Jann Rowland & Lelia Eye
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Size: 6.00 x 9.00 in
Pages: 268
Elizabeth Bennet decides not to travel with her relations to Derbyshire, the home of her rejected suitor. Instead, she accepts an invitation to go to Brighton, home of the famous sea baths and circulating libraries.
Though Elizabeth expects a relaxing summer in which she experiences the attractions of a beautiful city in the company of a dear companion, she finds so much more, including the friendship of a mysterious widow whose motives are difficult to discern.
But Elizabeth also makes a painful discovery when she learns that gentlemanly manners can disguise immoral habits and a hatred so intense as to drive a man to do anything to make his despised enemy suffer. The arrival of the man whose attentions she had spurned only serves to discompose Elizabeth and make the situation even more volatile. Can Elizabeth find true love amid such turmoil?
“Good day, Miss Bennet.”
Startled, Elizabeth jumped slightly. Why was he already present in Brighton?
“Mr. Wickham!” cried she in surprise. She quickly regained her composure and stared at Mr. Wickham with a hint of annoyance. “What a . . . surprise to see you here. Is the regiment not traveling with Colonel Forster?”
His answering smile was the essence of the man: cheerful, yet with a certain underlying counterfeit charm which he exuded from every pore. And he seemed to take no notice of—or else he completely ignored—the lack of enthusiasm his presence engendered. She was not certain when she had started to notice this mask which he put up for the world, but she almost wondered if the realization had begun even before she had heard Mr. Darcy’s account of his character in Kent.
READ MORE“I volunteered to be part of the advance company preparing the location for the regiment’s arrival,” said he. His smile became somewhat self-deprecating, but something about his frank and appraising gaze made Elizabeth uncomfortable. “I know it was perhaps impetuous of me, but the thought of waiting in Hertfordshire while a certain lady went on ahead to Brighton was more than I could bear.”
He clearly expected Elizabeth to blush and thank him for his flattery, but at that moment, all Elizabeth could think of was the displeasure she felt at his presence and the evidence of his continued attentions to her.
“You could not bear the thought of being parted from me?” said she, a raised eyebrow showing her skepticism.
Mr. Wickham apparently missed her tone. “I could not. I was away from you far too long as it was during your sojourn to Kent. I found myself unequal to the prospect of even a few days longer without being in your company.”
“If you recall, our separation has been of a much longer duration, Mr. Wickham.”
Her statement appeared to perplex him. “I am not certain I understand your meaning, Miss Bennet.”
“Come now, Mr. Wickham. Surely your memory cannot be that deficient. You must recall that during the three months complete before my departure, you were rarely seen at Longbourn—or at any other gathering in Meryton, for that matter—and I only saw you once a few days before I left for Kent.”
The reminder of his previous activities and especially the reference to his pursuit of Mary King set Mr. Wickham to squirming, and he looked away from Elizabeth, his discomfort clear. It was time to twist the dagger a little and let him know she did not appreciate his continued flattery or his professions of undying regard.
“In fact,” said she, with an exaggerated show of contemplation, “I seem to remember the distance between us occurred about the time that Mary King was revealed to have suddenly acquired an inheritance of ten thousand pounds.”
By now, Mr. Wickham’s face was flushed, and he was alternating between looking at her with wonder and endeavoring to look anywhere but at her. Confident she had him exactly where she wanted him, Elizabeth continued:
“I believe I should inform you, Mr. Wickham, that my financial situation is no better now than it was before you went on your fortune-hunting expedition, nor is it likely to change any time in the future.
“In addition,” continued she with a little more steel in her voice, “I should inform you that I am not one of those foolish empty-headed girls whom you normally favor with your attentions; I am not blind to your other activities, I am not impressed by your attempts at flattery, and your manners have little effect on me.
“Now, I am perfectly willing to behave in a congenial manner and treat you the same as any other acquaintance, but in order for us to avoid descending into acrimony, I will require you to remember these facts. You must also remember that I have more in my head than a bit of fluff.”
The poor man—if he could be termed as such—was by now thoroughly embarrassed. Whether it was because he had been called out or because his plans had been disrupted, Elizabeth could not say, but if it gained her a respite from his attentions, then it was well worth it. She did not wish to spend her entire time in Brighton fending off an overly amorous Mr. Wickham.
“Are we clear, sir?”
Though the officer appeared not to know where to look or how to act, he murmured that he understood and sat down upon the sofa he had been occupying when she entered.
COLLAPSE