by Jennifer Joy
He gave examples of occasions when her family had acted indecorously, thus giving him an unfavorable impression. Her face felt hot as she remembered how her father had allowed Mary to embarrass herself on the pianoforte at the Assembly, how her mother had imbibed too much punch and had made assumptions about Mr. Bingley and Jane in the hearing of many, how her younger sisters, Kitty and Lydia, had shamelessly flirted and encouraged the attention of anyone wearing breeches. She even thought of her own attitude toward Mr. Wickham. How easily she had believed him when he had shared his tragic story of woe against Mr. Darcy, a tale which, had he any discretion, he should not have shared with such a recent acquaintance as she.
Her eyes stung at the truth set out before her in Mr. Darcy's script.
Looking about her, remembering that she was alone at the edge of a forest of trees on Rosings property, she began walking slowly into the village. She had much to think on. Mr. Darcy's letter had opened her eyes in many ways, but clouded it in others. How could he have fallen in love with such a contrary being as herself? Surely, by now, he detested her. She had felt uncomfortable at the thought of seeing him after her refusal. Now, she could imagine how he must have felt at the prospect of seeing the woman who had accused him so unjustly of things of which she was increasingly convinced that he was entirely innocent. Stunned by the range of contrary emotions surrounding her, her limbs felt so numb she did not know how she stood.
Walking through the village in haste, she paid for the letter and hurried away before anyone saw her. She did not feel like conversing. She would have been poor company in her present state. Clutching Jane's unopened letter next to Mr. Darcy's, she set out for her reading stump.
So enthusiastic was she to read Jane's letter, she almost tore through the paper on opening it.
Her eyes savored each word.
April 11, 1812
Gracechurch Street, London
Dearest Lizzy,
I write this letter with the best of news. My heart is so full, I hardly know how to express my thoughts. Mr. Bingley has called at last. Apparently, he did not know that I was in town and the moment he found out, he came to present his card to Uncle Gardiner, who received him gladly.
Oh, Lizzy, I had thought that perhaps my memory had glorified him in some way with the passing of time, but he is everything I remember him to be.
He said that he will call again soon, and I believe that he will. I will write to you with the details when I am able to.
I wish you were here so that I might share my joy with you. Though I do not like to speculate on these matters, I have hope that he will propose eventually. I know that I can share this news with you, though I dare not write so to Mother.
Would that you were as happy as I am at this moment, my dearest sister. Then, my happiness would be complete.
He tells me that he plans to return to Netherfield Park soon. He said that it was unexpected business which took him away, but I suspect it was the work of his pernicious sisters. It was only when he received a message from Mr. Darcy that he became aware of my presence in town and came to call the same day. If I were not so in love with Mr. Bingley, I would be tempted to kiss Mr. Darcy for the favor he has done me in reuniting me, albeit indirectly, with the gentleman I would marry.
I am,
Ever your devoted sister,
Jane
Elizabeth grasped the letters to her chest, her breath coming out in sobs and cries of happiness. As her joy for Jane increased, so did her shame in the manner in which she had treated Mr. Darcy. She had misjudged him entirely and assumed that he was proud and as pretentious as Lady Catherine, when, in fact, he was a loyal friend and had been incredibly patient and understanding to offer for her when she had so little to recommend her.
Her heart squeezed in her chest as she realized the gravity of her error. How many times had she cursed Mr. Darcy for his appalling conduct toward Jane and Mr. Bingley when in every other way, he was the man of her dreams? And she had refused him.
She returned to the parsonage in a blur of mixed emotions. Charlotte met her at the door, her basket with La Belle Assemblée on the top, and a shawl wrapped around her shoulders.
"I had hoped to walk into the village with you, Lizzy, but it seems that you started out earlier than I did. Did you hear from Jane? Is she well?" asked Charlotte.
Elizabeth embraced Charlotte, allowing a couple of happy tears to escape down her cheek. "Jane is well. She is perfect!" she said with a triumphant smile she hoped would cover her wretchedness.
“You have had good news?” asked Charlotte.
“The best. Mr. Bingley has called on her.”
"I am so glad to hear it. I was wrong when I suggested that she encourage Mr. Bingley in his affections. It appears that she did not need any help." Her eyes crinkled up.
Elizabeth released Charlotte from her grasp, righting the basket she had bumped against. "You only sought her best interests, Charlotte, and I shall never forget your kindness and the good intention behind your counsel. Nothing has been said yet, but he has called on her in London and plans to return to Netherfield Park soon. It is a happy ending."
"It is a happy ending. Now, we must focus on you, Lizzy. When will you allow yourself to fall in love?" asked Charlotte, as she looked askance at her best friend.
Elizabeth felt the smile on her face fade. Now that she had no excuse to dislike Mr. Darcy as she had before, she realized how dangerously close she was to falling in love with him. The very man she had forcefully pushed away was now the man she most admired. "I fear that I may have ruined my chances, Charlotte.” She suffered no disillusions of Mr. Darcy repeating his offer. His good opinion, once lost, was lost forever. And she had done everything in her power to lose his good opinion. Scraping together what pride she had left, she added, “Let me rejoice in Jane's happiness and your contented match before I worry about my own."
