Chapter 17
Soon after Wickham left, the other two officers departed too. Their visit had broken the rare tranquillity at Longbourn and more questions remained unanswered.
Elizabeth was the only one who had caught a few words from the heated, yet private conversation and she was deeply shaken by the revelation. Mr Wickham and Miss Darcy appeared to have been entangled in a relationship that could have resulted in a marriage which Mr Darcy opposed.
It would not be the first or the last story she had heard involving a young heiress in love with someone below her position, who her family opposed.
There could be many reasons for Mr Darcy to reject such a union, even if Wickham was his father’s godson.
His disapproval was plausible, just as Mr Wickham’s grudge against him was understandable.
But Miss Darcy’s reaction to seeing him showed no affection, no tenderness, no regret, but only distress and even fear.
And his behaviour was impertinent, cold, intimidating, far from how a man should act if he planned to pursue a lady and convince her brother he was worthy of her.
Elizabeth was now lost as to how to proceed further. She could not speak to Miss Darcy of what she had overheard, nor could she reveal the secret to anyone. She could only protect the girl against further distress and wait and pray for Mr Darcy to recover.
About Wickham she did not worry too much. He had upset Mrs Bennet so profoundly that he was unlikely to appear at Longbourn anytime soon. And even if he did, he meant nothing to them.
For a moment, she wondered how much Mr Bingley knew of Wickham, if anything. Perhaps he, as the closest friend of the Darcys, should be informed about a possible conflict between Wickham and Georgiana. But how to approach him on such a delicate subject was still a challenge to Elizabeth.
Miss Darcy remained at her brother’s side for the rest of the morning and nobody could take her away from there, as though it was the only place where she felt safe.
Elizabeth and Dr. Cooper insisted on her leaving the room and resting, but they met with no success so eventually they abandoned any further attempts.
In the afternoon, Mr Bingley and Mr Bennet returned. All Elizabeth’s reluctance proved useless, as the moment they entered, Mrs Bennet told the gentlemen how Mr Wickham had upset Miss Darcy.
As expected, Mr Bingley became angry and wished to confront the man immediately, but Mr Bennet and Jane managed to calm him enough to discuss the situation rationally.
“We are not certain about the nature of the conflict between them, so we should not expose them to any rumours or speculations,” Elizabeth said. “Let us make sure Miss Darcy is not bothered again, and wait for Mr Darcy to recover and decide if and how he intends to solve the situation.”
“I second Lizzy in that reasonable suggestion,” Mr Bennet approved. “I am sure it is only a minor family conflict that does not need any intervention from strangers. Let us not make more of it than is necessary.”
“But Wickham needs to hear a piece of my mind,” Bingley said indignantly.
“Oh, you should not worry about that. He did hear a piece of my mother’s mind and I doubt he has ever been rebuked so severely,” Elizabeth replied lightly.
The gentlemen looked at Mrs Bennet, who arranged her dress with apparent contentment.
“Well, young men should be properly scolded and even punished whenever needed, to avoid becoming arrogant rascals,” the lady declared with self-confidence.
“If Mrs Bennet is displeased, you may be certain that everyone knows it. And you should steer well clear of her,” Mr Bennet concluded mockingly.
“When someone is under my protection, I feel entirely responsible for them. Everyone who knows me is aware of that,” Mrs Bennet concluded decidedly. “Now let me ring for tea; I am still distressed and I need something to calm my nerves.”
∞∞∞
As the hours passed, life became calmer at Longbourn. Mr Bingley returned to Netherfield but promised to return for dinner again, together with Mrs Annesley.
It was the third day of Mr Darcy’s ordeal and the second day since Miss Darcy had arrived, but with the many changes that had occurred, it felt as long as a month.
After the incident with Wickham, the newly-forged friendship between Elizabeth and Georgiana seemed to suffer. The girl returned to her usual shyness; she barely spoke at all and insisted on remaining by her brother’s bed, refusing to eat or drink anything.
At dinner, Georgiana quietly greeted the family, talked with Mrs Annesley briefly, then returned to Darcy, allowing Dr. Cooper to benefit from a proper meal.
After the first course, Elizabeth excused herself and hurried to Georgiana; she could not remain indifferent to the girl’s distress and, although they barely knew each other, she felt connected to her in a way she rarely felt for any stranger.
