Chapter 30 Jane came to Elizabeth’s room after she was ready for bed. Elizabeth was sitting in front of her mirror, staring unseeingly into it. “Lizzy, I can tell that something is wrong. Did Mr Wickham say something to upset you?” “Oh Jane,” said she and then proceeded to tell Mr Wickham’s sorry on the denied inheritance. Jane listened with astonishment and concern. “I cannot believe that Charles has been put upon by Mr Darcy. They've known each other for such a long time, so he cannot be blind to that. Yet, I cannot believe that Mr Wickham, who appears so very amiable, could be lying. They have both been deceived, I dare say, in some way or other, of which we can form no idea. Interested people have perhaps misrepresented each to the other. It is, in short, impossible for us to conjecture the causes or circumstances which may have alienated them without actual blame on either side.” Despite Elizabeth’s troubled mind, she smiled at her sister. “Very true, indeed;- and now, my dear Jane, what have you to say on behalf of the interested people who have probably been concerned in the business? Do clear them too, or we will be obliged to think ill of someone.” “Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion. My dearest Lizzy, do but consider in what a disgraceful light it places Mr Darcy, to be treating his father's favourite in such a manner, one whom his father had promised to provide for. It is impossible. No man of common humanity, no man who had any value for his character, could be capable of it. Can his most intimate friends be so excessively decided in him? Oh, no.” “That is the crux. He gave me names, dates and facts without ceremony. There was certainly truth in his looks-I have no doubt that he believes himself to be hard done by. Yet there were words he said here and there. He didn't seek legal redress and he claimed Mr Darcy had said that Mr Wickham had forfeited the claim. I think I have only half the story. And Jane, Mr Wickham is someone who I have known for less than a day- why is he telling me this story at all? It tells of spite, even if it was missing from his face. It is not a story a gentleman would tell to a lady, not after such a short acquaintance.” “I would think the answer simple then. Ask Mr Darcy when you see him tomorrow morning to get his side of the story.” Elizabeth blushed. “How did you know I would see him tomorrow?” “You’ve walked out with him every morning for the last week. You disappeared yesterday morning- did you really think that I would think that you had not met him on your walk?” Elizabeth hung her head and was quiet. Jane waited patiently for Elizabeth to continue. “It shames me to say that if it had not been for the last week with Mr Darcy, I probably would have believed Mr Wickham. I hate to think that I would not have been so discerning as to see the impropriety of the confession, nor the hypocrisy. If I did not know Mr Darcy as well as I do now.....” she left the rest of it unsaid. She felt ashamed at her previous pride at her ability to judge character. “This isn't everything that disturbs you. This would not bring you to tears in the carriage,” said Jane gently. Elizabeth tried to talk, but the wall of tears she had held back now spilled forth. “Mr Wickham said that Mr Darcy is expected to marry his cousin,” was all she managed to choke out. Jane put her arms around Elizabeth’s shoulders as Elizabeth sat at the mirror and sobbed quietly. “You love him, don't you?” Elizabeth nodded. It took some time for her sobs to settle down. Elizabeth found a handkerchief and blew her nose. When she could eventually talk, she said “I knew I needed to guard my heart around him; that someone with his wealth would be expected to make a good match; that one like him could never stoop to think of someone like me. And just as I realise I love him, it is all hopeless. It's my own fault. He is promised to another.” Jane looked uncertain at this. “Can you rely on Mr Wickham’s information? If you've discounted some of his story, should you not discount this as well?” “This is the part that is most believable and expected. What does he have to gain by saying it?” “How does he know? Even by his own emission, he would not have seen Mr Darcy for a few years. If that is the case, wouldn't Mr Darcy be married by now?” Elizabeth nodded at that logic and Jane noticed that she seemed to calm down. “How would Mr Wickham know if the engagement still stands? Many things can happen that could terminate it. And if he was engaged, wouldn't Mr Bingley, Mr Darcy’s best friend be aware of it? I can't imagine how hurt he would be to not know if it.” Elizabeth sniffed. “How do you know that Mr Bingley doesn't know?” “We spoke about the possibility of your marriage,“ admitted Jane. Elizabeth stared into the mirror and sighed. “I don't know. You've given me hope but I'm still afraid.” “There is only one thing for it,“ said Jane. “As his friend, you need to ask Mr Darcy for his side of the story. You owe him that.”https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131762#msg-131762Sun, 20 Sep 2026 20:46:45 +0100 Phorum 5.2.22 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131772#msg-131772 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131772#msg-131772 Anne V Derbyshire Writers' GuildSat, 29 Nov 2025 01:34:31 +0000 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131770#msg-131770 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131770#msg-131770Looking forward to the rest of the story!]]> Alida Derbyshire Writers' GuildThu, 27 Nov 2025 07:05:24 +0000 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131767#msg-131767 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131767#msg-131767 mcepl Derbyshire Writers' GuildMon, 24 Nov 2025 12:13:47 +0000 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131765#msg-131765 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131765#msg-131765 EvelynJean Derbyshire Writers' GuildMon, 24 Nov 2025 01:36:47 +0000 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131764#msg-131764 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131764#msg-131764 Jen Derbyshire Writers' GuildSun, 23 Nov 2025 23:58:04 +0000 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131762#msg-131762 https://www.dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,131762,131762#msg-131762Chapter 30

Jane came to Elizabeth’s room after she was ready for bed. Elizabeth was sitting in front of her mirror, staring unseeingly into it. “Lizzy, I can tell that something is wrong. Did Mr Wickham say something to upset you?”

