Chapter 16 #2
“No, thank you. Charles told me he wrote to my aunt, Lady Matlock, yesterday and to my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam.”
“Good,” Elizabeth replied, fearful at what the girl might think of her.
“Miss Bennet?”
“Yes, Miss Darcy?”
“I am glad your opinion of my brother has improved since the beginning of your acquaintance.”
Elizabeth stared at her, dumbfounded, meeting the girl’s shy, blue eyes and her small smile.
“Anyone who knows Mr Darcy holds him in high regard–you said that yourself. I only had to pay more attention and overcome my false first impression,” Elizabeth replied. “Now, if you will excuse me, I will leave you for a short time.”
In the hall, Elizabeth leaned against the wall, and caught her breath, struggling to dissipate the torment in her mind.
Afterwards, she joined the others in the drawing room, where Jane was closely engaged in conversation with Mr Bingley, both smiling at each other, blushing and beaming with happiness. All was well in that regard.
∞∞∞
Around noon, Mr Bingley left to meet some officers in Meryton, and Mr Bennet joined him. Stevens and Dr. Cooper were with Darcy, while Miss Darcy finally spent some time with the Bennet ladies.
Georgiana was still restrained, finding some shelter between Elizabeth and Jane, while Mrs Bennet, Lydia and Kitty talked loudly about various subjects.
To their surprise, callers were announced, and Lieutenant Denny, Lieutenant Reeves and Mr Wickham all entered, bowing to the ladies charmingly.
Their surprising visit was received with cheers from the youngest girls, with joy by Mrs Bennet, and with reluctance from Elizabeth. What were they doing there, since they must have known Mr Bennet was not at home?
Elizabeth looked at Georgiana to make the introductions, realising that the girl was already acquainted with Wickham.
She startled as she saw Miss Darcy pale, then frown, her face changed by a deep and apparent turmoil.
She seemed unsteady on her feet as if she was in danger of fainting, her eyes and lips widened in disbelief.
Wickham stepped towards her with a broad smile, bowed to her and took her hand in his, ceremoniously bringing it to his lips.
“My dear Miss Darcy, I am so happy to meet you again here. Truly happy. I can hardly believe my good luck,” he said.
“Mr Wickham…” she responded barely audibly, withdrawing her hand. “It is not good luck for anybody since my brother is ill.”
“Oh, yes, yes. Of course. How is Darcy? We were wondering about him,” Wickham continued.
“He is improving,” Elizabeth answered. “Gentlemen, please sit down,” she indicated the opposite sofa, while she sat next to Georgiana.
Mrs Bennet ordered tea and the officers quickly became engaged in conversation with the younger ladies.
Jane spoke little, Georgiana not at all.
Elizabeth turned to the girl and whispered.
“Miss Darcy, are you unwell? May I help you in any way?”
“No…Thank you. I will soon go to my brother.”
“I forgot to mention Mr Wickham, please forgive me. I did not expect to see him here, as I know he and your brother are not on friendly terms.”
“I did not expect to see him either…”
“Are you troubled by his presence? We may leave if you prefer.”
“I would like to return to my brother soon, if possible…” Georgiana confessed. Her hands trembled so violently that the girl dropped the cup of hot tea, right into Elizabeth’s lap. They both gasped, the gentlemen rose to help, and Elizabeth found herself uncomfortably wet.
“Are you hurt?” Georgiana asked, her voice trembling with worry.
“No, I am fine. Just a little wet,” Elizabeth smiled. “I will go to my room to change; please wait for me only a moment. Jane will take care of you.”
Georgiana nodded, and Elizabeth hurried out, glancing at the girl from the doorway. She was talking to Jane privately, keeping her eyes to the floor.
With a grip in her chest and a sense of danger troubling her, Elizabeth went to her room and changed. She returned several minutes later, wearing a new gown and concerned gaze, looking for Georgiana.
Jane was talking to her sisters and the two officers, her mother was on the other side of the room speaking privately with Hill, and Miss Darcy was alone in a corner, staring out of the window in a way that reminded Elizabeth of her brother.
With disbelief and anger, Elizabeth noticed Wickham moving nearer to Georgiana. The girl startled, but he stepped closer, saying something that obviously upset her. Elizabeth hurried towards them, careful not to make a scene, catching a most disturbing exchange.
“Georgiana, dearest, you look lovelier than ever.”
“Please do not call me by my name, Mr Wickham.”
“Come, dearest, I thought we had long stepped over this line. We share the same name and furthermore, if not for your horrible brother, we would be married by now. You would be mine.”
“You have no right to speak to me like that, nor to offend my brother. I will talk to Mr Bingley straight away.”
“Really? And tell him what? Come, my dear, surely you have missed me, you cannot deny it,” said Wickham.
Elizabeth was shocked by the words, by Georgiana’s troubled countenance and Wickham’s grin. They had not observed her, and she was uncertain how to intervene in such an intimate conversation without causing a scandal in front of the others.
To her surprise and panic, she noticed her mother approaching from the other side of the couple. Mrs Bennet was not close enough to hear the two yet, but her expression spoke much of her displeasure with the scene.
