7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Elizabeth walked into the Lucas home with Jane at her side. Hopefully, the evening would go well. It turned out that Mr. Collins had come to seeking a bride. Though any hopes that he had in regard to Elizabeth were completely overwhelmed by his fear of her dog. Well, that and the fact that apparently Lady Catherine would never countenance a lady keeping such a dog as a pet. The ensuing comments by Elizabeth saying what she thought about Lady Catherine de Bourgh had sent him straight from the house and into the receptive arms of the Lucas family. The only person who had been upset by this had been, of course, Mrs. Bennet. Elizabeth’s mother had been sent into tirade after tirade. To say that she was put out with Elizabeth was an understatement.
When they were invited to the Lucas home for Charlotte and Mr. Collin’s engagement dinner, Elizabeth was not surprised that her mother had an attack of nerves that prevented her from attending. Though Elizabeth was uncertain of how she felt about her dear friend being trapped with such a man for the rest of her life, she knew that Charlotte was thrilled with the match. She could not find it with in herself to take the light out of her friend’s eyes by saying that she thought Charlotte would only find discomfort and embarrassment married to Mr. Collins. So Elizabeth greeted her friend with a smile and a hug.
Pulling back from Elizabeth, Charlotte smiled. “Thank you for coming, Lizzie.” Lowering her voice, she continued, “I know that this is not the type of match you would want for yourself or even for me, but I am so happy to have your support. Despite what you may think. I have every hope of having a happy life with Mr. Collins.”
Squeezing Charlotte’s hands in her own, Elizabeth blinked back tears. “Charlotte, you are one of my dearest friends. You know I only want your happiness.”
Linking her arm through Elizabeth’s, Charlotte drew her into the room. Mr. Collins and Sir Lucas stood in the corner, engrossed in animated conversation with grand gestures on a subject that clearly interested them. It dawned on Elizabeth that she should have realized that they would get along so well. They had many similarities, both enjoyed sharing anecdotes, and both were prone to verbosity.
Catching Elizabeth’s gaze on her fiancé and father, Charlotte said, “Yes, Mr. Collins is very much like my father. He may not be the intelligent man you may be drawn to, Lizzie, but he is enough for me.” Across the room, Mr. Collins saw Charlotte and smiled at her, not even taking note of Elizabeth. Smiling back, Charlotte said, “He is affectionate in his own way, and I know he does not have a cruel bone in his body. I will be happy.”
“Then I am happy for you.” Elizabeth felt a true smile stretch across her face. Charlotte was perfectly capable of charting her own life course, and it seemed that it was possible that Mr. Collins would work out for her.
“Now,” Said Charlotte, “What is the latest on Jane and Mr. Bingley?”
Elizabeth laughed merrily. She would miss Charlotte when she left for Kent. At least when Jane married Mr. Bingley, she would be a little closer to home. Rolling her eyes at herself, Elizabeth focused on staying cheerful. It was not the evening to worry about Charlotte and Jane marrying and leaving her alone. She would consider that in the middle of the night when she could not sleep.
Darcy tried not to hyperventilate as the carriage drew closer to Lucas Lodge. After his conversation with Bingley a few mornings ago, he had realized that Bingley was right. The marriage he had been attempting to force himself into was not the kind that would ever bring him true happiness. He realized that Georgianna would face an even bleaker fate than he would in a society marriage arrangement. By marrying according to his own preferences, he could filter out the least suitable suitors for his sister.
He had been doing a lot of thinking in the last few days and after two sleepless nights; he had finally decided that there was only one thing that he could do. Darcy would have to pursue Miss Elizabeth. That, however, left him with a big issue.
He was more familiar with fleeing from female attention than trying to solicit it. Since he was in Cambridge, he had become prone to fading into the background. It had been a way to avoid compromise and, more importantly, avoid that which he did not truly understand. There was not one time in his life that he could remember ever being the pursuer, not the pursued.
In what felt like no time at all, Darcy found himself walking into Lucas Lodge and greeting his host and hostess and congratulating them on their daughter's engagement. All the while, he was trying to find Miss Elizabeth in the gathering of people.
As if drawn by a magnet, Darcy spotted her and was drawn across the room and to her side. For a moment, he hovered there, watching her converse with her good friend, Miss Lucas, but then she smiled at him and said, “Mr. Darcy, it is good to see you and Mr. Bingley have arrived. I was afraid you might be late and that would never do, not when I am sure Jane is eager to see Mr. Bingley.”
Darcy found himself responding to her comment by replying, “Bingley is not the one in the family who is fond of being fashionably late.”
The widening of Miss Elizabeth’s eyes as she caught the humor in his comment and the smile that played about her lips settled in Darcy’s heart like a glowing ember. He found himself admitting that anyone not wanting to spend more time around such a mesmerizing smile should be consigned to bedlam. That thought had him freezing, though.
Was he ready to pursue Miss Elizabeth without hesitation? Because that was what a woman liked her deserved. She deserved for the man who loved her wholeheartedly, without any concerns about what society might think about her place in the world, and despite his desire to fulfill that role, he remained uncertain if he could be that man.
Elizabeth stepped out of one of the side doors of the Lucas' home. The sight of everyone enjoying themselves was pleasant, but the rising temperature caused by the crowd was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Bathed in the soft illumination from the nearby window, Elizabeth marveled at the vast expanse of stars overhead.
The evening was going better than she had anticipated. Charlotte was happy with her choice, and Jane was getting the chance to converse with Mr. Bingley. Her mother had chosen to stay home, sparing her from potential embarrassment. She had even had several enjoyable interactions with Mr. Darcy.
