“You cannot possibly believe it, Jane!” Elizabeth said as the Bennet ladies made their way home in the carriage.
“No, I do not, for Mr. Bingley assured me that it was impossible for Mr. Darcy to behave so!” Jane agreed at once.
Mary also agreed, saying that Mr. Darcy appeared every inch an honourable gentleman, but Kitty and Lydia were entirely supportive of Lieutenant Wickham.
“There was truth in his face!” Kitty insisted, while Lydia maintained that no man as handsome as Lieutenant Wickham could tell a falsehood. Upon being applied to, Mrs. Bennet only said that it was impossible to know which man to believe, and was that not just the way that men were.
Upon arriving home, Elizabeth tore off her outerwear and made her way immediately to her father’s study. “Papa,” she said, throwing the door open after just one quick knock.
“Lizzy? Is something wrong?” Mr. Bennet half rose from his chair.
“Something is very wrong, and you must put a stop to it.”
“Indeed! What is it?”
Elizabeth explained, in as few words as possible, the unfortunate scene between Mr. Darcy and Lieutenant Wickham, and the Lieutenant’s subsequent explanation.
“Impossible,” Mr. Bennet declared.
“That is my feeling as well, but Kitty and Lydia believe Mr. Wickham’s story and will not hesitate to share it.”
“Leave it with me, Lizzy.”
***
Mr. Bennet was as good as his word, for the next morning he spoke to his youngest daughters as the family gathered together for breakfast. “I understand that you have a new favourite, a Lieutenant Wickham,” he observed, looking at Lydia.
“Oh, Papa! He is so handsome! I swear, I would have died if he had asked me to dance!” Lydia said, hand on her heart.
“Then it is just as well that he did not. You have, I understand, heard the sad tale that he shared with everyone in the room?” Mr. Bennet’s tone was mild, but his daughters had heard such a paternal tone before and were immediately on alert.
“Well, Mr. Darcy did not deny it,” Kitty began.
“Oh! I must have misunderstood; I was given to understand that Mr. Darcy had left the room.”
“He did, but –“
“Ah, he was in no position to deny it, then?”
“I suppose not, but –“
Mr. Collins had to have his say. “I know not what this Wickham person has said, but I can assure all of you that my patroness would be most distressed to learn that any credence was being given to anything whatever that denigrated the man who is, in fact, her favourite nephew.”
“Thank you, Mr. Collins,” Mr. Bennet said. “This nonsense being spouted by this Mr. Wickham –“
“Lieutenant Wickham,” Lydia interrupted, unwisely.
“I do not care if he is General Wickham! It is not to be repeated by any member of this family.”
Mrs. Bennet, who had been silent until now, felt compelled to enter the fray. “Mr. Bennet, there is no reason for the girls to be chastised.”
“Mrs. Bennet, Kitty, Lydia, I beg you to listen carefully to my next sentence.Any Bennet who repeats this scurrilous gossip will lose their pin money for the next quarter.Do you understand me?”
Kitty and Lydia had to agree that yes, they understood, but they both promptly jumped from their chairs and ran upstairs. Mrs. Bennet only scowled and shook her head.
“Someone should warn Mr. Darcy of the terrible things that Lieutenant Wickham said about him,” Elizabeth said.
Chapter Twenty-Five
