Chapter 17
Serena’s Sitting Room
Netherfield Hall
Eleven O’clock at Night
Serena clasped her hands tightly together in her lap to still their shaking as she grappled with her brother's grave words.
She had excused herself from her host and hostess the previous hour and come upstairs, planning to read for a few minutes before an early bedtime.
Scarcely had she seated herself beside the fire with her book, however, then there had been a soft tap upon the door of her sitting room, and her beloved brother's voice from the other side.
At once she had bidden him to enter, always glad of his company, but the sober expression on his face had disquieted her, and his following words even more so.
She sat still, trying to absorb the unwelcome knowledge that Fitzwilliam had just imparted.
It seemed so bizarre, so impossible, that the handsome, charming boy who had been so kind to her and her little sister could grow up to be a scoundrel.
It quite cut up her peace to think of Wickham as an indebted, drunken gambler.
“I confess to being appalled, Brother!” she said softly. “My memories of Mr. Wickham are uniformly good. It is horrible that he grew up to be such a reprobate!”
Her brother, who was seated beside her, patted her hand gently and said, “It is indeed. Although I hold great esteem for our father, I think it was unwise of him to shower Wickham with so much largesse. It exposed him to a life that was rather beyond his reach, given his family circumstances. Old Mr. Wickham was a very fine man, but always poor thanks to the extravagance of his wife, and while Wickham could have chosen to be a clergyman, he decided against that.”
Serena frowned in thought. “I do remember something about that. Did not our father wish for Wickham to be the next rector of Kympton?”
“Father did recommend Wickham for that living in his will, but of course Father thought Wickham to be the very best of men. I knew that given the man’s spendthrift ways, not to mention his excessive drinking and gambling, he would be a terrible clergyman, and I was happy to pay him three thousand pounds to give it up. ”
“A lavish sum,” Serena said thoughtfully and then turned a worried look on her brother. “Are you afraid that he will ask you for more money, perhaps? Is that why you are so unhappy about him being here?”
The master of Pemberley leaned back in his chair and shook his head.
“No, that is not my concern, as I am entirely capable of refusing Wickham anything he asks. I am not our father. No, my concern is for you and Georgiana. Both of you have fond memories of the man, and he is very attractive. Moreover, you are both great heiresses.”
Serena stared at him in astonishment. “Surely you do not imagine that he would … oh, Brother, do you think he would compromise one of us in an attempt to force us into marriage?”
Her brother’s expression grew grimmer still, and then he relaxed a trifle and said, “I visited him today and put the fear of God in him, although perhaps God has already intervened in his life. He claims to have turned over a new leaf.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
Her brother explained at some length and even touched on the subject of Marshalsea Prison, though Serena suspected that he spoke with special care to avoid shocking her sensibilities.
“Do you think he is telling the truth?” she asked when he was finished.
Fitzwilliam grimaced and said, “Truthfully, no. And then again, maybe yes? I have known Wickham a very long time, and he has never expressed a single iota of humility in all those years. But then part of me wonders whether this is a new and creative way for him to worm his way into the graces of ourselves and the locals.”
“But they would not know of his past, presumably?” Serena suggested. “I would not think the local families would have any way of learning about the prior life experiences of the officers?”
Her brother contemplated this for a long moment, and then nodded. “You are correct, but then perhaps he …”
He trailed off and straightened. “I do not know. I want to believe that Wickham can change, and it is possible that he has, but I am not at all confident. Moreover, he may even have good intentions, but that does not mean he will avoid yielding to temptation in the future. In any case, my greatest concern is that you and Georgiana are safe. I do not want you to be alone with Mr. Wickham under any circumstances.”
Serena wrinkled her brow and said, “We would never be alone with him, surely! Indeed, we will likely not see him again at all.”
“I fear we will, and often,” her brother replied. “The local families have welcomed the militia officers with open arms, and given the lack of eligible young men in the area, I cannot fault them for that.”
“Well, I will be careful,” Serena said decidedly, “and I will watch over Georgiana too.”
She paused in thought and then said, “We occasionally go out in the shrubbery together, but perhaps that is not wise, considering the circumstances. If a maid or footman was with us, would that be safe?”
Darcy nodded and then smiled at her. “Thank you for your good sense in this matter. Yes, I think it wise for you always to be accompanied by a stout male servant when you are out without me or Mr. Bingley.”
***
Drawing Room
Netherfield Hall
Midnight
“Shall we play another game?” Mr. Hurst asked, contemplating the pile of coins in front of him with satisfaction.
Caroline glanced at the clock and shook her head. It was quite late and time to broach the subject of a ball, and then she would go to bed.
“I think it rather too late to begin another game,” she said aloud, “but before we go upstairs, I have an idea I wished to suggest to you, Charles. What would you think of hosting a ball?”
Her brother was staring at the fireplace with an absent expression, but these words caused him to turn to her in surprise. “A ball, Caroline? You wish to host a ball?”
Caroline nodded. “Yes, I do, if you would enjoy it, anyway. Just think, Netherfield Hall has the only private ballroom in the area, at least as far as I am aware. Would it not be a charming way to thank our neighbors for their kindness in welcoming us into their midst?”
