Chapter 3 #2
Denny's and Wickham’s backs were to the street when Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy rode towards the group. “Look, there is Miss Bennet,” Bingley spurred his horse forward and jumped off his mount’s back, handing the reins to a boy who was gifted a shilling to hold the horse.
When he joined the group, Miss Bennet did the honours.
Mr. Collins became even more surly than he had been as he saw the way Mr. Bingley looked at his betrothed, and the smiles and blushes she returned.
He vowed to talk to her father to inform him of the honour he planned to bestow on Miss Jane Bennet as soon as they returned to Longbourn.
“Darcy and I were riding to Longbourn to invite you to the ball we are holding this coming Thursday,” Bingley handed the invitation to Miss Bennet, who received it with pleasure.
Elizabeth and Charlotte were watching Mr. Wickham when Mr. Bingley mentioned the name Darcy. Lieutenant Wickham blanched and turned white as he turned and saw his nemesis sitting on his black stallion scowling at him. Mr. Darcy was red with anger while the other man was fearful in the extreme.
When he realised Mr. Darcy was not about to dismount and engage with him, Wickham’s colour returned and gave the man an insolent salute. Darcy wheeled his mount and turned back toward Netherfield Park.
When Bingley noticed the officers, he turned to Mr. Denny, “Please inform your colonel he and all of his officers are invited to the ball,” Bingley offered.
“It seems your friend has departed,” Collins informed Bingley, intending to have his competition leave. It had the desired effect, except for the fact the man kissed his betrothed’s hand.
“I must away,” Bingley doffed his beaver to the rest of the party and mounted his horse and made to follow his friend.
Wickham tried to cover his reaction when he saw Darcy. “I am sure you saw the manner of our greeting,” he pointed out. To his chagrin Miss Elizabeth did not take the bait.
“Will you attend the ball, Mr. Wickham?” Elizabeth asked interested to hear his response.
“If Darcy does not wish to see me, it is he who must leave, I will not be cowed by the likes of him,” Wickham said as he puffed himself up.
The officers excused themselves and the group made for the haberdashery, where Collins waited out front, talking to Miss Dudley while the rest of the party was inside looking at ribbons.
Charlotte pulled Elizabeth aside. “What did you see in the meeting between your favourite and the man you hate?” she asked.
“Mr. Wickham is not my favourite. I saw two men who cannot bear to be in company one with the other,” Elizabeth stated stubbornly, even though she knew her depiction was not accurate.
“Eliza! Are you trying to tell me you no longer have any perspicacity? Wickham was afraid and Darcy angry! If what Mr. Wickham told you had more than a kernel of truth to it, would not he have looked angry and Mr. Darcy ashamed? I will make a prediction now. Mr. Wickham will not attend the ball, and he will have some excuse for which will completely contradict what he just told you,” Charlotte opined.
Elizabeth made no response as she had a feeling her friend had the right of it, but she was not ready to allow herself to admit that much just yet.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bingley caught up with his friend on the outskirts of the town. “Darcy, why did you take off without a word?” he asked.
“Do you remember I told you about the son of my late father’s steward?” Darcy reminded his friend.
“Yes, George Wickham, the one who was at Cambridge,” Bingley confirmed.
“The same. He was one of the lieutenants talking to the Bennet ladies and their friends,” Darcy shared.
“I could not be in his company. I had an urge to vault off Zeus and pummel the man into a bloody pulp! If I did not leave, I would have done so, and you know how much I hate to make a spectacle of myself!”
Darcy had told Bingley much, but nothing of Georgiana’s near ruin at Ramsgate.
Besides Richard, he had only shared the truth of the event with his aunt and uncle, the Earl and Countess of Matlock, and his older cousin, Viscount Hilldale.
Heaven forbid his other aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, should hear of the almost disaster, she would use it as leverage to force him to marry his cousin Anne—something he would never do.
“I understand, Darce. Were it me, I would have pounded him!” It was one of the many differences between the friends.
Bingley was impulsive where Darcy was contemplative; Bingley was easily led where Darcy was a leader.
Ever since Darcy saved Bingley from being beaten by some lordlings at Cambridge who did not appreciate a tradesman’s son among them, the two had been friends.
“Please do not mention anything about my relationship with Wickham to your sisters. I do not want to sound impolitic, but you know Miss Bingley’s penchant for malicious gossip,” Darcy requested.
“Say no more, Darce. Even though I dislike confrontation, I am not blind to my sister’s faults.” The two men rode the rest of the way back to Netherfield Park in companionable silence. When they reached the fields, they gave their horses their heads as they streaked towards Netherfield Park.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Wickham knew it was inevitable Darcy would discover his presence; he was just not ready to see him on this day. And worse, Miss Elizabeth and Miss Lucas had seen his fear when he saw Darcy. In his mind he had recovered well and had a little story ready to explain his reaction.
He would not go to the ball; he quickly forgot his words to the ladies regarding not allowing Darcy to chase him away and started working on a tale that would paint Darcy in a bad light to explain his absence.
His one worry was whether Darcy would warn Meryton’s shopkeepers not to extend credit to him. Wickham doubted this, as he was sure Darcy would do nothing overt to anger him with the story he could tell of the prig’s mousy sister.
In the end, Wickham decided if he avoided being in company with Darcy, he would be able to carry on unimpeded.