This is the 4th chapter posted today. There were also several yesterday.

Chapter 30

"I met an acquaintance of yours just the other day, a Mr. Wickham, and heard a great deal of your time together at university," said Elizabeth, trying to get to the bottom of the matter that had been plaguing her.

"That's not fit for a lady's ears, I'm sure" declared Mr. Darcy, quite misunderstanding her, scarcely believing anything Wickham was about was fit for anyone's ears. And what was she about, to listen to such things?

"It seems you confess Mr. Darcy," teased Elizabeth, feeling quite the fool, for improving her opinion of him and doubting her first impression.

"I confess? Certainly not madam, the only thing I have to confess to was cleaning up after him for far too long. Undeserving as he was."

"Were you not his partner in crime then, Mr. Darcy?", Elizabeth questioned, feeling quite confused. Was Mr. Darcy implying Mr. Wickham the only culprit in their misspent youth?

"Certainly not, Madam. Or at least, only to the extent that I did not expose his doings to my father."

Knowing Darcy well enough to know he may be proud but wasn't prone to deceit she said "Well then, I daresay he used the truth to tell lies. He spoke of your childhood and your father's kindness, implying that when you both went off to university that one of you departed the path of decency, and that you later refused him a living for nothing more than having spoken his opinion, too freely, in regards to you. Though he never said outright, it seemed he was implying that trying to correct your behavior cost him the living."

"Am I to understand, you took his words as truth, Madam?" asked Darcy, heart cracking, already knowing the answer. Though he knew not why it seemed so important to him that she would believe him on blind faith. It seemed he had earned some consideration while she stayed at Netherfield. To believe he finally had a sincere smile and an honest opinion of approbation, it stung quite severely to lose it so suddenly.

"Not entirely sir, My thoughts were quite in conflict, in truth." vacillated Elizabeth. She was up most of the night following the card party, in conflict, not knowing what to believe, Wickham's accusations matched too closely with Elizabeth's first impression and Caroline's implications. She knew Caroline for the spiteful shrew that she was, that hardly meant, however, that she wasn't using the truth to carry her point. Wickham's behavior certainly shook her, there was something about him that she inherently mistrusted, but she also thought it possible that in view of his desire to be of the church that she had misconstrued his meaning in his discussion with Lydia.

Darcy's hopes rose but tempered at the thought of her past, perhaps current opinion "How so, Madam? "

"His earlier flirtation with Lydia, I caught quite by accident. As I was late to join them, I thought I must have misunderstood when later he declared he was meant to be a parson. He went on for quite a while and made himself seem kind, compassionate, forgiving, everything amiable and just, yet something about him continued to unsettle me. His words felt true yet misleading at the same time. For all my efforts I couldn't puzzle it together. He made himself out to be quite the suffering servent of God. I felt almost guilty for the doubt that resided within me. "

"You'd be wise not to ignore your instincts madam, Wickham has a long history of misdeeds with young women, though pardon me for saying so. His happy manners easily make him friends, but he rarely keeps them, those he fosters sympathy with are worse off for knowing him, especially young women."

"Mr. Darcy, pray thank you for your warning. I beg your forgiveness for any offense I may have given while attempting to discover the truth of the matter. I couldn't rest until I determined the truth of it. Something quite unsettled me about the business. In truth, I couldn't discern if it was because I feared being the fool for willingly accepting your apology and improving my opinion of you, or if it was the instinctual mistrust I felt for Wickam. I quite talked myself into circles, deciding eventually it was safest to believe that if you were truly so close, what one was guilty of, the other likely followed suit. "

Darcy who could neither find cause to feel vindicated nor condemned by her words, it was indeed the wisest thing to assume. Although Darcy wished she believed better of him, he knew it was beyond her knowledge of him to draw that conclusion based on anything other than sentiment. He looked at her hoping to disabuse her of the accusations Wickham had laid at his door and simply said "I can assure you, madam, though you have only my word, Wickham's habits are not my own."

Resolved to remove himself from the floor as the dance ended, he started towards Miss Lucas to deliver his partner back to her friend. He questioned what to do with the matter before him. Whatever actions he determined to take, he knew he could not depart for London without first seeing to Wickham, but nor could he provoke him. His sister's well-being was first and foremost.

"I believe you, sir." His word was enough for Elizabeth, they may not see eye to eye on many matters, but in situations of material import, she knew somehow that he could be trusted. When their opinions diverged he had the respect for her to say so, even when he did not state his opinion respectfully. Had he thought his habits were none of her concern, he was not wanting in the frankness required to deliver that message. In short, she didn't always prefer his company, nor did she always think well of him, but she did trust him to speak the truth.

Humiliated to ask, but somehow sensing the importance of her mission, and the trustworthiness of her partner she spoke, "Mr. Darcy, If I may, Jane and I do the best we can with our younger sister. I say this not to be improper, but surely as an older brother you understand, I must know how to keep her from his devices. Lydia is foolish, but she doesn't deserve to suffer for his offenses. Forgive me for asking, but can I trouble you for the details of his deceptions?"

"I believe it would be most proper if I spoke to your father" replied Mr. Darcy turning quite red, thinking of some truly debauched tales that had made their way to his ear. Still reeling from her partial belief in Wickam, but also not knowing how to say such things to a lady, yet, he knew she needed to know, Wickham was indeed a danger to any young woman, especially one as silly as the youngest Bennet sister.

"You may as well try, but Mr. Darcy, you should know, though I have the benefit of a father who believes a woman's mind is worth improving, who will gladly indulge me in Latin and Greek, pay me every respect as a debate partner, it's also true, sir, he is not known to spare an effort where it does not pair with his intellectual interests. I'm ashamed to say it, but for Lydia's sake I must be honest, my father is more likely to talk himself out of intervening than he is to talk himself into it.

I'm certain sir, It will surely be left up to Jane and I, with little support from either parent, or worse, ill-advised encouragement of Lydia, and if Jane and I are ignorant of the truth of him, ignorant of his devices and his modes of deception, left with no argument against him, we'll be left powerless in garnering Lydia's opinion to the contrary of his lies. She's too young. Too ignorant not to fall for it."

Darcy saw the truth in her words. He simply nodded, resolved to speak with her when they next chaperoned Jane and Bingley. For the rest of the night, his focus was almost solely on Mr. Bennet, who seemed to enjoy the sight of his daughters embarrassing themselves.

Once the ball ended, Darcy asked Richard to join him, informing the man of Wickham's present location and antics.

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What are your thoughts on Elizabeth and Darcy's conversation?