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T he Darcys’ trip home was filled with angst-ridden silence—both of them knew a reckoning was to be had at the end of the journey. Elizabeth marched up to the door and let herself in, storming into the house.

William slammed the car door and stomped after her. He found her in the kitchen, gulping down a glass full of water in a futile attempt to calm herself.

She turned to face him and tried to keep her voice even.

“William,” she began, “how could you treat your brother-in-law so poorly? He loves Georgiana and the girls. He told me he only wants to prove to you he can take care of them. How could you be so cruel to a man, just because he is down on his luck and doesn’t fit some ideal you had in mind for her? ”

He ignored her questions. “I’m going to ask you something, Elizabeth, and it is imperative that you to tell me the truth. Have you been giving Wickham money?”

“What?” Her incredulity knew no bounds. “For heaven’s sake, I only met the man today!How could I be giving him money?”

“Did he ask you for money today?”

“No!Do you really think so little of me to believe me capable of that?Knowing how you feel about him, why would I do such a thing behind your back?”

“I don’t know, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out where you’ve spent the money I put in your personal account.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “You check up on me?”

“I do not check up on you. I reconcile the bank statement.The money is there for your use, but I see no evidence of what you’ve spent it on—no new clothes, no books, nothing for the house.

Can you blame me for wondering what you’ve done with it?

Are you squirreling it away in another bank?

Building a nest egg so you can move out on your own someday?

I knew you didn’t love me when we married, but I thought you would at least keep a marriage vow you made before God and everybody. ”

“You. Are. Delusional.”She sat down and put her head in her hands and laughed mirthlessly. “I am not planning to run away. The money I withdrew wasn’t for me, William.”

He crossed his arms and looked at her expectantly. “Go on.”

“I gave it to my mother—for groceries, necessities, and a few discretionary items for my sisters.”

A moment of shocked silence rose between them.

“Elizabeth! Why didn’t you tell me your family was in need? I asked your father not one month ago how he was faring, and he told me he was getting along fine.”

Elizabeth’s voice rose in anger. She leapt to her feet, fists clenched at her side.

“Well, of course, he would say so. He’s too proud to take any charity from his son-in-law.

As far as he’s concerned, if there’s three squares a day on the table and nobody’s naked, everything is just dandy.

He doesn’t care that Kitty hasn’t had a new hair ribbon in over a year even though she loves them, or that Mary’s Sunday dress is threadbare.

Or that Jane has to wear flour sack dresses to work and tolerate that awful Bingley woman making snide comments within earshot of the customers on how charming she looks in a reused flour bag! ”

Elizabeth shook with anger, and tears ran down her face. She swiped at them with the back of her hand. “You stupid men and your stupid pride! Too busy to even look around and see what’s going on in front of your faces!

“And you! You’re the worst. You think you know it all.

You know what I’m good for—I should decorate your arm and your house but not do anything too useful.

And Georgiana—you know who she should love and where she should live.

You know how much candy the girls should have and what kind of schooling they should get.

You don’t even see how Gi is trying desperately to lead her own life or care that she wants to raise her own children.

” Elizabeth’s voice cranked up a notch. “You’re better than everyone else, and you’re always looking down—on me, on my family.

I see how your lip curls when they’re around.

I know my mother can be silly, but she’s my mother, for god’s sake, and she does the best she knows how with the limited faculties she has.

And I can’t believe what you’ve done to Jane! ”

His mouth moved in silence several times before he managed to splutter, “And what have I done to Jane?”

Elizabeth was almost beside herself by this point and held nothing back.

“You told Mr. Bingley he should move away, even though you knew he was falling for Jane, and she had feelings for him. Don’t look so surprised that I found out.

Nasty old Miss Bingley made sure I knew it was you who suggested he leave town to avoid ‘unfortunate entanglements’ with my sister.

Her heart is broken, William! And it’s all your fault! ”

“Damned meddling woman!” he said.

Elizabeth wasn’t sure if he meant Jane, or Miss Bingley, or herself.

His usual haughty voice returned, low and controlled.“Yes, I admit I advised Charles to relocate. He had an opportunity to open another store, before there was any additional competition in Glasgow, and I encouraged him to pursue it. He wanted Jane to move there too—and manage the new store.”

“He did? Then why—”

“But”—he interrupted—“I discouraged him from asking her.”

“Why?”

“Because.” His voice rose again. “Think how it would look. He hires this pretty young girl, shows some interest in her, and then whisks her off—without marrying her, I might add—to another town, away from her family, where she knows no one.”

“But—” Elizabeth rubbed her forehead in confusion.

“Put yourself in Jane’s position. She can’t turn the job down for fear of losing the one she already has.”

“But—”

“It’s unacceptable for a man to foist his attentions on a female employee.”

“Mr. Bingley would never—”

William strode back and forth across the kitchen.

“Well, of course he would never! I know that! But he doesn’t think”—he pointed to his temple—“when it comes to women. Once I enlightened him to the evils of putting Jane in that situation, naturally, he agreed. He had just never thought of what he was doing to her.”

“But she really liked him,” Elizabeth began.

“Well, that can’t be helped. What’s done is done—and done for the best—for everyone concerned.

I watched Jane, you know, at church, at Netherfield Hall, and at Bingley’s holiday party.

She was always polite, but I never saw any indication that she truly liked him.

Even after he left, she didn’t seem that upset he was gone. ”

He went on, muttering half to himself. “She just goes about her business, always with that infernal smile on her face, no matter what’s going on around her.”

“Am I to understand that, in addition to everything else, the omnipotent Mr. Darcy also knows the inner workings of my sister’s mind?” She threw up her hands in exasperation. “Who do you think you are? You barely know her! She doesn’t share her feelings with anyone but me.”

Darcy startled at this but said nothing.

“Between what you’ve done to my beloved sister, and to your own sister’s husband, I’m wondering exactly what kind of man I married.

If you ever gave me any inkling of what you thought, or how you felt, I might be able to discern some gentlemanly qualities in you, but as it stands now, I see nothing of quality at all! ”

A deadly silence fell over the room.

“So, this is your opinion of me? According to you, my faults are grave character flaws indeed. So, the fact that I chose you, that I wanted to marry you, means nothing? After I took you from the squalor you were living in, made you mistress of my home, treated you like a queen, gave you anything I thought you might desire—you have doubts about my moral fiber? You want to know my thoughts? You want to know how I feel about you?” He paused, running his fingers through his hair, and began pacing again. “This is how I feel about you!”

He strode toward her and seized her face between his hands, taking her mouth in a bruising kiss.

Her traitorous body responded to him, but at this moment, her pride was stronger.

She pulled away and stared at him, breathing hard.

Quick as a wink, a loud crack echoed throughout the room as her hand came up and struck his cheek.

He took a step toward her and on instinct, she backed away.

Her hand covered her mouth in an expression of horror at what she had just done.

He turned away, as if unable to look at her anymore.

“Get out,” he croaked hoarsely.

Without another word, she turned and fled the room.