However, as what Mr Wickham had told her had painted Mr Darcy as blackhearted and confirmed her prejudices against him, she would accept Mr Wickham’s words as the truth and use them to justify her continued refusal to speak to Mr Darcy beyond a greeting propriety would demand.
She had to own she felt an attraction to the handsome and charming Mr Wickham. However, as much as she was determined to marry only for the deepest love, she did know love would not feed and clothe her. Especially after Mr Wickham’s sad tale of betrayal, Elizabeth was certain he could not afford a wife, and all she had was fifty pounds a year until her mother passed when she would have her equal share of five thousand pounds.
Even if she did fall in love with Mr Wickham, it could never be. Elizabeth cared not for a vast fortune, but there had to be enough to live on. She fell into Morpheus’s arms that night feeling sure she had been right about Mr Darcy.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~
On Monday, around midday, Darcy’s courier returned from London carrying the reply from his cousin. It was the work of moments to sequester himself in his sitting room as he broke the seal and smoothed out the paper.
9 November 1812
Dragoons Headquarters, London
William,
As much as I would like to join you today and take care of that bastard permanently, the earliest Major-General Atherton is able to grant me leave is Monday next, the 16th of November.
There is an assignment I must complete before I am allowed to depart London, it is something I cannot write about or discuss, so do not bother trying to interrogate me about it.
I saw Andy on Sunday as he was with Mother and Father after church, and he wants to join me when I come. You know hewants to see Wickham pay for his deeds as much as any of the rest of us. Father wanted to join us, but he is thick in the session of the Lords, and Mother will not allow him to put himself at risk. And oh yes, the sergeants will be with me, along with two other officers. Please confirm that Bingley is willing to host all of us. We would not want to use the inn (if there is one) in the town of Meryton as we do not want to reveal ourselves to Wicky before we are ready to act.
It must have taken all of your self-control to not charge the wastrel and end him there and then, but we do not want you to hang for murder, so you did the right thing in restraining yourself. Had I seen that libertine without expecting to, I am sure I would have run him through first and then thought about it afterward.
Your sister and mine send their regards (I saw them after church as well, of course) and I am so heartened by our ward’s recovery.
Gigi told me of the slight you delivered to the woman you obviously admire. Wills, you have to learn to control your tongue when you are discomforted. That is a discussion for another time. It seems you are not the only one with implacable resentment as a personality trait.
If there is any news regarding Wicky, send your courier. If I do not hear from you beforehand, we will see you in a sennight. I will visit your solicitor before I join you. That way he can certify the copies of the markers as true and correct, in case the Colonel commanding the regiment of the militia is doubtful of their authenticity.
Regards,
Richard
As much as he wanted Richard with him sooner, Darcy knew his cousin could not just leave the army on a whim whenever he chose. Until then he would bide his time and keep away from Wickham which would make the man think Darcy was avoiding him. That would add to his feeling of being safefrom repercussions.
If all else failed he would allow Thompson his freedom to exact whatever price he chose from Wickham’s hide. The aforementioned man was one of Darcy’s largest and strongest footmen. He hated Wickham with a passion, as the seducer had taken his sister’s virtue from her. The only positive was there had never been a consequence from Wickham’s bedding her, which had allowed brother and sister to hide the truth from their parents and family in the area. The footman would never forgive Wickham.
Once his letter was placed in the box with all of his correspondence, Darcy made his way to the ground floor and Bingley’s study. He knocked on the door.
“Enter,” Bingley called out. Darcy entered and pushed the door closed behind him. “Darce, I assume the letter was from Fitzwilliam?”
“It was…” Darcy gave a brief synopsis of the contents and his cousins’ need to be hosted. “If it is too much of an imposition, please tell me.”
“Do not be a featherhead,” Bingley grinned. “They are all welcome. You must know we have room for at least twenty more guests. For your family and the men with Fitzwilliam, you need not have even asked.”
“Thank you, Bingley, However, it would have been presumptuous of me to assume,” Darcy averred gratefully.
Bingley waved Darcy’s concerns away. “The Hursts and I will be calling at Longbourn in the late morning on the morrow. It is then I intend to speak to Miss Bennet, will you join us?” Bingley enquired. “Do you want me to tell Miss Bennet you have been attempting to apologise to Miss Elizabeth since the night of the assembly?”
“I will remain here and attend to my correspondence,” Darcy decided. “Yes, when you have time speak to Miss Bennet in my stead. As Miss Elizabeth refuses to speak to me beyondthe bare civilities, it cannot make things worse.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~
On Tuesday morning, Elizabeth decided to take Penny out for a ride. As would be expected, the day was cold, but there was little or no breeze, and no sign of grey clouds in the sky.
Soon Elizabeth was galloping across the fields as she made for Oakham Mount. She needed her solitary place to think as she was rather confused by Mr Wickham’s distance from her when he had called with Lieutenant Denny and Captain Carter yesterday.
He had been his normal aimable, charming self with the rest of her family, but with her Mr Wickham had been standoffish. She could not account for it; Elizabeth had thought they were on their way to becoming friends.
