Chapter 29
Lucas Wickham had not seen his son for some years.
The embarrassment of visiting him at the Tower of London was keen, no matter how much Lord Holderness had told him that no one held him responsible for George’s attempt to kidnap the suo jure Duchess of Leeds.
In fact, he had been assured that the duchess blamed no one but George Wickham and the one who made him believe he was entitled to that which was not his.
Knowing that he had not been forceful enough in stopping his late wife’s inculcation of George was why Wickham felt culpability for his son’s actions, regardless of what any other said.
“Father, have you come to save me?” George Wickham begged plaintively.
“But, George, is not your father dead? Was he not murdered by the late Duke of Leeds because said duke refused to pay a legacy for his natural son? It seems only now, when you have committed treason against the Crown, you remember you have a living father,” Lucas Wickham stated firmly.
“How many times did I warn you that if you followed your late mother’s path it would only lead to your ruin?
So many times it was that I tried to show you the right path, but you were not interested in anything that did not give you an easy way to gain that which was not, nor ever had been, your due.
” He paused. “You should know that had you compromised the young duchess, she would not have married you. Rather the Crown would have separated your head from your shoulders. Also, whoever Lady Bethany chuses to marry, will have no control over her estates and wealth.”
Only now did George finally understand how bad his choices in his life had been—now when it seemed it was far too late.
Like Icarus, he had ignored his father’s warnings and flown too close to the sun, and for his misguided attempt to marry Lady Bethany, rather than fall to earth, he would face the executioner.
When he had first been detained, George Wickham had blamed everyone other than himself.
In his own mind he had raged against the Younges for disloyalty to him.
That was until he admitted that he had intended to make it so they would be the ones in the Tower facing the executioner.
He admitted that he had no right to expect loyalty from ones to whom he gave none in return.
Recognising how many he had harmed over the years, for no other reason than it was what he felt he had the right to do, was too late now.
In a few days, he would be taken to the Old Bailey for his trial, and when, not if, the Lord Judge pronounced the ultimate punishment, he would be returned to the Tower and his life would end thanks to the axe wielded by the executioner.
If only he had had such an epiphany before it was too late.
In that moment, he had owned that he had been presented with many chances to change his path before he reached this point where he no longer had that option. He had squandered every opportunity with which he had been presented.
No wonder Father was so angry with him. George was able to see how despicable the lies he had told about his father were. To claim that his father was dead because said father had tried to direct him to an honourable path, was far beyond the pale.
Wickham had sat without speaking while he watched George cogitating. His hope was that his son would finally see the error of his ways.
“After everything I have done, for which none but me is to blame, I deserve my fate,” George Wickham said sombrely.
“I should not have listened to my late mother; rather, it is your footsteps I should have followed.” He paused as he thought of something.
“I spent my time coveting what I did not have instead of being happy with what I did have. It is only now, close to the end of my wasted life, that I see that what my mother taught me was all wrong.”
As his son had accepted what his fate would be, without any more begging to save him, Wickham knew that what George said was sincerely meant.
He quizzed his son about his change of heart for some time, and at the end of his inquisition, Wickham was convinced that George, at last, had seen the correct and honourable path he should have taken.
“Because you have had a genuine change of heart, I am authorised to tell you that Lady Bethany and her mother are able to offer you a measure of clemency.
The only reason they are willing to do so is because you did not plan to murder Lady Bethany.
This will not mean that there are no consequences for your despicable actions; however, you will not lose your head.
You will be transported and serve seven years of hard labour.
As long as you work as expected and do not break any rules or laws, you will not be branded.
Once you have served your sentence, if the reports are positive, and there has been no need to brand you, then you will be allowed to return to England, if you so chuse.
“Before you decry the transportation, remember you could be branded, transported, serve fourteen years, and be barred from ever returning to England. Even worse, you could be tried and convicted of treason. On being found guilty, you know what the penalty would have been.”
“I will accept my punishment,” George said as he stiffened his back.
“My prayer is that you will survive the trip across the sea and become a better man,” Wickham stated. “My advice to you is to keep to yourself on the ship and do nothing to anger your fellow convicts. Your charm will not help you if you do.”
“Father, please accept my apologies that it has taken me so long to see the truth,” George requested.
“It is good to have my son back,” Wickham said as he hugged George.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Younge’s had been released from service with a healthy reward for their assistance in keeping the Duchess of Leeds safe. They took part of the money and purchased the Quacking Duck Inn in Tickhill.
Knowing what had, in fact, happened to their mother made both much happier people.
They were very sorry their late father had not told them the truth before they had begun to make assumptions in the absence of the facts.
Even though their mother had been part of the plot to kidnap Lady Bethany, they were gratified to learn that she had not wanted any harm to come to the then babe.
They swore to one another that they would be honest in everything they did going forward.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
March 1809
In the year before she turned eighteen, Bethany had, with Mother, toured all of her estates and properties in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
In all, there were eight more estates after Hornby Castle and Kiveton Park.
On the island of Great Britain, she had viewed estates in all three countries, from the Scottish Highlands in the north to Cornwall in the south.
When Bethany had sailed across the Irish Sea from Liverpool, she had been very excited to be on a ship.
There was one estate in Ireland that she very much wanted to see, because Green Hill had a rather famous horse breeding programme.
Among others, Arabians were raised there.
There was a list of those wanting to purchase horses from Green Hill with reservations for more than three years into the future.
As excited as she was to see the estate and the horses, as they had travelled in August, she had been overjoyed that James, Mary, and Kitty had joined those travelling to Ireland.
All three siblings loved horses just as much as Bethie did.
The Darcys had accompanied them as well.
Once he had supervised the spring planting at Conyers Run, her cousin had been available to join the travels undertaken by Bethany and her mother.
Having William Darcy as part of those travelling to Green Hill had pleased Bethany very much.
She had missed him when he had been at his estate for a month.
She found that when he was not part of those family members travelling with her, she wondered where he was and what he was doing.
When they were in company together, she always felt his eyes on her, and she made sure to always know where William was in the room.
At Green Hill, like he did whenever they were in the same riding party, William’s horse—they all rode horses from the estate’s stables, as none of them had brought their own across the sea with them—would always be next to hers.
On the return from Ireland, William and Giana had remained with them while his parents made for Pemberley. Aunt Elaine and Uncle Reggie had been with them when the estates in Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire had been inspected.
For the remaining estates in Suffolk, Devonshire, and Cornwall, Mamma and Papa had accompanied Bethie, her mother, William, and Giana.
Now the whole of the extended family was in London except for James, as the Easter term break only began on the second to final Thursday of March.
Other than those with their own homes in London, the rest of the extended family—including the Bennets who did not use Bennet House in Portman Square for this occasion—resided at Leeds House.
Bethany’s eighteenth birthday was to be celebrated on the first Saturday of March, which was one day before the actual date.
With the fifth of the month being the Sabbath, Amelia had suggested Saturday—if Giana was willing to share her day.
Bethie and Giana had agreed without any reservations.