Page 27 of To Go Against Her Heart
“I am certain your cousin looks forward to the ball and will not leave before it. It is cruel of you to rush Mr. Darcy to marry to just escape Mr. Collins,” Charlotte said, smiling.
“I have no wish to attend it, but I do not want to upset Jane.”
“You must, as you say, for her sake and that of Mr. Bingley as well. I have not seen such a pleasant, unaffected man all my life,and he will suit Jane very well. I cannot say the same about his sisters, and I hope they do not cause trouble.”
“I hope so as well because he does not seem like a man who would allow his sisters to decide his future.”
“Well, we cannot set aside such a thought can we? His goodness can be easily manipulated, and as I said earlier, I hope Jane can provide him with the sufficient encouragement necessary to win her hand.”
“She already has. Mr. Bingley is in Longbourn this very moment, and he calls on her more often than before,” Elizabeth assured.
A couple of days later, Lady Lucas arrived in Longbourn around mid-morning for a much-needed session of gossip.
“You will not believe it, Mrs. Bennet. I was indeed shocked by this piece of information, as Mr. Darcy seems to have fooled all of us. I heard from Mr. and Mrs. Lewis that Mr. Wickham informed them of his misdeeds. Who would imagine such a wealthy man to behave so cheaply?” she said, relating the same story Elizabeth had heard from him, but it sounded more horrific, making Wickham seem like an innocent victim of Darcy’s arrogance.
“It is atrocious indeed to treat a wonderful gentleman like Mr. Wickham so badly. I never really liked Mr. Darcy,” Mrs. Bennet said with disgust and looked around to see if Mr. Collins was nearby.
“Mr. Collins speaks highly of him, but in my judgment, Mr. Darcy is well capable of this horrendous behavior.”
“Mamma! I do not think it is appropriate for us to conclude without knowing the particulars. You can ask Jane about what Mr. Bingley’s opinion is on the matter,” Elizabeth said, not understanding why she felt so angry to hear her mother slander Darcy. Jane quickly explained what she had understoodfrom Mr. Bingley, but neither her mother nor Lady Lucas was convinced.
“Mr. Bingley is too good to understand men like him. I pity Mr. Wickham; he is such an amiable gentleman; such a disgrace to suffer because of someone’s pride and arrogance.”
Unable to bear their talk, Elizabeth turned to Jane with a look of helplessness.
“I agree, Mrs. Bennet. Mr. Wickham has the most impeccable manners, and he is a great addition to our society. I must say he is quite taken with Miss King, now please do not be disappointed, Lydia dear,” Lady Lucas said, looking at Lydia’s forlorn face.
“How could you be so certain?”
“Why, according to Mrs. Lewis, he never left her side at the party at her home some days ago. You must know, Mrs. Bennet, that kind of behavior can only account for a man falling in love, in the same likes of Mr. Bingley and our dear Jane.”
Elizabeth and Jane left the room and headed to the library. Both were determined to discuss the matter with their father and get his opinion.
Mr. Bennet was surprised to discern their concern regarding the matter, as they seldom brought up a discussion as such.
“You must to some extent be troubled by this information, since you have chosen to mention it to me. I cannot suppose you regard it as mere idle gossip from your mother or Lady Lucas,” he said thoughtfully.
“It does not seem trivial; Mr. Wickham seems keen on damaging Mr. Darcy’s reputation here. I heard the story from him first, and there seems to be nothing credible about it. We must also consider Mr. Bingley’s words in this matter; what gives me the greatest concern is that my own sisters appear so much taken with him,” Elizabeth declared.
“Are they not impressed with every officer in the regiment?” Mr. Bennet asked.
“But Papa! We have nothing against them, but there is a concern about Mr. Wickham’s character here. Why would he talk ill about Mr. Darcy after he stated that he has respect for his father, who raised him.”
Mr. Bennet looked at Elizabeth with a raised eyebrow.
“You seem to have changed your opinion about the gentleman, have you not?” Mr. Bennet asked.
“It does not matter what my opinion is of him; what truly concerns me is why Mr. Wickham should be so intent upon spreading slander upon Mr. Darcy. I suspect he is doing this purposefully to hide his own misdeeds.”
Jane agreed with her.
“You both must understand; I could easily take this matter up with Colonel Forster. But without solid proof, I would look like a fool bringing up the subject with him. I would stand before him, questioning one of the officers in his regiment, purely based on speculation.”
“Papa! Then what are we supposed to do?”
“I understand your concern, and I can definitely discuss this with Sir William and get his opinion. But before we take it up to Colonel Forster, we must have something substantial to support our claims. Honestly, I have only met Mr. Wickham once, and I did not spend much time with the gentleman to form an opinion, however Mr. Darcy has my respect; the man may be proud, but I could never doubt his character. In the last few weeks, he spent here, it was evident that he strove earnestly to make amends for his initial aloofness,” he said, noting the smile on his daughter’s face.
That night, Elizabeth sat with her sister and offered a proposal that took Jane completely by surprise.
