“I have not told anyone, not even Jane,” Elizabeth whispered. “Ioughtto have informed Jane, it isherhome, and she should know if sheis inviting someone who might be disturbed by my presence. It is unpardonable of me, really.”
“I am certain your sister could only be concerned foryourfeelings, Miss Bennet.” Jane shook her head. “Even in the short time I have been here, I have become aware of your uncommon devotion to one another. I feel a kinship with you in that, for though I cannot tell you anything about my family, I believe that I am similarly devoted to my sister. But… may I ask… Mr Darcy knows you reside in Meryton, does he not?”
“Yes, of course, we have been acquainted for just over a year. We met here in Meryton,” Elizabeth informed her.
“Well then, if he knew you live in Meryton, and that you are the sister of his hostess, he must have arrived knowing he would see you here, even if he did not think he would reside with you,” Jane rationalised. “And if you and Mrs Bingley are as devoted to one another as everyone suggests, he must have come with the understanding that he would see you quite often, perhaps daily.”
“Do you think so? Thatwouldmake a great deal of sense, would it not?” Elizabeth raised a hand to her mouth. “Then why would he have been so dismissive this morning?”
“I really could not say, since I do not know the situation.” Jane raised a brow. “Perhaps he did not expect to encounter you so early this morning. Do you usually visit the library in the morning?”
Jane knew Elizabeth’s morning habits better than anybody, having created them herself, but she was attempting to encourage the younger woman to be open.
“No, I would normally go straight out of doors, but so I think, would he, usually. When he was here before, I saw him on his horse often when I walked. And in Kent, we met nearly every morning near Rosings Park.” The younger woman reddened at the admission. “He must have been avoiding me this morning in the library!”
“But to what end, if he came knowing he would see you often?” Jane asked.
“I suppose you cannot help me reason it out if you do not know what happened between us,” Elizabeth relented. “When my brother Charles arrived in Meryton last year, he brought Mr Darcy as his guest.On the first night of our acquaintance, the man insulted me at the Meryton Assembly.”
“No!” Jane breathed. “Is he truly so unpleasant?”
“Oh no! Merely reticent, as I later learned. But itwasvery unpleasant when he called me tolerable, but not handsome enough to dance with.” Elizabeth picked her way slowly through the gardens arm in arm with Jane. “For the duration of his visit, he either avoided me, or purposely put himself forward, it seemed as if he were perversely attempting to find fault with me. I later learned that it was because he was charmed by my refusal to pander to him as Miss Bingley still does–even though she is engaged–and he was attempting to debate with me.”
They arrived at the folly, which they circled about and admired as Elizabeth continued. “Later, an old connection of his joined the regiment stationed in Meryton, a man who held a grudge against Mr Darcy. Sensing that I also did not care for his rival, he spun a web of lies to gain my sympathy, and to my shame, I believed him.”
“Oh Miss Bennet, I am certain you could never have known.” Jane patted her arm comfortingly.
“I cannot be so easy on myself. He imposed his information upon me on the very first day we met, and instead of using my sense–which I used to consider to be very good–to wonder why any man should tell all of his private affairs to a perfect stranger, I was swept up by the injustice of his tale, and it hardened me to Mr Darcy further. It does not help my case, Miss Jane, that the villain was excessively handsome, and that he flattered my vanity, then moved on without warning the moment that an heiress appeared.”
The two ladies took a seat on a convenient stone bench overlooking the gardens. “There was a ball at Netherfield, and it seemed certain that at some point very soon, Mr Bingley, who had paid very marked attentions to my sister Jane, would make her an offer. However, the morning after the ball, Netherfield was closed, and my sister received intelligence from Miss Bingley that her brother was to return to London to pursue Miss Darcy.”
“That sweet child at the breakfast table?” Jane cried, feeling that she must show some shock. Indeed, when she met Miss Darcy, even she hadbeen shocked by the young lady’s youth and innocence when faced with it thus.
“You comprehend the impertinence of such a claim perfectly, Miss Jane.” Miss Bennet nodded. “Jane was heartbroken. She truly loves Charles. She was sent to our Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in London, where she visited Mr Bingley’s sister, and was snubbed terribly. Meanwhile, I had refused a proposal from my father’s cousin who then married my dearest friend. I visited them in the spring in Kent. Coincidentally, Mr Darcy’s aunt is my cousin’s patroness, and he visits his aunt every Easter for a fortnight.
“He delayed his departure from Kent in order to court me in his rather strange way, but I still had no proper understanding of him. He held himself aloof while he admired me, and I did not comprehend his difficulty. I thought he disliked me, but that was because his manner was so intense. Shortly before I was to leave for London to join my sister, Colonel Fitzwilliam accidentally informed me that Mr Darcy had intentionally removed Charles from Meryton because our family was unsuitable, and that he congratulated himself on having saved his friend from an imprudent match.”
