During the before dinner drinks, Darcy expected Mr Bennet to come take him to task for not apologising to his daughter. However, other than smirk in his direction, the Bennet patriarch did not approach him. Rather than fear Mr Bennet speaking to him, Darcy had hoped the man would do just that. Then at least he would have been able to explain Miss Elizabeth had spurned every attempt by him to apologise to her.
Bingley noticed the way Darcy was watching Mr Bennet. “He will not say anything to you. According to Miss Bennet he loves to make sport of others and be amused by them,” Bingley told his friend. “If you want to have something reach Miss Elizabeth the better way is via Miss Bennet, they are the closest of sisters.”
Darcy did not know why he had not considered that avenue of attack yet. Surely Miss Elizabeth would not refuse to speak to her own sister. As he and Bingley passed a group of three officers he could have sworn he had heard the name Wickham, but Darcy was not sure and he did not want toapproach the men and ask them if he had heard the name correctly. Besides, the last thing George Wickham would do was to toil for his daily bread. As Wickham believed he was due whatever he desired, Darcy could not imagine his former friend earning an honest and honourable living.
It would be very good if the miscreant was in the militia. Unlike after Ramsgate when he had the misguided notion he would have dishonoured his father if he took action against the bastard, Darcy no longer laboured under that misconception.
A meeting with his uncle, aunt, and two cousins had set him straight on that front.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
July 1812, Matlock House
As much as he had believed it was his failure and his alone that Gigi had almost eloped with the profligate wastrel who was George Wickham, all due to Darcy being duped by the companion he had employed, his family members would not agree with him.
Darcy was at Matlock House in his uncle’s study. His Aunt Elaine, Uncle Reggie, Andrew—Viscount Hilldale— along with Gigi’s co-guardian, Richard—the Colonel—were all present.
“William, are you addlepated? I was as much, even more, at fault! I suspected something was off with Mrs Younge and I said not a word to you,” Richard insisted. “I thought it was the natural suspicion I have as an officer rearing its head, so I ignored my instincts. Also, how many times have we told you that were it not for you, poor Gigi’s life would have been over. Even had that bastard,” the Colonel paused and turned to his Lady mother. “Sorry for the language, Mother.”
“As it is appropriate in this case, there is nothing for me to pardon,” Lady Matlock stated. “Do not make a habit of it, Richard.”
“Yes Mother, thank you for your forbearance. As I was saying, as her husband he would have made her suffer to extract his pound of flesh for not being paid her dowry,” the Colonel continued, “and as you would not have allowed me to run him through, we would have had no legal recourse. Why you have been reluctant to have him thrown in debtor’s prison, I do not understand.”
“You know why, I cannot do that to my father’s godson, a man he held in high esteem,” Darcy averred weakly.
“Come now, William!” Lord Hilldale exclaimed, “that is stuff and nonsense, and you know it. With all due respect to my late uncle, he had a very bad blind spot where that blackguard was concerned.”
“Andrew has the right of it. My brother refused to see what all of us could, and he would not hear a word against his favourite,” Lord Matlock boomed. “William my boy, I guarantee you, Robert, had he still been in the world of mortals, would have led the charge against that libertine for what he attempted to do.”
“Uncle, how can you say that? Father, as misguided as he was, never saw any ill in Wickham,” Darcy asserted.
“You are being as blind as my late Uncle Robert,” the Colonel said as he placed a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “Did or did not your father love and cherish Gigi, especially as she began to look more and more like our late Aunt Anne?”
“Yes, that is true,” Darcy owned.
“Now remembering what Rich just pointed out, what do you think your late father would have done to Wickham had he known what the wastrel attempted with Gigi?” Lord Hilldale pressed.
With a little cogitation, Darcy came to a realisation. “He would have him hung, drawn, and quartered!”
In front of him, even his aunt was nodding. “Welcome to reality, William,” Lord Matlock drawled as he clapped hisnephew, who since his parents passed away was like a third son to him, on the back. Gigi was just as a second daughter to he and Elaine. Gigi and Becca were as close as sisters, just as Richard and William were like brothers.
“If I come across him again, he will not get away scot-free like he did at Ramsgate. I will put the more than two thousand pounds I hold of his purchased debts, to work, and see him in a debtor’s prison for life,” Darcy vowed. It was like a great weight lifted from his shoulders as he released the self-imposed guilt over his desire to see Wickham punished at war with his belief it would be a betrayal of his father.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As Darcy remembered the meeting with his family, his resolve to make Wickham pay for his crimes firmed once again.
As soon as dinner was called, he found himself a seat between Bingley and Hurst and did not attempt to approach Mr Bennet again. He was aware the man would periodically look at them, but it seemed as he found nothing amusing, his attention was not fixed on them for very long.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
George Wickham was well pleased the regiment was departing Westingham in Northamptonshire in a matter of days. He had only been a member of this regiment of the Derbyshire Militia for a month, and already the local merchants were demanding payment. The story he was owed a substantial amount of money which was to arrive any day was wearing thin.
In addition, he needed to escape the three girls who he had convinced to surrender their virtues to him with a false promise of marriage. It was amazing to him that his oft used line about the girl not loving him enough to anticipate their vows worked. But it did, and until it did not, he would keep using it. Over the years he had found girls from the ages offourteen to sixteen were especially susceptible to his charms.
He scowled when he thought how close he had come to avenging himself on Darcy with the man’s fifteen year old sister, Georgiana. All for the crime of possessing all that which Wickham desired for himself. He was sorry now he had not pushed her to anticipate their vows as he had believed he would be married to her in Gretna Green and then he would claim her dowry of thirty thousand pounds. How he would have loved to have seen the pain on the prig’s countenance when he had waltzed into Pemberley with the former Miss Darcy as his wife.
No. Damned Darcy had arrived three days earlier than expected, and two days before they were to depart for Scotland. Not only did little mousy Georgiana escape his web, but even had he married her, he would have received not a penny of her dowry. The old man who Wickham had spent so much time charming, had put a clause in his will prohibiting the release of her dowry without permission being granted by her guardians before the wedding.