Chapter 17
He found Richard in the library, looking aimlessly out of the window, a book in his hand. He started when Darcy cleared his throat behind him.
"Some soldier you make, Colonel," he teased as he joined Richard by the window.
"It does not come naturally to me, Darcy. You know that," said Richard in a melancholy tone.
"Are you well? You sound out of sorts." It was not normal for Richard to be sad. He played the part of the dashing soldier very well. It was a rare occasion when he let his guard down.
Smiling halfheartedly at Darcy, Richard extended his arm to the seating area nearby. Sinking into a chair as if his weight was too heavy for him to bear, he said, "I am well enough. These events of the past few days have me a trifle out of sorts is all."
Darcy understood the feeling all too well.
"I fear that I have news which will do nothing to alleviate your concerns. During my walk this morning, I chanced upon Miss Bennet. She told me that Mr. Collins followed us into the village yesterday. He overheard enough of our conversation with Mr. Badger to convince himself that you are responsible for the theft of Anne's earrings." He paused.
Richard rested his hand against his head. "Mrs. Shepherd suggested as much, but I had hoped he would not involve himself. Just what I need. More problems. I do not know Mr. Collins well. However, I heard him declare to Aunt that he would find out who had stolen the jewelry with such enthusiasm, I would not put it past him to accuse me before her in an attempt to gain her favor."
The audacity of Mr. Collins never ceased to surprise Darcy. He was so intent on pleasing his patroness, he did a good many things that, if she had condescended to understand, she surely would have frowned upon.
"That is precisely what he intends to do. He is not so preposterous as to believe that he can accuse you without providing proof. So he arranged to meet Mr. Badger here to present his case before Aunt Catherine."
Richard dropped his hand. "You do not think I did it, do you?" he asked, sitting up rigidly in his chair.
Darcy hesitated at his worried response. "No. Neither
does Miss Bennet. Otherwise, she would not have taken pains to warn me on your behalf."
He watched Richard closely. Was the shift in his manners a result of his regard for the lady? Or was it relief that he was believed innocent?
"Miss Bennet is a fine lady, if ever I met one. I will have to thank her for her consideration," Richard said as he sat back in his chair.
Darcy wanted to ask the question which burned in his heart, but he could not without revealing his own ardent affection for Miss Elizabeth. So, he remained quiet and brooded.
After some moments in silence, Richard asked, "What do you think we should do about Mr. Collins? Aunt will admit him. She shows an odd favoritism toward him which can only be explained by her incessant need for praise and devotion. Will she listen to you?"
Darcy doubted it. She had ignored him for the most part since their quarrel the day before.
"I think our best chance is to speak with the butler. Simmons is reasonable, and if we tell him that Mr. Badger is not the sort of man to be allowed into the company of Aunt Catherine, he may deny the man entry. Can you imagine what a man like that would do if he saw the luxury Aunt lives in and thinks he has a way to blackmail her?" He had seen the greed in Mr. Badger's eyes at the tavern and he did not trust him.
"The same thought had occurred to me. I woke this morning praying that he had returned to town. If he has any discernment at all, which I suspect he does, he will sense Aunt's aversion to gossip. He would use me to get what he wanted from her unless we can get him to admit that he acts on his own behalf." His distress was worse than before.
“Let us speak with Simmons directly. We do not have much time.”
Darcy accompanied Richard downstairs. Simmons stood ready, at the bottom of the landing, as if he expected them.
"Simmons," said Richard in a hushed voice. The high ceiling and marble floors made any voice echo in the entry hall. "Mr. Collins is to call this morning on Lady Catherine along with a gentleman we feel is not suitable company for her ladyship. Our concern is that the man— Mr. Badger is his name— will seek to cause division in our family."
The butler nodded slowly. "He is the same man who came for you yesterday?" he asked.
"One and the same," answered Richard. "We feel it is in Lady Catherine's best interest that he not be allowed an audience with her. My business with him is done, and there is no reason for him to stay in Hunsford."
Simmons nodded again, pursing his lips. "Normally, I would make him wait on the front step whilst I gave a description of the man to her ladyship. That would be enough to send him off without a word. However, Mr. Collins has proved himself very astute. He sent a message earlier this morning to her ladyship."
Darcy sucked in his breath and held it. He had not counted on Mr. Collins’ forethought.
Simmons continued, "I do not know the contents of the message, but I received orders from her ladyship to admit both Mr. Collins and Mr. Badger when they come. I cannot go against her direct order." He looked genuinely displeased. "I am sorry."
Darcy looked at Richard. They had no other option than to spend the morning with Aunt Catherine in her drawing room so that they would be present when the men called. Maybe, if Mr. Collins had any sense, their presence would discourage him from speaking against Richard. One could hope.
Addressing Simmons, Darcy requested, "Please be so good as to inform us when Lady Catherine is ready for visitors. We should like to be present when they call."
"Of course, sir."