“Beastly men!” Jane watched as Elizabeth stood and began to pace.
“It seems to have been an attempt to impress me with his cousin’s loyalty to his friends. That night I could not bear to dine in Mr Darcy’ company, so I remained behind at the parsonage. He left his family and called upon me alone. He rendered the most boorish and insulting proposal I had received since the one I declined from my cousin.” Miss Bennet shook her head in frustration. “He insulted my family, and said marrying me was a degradation he was willing to accept. As you can imagine, I quite lost my temper. I said so many things. Much of it he well deserved. Now that I think back, the justice of my anger was merited, though I did not express it as a lady ought. But I cannot forgive myself for having brought the other man into it. Mr Wickham. The one who slandered him.”
Jane reflected upon this. The scene with Darcy and Elizabeth in Hunsford was exquisite on the page, if she said so herself. She could still recall her excitement when writing it; the sheer outrage, pain and mortification on both sides eliciting such enthrallment!But now seeing her heroine recount her recollections, Jane was almost sorry for having imposed such anxiety upon the young lady before her.
The poor dear was only meant to endurea bitof trouble before she gained all that she desired.
Miss Bennet sat for a moment beside Jane again, and then immediately stood up again and resumed pacing. “After informing him of my knowledge of his harm to my sister, I accused him of ruining the life of his childhood friend out of petty jealousy, of withholding valuable advantages which had been designed for him. He was shocked by my vehement defense of an utter bounder, withdrew his suit, and left me. You cannot imagine the state of emotion that I was in. He found me walking the following morning and gave me a letter, explaining his part in the separation of Charles from Jane. When I was faced with it from his perspective, I could understand his desire to protect his friend from a match that might not be of true affection. He also explained his part in the story of Mr Wickham, and even encouraged me to seek out someone trustworthy who could verify his claims. I will not break his confidence, I only say that Mr Wickham behaved abominably–no–infamously–towards the entire Darcy family, as he eventually does to all of whom he calls friend. Whatever Mr Darcy must do to protect his loved ones from that villain, can only be the correct course.”
Elizabeth sank back onto the bench and sighed. “He left Kent in haste, and I soon met Jane in London, and then we returned home. In the summer, I traveled into the north with my aunt and uncle. The summer was an utter disaster for my family. First, business forced my uncle to change his destination, so instead of summering in the Lake District, we had only time to visit Derbyshire, the childhood home of my aunt. Next, my youngest sister Lydia had been foolishly let out before her time, at my mother's insistence. At only fifteen, she was invited to accompany the wife of the colonel of a visiting militia regiment to Brighton. She never ought to have been allowed. Mr Wickham attempted to tempt her into some foolishness; to what end, we do not know, for it is certain he never intended to marry her. She was sent home by her hosts before exposing herself to shame and ridicule, but it was a close call. Now she has been brought back in, and there was no permanent harm done, but she could have been lost to us forever.
“Then when I was in the north with my aunt and uncle, we encountered Mr Darcy, who seemed as if he was eager to try again, and asked me to meet his sister. I accepted with alacrity, for after having read his letter many times, I had determined that he was the man who, in character and temperament, would most suit me; I bitterly regretted not having come to know him properly. The introduction was agreed upon for the next day, when we were to visit his estate for tea. But my uncle received an express that night informing us that a warehouse in London belonging to him had burnt down, and two of his employees were killed in the blaze. Obviously, we had no choice but to make haste for home. We sent a note with our regrets, and left before dawn.”
Miss Bennet sighed again and smiled at Jane. “One good thing came from the summer. Charles was with Mr Darcy the day we met in Lambton, and was much affected by seeing me. I made it patently obvious that there was someone in Hertfordshire pining for him. Jane has informed me that Mr Darcy then made a full confession in his part of separating them to Charles, admitting that he had since learned that his opinion had been quite incorrect. Charles made haste to Meryton, and he and Jane were married before Michaelmas.”
“And that was the last that you heard from him?” Jane breathed.
“It was,” Miss Bennet admitted. “He was unable to attend the wedding, but Charles insisted on hosting him for Christmas. He says Mr Darcy hosted his family so many times, he feels blessed to be able to repay the hospitality properly. That did not go over well with Miss Bingley, who was the hostess here when Mr Darcy stayed last year, and who takes offence at the suggestion that her skills were lacking. She has made life horrible for Jane.”
“Miss Kitty whispered something to that effect this morning when Mr Bingley chastised his sister,” Jane observed. “It seems to me that Mr Darcy has been hurt by your going away so abruptly. He needs to be informed that you did not flee from his invitation.”
