Pemberley Chronicles
Page 44
“I certainly do, but I know also that your generous heart discounts the hurt that you have suffered at the hands of this wilful, incorrigible couple, and you continue to help them. I am grateful and I, too, worry about her children, I do not deny it; but Darcy, I am so ashamed...” Her voice broke, and she wept.
He would not let her continue, putting his arms around her. He was very gentle but firm. “My dear Lizzie, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Wickham and Lydia are as far removed from you as they could possibly be. You are not responsible for them and need never apologise on their behalf. I cannot forget that it was my reluctance to speak out and expose his true character that permitted Wickham to present himself to you and all of your acquaintances in Hertfordshire as he did. Had I done what I should have and the truth were known, your sister’s disastrous elopement may never have happened.”
With her knowledge of Lydia, Elizabeth was not quite so sure, but said nothing as he continued.
“While I have no desire whatsoever to meet Wickham, and will avoid any dealings with him, I shall do whatever I can to help your sister and her children. I realise that they would be in a parlous state indeed without some help from her family. He appears to remain as wasteful and feckless as he always was, and her lack of understanding compounds their problems.
“Lizzie, I have spoken of this to your uncle, Mr Gardiner, and he agrees with me. Indeed, he helps Lydia quite regularly,” he said, hoping to comfort and reassure her. As she had often done in the past, she accepted his judgement and was content.
The following day, on a mild Autumn morning, the Bingleys arrived, early as usual. While the gentlemen were out talking to Darcy’s manager, Mr Grantham, Elizabeth took Jane upstairs and showed her Mrs Brewerton’s letter.
Jane was even more shocked than her sister had been.
“Oh! Lizzie, how could he be so reckless, so lacking in self-control?” she cried, even as she agreed that some help had to be sent to Lydia and the children. Jane would, as she had done many times before, send Lydia some money out of her own income.
When Elizabeth explained what Darcy had done, she praised his generosity. “Lizzie, to think that for a while we actually believed all the vicious lies that Mr Wickham told about Darcy—and yet he is such a good man. We must surely have been blind!”
Elizabeth had the grace to blush even after all these years.
“We were—at least I was, Jane, blinded by prejudice and my desire to believe what Wickham, who was flattering me at every turn, was saying about Mr Darcy, who had hurt my vanity. I well recall that you were never so quick to condemn him.”
LOOK FOR THE WOMEN OF PEMBERLEY IN APRIL 2008