This chapter contains the second conversation between Mr. Wickham and Elizabeth. If you would like the particulars of that conversation, refer to the original text. I don't quote it here- I felt it was unnecessary- we all know it and can't get enough of it or we wouldn't be here reading FanFic ;)
After tending to their mother's latest fit of nerves, for invariably that is why she called the ladies in, they retired to their room in order to get ready for the small gathering at Mrs. Phillips that evening. They heard Mr. Bennet downstairs engaged in a rather one-sided conversation with Mr. Collins on that gentleman's side convincing him that Lady Catherine would not find his attendance at a small party of Mrs. Phillips for only one night of his stay as objectionable to any hosts. Mr. Bennet finally got a word in edgewise, assured Mr. Collins they did not object to an evening without him then excused himself to his library.
Elizabeth smiled at overhearing the exchange but she was still filled with thoughts on the subject of Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy. She knew she would have the opportunity to ask some well disguised prying questions of Mr. Wickham but did not know whether he deserved her prying. She could say, however, that it would seem that the information she had received from Mrs. Hill was the truth and it certainly was not colored with her own prejudice against the aloof and proud Mr. Darcy. "If only he had tried to make himself more agreeable," she thought and then further thought with a smile, "and had not insulted my beauty."
Mrs. Hill came in to help the girls with the finishing touches on their dress before they left to gather and wait for the carriage and Elizabeth gave her a smile and assured her that she and Jane had gotten as dressed as they were going to get. With a nod of agreement and an approving look at their dress and hair, Mrs. Hill left to tend to the rather boisterous and needy younger two Bennet girls who, from the sound of it, were arguing over ribbons.
"You shall not have the red ribbon Kitty! You know that it does not suit your eyes- red does not go with brown. It goes rather well with green however and so I shall have it. Oh Hill, you are here! Tell Kitty that red does not suit her!"
Mrs. Hill choosing to avoid getting between the girls merely said, "Miss Catherine, I think you look rather pretty without ribbons tonight. You ought to go as is. Sometimes simpler is better."
"And how do I look Hill?" Lydia demanded.
"As you always do, Madam, like the picture of your mother, 20 years ago."
"Oh la! I shall match the officers in their regimentals tonight and you shall not Kitty. Ha." With that, Lydia swept from the room with the red ribbon trailing to force an elder sister to loop it into her hair.
Kitty was staring at her reflection and Mrs. Hill in the looking glass and asked, "Do you really believe that I look pretty?"
"Yes, I do, or I would not say it. You must not attempt to compete with Lydia. You must strike out as your own woman. Perhaps that is a woman without ribbons."
"Perhaps," she said with a shy smile, "but I do like ribbons on my bonnets."
"And so you shall have them, but because you like them. Not because Miss Lydia told you to like them. Will you require any more help this evening?"
"No, thank you Hill, what would we do without you?"
"The Lord only knows." She said as she swept from the room.
In the kitchen Mr. Hill was preparing a little picnic basket of dinner stuff for the carriage as he would be required to wait out the evening in Meryton while the Bennet girls and Mr. Collins were at their Aunts. Sarah gave him a firm swat on the behind as he was bent over the work table when she entered and he yelped in surprise and then chased her and planted a wet kiss on her protesting lips.
"If you assault me Madam then I will assault you." Releasing his tight hold on her he loosely left his hands on her waist and switched subjects, "How goes the progress upstairs? Would ten more minutes be adequate?"
"Ten minutes, yes, would be good enough. Only Miss Lydia tarries but she is always last in the carriage after five minutes of pleading from every one else so I imagine it will be the same today. While you are waiting this evening could you stop in at Fanny's shop? I would dearly love some of her cinnamon swirl bread if there remains any. I meant to beg some from her at her party but I got distracted."
Letting her go and bowing deep he said, "Of course. Your wish is my command great mistress of the vast kitchens of Longbourn."
She laughed in response and shoved him to the door with his basket of food and drink. Five minutes later the elder Miss Bennets were piling into the chaise. It appeared to John that the ladies were all attempting to get in the carriage first so as not to be last and forced to be seated next to Mr. Collins. John, the picture of good manners said, "Mr. Collins sir, if you would like, the weather is fine and it is but a short ride on good road for sitting outside with me."
