A Fortunate Compromise (Sweet Standalone Pride and Prejudice Variations #6)

Chapter 21

Upon being told of her encounter with Mr Wickham, Mr Bennet remained silent for a long moment. Elizabeth held her breath, torn between anticipation and fear that her father might not think Mr Wickham’s comments as significant as she did.

At last, Mr Bennet spoke. “I cannot but agree, Lizzy. It is odd indeed that Mr Wickham would have known of such a detail, had he not been there himself. And you, Mr Darcy? You know the man better than any of us. What think you, sir?”

Mr Darcy shook his head. “I hardly know what to say, Mr Bennet. Miss Elizabeth’s view of the comment is likely correct. I cannot think that anyone would comment on her dancing with Mr Collins to Wickham — not when they might comment on our mishap instead. And yet I cannot seem to fix on a motive for Wickham. He hates me, that much is true. But even in his hatred, I have never known him to do anything that would not benefit himself. How could he benefit from my marrying Miss Elizabeth?”

“True, true,” Mr Bennet murmured, stroking his chin. “Indeed, my family stands to gain most from the marriage. You are a very generous man, Mr Darcy, not to look upon us with suspicion.” With that, he sent Mr Darcy a wickedly sharp glance that made Elizabeth greatly fear her father had not been as ignorant of their suspicions as she had hoped.

Mr Darcy coughed in embarrassment. “Sir, I will not attempt to deceive you. I did once entertain such thoughts, but I am confident now that the responsibility lies elsewhere.”

Her father raised an eyebrow. “Oh, are you, Mr Darcy?” he said, leaning forward. “If I may be so bold, I beg you to elucidate on how we were eliminated from your suspicions. A man must know his prospective son-in-law, after all.”

“Father, you ask too much of Mr Darcy —” Elizabeth began, flushing with embarrassment, when Mr Darcy laid a hand on hers.

“No, I shall answer,” he murmured. “Miss Elizabeth, I cannot begrudge your father for wishing to test me a little.” Turning to Mr Bennet, Mr Darcy spoke evenly and without hesitation. “I had no suspicion of yourself, sir. The plot, if a plot there was, held too much risk for Miss Elizabeth. After all, you could not have been certain that I would offer for her. Estimable as she is, you could not have forced me to marry her if I declined. Mrs Bennet, however — forgive me. I do not wish to speak offensively of your wife. But if you will allow me to remark on it, Mrs Bennet has not made a secret of her desperate wish for her daughters to marry as soon as possible, and I have observed that her temper is not always even, nor her understanding advanced. At one time, I felt it possible that she might have taken even so great a risk to obtain an advantageous marriage for her daughter.”

“I will forgive you for your accurate description of my wife, Mr Darcy, if you will tell me why you ceased to suspect her.”

Mr Darcy looked to Elizabeth. When she gave him a small nod of permission, he explained. “I went to London to ensure that Mrs Bennet would be entirely confident that the plan had succeeded, if a plan there was. Your daughter then questioned her. Thankfully, Miss Elizabeth became entirely confident of your wife’s innocence.”

“You relieve my mind greatly,” Mr Bennet said in sarcastic accents that did not entirely disguise his very real relief. “But one problem remains, sir.”

“Yes, Mr Bennet?” Mr Darcy inquired.

“That is Elizabeth herself. How did you determine my daughter was not complicit in her own compromise?”

Elizabeth looked at her father, appalled that he would even speak such a suspicion, but Mr Darcy was already answering.

“I never considered it, sir. Miss Elizabeth would not do such a thing. From the beginning of our acquaintance, I have been as convinced of her respect for propriety and honour as of her bright spirit and lively wit. She is the very soul of honesty.”

In that moment, Elizabeth could not have spoken if her life had depended on it. She had never heard so clear a declaration of great esteem, of appreciation, of the true friendship between two minds and hearts.

In that moment, she knew she loved Mr Darcy, body and soul.

But she could hardly speak of such things before her father, who was already answering with his own approbation. “Very good, sir. I am glad to hear that you truly appreciate my daughter, Mr Darcy, for we have not yet arranged for you to be free of her. Let us consider a different case. We have established that Mr Wickham does not seem to benefit from your marrying my Lizzy. What, then, if you did not marry her? What might have happened then?”

“I would have been ruined, of course,” Elizabeth began. “If Mr Wickham wanted revenge against me, or against our family, it might have done very well, for all my sisters would have shared in the disgrace. Our lives would have been pitiable indeed.”

Mr Darcy shook his head. “That cannot be it. If Wickham would not take revenge against me unless it benefited him, then surely not against you.”

“Yes, I agree,” Elizabeth said. “I do not think he bears me any ill-will. I might rather describe it as an unwanted degree of warmth, and one quite free from real caring or respect.”

Suddenly, Mr Darcy was looking at her intently. “Perhaps that is it.”

“You will have to elaborate, Mr Darcy,” Mr Bennet said dryly.

“Wickham desires Miss Elizabeth — please forgive the coarseness of the sentiment, I feel it is inherent to an accurate description — though without the real care and consideration that would allow us to refer to it as friendship, let alone love. What, then, if I had seemed to compromise Miss Elizabeth, and had not offered for her? I would have suffered condemnation from all the most worthy of my connections. While it would have been nothing to what Miss Elizabeth and your family would have suffered, I assure you I would have found it most painful. There is a dreadful similarity — excuse me.”

