Much Ado About Many Things

by Sophie Lynbrook

  “I do not suppose that is ever likely to happen.”

  “Perhaps not. You must be wondering why I am taking his interest so much to heart. I know that he does not always take the trouble of making himself agreeable to strangers, and I have often wished that they could see the person for whom I have a great deal of respect and affection. Even though we are only just acquainted, I wonder if I might take the liberty of asking a great favour of you.”

  “I cannot promise that it will be granted, but I am willing to hear your request.”

  “Thank you. I would be grateful if you could just keep your mind open to any evidence of his best qualities. I wish that you could like my cousin. He truly is good, kind, and well-principled. He is even amiable, although he seems to have been hiding that very well.”

  Elizabeth was dubious about Mr. Darcy being amiable; however, she could not refuse to give the colonel’s claims a fair chance. “An open mind is just what a person should always have,” she conceded. “And initial impressions should not be absolute. I can promise you that I am open to forming new ones.”

  If Colonel Fitzwilliam was disappointed that she made no promise of trying to like his cousin, he did not show it. He thanked her for hearing him out and then began to talk of other things with the same merriment that had marked their earlier conversation. At the end of their walk, he parted from Elizabeth in a very friendly way, leaving her with several things to puzzle over.

  Was Mr. Darcy really as his cousin had described him? Was there more veracity in her father’s impressions than she had credited? He was usually a good judge of character, and it now seemed that he had been correct about Colonel Fitzwilliam.

  And why was the colonel so keen for her and Mr. Darcy to be friends? Was he looking for people to take sides between them and Mr. Wickham, and trying to secure as many allies as possible? That might be consistent with her first opinion of him, but not with her current one. He seemed genuine in his good nature and his desire for people to know his cousin better.

  And what of Mr. Wickham? If Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had now shown himself to be another such man as Mr. Bingley, did not like the lieutenant, as had obviously been the case that morning, then one had to wonder if there really was a valid cause for his dislike.

  But Mr. Wickham was also very pleasant and gentlemanly in his manner. It was hard to believe that he could give anybody cause for disliking him. His cheerfulness was admirable as well. If he had endured the hardship which he had described this morning, then his resilience was particularly creditable.

  But was his story completely true? He had told it with a great deal of feeling, which supported his claims of having suffered unjust treatment, but if Colonel Fitzwilliam was to be believed, Mr. Darcy was a principled man, which was not consistent with what Mr. Wickham had said.

  Two agreeable gentlemen, each representing Mr. Darcy’s character in a different way. Which to believe? Was it possible that they had both spoken honestly? Was the truth entirely on the side of one? Or neither? For all their charms, and their appearance of being honest men, either one of them could have allowed prejudice to rule his opinions and his tongue.

  CHAPTER 22

  Was ever woman in this humour wooed?

  Was ever woman in this humour won?

  RICHARD III. ACT I, SCENE II

  Colonel Fitzwilliam had at first thought that Elizabeth was only being modest in downplaying her friendship with Mr. Darcy. Indeed, in pursuing a conversation with her, he had been hoping to see some signs that she was also in love, or at least amenable to the possibility of falling in love with his cousin. He had not expected to learn that the two of them were not even friendly.

  This was an unfortunate setback. There might only be a half dozen ladies in England who would refuse an offer from Mr. Darcy, but Colonel Fitzwilliam was quite certain that he had just been walking with one of them.

  Unfortunately, he had been very hasty in recommending that such an offer should be made. In light of this new information, he wondered if it was best to affect a sudden reversal of opinion. It would be kindness not to guide anybody, least of all a person of whom he was very fond, into the humiliation of a rejection.

  But what reason could he give? He did not want to tell a truth to which his cousin was apparently blind. He could not suddenly pretend to agree that the lady was unsuitable either. His opinion had been given too decisively, and more to the point, he had quickly formed a liking for Elizabeth and had no wish to speak ill of her.

  It would please him very much to have her as a cousin. He also thought that she would be good for Darcy. And Georgiana as well. A sister was exactly what she would like. But not just any sister. Colonel Fitzwilliam strongly favoured the cheerful, lively person who had just earned his admiration. He even had to respect her dislike of his cousin. She was clearly not influenced by wealth and consequence.

  Yes, a woman who knew her own mind and was not afraid to speak it would make an excellent wife for Darcy. It was a great pity that the ideal lady held him in aversion. But she had declared herself open to changing her mind, and she seemed to be a reasonable person, capable of revising her opinions if the evidence justified it.

  If such evidence could produce itself, then she and Darcy might become friends in time. Less likely was the probability of her falling in love with a man whom she currently disliked, but it was not beyond the realm of possibility. Perhaps the way to a great match might yet be paved. The evidence might need a little nudging, however.

  The thing to do now was to manipulate the prospective bridegroom into showing himself to the best advantage, which Colonel Fitzwilliam thought could be successfully done. Despite having just suffered a shock, Darcy had been very amiable during their rehearsal. Indeed, the colonel had been very much impressed with his cousin’s ability to suppress his vexation. He had been very glad of it too. If Mr. Wickham decided to engage in a little reputation bashing, his efforts might be hampered by the good impression which had been made on the officers this morning.

