Posted on Sunday, 10 June 2007

Whatever Darcy had thought of Miss Elizabeth's good nature and the likelihood that, in time, she would be able to see him in a favourable light, he was wrong. He could not have been more wrong if asked whether or not a boulder would float on the river Thames and he had answered the affirmative. Without any knowledge as to why Mr. Darcy had withheld information about Mr. Wickham, Miss Elizabeth Bennett would continue to dislike him with the white hot passion of a thousand suns.

Mr. Darcy had, for some time, attempted to alleviate Miss Bennett's misapprehension as to the nature of Wickham's true character, carefully composing myriad letters to her that detailed the history that Wickham and Darcy shared, going so far as to include a youthful indiscretion that his own sister Georgiana had almost committed with the fiend, only to be stopped in the nick of time by himself. In the end, however, each letter found itself a curled pile of ash in the grate of his rooms, with Mr. Darcy unable to share that most painful secret with anyone, even his beloved Elizabeth. Therefore she left Kent without the knowledge of Wickham's misdeeds and atrocious behaviour.

One step that Darcy did take to perhaps improve his image in Miss Elizabeth's eyes was to allow Mr. Bingley to resume his courtship of Miss Jane Bennett, and followed his friend back into Hertfordshire in the vain hope of renewing his own courtship of her sister.

As Mr. Bingley was courting Jane Bennett, Mr. Darcy was much thrown into the company of Miss Elizabeth, a circumstance that was hardly appealing to the latter. This could barely be avoided, however, as Mary chose to stay secluded in the house and Kitty was still sulking that Mr. Bennett had allowed Lydia to travel with the regiment to Brighton for the summer, and she was far too frightened of Mr. Darcy to wish to be in the same room as him. This left Elizabeth alone to entertain Mr. Darcy.

Conversation was limited as the two couples walked, and while Jane and Mr. Bingley could find no subject on which they had all ready discussed, the same could not be said for Elizabeth and Darcy. After a week of stilted and stifling, not to mention forced conversation, Elizabeth had had enough.

"Mr. Darcy, I cannot but wonder why you would continue your presence in the county when it is not wished for, and since you detest country society so much."

"Can I not wish to support my friend in his courtship? Mr. Bingley is inexperienced in this area and often seeks my advice."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. "Yes, and that has so often worked to his advantage, and yours. Tell me, what kind of sterling advice have you given him now?"

"To be ever honest and open with the ones he loves, especially with the one he cares most deeply for."

"And have you been able to follow your own advice? I believe you know something about Mr. Wickham's past that would either discredit him or canonize him, and you have yet to tell anyone. Surely there must be something the county has yet to learn of your history together."

Mr. Darcy reddened slightly at the remark and quite accurate assessment. "While this is true, there are certain things I do not wish to speak of, though it brings pain to the ones I care for. Surely there are certain things that you would rather not be discussed. The conduct of your family, perhaps?"

"You have all ready made your opinion of my family quite well known, Mr. Darcy!" she hissed. This exchange had done nothing to quell her ill will towards her companion and everything to raise her ire.

"Just as your opinion of me has been broadcast throughout the country! I believe we are well beyond conventional niceties, Miss Bennett; perhaps we could move on to more unique topics."

"I am eagerly awaiting your suggestion of such a topic, Mr. Darcy."

"Being such a reputed wit in this county as you are, I should say that I am dismayed that you are so ill-prepared for conversation, Miss Bennett."

By this time the pair had stopped walking, and the only thing that alerted Mr. Bingley and Miss Jane Bennett were the raised voices of their respective friend and sister.

"Oh, dear, I hope this does not reduce to what I fear it will!" Jane exclaimed as her sister continued to exchange increasingly sharp words with Mr. Darcy, who was equally involved in the argument. "I know Lizzy has been aching for a fight ever since she returned from Kent last month."

"I am certain this will end peacefully. Look, they have all ready stopped quarrelling!"

Indeed the two had stopped their dispute and were locked in a silent stand-off that lasted an uncomfortably long time.

"I trust you are willing and able to back up your argument?" Lizzy said, her voice dangerously low.

"I am ever ready, Miss Bennett. I only wait for your signal." Mr. Darcy mockingly bowed to her, doffing his hat.

"Your gallantry serves you well," she snarled. "Then we are engaged."

From a concealed pocket on her dress, Lizzy extracted a metal rod, approximately 30 centimetres in length and 5 in width; with the press of a button a concentrated beam of bright pink energy was formed and gave off a distinctive hum.

"Oh, no, not again!" Jane sighed. "Father forbade her from using her lightsaber after what she did to poor Mr. Collins."

"Not to worry, Darcy will not let her cause any harm. He's quite good himself."

As Bingley spoke, Darcy took his own lightsaber from his coat and activated it, the energy beam a vibrant green. While Jane and Mr. Bingley watched, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy engaged in a heated duel.

