Page 13 of Requirements for Love (Love in London with Mr Darcy #3)

Later there was a knock on her door, and, thinking it must be Georgiana, Elizabeth said, “Enter.” But Darcy entered. She had hoped to avoid him, but that was impossible while confined to his house.

“It is nearly six,” he said pleasantly. “I thought to help you to the dinner table.”

“I did not realise the hour,” she said wearily. “I am not even dressed.”

He smiled. “We are en famille, or nearly, so do not stand on ceremony with your friends.”

She looked him up and down. “You dressed.”

“But had I known you did not want to, we would not have bothered.”

She doubted that, but it was gracious of him to say. “Would you and Georgiana mind if I had a tray here? I am not equal to company.”

If he noticed how she referred to his sister, he did not comment. “She said your ankle was troubling you. Should I send for the surgeon?”

She shook her head and even closed her eyes, unable to face the kindness and concern in his expression.

“If you are in pain, you must let me help you. ”

“All is right.”

He stood in a moment of hesitation, and Elizabeth hoped he would leave. “Forgive me, but you look unwell. Is there anything I can give you for your?—”

“Please stop,” she whispered. He had to stop being so considerate. She had not felt ready to have this conversation, but perhaps it was best to get it over with. “Your sister told me about Ramsgate, and now the horrifying truth of Wickham’s corruption is evident.”

Darcy looked stunned; his face drained of all colour.

For a moment she thought him angry with her for knowing something he must have tried hard to keep hidden.

But then she realised that was something the Elizabeth of two days ago would have assumed.

As proud and repulsive as Darcy’s manners once were, or what she thought they were, she had witnessed nothing that betrayed him to be cruel or unfair.

Darcy was a good man, after all, and Wickham the worst sort of villain.

“She must admire you a great deal, to confess such a thing,” he finally said, carefully sitting across from her.

“I will tell no one,” she promised.

“I never doubted you.” He brought a hand to his mouth and looked into the fire. “It was a close thing. By mere chance, Georgiana escaped from a marriage with an unprincipled scoundrel who would have delighted in harming me by mistreating her.”

“And I believed every lie he said,” she said bitterly.

His head turned sharply. “He spoke of my sister?”

“No, or only to call her proud. He spun tales about you . Of how you denied him the living your father intended for him. You blasted his prospects, according to him, but it must have been lies.”

Under Darcy’s grim look, Elizabeth turned away, hiding her face in her hands. “I am so sorry. I was such a fool.”

“You are far too angry with yourself. Detection could not be in your power, and suspicion is certainly not in your inclination.”

She barked a dry laugh. “And you are far too generous to the woman who resented you unjustly, who believed the lies of a man just because he flattered me.”

“Of what he has accused me I am ignorant, but my father desired that a family living might be Mr Wickham’s as soon as it became vacant, although I thought Mr Wickham displayed a lifelong want of principle that would make him a bad clergyman.

But he was resolved against taking orders anyway, and expected some financial benefit in lieu of the preferment. ”

She raised her head from her hands to look at him. “Wickham resigned all claim to assistance in the church?”

“He accepted in return three thousand pounds. Then years later he asked for the presentation after he had learnt the living was then available.” After a pause, he added, “His circumstances were dire. He had no money left, and my refusal made him angry.”

“Angry enough to pursue your sister for her fortune. What a wicked man!”

“He wanted to revenge himself upon me by hurting her, and it had the advantage of making him rich in the bargain.”

She felt her muscles tighten, anger coursing through her. “How did you not shoot him in the heart when you saw him in Meryton?”

To her surprise, Darcy chuckled. “Well, my cousin wanted me to do that last summer, but my being hanged for murder would hardly have helped Georgiana.”

“A shame, because nothing short of shooting him will teach him a lesson. He is pursuing an heiress in Meryton who recently inherited ten thousand pounds.” Wickham’s attentions to Miss King were the consequence of him being hatefully mercenary. He was eager to grasp at anything.

Darcy’s expression darkened. “Maybe her family will intercede like I did.”

“Maybe he will prey on women who do not have strong fathers or uncles or brothers.” Elizabeth huffed to herself. “Women? Not even women. Young ladies barely out of the schoolroom.”

“Is the lady very young?” he asked .

