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The following day, breakfast was a quick affair.

True to Jane’s prediction, their mother had been thrilled at hearing of Mr Wickham’s saving Elizabeth from harm, but even more so that he was coming to call on them.

“I cannot wait to meet him. Lydia has said that he is very charming and handsome! With any luck, you will be able to snap him up before any of the other young ladies in Meryton, Lizzy.”

Though Elizabeth could not help but blush at such talk, her spirits were lifted by the hope that her mother might express any such vulgar notions before their visitor arrived, rather than in his presence.

It seemed a long time until the hour visitors might first be expected, for their mother had ushered them to the drawing room and arranged them for greatest effect long before any polite gentleman would think himself free to arrive.

Yet the wait was not as long as it might have been.

To their surprise and delight, Mr Wickham arrived just as Mr Bingley was seen coming over the rise toward Longbourn.

“Splendid!” their mother exclaimed. “Now, we shall have two young gentlemen to tell Lady Lucas about when she and Charlotte next call.”

It was no secret that Mrs Bennet and Lady Lucas shared a rivalry.

They had long been in a kind of race to see which one could have a daughter married first — and how great a chance of happiness that daughter might expect in marriage did not seem to enter their thoughts.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes heavenward but tried to focus on being presentable when the gentlemen were announced.

Their father was called since he would have to officially meet and introduce the ladies to Mr Wickham.

He seemed nonplussed, but did his duty well, before retreating once more to his library.

“It is so good of you to come, Mr Wickham,” Elizabeth said as they all made themselves comfortable.

“I would not have missed coming to call on you and your family for anything. I trust you found no injuries when you arrived home?” he asked.

“None whatsoever, thanks to you, Mr Wickham,” she smiled.

Jane and Mr Bingley settled themselves on the nearby settee, while Elizabeth and Mr Wickham took the two chairs near the hearth.

Lydia and Kitty sat on the opposite side of the room.

Every once in a while, Elizabeth caught a jealous glance from Lydia.

Embarrassed by her sister’s lack of discretion, she tried her best to ignore it.

Mary did not join the conversation, but played the pianoforte loudly in the other room.

“I hope you do not miss your friend Mr Darcy too much, Mr Bingley. It was a pity he had to leave us so soon after arriving,” Jane remarked sweetly.

There was an awkward pause for a moment.

Mr Bingley cleared his throat and looked down at his hands.

He shifted uneasily, glanced at Mr Wickham, then turned his attention back to Jane.

“It is a shame to have a friend leave, but I — well, at least Darcy is always happy at Pemberley. For my sake, I am very glad of the friends I have here in Hertfordshire.” He looked longingly at Jane.

Elizabeth smiled to herself. It took little wit to guess his meaning.

Her sister blushed prettily, and they continued in their conversation, while Mr Wickham turned privately to her. Thanks to Mary’s playing, their words went unheard by the others. “I did not know Mr Darcy had been here in Meryton. What did everyone think of him?” he asked.

It was all too obvious that there must be a history between Mr Wickham and Mr Darcy. It only piqued Elizabeth’s interest in the young officer all the more. “He was very unpopular with the bulk of society in these parts. He was much too aloof for our liking, I think,” she replied. “Why do you ask?”

“It does not surprise me, Miss Elizabeth,” he said, almost in a whisper.

“Do you know the gentleman well?”

“I do. It may come as a surprise to you, seeing me in such a low condition now, but I grew up on the Pemberley estate. Indeed, Mr Darcy and I were brought up almost as brothers, you might say.” Mr Wickham gave a sad shake of his head.

Elizabeth could not conceal her shock. “You and Mr Darcy? What happened?” she asked, hoping that Mr Wickham would not think the question impertinent.

“My father was the late Mr Darcy’s steward.

He took a liking to me, brought me under his wing, and even planned to give me a living after I finished university.

But Mr Darcy’s father died before he could bestow the living on me — it was a small parish near the estate.

” He gave another sad smile, looking across the room and out the window, where a light spring rain had begun to fall.

“I had my heart set on joining the church.”

Elizabeth’s heart went out to him. “What happened to keep you from receiving the living?” she asked, fearing she already knew the answer.

“After his father’s death, Mr Darcy refused to give it to me.”

Elizabeth’s stomach fell, twisting with anger. “He refused? Why?”

“Jealousy, I suppose,” Mr Wickham shrugged. He shook his head, his face grim. “Well, his father loved me better, and Darcy could not stand it, I imagine. So now, I am reduced to being a lowly lieutenant in the militia. Too lowly even to be noticed.” He gave her a sad smile.

He was not so unworthy of notice as all that, Elizabeth thought. But of course it would be impossible to say so. “I am sorry, Mr Wickham. I had a general dislike for the man, but I did not know he was so very bad as this.”

“He is generally disliked by his tenants, I am afraid. And it is no wonder. His father was very lenient and understanding. But it is all business with the current Mr Darcy. I think he was born without a heart.”

Elizabeth looked around quickly, hoping that no one else had heard.

Mr Wickham’s resentment was understandable, of course.

It seemed he had only too much reason. Yet it was not quite suitable to slander a man so publicly, and on so little acquaintance with his audience.

To her relief, the others did not seem to have noticed anything Mr Wickham had said.

They were well-cloaked by the sounds of the piano, and Jane and Mr Bingley were entirely lost in each other’s eyes.

The rest of the visit passed much too quickly. When the gentlemen’s half-hour was up, they walked them to the door and watched them walk down the drive together. They parted ways, Mr Wickham heading toward Meryton and the barracks beyond, and Mr Bingley mounting his horse and riding to Netherfield.

“I am sorry to see them go, but I do hope they will make a regular practise of coming to call on us,” their mother said. She turned away and went to prepare herself for Lady Lucas’s visit and share all the delicious gossip and news from having two such handsome gentlemen under their roof.

Jane gave a forlorn sigh, then turned away as Mr Bingley disappeared over the rise.

Elizabeth smiled. Jane and Mr Bingley were increasingly in love, and she was very happy for her sister.

For herself, she knew not what the future held — only that it suddenly seemed brighter than it had for some time.