"I had thought you to be a more intelligent woman, Miss Bennett," Darcy said as he deflected a searing lunge. "One that would not place all her trust in a story told by one person when it involves more!"

The air buzzed as the two battled, with Jane and Bingley watching is apparent bored amusement.

"How am I to do otherwise, when the other parties will not tell their side of the story?" Lizzy whirled, her lightsaber a blur of bright pink, her target blocked by Darcy's weapon.

"Cannot you trust my word alone?" It was Darcy's turn to attack, though each swing was expertly parried.

"You, who have insulted me time and again? Who influenced his friend to extreme ends, resulting in mutual heartbreak?"

"Did I not amend that? Look, Bingley is even now standing beside your sister." Darcy's tactic worked, distracting Lizzy for just a moment. She was able to deflect his swing just in time, and the blade only singed her bonnet.

"Sir, you obviously do not trust me or hold my affections near enough to be able to divulge the information pertaining to Mr. Wickham!" In one move, Lizzy was able to knock Darcy's hat clean off and leave a long burn mark on his sleeve.

"What if," Darcy said, stepping back and deigning to pant a little as he was beginning to get quite out of breath, "I were to say that he has injured me in such a way that only God can forgive him? What if I were to say that he has taken advantage of not only my dear father's memory, but of my sister's innocence?"

"What?" Lizzy lowered her lightsaber and deactivated it.

"When my father passed on, he left a small living to Mr. Wickham. The man refused it, however, and expressed interest in studying the law rather than theology and so I agreed to give him an amount equal to the living. When that money was gone and no law practice to show for it, he came back and demanded the living, which I refused. It had all ready been given to a person of much worthier character.

"That avenue to financial freedom thus denied to him, Mr. Wickham set his attentions on my sister and her 30 thousand pounds. He followed her to Ramsgate, where I had allowed her to go with a woman of whose own character I had sorely misunderstood. There he convinced her that they were in love and should elope, as would be the most romantic step in their false relationship. I was lucky enough to arrive in time to stop the plan, as she could not keep it a secret from me. That lapse in judgment on her part can easily be forgiven due to her young age, but his conduct is unforgivable!"

The droop of Mr. Darcy's shoulders conveyed to Lizzy the truth of his story and for one moment she felt shame for defending Wickham so vehemently.

"And you would not make this story public for fear of your sister's reputation?"

"Yes. I have not told many people, and I can trust that you will do your utmost to keep the particulars pertaining to Georgiana to yourself. The rest may be told if necessary."

Lizzy nodded, and for some time nothing else was said nor no noise made, save for the hum of Darcy's lightsaber as he powered down. Jane and Mr. Bingley watched in awe the rest of the scene.

"Please accept my apology, Mr. Darcy, for having said or done anything pertaining to that person that may have caused you pain. It was- foolish of me."

"Pray, do not think of it. As you said, it was my reluctance to share my knowledge of him that helped form the lopsided version of the truth you knew. In light of this revelation, may I ask, with perfect hope of being accepted, that I may have permission to court you properly? I have much to learn in the art of socialising, which I know you could teach me."

To say that Lizzy was astonished would be a gross understatement; however, she accepted his request graciously, and offered her hand to him in friendship, which he clasped with glad countenance.

At that moment the youngest Bennett sister save one came running up the lane, and both Lizzy and Mr. Darcy surreptitiously hid their lightsabers.

"Lizzy! Oh, Lizzy, such news! Mr. Wickham has ridden down from Brighton expressly to call on you! The whole house is in an uproar, and Mama has sent me to fetch you."

Though Mr. Darcy reddened at the mention of the interloper's name, and Lizzy lost some of her colour, the latter looked up at her companion with comfort in her gaze and a playful smile upon her lips. To see him so discomfited made her pity him, and her heart went to him in a rush.

"I will deal with him, sir," she said, a merry glint in her fine eyes. "If you will pardon me."

The nature of Lizzy's remedy to the situation was kept secret from Darcy until the next day, when Mr. Wickham was see purchasing new trousers, his older pair having rather conspicuous burn marks in a sensitive area. When asked, Mr. Wickham declined to comment, though the story spread that his predicament only came about after visiting the Bennett household, particularly to converse with Miss Elizabeth Bennett.

As Miss Elizabeth was known to be as clever as she was pretty, she naturally had a plausible explanation that the vast majority of the town took to be truth: Over the course of a presumed genteel conversation, Mr. Wickham's true character became known when he tried to take advantage of the situation, and Miss Elizabeth had done what any sensible girl would do to protect herself by knocking a lamp into Mr. Wickham's lap.

Of course, the true nature of the encounter was known only by Miss Bennett, Mr. Darcy, and the unfortunate Mr. Wickham. Thankfully, the cauterising ability of lightsabers was a well-known fact to those who utilized them, and Mr. Wickham was only slightly the worse for wear.

As for the courtship of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett, it could be said that after their disagreement in the gardens, their relationship progressed at the speed of light and soon Mrs. Bennett was busy planning another wedding.

The End