The early morning frost etched the glass when the Darcy carriage travelled back toward Pemberley. Every sound and movement, the pounding of horses’ hooves and the insistent shaking of the carriage, served to exacerbate Darcy’s discomposure until his nerves were nearly shredded. The cool half of his mind told him that his behaviour was ridiculous – Elizabeth’s written request for his return to Pemberley did not signify disaster in itself – then warred and lost to his sense of foreboding.
Unexpected business in Lancashire was his excuse to Georgiana and Elizabeth for his absence. Georgiana had believed him without question; Elizabeth had merely looked over him with a sceptical expression. Her dark, intelligent eyes never seemed to miss anything, as if she knew he found the remote estate preferable to another chilly week with her at Pemberley. His steward was no less disbelieving and more hurt by his decision. Darcy regularly left those nearly incomprehensible manoeuvers of delicacy and tact to Browning as a matter of routine, but his capable agent could not act as a mouthpiece within his own family circle.
He rightly guessed that a letter from Longbourn had disturbed the fragile peace between them. He did not know that Jane’s letter – a hasty expression of feeling which she half-regretted posting – detailed the pain of her mother’s constant allusions to Mr Bingley and concluded with a plea to stay with Elizabeth until the worst of the speculation could pass. Denying any request of Jane’s went hard with Elizabeth. She first castigated herself, then her husband, as she wrote of the impossibility of such a visit. Darcy found her silent reproaches even harder to bear than those she had spoken aloud.
For the third time that morning, Darcy withdrew Elizabeth’s letter to him from him pocket. “Something of a serious nature has occurred, and I ask for your return as soon as may be,” he read, as if the words would suddenly transform themselves into the reason behind her urgency. The most satisfactory explanation to his pride was that she had felt his absence, her letter a trick to bring him to Pemberley, but Elizabeth’s steady sense and artlessness argued against such a happy conjecture.
He shook his head with a grim smile. Pride. The same pride which drove him from Pemberley into Lancashire to lick his wounds was no cause for satisfaction. The irony of following his mother’s path to Briarwood filled his thoughts with shadows and prevented him from finding any sort of solace. His parents’ example of matrimony was nothing to aspire to for himself. When his parents had chosen to reside together, they behaved with civility, their indifference toward each other striking in its contrast to the individual interest bestowed upon him. It was similar, and yet so very different, from the performance he and Elizabeth put on at Pemberley last week. However annoyed he was with her, he could never claim indifference.
He folded up her words with a sigh. Letter or no letter, his place was at Pemberley, Darcy thought as the road smoothed out and the rocking motion of the carriage lulled him to sleep.
–
The moment Elizabeth appeared, Darcy felt his stomach sink into his boots as his heart flew in the opposite direction.
“Mr Darcy! How delighted I am to have you back with us so soon,” Elizabeth said, stretching out her hands to him. Darcy pressed her small, warm fingers in confusion, trying not to read too much into her action. A gesture for the servants, his head told him; a gesture for him, his heart whispered.
He might have listened to his heart had her eyelashes not begun to twitch about like nervous moths. Her dark gaze lifted, betraying something akin to anguish, before skittering away. Darcy felt the muscles in his neck tighten as he began walking up the stairs.
“Where is Georgiana?” he demanded sharply, twisting back to face her.
She gasped, and he could have almost sworn that her hands trembled a little in her skirts. “She-she is resting above stairs, sir. Do you have a moment to take tea with me?”
“Tea? With you?” Darcy stared down at her, now certain something was very wrong.
With a pointed glance behind him, Elizabeth assumed a bright smile. “If you are willing, sir. Cook has prepared your favourite biscuits.”
Darcy followed her gaze to the footman standing at the head of the stairs and nodded. The silence remained between them even after the servant delivered the tea tray and closed the door. Elizabeth began arranging the teacups and plates as if she had always been at Pemberley. Darcy leaned back against the wall, content for a moment to observe the movements of her hands and body as she went about her tasks. This native vividness prevented Georgiana from taking an accurate sketch of her, Darcy realized with a start, and he doubted any artist would do much better.
