Page 46 of Obligation and Redemption
“Well, let me see. I was on my father’s estate early one morning attempting to get in some much needed activity, as it had been several days since I had been able to get out.
You see, I dearly love a long walk, but I noticed that in my musings, I failed to recognise the storm clouds, so began to run towards our home.
” At Colonel Fitzwilliam’s raised eyebrows in question, Elizabeth laughed.
“Tell me, sir, what would you have done had you been nearly three miles from home, and an ominous storm was coming upon you?” After he conceded her point, she continued.
“When I rounded a bend, I came upon a large stallion galloping with a gentleman rider who had no regard for the possibility of encountering someone along the road. Of course, any local inhabitant would have been aware of the possibility of the landowner’s daughter walking through the countryside early in the morning, but perhaps Mr. Darcy had not yet known to be so vigilant, so I must forgive him for his recklessness.
” She smiled at him and continued her tale.
“In shock at such an intimidating sight, I screamed just as lightning struck not one hundred yards away.
The great horse reared throwing the rider, your cousin, to the ground; however, his foot remained in the stirrup, causing him to be dragged at least thirty feet into the woodland.
I, of course, did not know that Mr. Darcy was the horseman until I reached him to see if he were injured.
“When I came upon him, I knew that I had but three choices. I could leave the man, who had insulted me at the local assembly, there to face whatever fate might come his way in the fierce storm, as I felt for a very brief moment was his due. I could go to Longbourn, my father’s estate, or Netherfield to seek aid; however, I knew that I would not be permitted to assist in his rescue, and it would be very difficult to describe sufficiently where Mr. Darcy could be found.
Or I could attempt to get him to safety before the storm caused further injury.
I, in my anxious state, chose quickly to attempt to get him to safety before seeking help.
I am afraid that is what sent us down the road that has led to this night.
I realised that Mr. Darcy was too ill to leave there in the cabin alone, and the storm was too dangerous to attempt to find aid, so we were left without a chaperone for the whole of the day.
“I was relieved when my father arrived because I knew that he would never make me marry a man for whom I had no fondness, but he brought with him Mr. Bingley and two of his servants. Mr. Darcy was kind enough to offer the servants a large sum of money to avoid marrying me, which may have worked had not my mother been factored in to the equation.”
“Your mother? Your story gets more and more interesting,” he said with a chuckle.
”We had all agreed to keep the entire affair quiet, for this is the one outcome in which Mr. Darcy’s and my wishes united.
However, when I reached home, I came down with a fever, after having spent the day in cold, wet clothes.
The fever overcame my senses, and my mother overheard my saying something that aroused her maternal instincts.
In my sleep, I spoke out loud about marrying Mr. Darcy.
Unfortunately for me, I do have a history of talking in my sleep, but my unrest contributed to by utterances to an even greater degree than usual.
My mother rather astutely surmised that I had been with Mr. Darcy during the day rather than alone; she may be lacking in other areas, but her matchmaking skills are always on high alert, you see.
Having five daughters unattached and an estate entailed away, she endeavoured to secure my future through the only means within her control; thus the rumour began.
“You must understand that although my anger has been directed at my mother for her officious meddling, I know that she interfered due to her concern for my future, so I must forgive her, but I cannot myself approve of this way of obtaining a husband, and would never have agreed to such a scheme if given a choice. So, there you have my story.” She boldly looked him in the eyes throughout her speech as they made their way through the dance, stopping and starting her tale as they progressed down the line.
Elizabeth then declared, “You find me shocking. ”
“I find you delightful.”
She laughed. “You, sir, may find yourself quite alone in your opinion. So tell me about yourself. Mr. Darcy said you are a son of an earl? Your uniform would suggest you are not the firstborn.”
“I am the second son.”
“I see that we have something in common then.”
