Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
E lizabeth slowly wandered through the Longbourn gardens. The hour was early enough that the light was still dim. Not that she would be able to take in anything she saw or notice the sounds of the world around her, so deep was she lost in contemplation.
Several days had passed since Lord Romsley and Viscount Bramwell’s brief visit. Darcy had told her what had passed between the men, Georgiana, and Mr Wickham, expressing his ongoing frustration and uncertainty in ever-stronger terms. She acknowledged that Darcy and his family knew Mr Wickham better than she could, thus she readily deferred to their belief that they needed to wait for him to give up whatever game he was playing. Eventually, Darcy assured her, the man would accept a reasonable sum of money and leave. But who knew how long that would take and what damage would be done by then, if—as Elizabeth fervently hoped—they were right? Her father refused to allow her mother to plan the wedding, which led to an endless stream of complaints and questions. Elizabeth was glad he did not explain his restriction, but it was small comfort. Jane had confided to her that Mr Bingley was anxious on his friend’s behalf, and Elizabeth suspected it was affecting their relationship, delaying his proposal and thus Jane’s happiness. Darcy was beside himself, hardly sleeping or eating, and even Georgiana was showing signs of discontent.
“I do not know why my family is so against my marriage,” she had said to Elizabeth the day before when she had been at Netherfield; they chatted in the music room. “It is as though they do not want me to be happy. Fitzwilliam’s letters are full of warnings about my husband and unfounded claims that he is not good enough for me. And my uncle was horrible to Wickham.”
“Oh? What did he say that was so distressing?” Elizabeth had asked, having the impression from Darcy that the earl had spoken to the couple separately. That would mean Georgiana’s knowledge had come from Mr Wickham.
Sure enough, Georgiana responded, “I do not know exactly, but Wickham told me he was and so was Bramwell. And my brother is angry all the time, and while my husband says I should not mind his jealousy, I cannot overlook it as easily as he does.”
When asked why Darcy might be jealous, Georgiana had explained, “Wickham says my brother must think that their friendship will change. They have always been just like brothers, you know? I thought he would be glad that now they actually are brothers, but instead, he must hate that more of Wickham’s attention will be on me. I do not know what to do. Perhaps we ought to leave. Wickham says he will find us a wonderful house in town when it is time for him to return to his studies. I thought perhaps we should depart at once, that the separation from my brother might be what he needs to realise that I am no longer a child, and he will have to either accept my marriage, or…”
Elizabeth had not been disappointed when Georgiana was unable to go on; instead, she had looked dejected, and Elizabeth had changed the subject to innocuous ones, such as sewing and novels. If she heard the young woman say the words ‘Wickham says’ one more time, she believed she might have screamed and fled the room.
At present, Elizabeth continued her slow, aimless wandering until she reached an important conclusion. There was only one way she could help her beloved Darcy and ensure the entire affair ended as well as it could—with as few hurt feelings and destroyed relationships as possible. A single man was keeping so many others from being happy and safe: George Wickham. From what Darcy had told her, Mr Wickham had once been a kind, cheerful boy. Might there be a good person inside of him still? Surely it was impossible for someone who had been admirable to become wholly bad?
It is too much to hope that he could become estimable again, but what if I could coax some goodness out of him? What a difference that would make!
Wickham might become a respectable husband, if not a devoted one. Or maybe he would agree to leave Georgiana in Darcy’s care sooner rather than later, explaining to her that it was necessary for some reason or other. Georgiana was credulous enough to trust him, and if—when—she understood how he had used her, her family would be there to lessen her heartache. Even if all Elizabeth accomplished was to make Mr Wickham less antagonistic towards Darcy, if she could persuade him to stop poisoning Georgiana against her family, as Elizabeth sensed he was doing, it would be an improvement .
Between Darcy and Lord Romsley, they might be able to devise some means of freeing them from Mr Wickham forever. I cannot imagine what it would be, but they are men of the world, the earl a powerful one .
Elizabeth’s scheme would require befriending Mr Wickham, as unpleasant a prospect as it was. It would help if I understood what brought about his pursuit of Georgiana. Surely there is more to it than his desire for money. Darcy claimed Mr Wickham wanted to make him suffer. If she could convince him to no longer want that, to think of Darcy as a friend again…
There were such strong, ugly feelings between them—revenge and hatred. None of them would have peace until the men resolved their conflict, one she blamed solely on Mr Wickham.
The pair had once loved each other. She would not be so foolish as to hope they would again, but they might tolerate each other, which would be enough to make a material difference to all of their lives, perhaps even convince the man to give up his claim on Georgiana, though that was likely too much to hope for. Whatever outcome they were working towards, none—none that were acceptable—would happen unless Mr Wickham improved. He must become a better man—one resembling the gentleman Darcy had once believed he would be. If she could achieve some success in that regard, then she could work on making Darcy accept the positive changes in his former friend. That would be the easier task, because his motive was purer: to ensure his sister’s well-being.
“In order to do that, he will need to keep her, and thus Mr Wickham, nearby, and none of us can continue the way we have been for much longer. I am so terribly afraid the horrid man will remove himself and Georgiana from Netherfield if he is not given a reason to stay. I must make him remember who he was as a boy and have him decide to be him again,” she muttered.
She would require more information about his and Darcy’s childhood, but whom could she ask? The question worried her until she was in her chamber a short while later, preparing for breakfast. There she spied the note she had lately received from Rebecca expressing her concern and vowing her assistance.
“I have just thought of how you can help, my dear friend and future cousin! As soon as I have eaten, I have a letter to write.”