Chapter 6 #2
“What could you possibly mean, Mr Wickham? As for putting us at ease, I assure you there is no need,” Elizabeth said with a sharp smile.
“I have a long and rather unpleasant history with Darcy. In fact, our past was quite pleasant, the present not so much, since he chose to end our relationship in a most unfair way.”
“I am very sorry to hear that,” Elizabeth answered.
“Oh, you must not be. I have no reason to complain, although he did me a great injustice,” Wickham replied.
“However, without his unfair treatment, I would not be here today, in such delightful company, and that would have been a tragedy indeed,” he concluded, bowing to Elizabeth with the most charming smile she had ever seen in a man.
Elizabeth returned the smile. “If you are content, so are we, sir.”
“Indeed I am. I have heard all kinds of rumours and your youngest sisters also talked about why Mr Bingley left. So I thought it was my duty to dissipate any doubts and not to allow anyone to feel guilty for Darcy’s departure. He does that to people.”
“He does what to people, sir?” Elizabeth asked further.
Wickham replied with a grin, “Makes them feel uncomfortable. And guilty. He always watches people, judging and measuring them. And very few meet his ridiculous expectations.”
Elizabeth recognised Wickham’s description. She too had that feeling when Darcy stared at her. Wickham recognised her hesitation and continued, with a little meaningful smile.
“I understood from your Miss Lydia and Miss Kitty that you too had the misfortune of feeling a piece of Darcy’s usual rudeness. I heard that he is not one of your family’s favourites, which is not surprising to me. Therefore, I was worried…”
Wickham’s insinuating tone irritated Elizabeth despite his charming features and caring words.
He seemed to assume a familiarity that was equally impolite and disturbing.
Despite her dislike of Darcy’s manners, the notion that a man whom they barely knew was so openly sharing his private affairs with them and interfering in private family matters displeased Elizabeth even more.
And to add to all that, Jane’s distress was too obvious to be neglected.
How did the man believe he could put Jane at ease by such improper intervention?
“We appreciate your concern, Mr Wickham, and we regret any inconvenience you might have suffered due to any unfair treatment,” Elizabeth said.
“As for us, there is no reason to worry. Mr Darcy might not always be the most amiable person, nor easy company, but he is a good friend of Mr Bingley. And Mr Bingley, whose opinion we value, is a good friend of our family. My father holds both Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley in high regard and he is usually a good judge of character, so we trust his opinion.”
Wickham took a step back and bowed. “I apologise if my intrusion was inappropriate. I meant well.”
He looked sincere and Elizabeth smiled slightly, softening her tone. “I am sure you did, sir. And, as I said, your concern is appreciated.”
“Indeed,” Jane approved. “We thank you for being so considerate.”
“It is easy to be considerate, when you enjoy someone’s company so much. I hope this will not be a singular occasion,” Wickham continued.
“That is no reason for concern either,” Elizabeth laughed. “Meryton is a small town and Longbourn is only a mile away. You should be warned that we will surely meet more than you might want.”
“That would not be possible, I assure you,” he concluded.
This final exchange eventually put Jane truly at ease and caught the attention of others.
Mrs Bennet, together with Lydia and Kitty joined them, asking what they were talking about.
The conversation grew, then changed from one subject to another, skillfully conducted by Mr Wickham and supported by his fellow officers.
Elizabeth’s opinion of their new acquaintance was uncertain.
She did enjoy his company, his manners, and his readiness to make himself accepted by people.
He was very handsome too, but something in his air left Elizabeth wondering.
The subject of Mr Darcy was not opened again, but even his reluctance to mention the name increased Elizabeth’s curiosity.
She was tempted to find a proper moment and ask more, but surely it was neither the time, nor the place for such an attempt.
An hour later, Mr Bennet declared he wished to return home and asked his family to join him.
Lydia and Kitty objected, but they were left with no choice. To compensate for her youngest daughters’ distress, Mrs Bennet invited the officers to have tea at Longbourn the next day, and they readily accepted.
“Well, that was a long enough visit to not have to repeat it for at least a month,” Mr Bennet said in the carriage.
“What a lovely time we had,” Lydia cried and Mr Bennet rolled his eyes.
“Do you know that Mr Wickham grew up with Mr Darcy? Mr Darcy’s father was Mr Wickham’s godfather–can you imagine?
