Page 99 of A Most Beloved Sister
A chorus of protests rose, mostly from Kitty and Lydia, and Wickham met them with a roguish wink before raising his hands in surrender. “Peace, peace! I yield! I have known many intelligent women—indeed, there is one in this very company whom I highly respect—and I have definitely known many a stupid man. Wit and intellect are not the domain of one sex or the other.”
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow as Kitty, Lydia, and the other ladies giggled and blushed at his words. When the conversations in the room at last returned to normal, she leaned forward. “I daresay each girl in here thinks herself the lucky lady of whom you spoke.”
He gave her a roguish grin. “Are you including yourself in that statement, Miss Bennet?”
She laughed. “I’m afraid, Mr. Wickham, that I have recently discovered myself to be quite impervious to your type of flattery. I much prefer open and honest communication, even if it isn’t quite as… polished or rehearsed.”
Wickham’s eyebrows shot up in the air, a look of surprise on his face. Then he seemed to comprehend her meaning, for he gave her a long, measuring look before affecting a cheeky air and saying flippantly, “I’ll have you know, Miss Bennet, that I often spend time amusing myself with suggesting and arranging elegant little compliments that may be adapted to ordinary occasions so that I may give them as unstudied an air as possible.”
Kitty, who had been listening to both Lydia’s conversation and Elizabeth’s, burst into laughter, along with Major Wickham. Elizabeth, while amused by the statement, failed to see the need for such hilarity. “I’m afraid I don’t understand the joke, which is a shame, for I dearly love to laugh.”
“It’s only… that Mr. Collins…” Kitty could scarcely speak from laughing. “Said the same thing… about what he does… in his spare time…”
Now it was Elizabeth’s turn to raise her eyebrows. “You mean to tell me that our new brother uses his free time thinking up compliments for Mary and practicing them so they don’t seem rehearsed… and he admitted to it?”
Kitty shook her head. “No… no… he thinks them up… to tell to… Lady Catherine… and her daughter!”
“And he admitted this in public?”Good Lord, the man is stupider than I thought.
“No, he told your family at dinner one night,” Major Wickham said, having managed to settle down somewhat. “Your sister shared the story with me later.”
Elizabeth frowned at the back of Lydia’s head.Can’t that girl keep anything to herself, especially with regard to propriety? The whole neighborhood learns about the smallest indiscretion!
“Having the unpleasant misfortune of having met Mr. Collins, I can appreciate the humor in your words,” Elizabeth said.
She would have spoken more, but the hall clock chimed, and Major Wickham rose and cleared his throat. “Men, it is time for us to depart. We have much work to do.”
“Yes, sir.”
The phrase echoed throughout the room, and one by one, the officers made their farewells to their hostess, her daughters, and the other guests. With the men departing, the young ladies also stated their intentions to leave. This quickly prompted the officers to offer their services as escorts, leaving some ladies with smiles and others with scowls.
“I suppose I had best be on my way as well,” Elizabeth said to Major Wickham, “but please do not suppose that I am making this decision to beg for a walking partner. It is barely three miles to Netherfield, after all, and I shall arrive well before dark.”
“I can take you as far as Meryton, if you wish?” he offered.
“In that case, I would be happy to accept your company,” she replied.
Elizabeth made her goodbyes to her mother and sisters, leaving Lydia standing at the doorway, scowling after them, arms folded across her bosom.
“I apologize for Lydia’s behavior. She is the youngest and much indulged.”
“Sixteen is a difficult age,” Wickham replied.
“Lydia is only fifteen,” Elizabeth said. “She will not be sixteen until June.”
“Your other sister is almost eighteen though, is she not?”
She nodded. “I suppose I hadn’t realized how quickly time was passing, not with me being in London and now Jane doing poorly. But Kitty will turn eighteen in just a few weeks.” She frowned. “I’m surprised Mama hasn’t made more of a fuss about it. She usually does about our birthdays, especially after we’ve come out.”
Realizing she’d said more aloud than she intended, she flushed. “My apologies, Major Wickham.”
He smiled. “I daresay I’ve spoken to you more than I ought in the past. But is that not what friends are for?”
“So long as the friends are true and can keep one another’s confidence.”
Wickham’s face grew serious. “I promise, Miss Bennet, that anything you have shared with me will not be passed on to my acquaintances.”
“Thank you, Major. You have my assurances as well.”