Elizabeth was not a subject suited to a still painting. What brush could capture her movement, the arch mixture of earnestness and laughter? He missed hearing her laugh and tease him. If she were to lose her liveliness on his account, if her spirits became dull or bitter, he would never forgive himself. He often wished he had concealed his involvement in separating Bingley from Jane.
“Elizabeth,” he said in his most persuasive tone, stepping forward to steady her trembling hand. “I can pour my own tea. You should tell me what has happened.”
She swept her forehead with the back of her hand and sank down heavily onto the settee. “Yes, I suppose nothing can be gained by delay. Four days ago, I began to notice that Georgiana seemed depressed again. She abandoned her paints, and whenever I asked after her, she declined to take me into her confidence.”
Darcy straightened. “Is she unwell? You should have written to me or to the physician.”
“She is not ill. Fitzwilliam, please,” she said, rubbing her palm on her skirt, “I-I will tell you every thing, and interruptions will only serve to make this more difficult.”
Darcy nodded, his pose against the wall deceptively calm. She continued, “I thought your departure was the source of her distress and assumed all would be well once you returned to Pemberley.
“Two nights ago, when I hoped to cure my restlessness with a book, I discovered one of the kitchen maids crouched at her door. The girl denied any wrongdoing with some poor excuse of Georgiana ringing for milk in the dead of night as the reason for her presence.
“I then knocked on Georgiana’s door, nearly dropping my candle when she answered. She appeared almost wild, throwing her arms around me, sobbing. In the course of conversation, she told me that she had begun receiving letters, one per day, beginning on the day of your departure into Lancashire. They are from-from Mr Wickham. He says he has the funds to travel to Scotland and still wishes to marry her.”
Shock and fury kept Darcy silent for several minutes. He removed himself from the wall and began to pace. Having forgotten about Elizabeth, her voice startled him.
“I-I told a falsehood to Mrs Reynolds, Fitzwilliam, about the girl.”
“What did you say to her?”
“I told her to keep the girl busy and to keep an eye on her, that I was afraid of her thievery. I thought we may need to speak with her again, and I could not risk her meeting with Mr Wickham again.”
“Very good, very clever of you. I trust Reynolds, but I see no need to tell her. None of the servants know beyond Mrs Annesley,” he replied. “Where are the letters?”
Darcy tore through them, paled then flushed at Wickham’s words. The disgusting allusions to their time in London were followed by attempts to instil in Georgiana a sense of wifely obligation to obey him. The words were calculated, domineering, cruel and ill-advised. They spoke of desperate circumstances, and Darcy could well guess the danger such desperation posed to his family.
“Where are you going, sir?” Elizabeth asked as his hand hovered near the door.
“To speak to Georgiana. If I am to rid us of him, she must write to Wickham before he hears of my return,” Darcy replied brusquely.
“Rid us of…?” She slipped around him to stand in front of the door, visibly pale and wide-eyed. “Mr Darcy, promise me you will do nothing rash, sir.”
Darcy’s jaw twitched. “I see your faith in my judgement,” he said in a cool tone.
She threw her head back, demanding his admiration in spite of his annoyance. Very few persons, women or men, possessed the courage to stand their ground with him. “Gentlemen often decide to settle such matters with swords or pistols. Duels are a fancied necessity, sir, and I beg you to consider it carefully.”
“Some day,” Darcy answered with a distinct drawl, taking no note of her fingers twisting nervously together, “you will learn to understand me, Mrs Darcy. Duels are between gentlemen, which precludes Mr Wickham from partaking in them, and they are almost always a fancied necessity. However ill you think of me, I wish you would credit your husband with some sense.”
Elizabeth looked away, but not before he caught a tremble in her lower lip with a wince. Every feeling, ordinarily buried deep and uncovered in its proper time and dosage, seemed to boil menacingly just beneath his skin. “I could hardly blame you if you were to consider it in a rash moment,” she said, as if from a distance. “I know you must hate him. I despise him, having never set eyes on him in my life.”