Whether from the disappointment of Charlotte’s engagement, or because of Miss Darcy’s generous support of Jane and Bingley, or just because she was Mr Darcy’s sister, Elizabeth enjoyed the girl’s company and valued their new acquaintance.
As she expected, Elizabeth found Georgiana sitting on the bed, holding Darcy’s hand and speaking to him. In the candlelight, she seemed even paler and her suffering and tiredness appeared more evident.
“May I sit?” Elizabeth asked.
“Of course.”
“How is he?”
“Dr. Cooper said he moved a little and spoke a few words. But he is not coherent yet.”
Elizabeth briefly touched his forehead and blushed, remembering the last time she had done that with her lips.
“His fever is gone.”
“Yes. Dr. Cooper said it is remarkable how quickly he recovered after such a bad cold.”
“He is a strong man. And I am sure he is eager to recover, to spare your concern,” Elizabeth smiled at Georgiana. “He is such a good brother that I am sure he would do that.”
Georgiana returned a little smile. “I am sure he would.”
“Miss Darcy, how are you feeling?” Elizabeth insisted. “I do not want to intrude, but I can see you are unwell. I only wish to know if I may help you in any way.”
“I thank you for your care, Miss Bennet. Please do not worry for me, I am fine. I am just embarrassed for making a spectacle of myself.”
“You did no such thing! It was my mother who interfered a little too…forcefully. She has a tendency to do so, but please be sure that she meant well.”
“I know she did. I am truly grateful to Mrs Bennet and to all of you.”
“Miss Darcy, is there anything you want us to do regarding Mr Wickham?”
Georgiana declined, shaking her head.
“Miss Bennet, did you hear what he said to me?”
Elizabeth hesitated a moment.
“I confess I did. I apologise; I did not mean to be tactless, but I noticed you were displeased with the conversation and I decided to intervene.”
The girl looked at her for a moment, then abandoned all struggle and allowed tears to fall down her cheeks. She seemed to have lost her strength and her will; her sobbing revealed long-concealed suffering and her words came out unguarded.
“I have never spoken to anyone about that, except for my brother and my cousin. I made such a terrible mistake, and I hurt William. I have been a complete simpleton. I have known George all my life and I grew up with him as a most important part of my life. He was always around and always so friendly to me. Then last summer, when I was in Ramsgate, he came to visit me and he confessed he had been in love with me for a long while. And that my father often said he would like for George to become his true son.”
She paused and Elizabeth waited in silence until she wiped her eyes.
“I knew I cared deeply for George. So I agreed to marry…To elope. He insisted we should keep our plans secret, and I allowed myself to be convinced not to tell William. But my brother sensed something from my letters so he came to visit me only days before the elopement. And then I could not deceive him anymore. I told him…I expected him to be angry but he was so sad, so disappointed that it broke my heart.”
Georgiana paused and again a heavy silence fell in the room.
“William told me that George was not an honest man. That he had tried to take advantage of my father and my brother for years for pecuniary gain. And that I would be miserable if I married him. William did not tell me as much, but I understood that George wished to elope with me only for my dowry. And I had been such a fool to agree to such a horrid act. I thought he truly loved me and I cared for him so much! He had been my friend my whole life. But he simply deceived me. If William had not happened to visit me, I would have hurt him and my entire family forever, and for nothing.”
“I am sure your brother was more concerned about the harm you would do to yourself than to him,” Elizabeth finally said, her heart aching for the girl.
Everything that had occurred since Wickham arrived in Meryton made perfect sense now. Although there were reasons to presume that Darcy acted for selfish reasons rather than from generosity, Elizabeth did not doubt his motives for a single moment.
The notion that a man would convince a girl of fifteen to deceive her brother to elope with him was nothing honourable and had no excuse.
And Wickham’s impertinent manners towards Darcy were now easier to understand: he likely assumed that Darcy would never allow a scandal to arise, out of fear that it could harm his sister’s reputation.
“He talked to George privately and George simply disappeared. William was upset and sad for a long while. He came with Mr Bingley to look for an estate, but I know he was trying to stay away from me. He was kind enough to write to me regularly and he promised he would spend Christmas with me. But I know he is still disappointed in me and rightfully so.”