Jane wandered in the gardens, turning over bits of information in her mind. Her send off from the Bingleys had been all she wished. The sisters fondly embraced her. Charles kiss on her hand, and the lingering hold made her stomach flip in a not unpleasant manner. Charles was so attentive.
She knew Lizzy disliked the sisters, and felt that the cause was Carolines singular jealousy of Lizzy. Caroline was kind enough to her, though not as kind to the servants. And from what Lizzy told her, Caroline may be duplicitous.
However, Jane turned the problem about in her mind. Carolines friends also seemed dishonest. To be new money, from trade, and so beautiful, clever, and talented herself, Caroline must have been a target to someone. Perhaps, like Mary, Caroline drew comfort from picking the flaws of others. That, if she could find just one crack in a person, they wouldn't be as fearsome. Especially in town, where everyone seemed ambitious and with perfect pedigrees, Caroline had Lizzy's skill of mocking the nonsense of others to make them less perfect and more human. However, that couldn't explain away her treatment of servants. Jane sighed, feeling like Caroline had her going forever in circles. She moved on to another topic.
Charles, as usual, a smile graced her face. The man seemed perfectly imperfect. He had a myriad of ideas springing to his head and always seemed to be halfway through projects. He finished the essential ones, but somehow, the ones he had the most passion for were the ones that lay half done.
He also had a habit of swearing under his breath if he'd forgotten something, which was frequent.
He seemed cheery for the most part. However, as Jane was passing by the study, she heard Mr. Darcy and Charles in a mild argument. The last phrase she heard was Charles' frustrated exclamation:
"I'm not angry at you, but I don't understand, and I can't think straight. Write it down and I'll come back to it!"
With that, he stormed out and almost knocked Jane over. He reached out and caught her close to him.
"Thank God, it's you," he muttered. Jane saw his irritation in the way he wouldn't meet her eye.
"I was just going to the gardens. After being abed for so long, the indoors are wearisome," Jane offered, slipping away, with her face burning.
"I can't think of a more pleasant thing," he said, offering his arm in a casual way. As they walked amongst the flowers, Charles eventually brought the subject up. An issue of taxation on various sheep and the taxation of the land they ran on. Jane was wildly unprepared for such a discussion and could only ask questions.
The more she turned it about in her mind, the more confusion she brought to question with him, the more she understood. Eventually, she saw Charles eye light up as he understood, too.
"Well Jane, pardon, Miss Bennet," Charles said, turning an adorable shade of red, "I believe I will have to find some way to keep your counsel. Left to my own devices, I would have wandered in frustration until Darcy browbeat me into a crude understanding. At least with you, I can be confused and muddle through," he laughed. "I feel like you lead me to the answer instead of trying to force me into an acceptance."
"Jane!" Lizzy called Jane back to the present. Jane's face bloomed into a blush, which caused Lizzy to laugh heartily.
"Thinking of the delightful Mr. Bingley?" Lizzy laughed. Jane could only press her hands to her cheeks and nod, the smile remained. "Excellent, keep that far away look in your eye, for Mr. Collins has arrived, and we must greet him. Based on the verbosity of his letter, I imagine we shall all look like that before long!"
Off they went to meet the mysterious man, who turned out to be exactly as Lizzy predicted. The author, knowing we all know Mr. Collins skipped over those chapters to save her brain. His mind has nothing interesting about it. Just know that Mr. Bennet encouraged Mr. Collins, in his ridiculousness and once bored, left his wife and daughters to the mind-numbing, loquacious fool.
OOXXOOXoXXx
Lydia and Kitty led the way into town, having lost interest in Mr. Collins since just after the man arrived. Mr. Collins seemed particularly attentive towards Lizzy to Lizzy's chagrin and Jane's mild amusement. Mr. Bennet would never allow Lizzy to marry such a fellow, so it was just a matter of time before the man came face to face with Lizzy's wit. Jane felt preemptively bad for the man, but the more they walked, the less she did. By the time they got to town, she rather wished to give him a sharp set down herself. Anything to stop the flood of words.
