennet family.
The gentlemen left immediately after dinner. An hour later, after struggling to find the best solution for everyone involved, Lady Cassandra wrote two short notes and sent her servant to deliver them immediately.
***
“Colonel, thank you for coming so early. May I offer you something to eat—a coffee or some tea?” Lady Cassandra hurried to meet the gentleman and invited him into the drawing room.
“Good morning, Lady Cassandra. I just had a quick breakfast, but some coffee would be lovely. And in the meantime, allow me to ask about this secrecy at such an early hour. Did anything happen since last evening?”
“Sir, I dare ask for your assistance in a private matter of some importance; forgive me for disturbing you, but there are few people I trust.”
“I am glad you consider me worthy of your trust; however I am still intrigued.”
“I can understand that, sir. Allow me to inform you briefly, as it is most likely that—
She was interrupted by a servant’s entrance, informing her that a Mr. Wickham had just arrived to see her. She asked the visitor to be shown in as she cast a quick glance at the colonel; his countenance wore a frown, and the reproach in his eyes was easy to read. He was deeply displeased—that was obvious.
Equally obvious was the shock displayed on the visitor’s face the moment he saw not only Lady Cassandra but also Colonel Fitzwilliam in the middle of the drawing room.
“Lady Cassandra, what a wonderful surprise to see you after all these years! I cannot tell you how flattered I was last evening when I received your invitation for a private meeting.”
“Mr. Wickham, before going any further with this conversation, please do me the favour of not playing the charming cad with me. Surely you remember I never liked you—not even when we were children.”
“Well then, if not tender affection for me, your invitation must be an attempt to support your friend Darcy. Perhaps your ladyship knows how to negotiate better than he, or perhaps you have more to offer? Let us hear what you have to say.”
“Mr. Wickham—we have been talking only a few minutes, and you have already made two major mistakes: you have behaved most impertinently, and you have presumed I invited you to negotiate. You should remember I am not one to negotiate or to allow any impertinence without retribution.”
“Regarding your accusation of being impertinent—your ladyship has known me all your life, so you cannot be surprised. As for negotiating—Darcy and I spent three hours last evening trying to reach an understanding about a situation that seemed to be of the highest interest to both of us. Now, I cannot help wondering about the nature of Darcy’s interest…or yours. Surely Darcy was not a friend of the Bennets while he resided in Hertfordshire.”
“Mr. Wickham, let us clarify one thing: I know that you just ran away a few days ago with a young girl of sixteen named Lydia Bennet. Your lack of honour is no surprise to me, and I did not invite you here today to discuss that; as for Lydia Bennet’s honour, it is not my main concern. In fact, allow me to tell you that I care nothing at all about her—you may do with her as you please.”
“I am sure the Bennets would not agree with you—
“I am sure they would not, but their opinion is of little importance to me either. In any case, I think it would be much better for that girl not to marry you! After all, she is not the first—and certainly will not be the last—young girl to run off with a rascal.”
“Your ladyship is very outspoken, as always. I wonder if Darcy was informed of this meeting—
“You are making another mistake, Mr. Wickham, by presuming I am in any way interested in Darcy’s opinion of this matter. In fact—he cannot have much to say; if he had dealt with you properly last summer, you would not be in a position to take advantage of any innocent young lady ever again.”
Wickham’s brows furrowed, and he struggled to regain his composure. “Lady Cassandra, may I ask again why your ladyship fetched me here this morning? I should be home, waiting for Darcy to come and discuss the remaining details of this important matter.”
“Oh, but this is a very important matter as well, Mr. Wickham. I asked you here today to tell you that I am seriously displeased with you. And you might remember that, when I am displeased with something, I simply remove the object of my displeasure.”
“Your ladyship should be more specific. As I said, I am mystified about this entire situation.”
“You are not mystified; you simply do not understand that you are in a difficult position.”
“Lady Cassandra, I am not here to be insulted. If your ladyship is displeased, as you said—
“Indeed, that is not enough insult for you! And I am more than displeased. I was angry and disgusted when you approached Darcy like a beggar, pretending you wanted to study law. If I had been in Darcy’s position, I would have known better how to answer such a shameful attempt at deception! Yet he complied, hoping there might still be a chance for you to change for the better. So how did you repay his generosity? You took advantage of Georgiana without the smallest consideration for all the pain you caused her! For heaven’s sake—she was a child with whom you grew up! You held her in your arms when she was an infant! You watched her learn to walk and speak! What kind of human being are you?”
Anger took control of her senses, and the turmoil made her face livid. Colonel Fitzwilliam was watching the heated exchange, his curiosity replete with worry. Wickham was pale and immobile in the middle of the room, staring at Lady Cassandra and blinking repeatedly. He tried to answer but could not.
“I…I never hurt Georgiana…I barely kissed her hand a few times—
“I know that, Wickham; that is why you are here now, healthy and free to talk to me. You did not physically abuse her in any way, but you still hurt her as well as Darcy. In fact, for the last ten years you have done nothing but hurt the Darcys and anybody else who was foolish enough to trust you. Hurting them meant you hurt me as well—and I will tolerate that no longer. ”
She paused again, allowing Wickham little time to comprehend her words.
