Elizabeth straightened, nodding a little to herself. If such suspicions proved well founded, it would then be perfectly reasonable to discourage Lydia and Kitty from forming any close acquaintance with him. The plan was sensible and just; her father must see that.
Elizabeth gathered her shawl from the back of the chair and wrapped it about her shoulders. The action seemed to settle her determination completely. Mr Darcy had honoured her with his trust. He had undergone considerable embarrassment to see to it that she was not unwittingly exposed to danger. She could do no less than ensure the warning was properly considered.
With that resolution firmly established, Elizabeth left her room and made her way toward her father’s study.
As she had expected, Mr Bennet was there. The door stood slightly open, and she paused onlylong enough to steady herself before knocking gently on the frame and entering. Her father sat at his writing table with a book open before him, though the clutter of manuscripts pushed to the side suggested that his attention had wandered considerably.
Mr Bennet looked up as she entered and regarded her with mild curiosity. “Well, Lizzy,” he said, leaning back in his chair, “you appear very serious this afternoon. Have you come to recommend another novel, or to inform me that the world is ending?”
Closing the door behind her, Elizabeth took a deep breath. Her father’s wit had rarely been worse timed or less welcome to her, but it would not do to let herself be teased. She must persuade him of the importance of what she had come to say. “Neither, Papa,” Elizabeth said. “I wished to speak with you about a matter that has caused me much concern.”
Mr Bennet raised his brows slightly. “That is a formidable introduction. Pray, sit down and relieve my suspense.”
Elizabeth drew a chair toward the desk and seated herself opposite him. For a moment she hesitated, considering how best to present the subject without revealing more than she was entitled to disclose. She had already determined that Miss Darcy’s name must not be mentioned, yet even without that part of the history, the warning she intended to givecould not be softened.
“I have lately heard something concerning Mr Wickham,” she said at last, “which makes me fear that his character may not be entirely what it appears.”
Mr Bennet’s expression altered only enough to show a faint amusement. “Indeed. That is a grave discovery. Has he failed to admire one of my daughters sufficiently, or admired one of them too much?”
Elizabeth could not help smiling faintly, though she quickly resumed her seriousness. “I am quite in earnest, Papa.”
He regarded her for a moment longer before closing his book and placing it on the table beside him. “Very well. Let us be serious together. What is it that troubles you?”
Elizabeth folded her hands on her lap and spoke with deliberate care. “I have reason to believe that Mr Wickham has not always conducted himself honourably. I do not know every particular of the circumstances, but I have heard enough to make me uneasy about the attention he receives here.”
Mr Bennet tilted his head slightly. “Uneasy in what way?”
Elizabeth met his gaze steadily. “I think it possible that he has behaved imprudently in the past. Perhaps even dishonourably. And if that is the case,I cannot help fearing that his acquaintance with our family may not be entirely safe.”
Mr Bennet studied her for a moment with an expression that hovered somewhere between curiosity and amusement. “My dear Lizzy,” he said at last, “this is a very alarming suggestion. You appear to suspect Mr Wickham of being a scoundrel.”
Elizabeth hesitated only briefly. “I believe it possible.”
He leaned back in his chair again and folded his arms. “And what would you have me do with this possibility?”
Elizabeth had anticipated the question, yet hearing it spoken aloud made the difficulty of her task suddenly clearer. “I thought,” she said carefully, “that perhaps you might make some quiet inquiries. Much might be discovered by talking to our neighbours and to the tradespeople. Then, too, surely Mr Wickham has acquaintances beyond our neighbourhood. It may not be difficult to discover whether his conduct elsewhere has been entirely respectable.”
Mr Bennet’s mouth curved slightly. “You propose that I investigate him.”
“Only discreetly,” Elizabeth said quickly. “If there is nothing to discover, no harm will have been done. But if there is reason for concern, it would surely be better to know it sooner rather than later.”
Mr Bennet tapped one finger lightly against the arm of his chair as he considered her. “You surprise me, Lizzy. I did not know you had taken so strong an interest in the moral character of our acquaintances.”
Elizabeth felt her patience strain, though she did her best to remain composed. “It is not curiosity that concerns me,” she said. “It is Lydia and Kitty, as well as the other young women of our neighbourhood.”
Mr Bennet looked faintly puzzled.
“Lydia and Kitty,” Elizabeth continued, “have already shown themselves very eager to seek the company of the officers, perhaps too eager. If Mr Wickham is not a man of honour, I fear that such acquaintance might encourage conduct that would not be wise for them.”
Her father regarded her with thoughtful calm. “Do you imagine,” he asked mildly, “that Mr Wickham is more dangerous than the rest of the regiment?”
Elizabeth did not answer immediately. “I cannot say that with certainty,” she admitted. “But I believe there is reason to exercise caution.”
Mr Bennet’s amusement returned. “My dear child, caution is an excellent quality in theory. In practice, it is rarely welcome in a house governed by your mother.”
Elizabeth leaned forward slightly in her chair. “Even so, Papa, you must surely see that it would be better to prevent trouble if it can be prevented.”
He smiled. “You ask me to become a sort of moral detective, Lizzy. I confess the profession has never greatly appealed to me.”