The couple was so engaged in their conversation that they seemed oblivious to everything else around them.
Miss Darcy continued in a low and troubled voice. “Mr Wickham, I would ask you to leave me alone. I am waiting for my brother to recover; I am in no need of company. If he knew you were here, talking to me, he would take measures.”
“We should take advantage of the fact that he is unconscious. I am sure everybody is happy that he is ill. You must know he is the most despised man in the area, although he has been here for less than two months. His arrogance, his disdainful behaviour, his pretensions of superiority have appalled everybody. If he passes away, you will inherit Pemberley, will you not?”
Georgiana was tearful.
“You are just as mean and cruel as I was told. My father would be so disappointed to see you. I cannot spend a single moment in your presence. If you do not leave, I shall.”
“Leave where Miss Darcy? What is happening here? Why would you want to leave, Miss Darcy?” a voice called out, breaking up the discussion, disconcerting the entire party. All eyes turned to the couple, dumbfounded.
Miss Darcy mumbled something, pale and alarmed, while Elizabeth readily took her arm.
“It is nothing...I apologise, Mrs Bennet. My manners are rather improper. I am just in no need of company…Forgive me,” Georgiana whispered.
Wickham grinned with a self-satisfaction that disturbed Elizabeth.
“Do not worry, Mrs Bennet, I will convince her otherwise. We are good friends, and I know what arguments are convincing to her.”
Mrs Bennet raised her eyebrow, her face colouring from ire.
“Do you? It appears to me Miss Darcy is not desirous of your company so I would suggest you remove yourself from her proximity and tell me at once what is happening.”
“Mrs Bennet, with all due respect, this is my private business with Miss Darcy, and I would like to keep it this way, without anybody interfering. I am having an intimate conversation with an old friend.”
Such impertinence astonished Elizabeth and made Georgiana almost faint again. The girl searched for support from Elizabeth, while Mrs Bennet stared at Wickham with her mouth open in disbelief, gulping repeatedly.
Fury kept Mrs Bennet silent for a moment, then suddenly her words burst out with such power that Wickham took a step back.
With her hands on her hips, the lady took a step forward, to be closer to Wickham, her eyes narrowed, sending sharp arrows at him.
“Excuse me? Your business? No interference? Intimate conversation? What due respect? Surely you are joking, sir. You are in my house, talking to a young lady who is my guest. She asked you to leave her alone, yet you insisted on upsetting her further. And you demand that I not interfere? Who do you think you are?”
“Mrs Bennet!” Wickham’s countenance was still insolent, and Mrs Bennet did not miss it.
“Mr Wickham! Maybe my daughters’ preference for you makes you believe you possess more rights than you truly do and that you are entitled to some special favour, which is far from reality.
I do not know of your past dealings with Mr Darcy and I trust he knows how to deal with you, but to upset a young lady in my house, under my nose!
How dare you? You have overstayed your welcome, sir! ”
“I did not do anything to upset Miss Darcy," Wickham claimed serenely.
Mrs Bennet grew angrier.
“You did not? What can you mean? If a young lady is bothered that you simply breathe near her, a gentleman should understand and leave. What on earth are they teaching you in the militia lately? You cannot handle a scared horse, you cannot start a fire, you do not behave properly in the company of ladies, you reply impolitely to the mistress of the house! You lack many skills, sir! Officers are not what they used to be!”
“Mama, let us calm ourselves,” Elizabeth whispered.
“Do not shush me, Lizzy! Mr Wickham, if you behave, we are pleased to have you. Go and sit over there near Lydia and Kitty–they will surely not be bothered by your company. Or near Lizzy–she can handle impertinent men. I recollect her slapping the youngest son of a duke several years ago, and she was only seventeen.”
“Mama, please!” Elizabeth interjected, red from embarrassment, holding Georgiana’s arm.
"I would rather leave, ma’am," Wickham said with apparent vexation. "I already have some fixed engagements that will suffer no further delay. I only wished to greet you and Miss Darcy. I apologise for intruding. I will not stay where I am not welcome.”
“When one’s manners are proper, there is no intrusion. We are sorry that you must leave, as you are usually pleasant company. But be it as you wish.”
“Mama…” Jane begged, trying to make her mother sit after Mr Wickham exited the room.
“No mama, Jane! I am so angry that I can barely breathe! What is wrong with young men nowadays? I truly hope you have better manners with the ladies,” she addressed the other two officers, who watched her with embarrassment, unsure of what their mistake was.
“Mrs Bennet, I assure you it must be a huge mistake. We had no intention of upsetting anyone. Wickham suggested we come and enquire after Mr Darcy, that was all,” Lieutenant Denny struggled to explain.
“I am glad you came, sir! And please do so anytime you want–your presence is always agreeable to us. But as a mother of five daughters, I cannot bear to see a young woman displeased with a man’s behaviour and his reluctance to remedy his error!”
“Mama, why are you upset? What happened?” Lydia cried.
“Nothing of consequence happened. It was all my fault. I truly apologise. Please forgive me,” Miss Darcy whispered, then excused herself and hurried to her brother’s room.
Elizabeth followed her, while Mrs Bennet shrugged and continued to comment about some young men’s poor manners.