Chapter 1.7 #3
“No sir, I thought it would be better that, perhaps…you would tell me what you consider necessary for me to know…so I should not interfere in something that is not my concern.”
“Very well then. Before going further, I should like to clarify Mr Wickham’s statement about my cousin Miss de Bourgh.”
“No, really, sir, that is not necessary—”
“I think it is; please allow me to explain. My cousin Anne is indeed a very pleasant young lady, but her health is not good; consequently, she does not travel much. That is why Colonel Fitzwilliam and I are careful to make annual visits in order to spend some time with her. Although I am very fond of Anne as my cousin, let me assure you that neither she nor I intend to be connected in any other way. However, my aunt insists upon this, and she can be very demanding. She never accepts opinions other than her own.”
“Like my mother,” said Elizabeth, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
“Oh no, Miss Elizabeth, her vehemence is much more so. Trust me as I am now acquainted with both the ladies in question.”
She smiled, and he was about to resume his story when the heavy door of the library opened and a well-known voice startled them.
“Elizabeth, may I inquire what you are doing here alone with Mr Darcy?”
∞∞∞
They hurried to their feet, seeing an agitated Mr Bennet in the doorway. The tone of his voice left no room for misunderstanding regarding his opinion about the situation in which they found themselves.
“Mr Darcy, allow me to say that this is indeed a situation that would bring harm to my daughter’s reputation. To be honest, I am very disappointed. I should not have expected such behaviour from either of you.”
“Mr Bennet, if you would allow me to explain, sir—”
“I do not think any explanation would be satisfactory, sir. Lizzy, let us return to the ball this instant. Your mother asked insistently about you—”
“Papa, I shall go, but before I do, I beg you to listen to me.”
“Say what you have to say quickly, and let us be done with this.”
“You have no reason to blame Mr Darcy. Nothing improper happened.”
“How can it not be improper to be alone in the middle of the night with a man in an isolated room?”
“I am the one to blame because I acted childishly. I was upset by something Mr Wickham told me, and I ran in here. Mr Darcy was only too kind to try to comfort me.”
“Did Wickham harm you in any way, Lizzy?” asked Mr Bennet, suddenly worried.
“Not really, Father. He just upset me.”
“I see; then I am at a loss to understand why, if you were upset, you asked Mr Darcy to comfort you and not me or your sister, for instance.”
“Mr Bennet, the situation is not what you have been told, and Miss Elizabeth is only too kind to take the blame upon herself. She did not require my help. In fact, she told me that my presence was not welcomed. It was only my selfish and prideful nature that led me to the presumption that I could be of some help, and in doing that, I created an awkward situation.”
Elizabeth’s father looked from his daughter to Darcy, struggling to keep a serious countenance while they were trying at once to excuse each other. Now, that is loyalty. He was excessively diverted.
He was also disapproving of the situation in which he found them.
Not for a second did it cross his mind that Elizabeth and Darcy were doing anything improper.
His guess was that they wanted to have a private conversation and searched for a secluded place, but for anyone else who might have seen them alone, it was as improper as any other frivolous activities.
He decided to chastise them a bit longer.
“Well, apparently we can argue until morning trying to decide which of you has the greater part, but neither of you is without blame. So let us return; I hope I made myself clear in saying that I shall not tolerate this kind of behaviour again. I do not want this situation ever to be repeated. Dancing is what I remember one must do at a ball.”
They were deeply embarrassed. Darcy had little to say—firstly, because the gentleman was Elizabeth’s father and secondly, because he knew very well that Mr Bennet was right.
Both men were surprised to hear Elizabeth’s determined voice. “Papa, I do understand you perfectly. But I beg you to allow me a few more minutes to speak with Mr Darcy. I was just asking him about an important and private matter—”
“Lizzy, I cannot believe my ears! What important and private matter can that be? Do you and Mr Darcy have some secrets to share that cannot be revealed to your father?”
Again, Darcy intervened. “Mr Bennet, it is not actually a secret. I was about to tell Miss Elizabeth about my past dealings with Mr Wickham.”
Mr Bennet’s first reaction was one of boredom. Ah…that Wickham story again! Oh my, not before dinner…
In truth, Mr Bennet had real interest in few things in his life, and Mr Wickham was not one of those things.
