Blasphemy, I know. But, come on, even you die-hard Darcy lovers out there have to cave and admit that Wickham, minus the paedophilia, linked as it was to a penchant for deflowering flighty young things, and overt gold-digging, was a touch more fun.
I consider myself to be a Darcy lover (particularly when said Darcy is portrayed by Colin Firth), and Darcy's appeal is most certainly his cold indifference, his stuffy top-button-done-up hauter (mmm, I would love to rip open that top button and cravat), but if you were Lizzie wouldn't you sometimes long for the easy, frivolous frippery of Wickham? I know that I would, and suspect that Lizzie, with her sharp tongue, even sharper intelligence, and lovely eyes, would agree.
Yes, yes, I can hear you all cry, Fitzwilliam turned out to be a lovely, gentlemanly, knight on the white horse type, he saved the Bennets, socially and financially, and he had Pemberley (ohhhh, Pemberley). But George, well, George had something a little bit special, that spark, that ease in social situations, in short, a sense of fun.
The truth is, Lizzie was really a woman ahead of her time. She would fit seamlessly into today's world (when she got over all the morality issues etc), and so would Wickham. Wickham is the type who could take you to the pub for a few pints, the type you would have great craic with, and the one who would try to weasel his way into your bed at the end of the night (I've got to say, I find him pretty charming so he'd probably make it into mine). He's not necessarily the type that would open the door for you, pay for your meal or drinks (actually, make sure you have a full wallet for any outing with Mr. Wickham), or even necessarily call or text you ever again after he got what he wanted, but it would be fun for however long it lasted.
Even back in P&P land Lizzie and George would have had a ball had they gone down the matrimonial path together, sharing witty observations on the company, throwing fabulous dinner parties and balls (all on borrowed money of course), and generally being the most attractive and charming couple in the countryside. Sure, they would have had no money, would probably live in one room with ten kids (because one would imagine that Wickham is pretty virile and I wouldn't be saying no), and after a while bitching about everyone else with your partner can become a bit boring (oh, who am I kidding, no it doesn't, it is always pretty entertaining) and you might start to question what they say about you behind closed doors. Ultimately, though, it might be better than sitting at one end of a massive table packed with tonnes of food that you could never possibly eat (and who would want to eat quail anyway, ugh?), whilst your stuffy little kids live in an entirely separate wing only to be seen when they have learnt something new on pianoforte or have learnt to ride their twentieth pony, and stare at your (admittedly gorgeous) husband who is probably sick of your habit of gently poking fun at everything about him, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't insult or offend his genteel manners.
In the book George was really wasted on Lydia, he needed someone who could match him in sparkle and wit, not someone who appealed to his frivolous, flighty side.Lizzie would have been the perfect companion for him, they complement each other.
I liked the Lost In Austen reworking of P&P, and I especially liked what they did with Wickham. He suddenly became a likeable (if deliciously naughty) character who had been unfairly judged by Darcy, who had sacrificed his own reputation to protect that of another, something that Darcy would find very hard to do, I would imagine.
Why all the P&P talk you ask? Well, I happened to meet a very attractive young man the other evening, and we had a bit of a chat about P&P, after he noticed that my name was the same as one of Austen's many heroines. He is most definitely a Wickham, and I know that this will more than likely end in a blind rage on my part, followed by confusion (mostly out of wounded pride, I am far too proud for my own good, I need to take a lesson from the book). But I am interested to see where this could go, for however short a period of time, and I hope that we get to the first date at least so that he can talk Wickham to me one more time.
Yours in Austen,
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