My Virtual Darcy 🏆 2021 Wattys Shortlister

10 - Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

"Upon my word, I say no more here than I might say in any house in the neighbourhood, except Netherfield. He is not at all liked in Hertfordshire. Everybody is disgusted with his pride. You will not find him more favourably spoken of by anyone." Though it pained me to admit it, it was the plain and simple truth. Darcy's stern face and disagreeable attitude had won him no heart.

Lydia shrieked and swiped three bone fishes away from the pool. After congratulating her on her victory, Wickham went on. "I cannot pretend to be sorry that he or that any man should not be estimated beyond their deserts; but with him I believe it does not often happen. The world is blinded by his fortune and consequence, or frightened by his high and imposing manners, and sees him only as he chooses to be seen."

"I should take him, even on my slight acquaintance, to be an ill-tempered man."

Wickham shook his head, neither agreeing nor denying the fact. As my aunt placed one card in front of each player again, he inquired, "I wonder whether he is likely to be in this country much longer."

"I do not at all know; but I heard nothing of his going away when I was at Netherfield. I hope your plans in favour of the--", laughter erupted from the nearby whist table, Collins having lost yet another round, "--shire will not be affected by his being in the neighbourhood." I chuckled at the Bridge's trick to conceal the unknown origin of Colonel Forster's militia.

"Oh! no--it is not for me to be driven away by Mr. Darcy. If he wishes to avoid seeing me, he must go." How cocky, from the man that would cower away from the Netherfield ball in order to avoid his nemesis.

Lydia giggled and held her card up against her chest, her eyes gleaming with excitement every time the dealer revealed another figure from the decks.

"We are not on friendly terms, and it always gives me pain to meet him, but I have no reason for avoiding him but what I might proclaim before all the world, a sense of very great ill-usage, and most painful regrets at his being what he is. His father, Miss Bennet, the late Mr. Darcy, was one of the best men that ever breathed, and the truest friend I ever had; and I can never be in company with this Mr. Darcy without being grieved to the soul by a thousand tender recollections. His behaviour to myself has been scandalous; but I verily believe I could forgive him anything and everything, rather than his disappointing the hopes and disgracing the memory of his father."

How much time have you spent rehearsing this, you trickster? Aren't you even a tad ashamed of feeding such blatant lies? Though I kept my facade demure and placid, I was boiling inside, raging to spell out a few home truths.

Mr. Wickham steered the conversation away towards the neighbourhood, the families, and the frequency of the assemblies. Did he sense Elizabeth's growing interest for the subject of Darcy's past? Why did he pick her to instill his venom into Meryton? The town gossipers would have been more efficient to spread the rumor. Heck, one of them was sitting four feet from him, collecting the players' cards and moving new fish tokens to the center of the table.

My research had shown that many people believed the man able to exact revenge by seducing the very lady who had captured his enemy's heart. The theories pinpointed his decision to London, where he met Denny, or to the earlier encounter, when he might have noticed Darcy avoiding Lizzy's gaze.

Was he a Machiavellian mastermind, set on destroying his childhood friend, or a young lad looking for a shoulder to cry on?

While I struggled to make sense of his character, the Bridge had progressed in the novel, and Wickham had brushed up a shocking portrait of his rival. "He refused me the inheritance his daddy had promised, boo-hoo, nobody believes me, blah blah, he's jealous because everybody likes me, yada yada yada, all his good deeds are dictated by pride, and his sister is equally arrogant, etc."