Chapter 4 #2
As this is my final confession, I need to tell you all.
Lucy and I were looking at a bonnet in the haberdashery in Lambton.
You know the one, Mrs Bligh’s shop not far from the Rose and Crown Inn.
We were approached by a very handsome young man who paid us pretty compliments, especially to me.
As a girl of not yet 15, I felt the compliment of him paying attention to me most keenly.
My pleasure was made all the more because he had singled me out even above Lucy, who was already 16 and prettier than me.
I know now that was all part of George Wickham’s plan, but I was not aware of his true nature at that time. Also, much to my own peril, I dismissed your words of warning altogether.
He courted me assiduously for about a fortnight, and at the time, I did not notice that it was never with others to witness us. He would ask me to walk with him, and not only did I agree, but I got Lucy to tell her parents that we were always together.
It began with him kissing my hand, and then my cheeks, and eventually my lips.
Each time he would tell me what we were doing could not be wrong between friends, and when he kissed my lips, he claimed to love me.
A day later he asked me to marry him, even though I was only 14 and he was just 17.
He said something to the effect of ‘what was age when there was true love?’ He went on about how he could not live without me.
At that point, I still thought it the most romantic thing which had ever happened to me. The mistaken belief that he loved me and I him, led me to agree. It was then he affected a sad look.
When I asked him what caused the melancholy I saw, he would not answer at first, but he said he realised we would not be allowed to marry for some years, and he knew not how he would live without me for so long.
He claimed death would be preferable. I felt very sad at his pronouncement.
Once he revealed his true character to me, I realised that was what he planned.
He left me then and with sad eyes asked if I would meet him one more time on the morrow, to which I agreed without delay. When I told all to Lucy (even though he had entreated me not to tell anyone), she was sad for me that my romance was over.
The next day I met him in our secret spot, which I believe was an old hunting cabin on Pemberley’s land; he still looked sad but said he had made a plan to elope, if I would agree.
As I was caught up and could not see the pending danger, I agreed without a thought.
Seeing him happy once again made me so as well.
He spoke about the high probability Mr Carlyle would give chase, and if we were caught before we reached Gretna Green, we would be separated. He told me unless…
I asked what he meant. He said that if we anticipated our vows, then even if we were caught, no one would be able to stop us. Not understanding what was entailed in the anticipation of our vows, I agreed.
I will not go into the details, but as a married woman, Maddie, you know what occurred next. He said the first time did not count, so we needed to repeat the act twice more.
On the 3rd occasion, he laughed at me and called me a silly girl and told me he would never marry me.
He admitted that he had taken revenge for Cousin Adam reporting his cheating on a test at Eton.
When I said that I would tell everyone, he told me that his patron, Mr Darcy, would support him, and I would be branded a liar.
Until I missed my courses, I had not understood one could become with child if they were not married.
The Carlyles wrote to Mama and Papa and arranged with them for me to be placed in this cottage until the babe is born. It will not be long now.
Lucy was sworn to silence, as I was so embarrassed to be so easily worked on by that despicable man.
Hence, I never told anyone else what had occurred.
At least not until I wrote this letter to you.
I should have listened to you, Maddie! He made me feel so special, and all he was doing was ruining me by design.
I cannot repine it if I am no longer alive. I brought mortification and shame to my family. All I pray is that one day Mama, Papa, and the rest of you can see it in your hearts to forgive me.
In contrition with shame,
Veronica
Maddie reread the letter detailing Veronica’s targeted ruin by George Wickham, and for what?
Was it because he had chosen to cheat and had been reported?
She knew from what Adam had written about the man, that the boy she used to know was one who always blamed anyone except himself for his problems, which of course were all self-caused.
Her anger was partially directed at the late Mr Robert Darcy, who had ignored every report about his godson and had done nothing to correct him.
There were tears of anger flowing down Maddie’s cheeks when her husband entered the sitting room. He immediately went down on one knee before her and used his large handkerchief to wipe her tears away.
“What has upset you so very much?” Gardiner demanded as he sat himself next to his wife on the couch.
“You remember not long after I returned from Derbyshire, there was a letter for me? The one that I did not recognise the script of the writer and had no return direction written on it?” Maddie reminded her husband.
“Vaguely. What of it?”
“The letter was from Lucy Carlyle, as is Lucy Johnson now. Here, read it.” Maddie handed the one page to Edward.
“After all of these years to post it to you now. May I?”
She handed the letter from her cousin to her husband. She watched as he read, and fury built on his countenance the further he read. “It is good that I am aware that the Mr Darcy I met with tried to warn his father about this bastard. Sorry Maddie.”
“Do not apologise. That is a good word to describe George Wickham, that and far worse.”
“As I was saying, if I knew this Mr Darcy allowed this libertine to ruin women and everything else he does like his father before him did, I would return his money to him and refuse to do business with him.”
“It is very sad that in our society a man may ruin women, young ladies, and younger girls with impunity, and the victims must bear all the blame and be shunned.”
“I cannot agree with you more.” Gardiner paused while he hugged his beloved Maddie to himself. “Would you like to sit and compose yourself? If so, I will have Nurse and Mrs Mulberry take the children to the park. And Maddie, if we ever come across the seducer, he will be very sorry.”
“Thank you, Edward. I need a little time to compose myself. Allow them to go ahead, and you and I may join them in feeding the ducks and swans soon. Also, I will imagine what it would be like to make that man pay.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Thanks to his Aunt Catherine’s nonsense, Darcy was not in the best of moods on his return from Kent. He had not thought to ask Richard to meet with any of the candidates who answered his advert and with whom his man of business had scheduled for him to meet.
Due to his distractions, coupled with his belief in the infallibility of his judgement, he did not think to verify the characters of the lady he chose to be Anna’s companion, one Mrs Karen Younge.