“I was upstairs when Mr Wickham came for me, and my brother confronted him. It was clear from their conversation that Mr Wickham never truly loved me. He only wanted my dowry. He was thrown from the house, as was Mrs Younge, for her part in the scheme. We had not seen him since, until the night of the play, when we saw him sitting with you.”
Elizabeth took a long moment to collect herself. Mr Darcy had not been lying. She had known, deep down, but had refused to listen. How blind she had been! Georgiana’s story was too similar to her own experience with Mr Wickham to be a mere coincidence. She wondered if Mr Wickham would have even paid her any attention if it had not been for her inheritance. “That must have been a very difficult experience, Miss Darcy. I am sorry you were forced to endure it.”
Miss Darcy stood then, and they continued walking among the lush plants of the greenhouse. “I have suffered much doubt and shame since the episode. However, I am finally beginning to believe that it was Wickham who was at fault.”
Elizabeth’s heart went out to the young woman. “It was indeed his fault. No man of honour would act in such a way.” Shepaused for a split second, chewing on her lower lip. “Indeed, I am grateful to you for sharing your experience. It could not have been easy. I too have experienced something similar, just the other day.”
“You, too?” Miss Darcy asked. She looked deeply concerned. “What has he done?”
“Mr Wickham made me an offer of marriage. When I hesitated, he suggested we need not wait for the banns to be read or even negotiate a settlement with my father. He said he did not care about such things, that he only wanted to make me his wife as soon as possible. He suggested we elope as well.” And had Mr Darcy not warned her, little as she had wished to heed his warning, she might have been fooled.
Elizabeth sighed. “Perhaps the worst of it is that his suggestion shocked me, and when I allowed him to see my dismay, he told me he had not meant the suggestion sincerely — that, in fact, he was offended I would have believed it of him. I hardly knew what to think. But what you have shared with me casts another light on the matter.”
“I know he is a charming man, Miss Bennet. But he is insincere. I can almost guarantee that. He is all greed and malice.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I thank you for endeavouring to warn me. I am surprised you would take such a risk for a woman you barely know.”
Miss Darcy gave her a soft smile. “It was not wholly my idea. My brother asked me if I would tell you my story. Like myself, he feels responsible for some part of the harm Mr Wickham has done. And I knew I could not allow Mr Wickham to get away with ruining someone else’s life.”
Elizabeth was astonished. She had guessed it was Colonel Fitzwilliam’s doing, arranging the meeting. But to hear that the proud Mr Darcy, so protective of his little sister, would allow her to tell such a tale was nothing less than astonishing.
Elizabeth could not help but feel the compliment. However much responsibility Mr Darcy took upon himself, he would never have allowed Miss Darcy to confide in her if he did not trust her to keep the secret. And he had not only allowed the disclosure, but encouraged it. Only a very great degree of respect for her could have brought him to it.
“My brother is a good man. And I have seen that he holds you in the highest regard. I believe he came to you and tried to warn you, but he tried to do so by leaving my name out of the incident. An anonymous accusation cannot be very convincing, and besides, I thought perhaps it would be better coming from a fellow woman.” Miss Darcy halted on the path. “I beg you, Miss Bennet, to consider what I have told you today. Mr Wickham may be charming, but he is not worthy of your trust and regard.”
“I thank you,” Elizabeth said low. “Indeed, Miss Darcy, I may have cause all my life to thank you for what you have done today.” Miss Darcy nodded, a slight sheen of tears shining in her eyes, and they continued their walk until they had traversed the whole of the conservatory. They rejoined Mrs Gardiner and the countess, sitting back down to tea as though it had been a perfectly normal conversation, rather than a series of revelations Elizabeth would never forget.
Elizabeth had never imagined she might have wished for less congeniality between the countess and Mrs Gardiner, but she soon found it was so. The conversation between them was so lively and engaged that it seemed unlikely to end soon — and while Elizabeth could not fail to delight in seeing her aunt sohonoured by a member of the nobility, she felt badly in need of a little time alone to think over all she had learned.
At last, Mrs Gardiner made their excuses seriously enough that the countess must accept them, and they at last left the table. Elizabeth had already put on her pelisse and was at the point of making the last formal farewell to their hostess when she discovered that her time of discomfiture was not yet at an end.
It was suddenly made far worse than ever, when a knock came at the door, and it was opened to admit Mr Darcy!
Elizabeth hardly knew whether it was better or worse that he seemed as surprised by the meeting as herself.
“Miss Bennet! How — how pleasant to meet you. I have come for my sister,” he said abruptly. “Aunt Beatrix, I beg your pardon for interrupting your party. I had thought it must be over long since.”
The countess laughed at him. “Darcy, how clumsy you are! You ought to have come along with dear Georgiana, and enjoyed the company with us. You see it has been quite delightful, such that I could not bear to part with our guests any earlier.”
“I am afraid I was otherwise engaged,” Darcy replied briefly.
Elizabeth bit her lip. It was all too clear what that must mean. He had shown her the greatest of all compliments in sending Georgiana to warn her, but he could hardly bear to be in her presence. It was not surprising, after such an insult as she had dealt him.
But she could not leave without letting him know how much he had given her. If only they might speak in private for amoment! Speaking in front of the two aunts, she would need to be discrete almost to the point of obscurity.
She could only hope that he would understand. “It has been a delightful afternoon, Mr Darcy,” Elizabeth said carefully. “I was so very pleased to meet your sister again. Miss Darcy is a truly delightful acquaintance, and so well informed! I declare I have learned more in conversation with her today than in my last week of receiving callers.”
Miss Darcy stepped forward. “That is a very fine compliment, and I thank you for it,” she said in her soft, gentle voice. “And do you — am I too bold in surmising that we are in quite the same mind about that Bach sonata we discussed?”
“You are not too bold at all,” Elizabeth replied with alacrity. “Indeed, I am very grateful to you for opening my eyes to that difficulty of timing on the second page, for it will greatly change how I play it in the future.”
“Excellent,” Miss Darcy said, with a relieved sigh that did not quite fit the supposed topic of conversation. Indeed, Mrs Gardiner was looking at them rather strangely, and Elizabeth suspected she would have to satisfy her aunt’s curiosity once they could speak more privately.
With an effort, Elizabeth looked up at Mr Darcy, curious to see how he would have taken their discussion, for she had no doubt that so intelligent a man would have understood them perfectly.
For once, his gaze did not meet hers. He was looking instead at Georgiana, with such an expression of fierce pride in her that Elizabeth felt her heart constrict.
This, then, was the true essence of Mr Darcy. For all his understandable pride in his social position and connections, he was a man who would encourage his precious sister to do whatshe felt was right, and who was strong enough himself to rejoice in her strength.