“Oh Jane,” said she and then proceeded to tell Mr Wickham’s sorry on the denied inheritance.

Jane listened with astonishment and concern. “I cannot believe that Charles has been put upon by Mr Darcy. They've known each other for such a long time, so he cannot be blind to that. Yet, I cannot believe that Mr Wickham, who appears so very amiable, could be lying. They have both been deceived, I dare say, in some way or other, of which we can form no idea. Interested people have perhaps misrepresented each to the other. It is, in short, impossible for us to conjecture the causes or circumstances which may have alienated them without actual blame on either side.”

Despite Elizabeth’s troubled mind, she smiled at her sister. “Very true, indeed;- and now, my dear Jane, what have you to say on behalf of the interested people who have probably been concerned in the business? Do clear them too, or we will be obliged to think ill of someone.”

“Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion. My dearest Lizzy, do but consider in what a disgraceful light it places Mr Darcy, to be treating his father's favourite in such a manner, one whom his father had promised to provide for. It is impossible. No man of common humanity, no man who had any value for his character, could be capable of it. Can his most intimate friends be so excessively decided in him? Oh, no.”

“That is the crux. He gave me names, dates and facts without ceremony. There was certainly truth in his looks-I have no doubt that he believes himself to be hard done by. Yet there were words he said here and there. He didn't seek legal redress and he claimed Mr Darcy had said that Mr Wickham had forfeited the claim. I think I have only half the story. And Jane, Mr Wickham is someone who I have known for less than a day- why is he telling me this story at all? It tells of spite, even if it was missing from his face. It is not a story a gentleman would tell to a lady, not after such a short acquaintance.”

“I would think the answer simple then. Ask Mr Darcy when you see him tomorrow morning to get his side of the story.”

Elizabeth blushed. “How did you know I would see him tomorrow?”

“You’ve walked out with him every morning for the last week. You disappeared yesterday morning- did you really think that I would think that you had not met him on your walk?”

Elizabeth hung her head and was quiet. Jane waited patiently for Elizabeth to continue. “It shames me to say that if it had not been for the last week with Mr Darcy, I probably would have believed Mr Wickham. I hate to think that I would not have been so discerning as to see the impropriety of the confession, nor the hypocrisy. If I did not know Mr Darcy as well as I do now.....” she left the rest of it unsaid. She felt ashamed at her previous pride at her ability to judge character.

“This isn't everything that disturbs you. This would not bring you to tears in the carriage,” said Jane gently.

Elizabeth tried to talk, but the wall of tears she had held back now spilled forth. “Mr Wickham said that Mr Darcy is expected to marry his cousin,” was all she managed to choke out.

Jane put her arms around Elizabeth’s shoulders as Elizabeth sat at the mirror and sobbed quietly. “You love him, don't you?”

Elizabeth nodded. It took some time for her sobs to settle down. Elizabeth found a handkerchief and blew her nose. When she could eventually talk, she said “I knew I needed to guard my heart around him; that someone with his wealth would be expected to make a good match; that one like him could never stoop to think of someone like me. And just as I realise I love him, it is all hopeless. It's my own fault. He is promised to another.”

Jane looked uncertain at this. “Can you rely on Mr Wickham’s information? If you've discounted some of his story, should you not discount this as well?”

“This is the part that is most believable and expected. What does he have to gain by saying it?”

“How does he know? Even by his own emission, he would not have seen Mr Darcy for a few years. If that is the case, wouldn't Mr Darcy be married by now?” Elizabeth nodded at that logic and Jane noticed that she seemed to calm down. “How would Mr Wickham know if the engagement still stands? Many things can happen that could terminate it. And if he was engaged, wouldn't Mr Bingley, Mr Darcy’s best friend be aware of it? I can't imagine how hurt he would be to not know if it.”

Elizabeth sniffed. “How do you know that Mr Bingley doesn't know?”

“We spoke about the possibility of your marriage,“ admitted Jane.

Elizabeth stared into the mirror and sighed. “I don't know. You've given me hope but I'm still afraid.”

“There is only one thing for it,“ said Jane. “As his friend, you need to ask Mr Darcy for his side of the story. You owe him that.”]]> Anne V Derbyshire Writers' GuildSun, 23 Nov 2025 21:09:15 +0000