“It happened that I was at that same seaside town, and caught sight of the two of them together in – well, let us say a somewhat compromising position. She immediately confessed all to me, and Wickham, knowing that his game was done, laughed at her and told her that he had only been interested in her money. You can imagine the poor girl’s heartbreak.”
Lydia was now in tears. “Mr. Darcy, I am so very sorry! Is the poor girl well now?”
Mr. Darcy hesitated. “To the best of my knowledge, her spirits have been somewhat depressed since this event, but her relations all have hope for her eventual recovery.” He then added. “Wickham has accumulated over a thousand pounds in debts in Lambton and in London, all of which I have paid for him, rather than allow the merchants to suffer.”
Elizabeth ventured a question. “So you hold his debts in excess of a thousand pounds?”
“I do, yes.”
“Why do you not have him imprisoned?”
Mr. Darcy hesitated, and finally said, “I suppose I still have hope that he will reform someday, Miss Elizabeth.”
“How old is he now?” She was relentless.
“My age, so eight-and-twenty.”
“Do you think it is rational to expect a reformation at this late date, Mr. Darcy?”
“I suppose I hope, rather than expect.”
“And in holding such unrealistic and irrational expectations, you allow him to continue on his merry way, doing heaven knows what with young ladies and incurring debts with unsuspecting merchants, including those here in Meryton. I beg your pardon, sir, but I had understood you to say that you were guided by rational principles.”
“Lizzy! Whatever are you about, speaking to Mr. Darcy in such a manner?” Mrs. Bennet was appalled.
Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy ignored her. Elizabeth stared at Mr. Darcy as if challenging him; he stared back. Finally, he said, “You are completely right, of course, Miss Elizabeth. I am putting your neighbours at risk, simply because I retain some silly and useless sentiment for an old childhood friend. I will take immediate steps to correct my error.”
“Then I thank you, Mr. Darcy, on behalf of all the young girls and merchants in Meryton.” Elizabeth actually rose and curtsied to him, prompting him to rise and bow in return.
***
Later that afternoon, when the Netherfield guests had departed, Mary went in search of Elizabeth. Finding her in the back gardenwith Jane, Mary explained that she was in need of sisterly advice.
“Of course, Mary,” Elizabeth said at once. “Look, there is room for all three of us on this bench. It is rather cold, but we shall warm one another up soon enough. Come, sit beside me, Mary.”
“Oh, the bench isverycold!” Jane said, sitting on Mary’s other side. “This is about Mr. Collins, I imagine?”
“It is, yes.” Mary then looked down at her dress.
“He is finally paying you some attention, Mary,” Elizabeth prompted.
“Yes, but only after he first wanted Jane and then you, Lizzy.”
“Does that distress you, Mary?”
“It should, should it not? But it does not, andthatis what distresses me.”
“Let me understand you,” Jane said, slowly. “You are distressed because you are not distressed?”
“Well, it sounds rather nonsensical when you put it like that, Jane, but I suppose you have the right of it. I just begin to wonder if there is something amiss in my character.”
Elizabeth and Jane glanced at one another. Elizabeth then said, “Mary, just because Jane and I are romantic does not mean that you must be as well.”
Jane added, “You said you would take him before we had even set eyes upon him, Mary, for entirely practical reasons.”
“I had the distinct feeling that you both thought me rather absurd at the time,” Mary said, still staring down.
“Not absurd, no, of course not,” Elizabeth said at once. “I only thought that I could never have said such a thing and, in point of fact, rather admired you for doing so. Jane?”