“I do despise him. He betrayed my father and my sister in such a manner to prevent me from finding any sort of charity or forgiveness within, but I am not a rash man.” On an impulse, he placed a gentle hand under her chin to lift her gaze to his. “No duels, madam. I must attend my sister, then pen a note to Mr Gilbert before I go to Lambton.”
Elizabeth gasped and wrapped his wrist with her fingers. “Mrs Gilbert! We were to dine with them this evening. I suppose you intend to decline? I could write to her.”
“No, certainly not. We cannot deprive the neighbourhood of your company.” Darcy glanced over her slender figure with a shake of his head. If anything, he wished the entire neighbourhood to see her as much as possible, obviously not heavy with child, before their departure to Ireland. He slowly removed himself from her grasp. “Mr Wickham owes debts to nearly every merchant in Lambton, and Mr Gilbert is a magistrate.”
“You plan to send him to debtors’ prison?”
Darcy smiled coldly. “I cannot think of a man who owes more. How is my sister?”
Darcy found her much as Elizabeth described, wrapped in a shawl, her pale face drawn. “I am so sorry,” Georgiana whispered at the sight of him.
“You are not to blame for this, Georgiana, and you need not worry. He will not disturb us any longer.”
She looked up at that, her large blue eyes full of feeling. “Must I give my promise to you as well? I will not fight him, Georgiana.”
“You always know exactly what to do, brother,” she said softly in reply, gathering the ends of the shawl more tightly about her.
He came to stand in front of her, then, feeling himself too imposing to the small figure, crouched before her chair. “I wish that were true. If it were, I should have prevented all of this trouble. Tell me you will not allow this to distress you.”
“I cannot help it. His letter-he said the only way to cover my shame was with marriage. Do you think he suspects?”
“Of course not,” Darcy said quickly. “He could know nothing for certain. He means to manipulate you in going with him by whatever coercion in his power.”
“Once he discovers I will not, what is to prevent him from telling the world? I would not care for my own sake – it is no less than I deserve – but I cannot bear the thought of bringing scandal to you or Elizabeth. Oh brother, it seems impossible!”
“You have no reason to worry. The word of a steward’s son, ruined by his own debts, will never stand against ours. No one would believe his word or Mrs Younge’s above mine; even Mrs Younge can be bought if I must.”
“I wrote to him, sir, in Ramsgate,” Georgiana answered with a nervous twist of her handkerchief.
Darcy stood up to hide his shock and dismay at the thought of his plans for Wickham scattering to the winds. “I see. How many letters?”
“I wrote once, to say I would go with him and to set our plans. My handwriting is unmistakable, Fitzwilliam, you know it is!”
Darcy reached down to grasp her cold fingers, trying to soothe the shrill note of hysteria in her voice. “I shall retrieve it, whatever the cost.”
Hours later, when he was prepared to leave for Lambton, his thoughts haunted him as he looked into Elizabeth’s dark eyes. “Promise me you will take care,” she said uneasily. He wondered if she suspected him for a fanciful moment.
Darcy swallowed his guilt, answering calmly, “I said I would not fight him, Elizabeth.”
“I trust you, but I cannot trust the scruples of such a man,” she replied with a clear gaze.
“You can trust in his scruples – they are remarkably bad – but he is not very clever. He is like an animal, eager to press his advantage and slow to see danger until it ensnares him.”
“There is nothing more dangerous than a cornered animal, Mr Darcy.”
Darcy looked down at the hand resting on his arm, then took hold of it, whispering, “I will take care.”
“Very well,” she whispered back with a slight quaver in her voice. She cleared her throat, her voice returning to its normal pitch. “I look dreadful in black, remember that.”
Darcy cast an amused eye over her. “I shall remember.”
