Page 14 of To Go Against Her Heart (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

Once Jane mentioned her meeting with Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth felt a strong curiosity to see him with her own eyes. She finally had the chance to meet him and the other officers in Lucas Lodge. Mr. Bingley and his sisters were also in attendance for the evening.

“It is wonderful to meet you finally, Miss Elizabeth,” Wickham said, smiling at her charmingly.

“It is good to meet you, sir,” she replied, and sensing Mr. Collins’s unrest next to her, she introduced him.

“Allow me to introduce my cousin, Mr. Collins.”

“Thank you, my fair cousin; it is indeed generous of you to take sole responsibility for introducing me to your society, though Mr. Wickham is fairly new here as I am. I must agree with your mother and compliment you on your kindness and genteel manners. Kind sir, I am delighted to make your acquaintance tonight; I am honored to inform you about the position I hold in Kent as the parson serving the Parish under the guidance of my noble patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”

“It is indeed a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Wickham replied, immediately understanding his connection with the Darcy family.

As his cousin spoke, Elizabeth observed Wickham with curiosity, and she had to admit that he was indeed handsome and had a pleasant smile.

However, she cared nothing about his looks; her only interest in him was in his acquaintance with Darcy.

Unfortunately, Mr. Collins remained by her side for the greater part of the evening, and she grew tired of his unwanted attention.

Charlotte at last attempted to rescue her friend, and Mr. Bennet invited Mr. Collins to accompany him, thereby releasing the ladies from his company.

“Charlotte, I have never been this uncomfortable in Lucas Lodge. He seems determined never to quit my side.”

“I could see that he was boring you to death, but tell me, did you get a chance to converse with Mr. Wickham?”

“No, unfortunately not.”

“What is your impression of him?”

“Clearly, he has captured the attention of my youngest sisters, but I cannot give him credit for that as they are quite taken with every red coat in the room,” she said with a hint of shame.

When Mr. Bingley and his party entered, Charlotte, observing his immediate search for Jane, directed a smile towards her friend. They watched Mr. Bingley’s introduction to Mr. Wickham and could not but wonder why the gentleman looked beyond shocked.

On the other hand, Wickham looked distressed, and his expression clearly indicated that he was uncomfortable in Mr. Bingley’s presence.

“I wonder what makes them both so uncomfortable?” Charlotte whispered to Elizabeth.

“I am astonished as well; Mr. Wickham almost looks alarmed,” she observed. She could see that he disguised his feelings skillfully as he moved away from Mr. Bingley and became the center of attraction for the women.

“I suspect something is amiss between Mr. Bingley and Mr. Wickham. Could they have met previously, through Mr. Darcy?”

“Maybe in town, who knows? He has charmed almost every young woman I know. All I can hear is praise for his impeccable manners.”

Elizabeth was silent.

“What is it? Do you not like him?”

“I do not know why, but I feel that something is amiss with him. My only interest in him is understanding his association with Mr. Darcy.”

“Of course!” Charlotte said with a smile, and Elizabeth gave her a warning glare.

Ever since Darcy had left Hertfordshire, Charlotte had subtly teased Elizabeth about his absence.

As much as it annoyed her, Elizabeth struggled to admit that the manner of his departure was strangely cold, and somehow, it pained her.

The rest of the evening passed swiftly, and Elizabeth was vexed being hounded by Mr. Collins until the end.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the carriages were ordered.

As they waited along with the Bingleys, Lydia confronted Mr. Bingley with a request.

“You promised a ball, Mr. Bingley, and I remember you said once my sister was better, you would host one. I cannot wait for it. Have you set a date in mind?” she asked, not caring about Elizabeth’s look, warning her not to be impolite.

“Yes! Of course, I did. I was very much engaged in managing the estate and could not plan for one. Since you brought it up now, I promise you, Miss Lydia, we will host the ball soon,” he assured.

“That is so gracious of you, Mr. Bingley. I am certain you wanted Jane to be in good health for the ball. We would be delighted to grace the occasion,” Mrs. Bennet cried with joy.

Before Mr. Collins could start his views on the subject, the carriages arrived, and Elizabeth bid goodbye to Charlotte, promising to call on her soon.

