Chapter XI #3
“I might seriously reconsider making her aware of the current events afoot,” said her father as he regarded the place his wife had recently occupied. “This business with Georgiana appears to suggest she knows when to hold her tongue.”
“Perhaps she does,” agreed Elizabeth.
Soon thereafter her father mounted his horse and left the house claiming some business on the estate.
Elizabeth returned to her room to prepare for their outing, and soon she had joined Lydia and Jane for the mile walk to Meryton.
The first part of the journey she spent walking with Jane, while Lydia forged ahead, eager to reach the town.
By the time they reached the lane to Lucas Lodge, however, Lydia thought better of her impatience and dropped back to walk beside her two eldest sisters.
“What is your opinion of the tale the Darcys told us last night?”
Elizabeth regarded her sister, trying to make out her thoughts. For a change, Lydia appeared closed, a sudden ability to mask her intentions appearing from nowhere. Knowing the girl was not skilled at obfuscation, Elizabeth suspected Lydia was confused.
“Everything I know of Mr. Wickham that did not come from the man’s own mouth I learned from Mr. Darcy.” Elizabeth regarded her sister. “It might come as a surprise, but nothing of which they spoke yesterday was new to me.”
Lydia stared at her with unconcealed astonishment. “You already knew?”
“I did,” confirmed Elizabeth. “When we were in Kent, Mr. Darcy learned of my previous admiration for Mr. Wickham and told me the truth of the matter. I will own that at first, I did not accept it, but as I reflected on what I knew, I realized Mr. Darcy’s account filled the holes in his story I had not seen before rather than contradicted what Mr. Wickham said. ”
The mention of her own previous opinion of Wickham was deliberate, for Elizabeth wished to remind her sister not only that he had misled others but also that her sentiments had transformed.
“Why did you not tell us?” demanded Lydia.
“Because, Lydia,” said Elizabeth, “Mr. Wickham was to depart for Brighton, and we were never to see him again. It did not seem to signify at the time, and as our dear Jane likes to say,” Elizabeth smiled at her elder sister, “perhaps he meant to reform himself. I made the mistake of speaking of Mr. Darcy too openly—I did not wish to make that same error again.”
Lydia appeared to consider this. “Perhaps not. But surely you could have said something of it, to put your sisters on their guard if nothing else.”
“You may be correct,” agreed Elizabeth. “There are certain parts that I cannot share with anyone—the matter of Georgiana’s experience with him for example. But perhaps I should have judged better about the rest.”
There was no answer to her assertion, leading Elizabeth to press her point.
“Would you have believed me if I had said anything?”
While Lydia squirmed and Elizabeth did not think she fully believed even now, the girl did not deny it. “Perhaps I would not have. Yet, I was to go to Brighton, and Mr. Wickham is there even now. Should you not have given me a warning?”
“I shall not deny it,” agreed Elizabeth. “But Mr. Wickham is gone from our lives, and it little signifies.”
Again, Elizabeth’s mention of Wickham’s absence was deliberate, for she wished to see if Lydia would betray anything. The girl nodded, however, and turned away.
“I can scarcely believe he is such a black-hearted villain. There is such an expression of goodness in his countenance, such that everyone must believe him.”
“That is his greatest weapon,” replied Elizabeth. “If he were ill-favored or possessed plainer features, fewer would believe his lies. But if you think about it, he gave us clues to his character before he left; we need only have recognized them for what they were.”
“What do you mean, Lizzy?” asked Lydia.
“Take the affair with Mary King, for example. Mary is not well known in the area, but she has been with us from time to time, as she often travels from one uncle’s house to another.
Mary returned to the area in October, and Mr. Wickham joined the regiment in November.
But can you recall a single instance of Mr. Wickham paying attention to her before the party at Lucas Lodge? ”
Lydia’s lips curled with disgust. “I am not surprised, for she is not pretty, and she has enough freckles that one could almost use her face as a map!”
“That is exactly my point, Lydia,” said Elizabeth, ignoring her sister’s unkind words about a girl of whom she knew no ill.
“By your account, it was not her physical attractions that induced Mr. Wickham’s interest. At the same time he began to pay her attention, we heard rumors of her recent inheritance of a large fortune from a deceased relation. ”
“Are you suggesting Mr. Wickham was mercenary?” gasped Lydia.
“At the time, I judged it prudence,” replied Elizabeth.
“I was wrong, Lydia. If it had not been mercenary, would Mr. Wickham not have paid her even a hint of attention before? Marrying for prudence is important, for a woman must understand if a man can support her, and a man must know if he can do his duty as a husband. But there is a difference between prudence—examining a potential mate to understand compatibility before allowing an inclination free rein—and open greed, that prompts a man to pay a woman attention only after he knows of her dowry.”
For a long moment, Lydia was silent, a variety of emotions crossing her face. She turned away before Elizabeth could attempt to understand them, and she soon replied with a softly spoken: “I had never thought of it that way before.”
“Neither did I, Lydia. It was clear we both should have been more perceptive.”
Lydia nodded but did not speak again, and soon walked ahead of them, though not appearing as eager as she had before.
Elizabeth looked to Jane, who nodded her approval.
Perhaps her instruction would not completely change Lydia’s mind, but it appeared she now possessed a healthy sense of doubt, which could only be to her benefit.