He reluctantly released her hand and turned to leave, surprised to feel her hand reach for him again. “Fitzwilliam, before you go…” She placed her hands upon his shoulders, moving closer until he could feel her body rise against his own. Surprise kept him still as she brushed a kiss on his cheek. She drew back with a blush, explaining, “A kiss for luck.”
His arms moved to envelop her, as if afraid to come up empty as they did each morning when the Elizabeth of his dreams would vanish with the dawn. His heart thrashed against his ribs like the wings of a frightened bird. It was not until she raised her lips, scalding him with her breath, that he truly realised his intention to kiss her.
Darcy sank eagerly into a dizzy world of sensation and feeling for the first time in his life. He closed his eyes, listening with dark pleasure to her low cry, moaning at her fingers curling into his hair. The possessed man pressing her against his heart was a stranger, even to himself.
His fingers trembled over her spine until his wits began to return to him. Georgiana. Wickham. Their situation. When all of the reasons why he should cease thinking of her in such a manner rushed back to him in a painful throb, he forced himself to let her go.
He put his thoughts of Elizabeth as far from his mind as possible, leaving Pemberley with one resolve:
George Wickham had imposed upon his notice for the last time.
Gaahh! He’s going to put his life in danger, isn’t he? He felt guilty when he said he wouldn’t fight him. What does he plan to do?
BTW, shame on Darcy for hiding away. He needs to stay and confront the issues he has with his wife. It’s a shame he had to leave before he realized that leaving was an inappropriate response to their problems.
The ending was lovely though. I think this was their first kiss, right?
I’m eager for more happiness – not really HMS or anything right now – just a little happiness. They are having such difficulties, that I worry that even that might not be easy.
I totally agree with jafan in that Darcy should not have run away from his issues with Elizabeth. He should confront them as any mature married couple should. As to Wickham… well as much as I would like to see him rot in a grave or debtors prison, I also do not want to see Darcy rot way in a shallow grave either. Please ease our minds ooner rather than later… please?
Akkkkk! What is Darcy going to do? Is he really going to be able to get Georgiana’s letter without Wickham doing something else? And, who is the girl and what is going to happen to her now? How will Darcy be able to get this straightened out without creating some gossip? Just keep him safe, please!!! Lizzy doesn’t look good in black and if he gets himself killed, who will help Georgiana then?
I was so angry to see that Darcy left. He really is being a coward to do that. He tells Lizzy that she can’t have her sister come visit then he runs off somewhere. He’s acting like a spoiled brat!
I absolutely loved the scene where they had their first kiss! *sigh* *melt* *drool*!!! It almost makes me think that they could have a much better relationship if Darcy survives Wickham that is.
Oh, Ali, please don’t make us wait too long to find out what happens. I want them to be able to have a little more kissing time!!!!
Love this story and just can’t get enough!!
Sandy
Wickless needs to DIE!!! But Darcy can’t be the one to do him in! I was encouraged that Lizzy wanted to kiss him and make sure he was safe, maybe there’s hope for them after all. And Darcy…having dreams of his Elizabeth in his bed….I guess he’s fallen under her spell but good. Poor Georgiana-she needs to confide in Lizzy more often….and what about that maid? Let Lizzy at her, she’ll make her sorry for doing wickless’ evil errands! Please, please, please post soon…I can’t wait to see what happens when Darcy meets the devil himself!
Uh Oh ! What is going to happen ? I do not trust Wickham and I do not think I trust Darcy either
Looking forward to the next chapter . Thank you
“I look dreadful in black, remember that.”
Loved that line! Also loved that this trouble with Wickham brought them together again–close enough for their lips to touch!
I’m worried about this meeting with GW, though…
Oh no I am worried, I know Darcy said he would not fight him, but I do not trust Wickham!! Please let Darcy be safe!!!
The maid I agree let Lizzy at her!!!
Please post soon, I need to know what happens!!
PS more of those kisses please, so romantic
Teri
Good chapter! I hope after he takes care of Wickham, he comes back to resolve some issues with Elizabeth. Loved the kissing!!
