“Ha! You have no chance my friend. Let us say ten pounds that I will claim the maidenhoods of both Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia before you,” Wickham boasted. When he first saw Darcy, Wickham had thought it was time to run, but as the coward removed himself without a word, Wickham was confident his enemy would not want to risk having hisprecious sister’s almost elopement made known. As such, he was sure he had the upper hand. Now all he had to do was to find a way to monetise his position. Surely Darcy would pay to keep him silent? That was one option, but Wickham knew he needed to be careful so Fitzwilliam was not summoned. That was a man who caused Wickham to quake in his boots.
“Accepted.” Denny extended his hand and the two men shook.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~
“Darce, why did you race away without a word?” Bingley enquired as the two men walked back from the stables.
“You have heard me mention a blaggard named Wickham, who has leeched off my family for many years, have you not?” Darcy averred. Bingley nodded that he remembered the name. “One of the officers was none other than the libertine, profligate, seducer. As I know you will keep my confidence, there is much to tell you, which I will do, but I first need to send a courier to London to deliver a letter I am about to write.”
“When you are ready, let me know. It goes without saying I will never repeat to another what you tell me without your expressed permission,” Bingley vowed.
Taking the stairs two and three at a time, Darcy went to his first floor guest suite, which since Miss Bingley’s removal he no longer needed to lock. He sat at the escritoire in his sitting room and began to write:
7 November 1812
Netherfield Park
Richard:
That bastard Wickham is here in Meryton! Not only that, and far better, he is a lieutenant in a regiment of the Derbyshire Militia.
My first instinct was to attack the bloody bugger where hestood, but if I had, he would have run and then we would have lost him again. As soon as you can arrange leave, come to Meryton. I know Bingley will welcome you and any others you bring to Netherfield Park. Before you depart from London though, go to Darcy House and retrieve the copies of the profligate’s markers and the letter he signed relinquishing the living. As you know, the originals of the debt receipts are with my solicitor.
I suggest you bring those two sergeants you told me about. I think they will be of great use in this. Let me know when you will be able to take leave from the Dragoons, and how many men will accompany you.
Yours,
William
Once Darcy dried and sanded the missive, he folded and sealed it. He had Carstens take it to his courier who was waiting in the drive, his horse at the ready, with instructions to deliver itonlyinto Colonel Fitzwilliam’s hands.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~
Darcy and Bingley retired to the latter’s study where Darcy related the whole of his history with Wickham. It included the attempt to elope with his sister.
Miss Darcy was someone Bingley viewed as a little sister so when Darcy was done with his recitation, all Bingley wanted to do was grab his foil, uncork it, ride like the wind into Meryton, and run Wickham through. He would not, under normal circumstances, commit murder, but he was aware dispatching that bastard would have given him immeasurable pleasure.
“You look as angry as I feel. We need a little patience until Richard arrives, then we will know how to act,” Darcy reassured his friend.
Chapter 16
Normally Elizabeth did not anticipate a card party, or anything else, at her gossipy and rather silly aunt’s home. She did enjoy discussions with Uncle Frank as he was an intelligent and well-read man. In addition, he was able to stretch her abilities across the chess board.
This evening was different. Elizabeth very much wanted to see Lieutenant Wickham and hoped he would relate the substance of his disagreement with Mr Darcy to her. She was sure whatever the issue between them was, it would reinforce her sketch of the insufferable man’s character. Before Mr Wickham said one word to her, in her mind he was an ally, one who like her had been wronged by Mr Darcy.
Much to Elizabeth’s joy, the officers were present when the Bennets arrived. Papa, unsurprisingly, remained at home with his latest book. On looking about the room—the walls between the dining parlour and sitting room had been pushed aside to make one large space—it did not take her long to spot the lieutenant she was seeking, recognising him by his height, build, and light brown hair. Now that he was without a hat on his head, she could see that his hair was straight and flopped onto one side of his head at a rather rakish angle.
As would be expected, Kitty and Lydia made a beeline for the officers, especially Lieutenant Wickham. At the same time, Mary and Mr Collins were greeting their hostess.
“What a sweet room, Mrs Phillips,” Collins stated as he bowed for the second time. “I could have almost supposed myself in the small summer breakfast parlour at Rosings Park.”He was oblivious of the fact his attempt at a compliment had been taken as an insult by the lady of the house.
“Aunt Hattie, Mr Collins means that as a compliment as according to him, there is no house in the realm which can compete with his patroness’s mansion for grandeur and elegance,” Mary soothed her aunt’s hurt feelings.
“Cousin Mary is correct, and is commended at showing such deference to her Ladyship and her magnificent mansion. You cannot but imagine the grandeur of Lady Catherine’s home. Through her wise suggestions my own humble abode is being made grander than it was. Many improvements are being undertaken which demonstrate Lady Catherine’s wisdom. For instance, at her suggestion I have placed shelves in all of the closets.”
Hattie listened in wonder to Mr Collins’s verbose descriptions of the manor house at Rosings Park. With the reverence he demonstrated towards it, his hostess could not but feel the compliment of his comparing any part of her abode to the grand estate’s mansion.
As Mary listened to the man who seemed to worship his patroness above even God, she began to doubt she would ever make a match with such a man. She may not be as stubborn or opinionated as her next older sister, but from what she could tell she could not imagine living in a home where she had to defer in everything to her cousin’s interfering, officious, and by the sounds of things, more often wrong in her advice than correct, patroness. As soon as Mr Collins sat at one of the whist tables, Mary took herself to the other side of the room.