"What a capital idea! My noble patroness frequently says I need to be out of doors enjoying nature in order to better sermonize on the beautiful order of God's world." The elder girls gave him a grateful look as he closed the door and Mr. Collins continued talking about sermons and nature for their entire ride. John was gifted with the ability to drown him out with his own thoughts after years of living under the same roof as Mrs. Bennet, although at times, his thoughts were interrupted with the occasional high pitched yelp from the carriage probably belonging to Lydia.
John's meditations were consumed with a bit of news he'd heard from some of the farmers that day. Rent prices were dropping drastically and many were striking out and purchasing new parcels of land. The thought of working the land again was enticing to him. He enjoyed his time with the Bennets because their children were practically his own children but it was clear to him that their situation there would be much more depressing should they lose the elder Miss Bennets to suitors. He agreed with the gossips that Mr. Charles Bingley had seemed to single Miss Jane out, but what others did not see and he chose not to speculate and inform them of, was the intensity with which the man from Derbyshire, Mr. Darcy, was staring at Miss Elizabeth. John knew that stare and knew that a man of Mr. Darcy's caliber did not stare where he took no interest. He wondered if Elizabeth had any idea that she had captured his heart.
What really prevented him from jumping at the chance to work the land, though the thought of losing Miss Jane and Miss Elizabeth was unsettling, was a feeling of uncertainty that prevailed in his mind. It was a feeling that the land, though a more permanent investment, was not the optimal investment of the future. Change was brewing and he felt the itch of it throughout society and was surprised that more did not feel it. John believed that the men who invented and invested in those inventions would be the way of the future. Perhaps he was just as wrong as the people buying up land. He sighed and thought, "Oh well. I'm getting too old for speculations anyway, better to stay where I am and enjoy life as it is."
As they pulled up to Mrs. Phillips home John espied the two gentlemen in uniform that Lydia was raving about and wondered what their story was. He could probably do some poking around and find out. Perhaps he would or perhaps his enterprising wife already had he thought with a smile.
After Mr. Collins helped the ladies down and the group, including the officers, were ushered into Mrs. Phillips house, John Hill set out for Fanny's shop. He caught her just as she was finishing up the cleaning for the next morning.
Fanny waved and said, "Why hello brother! To what do I owe this pleasure? I've seen you two times in as many days, but Lord, are you as tired as I am? I just cannot stay up late the way I used to- even in love!"
"Indeed, dear sister, I am tired, but the day is long so dwelling on it will not solve it. You can guess why I am here."
"I bet I can! Sarah wants some of that cinnamon swirl bread. She really should just keep a standing order of it so Jacob will have it in his delivery, but I know she is always claiming to watch her figure." She gave him an innocent wink, "We Albrights and our figures!"
"Can't comment on that Fanny, but if you have a loaf I would sure like not to come home empty handed to a tired and hungry wife."
"We have two left as a matter of fact and I will give them both to you on the house if you run a small errand for me. I let Jacob out a little early today and our last run of the day has not gone out yet. It is a short list of 2-3 day old loaves for folk who can't afford the bread when it is fresh. The least we can do really."
John smiled with pride, "That's my sweet little sister. The Albright sisters most certainly share the same heart. I'll get right to it."
He loaded up a small sack with twelve loaves bound for various houses in the village and proceeded to make the rounds. John was familiar with all but one name on the list and concurred that Fanny's kindness was well placed among these few. All but one on the list, whose name he did not recognize, had at least four children. These large families mostly day-worked out on the various farms and their children would eventually join the work but for now they were too young and therefore a strain on an already very limited income. He enjoyed meeting the children of these families for the mothers and fathers were out working of course. At some of the houses he was called in to join a game, play horsy or tell a story and he never said no. He was in no hurry- the Bennets would be at least three hours at dinner.
When he came to the last home a young woman answered the door who looked to be about Miss Lydia's age. She had a little toddler at her feet, a beautiful sandy blonde girl who held on to her skirts. "May I help you sir?"
"Yes. I'm dropping the daily delivery from the bakery. I do not believe we have met. May I have the pleasure of an introduction?"
"Well, sir, I'm just tending the baby while her mother is away. I'm Bess from the Overton farm."