Lydia gave a small cry and dragged Kitty behind her to meet with a group of officers. Jane, Lizzy, and Mr. Collins followed. Mr. Denny, Lydia's old favorite, was standing next to a handsome stranger, Lydia's sudden new favorite. Mr. Wickham was his name, and he was a clever conversationalist. He spoke mainly to Lizzy, who's wit drew him into a game. So the two witty conversationalists carried the bulk of the conversation, and Lydia or Mr. Denny joined in as they saw an opening.
Jane watched this charming Mr. Wickham. He seemed as pleasant as Charles, but there was a gleam in his eye that was more like Mr. Bennet. That he spoke for his own pleasure and his own gain.
Jane heard horses and turned to find the frequent objects of her thoughts: Charles and Mr. Darcy. Charles' face was a handsome sight, with a smile that buoyed her thoughts. He was truly a guileless man.
"How delightful!" he exclaimed to her, "I was just coming to visit you and see how you were doing!"
"I'm much improved, as you can see," Jane smiled brightly at him, taking a step forward but being startled out of it. Mr. Darcy's face had turned red with fury, and he whipped his horse around and rode off.
"Excuse me, Miss Bennet," Charles said with concern. Jane nodded, and Charles, with a searching gaze at her, turned to follow after Mr. Darcy. Jane, in confusion, turned around to see Lizzy's shocked expression, and Mr. Wickham's stark white face, as though he had seen a ghost. "So Mr. Wickham is the cause of Mr. Darcy's anger. They must have quite a history. The Mr. Darcy, I know, would never jump to such a hatred towards a stranger."
Jane thought more on this and looked more on Mr. Wickham, who had recovered. They walked to their Aunt Philips house, where they parted from the officers. Jane turned over both men in her mind. One was charming, and one was shy. Both had a violent emotion just at the sight of the other. Mr. Wickham was fear, and Mr. Darcy anger. She didn't know Mr. Wickham, but she was inclined in favor of Mr. Darcy.
By the time they had left Aunt Philips, Jane was hoping Lizzy would be able to help Jane through these thoughts. Unfortunately, Lizzy was just as confused.
OOXXOOXoXXx
The day after Aunt Philips' card-party Jane and Lizzy were in the garden again. Lizzy related to Jane all that Mr. Wickham had told her. Jane was astonished and concerned. She didn't believe that Mr. Darcy could be so unworthy of Charles' regard, and yet how could she question the veracity of a person who was as amiable as her dear Lizzy. Surely, there must be some grand mistake, or perhaps an accident that could explain both men.
"They've both been deceived," Jane said, "in some way, or misrepresented. It's impossible to know the cause without placing blame on either man." Lizzy scoffed at her. Jane didn't like the sound. It sounded very much like Papa.
"Very true, dear Jane. But what have you to say about the people who did the misrepresentation? You'll have to clear them too, or we'll have to think ill of somebody," Lizzy laughed at her. Charles would have walked through her thoughts with her, but she pushed that thought away.
"Laugh as much as you choose, but you won't laugh me out of my opinion," Jane said before trying a different tactic, "my dearest Lizzy, consider the disgraceful light it places Mr Darcy in? To treat his fathers favorite in such a manner? No man with any character can be capable of it. Can his most intimate friends be so wholly deceived? No!"
"I could much more believe in Mr. Bingley's being imposed on, then Mr. Wickham invented such a story himself. Especially with such details, names, facts, everything mentioned without ceremony. If it be not so, let Mr. Darcy contradict it. Besides, there was truth in his looks." Jane wondered at that, truth in looks? What could that mean? How can Lizzy be so sure?
"It is difficult, distressing. One can't know what to think."
"I beg your pardon; one knows exactly what to think," Lizzy said with determination, "I know you like the man Jane. You're determined to see the good in everybody." Jane bristled at this. Just because she didn't have Lizzy's intelligence didn't mean she was blind. If anything, Lizzy was the blind one. If only Lizy would wait for more information before casting such judgment! But Lizzy continued dismissively, which made Jane more frustrated.
