“YOU LIE!” Lydia screamed and stamped her foot again.
“Lydia, when have you ever known either Lizzy or me to dissemble?” Jane asked. The youngest Bennet opened her mouth to retort. Then she realised what Jane had asserted was nothing but the truth. “Then whoever told you the falsehoods was prevaricating.”
Her inclination was to call for Hill and her salts, but Fanny steadied herself. “How do you know all of this, Jane and Lizzy?”
“Because we heard it all from the devil’s mouth, as the braggart spoke to Lieutenant Denny,” Elizabeth revealed. She could see Lydia was about to interject, so she continued, and again like she had when her father had dismissed their worries, with Jane’s assistance, she related all. Again they told all, except anything relating to Miss Darcy.
By the end of the telling Lydia had fallen back into her chair and was crying great big tears, and not forced ones either. Each word her sisters had repeated, the way the man she had thought she loved, who she was led to believe loved her, spoke of her, was a dagger through her heart.
“Did you tell all of this to my husband?” Fanny enquired; both of her eldest daughters nodded sadly. “What will your father do?”
“Nothing, he thought it was all a big joke, but we have a plan, Mama,” Elizabeth stated. She related what she had thought of. By the end of the recitation, her mother and sisters agreed it was a good plan.
“I am sorry I did not appreciate your gifts before, Lizzy,” Fanny said. “Now I realise you are not so intelligent for no reason.”
“I have many amends to make, Mama. There will be time when we are safe from that predator.” As ashamed as she was over her past behaviour, not only to her mother, but towards Mr Darcy as well, it was not the time for that yet. Now was the time to make sure the detestable man would receive his due.
Elizabeth sat at the escritoire in the drawing room and wrote her note. A groom was soon on the way to deliver it.
Chapter 21
Denny returned to his shared quarters with Wickham. The latter was lazing on his bed. The former looked rather confused.
Normally Wickham would not care what Denny was concerned about, but as the time for his assignation with that flirt Lydia Bennet approached, he wanted to make sure there would be no interference with his plans. “Denny what ails you?” Wickham drawled lazily.
“It is not just me, but the whole regiment which this effects,” Denny responded. Like you, I opened credit accounts in several stores in town, and based on your advice, it was also my intention not to pay them. That choice is no longer ours!”
Now Wickham was paying attention. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Of what do you speak?” Wickham demanded.
“Evidently one of the merchants has a cousin who owns a store in Westingham. The cousin let it be known some officers left without paying what they owed. Thankfully for us, no names were mentioned, but the local man has repeated his story to all of the tradesmen in Meryton. All accounts have been closed, and anyone who does not pay what he owes before our next wages are due to be given to us, will have the amount owed held, and handed to the merchants to satisfy our debts,” Denny revealed.
“And you are sure no names were mentioned?” Wickham very much wanted to bed Miss Lydia, but if he thought he was about to be held to account for something hehad done, he would leave this town and the militia behind him without a thought.
“No, had names been listed I would not have made it back to see you,” Denny confirmed allowing Wickham to relax.
He was certain his silver tongue and charm would reopen the flow of credit for him without too much effort. His powers of manipulation and persuasion had never failed him before, and Wickham was confident it would be so now as well. “Come Denny and watch the master at work. I will have our accounts re-opened without too much effort. We will begin at the inn. The landlord there is particularly susceptible to flattery.”
As their rented room was adjacent to the Red Lion Inn, it was a few minutes before the two were seated in the taproom. Wickham ordered two mugs of ale from the serving wench, who he intended to bed, once he was done ruining the Bennet chits. Rather than return with their drinks, the landlord replaced her.
“There will be no more accounts for non-residents of Meryton, and until you, Mr Wickham, pay the one crown and two shillings, and you, Mr Denny, the four shillings sixpence you owe, you will receive no further service ‘ere.”
Wickham plastered his most charming smile on his face. “Mr Hainesworth, there must be some misunderstanding, surely a man of your intelligence and discernment does not question the honour of some of his Majesty’s officers by insinuating we will not pay our debts?”
“As I said, pay what you owe, or leave now!” the landlord insisted.
Being denied that which he wanted was not something Wickham enjoyed. Holding his head high to preserve his dignity, Wickham led Denny out of the inn. This was a problem. He was aware he owed far more than his meagre wages would cover, so if the deadline was in about nine dayswhen the militia was due to disburse their pay, Wickham would have to make his exit from this town before that date.
Still convinced he would succeed, Wickham stopped at three more shops: the tailor, the cobbler, and the tearoom. He had no more luck at any of them. By the time they left the final establishment, after failing to restore his credit once again, Wickham looked at his fob watch. It was four o’clock, so time to make his way to the hunting cabin. He just needed to return to his room and pull the coverlet off the bed to lay over the cot, to replace the one he had disposed of, before he bedded the slut.
On the way back to their temporary abode, Wickham and Denny were stopped by Sir William Lucas, in Wickham’s opinion a rather silly local knight, accompanied by two unknown men, Colonel Forster, and several soldiers. Before either could react, they were grabbed and manacles locked onto their wrists.
The only thing Wickham could think of was this was thanks to Darcy. Then he remembered he had heard Darcy had left the area a day or so previously with his friend Bingley. He put on his most indignant look and turned to his colonel. “How can you allow two of your upstanding officers to be accosted in this fashion for no good reason?” Wickham demanded evenly, all the while feeling anything but calm. With all he had done in his life to this point, never had he been arrested before.
“Rather than discuss this in the street and have it be fodder for the whole town’s amusement, I suggest we retire to the town gaol,” Sir William proposed.
Thinking it would be to his advantage, ignoring the fact he was a terrible gambler, Wickham decided to call the knight’s bluff. “It may be illustrative for the good citizens of Meryton to see how good and honourable officers, ones who are charged with their protection, are treated,” Wickham said with a volume which ensured anyone relatively close to them would hear his words. One of those who stopped to see what this was all about, was none other than the most inveterategossip, Hattie Phillips.
“So be it,” Sir William responded. He cleared his throat. “In my capacity as magistrate, I am hereby arresting Lieutenants Jack Denny and George Wickham for trespass, unlawful entry into a structure, and theft. In addition, word has reached us the latter lieutenant left debts he never intended to pay and ruined girls behind him in Westingham, Northamptonshire. The former left debts as well, but far less than Lieutenant Wickham. That is why you are being arrested gentlemen. Once you have faced charges here, you will be transported to Northamptonshire to face the consequences of your actions there.”