She did not truly care about the neighbors, not at all, but she knew that such a speech would please her brother.
“I think that is a wonderful idea, Caroline!” Charles said with a broad smile.
***
Drawing Room
Lucas Lodge
The Next Evening
9th November 1811
Lady Lucas's dinner parties were always well attended.
Lucas Lodge was already quite full as the Bennets stepped through the door into the drawing room.
Elizabeth looked about, observing the many red-coated officers in evidence alongside several of their neighbors from Meryton, and her heart lifted briefly at the sight of Lieutenant Wickham's handsome countenance across the room.
Elizabeth anticipated the evening with pleasure.
All the Bennet ladies had come to visit their friends, escorted, of course, by Mr. Collins, who had dashed all their hopes by greeting the invitation with enthusiasm.
Elizabeth, who was extremely weary of their loquacious cousin, could only grudgingly acknowledge that his desire to become acquainted with the prominent local families was entirely reasonable.
Regardless, she intended to thoroughly enjoy this visit with her friends.
She looked around and noted, with some disappointment, that the Darcys, Bingleys, and Hursts, were not in attendance, at least not yet.
Elizabeth wondered if they had all declined the invitation or if they had, for some reason unknown to her, not been invited at all.
Or perhaps they were merely running late.
In any case, she would relish her time here regardless of the presence of the Darcys, while as for Miss Caroline Bingley, well, Elizabeth was happy enough to avoid that lady!
Miss Bingley now treated the Bennet family with great respect and attention, but that was almost more annoying than her previous arrogance.
It was due to Mrs. Bennet’s near relation to the nobility, no doubt.
Moreover, Elizabeth had come to the conclusion that Miss Bingley was pushing her brother away from Jane and toward Mary because Mary was the granddaughter of a viscount, while Jane was merely the granddaughter of a solicitor.
It was all part and parcel with Caroline Bingley’s desire to improve the connections of her family, and while Elizabeth understood it, she could not like or admire it.
“Oh, there are Maria and Phoebe,” Kitty cried out, breaking into Elizabeth’s thoughts. “May Lydia and I go speak to her, Mamma?”
“Yes, of course, my dears,” Mrs. Bennet said with a smile, and Elizabeth watched as the younger girls hurried off to where the two younger Lucas daughters were sitting in a corner.
“Mrs. Bennet, Misses Bennet,” Lady Lucas said, surging up to the remaining ladies and one gentleman, with her eldest daughter at her side, “good evening and thank you for coming. Would you please introduce us to your guest?”
“I would be honored,” Mrs. Bennet said. “Lady Lucas, Charlotte, please allow me to introduce Mr. Collins, who is my husband’s cousin and heir. Mr. Collins, Lady Lucas and Miss Lucas.”
Mr. Collins bowed deeply, and the Lucas ladies curtseyed, and the former said, “It is a very great honor to meet you, both of you. As the heir to Longbourn, though, of course, there is every reason to expect that Mr. Bennet will live a long time, I have a considerable desire to meet with the prominent families in the area, and based on my discussions with my fair cousins, understand that your family is the most important of all!”
Mr. Collins produced a beaming smile at the end of this speech, and Lady Lucas smiled back and said, “That is very kind of you, sir, very kind indeed. Now, can I possibly offer you some punch and scones? My Charlotte baked the scones.”
Again, Mr. Collins bowed, and he said, “I would be greatly honored to enjoy such a delicacy. Thank you!”
“Oh, there are Mrs. Long and her nieces,” Lady Lucas said suddenly. “Charlotte, my dear, could you please show Mr. Collins to the punch and scones.”
“This way, please, Mr. Collins,” Charlotte said with a smile.
Elizabeth watched sympathetically as her friend walked off with Mr. Collins. The man, while not at all vicious, was extremely tiresome. Poor Charlotte.
“Mamma, Mary and I are going to speak to Mrs. Goulding,” Jane said. “We wish to know how her little grandson is doing.”
“Of course,” Mrs. Bennet replied, and the two girls departed for another corner of the room, leaving Elizabeth and her mother alone.
“Miss Elizabeth, good evening,” a male voice said from her left, and she turned and found herself smiling at Mr. Wickham, who looked very fine indeed in his red regimentals, white breeches, and carefully shined boots.
“Mr. Wickham, good evening,” she replied.
“Would you do me the honor of introducing me to your mother?” the lieutenant asked, turning toward Mrs. Bennet, who was regarding him with interest.
Elizabeth performed the necessary introductions, and Mrs. Bennet said, with a significant look, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth told me quite a bit about you.”
Wickham looked alarmed at this statement, and then said, in a quieter tone, “I hope, Mrs. Bennet, that you are willing to permit me to be in the same location as your daughters, then.”
“Well, before I can determine that, I would like to speak to you. Shall we sit down by the fire?”
“Of course,” the lieutenant replied, and Elizabeth watched, amused, as the pair walked off together. She knew that her mother, a most protective lady, would interview the lieutenant carefully to learn whether he was an appropriate acquaintance for all of her daughters.