Having too little time, for Aunt Catherine would descend to her drawing room at any moment, they went back to the library.
Sitting in front of the window with a view of the lawn leading to the front door, Darcy asked Richard, "Who do you think stole Anne's jewelry? I have talked to most of the servants, and the more I hear, the more confusing all this business seems." He would not mention his suspicion of Aunt Catherine until he heard Richard’s thoughts.
Richard, oddly, would not look at Darcy. Rather, he looked all around him until he finally settled on Darcy's boot atop the plush peacock blue and red carpet.
"Let us not talk about that. I, for one, think the whole thing is a misunderstanding which has been blown out of proportion."
"What? How can you say that when, indeed, Anne's earrings are not in her jewelry case? Her room was searched and they were not found. You do not think she has made the story up, do you?" Darcy looked incredulously at his cousin, his growing suspicions toward him warring against his inner struggle with his brotherly loyalty. Richard was not only his cousin— he was his friend. He would never believe him capable of thievery, but Richard’s own actions and words made him appear increasingly guilty.
"No. Anne is not a liar." Shoving both of his hands through his hair and pinching the back of his neck, he continued, "I do not know what to think, Darcy. I just wish that this whole mess would go away."
"It is unfortunate that life comes with so many obstacles to one's happiness, but it pains me to hear you speak thus. You have never been one to shrink away from a confrontation when necessary." Where was the fight in Richard? Looking at him massaging his neck, his shoulders slumped— out of defeat or sheer weariness, Darcy did not know— was disconcerting.
"You have no reason to concern yourself further about this," Darcy said, knowing that it was only true if Richard was innocent of the crime. "Your debt has been paid in full and, with the debt gone, you have no motive to commit any crime."
"They will argue that the crime was committed before the debt was canceled. No, Darcy, I do not trust them. Mr. Badger will sniff out something else to make me lose favor with Aunt Catherine. There is a reason he works as a collector for one of the worst moneylenders in town." Dropping his face into his outspread hands, he moaned. "Oh, why did I go through with it? It was a foolish decision made out of desperation, and I have never regretted anything more in my life. How could I be so stupid?"
Struggling with his own emotions, Darcy tried to reassure him. He could not think his cousin guilty unless the evidence against him was overwhelming. As yet, there were only accusations and presumptions. Darcy determined to discover the cold facts and reserve his judgment until the real thief was found. He hoped with all his heart that the evidence would not point to Richard.
"Richard, you must not despair. You made a hasty decision, something which precious few men escape from doing at least a couple of times in their lifetime. It cannot be undone now, so there is no use lamenting it. We will do the best we can under this new set of circumstances. Trust that you have my full support as we face Mr. Badger."
Richard rubbed his face against his hands one last time and slowly sat up. "I know how things look for me, Darcy. I am not a fool. Even you must have your doubts."
Darcy could not deny it, but he did not have to own to it either. His gaze never wavered from Richard. "I do agree that your case looks bad from the outside, but my instincts fight against it. I do not believe you guilty."
Richard fell back against the cushioned chair. "Let us hope that Aunt Catherine sees things as you do. I do not want to lose her favor. It is important to me to remain on good terms with her... just as I do with all in our family."
“That is the difference between you and me. I do not care to keep her good opinion— even though she is family. I will not allow her to have any influence in my life. Otherwise, I should have married Anne by now.”
Richard opened his mouth to speak, but Simmons appeared in the doorway to announce that Lady Catherine was in the drawing room and the time for Mr. Collins’ and Mr. Badger’s call was fast approaching.
Chapter 18
Aunt Catherine was not pleased. Darcy did not know what Collins’ note said, but it must have been enough to set her against Richard.
"I would not have thought you would give me cause for grief, Fitzwilliam," she said to Richard. For once, Darcy was happy to escape her notice and sharp comments. Not that he wished them on his cousin, either.
Richard stood
before her, his arms clasped confidently behind him, as if he was speaking to the general. "I would much rather you hear the news from me than from anyone else. The means of it having been overheard shows a distinct disregard for those superior in station, and I will not stand idly by while I am accused of something of which I am innocent." He tailored his words to appeal to Aunt Catherine's highborn values.
“Smart maneuver, Colonel,” thought Darcy.
Arching one eyebrow, Aunt Catherine nodded for him to continue.
"I incurred several debts in a short period of a time. None of them were due to the vices common to those of my age and station. Rather, they were the result of unforeseen circumstances. My horse, as I am certain you heard, broke its leg and it was incumbent upon me to secure another mount which measured up to the high standards of my profession. Such horses are not come by cheaply. This, as well as the replacement of some of my equipment, put me in a position I have never been in before. I was in debt. If that is a sin, then I daresay that there are many others, better than I, who are worse sinners." He stuck his chin up, his stance wide, ready to receive whatever blow Aunt Catherine would strike him with.
"Did you not appeal to your father?" she asked with a bite in her voice.
"I did," was his curt reply.
"Hmm. I see. The rumors I hear about my brother must be true, then," she said with an unhealthy glee common in siblings who competed with each other.