“I do not know her well. She is about seventeen. Full-figured, like Lydia in that way, or Georgiana.”

“Youthful, also?”

She pictured Miss King’s freckled face. “Yes.” Georgiana was young in both age and experience. She was tall and womanly, but her face still held some soft lines of childhood. “Wickham is truly despicable.”

Darcy seemed scarcely to hear her. His brow contracted. “I saw you and Wickham together in Meryton,” he said slowly, “and I had known at the Netherfield ball that Wickham had spread falsehoods about me. But I said nothing to anyone about what he was capable of.”

“Discrediting him wherever he goes is not your responsibility.”

“It is if I am in the same neighbourhood.” His gravity and thoughtfulness struck her, but before she could speak he said, “I will write to your father and tell him Wickham is not to be trusted. If I hint at his former proclivities without mentioning my sister’s name, will your father tell his friends and neighbours to be wary of Wickham and not let him near their daughters? ”

Elizabeth spoke more from her hopes than from fact. “He likely will act. Such a threat is too great even for him to ignore. And if my mother gets a hint of it, she will spread the news to everyone she meets.”

“If he has questions or doubts, he can write to me, and I will provide corroboration.”

She gave a dark laugh. “If he does, it will be weeks later. He is a dilatory correspondent. So much so that he said he might write to me once while I am in town this winter.”

After giving her a compassionate look, Darcy said, “Shall you add diligent letter writer to your list of marital requirements?”

He meant to be playful, but she answered a sincere “Yes. You may laugh, but I do want a man who will write to me, who does not see anything involving me to be a chore or a nuisance.” She should matter to her husband.

“When I must be apart from my husband, I want long and thoughtful letters, and I will write to him in the same style.”

“I will write to your father tomorrow. He might think me presumptuous, but the militia will be in Meryton all winter, and Miss King or your sisters or whomever else deserve to be informed about what sort of man Wickham is.”

His generosity and his willingness to take on so much for people unconnected to him placed him in an amiable light. She felt ashamed of herself for misjudging Darcy and trusting Wickham. “That is exceedingly kind of you to take on so much trouble.”

“No, it is the least that I can do. My sister was extraordinarily fortunate, and I will do what I can to protect your friends and neighbours.” He gave a rueful smile. “Besides, I want to act in a less selfish and more gentlemanly manner.”

She, too, had to change her manner. She had courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where both Darcy and Wickham were concerned. Elizabeth covered her face with her handkerchief in shame.

After a pause of several moments, the voice of her companion recalled her to a sense of her situation. “Come have dinner with your friends.”

Elizabeth shook her head. She was still far too embarrassed.

Her hand was gently pulled away from her face, and Darcy gave her a sympathetic smile. “My sister will think you will judge her if you do not appear. She does not know that you thought Wickham was your friend.”

“Oh no, I do not blame her!”

“I know,” he said softly. “And you are in excellent company amongst those who believed Wickham to be a man of character. He is a skilled manipulator. Have dinner with us and tell Georgiana that she must add a ‘husband who will write long letters’ to your list of requirements.”

Despite her shame, she smiled. “We worked on my list today.”

“I heard. My friend Sir George Reed will appear tomorrow. I have known him since we were children. Let us go to dinner, and you and Georgiana can tell me all about your requirements, and I will do my best to say that Sir George will suit.”

“Will he truly?” she asked sceptically.

Darcy lifted his shoulders. “He does write long letters. And if you can get him to talk, you will discover he is an intelligent man. You can decide for yourself tomorrow evening if he is worth the effort. He and I will leave the Duchess of Linden’s card party early to meet you.”

There was something suspicious in his tone. “Will you be happy for the excuse to leave?”

“Absolutely.” He grinned. “Everyone wants to be invited to her parties, but no one actually enjoys them. I might go out most evenings during the season, but nothing compares to a small party at the home of close friends and family.”

She remembered how little he liked the bustle and noise of routs and card parties.

That probably included dancing and making conversation with people he did not know.

“I hope you spend more evenings this season amongst friends rather than strangers.” It occurred to her that Darcy considered her to be a friend, and that she wanted that very much.

“Thanks to you, I will be more agreeable when I must be in company I find tiresome.” Darcy then came nearer and gestured toward her. “May I?”

Elizabeth nodded and brought her arms around his neck, and he carried her to the table.