Mr Darcy fell silent, and Elizabeth knew he must be thinking of his sister, and what Mr Wickham had attempted to do to her. As her father was looking at Mr Darcy with rather too much perception, Elizabeth quickly jumped in.

“Father, I believe Mr Darcy has got wind of something. Let us imagine that he and I did not become engaged after the Netherfield ball. I would have been disgraced, and we would have all been desperate. What if Mr Wickham came to you then and offered to marry me, publicly stating his confidence in my virtue? It seems likely that you would have agreed, even if he demanded a sum far beyond my dowry to do it.”

“I would have,” Mr Bennet said grimly. “I would have given all I had, even mortgaged Longbourn to the hilt to do it, if I might have thereby saved my daughters.”

A heavy silence fell over the room, the result of three people each lost in their own unpleasant thoughts. At last, Mr Darcy spoke. “It is only too plausible. The scheme exactly fits with what I know of Mr Wickham. A reliance on his own charm — a total disregard for the wishes of others, and the consequences that might fall on an innocent — a chance of profit, without even the clarity and certainty any rational man would demand in a simple matter of business — all of it is exactly like the man I have been grieved to know.”

“Then I think we may well have our explanation, but we do not have proof,” Elizabeth said quietly. “Without it, we are no more forwarder than ever.”

“Perhaps we might get some,” Mr Bennet mused. “Now, I have hardly spoken with Mr Wickham, but the few instances of our being in company together, coupled with what you both have told me, have given me the impression that he is a veritable peacock of a man, ready to believe himself deserving of everything and anything and the superior of all he meets.”

“It is no bad description, sir,” Mr Darcy said dryly.

“Would he be ready, then, to think that his plan might still succeed? If I were to ask him to visit him, perhaps under the pretence of being concerned about Mr Darcy’s character, might I convince him to incriminate himself?”

“I do not think it impossible,” Mr Darcy said cautiously. “Hatred of myself might render Wickham less cautious, and more likely to misstep. But it could be tricky, sir, very tricky indeed. And would it truly gain us what we seek? Even if you could lead Wickham into confessing, would it not simply be his word against your own? The attempt to correct the record might cause a greater scandal than letting it stand.”

“I do not mean to have Wickham tried in the court of public opinion, but in a court of law,” Mr Bennet declared. “My good friend Constable Rathers will help us with that. You see the closet doors just there?”

Mr Darcy nodded, looking rather confused, but Elizabeth exclaimed, “Father! You mean to have Constable Rathers overhear his confession?”

“I do, indeed. Would that not solve everything? With an impartial witness, the purity of your reputation would be secured. And I rather suspect that when Wickham is in the hands of the law, he will not soon leave them again.”

“To deceive a man into thinking he is speaking privately is not honourable,” Mr Darcy began, “but if Wickham is guilty, it is a far greater sin. If you believe you can succeed, Mr Bennet, I think the plan is a good one.”

“I shall try,” Mr Bennet said. “I daresay I do not wish my favourite daughter compelled to marry any more than you wish to be forced to marry her, sir.”

Elizabeth had rarely liked her father’s wit less, but she could hardly protest. Mr Darcy, however, shook his head. “Hardly forced, sir. I could not be forced into such a thing, when I did not feel it to be right. And I am sure Miss Elizabeth and I shall do will together, if we do wed. I will feel no regrets.”

Mr Bennet nodded approvingly. Elizabeth only wished she could believe him as sincere as her father seemed to, but that was too much to hope. Mr Darcy had already shown himself to be generosity itself. He would wish to spare her feelings, to give her hope, if he could.

“Well, Mr Darcy, perhaps you will wish to overhear our conversation as well. If all else fails, you may reveal yourself. The shock might force Wickham into confessing.”

“I shall, sir, thank you.”

“And I as well,” Elizabeth said suddenly. She had not known that she would speak until she did, but having expressed the intent, she had no doubt of it being correct. She, who was more concerned in what passed than anyone, could not be left out of it. “I must hear the truth of it from his own lips.”

Her father was already shaking his head. “I do not think it wise, Lizzy. Such a scheme is no place for a lady.”

“I do not think it would place my reputation at risk,” Elizabeth argued. “Not only a few paces away from you, my dear father, and with my fiancé by my side. Surely there is no risk there that I do not already undergo.”

“No, Lizzy, I suppose you are right, but even so, I cannot approve it. You will do very well to stay in your room. I assure you we will tell you all the next day.”

“The next day! Really, Father —”

“Pray forgive me for the interruption,” Mr Darcy said firmly. “I believe Miss Elizabeth is right, Mr Bennet. She is as concerned in this as I, and with as much right to witness the outcome. For the moment, she is half yours, as your daughter, and half mine, as my future wife. I ask that you allow me to anticipate the discretion that will become mine, if we do wed, and say that Miss Elizabeth ought to be allowed to join us.”

Mr Bennet quickly gave way, mumbling a few words of surprised acquiescence, but Elizabeth felt herself far more shocked than her father showed himself to be. Mr Darcy had spoken not of an indulgence to a stubborn woman, but of the consideration owed to a true partner.

It was more than she had dreamt of. And as they hammered out the last details of consulting Mr Rather, of determining the day on which the trap ought to be set and how Mr Wickham ought to be summoned into it, when they would go into the hiding place and how reveal their presence, if at all, Elizabeth could not help but feel that even her desire for the truth could not make her wish for a dissolution of their engagement.