"Oh Jane, he truly is an awful man! Classist, racist and utterly devoid of civility. Impolite, rude and a walking nightmare. God, he reminds me why I hated growing up in the north shore. Snobbery personified walking around thinking their shit don't stink."
Lizzy rang Jane during the lunch hour.
It had been two days since the failed audition. James was surprised by his mother's action at the audition room but he was used to her unplanned and impulsive ways and saw nothing unusual in her abrupt cancellation of his audition at a prestigious private school.
To James, the experience was odd and a bit of an adventure. The school was full of boys. Only boys. There were no girls at all. He did not know what to make of it and the short time he previewed his grandfather's old school.
"Lizzy, he's not so bad. Charles tells me he's had many challenges. He lost his parents when he was quite young and had to seek guardianship over his sister. I believe he missed our wedding because of something to do with his sister. He's a bit traumatised." Jane tried to reason with Lizzy in her calm voice.
"Traumatised? Traumatised? He's one hell of a damaged person to traumatise unsuspecting parents whose only wish was to foster the talent of their child!" Lizzy exclaimed loudly, frustrated at the injustice and the prejudice of William Darcy.
"You were not meant to overhear his conversation and so he did not know you were going to be insulted," Jane countered.
"If that were the case, can you imagine what he says in private? To his familiars? What deep seated biases he holds against those he believes reside in the wrong postcode, have a different ethnic background, or - wait a minute - too ambitious or accomplished? Are we still living in a feudal society or a meritocracy?" Lizzy ranted.
Jane sighed.
Her father rang her and Charles yesterday, the day after the audition to relate what had happened. As a former old boy, Charles was astonished by Darcy's forthrightness but knew that Darcy didn't have a filter when it came to his prejudices. He deeply regretted he did not introduce Darcy to Lizzy on previous occasions but he thought that Darcy would be at his wedding. As his best man. But it was not meant to be. His sister Georgiana had a turn and when it came to his sister, Darcy was a cone of silence and unreachable.
"Lizzy, please do not be upset by this but Charles and I have already invited Darcy to Charles' birthday weekend in two weeks' time. We would love for you and James to still come but Charles has not seen Darcy since before our wedding. He received a call from Darcy yesterday and Charles invited him on the spot. He has already accepted our invite."
Lizzy groaned loudly. She hated the man. Hated him. But Charles was a dear brother now. And James adored his Uncle Charles.
Lizzy responded, "I am not afraid of him. We will come. We are dragon slayers after all. Who is Darcy but a classist and racist coward not worthy of our attentions. I feel for Charles for having such a friend but I will not judge him so. We will have tea and cake and wish many more birthday weekends for Charles. We love and adore your Charles, Jane."
At this, Jane giggled and changed the subject. Lizzy smirked and quietly sighed. William Darcy had taken enough of her head space. She needed to move on. She had wasted enough time on this silly man.