I loved the way this chapter whipped around from the argument they were having in the last chapter, to her concern for him in this. What I realize, and what you make so credible, is that whatever their differences, they recognize the enduring nature of their marriage. They both have high stakes in making the best of it.
And, you show us that they really do like each other, perhaps more than they had realized or are willing to admit or perhaps, even know.
I have your old version of this story–which is still a favorite–but I see how this one is different in many details. And, perhaps, in the final analysis, in essentials. I’ll have to wait and see.
But I am enjoying this immensely.
@Lisa: You don’t really want me to tell you what I plan for Darcy to do, do you? As my beta, Kristin, will tell you, I’m pretty sly. I even surprised her with the kiss in this chapter, which I didn’t even include in her draft! *cue sneaky Ali* Okay, okay, it was a last minute decision, and yes, a first kiss.
More happiness, huh? Hmmm. Well, I don’t intend for them to be miserable, but to go back to P&P, once E&D realized their characters needed improvements, the happily ever after didn’t come right away. But as I said in the last chapter, they are beginning to become less adversarial.
As far as Darcy going away on business, um, I think that’s sort of a time-honored tradition when men (and women) need to get away from an unpleasant spouse. It may not be the best method, but neither is continuing to argue over an impasse. Neither one of them are going to persuade the other to their point of view at the moment since (IMO at least) they both are right about some things and wrong about others. The problem is that Elizabeth didn’t really want to resolve the argument; she wanted to argue. I can understand why: she’s very hurt, both for her sister and for herself, but she hasn’t expressed it in terms beyond indignant outrage and sarcasm.
@sadieo: Welcome, sadieo!
I hear what you’re saying about Wickham. It’s not so much about what fate such a man like Wickham deserves, but what risks Darcy may take with his life and his character during the confrontation.
The good news: I think I may be able to post Chapter 14 early!
@Sandy: Thanks, Sandy. I’m glad you like the chapter.
Darcy didn’t tell E that Jane ‘couldn’t’ come…actually, he didn’t know Jane wanted to come. E knew it was impossible because they’re about to leave for Ireland, and Jane doesn’t know about Georgiana/the baby plot.
@Frances: I didn’t actually say that Darcy was having those kinds of dreams, did I?? Heh.
@colinette: You don’t trust Darcy? Hmmm, maybe you’re wise
@arsepoetica: I’m glad you liked the line. It was a little bit of dark humor, but it seemed appropriate.
@Teri: I’m so glad you enjoyed the chapter. I’m not sure how well I’m going to be able to deliver on the romantic aspect, but I’ll do my best.
BTW, I heard you were recovering…get well soon!
@Lucy: Thanks for reading, Lucy! Resolving everything with Elizabeth is going to take awhile, I think….as I said earlier, it’s not that they’re going to be at each others’ throats, just that it’s going to take some time for everything to come together…
@Maria: I’m glad you liked this one. I…well, yes, the idea of a happy marriage is a prominent theme in this story, I think. It is in P&P, too, but it’s a little different when the characters make a marriage like this one, and then have to figure out what they’re going to do to make it work. Annulments and divorces were nearly impossible to come by, so they’re going to have to figure it out if they’re to be happy. Or, be estranged and/or separated. The stakes are pretty high, I think.
Hold onto that thought about how much they like each other. Chapter 14 will give you some insights into that, I think.
I’m glad you enjoyed the original version. I…I don’t know…the details have definitely changed, but the essentials? It’s hard to say. You’ll have to tell me what you think in the end.
Shoot, I’m late to post–I hate when that happens. My excuse is that I was waiting to read your story for a time when I wasn’t tired and when I would have some quiet time to read and think about it.
