Chapter 6 #2
Surely Mama did not mean her to be the sole sacrifice upon the alter of Longbourn.
Only this morning she’d held the man in high disdain.
Now, she could not speak enough good things about the bumbling fool.
Papa was no help as his humor ran high with the banalities which flowed from Mr. Collins’ mouth like the great Euphrates.
Even she had been caught up in the ridiculous conversation, until she’d been thrown beneath the carriage by her mother.
The very next day Lydia demanded they all go to Meryton as it was market day and she desired to see if Mr. Denny had returned from London.
Any hope of walking to the village with only her sisters was crushed when Papa, tired of Mr. Collins intruding upon his leisure and tranquility, invited him to attend the ladies.
Declaring himself to be a better walker than a reader, Mr. Collins jumped at the chance to join his fair cousins, and more specifically, attach himself to Lizzy.
He attempted to take her arm, but she clasped her hands behind her back and strode off with Jane.
Undaunted, he stuck by her side until even Lydia noticed, who began to tease her mercilessly.
Frustrated beyond measure, she couldn’t stop the following thought.
Not another word unless it is about something educational.
“Did you know that every year a tree grows it produces a small ring around its circumference?” Lydia spouted, quite out of the blue. She stopped, mouth agape and Kitty giggled.
Grateful her sister had ceased teasing, for the moment, Lizzy reflected on the power of her thoughts.
Such a dangerous thing if not controlled.
She’d have to tell Papa of this when they returned home.
Lately her ‘powers’ seem magnified, as though some unseen force had tapped into her psyche causing an abundance of energy.
Other than the company at Netherfield Park and the ____shire militia taking up residence near Meryton, there was nothing new in the surrounding area to strike the spark.
“That is so true, Cousin Lydia, and the trees around Rosings Park where Lady Catherine resides are magnificent. I would guess them to be a hundred years old, which means there would be a multitude of rings.”
“Yes, about a hundred, I would presume,” Mary offered in an odd dry tone.
Lizzy couldn’t be sure, but it almost sounded as though her younger sister also found Mr. Collins dull as dishwater.
She looped her arm through Mary’s and squeezed as they continued on to Meryton.
Jane joined them by taking her other arm, leaving Mr. Collins to walk alone behind.
Lydia and Kitty, keeping an eagle eye for officers, were met with success when they spotted Mr. Denny and surged ahead.
But the attention of every lady was soon caught by a young man, whom they’d never seen before.
As they came closer, Lizzy was captured by his gentlemanlike appearance.
Mr. Denny was quick to introduce them to his friend as Mr. Wickham who, he was happy to say, had accepted a commission in their corps.
In the eyes of Lydia and Kitty, Mr. Wickham rose in estimation at the thought of him being in decked out with a red coat.
Even Lizzy felt a faint fluttering in her chest at the thought, because the more they spoke with Mr. Wickham, the more she came to appreciate his fine countenance and pleasing manners.
He had all the best parts of beauty, for a man, and this was exactly as it should be, for a young man wanted only regimentals to make him completely charming.
For once she was in agreement with her younger, silly sisters, although she did the best she could to rein in their excitement, having a modicum of success, but just barely as she was almost as distracted as them.
It was only when their company was disrupted by the arrival of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy that the euphoric haze lifted from her mind and her limbs felt strangely sluggish.
“Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth!” Bingley exclaimed from atop his horse after tipping his hat in their direction. “I was just on my way to Longbourn to inquire after your health.”
“I am well, Mr. Bingley. Thank you.” Jane said, a light blush tingeing her cheeks.
Mr. Darcy glanced at Lizzy for one brief moment and she saw again that flicker of banked heat before a mask of cool civility fell in place.
He casually looked toward the rest of their company, stopping cold when his gaze fell onto Mr. Wickham.
Because she’d been watching Mr. Darcy so closely, she noticed a flash of anger, and turning to Mr. Wickham she was equally surprised by a sense of fear, which he quickly disguised by tipping his hat in a most sardonic manner toward Mr. Darcy.
It happened so fast she couldn’t be sure what had happened between the two men, but she was very aware that Mr. Darcy did not return Mr. Wickham’s silent greeting.
He wheeled his horse around and took off at a thunderous pace toward Netherfield Park.
Confused by his friend’s abrupt departure, Mr. Bingley called out his regrets and left them standing beside their new acquaintance.
It wasn’t until they were walking home and discussing the events that Lizzy realized no one else had noticed the strange behavior between the two men and, after Mr. Darcy left, Mr. Wickham hadn’t seemed so charming.