What if Elizabeth had asked Colonel Fitzwilliam about Wickham instead of Jane while at Rosings?
...instead of being again surprised by Mr. Darcy, she saw on looking up that Colonel Fitzwilliam was meeting her. Putting away the letter immediately and forcing a smile, she said:
"I did not know before that you ever walked this way."
"I have been making the tour of the park," he replied, "as I generally do every year, and intend to close it with a call at the Parsonage. Are you going much farther?"
"No, I should have turned in a moment."
And accordingly she did turn, and they walked towards the Parsonage together.
"Do you certainly leave Kent on Saturday?" said she.
"Yes— if Darcy does not put it off again. But I am at his disposal. He arranges the business just as he pleases."
"And if not able to please himself in the arrangement, he has at least pleasure in the great power of choice. I do not know anybody who seems more to enjoy the power of doing what he likes than Mr. Darcy."
"He likes to have his own way very well," replied Colonel Fitzwilliam. "But so we all do. It is only that he has better means of having it than many others, because he is rich, and many others are poor. I speak feelingly. A younger son, you know, must be inured to self-denial and dependence."
"In my opinion, the younger son of an earl can know very little of either. Now seriously, what have you ever known of self-denial and dependence? When have you been prevented by want of money from going wherever you chose, or procuring anything you had a fancy for?"
"These are home questions— and perhaps I cannot say that I have experienced many hardships of that nature. But in matters of greater weight, I may suffer from want of money. Younger sons cannot marry where they like."
"Unless where they like women of fortune, which I think they very often do."
"Our habits of expense make us too dependent, and there are not many in my rank of life who can afford to marry without some attention to money."
"Is this," thought Elizabeth, "meant for me?" and she coloured at the idea; but, recovering herself, said in a lively tone, "And pray, what is the usual price of an earl's younger son? Unless the elder brother is very sickly, I suppose you would not ask above fifty thousand pounds."
He answered her in the same style, and the subject dropped. To interrupt a silence which might make him fancy her affected with what had passed, she soon afterwards said:
"I imagine your cousin brought you down with him chiefly for the sake of having someone at his disposal. I wonder he does not marry, to secure a lasting convenience of that kind. But, perhaps, his sister does as well for the present, and, as she is under his sole care, he may do what he likes with her."
"No," said Colonel Fitzwilliam, "that is an advantage which he must divide with me. I am joined with him in the guardianship of Miss Darcy."
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice (pp. 138-139). . Kindle Edition.
Surprised, Elizabeth stated with more feeling than she might if she had not replied so quickly, "Then you must know a great deal of the affairs that happen at Pemberley."
Colonel Fitzwilliam looked confused. "Yes, he and I are close confidants, so I know most of the happenings at Pemberley."
"Perhaps you might be able to explain then, why Mr. Darcy would choose to dishonor a friendship and cast off a man worthy of esteem to poverty when it was within his power to offer him a comfortable living."
The colonel paused as he attempted to understand her statement. Elizabeth regretted being so forward, but she could not back down now, although she tried to think of a way to phrase her query more cautiously. Before she could speak, however, he answered simply, "You seem to have met Mr. Wickham."
"I hope I am not too forward when I say that he seems to have been used abominably by your cousin."
"It is no more than he deserves, I assure you. How did you meet Mr. Wickham?"
Elizabeth hesitated just a moment before explaining the extent of their relationship. She was about to relate what he had said of the living when the colonel stopped her.
"Mr. Wickham was given the best of everything as a boy. When I spent the summer at Pemberley, the three of us often played together in the woods, but I never considered him a friend."
"I would not think that you would look down so on the son of a servant."
"Certainly not on those grounds alone, Miss Bennet. I based it off of his character, which is largely unchanged, I believe. He was never honest, nor could he stand to lose a game, especially not against my cousin. I hope you will believe me when I say that he cannot be trusted. I suspect he told you quite the tale to impress you."
"Can you be certain the tale is false?"
"If it portrays my cousin as a scoundrel, then yes, I am certain the tale is false. Mr. Darcy has been uncommonly good to Mr. Wickham, far better than he deserves, and if you do not trust my cousin, then I hope you will trust me. I cannot acquaint you with all of the particulars, as doing so would reveal secrets that it is my duty to keep, but if I can disabuse you of his goodness, I should gladly do so."
"I suppose you will say he was never intended for the church."
"His disposition was never suited for the church, however, my uncle never knew what Darcy and I knew, so he was indeed intended for the church. I suppose he related to you that my cousin denied him the living. "
Elizabeth nodded, too eager to hear more to speak for fear of saying the wrong thing.
"I suppose he left out the part where he came to collect his inheritance when my uncle died and stated he had no wish to be a part of the clergy. He was given 3000 pounds with the implied purpose to study the law. When the living fell vacant, he returned to ask for the living. My cousin simply produced his copy of the paper signed by Wickham the year prior. He was in a desperate situation, having lost all of his inheritance."
"How is that possible? Three thousand pounds!"
"While I cannot say for sure how he spent it, I can tell you there are many ways of doing so, most of which are not fit for a lady's ears."
Elizabeth's thoughts were swirling as she tried to take in this new information. The parsonage was almost in sight, and they walked quietly while Elizabeth processed her thoughts. At the gate, Elizabeth turned to her companion.
"I thank you for explaining what you could. I have one question for you, if you would be so kind."
"I will answer anything that is within my power to answer." The colonel looked around to ensure they could not be overheard and stepped closer.
"Are the people of my village safe with such a person around?"
"A small village is unlikely to offer many possibilities to a man such as Wickham, and I would imagine you would have heard if he had behaved poorly, although he is very good at covering his tracks. Who is his commanding officer?"
"Colonel Forster, who seems very sensible."
The colonel shook his head. "Very sensible, but also very relaxed. Mr. Wickham is a man eager to marry into wealth. He knows when to make himself agreeable."
"He is engaged to a woman from our village."
"Is she the wealthiest woman in your area?"
"I suppose so. She inherited a large amount from an uncle."
The colonel was about to reply when Mr. Collins appeared at his door. "Colonel Fitzwilliam, so good of you to escort Miss Bennet home. She is always out rambling about. Fresh air is so good for the complexion, according to Lady Catherine." He would have continued, but the colonel stopped him by saying he was needed back at Rosings.
Mr. Collins then turned to his cousin to elaborate on how kind the colonel had been, but Elizabeth could barely hear him as she moved into the house and took to her room.
She tried to think over what both men had told her and compare them justly, but she could not determine who she believed. She had no proof to either story. Every feeling was so jumbled that when Charlotte came to offer assistance in preparing to dine at Rosings, Elizabeth did not need to feign a headache to request to stay home.
Once the house was quiet, she paced through the dining room and parlor as she tried to comprehend the truth between both storied. Certainly, Wickham had much to gain by being thought of well. The colonel had nothing to gain or lose by relating what he did.