However, looking at the two young people in front of him, he was surprised to see them very affected and preoccupied with the subject.
Mr Bennet was at a loss as to why his normally witty and bright daughter would react in such an uncharacteristic way and waste her time at a ball speaking of Mr Wickham.
The fact was more surprising as her opinion of the fellow obviously had lowered in the last couple of days.
In truth, she seems to have reacted strangely since the very beginning in any matter concerning these gentlemen.
Although he wanted to assure his daughter’s tranquillity, he could not decide to make such a concession and risk prolonging their present improper situation. “Lizzy, I am sorry to disappoint you, my child. I respect your wish, but it is unthinkable to leave you here alone.”
“Mr Bennet, I had the privilege of your trust on a very delicate matter three days ago when you hardly knew me. I am sure I can depend on your secrecy with this unpleasant story. So if you could spare a little more time, I should have no objection to sharing it with both you and Miss Elizabeth.”
Darcy’s tone was full of deference, but he was insistent, and Mr Bennet understood that this was something of importance. “Very well, Mr Darcy, let us hear you out once and for all.”
They sat on the sofa while Darcy began to talk with obvious distress.
“Miss Elizabeth, I do not know what Mr Wickham told you, so I shall start from the beginning. He is the son of a very respectable man who had the management of all the Pemberley estates for many years, and whose good conduct in the discharge of his trust naturally inclined my father to be of service to him. On George Wickham, who was my father’s godson, his kindness was likewise liberally bestowed… ”
By the time he finished the story, Elizabeth’s torment had grown considerably.
She was mortified at how despicably she had acted three days ago; upon neither Mr Wickham nor Mr Darcy could she think without being ashamed of herself.
She could not reconcile herself with the benevolence she had bestowed upon Mr Wickham from the first moment of their meeting and the injustice she had heaped on Mr Darcy—and would have continued to heap on him if not for their accidental meeting three days earlier.
She could not meet Mr Darcy’s eyes, but she braved a quick glance in her father’s direction in order to read his reaction to the gentleman’s tale.
Mr Bennet, however, was not in the same way impressed.
As his opinion about either man was never as bad or good as was Elizabeth’s, this revelation was not a surprise to him.
Yes, Wickham proved to be a cheating scoundrel who tried to deceive them all and mostly tried to deceive his Lizzy, but that was something Mr Bennet would think about…
tomorrow in his library. For now, he was pleased to be done with this.
However, Darcy continued to speak, pacing the room, and Mr Bennet followed him with his eyes, impressed by the young man’s changed appearance. Clearly, he was burdened by an immense weight and had more to tell.
“Last summer, Wickham again most painfully gained my notice as he tried to impose himself on a young lady of my family who was then but fifteen. Wickham persuaded her to believe herself in love and to consent to an elopement. His chief object was unquestionably the young lady’s fortune, which is considerable, but I cannot help supposing that the hope of revenging himself on me was a strong inducement.
Had he been successful, his revenge would have been complete indeed. ”
He again stopped for a few moments, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm himself. “Mr Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, of everything I have said I can put at your disposal proofs and documents to attest to their veracity.”
Darcy’s latest part of the story affected Mr Bennet more than he would expect.
He fully remembered Darcy’s words from three days earlier about the necessity of knowing the whole truth in order to be able to protect one’s family.
For the first time, Mr Bennet began to think of the burden that must have been on this young man’s shoulders since his father died five years before.
He could not help but go to him and stroke him on the back in a show of support.
“That will not be necessary, Mr Darcy. We are very grateful for your trust in us and assure you of our secrecy.”
Then, without completely understanding why he was making such an unthinkable gesture, Mr Bennet went slowly to the door, looking pointedly at both Elizabeth and her companion.
“Well…I am quite illuminated for the moment. Lizzy, in case you have further questions, do ask them quickly. Supper is about to start, and I shall wait for you at the table shortly.” With that, he left the library, closing the door behind him.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth and Mr Darcy remained behind, standing in amazed silence, hardly believing that they were left alone. Finally, she succeeded in recovering and broke the silence, her voice trembling, barely daring to hold his gaze.