"But there can not only be good now, Jane. One of them must be wrong, and I doubt it's the one disparaging ladies at balls."
"Has Mr. Wickham sought legal recourse?"
"No Jane," Lizzy said slowly, "he said there was an informality in the terms, but an honorable man would have understood."
"So, why hasn't Mr. Wickham discussed this with Mr. Darcy? Surely, they are both reasonable enough to come to a conclusion. We spent a week with Mr. Darcy, he is not the type to be vindictive." Lizzy laughed, a spiteful sound that shocked Jane. She wished she'd never heard it.
"He said, his opinion once lost is lost forever, that sounds hateful to me!" Lizzy declared in finality, shaking her head at poor Jane. Jane nearly cried from frustration, Charles took her questions seriously, why couldn't Lizzy? Lizzy's wit, which Jane thought so admirably of, was now turned against her. Jane was met with a ready disregard within clever words.
"Why is Mr. Wickham talking to you and not figuring out how to get his due or make his way in the world?"
"He said he respected his father too much and that he could only expose Mr. Darcy once he forgot the excellency of his father!" Lizzy exclaimed, crescendoing into a near shout. Jane's eyes grew wide as she looked at Lizzy. Lizzy only glared back.
"You are determined to hate Mr. Darcy then, if you cannot see the flaw with that sentence," Jane said softly, evenly.
"Jane! It's not like that! He said he needed a kind ear and felt like he ought to explain the reaction today. And Mr. Darcy stormed off with such anger!" Lizzy said.
"You storm off in such anger at Mama twice a week, and Mama degrades you to the neighborhood. How does that make you feel?"
"That's entirely different, Mama doesn't mean anything by it,"
"And Mr. Wickham does mean something by it? What can he mean?"
"Why, to warn us off Mr. Darcy, of course"
"But why Lizzy? Were you in Mr. Darcy's fathers will? Has Mr Darcy made any deals with anyone in town?"
"No, but he's standoffish and cares nothing for the feelings of others!" Lizzy shouted again. Jane wanted to stamp her foot, tears clouding her vision. Lizzy wouldn't listen to anyone elses opinion on the matter. Especially not from her. "You've lost her esteem now, foolish girl, your only friend, shouting at you. She might as well just say it: You are a stupid girl."
"-And another thing, Mr. Darcy can't be bothered to speak to anyone, though politeness dictates it–!" Jane turned abruptly. Her need for solitude became much too great.
"Lizzy, I wish you wouldn't argue with me because I don't believe a stranger." With that, Jane fled inside the house. But alas, she could not flee upstairs, as they had guests. So, Jane scrubbed her face with a handkerchief and went to meet the guests.
Charles and his sisters! Jane wanted to throw herself into Charles arms, who stood to take her hand. He knew something was wrong and gave her a small smile and her hand a squeeze. Caroline and Louisa must've noticed as well because they stood up and embraced her.
"It has been an age!" Louisa declared. They asked after her health several times, ignoring her sisters and her mother. Her mother wouldn't be obstructed from the conversation, however, and proceeded to shower Jane with an embarrassing amount of praise, blocking out any divergence from the monologue.
Eventually, Caroline, tight-lipped, stood up, in obvious frustration, and began to their leave. Louisa squeezed Jane's hand and followed suit. Charles looked as though he wanted to stay seated next to her, to try to speak more with her, but realized: In the current state of things, even he could not infringe on politeness so much. So he stood and looked Jane right in the eye as he kissed her hand. He bid farewell to the whole room of ladies. "As always," he said with a smile, that special smile, "I appreciate the company, and the counsel."
His eye pierced Jane, and he followed his felt a small pouch next to her. Charles must have left it for her. She hid it in her dress, ran upstairs to her room and locked her door. She didn't want to speak to Lizzy for a while. She sighed heavily as she sat down on the bed and opened the little pouch. Inside, she found ginger candies.