By Bethany Delleman
“I can much more easily believe Mr. Bingley’s being imposed on, than that Mr. Wickham should invent such a history of himself as he gave me last night; names, facts, everything mentioned without ceremony. If it be not so, let Mr. Darcy contradict it. Besides, there was truth in his looks.”
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“I remember hearing you once say, Mr. Darcy, that you hardly ever forgave, that your resentment once created was unappeasable. You are very cautious, I suppose, as to its being created?”
“I am,” said he, with a firm voice, “In fact, I keep extremely extensive records.” With this said, he produced a small notebook from a breast-pocket of his coat and flipped it open to a bookmarked page. He handed it to Elizabeth.
She read:
3 Nov 1808 – Wickham does not wish to be in the church, demanded his inheritance in monetary payment, used by emergency fund to pay him. Note: restore 3k asap for future emergencies
-spendthrift, poor future planning
Elizabeth could not hide her surprise; this was exactly what Jane had promised to ask Bingley about. Word must have reached Mr. Darcy.
“I permit you to look through it,” he said.
Elizabeth turned to the very front of the book, started when Mr. Darcy must have been about seven years old:
1 April 1792 – Wickham threw a rock at me and then blamed a servant. My father did not believe it was him. Must collect more evidence.
-cruel, dishonest
17 April 1792 – someone filled my riding boots with water, fairly certain it was Wickham
-sneaky
She flipped forward a few years:
4 July 1800 – Wickham stole money from my father’s study, caught him in act. He denied and father sided with him (again). Used money to gamble with the stable hands.
-profligate, sneaky, dishonest
10 Aug 1800 – during sparing match, Wickham cheated several times. Will refuse to spare with him in future or demand referee.
-dishonest, dishonourable
Then she tried the other bookmarked pages:
24 Aug 1810 – Wickham demanded living at Kympton, called me several unrecordable oaths when I refused. Payment of any kind refused.
-spendthrift, vulgar, greedy
13 July 1812 – Wickham attempts to elope with Georgiana, clearly for her fortune. In cahoots with Mrs. Younge. Georgiana devastated.
-greedy, dishonest, dishonourable, sneaky, blackguard, evil
Then she flipped forward to the very last entry, made that very day:
26 Nov 1813 – Wickham slandered my character to the most bewitching woman of my acquaintance
-dishonest, vindictive
“Oh! Wow!” cried Elizabeth, as she read “most bewitching” and realised that all her assumptions about Mr. Darcy had been incorrect. How could she be so foolish! He had, after all, asked her to dance.
“Thank you,” he said, “It is a very careful record. I wish I had my master copy, which has a full accounting of every misdeed sorted by vice as well as chronologically. But I left it with Georgiana so she could fully understand Wickham’s character. This is only my field copy.”
“I meant-” Elizabeth paused, it was perhaps better not to say what she meant, “I have always had a penchant for really excellent record keeping.”
“I know,” said Darcy matter-of-factly, “that is why I have always taken my aunt’s advice and practised.”
Is there an Elizabeth in the world who could be insensible to such fastidious recording? Elizabeth Bennet at least was not.*
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*Repurposed line from Northanger Abbey
For more short stories, go here
For my Mansfield Park variation, here Unfairly Caught
For my crossover romance, check out Prideful & Persuaded