“Lady Cassandra, I did not even meet the Darcys in the last year. It was Darcy who interfered in my business this time, so perhaps he is the one with whom you should have this talk.”
“You are a liar, too—and a very poor one; in fact, you are quite poor in every way.”
“Lady Cassandra, these offences—
“These offences are what, Mr. Wickham? Are you surprised that I am not treating you as politely as Darcy did? You should become accustomed to that, because I am not Darcy! Darcy is an honourable gentleman who does only what is proper. I am just a spoiled, rich woman who cares about nothing but her own wishes and her own happiness. I am also quite resentful and possess a fearful temper; you should know that by now. I do not admit contradiction and never forgive those who have defied me. As I said—if something bothers me, I simply pay people to get it out of my way. And you, Wickham, are just something in my way!”
Pale and wordless, his jaw tightly clenched, and a vein pulsated wildly at his temple. Wickham looked at Lady Cassandra for a moment; her sharp, cold gaze held his defeated one.
“What do you want me to do, Lady Cassandra? Do you want me to accept Darcy’s offer?” he asked eventually, averting his gaze from her.
“You may do whatever you please, Mr. Wickham; my only wish is to be happy and content, and I cannot be so unless my friends Darcy and Georgiana are also happy and content. Last night after he met with you, Darcy was extremely discontented, and I am sure his poor mood affected Georgiana as well. I do not know that his state of mind had anything to do with you, and I will not speculate about it. I only hope he will be more happy this evening. Now, if you have nothing important to tell me, please excuse me. I wish to return to my usual concerns.”
***
Not until Wickham left the room, his shoulders slumped and his eyes studying his shoes, did Lady Cassandra seem to lose her strength. She moved tentatively, as her knees appeared unable to support her. The colonel hurried to help her and almost took her in his arms as he helped her to the nearest sofa. He then filled a glass with wine, brought it to her, and sat beside her. She took the glass with trembling hands and raised it to her lips. “Thank you,” she whispered, attempting a smile.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam, please forgive the spectacle you had to witness,” she said a few minutes later. “I cannot imagine what you must think of me now.”
He looked at her in earnest as he took her hand and pressed it to his lips.
“I know that you are not simply a rich, spoiled woman, and I know there are many things that matter to you beyond your own wishes and pleasures. I know you are kind and generous, and many people have had the benefit of your caring heart. I cannot even imagine how hard it must have been for you to act as you did in front of Wickham. However, I dare say your performance was quite convincing. Poor bastard—he was really frightened that you might actually pay somebody to take his miserable life.” He smiled, trying to lighten the tension and make her smile; however, her countenance remained sombre.
“I am not at all as good as you believe me to be. I have hated Wickham since I was very young. He took advantage of one of my maids, and she almost died giving birth. She survived, but the child was born dead. I shall never forget that dead baby’s little face and his mother’s despair when she had to bury her son. Since that moment, I never forgave Wickham; my father allowed me to take care of the maid, but Wickham was never punished. My father said these things happened all the time with young gentlemen and servant girls. Sadly, now I know this is true, but back then I was deeply upset with my father and with the late Mr. Darcy. And when Darcy told me how Wickham attempted to elope with Georgiana, I really wished he were dead! I am sorry to say it, but that is the truth.”
&nbs
p; “Lady Cassandra, I understand you perfectly, as I have had exactly the same feelings about him, but please do not allow that scoundrel to upset you so. He does not deserve such attention.”
“You are very wise, Colonel. I must follow your advice, sir! I shall think of Wickham no more—but God, I am truly sorry for that girl. I hoped my intervention would help Darcy reach an understanding with Wickham today, but on the other hand, I feel I need to do something more—perhaps visiting Mrs. Gardiner and offering to help Miss Lydia in some way. I could send her to the country with a companion, and we could pretend she is visiting a distant relative—anything to save her from marrying that scoundrel!”
“Lady Cassandra, I applaud your generosity, but remember, Darcy already attempted to take Miss Lydia away, and she refused him soundly. She seemed determined to marry Wickham, so I doubt there is much we can do. We must be patient, and we surely must not interfere further without Darcy’s knowledge. He will be angry in any case that you met Wickham and exposed yourself so much. He could have hurt you!”
“No indeed, Colonel—not as long as you were here to protect me,” she said sweetly.
“Hmm…your confidence flatters me, but I am sure Darcy will not be impressed by it; we will try to find something else to keep his rage under control.” He laughed, and she did the same; neither of them seemed to notice he was still holding her hand.
“Colonel,” Lady Cassandra continued in an earnest voice, “I truly want to thank you for assisting me and supporting me in this though I did not inform you of my intentions. I know you disapprove my actions, so your support is even more appreciated. As for Darcy, if he discovers our little scheme, I will insist you knew nothing, and the entire fault was mine.”
“Lady Cassandra, I shall pretend you did not say that,” he answered good-humouredly. “What will you think of me if I allow a lady to shoulder the blame? In any case, I hope this situation will end soon; Darcy seems very taken aback, and Georgiana is not much better—not to mention Bingley, who keeps asking when we will return to Hertfordshire with him.”