Elizabeth, well aware that any expression of gratitude might encourage him further, chose her words carefully. "You are very considerate, sir. I assure you, my absence was only due to an unavoidable matter."
Lydia laughed, twirling a curl around her finger. "Yes, yes, Lizzy had to run back to Longbourn with Jane—though I cannot fathom why. We had such a delightful time without them! Imagine, missing the chance to make Mr. Wickham’s acquaintance!"
Kitty, nodding enthusiastically, added, "He is to attend the card party as well. You shall see him soon enough, Lizzy!"
Elizabeth schooled her features into a neutral expression, though inwardly she was bracing herself for the encounter. Wickham would, no doubt, spin his tale, as he always had, weaving lies with charm and ease. But this time, she would be prepared.
Mrs. Bennet clapped her hands together, smiling broadly. "Oh, what a wonderful evening it shall be! Mr. Bingley today, Mr. Wickham tonight—such excellent prospects, indeed! I daresay I shall see all my daughters well settled before the year is out!"
Mary found a moment to be alone with Elizabeth before they headed to their aunt’s house for the card party. With an uncharacteristic solemnity, she regarded her elder sister.
“I have given much thought to our conversation,” Mary began, folding her hands before her. “The idea remains wholly impossible, and yet, the evidence leaves little room for doubt.”
Elizabeth was startled by the admission, expecting further skepticism. “Then you believe me?”
“I believe the facts,” Mary corrected, though her expression was uncharacteristically thoughtful. “And those facts suggest you possess knowledge beyond what is natural.”
Elizabeth exhaled, feeling both relieved and apprehensive. “And what do you make of it?”
Mary hesitated. “That remains to be seen. I have also determined another matter—I am not suited to the task of managing Mr. Collins.”
Elizabeth could not help but laugh softly. “And here I had begun to entertain the notion that you might reform him.”
“I would rather spend my years in solitude than bound in marriage to such a man,” Mary said firmly. “His mind is both limited and unyielding, and I have neither the patience nor the inclination to contend with such a disposition.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Then Charlotte must have him.”
Mary tilted her head. “Will she be happy?”
“As much as one can be when one chooses security over sentiment,” Elizabeth answered. “Charlotte is practical; she will endure him better than either of us.”
Mary accepted this with a simple nod. “And what of Mr. Wickham?”
Elizabeth sighed. “I do not know.”
“I shall consider the matter further,” Mary said. “Perhaps together, we might determine a way to spare our family from misfortune.”
Elizabeth looked at her sister, truly seeing her in a new light. “I should like that, Mary.”
As they arrived at the Philips’ home, the evening unfolded in much the same manner as Elizabeth recalled, though with notable differences. Mr. Collins, ever eager to ingratiate himself, made a grand production of lamenting his absence from Longbourn, yet Mrs. Philips’s effusive welcome and endless chatter effectively drowned out his grievances.
Elizabeth found herself subject to his attentions, but Mary, to Elizabeth’s quiet amusement, proved an able distraction. With pointed questions regarding the clerical duties of a country rector and a pointed comparison between Mr. Collins’s practicesand those of more learned men, she kept him engaged just long enough to prevent him from directing his focus entirely on Elizabeth. Mrs. Philips, for her part, unknowingly assisted by lavishing praise upon Lady Catherine, effectively rendering Mr. Collins speechless with admiration.
When the gentlemen arrived, Elizabeth was prepared. She watched as Mr. Wickham entered, all charm and ease, and she felt a strange detachment. Mr. Wickham did not play at whist, and with an alacrity far too eager to be mistaken for casual interest, he took the seat between Elizabeth and Lydia. His smile was easy, his air unbothered, but Elizabeth noticed a subtle watchfulness in his gaze—as if he had already marked her as an audience for his performance.
At first, Lydia’s chatter threatened to monopolize him, but the moment a lottery ticket was waved before her, her attention shifted entirely. With Lydia distracted by odds and prizes, Mr. Wickham turned his focus to Elizabeth.
"You are very quiet, Miss Bennet," he said, his tone light and teasing.
"Sometimes silence reveals more than speech," she replied, smiling.
He laughed, clearly delighted to find her responsive, and after the usual courtesies, he said with feigned casualness, "I believe you are acquainted with Mr. Darcy?"
Elizabeth blinked, her heart giving a brief, traitorous flutter. So he was wasting no time.
"Slightly," she said. "We were for a time at the same house."
"Ah," he said, drawing out the word thoughtfully. "Netherfield is not so very far from here, is it?"
