Chapter 22
“Please do sit down, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth suggested with concern. Darcy was rather pale and swaying slightly, and he sank back into the chair, his eyes focused intently on hers.
“This Wickham, is he tall, with dark blond hair and blue eyes?”
“Yes, and he is the man you are thinking of,” Elizabeth replied. “I forgot that when we met, he mentioned that he grew up near Pemberley.”
Darcy’s breath was coming fast now as he sought to control his emotions. Wickham here, and Georgiana on her way to Netherfield!
“Did he say anything else about me?” he demanded, more harshly than he intended.
Elizabeth brow was puckered with confusion but she answered quickly, “No, only that he grew up at Pemberley. I gathered from his words that he hardly knew you since he was the son of your father’s steward.”
Darcy grimaced, “That was a prevarication on his part, though I am not surprised. He was also my father’s godson, and we grew up playing together.”
“Oh!”
“Yes. As you probably have gathered from my reaction, we are not on good terms now.”
“I am sorry to hear that,” Elizabeth said cautiously. She was extremely curious, but it would be indelicate to probe any further.
“I am as well,” the gentleman replied, his color and breathing returning to normal. “I dislike accusing a man who is not here to defend himself, but I feel I must warn you that he is an ignoble individual. He leaves debts and ... is not honorable in his relations with women.”
Elizabeth was horrified, “That is dreadful! How did it happen that the regiment accepted such an unsavory man into its midst?”
Darcy sighed, “Wickham was educated at Cambridge and has the manners and features of a true gentleman. Many men and women have assumed that his outward appearance reflected a noble heart, only to be gravely disappointed.”
Elizabeth bit her lip, “If that is true, you must warn the people of Meryton that Mr. Wickham is dangerous.”
Darcy grimaced and shook his head, “There is a young lady of my acquaintance, a friend of the family, of whom Wickham took advantage. He holds her reputation in his hands.”
Elizabeth winced. She well knew how easily a woman’s life could be damaged by gossip and slander, “I understand, Mr. Darcy. But something must be done to protect the people of Meryton.”
Darcy stared at her in dismay. He understood her perspective, but Georgiana must be protected at all costs.
Elizabeth was gazing at the floor, deep in thought. A full three minutes later, she lifted her head, “You said he leaves debts. Do you think he is likely to do so here in Meryton?”
Darcy scoffed, “Without a doubt, Miss Elizabeth. In fact ... how long has he been here?”
“A few weeks. I daresay you would have met him before if your ankle had not kept you close to Netherfield. As I said, he was at Lucas Lodge a few nights ago, but you were in the sitting room and thus did not encounter him.”
“He will have debts, then,” Darcy declared, struggling to remain calm. What would he have done if he had come across Wickham unexpectedly? His inclination, admittedly an ungentlemanly one, would have been to punch the man in the face. “It is not a question of mere carelessness, you understand; it is a deliberate decision on his part to consistently live above his means and move on before his debtors realize he does not intend to pay.”
“Why has he not been sent to debtors’ prison then?”
Darcy sighed, “In the early years after my father died, I paid Wickham’s debts out of a misguided sense of loyalty to my father, who loved his godson and never knew of his degenerate behavior. I also worried about the merchants to whom he owed money; I am aware that ten pounds can be the difference between insolvency and prosperity.”
“That was kind of you, Mr. Darcy. I will speak to my uncle, Mr. Philips, on the matter of Wickham’s past debts, and I will take care not to mention your name. He is a sensible man, and I am certain we can come up with a plan to keep Meryton safe from this foul man.”
“That seems like a good scheme,” Darcy returned, though fear still clutched his heart. Above all else, his dear sister must not suffer because of his failure to protect her.
/
“Georgiana!” Darcy cried out, helping his sister out of the carriage and then pulling her into a loving embrace. “My dear, it is so good to see you!”
“I am very glad to see you too, Brother,” she replied, returning his affection with fervor. “Mrs. Hurst, thank you for being my hostess at Netherfield.”
“It is our pleasure,” Louisa Hurst assured her. Darcy had noticed that Mrs. Hurst, now out from under the shadow of her demanding younger sister, was a much more genial companion.
“Welcome to Netherfield, Mrs. Annesley,” Bingley declared, helping Georgiana’s paid companion out of the carriage.
“Please come inside, and we will get you settled in your rooms so you can freshen up,” Louisa enthused.
Darcy smiled at his sister, “I will see you shortly. I wish to have a word with John and Jacob.”
She nodded and walked toward the house while Darcy limped over to the footmen who had, at his request, returned to Netherfield with Georgiana and Bingley. The twins were retainers of the Darcy family, dark haired and blue eyed, tall and strong. As soon as he had learned of Wickham’s presence in the region, Darcy had sent an express to Darcy House in London ordering John and Jacob to accompany his sister and Bingley back to Netherfield. He would not permit Georgiana to be endangered again by his old friend, now enemy.
“Good afternoon,” he said.
“Good afternoon, sir,” the twins chorused.
“I wished to speak to you of a matter of import regarding Miss Darcy’s safety,” he continued, lowering his voice. “I know you are familiar with George Wickham ...”
/
“You are certain of this information, Lizzy?” Mr. Philips asked quietly.
