Something Wickham This Way Comes

An excerpt from Michelle Ray's new book, coming June 22

The next afternoon at Longbourn, a man came calling, accompanied by a young woman. Elizabeth had gone to bed early the night before, claiming a headache but being keen to read a book her father had loaned her from his library, and that morning, she had been out walking very early. As a result, she had missed the announcement of anticipated visitors.

News that a Mr Bingley had let Netherfield, a stately home whose lands abutted theirs, had been at the fore of conversation for weeks, but no one had met the elusive gentleman.

Elizabeth had heard her mother musing that he was, in fact, unmarried, so he might marry one of her daughters—Jane, of course, being the prettiest and so held her highest hopes aloft. Mama had begged Mr Bennet to call on him, but Elizabeth had not been aware that introductions and invitations had been made. Thus, before their arrival, when Elizabeth walked into the house muddy and with tousled hair, she was surprised to be grabbed and marched upstairs to prepare for a caller.

As Sarah, their maid, buttoned Elizabeth into a clean dress, Jane sat quietly looking out the window. Anyone who did not know Jane might think she was passively admiring the scenery, but Elizabeth knew her sister was nervous.

“Jane, do not fret. He is a visitor, nothing more.”

Jane’s fingers, which had been lacing, unlacing, and relacing themselves—Elizabeth’s clue to her sister’s anxiety—were now still. “I never know what to say.”

“Let him begin the conversation.”

Sarah had Elizabeth sit and began to braid her freshly washed hair. Elizabeth thought a bath unnecessary, but Mama would not hear of her refusing, given her ‘horrifying state’. Elizabeth thought leaves in the hair were hardly the same as war or natural disaster, but her mother was unrelenting.

“He might begin the conversation,” Jane said, “but I would not know where to take it.”

Elizabeth spun in her seat, accidentally undoing Sarah’s work. Apologising, Elizabeth turned back and spoke to Jane through the mirror. “You converse with me daily, as well as with Mama, Papa, Mary, Kitty—”

“Yes, but a man?”

“Papa is a man,” Elizabeth replied with a teasing grin. She had intended it as both reassurance and a joke, but Jane’s brow remained furrowed.

“I fear I will make a jumble of things. I have been out for four years now, and no man has made an offer for me.”

Elizabeth desperately desired to go to her sister and hold her, but the maid was still pinning her hair. “Jane, you do not make a jumble of anything. The few men in our circle are undesirable. Even if they had been interested, I should have warned you away from every one of them.”

“Mr Parker is handsome and—”

“Was secretly engaged.”

“Mr Abney was—”

“A bore. And a boor! We have known both about him since we were children. You cannot find fault in yourself for not securing such men.”

“So few come through Hertfordshire. How ever am I to meet a husband?”

“Ask Mama and Papa to send you to London.”

She looked back out the window as a way of saying no. Jane had always feared being amongst too many people, and their parents had never liked town, so invitations to stay with Aunt and Uncle Gardiner had gone unaccepted, much to Elizabeth’s disappointment.

Elizabeth would have liked to have gone to town for the excitement, but additionally, she did worry that their prospects were few and growing dimmer by remaining always in their small corner of Hertfordshire.

“A carriage,” Jane whispered, and the sisters, after thanking Sarah, hurried downstairs where their mother was in a flutter over whether the teacups, already set out, should have been the ones with pink flowers rather than the blue.

When Mr Bingley was announced, Mr Bennet greeted him warmly, and then was introduced to Mr Bingley’s sister. More introductions were made, and while Mr Bingley looked about with enthusiastic pleasure, his sister appeared as if she had eaten a lemon. When shown a chair, she even looked at the cushion as if there might be dirt upon it. Elizabeth fought back every urge to comment, or worse, slap her.

Mr Bingley tasted the sponge cake and smiled, complimenting Mrs Bennet and saying their cook must share the recipe with his cook. This set Mrs Bennet aflutter, which brought on more scowls from Miss Bingley.

The afternoon went on in such a fashion, only punctuated by Mrs Bennet suggesting a walk in the garden followed by a thunderclap, thwarting that plan and a longer visit, for Miss Bingley declared herself frightened of storms and insisted on a return to the safety of Netherfield. While disappointing, Elizabeth noted that Mr Bingley’s gaze went to Jane at this, and that they locked eyes for longer than expected. Mr Bingley declared he would invite them all for tea, which set Lydia and Kitty to squealing, and Miss Bingley once again insisted that they hurry home.

When Elizabeth Bennet first meets Mr Darcy, she is in the company of her suitor, Mr Wickham. When Darcy hints at improprieties in her beau’s past, she ignores his veiled criticisms. But as Darcy grows increasingly attracted to Elizabeth, he fears telling her the full truth of why Wickham is unsuitable--yet equally fears it may be too late to extricate her from his grasp.