I just LOVED this chapter! I for one was not angry with Darcy for leaving. Sure it probably wasn’t the “right” thing to do, but it was realistic and showed his vulnerability–how much it hurts him that he and Elizabeth are estranged. I really like how you are showing the slow evolution in their relationship and their realization of their own shortcomings. As you say, in the book I think these realizations took time, and in your story D&E don’t quite have the “benefit” of a rejected proposal or of Darcy’s exposure of Wickham to act as shocks to the system. So I really liked, for example, that Darcy “often wished he had concealed his involvement in separating Bingley from Jane.” He is only regretting that he revealed it, not that he actually separated them, which shows to my mind that he has not quite got the point yet. Yet he has begun to regret the consequences of his actions, if not the actions themselves, and more importantly, he regrets the consequences to Elizabeth, not just to himself. I just loved the preceding line:
” If she were to lose her liveliness on his account, if her spirits became dull or bitter, he would never forgive himself. ”
That says a lot about how he feels about her, and just made me sigh.
On the other hand, I was a little miffed with Darcy at the part where he says ” ‘Some day,’ Darcy answered with a distinct drawl, taking no note of her fingers twisting nervously together, ‘you will learn to understand me, Mrs Darcy…However ill you think of me, I wish you would credit your husband with some sense.’ ”
That just seemed unkind, especially as she was showing so much concern for him and for Georgiana. Was it just for purposes of misdirection, as suggested later in the chapter, or was he genuinely offended?
Oh, and I loved the irony in Georgiana’s line “You always know exactly what to do, brother.”
Sorry for the long post. I think your insights into these characters are superb, Ali, and I truly adore your story.
Oh, you’re not late! And if you were, how could I complain after such a flattering excuse? Thanks for that! I try to reply, at least to the first round of comments, in batches so that I don’t wear you guys out with too much chatter. I have nothing else to do on a rainy Saturday (well, besides laundry and housework
), so bear with me and feel free to zone out if your eyes begin to glaze over.
I think you explained it better than me. It’s just human IMO, the urge for fight or flight, and I don’t personally see one as particularly better than the other. When you fight, sometimes you stumble on the truth, or at least a compromise. When you choose flight, sometimes it helps to calm the situation down. OTOH, fighting can lead to words that are hard to overcome, and fleeing can allow for problems to grow and fester which is also hard to overcome.
Oh, thanks. It’s an interesting path to character growth without Elizabeth meeting Wickham or the rejected proposal. I’m glad it makes sense and you can see that he does care about her. As you said, he just don’t quite ‘get it’ yet.
A little of both, I think. Heh. Let’s see if I can word this less obscurely:
Darcy has no intention of calling Wickham out. He is offended by the suggestion that he would – not to mention, he’s not used to having his judgment questioned – and he’s also really, really upset. I left a couple of clues to his state of mind. One was about his feelings boiling beneath the surface vs. being buried behind his usual reserve and self-regulation. The other was the language around his kiss, about the lack of restraint and forethought, which really goes back to the same thing: Darcy is not as much in control of himself as usual.
Heh. That was a little ironic, eh?
Don’t worry about the long post! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story this much, and these type of comments are very helpful in determining if I’m telling the story how I intend. They also make me think, which is a good thing.
No, don’t tell me. Just know that if anything happens to him, I will never forgive you!!! (lol) Especially after that sizzling last paragraph!! Woo-hoo!!
I have already commented once and I don’t want to be greedy. But the excellent remarks by NieNie made me think of something, although I do not entirely agree with her. I think that when he says to Elizabeth, “Someday you will learn to understand me, Mrs Darcy,” it’s another statement of the permanent nature of their relationship and a subtle expectation that it will grow better. Also, although he is truly upset that she would think him so rash, there is also a bit of tease in his words. It’s a little like when a modern husband is trying to fix something or “seems” to be lost on a road trip, and he says with a mixture of irritation and affection, “When will you ever learn to trust me, woman?”
I like this exchange. I imagined as I read it the first time he knew the concern under her caution. I was not surprised (just very pleased!) later in the conversation when they cannot push their real feelings under admonishments or recriminations, and they kiss.
Ali, I commented earlier, but got knocked off line and lost everything. I’ll try again.
I understand Darcy leaving, and don’t think of him as running away. Sometimes when RL becomes too much, I like to get away where it’s quiet so I can sort out my thoughts, and decide which direction I want to go.