Recognition dawned on his face, "Of course! The last time I saw you was five years ago and now you are nearly as tall as me! You don't remember me either. That makes us even. Who is your little charge?" He stooped to take her hand while Bess said, "This is little Emma. Her mother is Penny Tillar who works over at Netherfield Park as a maid."
"Ah, and who is Mr. Tillar? I have not had the pleasure of meeting him, they cannot have been in town long."
Bess looked a little embarrassed and said, "It isn't for me to say sir. I thank you kindly for dropping the bread off. Emma and I must go and get supper together. We have an early bedtime."
"Yes. Right, well, it was very nice to see you again Bess. Tell old Overton I said hello would you?" He handed her the two loaves and stooping down he said to Emma, "And you, beautiful lass, I'll see you again real soon and bring you a treat."As John walked away he amended his path back to Mrs. Phillips by adding a stop at the local watering hole. Information, among other libations after all, was liberally poured out in that establishment.
At Mrs. Phillips, the party was lively and spirited. As the Phillips only kept one servant they did the hosting on this occasion while their Mrs. Brock was below in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on food for the buffet table. The party was informal and there was to be no full sit down supper but the buffet would provide a sufficient supper.
Many women in the room cast looks of interest on the handsome Mr. Wickham and his loose acquaintance Captain Denny but it seemed that Elizabeth was the lucky woman upon which the former cast his looks of interest. She felt a bit piqued at him for so obviously singling her out but it did afford her the opportunity to dig deeper into his past connections with Mr. Darcy. In fairness, he had a rather pleasing way of talking which turned the mundane into the extraordinary but she could not help but feel, after her talk with Mrs. Hill, that it was a merry facade. This feeling did not prevent her from being a pretty and indulgent listener, but it did raise alarms when unbidden by her he began to question her about Mr. Darcy's presence in town.
Elizabeth told him she knew little of Mr. Darcy other than the month he had been in Hertfordshire and that he was generally considered proud and not well liked. It was as if those several statements opened the flood gates for Mr. Wickham. He spun a tale about his misfortune at the hands of Mr. Darcy. A story of promised parsonage's livings being withheld and then mistreatment and jealously all on Mr. Darcy's part. It sounded contrived and it was surely inappropriate to be sharing such intimate details with a loose acquaintance. What really struck her as most odd was his response to her assertion that if his story was true Mr. Darcy should be publicly disgraced. He said, "Some time or other he will be—but it shall not be by me. Till I can forget his father, I can never defy or expose him."
This did not sit well with Elizabeth. Mr. Wickham was maligning Mr. Darcy in a fairly public setting where he could perhaps be overheard and this word would get around. A man of character would confront nefarious behavior full on and, truly, to insult the son was really to insult the father. Mr. Wickham's story must be pernicious artifice! She was sure of it when he went on further to degrade Mr. Darcy's sister, his aunt and his cousin. She played along encouraging him to speak out with masked incredulity at his words until at last she could stand it no longer and then said quite slyly, "It is a wonder that Mr. Darcy can continue to show his face in the kingdom. I begin to be puzzled at how he has friends and good credit at all. He must have a reputation for integrity, however misplaced. Perhaps he grows on a person with time. It is interesting to me that your experience is quite the opposite."
Mr. Wickham looked at her and blanched. Had she just disagreed with him after his entire story? It was not the reaction he was anticipating and suddenly he saw her eyes take on a very knowing look and he became aware that she had led him on in the conversation. His mind frantically searched for any true encouragement she gave that she believed his story and he realized that most of her questions, though they sounded encouraging, were sprinkled with a certain look that belied mistrust. Elizabeth saw this realization dawn and wishing to avoid a scene she immediately followed with, "Oh but there is the supper bell. I do so love Mrs. Phillips spread. Her maid, Mrs. Brock, is an excellent cook. I think I shall go and graze. Excuse me sir."
For the rest of the evening, Miss Elizabeth was no longer the favored lady in the room. In fact, Mr. Wickham decidedly seemed less eager for the company of the ladies in general and excused himself very soon after supper was over. The other officer, Captain Denny, remained and was agreeably engaged in discussing politics with the gentlemen of the party or the Netherfield group, particularly Miss Bingley, with Lydia and Kitty until the conclusion of the party.
