Stronger Even Than Pride by Gail McEwen

Author:Gail McEwen [McEwen, Gail]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781936009336
Publisher: Meryton Press
Published: 2014-04-07T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Darcy spent a sleepless night reliving his visit with Wickham and trying to decide just what his obligations and responsibilities were. It was within his power to help, that was true, but did honour compel him to do so? Without assistance from someone with power and influence, Wickham would be tried, convicted, and likely sent to the gallows for his crimes. He had no desire to assist the man, but was he honour bound to do so anyway? Could he live with himself if Wickham was hanged and he had done nothing to stop it? Would his death then be on Darcy’s hands?

Thinking got him nowhere. His baser instincts battled with his higher aspirations, and he spent the night reasoning in circles until the rising sun touched the horizon. He needed to talk it out, but his customary sounding boards would be no help in this case. Fitzwilliam would be appalled at even the hint that either of them should lift so much as a finger to aid Wickham, and it would never occur to Bingley that he would not do everything in his power to help a man in such dire circumstances.

And then there was Wickham’s parting shot: “You realise that you must help me, for Elizabeth’s sake if not for my own.”

“I am curious to hear your reasoning for such a bold assertion,” Darcy could not help but ask. “Why must I help you for your wife’s sake?”

“Really, Darcy.” Wickham laughed. “I do not understand why you think you can hide anything from me. I know your feelings for her.”

“Old feelings,” he said simply, not able to deny it but not daring to venture further.

“Old feelings?” Wickham scoffed. “Do you think I don’t know who paid off my debts in Castle Street, and why? I doubt you would have spared any thoughts to my grocery bill if it were not for Elizabeth. And I doubt it was old feelings that compelled you to seek me out and expose me at the ball.”

“As foreign as the thought might be to you, Wickham, one can feel pity and outrage without ulterior or selfish motives.”

“One might, and I have no doubt your intentions were as pure as the driven snow; however, that does not change the root of that pity and outrage. You care for Elizabeth deeply, and as much as it might pain you to hear this, Elizabeth cares for me. If you pity her, you will see to it that I walk away from these charges.”

Of course, he knew that was patently ridiculous. Elizabeth was unhappy in her marriage and with her choices, but that brought up another troubling aspect. What were his obligations to her in this case? If he were honest with himself, he wanted nothing more than for her to be free of Wickham, but did that not disprove what he had so confidently asserted about his lack of selfish motives?

He had asked whether she wished him to help Wickham, and she could not give

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