It’s obvious to me they care for each other, but it’s going to take a while before they will be truly married. I mean in an emotional way, not just in a physical way. They are a long way from trusting each other. They need more time to bond in the way married couple do.
I do find him unreasonable in his expectations that she care for his sister, while he has no feelings for her’s. He sees nothing wrong in what he did to Jane and Bingley, even though Elizabeth told him Jane’s true feelings. He needs a Hunsford.
@genevieve: Uh oh, I’d best be careful then! Thanks for reading.
@Maria: That’s a very good take on it, I think. He truly wasn’t angry with her. I…well, I said this in earlier comments, I think, but IMO Darcy comes off as much more severe than he intends at times.
Yes, I think he did know that she was really and truly concerned over him. I’m glad the kiss seemed like it belonged there. When I got ready to post, I thought it seemed a good place for it. Well, and I didn’t think I’d get a lot of complaints about it. Heh.
@Pat: I don’t blame Darcy for getting away myself. We all have our different ways of dealing with stress. That’s what I was getting at with my earlier comments…the way we interact with other people has benefits and consequences that’s a little more complicated than good/bad generally IMO.
Well, yes, it is going to take time. They didn’t begin the marriage with the expectation of a love match, and they have other things going on that complicate their relationship.
I think there are some differences between Jane and Georgiana. Georgiana is fifteen and living with D&E. It would be sort of weird, not to mention, petty, for E to mistreat G because of Jane.
Well, you may be disappointed with me. I think Darcy has had all of the ‘Hunsford’ he’s going to have. He perhaps should have written to Bingley once he and Elizabeth had their argument, but he’s told Elizabeth that he won’t interfere again. If we go back to P&P, he didn’t correct his interference with Jane and Bingley there either until much later.
As far as what he did to Jane and Bingley, there’s also what Jane and Bingley did to themselves. Jane didn’t display her feelings enough for Bingley to understand her, and Bingley trusted Darcy’s judgment above his own. You know what I’m saying? It doesn’t excuse Darcy, but there’s plenty of blame to go around.
Thanks for the comments, everyone. Anyone else who wants to weigh in is more than welcome!
[Ali posted: As far as what he did to Jane and Bingley, there’s also what Jane and Bingley did to themselves. Jane didn’t display her feelings enough for Bingley to understand her, and Bingley trusted Darcy’s judgment above his own. You know what I’m saying? It doesn’t excuse Darcy, but there’s plenty of blame to go around.]
I have always felt that Darcy really didn’t think that Jane was in love with Bingley. What with her compliant nature and her mother’s bragging…what else would he think. She didn’t display any emotions at all and Darcy was so used to the ladies of the ton, like Caroline, who threw themselves at a man. Why, Jane’s younger sisters even behaved that way.
I think that the biggest fault goes to Bingley for not being willing to fight for Jane’s love, (anything worth having is worth fighting for, IMO) and, of course, Miss Bingley for her lies.
I do think that since Darcy was willing to give Bingley his opinion and it was wrong, he should be willing to at least admit he was wrong.
I look forward to Lizzy and Darcy at least becoming more tender to each other.
Thanks for such a truly great story Ali!
Sandy
Sorry Ali…hit the wrong reply button I guess.
You hit reply to my comment…which is fine. No worries, Sandy!
I agree that Darcy honestly didn’t think Jane loved Bingley and I agree that he should admit he’s wrong to Bingley.
Where I think we might differ is in the underlying reasons. Some ladies, across all levels of society, were reserved and strictly proper; some of them were scandalous, and everything in between. I don’t really think that ladies of the Ton were throwing themselves at men in a consistent manner. Does that make sense?
I believe one of the points Austen was making, supported by Charlotte’s caution to Elizabeth, is that women could carry decorum to the point where others interpreted her as indifferent. Women were generally instructed to guard against thinking of a man until he declared himself, but they were allowed to show that they enjoyed a man’s company somewhat. Of course, it wasn’t desirable for a woman to make a spectacle of themselves ala Marianne Dashwood either. There is a middle area between those two extremes IMO, although, admittedly, it would have been a delicate balance.
