“I do not want to go! We have not seen all the militiamen yet! Really, Lizzy, you may not be in a hurry to find a husband, but that does not mean you have to ruin it for the rest of us.”
Though the younger girls might not have gone quietly, Elizabeth found she had a powerful ally in the form of the dark clouds that were just beginning to approach from the horizon.She gestured to the sky, drawing Lydia’s attention to them. “We should be off for home, and quickly. If we hurry, we may return before the rain begins.”
Thatargument was persuasive, for Lydia had no wish to see her new bonnet ruined. On their way home, Lydia and Kitty stayed well ahead of their elder sisters, no doubt whispering of the imagined wrongs they had suffered. Elizabeth was glad of a moment to talk privately with Jane. “That was so wholly unexpected. I was sure I was going to meet the ground with a hard thud and break something.” She tucked the book under her arm as they walked, her heart fluttering as she thought of how Mr Wickham had held her in his arms, even if only for a moment. She looked down at the ground, embarrassed. “He was very kind to come to my aid.”
“Yes, he certainly was. And it did not hurt that he was so handsome,” Jane whispered.
Elizabeth looked at her sister in surprise. It was a rather forward remark, unlike Jane’s usual careful delicacy. Elizabeth could only give a short laugh. “I would have been no less grateful if he were old and battle-scarred.”
“Oh, I know you would have, Lizzy. But I do not think you would have blushed such a deep red if he had been old and worn.” Jane gave a rare mischievous smile. “And to think he wants to come and call on you tomorrow. He has no notion of your inheritance, and yet, he comes. Perhaps Mama will finally forgive you for not taking Mr Collins when she sees how handsome Mr Wickham is.”
Elizabeth could hardly contain the wild beating of her heart. It was a fair point. Her heart lifted at the thought that Mr Wickham was simply coming to see her because he was concerned for her welfare, not because of her inheritance. “Itwill certainly be a relief not to have that hanging over my head during his visit.”
Jane turned to her and linked arms with her. “I think he was genuinely taken with you, Lizzy. And his manners are almost as good as Mr Bingley’s.”
Elizabeth gave a sly smile. “Almost?”
It was Jane’s turn to be embarrassed. “Well, yes. I only meant that —”
“There is no need to explain. I understand your meaning perfectly,” Elizabeth said. Though she understood, she did not entirely agree. Jane’s opinion was perhaps a little clouded by love, for Mr Wickham’s manners were clearly better than Mr Bingley’s. Much as she liked the affable Mr Bingley, it was a fact that was sometimes a little tongue-tied, even blundering. In contrast, Mr Wickham had been so smooth in speech, so confident.
She glanced at her sister. No doubt Jane was embroiled in her own private musings. Jane had eyes for no one but Mr Bingley, and for that, she was happy for her sister. Jane had waited a long while to find love, and it would seem she was on the brink of marital bliss — if only Mr Bingley would not keep her waiting too long.
When they arrived home and told their parents of what had occurred, the whole house was thrown into an uproar. “My dears, what a fortuitous turn of events. I am very glad you went to Meryton. I so wish I would have gone with you, but you know what a state of upset my poor nerves have been since Mr Collins left us,” her mother said. She was still upset with Elizabeth, but the news that she had met another young man seemed to help assuage her grief over Mr Collins’s departure. “We must prepare the house immediately!”
And so, for the rest of the evening, the maids worked diligently on scouring the house and being sure that it was presentable for their male callers. “Perhaps Mr Wickham will bring a few of the other officers with him!” Mrs Bennet cried eagerly. Their mother flitted about, Mr Collins all but forgotten.
Elizabeth was more than a little relieved that she seemed to be forgiven. Though she had known that her mother could not maintain her anger for the rest of her life, as she had threatened to do, any amount of time spent at such odds with her parent was deeply unpleasant.
Perhaps she might even set her mother’s mind still more at ease one day before too many more months had passed — if a certain charming gentleman proved to be all he had seemed at first glance.
Chapter 13
The following day, breakfast was a quick affair. True to Jane’s prediction, their mother had been thrilled at hearing of Mr Wickham’s saving Elizabeth from harm, but even more so that he was coming to call on them. “I cannot wait to meet him. Lydia has said that he is very charming and handsome! With any luck, you will be able to snap him up before any of the other young ladies in Meryton, Lizzy.”
Though Elizabeth could not help but blush at such talk, her spirits were lifted by the hope that her mother might express any such vulgar notions before their visitor arrived, rather than in his presence. It seemed a long time until the hour visitors might first be expected, for their mother had ushered them to the drawing room and arranged them for greatest effect long before any polite gentleman would think himself free to arrive.
Yet the wait was not as long as it might have been. To their surprise and delight, Mr Wickham arrived just as Mr Bingley was seen coming over the rise toward Longbourn. “Splendid!” their mother exclaimed. “Now, we shall have two young gentlemen to tell Lady Lucas about when she and Charlotte next call.”
It was no secret that Mrs Bennet and Lady Lucas shared a rivalry. They had long been in a kind of race to see which onecould have a daughter married first — and how great a chance of happiness that daughter might expect in marriage did not seem to enter their thoughts. Elizabeth rolled her eyes heavenward but tried to focus on being presentable when the gentlemen were announced. Their father was called since he would have to officially meet and introduce the ladies to Mr Wickham. He seemed nonplussed, but did his duty well, before retreating once more to his library.
“It is so good of you to come, Mr Wickham,” Elizabeth said as they all made themselves comfortable.
“I would not have missed coming to call on you and your family for anything. I trust you found no injuries when you arrived home?” he asked.
“None whatsoever, thanks to you, Mr Wickham,” she smiled.
Jane and Mr Bingley settled themselves on the nearby settee, while Elizabeth and Mr Wickham took the two chairs near the hearth. Lydia and Kitty sat on the opposite side of the room. Every once in a while, Elizabeth caught a jealous glance from Lydia. Embarrassed by her sister’s lack of discretion, she tried her best to ignore it. Mary did not join the conversation, but played the pianoforte loudly in the other room.
“I hope you do not miss your friend Mr Darcy too much, Mr Bingley. It was a pity he had to leave us so soon after arriving,” Jane remarked sweetly.
There was an awkward pause for a moment. Mr Bingley cleared his throat and looked down at his hands. He shifted uneasily, glanced at Mr Wickham, then turned his attention back to Jane. “It is a shame to have a friend leave, but I — well, at least Darcy is always happy at Pemberley. For my sake, I am very gladof the friends I have here in Hertfordshire.” He looked longingly at Jane.
Elizabeth smiled to herself. It took little wit to guess his meaning.
Her sister blushed prettily, and they continued in their conversation, while Mr Wickham turned privately to her. Thanks to Mary’s playing, their words went unheard by the others. “I did not know Mr Darcy had been here in Meryton. What did everyone think of him?” he asked.
It was all too obvious that there must be a history between Mr Wickham and Mr Darcy. It only piqued Elizabeth’s interest in the young officer all the more. “He was very unpopular with the bulk of society in these parts. He was much too aloof for our liking, I think,” she replied. “Why do you ask?”
