And then he started when he saw Mr. Wickham. His face went pale with anger. The two gentlemen stared at each other. Wickham looked flushed, and he then doffed his hat.
Mr. Darcy turned his horse around and immediately rode away, leaving Bingley rather nonplused. After inquiring after Jane’s health and giving them all an invitation to his ball, Bingley shrugged and rode off after his friend saying, “I do wonder what is bothering him.”
After the way that Mr. Wickham had looked at her this morning, Elizabeth dressed with a particular attention to breaking up her figure, and to colors which would make her skin appear too sallow. She also packed the little pistol into her reticule, which was something that she almost never actually did.
Once she had seen that Mr. Darcy disliked him, Mr. Wickham’s gaze and conversation made Elizabeth feel uncomfortable.
It was notimpossiblefor a gentleman to have earned Mr. Darcy’s sharp displeasure and yet be of a decent character. Elizabeth would have happily staked her stash of pocket money and a great many books upon the opposite.
Despite this, when Mr. Wickham entered the room, and every woman in the room turned to look upon that favored man, Elizabeth was by no means unhappy to perceiveherself, or at least her table, to be favored by him in turn. Even though she had no desire for his attentions, she had a strong curiosity to know about his connection with Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth was seated by Mrs. Bennet for whist with Lady Lucas as a third. Mr. Wickham completed their table.
At first the common pleasantries were spoken. Mr. Wickham was happy to make the acquaintance of them all andto claim a longstanding friendship—since this morning—with Elizabeth.
All were pleased by his way of speaking, and Elizabeth blushed, though she wished to conceal it.
In a like way the conversation continued for the first quarter of an hour. Then between rounds Elizabeth was sent to fetch a piece of melted cheese on toast along with a glass of wine. Lady Lucas added a request for her own glass of punch, and with a little difficulty Elizabeth managed to fetch the cheese from the kitchen, and the beverages from the table.
At her return she found Mr. Wickham making inquiry about how Mr. Darcy was thought of in the neighborhood.
Mrs. Bennet replied, “No one likes him at all. He insulted my Lydia terribly on his first evening here. He danced with her in apology, but he was not sincere in his apology. I know because he barely spoke a word to her since, and he has not asked anyone else to a dance.”
There had not been a ball since,andMr. Darcy had asked Elizabeth to dance at Lucas Lodge. In any case he had been wholly willing to dance with her when Sir William made the suggestion.
Never had Elizabeth been happier for her foresight in knowing better than to accept that offer than right now.
Mr. Wickham now appealed to Lady Lucas for her thoughts upon Mr. Darcy, and she agreed with Mrs. Bennet. “He does not speak much.Myvanity has not been offended by him, like my friends, but he thinks himself too good for us. He was most curt with my husband when Sir William asked him politely about if he was often at St. James. And he never speaks much to anyone. He has paid no attention to any of my daughters. I cannot say that any of us like him. I imagine that his temper must be bad.”
Elizabeth felt a tightness in her guts. She could not look up, but she saw Mr. Wickham’s satisfied air from the edge of her eyes, and Mrs. Bennet’s hint of a smile.
With some difficulty Elizabeth said, “You both rather misunderstand the gentleman. He is shy, but—”
“Hush, girl,” Mrs. Bennet replied. “Shy? A gentleman with ten thousand a year! I would laugh if I thought that true. Depend upon it. He is only terribly vain—do not listen to Lizzy. No one likes him. Not even Miss Lizzy. She only delights in being contrary. Mr. Bennet taught her to always argue with everyone.Heis perpetually contrary. He will disagree with anyone speaking sense, merely for the sake of being disagreeable.”
Elizabeth thought that Mrs. Bennet misunderstood her husband as well. And Elizabeth felt no urge to defend Mr. Bennet. That would be ridiculous, he was after all Mrs. Bennet’s husband. Why did sheneedto defend Mr. Darcy?
During the next round the conversation dwelled on the nature of the neighborhood and how many families it included. Lady Lucas and Mrs. Bennet spent a fierce five minutes arguing over the exact number. There were three families about whom they differed as to whether they were high enough to be part of “the neighborhood”. They discussed the weather, the roads, the state of the millinery shops, and how they were both too distant from London and too close.
Ordinary things, and nothing to relieve Elizabeth’s curiosity about Mr. Wickham’s connection to Mr. Darcy.
She supposed that she would have to relieve her curiosity by directly entreating that Mr. Darcy himself for information when next they met. And she would, of course, need to hope that he held the business to not require privacy.
Shortly before the time came for supper to be laid out on the buffet tables, Mr. Wickham returned to the subject of Mr.Darcy: “But about Mr. Darcy, did you say anything about how long that gentleman is likely to remain in the neighborhood?”
“I do not know,” Mrs. Bennet said. “He is Mr. Bingley’s particular friend, and none ofusare likely to be privy to his comings or goings—Lizzy, did they speak about the subject said during the time you and Jane spent at Netherfield?”
“No, ma’am. Not that I remember hearing. I did gain the impression that Mr. Darcy definitely intended to return to his own house before Christmas.”
That was a sad thought.
“I do hope,” Lady Lucas said to Mr. Wickham, “thatyourpresence in the neighborhood will not be affected by Mr. Darcy’s plans. There never are enough handsome young men at the balls for all of the girls.”
Elizabeth thought this likely to be not quite correct. The militia had arrived after the last full assembly.Theyalready provided officers enough that evenshemight expect a partner for any set that she wished to dance. Perhaps the key term in what Lady Lucas said washandsome.
There certainly could never be enoughhandsomeyoung men. Especially as Mr. Darcy was not likely to dance many sets at Bingley’s ball.
“I have always observed that to be true.” Wickham agreed with Lady Lucas’s observation. “Not one ball in ten has enough young men. And there are always so many fine young women. This neighborhood is very well supplied with beauties.” Mr. Wickham looked pointedly towards a table where two of Mrs. Bennet’s daughters sat along with Charlotte Lucas. “But as for Mr. Darcy, it makes no difference to me whether he comes or goes. It is for him to leave if he wishes to avoid me. My conscience is always clear! I have no reason to fear meeting him.”