  On the other hand, it seemed that Darcy was particularly hopeless with this lady. He loved her, or very nearly did, but his pride had kept him from behaving like a lover. Weeks which might have been spent wooing had been wasted. Indeed, they had been spent creating obstacles. Now there would be an uphill battle to fight if he decided that he wanted her. Colonel Fitzwilliam feared that if Elizabeth’s mind were to be changed, they might need to act every one of Mr. Shakespeare’s plays.

  CHAPTER 23

  O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!

  HAMLET, ACT I, SCENE V

  Colonel Fitzwilliam would have been gratified to witness an incident that afternoon which served his purpose without him having to resort to any manipulation; however, he did not see Elizabeth again until dinner.

  She spent the intervening time helping the maid who was sewing the curtain for their stage. The two of them were working in the room which was going to be used during the performance to house the actors between their turns on stage. The plan was for them to make their entrances and exits through a connecting door to the adjoining room.

  Construction on the stage had also begun and the carpenter was busy at work. They could hear him sawing and hammering. Since some of his materials were also being stored in their room, the connecting door had been left open for him to go back and forth. Elizabeth thus heard several people come and go.

  Mr. Bingley was the first of them. “This looks splendid already,” she heard him say. “You are making a tidy job of it.”

  He and the carpenter discussed a couple of points about the construction, and then he asked a question which made Elizabeth smile. “There have not been any balconies mysteriously added to the plans, have there?”

  Shortly after that, she heard Colonel Fitzwilliam echoing Mr. Bingley’s praise. “This looks very solid,” he said approvingly. “It is a nice bit of work. Here, let me help you with that.” He then spent several minutes assisting the carpenter, chatting pleasantly wh
ile they worked.

  Elizabeth smiled again. Having always made a point of treating servants well, she was pleased to comprehend that the colonel was of similar mind. There really did not seem to be anything arrogant about him.

  She heard Miss Bingley’s voice next. “No, this is not what I wanted. You have got it all wrong, you stupid man.”

  For the next minute or two, Elizabeth sat in great discomfort as Miss Bingley berated the carpenter and expressed her dissatisfaction with several aspects of the construction. The maid also looked uncomfortable and very nervous, probably fearing that her work would be criticized next.

  Elizabeth immediately made up her mind that she would stand up for the girl, even at the risk of appearing rude to her hostess. She was thinking about going to the carpenter’s assistance when she heard Mr. Darcy’s voice.

  “I do not believe that was in the plans,” he said. “It would take a great deal of rebuilding to accommodate what you desire. And a great waste of materials. If I may venture an opinion, it is not necessary to make such a drastic change. I think we have an excellent structure here.”

  “You have not yet looked closely at it,” Miss Bingley said. “Take another look, and you will see how shoddy the work is. This man is inept.”

  There was silence for a moment in which Mr. Darcy was presumably examining the stage. Then he said, “I cannot agree. This is skillful work.”

  Elizabeth heard this with surprise and delight. It was wonderful that he had thrown his support to the carpenter. She would never have expected this of him, but apparently he also shared her dislike for the ill-treatment of servants. There was even a note of censure in his voice.

  “If the stage does not suit you, then that is the fault of the design and not the carpenter,” he said to her continuing satisfaction. “As I said, changes could be made, but do you really want to go to that much trouble and waste?”

  “I suppose this will do,” Miss Bingley conceded. “It is not quite what I wanted, but I trust your opinion. You are an excellent judge of all things.”

  Her tone was not a happy one, presumably because he had taken the side of a servant instead of backing her up, but even in adversity, Miss Bingley must seize upon an opportunity to compliment Mr. Darcy. She was very like Mr. Collins. She went away now, which Elizabeth was certain was to everybody’s relief. Mr. Darcy did not leave, however.

  She heard him still speaking with the carpenter, and then he also offered his assistance. More and more astounding!

  He stayed a little longer, helping with the work and chatting as pleasantly as his cousin had done. Elizabeth guessed that it was his intention to put the unfortunate man at ease after Miss Bingley’s abuse, but it was still remarkable to hear him speaking so easily. It seemed that Mr. Darcy was more comfortable with servants than he was with society.

  After he went away, Elizabeth again had much to think about. This was exactly the sort of evidence which Colonel Fitzwilliam had wished for her to observe. She could almost imagine that there had been some manipulation, but that could not be possible. Miss Bingley would certainly not have participated in any scheme to make her like Mr. Darcy better. And his gracious manner toward the carpenter had been too natural. They had actually laughed together. Wonder of wonders!

  Another thing occurred to her now. A man who would take the trouble to show kindness to a servant did not seem like the sort of person to treat an old friend badly just because he thought himself superior, which was what Mr. Wickham had described earlier. Such a person was not likely to renege on a promise given by his father either. These were reasons to be dubious about the story which she had heard that morning.

