Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
When she woke the next morning, Elizabeth quickly dressed and headed toward the kitchens.
She had made a habit of walking early and had befriended the cook who only smiled as she grabbed two warm muffins and wrapped them in a handkerchief as she left the house.
A small part of her wondered at her willingly agreeing to this assignation, though she recognised that Mr. Darcy did not pose any threat.
She wondered a little at her absolute certainty about that fact.
She saw Darcy waiting for her in the same spot they had encountered each other the day before.
Briefly hesitating, she wondered what the gentleman wanted to share with her that moment.
Recalling her dreams of the gentleman and her altered opinion of him, she straightened her shoulders and moved forward.
“Good morning, Miss Elizabeth,” he greeted her, sounding far more cheerful than she had ever heard him.
“Good morning, Mr. Darcy,” she replied as she approached. “Have you had breakfast?” she asked, offering a muffin from her handkerchief.
“I have not,” he said, reaching for one of the proffered items. Taking a bite, he spoke again. “This is delicious. My compliments to Mrs. Collins’s cook.”
Elizabeth nodded her head, then rushed to speak.
“My uncle received a letter from Mr. Bingley claiming that you directed him to send a note after his sister waited weeks to return Jane’s call.
Why did you do that? He has still not called, or at least he had not last I heard, since every time he tries, his sister insists they have something else they must do.
In the autumn, after you departed, Miss Bingley wrote to Jane implying her brother was busy with you and your sister, hinting at an engagement between Mr. Bingley and Miss Darcy.
I believed Miss Bingley to be false, but then Mr. Bingley did not return and now he does not call on her, despite his letters to my uncle.
Jane cannot move past him if he continues to act in this way. ”
Darcy sighed heavily. “There is much to answer, so please, bear with me as I attempt to explain,” he began.
“In November, Miss Bingley insisted that we depart Hertfordshire not long after Bingley went to town for business. She did not attempt to hide her disdain for your part of the country and sought to separate her brother from your sister. I … I confess, I had concerns about their relationship as well.” He held up a hand to stop her when she opened her mouth to speak.
“Bingley is often in and out of love and does not consider that his actions may give rise to expectations. I did notice his attention to your sister, but when asked, expressed my concern that Miss Bennet did not appear to be as affected as he. However”—again, he indicated she should wait and allow him to finish speaking—“the thought occurred to me that, perhaps, like me, Miss Bennet is reserved and did not allow the world at large to see what she was feeling. I amended my advice to my friend a few days after we arrived in London, telling him that as he was the one tacitly courting the lady, he would have seen and noticed things the casual observer would not. I apologised for my interference and encouraged Bingley to discover Miss Bennet’s feelings for himself.
At that time, he stated he intended to return to Netherfield after Twelfth Night, and I went to Pemberley.
I did not know until I returned to London a fortnight ago that he had not travelled to Hertfordshire as he intended.
It was then I learned about Miss Bennet’s visit.
“When Miss Bingley said she had yet to return the call made four or five weeks before, Bingley demanded his sister accompany him to Gracechurch Street immediately. I encouraged him to visit, but not to do so unannounced and uninvited. I told him it would be best for him to send a note to your uncle asking to visit or for Miss Bingley to write to your sister to do the same. Apparently, Bingley did send the note, but I have not seen either party since I offered that suggestion.”
Elizabeth initially looked aggrieved, but as he spoke, he noted that she became more thoughtful.
“You perhaps should not have interfered, but you said Mr. Bingley did ask for your advice. I applaud your attempts to remedy the situation once you realised you may have been incorrect. I will further assure you that Jane does feel far more than she reveals in public. Is there any connection or hope of a connection between your friend and your sister? Will he disappoint my sister? I worry for her heart if things continue as they have been.”
“Georgiana is only fifteen and not yet out. Had she and Bingley expressed an interest in each other in a few years, I would not have objected to the match. At present, however, my sister is too young to contemplate marriage.” He sighed and offered his arm to Elizabeth.
“There is more I have to say about another topic, but might we walk for a time, Miss Elizabeth? I find that I can speak better on this topic if I am moving.”
She agreed and gingerly took his arm. Her thoughts about the gentleman had already changed so much, and he was still so different. Idly, she wondered what could wrought such a change and how prophetic the dreams she had about this visit had been.
As they walked together, Darcy recounted his history with Wickham, providing more detail about their shared upbringing and shedding light on Wickham’s libertine tendencies.
When he mentioned his most recent history, specifically the cad’s attempt to elope with his sister, Elizabeth felt thoroughly ashamed for ever listening to the man and for welcoming him into Longbourn.
“What might be done about him?” Elizabeth asked when the story was done.
“When you left there were no heiresses in Meryton for him to importune, thought he could have injured others with his appearance of charm. After you left, it became known that Miss Mary King also inherited a sum from her grandfather, and he immediately turned his charm toward her, and they are now engaged.” She thought for a moment, then cocked her head to the side as she looked at him for a moment.
“But you must have already taken some steps. I have heard that the militia members were upset that they have not been extended as much credit as they would have liked. Many of the shopkeepers in town have demanded to be paid in coin.”
“After this summer, I was hesitant to act against him due to my worry that he would ruin my sister’s reputation,” Darcy admitted.
“However, I spoke to my cousin, who is familiar with our history, and he wrote to Colonel Forster. I also had my man of business write to Sir William, warning him of the propensity for militia members to charge more than they can afford. I could not do anything more for fear of Wickham learning who was behind this and thought a general warning less dangerous than a specific one.”
Elizabeth considered this for a moment. “And a few well-placed words might have made people more cautious of all the militia members, not just Mr. Wickham. As credit was restricted for all militia members, then he could not view it as a personal attack. If all the maidens in town become wary of false promises made by soldiers, they might also be more cautious.” Elizabeth thought about this for a moment.
“My youngest sisters are still enamoured of the officers, including Mr. Wickham. While I came to distrust the story he told me about you and mentioned some of those concerns in town, your reputation was such that Wickham was still believed. While he may not be able to spend as much as he likes, what is to prevent him from ruining someone like my sisters?”
Darcy scrubbed his hand across his face.
He had not thought about how he might be viewed in Meryton, so focused was he on changing the opinion of one of its residents.
“I do not know. I had hoped warning people to be cautious around him would help, but if he is still being welcomed like the other officers, I do not know what might be done to aid your sisters.”
Both were silent for a moment, but then Elizabeth spoke again.
“A frank conversation with silly girls like my sisters about the prospects of soldiers may help—would your cousin like to visit Hertfordshire and perhaps exaggerate the living conditions of soldiers and how they make poor husbands?” This last was said in part as a tease, and Darcy smiled at her in reply.
“I think Richard would enjoy doing that, for he is quite adept at storytelling.”
“Your cousin’s propensity for telling tales might help there.
Since my Aunt Phillips often acts as the town crier, if he were to tell his stories in front of her, the entire town would know quickly, and the younger girls might be more wary of the militia members.
Of course, I believe they are to depart soon. ”
“If he does visit, Richard should simply work into the conversation how little officers in the militia make and how often they leave debts and ruined women behind? You think that will cause some people to be less enamoured with them?” Darcy asked with a raised brow.
“I do not know your cousin, but as a colonel in the army, my sisters and aunt would listen to him more readily than they would to me or Jane,” Elizabeth acknowledged.
“And it would not be that hard with my sisters there to work these types of things into the conversation. You said your cousin is a storyteller. Surely, he can find a way to speak of it over tea.”
“He is. I should not doubt his ability to do so simply because I would find it difficult.”