As she relished the coolness of the evening on her skin, her tranquility was shattered by the sound of a familiar voice saying, “Miss Elizabeth, what a pleasure to see you.”
Biting back a sigh of annoyance, Elizabeth took a step back towards the door she had exited. Keeping her face carefully blank, she replied, “Mr. Wickham, I knew that the Lucas family had invited some of the militia, but I had not noticed you among them. Please don't feel obligated to stay with me. I don't want to ruin your enjoyment of the party. Your duties as a lieutenant must demand a lot of your time.”
Though he stood in the shadows, Elizabeth could have sworn that she saw his eyes flash with anger. With a growing sense of unease, Elizabeth extended her arm behind her, her fingers fumbling in search of the door handle. She had just grazed the cold metal of the handle when Mr. Wickham bit out, “Oh, but Miss Elizabeth, I would much rather enjoy time with you than join the party. And if I may, I wanted to caution you once more about my old friend Mr. Darcy. I saw you together, and it appears that you may have disregarded my previous warning.”
Taking a small step back so that she could grip the handle more securely, Elizabeth responded, “I know that you may have had disputes with Mr. Darcy in the past, but I have found him to be a good man, if slightly awkward. Although I find it unfortunate that you don't get along, I don't think it's any of my concern.”
Stepping closer, Mr. Wickham loomed over her, his voice dripping with disdain as he practically snarled, “Do not be mistaken in thinking that you will ever be Mrs. Darcy. He is too pompous to consider you worthy of his name. It would be wiser to take into account the attention of others, even if they hold a lower social status than the grand Mr. Darcy, master of Pemberley.”
“Mr. Wickham, I understand we haven't had the chance to become acquainted, but it is crucial for you to realize that I am more interested in a person's conduct and the regard they demonstrate towards others, rather than their societal position. I hope you understand that any perceived indifference on my part is not due to your position in life, but rather your behavior.” Elizabeth was just about to open the door behind her when she felt it open on its own.
She turned in surprise, her heart skipping a beat as she saw the grim-faced Mr. Darcy standing in the doorway. There was a moment frozen in uneasy suspense and Elizabeth felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as the two men’s antagonism towards each other filled the space around them. With a lazy drawl, Mr. Wickham spoke up, his tone filled with mockery. “Darce, old friend, you truly know how to ruin a perfectly enjoyable moment. I was quite enjoying my time with Miss Elizabeth before you interrupted us.”
Affronted that Mr. Wickham would imply something between them, Elizabeth was quick to say, “You have a rather flawed view of the word enjoyable, Mr. Wickham. I certainly didn’t find our disagreement enjoyable.”
Mr. Darcy said, “I have often found Wickham’s definition of enjoyment to be skewed.” He gallantly extended his arm, his voice filled with warmth as he inquired, “Miss Elizabeth, would you care to join me back inside? Perhaps we can partake of some of the refreshments.”
Elizabeth, with a smile she hoped conveyed her gratitude, took Mr. Darcy’s arm and turned her back on Mr. Wickham. As soon as they were inside, she closed the door firmly and locked it. She wanted nothing more than to enjoy the party without Mr. Wickham's presence.
Having noted Miss Elizabeth step outside, Darcy had kept an eye on the door. Knowing her love for the outdoors, it came as no surprise to him when he discovered that she had ventured outside, probably seeking respite from the heat of the crowd. However, when she failed to come back inside, he moved around the edges of the crowd to get to the door, wanting to check on her.
As Darcy put his hand on the doorknob, he heard a voice that filled him first with anger and then dread. Not only was Mr. Wickham in the area, but he was talking to Miss Elizabeth. Aware of the man's convincing charm, he dreaded the possibility of her buying into his web of lies.
Opening the door, he stood frozen, facing Wickham for the first time since the man had tried to run away with his sister. Darcy felt the powerful urge to attack, but he quickly pushed it down, drawing on his well-practiced self-control. It was not the time or place for a confrontation that would end in blood. More than that, Miss Elizabeth stood between the two of them and he would never want her to be hurt because of something that he had done.
Mocking as always, Wickham drawled, “Darce, old friend, you truly know how to ruin a perfectly enjoyable moment. I was quite enjoying my time with Miss Elizabeth before you interrupted us.”
Darcy had started to fear the worst when Miss Elizabeth retorted, “You have a rather flawed view of the word enjoyable, Mr. Wickham. I certainly didn’t find our disagreement enjoyable.”
Darcy watched the smug smile on Wickham’s face disappear with glee before turning to Miss Elizabeth. “I have often found Wickham’s definition of enjoyment to be skewed.” Extending his arm, his heart swelled at her obvious rejection of Mr. Wickham’s advances. He asked, “Miss Elizabeth, would you care to join me back inside? Perhaps we can partake of some of the refreshments.”
With Miss Elizabeth on his arm, Darcy couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness, causing a smile to stretch his face. His smile increased tenfold at the satisfying snick of the lock as Miss Elizabeth locked the door behind them. She was perfect. Not only did he enjoy her company, but she enjoyed his company to that of Mr. Wickham. Even his father had preferred Wickham’s company to his own. Any worries he had about her place in the world or how his extended family might treat her evaporated. It was the beginning of hope for him. Hope that there was something splendid in his future.
The night slipped away from Darcy, a rarity for someone who rarely enjoyed social events, leaving him wanting more. He spent much time speaking with Miss Elizabeth but remembered his manners and socialized with others at the gathering, feeling that he must make up for his rudeness at the assembly. By the time he departed Lucas Lodge, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Miss Elizabeth, and he couldn't help but wonder when he would have the opportunity to see her again.