Page 8 of Symptoms of Peculiar Regard

“Unlike you,” Elizabeth declared, “he is not above sharing his thoughts or his history!Hetold me a great deal about your past dealings when we met at my aunt’s yesterday.”

“I am sure he did,” Mr Darcy replied, his voice rising to match hers. “He has never been known to hold back when he thinks there is something to be gained from it. He is all charm and flattery, yet he cares for nothing except for his own interest!”

“So little sympathy for one who by his account has suffered so much, and by your hand!”

“By his account indeed—tell me, what manner of ogre did he make me?”

“You denied him the living he had been promised!”

“I did—after he had already requested and been granted compensation in lieu of it. He is a profligate and a rake, and he is not to be trusted.”

“And so you sought to keep me from him and deny me the right to make my own choices!” Elizabeth retorted.

Mr Darcy stopped again and stared at her. “I did nothing of the kind.”

“But you meant to!” Elizabeth replied, fire in her eyes. “Your—yourfeelingssought to separate me from him, to build a wall to divide us. You have no right to such interference in my affairs! You have no claim over me.”

“I fail to understand your meaning.”

“I saw it! Jane touched me, and I saw through her eyes. You were creating a fence between us.”

Jane and Bingley had inevitably lapsed into silence by this time, neither of them able to be at ease when their companions were so evidently at odds. Jane met Mr Darcy’s eyes as he turnedhis head sharply to her. She nodded slowly. He turned back to Elizabeth.

“I cannot deny that Iwishedto separate you from Mr Wickham,” he said, his voice growing grave. “I certainly wish to protect you from him.”

“Protect me!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “We had just that moment been introduced! You merely wished to take command.”

“I assure you, I did not.” Mr Darcy’s voice was strained, but a swift glance at Elizabeth’s fiery expression seemed to affect him, for he stopped and faced her, continuing in a softened tone. “Mr Wickham will not have been insensible to my presence as your escort, and he certainly could not fail to see your beauty. You would not be the first lady he has sought to interfere with because of her importance to me—although the other is no rival of yours, but a very dear relation of mine. I am glad to say he failed entirely in that instance. You are right, I have no particular claim to your affections—although I hope in due course to be granted that privilege—but that will not matter to him, if he sees a means of usingyouto gain some means to hurtme.”

Elizabeth was not often rendered speechless, but Mr Darcy’s words had silenced her very effectively. She gazed up at him in breathless astonishment. He waited, holding her gaze, the branches of his admiration stretching out towards her.

“I…um.” She paused again. She dropped her head, her brow furrowed. “His interest in speaking to me waned rapidly when I mentioned I was not wealthy.”

Mr Darcy frowned, then sighed. “I suspect he thought my interest in you was as mercenary as any attempts he will make to find a bride and he meant to steal your affections from under my nose. Discovering that you are not wealthy will have disconcerted him, but I doubt it will hold him off for long. Marrying you would only be the most honourable way he coulduse you to harm me; it is not theonlyway.” Jane and Elizabeth gasped in unison. Bingley placed a comforting hand on Jane’s arm. Elizabeth, in contrast, paced anxiously away from Mr Darcy, before turning back towards him.

“I suspected after our conversation that he was not entirely to be trusted, but I was too angry at what I saw in Meryton to question his story. I mistook your feelings for your intentions or actions.” She lifted her chin with a defiant tilt. “I am quite capable of guarding myself against the attentions of a rogue, but it is a great deal easier to do so if I am made aware when a gentleman is not to be trusted. The most effective protection I could have is to not be left in ignorance, so that I may know how to act. Will you tell me your history with Mr Wickham?”

Mr Darcy nodded solemnly. He turned to walk again, and looked down in surprise when Elizabeth took his arm. She smiled penitently at him, then fell into step as he began to speak. The bramble patch around her had receded, and a single fern, tightly coiled, began to unfurl towards him as they walked.

Jane smiled at her own companion and, hanging back long enough to be out of earshot, they once again began to follow.How glad I am that harmony comes easier to us!

CHAPTER FIVE

Bingley’s visit to Longbourn had been more than a mere social call, for with him he had brought that most delightful of gifts: an invitation to a ball. It was to be held at Netherfield, and Jane was naturally to be guest of honour.

Longbourn was thrown into great anticipation, dampened only by another spell of rain which kept them apart from the residents of Netherfield. Five days passed, in which nothing was seen of Bingley, Mr Darcy, or of any of their acquaintance in Meryton, although notes passed between Jane and Miss Bingley who informed them of the extensive preparations being made. The two eldest sisters found they had much to talk about, for Elizabeth took great delight in teasing Jane about Bingley. She was not yet entirely ready to be teased in turn regarding Mr Darcy, but whenever he was mentioned, Jane smiled to see the unfurling of the pewter ferns that were beginning to grow freely from her sister.

On the evening of the ball, Elizabeth dressed with as much care as if it wereherengagement being celebrated, and even Mrs Bennet was moved to acknowledge that she wasalmostas beautiful as Jane. On their arrival at Netherfield, they had barely greeted their hosts when Mr Darcy was at Elizabeth’sside, soliciting her for the first two sets. Jane watched with delight; fern and willow were only a breath away from meeting and joining. She beamed at Bingley, who was watching his friend with equal joy.

“Thatwould be the crowning glory of this evening, I believe,” he murmured to her with a smile. “Do you think it probable?”

“I think it very probable,” Jane replied, taking his hand. “Can you see?”

He shook his head. “No. But in this case I do not need your ability. Perhaps all that is required now is opportunity.”

Jane clasped her hands together in delight as she watched her sister smile up at the gentleman, who led her away. Shortly after, however, her pleasure was disturbed by the arrival of a party of officers from the militia. Among them was George Wickham.

Elizabeth’s conversation with Mr Darcy had revealed a great deal about Mr Wickham, and Jane had been distressed to learn not just of his spendthrift habits and past debts, but that he was the man who might have deceived Mr Darcy’s own sister of his affection had she not been able to see the truth of his feelings. In her anticipation of the ball, Jane had not considered that he might attend. She went in search of Elizabeth at once. She eventually espied her in one of the quieter rooms and had just reached her side when the man himself entered through a different door, rendering any warning useless.

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