  Had she been too hasty in her sympathy toward Mr. Wickham? Too quick to accept his overtures of friendship? He had been very amiable, and there was such goodness in his manner and honesty in his expression. But could appearances be trusted? At the moment, after having just been so surprised by Mr. Darcy’s behaviour, she was very much inclined to think that they could not. Anybody might appear to be anything that they really were not.

  This incident left her very curious to understand Mr. Darcy better and quite eager for another opportunity of doing so. It was not long before one was granted to her. After she had finished sewing, Elizabeth walked past the library at the same moment as he walked out.

  “The very person I was looking for,” he said. “If you could spare a minute, I would like your opinion of the adjustments I have made to your character’s lines.” He sounded almost cold again, but now she wondered if this could be the unease of which his cousin had spoken.

  They went into the library together, and he gave her a sheet of writing to peruse.

  “I have toned down the innuendo,” he said, and suddenly his voice became warmer. “I wish for your sake that I could change the character completely, but unfortunately the licentiousness of her behaviour is central to the plot.”

  “It is,” she agreed. “I understand that. It was mostly one line which bothered me.” She did not want to be prudish like Mr. Collins had been that morning, but she did not want to specify which line either. That reference to the weight of a man was not something which she could say to Mr. Darcy.

  Fortunately, he seemed to understand. “I believe I know exactly which line you mean,” he said straight away. “I hope you will find my replacement quite innocuous.”

  She scanned the sheet and found the relevant passage. “It is,” she said with relief. “But this is still very amusing. You have taken away the awkwardness while still capturing the right spirit. This is very well written.”

  To her surprise, he blushed and practically stammered a thank you. This had all the appearance of modesty. It was hard to believe this was the same man who had spoken of pride being justified where there was real superiority of mind. The day was continuing to be more and more remarkable.

  “I did have to keep Margaret’s foolishness,” he said apologetically. “And some of her flirtatiousness as well. I know that cannot be agreeable to you, being as you are no flirt yourself, but I hope that the part will be easier for you now.”

  “It will indeed,” she said gratefully. “The warmer parts were a bit much, but I do not mind playing a silly character.”

  “I thought you accepted the role very graciously.”

  Now she was feeling awkward at being complimented, but it was nice to know that he had such a good opinion of her.

  “Well, somebody has to play the lesser roles, and the silly ones, or else it would be impossible to put on a play,” she said.

  He smiled. “It very nearly was. We are lucky that we ever agreed on anything at all. But I think we have a good play, even though the cast is larger than I had hoped it would be.” A shadow darkened his face for a moment, but in contrast to this morning, Elizabeth thought she saw discomfort rather than anger.

  Like he had done for the carpenter earlier, she wanted to make him feel easier. “A small cast would have been easier to organize,” she agreed, “but things could be worse. It would have been necessary to look far and wide for those fifty daughters of Danaus, and once assembled, they would have been much too busy discussing the latest gossip to pay any attention to their roles.”

  “And imagine the stage which would have been needed to accommodate them,” he said, looking very much amused. “There would have been no room left for any audience. That would have made our performance less daunting, but it would also have defeated the purpose of putting on a play.”

  Daunting? This suggested that he was nervous about acting in front of an audience. She would never have guessed that about him either. All her notions about Mr. Darcy were tumbling down, and in their place was both confusion and possibility. He now appeared before her as a man whom she could like.

  “Are you very familiar with Greek drama?” he asked. “You seem to know a great deal.”

  “Not very much, but I have read quite a few plays. My father has an excellent selection in his library.”

  “Oh yes. I r
ecall your sister having mentioned that.”

  They spent the next half an hour discussing drama and literature, without the hostility which had marked so many of their conversations. Elizabeth found this unexpectedly satisfying. She had already realized that Mr. Darcy was intelligent and knowledgeable, but the addition of warmth and a little humour made his conversation delightful. How could she not have discovered him capable of this before now?

  An answer immediately came to her: because warmth had also been lacking in her manner toward him. She had reaped what she had sown, without ever considering that more might be possible.

  Now she wondered if they could be friends, but there was still uncertainty. Her previous impressions could not completely be overlooked. She had too great an acquaintance with Mr. Darcy’s pride. It could not have simply vanished all of a sudden. This remarkable civility was not enough for her to feel that all her ideas about him had been wrong. His character was still a mystery, and she was puzzled as to what he might do next.

  CHAPTER 24

  …the worm is not to be trusted…

  ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, ACT V, SCENE II

  “I think the officers will be acceptable,” Miss Bingley said that evening. “I was afraid that some of them might not take anything seriously enough, but they treated our rehearsal with suitable gravity.”

  “I fear that Colonel Forster will be the least sullen Don John who ever took to any stage,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said.

  “He did smile a great deal,” Mr. Darcy said; “however, he is determined. We may yet see him put on a scowl and speak in a melancholy tone.”

  “I expect that Mr. Wickham will be very good in his role,” Miss Bingley said. “He is without a doubt the most gentlemanly of the officers. I think him an excellent addition to their ranks and our company.”