“You are the second daughter?” At her nod, he said, “I have one other brother and a sister. My brother, being the firstborn, will inherit my family’s title and holdings, so I joined the military and have the privilege of wearing my regimentals to attract the ladies.”
Elizabeth laughed. “You do cut a dashing figure in your red coat, but you might find yourself in an undesirable position, having worn such a fine ensemble.” He looked at her questioningly.
“As you saw a moment before, my younger sisters are rather fond of a man in uniform. You might find their attentions to be a heavy burden for being thus distinguished.”
“What about you, do you like a man in a red coat?” His presumption caught her off guard. Colonel Fitzwilliam then clarified his point. “Have you known Mr. Wickham for long?”
“About a fortnight,” Elizabeth responded as she gazed about the room.
“I see that you do not want to speak of him.”
“You are engaging and perceptive.” Within a few moments, the dance allowed them to speak again, so she continued, “I know that Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham have their differences. What I do not know is why I have to be put in the middle of those differences. Mr. Darcy can disapprove of Mr. Wickham without involving me. Mr. Wickham has only been kind, and has expressed his desire to reconcile with Mr. Darcy, who by the way has admitted to me just this evening that he does not easily forgive the faults and vices of others. So, you see, I have decided to give each of the gentlemen the benefit of the doubt.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam knew that Wickham was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, whose only mission was to further his own desires and to fill his pockets with funds squandered from others.
Wickham was gifted in his craft, no mistake, but Miss Elizabeth seemed more astute than the average lass.
He debated whether or not to try to convince her of Wickham’s guilt, but felt that it was Darcy’s place to reform her views, not his own, so he decided to end with one last remark on the subject.
“I care about my cousin, Miss Bennet, and so I ask you not to let Wickham impose himself upon your union. He is not a man to be trusted and would enjoy nothing more than to bring misery upon Darcy by insinuating himself with Darcy’s wife. ”
Elizabeth liked Colonel Fitzwilliam, but could not abide hearing her friend spoken of so cruelly.
To keep peace, she only said, “I thank you for your concern. I will consider what you have had to say, but perhaps we can spend the remainder of our time together with your telling me more about your family.” The conversation then continued through the balance of the set with his sharing stories of his family and home.
While Colonel Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth were thus engaged, Mr. Collins approached Mr. Darcy, who had been distracted from his approach by studying the animation revealed upon the countenance of Miss Elizabeth as she spoke with Fitzwilliam.
After a low bow, eyes fixed to Mr. Darcy’s cravat, Mr. Collins began, “Mr. Darcy, sir, if I did not know that this would ultimately bring you joy, it would pain me to share with you the news that I am prepared to reveal. I am a loyal servant of your aunt, the honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and it is my duty to inform you of a great transgression that has been wrought against you by your fiancée, my cousin, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I saw, within this past hour, pass from the hands of Mr. Wickham into her own a written correspondence that should condemn them both in the eyes of the church and Lady Catherine herself. Miss Elizabeth has disgraced you in accepting a letter from not only another man, but also one with whom you have forbidden her to have any communication. I tell you this not for my own gratification, although I can assure that anything done in the service of my patroness or her family does indeed give me pleasure, but so that you can achieve your freedom by the procurement of the missive from her clutches, thus confirming her offence against you, before she has time to dispose of it. Proof of her duplicity is within her grasp inside the confines of her reticule at this very moment.”
Had Mr. Collins looked up into Mr. Darcy’s eyes during the course of his rehearsed speech, he would have seen indignation that was brimming over into fury staring back at him.
If asked, Darcy would not have been able to determine whom he most despised at the moment, Wickham, Mr. Collins, or Miss Bennet herself.
How dare this man weasel himself into Darcy’s business time and again!
Yet, if his aunt’s parson were telling the truth, Darcy should be grateful to this obsequious fool to have been given this chance, before the wedding has taken place, to discover the extent of Miss Elizabeth’s relationship with Wickham.
“And where did you see this supposed rendezvous occur?”