Chapter 3 Malevolence
Longbourn, Hertfordshire
Elizabeth
Elizabeth had never witnessed such an elaborate bow before.
Goodness, he practically folded himself in half right there. Quite a feat for a stout man. Thank God his breeches survived the ordeal.
Mr. William Collins, the heir to Longbourn, was anticipated to be an entertaining specimen based on the letter he had dispatched ahead of his arrival—a letter that lavishly praised his esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine De Bourgh.
And he was living up to the expectation right from the outset.
He was a curious mixture of pomposity, servility, inflated sense of self importance, and zero self awareness.
The dinner with him proved to be an excruciating affair.
He prattled on incessantly, even with his mouth full.
Fortunately for Elizabeth, she was seated at a distance and spared from the spectacle he was creating.
Kitty and Jane occupied the less fortunate spots directly in the line of fire and Elizabeth had to suppress a smile when Kitty tactfully avoided the roasted beef, one of her favourite dishes under normal circumstances.
Elizabeth also couldn’t help but notice Mr. Collins’s furtive glances at Jane now and then, which revealed everything she needed to know.
So that is the olive branch he mentioned in his letter. As the heir, he believes he has the right to pick from any one of us. And Jane, naturally, caught his fancy.
She could predict the forthcoming chain of events. Her mother would likely guide him away from Jane and toward the next eligible Bennet daughter in line. Elizabeth herself would be the chosen one to mend the issue with the entail. She would be the sacrificial offering.
If you believe for a moment that I would consent to be the wife of this man, Mama, you are indulging in a fantasy. I would rather die as a spinster than marry this man.
Mrs. Bennet
Mrs. Bennet was renowned for setting a sumptuous dinner table. However, if any of her neighbours happened to arrive at her dining chamber at this moment, she would have promptly shown them out.
What a mess! Even Mr. Darcy’s dog will have better table manners than this toad.
How does his patroness endure his presence at the dinner table?
If his boasts about frequent invitations to her dinner table are true, then Lady Catherine should be a long suffering, long neglected and socially awkward soul who hasn’t seen an actual human being in years. Poor poor creature.
She also noticed Mr. Collins's furtive glances in Jane's direction. He was trying not to be too obvious, but he was as discreet as an elephant in a sugarcane field.
That won’t do. I must make it clear to Mr. Collins that Jane is not available. Jane is for Mr. Bingley. Lydia is also too good for him. He can have any one of the other three.
She did what was needed. Next morning saw Mr. Collins’s inept attempt to woo his lady and Elizabeth’s cunning attempts to escape the said wooing.
Tuesday, November 19, 1811
Meryton
Elizabeth
If I hear the name Lady Catherine mentioned once more, I vow I shall…
Elizabeth was truly at her wit's end. How many different ways must a lady exhibit her disinterest? Are all men like this?
They were on their way to Meryton. She walked with Jane on one side and Kitty on the other, a blatant attempt to deter Mr. Collins from positioning himself beside her. Lydia, on the other hand, strolled alongside Maria Lucas, leaving Mr. Collins to make conversation with Mary.
As they neared Meryton, they spotted Mr. Denny approaching them, accompanied by a striking officer they had not encountered before.
This handsome new officer certainly cut an impressive figure in his gleaming red coat.
Elizabeth noticed Lydia's wide eyes and her hasty attempts to correct her appearance.
Oh God! Here comes trouble.
How prophetic her thoughts would prove to be.
Wickham
Mr. George Wickham knew he could charm even an angry elephant. Five beautiful ladies? Child's play.
As Denny introduced them, he bowed over their hands with every propriety and charm. After bowing, he raised his head and looked right into their eyes.
So, these are the five beautiful Bennet ladies everyone was talking about.
No, Four beautiful ladies. Miss Mary is plain, and thus not worth my time.
Miss Jane is an Aphrodite, but appears far too proper.
Miss Elizabeth is also beautiful, but, but there’s something about her.
She appears intelligent, so I need to be careful.
Miss Catherine and Miss Lydia, on the other hand, ahem, easy prey.
Gracefully submitting himself to Miss Lydia’s attempts to capture his attention, he espied two riders approaching. A shiver of apprehension coursed through him upon recognizing one of the riders.
Good Lord! What in the devil's name is he doing here?
Elizabeth
Elizabeth was confused. There was a certain charm about the way Mr. Wickham looked directly into her eyes. His eyes were light and pleasing.