It seems the late Mr Darcy was a very good man, but the young Mr Darcy is cruel and resentful.
He mistreated poor Mr Wickham very badly, but he did not say in what way!
I am sure that is why he left!” Lydia cried when they finally arrived at Longbourn.
“How astonishing that Mr Wickham chose to tell you the story of his life only minutes after he met you,” Mr Bennet declared suspiciously. “This is quite an unusual behaviour for an officer. I hope he will not be as outspoken with our country’s enemies.”
“My dear Mr Bennet, you should not mock a man’s suffering. Mr Wickham looks like such a good-natured young man, so handsome and sincere! Why is it wrong that he is trusting enough to share his history with us?” Mrs Bennet interjected.
“I am sure there is some misunderstanding, somewhere,” Jane interrupted. “Mr Darcy cannot possibly possess any of the aforementioned faults. Mr Bingley always speaks of him as one of the finest gentlemen of his acquaintance. He praises him and is very fond of him and grateful for his friendship.”
“I am sure there is some misunderstanding,” Mr Bennet declared.
“Whenever there is an argument between two men, a young woman should not interfere. There are always two sides to the story, and each party is tempted to tell only as much as is to his advantage. Especially when he wishes to impress a lady. So I would suggest you all remain prudent and not encourage the spread of such tales.”
“Your father is right, girls! Be careful of what you speak, as we do not want to upset Mr Darcy. At least not until Mr Bingley proposes!”
“But Mama, can we still like Mr Wickham?” Lydia asked.
“He is truly the most charming man I have ever met,” Kitty insisted.
“Of course you may like Mr Wickham! There is nothing better than a handsome man in uniform with pleasant manners and an amiable nature!”
“What if Mr Darcy, who hates Mr Wickham, demands Mr Bingley not invite him to the ball? Dear Lord, that would be a tragedy,” Lydia said with distress.
“Surely Mr Darcy cannot do that?” Kitty responded with equal concern.
“Mr Bingley told me that he has already invited all the officers to the ball,” Jane explained.
“Oh, he did? How kind of him to share his thoughts with you,” Mrs Bennet immediately changed her interest. “And what else did he say?”
The subject held the family’s interest for the rest of the evening, and long after dinner ended they were still talking about Mr Wickham and Mr Darcy.
Elizabeth added little to the conversation.
From the two gentlemen’s reaction, she was certain their past dealings had been harsh and unpleasant.
And most likely Mr Wickham was somehow deprived in some way by Mr Darcy, otherwise he would not have had so much to say.
But to speculate further was difficult. Jane was still troubled and lost in her thoughts, so Elizabeth had no one with whom to debate the matter further.
She had little else to do but wait for time to provide her with more information.
∞∞∞
From the moment he left Lucas Lodge, Darcy’s anger grew by the moment. During his short stay at the gathering, he had fought the temptation to take Wickham by the collar and throw him out of the house, demanding an explanation regarding his presence in Meryton, of all places.
He could not stand to see him any longer, so he simply had to leave before a scandal arose.
Once at Netherfield, he locked himself in his room, desiring not to be bothered by anyone but he opened the door an hour later, when Bingley knocked.
“What happened? Are you ill?” Bingley enquired, looking at him quizzically.
“No.”
“Then you are very angry.”
“I am.”
“Would you tell me why? What or who upset you so much that you left a party? You should know that everybody was surprised and puzzled.”
Darcy paced the room and hesitated briefly.
“Wickham.”
Bingley looked at him in astonishment.
“Wickham? The new officer? Why? What did he say?”
“He said nothing. Just being there. He is the lowest kind of human being. I cannot believe he is joining the militia, and precisely this regiment. I wonder if he knew I was here and did it on purpose.”
“But Darcy…” Bingley watched him as he moved around the chamber. “Did you know him before?”
“Yes; I have known him since he was born. His father was Pemberley’s steward and my father was Wickham’s godfather.”
“Really? Was he? I did not know that!”
“Well, it is not something I share with many people, since Wickham turned out to be so unworthy of my father’s affection. He paid for Wickham’s schooling, he supported him in every way, and even asked me to offer him a living when one should become available.”
“Really?” Bingley listened with increasing astonishment.