Elizabeth took a moment to glance around her uncle’s office, a simple room with a desk, a chair, and a number of practical books of business. Her uncle was a well-established solicitor but his income was not nearly that of a landed gentleman like Mr. Bennet. His home was therefore pleasant but not opulent.
“I am absolutely certain,” she assured him. “I promised I would not identify the individual who told me of Mr. Wickham’s depredations, but I trust the facts provided.”
The solicitor sighed and shook his head, “This is most unfortunate, my dear. We have welcomed the militia to Meryton with hospitality and kindness, and it is discouraging that there is a man in our midst who is prone to racking up debts he does not intend to pay. Well, what do you wish for me to do?”
“I was hoping that perhaps you might ask the various merchants whether there are particular officers who owe significant sums of money. If you tally the amounts and discover, as I suspect, that Wickham is seriously in debt, you can warn everyone of the problem.”
“Or possibly talk to Colonel Forster himself. Yes, that is an excellent idea, Elizabeth. Leave it in my hands.”
“I will,” his niece replied gratefully. Her father was making improvements and was now mostly sober much of the day, but she still trusted her uncle to manage this matter more competently than Mr. Bennet.
She glanced outside, noting that the sun of late autumn was hovering near the western horizon. She wished to be home by nightfall and thus needed to collect her sisters to depart soon.
“Thank you again, Uncle.”
“It is my pleasure. By the way, how is Mr. Bennet?”
“He is a good deal better, for which we are most grateful. Father has cut down on his drinking substantially and is interesting himself in the estate again. I know there are times when he feels poorly, apparently from reducing his intake of wine.”
“Please tell him that I will be visiting Longbourn soon to discuss the disposition of the estate.”
“I will,” she assured him, departed the study, and walked into the drawing room where all of her sisters but Jane were visiting with their aunt Philips.
“There you are, Lizzy!” her aunt cried out, her plump face beaming with excitement. “My dear, you remember Mr. Wickham and Mr. Denny, of course!”
Elizabeth froze at the sight in front of her. Mary and Lydia were seated side by side on the couch with Mr. Denny sitting across from them, and Mr. Wickham had placed himself near Kitty, who was smiling shyly at the man.
At her entrance, the men both rose and bowed, and Elizabeth curtsied mechanically.
“Miss Elizabeth!” Wickham exclaimed, his expression winsome. “How wonderful to see you this fine afternoon!”
Years of training stood the gentlewoman in good stead, “It is pleasant to see you as well, Mr. Wickham, Mr. Denny. I hope you are well?”
Denny nodded and Wickham shifted slightly, intent on showing off his fine figure in a red coat.
“It is far better now that you have joined us, Miss Elizabeth,” he declared. “May I congratulate you, as I have already congratulated your sisters, on Miss Bennet’s engagement to Mr. Bingley?”
“Thank you. We are all very pleased for Jane. She and Mr. Bingley are much attached and will be happy together.”
“I am sure they will,” Denny agreed heartily.
“Do sit down, Lizzy, do!” Mrs. Philips insisted, “The gentlemen only arrived a few minutes ago!”
Elizabeth had a strong desire to sweep her sisters out of the door but that would not do; it would be suspicious when most of the women in Meryton fawned over the officers in general and Mr. Wickham in particular.
“We will need to leave in a few minutes,” she cautioned, as she sat down protectively next to Kitty. “I do not care to be out after dark.”
“We will relish our short time with you then, Miss Elizabeth,” Wickham assured her, his soulful blue eyes gazing directly into her own brown orbs.
“I am sure you will,” she replied archly. “Tell me, what is your favorite part of being in the militia?”
“Oh, the society, most definitely, Miss Elizabeth.”
/
“He is very charming, is he not?” Kitty enthused as the carriage wended its way back toward Longbourn.
The sun’s last rays were just peeking over the horizon, and thus Elizabeth could barely see her younger sister’s face. Her tone was alarming, however.
“Who?” she asked carefully.
“Mr. Wickham, of course! Mr. Denny is pleasant as well, no doubt, but he does not hold a candle to Lieutenant Wickham.”
Elizabeth opened her mouth in protest, and then shut it. She must warn her sisters of the danger associated with Wickham, but she would wait until they were all safely ensconced in Lydia’s room tonight.
/
“I still think it would be far better to be married by license,” Mrs. Bennet said for at least the tenth time. “It is more distinguished than merely calling the banns.”
Jane Bennet rose to her feet and smiled at her mother in spite of some irritation. When Mrs. Bennet embraced an idea, she fixated on it like a dog on a bone.
“Mama, we have discussed this before. I wish for my aunt and uncle Gardiner and their children to be here for the wedding, and the earliest they can come is the 21 st of December. The banns will be called the third time on the 22 nd , and we will be married on the 23 rd . There is no reason to purchase a license.”
Mrs. Bennet huffed but did not protest and Jane took her silence as permission to depart. The eldest daughter of the house walked quickly up the stairs toward her own room, only to stop at Lydia’s door, which was wide open to reveal the beloved figures of her sisters sitting picturesquely grouped on Lydia’s large bed.
“Are we having a conference?” Jane asked curiously.
Elizabeth nodded and rose to her feet, shutting the door behind her older sister.
“Yes, we are. Girls, I gathered you together to warn you all to be on your guard with the officers of the militia. I know they seem entirely genteel and honorable, but I recently heard that some are known to take advantage of young women ...”