But why do I feel as though I was being scrutinised?
Abruptly, Mr. Wickham's countenance transformed, freezing in place as his eyes shifted past her. She couldn't decipher the emotion etched on his face. Is it fear or anger?
Turning around, she discovered the source of his distraction: Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley were approaching on horseback. Mr. Darcy, too, seemed to come to a sudden stop upon spotting Mr. Wickham. It was easier to discern Mr. Darcy’s feelings – he was angry.
There is a story here and I am going to find it out.
Darcy
It would be inaccurate to claim that Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is never angry. He is, after all, a mere mortal.
Darcy prides himself on his ability to maintain control over his emotions.
Ever since his sister, Georgiana, timidly mentioned that he appears frightening when angry, he has striven to avoid displaying that particular emotion.
Yet, there is one man in the world capable of breaching his well-guarded self-control, causing him to reveal his anger—George Wickham.
Seeing Wickham here, especially standing near Miss Elizabeth, he felt the fury swell within him.
For a moment, he cared little about concealing his emotions from others.
What in the blazes is he doing here? Am I ever free of this man?
However, when his eyes met Miss Elizabeth's, he realized the importance of controlling his anger.
He could not show vulnerability in her presence or engage with Wickham while she was nearby.
He needed to remove himself from the situation.
Nodding briefly to Wickham, Darcy rode away without waiting for Bingley to join him.
Wickham
In this world, there were two individuals who could read Fitzwilliam Darcy like no one else. The first amongst them was Colonel Fitzwilliam, Darcy's cousin. The second, none other than Wickham himself.
Wickham effortlessly perceived the array of emotions that flickered through Darcy's eyes. It did not elude him when Darcy suppressed his ire upon encountering Miss Elizabeth.
By Jove, he's taken with her. So, that's the direction the wind blows, huh? Fitzwilliam Darcy, you fool! Escaping all the glittering peacocks of London, only to be ensnared by a country nobody!
Wickham knew this was too big an opportunity to let slip away. This marked the first instance of his old friend finding himself entranced by a woman. Wickham was well aware of the simple truth that the most effective way to harm Darcy was by targeting those who held importance in his life.
That evening, during his customary night of revelry with his fellow officers, he delicately broached the topic of Darcy and the prevailing sentiment about him in the neighbourhood.
Within a minute, each and every one of his fellow officers, well into their cups, recounted the tale of how Darcy insulted Miss Elizabeth by calling her merely tolerable.
That was all the confirmation that Wickham needed.
So I was right, he is attracted to Miss Elizabeth. And with his blasted sense of duty, he is fighting against that attraction. Well, Darcy, I now know how to get back at you for Ramsgate.
I need to acquaint myself with Miss Elizabeth better. I must earn her trust. She is now vital.
His opportunity presented itself the very next day. An invitation to Mrs. Phillips's card party afforded him ample time to engage in conversation with Miss Elizabeth. It was there that he wove his narrative of his dealings with Darcy – a tale, not the truth. Miss Elizabeth swallowed it whole.
Perhaps she is not that intelligent after all.
Wednesday, November 20, 1811
Longbourn, Hertfordshire
Elizabeth
In their shared bedroom at Longbourn that night, Elizabeth recounted the entirety of Mr. Wickham’s tale to Jane.
"Mr. Wickham, the son of Pemberley's steward and the late Mr. Darcy's godson," Elizabeth began, "claims that the younger Mr. Darcy denied him his rightful inheritance—a parish living bestowed by his godfather."
"But can a bequeathed living be denied? Is that legal?" Jane inquired.
"I wondered the same," Elizabeth replied. "Apparently, there were irregularities in the will, and younger Mr. Darcy chose to challenge it. Consequently, the living was bestowed elsewhere."
"Was there no explanation for the denial? Surely there's a reason," Jane pressed.
"Mr. Wickham asserts that the younger Mr. Darcy was envious due to the elder's attention to him. And when the living became available, the young Mr. Darcy chose to dismiss his father's intentions and bestowed the living upon another," Elizabeth replied.
"So, he accuses Mr. Darcy of deliberately depriving him of his inheritance.
It's hard to believe. Despite his prideful behaviour at the assembly, Mr. Darcy is a decent gentleman, Lizzy.
Be open minded about him. Don't judge him solely based on one incident.
And I doubt Mr. Bingley would befriend someone capable of cheating his childhood companion," argued Jane.