Mrs. Bennet bustled into her sister's home, ready to settle in for an afternoon of gossip. She stopped short when she saw Mrs. Phillips was not alone. It was obvious she and her companion were on their way out. "Mr. Darcy, I had not expected to see you here." She said coolly, before turning to her sister. "Sister, are you off to somewhere?"
Mr. Darcy bow politely to the mistress of Longbourn, as Mrs. Phillips answered Mrs. Bennet's unspoken question. "Mr. Darcy luncheoned with Timothy and I. Timothy has just returned to his work. And Mr. Darcy and I have an errand to attend to this afternoon."
"What could you possibly have to do with Mr. Darcy?" Mrs. Bennet asked in surprise, and much more rudely than she intended. She had the decency to look abashed when her sister frowned at her.
"I hope you am not interfering with any plans you ladies may have had for the day." Assured by Mrs. Phillips that he was not, Mr. Darcy offered an explanation to Mrs. Bennet. "Mrs. Phillips is kind enough to assist me in purchasing a gift for my younger sister. She has been rather melancholy of late. I am hoping to raise her spirits."
"Why, Mr. Darcy, with all your money you could buy out the finest shops in London! I am sure you will not find anything to compare in Meryton." Mrs. Bennet asked him, momentarily forgetting she disliked Mr. Darcy, stunned as she was that he would patronize Meryton's shops. And in the company of her sister, too. Had not Elizabeth constantly reminded her how proud Mr. Darcy was?
"Mrs. Phillips has told me of the artisans in the neighborhood. I thought to examine their wares. You see, I am not confident that my past efforts in selecting gifts for Georgiana have been successful. My sister and I are very close, but I find it difficult to please her lately. I hope your sister can help me with that. Try as I might, I cannot seem to think like a sixteen-year-old girl." Mr. Darcy smiled hesitantly at Mrs. Bennet. "Would you care to join us? I am sure your experience with five daughters would prove invaluable. I would welcome your opinion." Both ladies looked pleased with this courtesy.
"Oh, how kind you are! And such a thoughtful brother." Had not Elizabeth repeated told her how disagreeable Mr. Darcy was? Yet, Mrs. Bennet had no interest in reconciling her previous opinion of Mr. Darcy with the man before her. She would leave Elizabeth to ponder such alterations. But she was sure she never found his behavior as objectionable as did her daughter. If fact, she thought very well of him. She was pleased he acknowledged her expertise. And she was happy to help him spend his money, even if it was for his sister. What a delightful time they would have.
"Now tell me all about Miss Darcy, sir." Mrs. Bennet encouraged as they left the Phillips' home and the sisters led him to the shops.
~~WP~~
George Wickham was a man used to extremes. Light or dark. Rich or poor. Love or hate. If he was at the bottom, he knew how to get to the top. He would flatter, scramble, scheme, thieve, and debauch to get there, regardless of how long he stayed there. When he was at the top, he would revel in it and grasp to get even more. However, it was in the in-betweens that he found himself lost. Lieutenant Wickham of -shire militia was decidedly uncomfortable being…average. It was a gray prison unlike any he had been threatened with before.
Meryton confounded him. It had seemed so promising on his arrival. Comely ladies and naive townspeople and trusting merchants usually meant he could indulge in his most favorite amusements. The promise was not fulfilled. And he could not explain it. It was a surprisingly savvy community, he decided.
The women were pleasant and friendly but that was all. His efforts to inspire greater intimacy were all for nothing. There was none he could charm. He could not even turn the head of the lady known to be the most determined flirt in town. However, it was no different for his fellow soldiers.
As to the tradesmen, they had offered him credit but were not so generous as to allow for more until he had cleared his accounts. Again, he did not feel singled out. Wickham had to admit it was actually a quite sensible practice. It would be foolish to grant a whole regiment of soldiers unlimited credit. Still, it frustrated him to no end.
So, he found himself bored. And he feared he was becoming boring, too. He might as well be just another soldier in town. Hell, he might as well be Darcy. God, what a pathetic existence this is, he thought. The novelty of being a citizen in good standing had worn thin quickly. How do people manage this day in day out?
As much as he wanted to attribute this most unsatisfying experience to Darcy and that country attorney, he was uncertain. He didn't believe Darcy would jeopardize his precious sister's reputation just to warn these rustics against him. But he had expected something to come from his confrontation with Mr. Phillips. As it was, he had neither seen nor heard from either man.
As he ambled through Meryton, he hoped his luck was changing for he noticed two of the Bennet girls coming out of the nearby bookshop. "Miss Elizabeth, Miss Lydia, how are you on this fine afternoon?"
As he came to a stop before then, he stood a little too close. He made a point to always stand too close. He always considered it a good indicator of who might be willing to allow more breaches of propriety. Unfortunately, the Bennet sisters very deliberately but very politely put some distance between them.
"We are well, Mr. Wickham. I hope you are the same." Elizabeth replied civilly, while Lydia looked around hoping to spy Mr. Denny with him. Not seeing him, Lydia could not be bothered to talk to "old" Mr. Wickham.
"Lizzy, I went to the bookshop with you, now you must go to the milliner with me. You promised." Lydia whined, already walking away.
"Pardon us, Mr. Wickham. I wish you a good day." Mr. Wickham watched as Elizabeth followed her sister. This was intolerable. He could not recall ever being dismissed in such a way. He resolved to leave Meryton behind him. As he walked on, he weighed the benefits of selling his commission against transferring to a different regiment.
~~WP~~
A/N: Darcy and Elizabeth interaction coming with the next chapter. I promise! These two scenes will help set the scene.