“It has been a terrible evening, Jane. If not for seeing you happy in Mr. Bingley’s company, I could easily name this evening one of the worst in my life so far,” she cried as they reached home.

“I do not understand why Mr. Collins never left your side, although I am beginning to suspect his intentions as you do.”

“Do not suspect it; the man is convinced I would make a wonderful addition to his life.”

“I cannot imagine how you feel; I am truly sorry. I cannot comprehend what persuades him that you would so readily favor his suit.”

“I am certain my sentiments in the matter would not matter to him or Mamma,” Elizabeth said with vexation.

“If he makes you uncomfortable, we must let Papa know.”

“I do not want to cause a scene, Jane. I hope he will come to his senses and understand that I am not interested in marrying him or anyone. For the first time, I wish someone had informed him of my miserable experience with love.”

“Lizzy, please do not say such a thing. It pains me when you speak as though you have no future. You cannot allow one wrong decision to torment your entire life.”

“If I had exercised more sense, I might have escaped such a deception; but my heart, which I fancied could not so easily be misled, succumbed to his words and assurances. That recollection will haunt me forever; yet, Jane, believe me when I say I feel no affection for him now. Whether such feelings will ever return for another is a question beyond reasoning, as I am certain I could never feel such a sentiment again. Let us set this matter aside; you were by Mr. Bingley’s side when he was introduced to Mr. Wickham. I hope you noticed their discomfort.”

“I did and was bold enough to ask him about the same.”

“What did he have to say?” Elizabeth asked with excitement.

“For the greater part of the evening, I have reflected upon what he said. Mr. Bingley had not previously been acquainted with Mr. Wickham, and this was their first introduction. Yet it is the particulars of his disclosure concerning that gentleman which give me the greatest concern. He informed me that Mr. Wickham indeed claimed a close connection to the Darcy family as he was practically brought up in Pemberley as the steward’s son.

But he mentioned that in recent times, Mr. Darcy had a very bitter experience with him. ”

“This is astonishing. Does Mr. Bingley have an insight into the matter?”

“He said he did not know the particulars, but according to him, it was something unpardonable. He trusts Mr. Darcy in this matter and sort of subtly warned me to stay away from Mr. Wickham.”

“Good Lord! How could he say that without having a proper accusation? From what you say, Mr. Bingley has indirectly communicated his doubts about Mr. Wickham’s character.”

“It seems so, Lizzy. Who would have thought Mr. Wickham would be so closely associated with Mr. Darcy?”

“I wish we knew the particulars to come to a conclusion.”

“Do not term me partial, but I think we must consider Mr. Bingley’s words. I can see that Lydia and Kitty are taken with him.”

“I wish Mr. Bingley had clearly informed you of Mr. Wickham’s misdeeds.

If he is warning us, then we must know for certain what he has done.

Otherwise, these are baseless accusations, and spreading false allegations against a man’s character would be cruel.

There is no sensible way to warn anyone about him without proof, and now, I am worried for our sisters. ”

“I do understand your argument, but I could not press him further. It seemed evident that he did not want to dwell on the topic.”

“This worries me, Jane. I wish we could understand what really happened between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham.”

The sisters retired for the night, very confused about how to act with the information they had gathered.

The same night, Mr. Bingley paced his study, trying to come to terms with Wickham’s presence in the neighborhood.

He had been taken aback when Colonel Forster introduced him as one of the officers.

Though ignorant of the precise details, Mr. Bingley perceived that Darcy was exceedingly displeased with Wickham on some account relating to Georgiana.

Mr. Bingley held Darcy in such esteem that he could entertain no doubt concerning Wickham’s character.

He recollected Darcy’s mention of Wickham’s promise to amend his ways and steer clear of creating trouble anywhere.

What am I to do now? Though I warned Miss Bennet, I cannot ensure everyone’s safety. Must I write to Darcy about him, or maybe Mr. Wickham has changed his ways? Perhaps he has turned a new leaf after joining the regiment.

Mr. Bingley finally decided to give Wickham the benefit of the doubt.

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