When I said that “Darcy was so used to the ladies of the ton, like Caroline, who threw themselves at a man.” I guess I should have said “who threw themselves at him. Single men at this time with money or a title, were considered fair game but usually only for their money or their title. His own experiences were his only real-life gauge. Then, when he entered the Meryton Assembly for the first time, all he heard was gossip about his worth and Bingley’s worth.
Yes, Jane was behaving with all propriety, however, she did behave too properly. She never really said or did anything that would lead anyone to believe she cared for Bingley. Lizzy knew because she and Jane talked about it. Of course, in a family where Mrs. Bennet made her emotions a household emergency, I can’t blame Jane for learning to hide hers. Lizzy was much the same in canon. No one knew how she felt for Darcy until she actually said something and then she had to convince them.
Oh, well, I take Austen’s comment about single men of fortune wanting a wife as somewhat sarcastic and ironic. I’m not sure we know what Darcy’s experiences were before coming into Meryton, except for Caroline Bingley. That’s sort of where I was going before….some women, while perhaps wanting to marry if the right man came along, weren’t out hunting men.
I think Jane and Elizabeth Bennet were among the latter group. Elizabeth says as much to Charlotte…about them not acting by design.
However, I do disagree a little about Elizabeth’s reserve being the same as Jane’s. Her family all seemed to know that she liked Wickham, enough for her aunt to caution her against it. Had she met and liked Darcy from the beginning, I think she might have been very different.
The problem with her feelings for Darcy was that she had declared so adamantly that he was awful. Then, when she discovered he was not, she was too embarrassed by everything –her feelings, his intentions, her sister’s marriage — to correct the situation. Which is why she could barely speak to him at the end although she had no trouble before.
Thanks for your comments, Sandy. It’s so neat to have people to think this stuff over with!
“I believe one of the points Austen was making, supported by Charlotte’s caution to Elizabeth, is that women could carry decorum to the point where others interpreted her as indifferent.”
I don’t necessarily disagree with this, but after engaging in a very long and interesting discussion with Maria Faith and others at AHA over the relative blame assigned to jane versus Darcy, I came to an interesting realization: almost no one in P&P manages to “get it right” in terms of correctly communicating their feelings or interpreting others! I think this quote from Jane after getting Caroline’s letter is pretty funny:
“Is it not clear enough?…[Caroline] is perfectly convinced of her brother’sindifference, and…if she suspects the nature of my feelings for him, she means (most kindly!) to put me on my guard? Can there be any other opinion on the subject?”
Jane finds it quite likely that everyone (Caroline) can tell that she is in love, yet Bingley is quite likely indifferent. I think this seeming blindness is pretty realistic (from what I remember!) of initial attraction: one’s own feelings seem blatently obvious, while it seems impossible they could be reciprocated, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.
And I agree that Elizabeth signaled an interest in Wickham that was probably beyond what she actually felt, since he thought that he could court another woman and she would still be enthralled by him when he again started paying attention to her. Of course, this also reflects his own vanity.
Yes! That’s one of the things I find very interesting about P&P actually…the differences in reality vs. perception. It’s repeated over and over again. I can think of 6-8 examples off the top of my head.
I’m not sure I can remember back that far!! Okay, okay, I can, a little…I didn’t make quite as much of a mess as Darcy and Elizabeth did, but it is very confusing, yes.
reading through this all at once for my nefarious purposes, this line struck me:
This native vividness prevented Georgiana from taking an accurate sketch of her, Darcy realized with a start, and he doubted any artist would do much better.
and reminded me of a lyric from ani difranco:
it took me too long to realize
that i don’t take good pictures
cuz i have the kind of beauty
that moves
and both seem so very apt that i wonder it didn’t occur to me before. that’s all really. also “native vividness” = A++!