“Our Eliza is rather intelligent,” Charlotte smiled. “She used her father’s indolence…” Charlotte related how her friend had got her father to sign the blank page. She also told how she and her father had made sure the flow of credit was dammed and then the way, in his capacity as the local magistrate, her father had acted once he had the letter with Mr Bennet’s signature, but which her friend had written.
As Darcy listened he realised two things. First, he had underestimated many of the locals. It was not an error he would make again. Second, he loved Miss Elizabeth. Having just delivered his amends, and she having made her own, he was fully aware they were starting anew and the last thing he would do was rush her.
Bingley looked at his angel, who nodded. They had had a brief discussion about how soon they wanted to marry before they had been called into the parlour. “Jane and I would like to marry before mid-December. I would be happy if those of you who are able to, will remain with the Hursts and me at this estate until then,” Bingley invited.
“I have no pressing reason to return to London. Anyone who knows me is aware of how much I disdain London’s, so called,politesociety,” Lord Hilldale stated. “I am sure Becca would enjoy getting to know all of you better and my parents will agree that she remain with us.” He turned to his brother. “What of you Rich? You have a decent amount of leave owed to you, do you not?”
“Please Richard, say you will remain,” Georgiana gushed. She blushed as she remembered her brother. “William, do you object that we accept Mr. Bingley’s invitation?”
“No Gigi, I do not. I see no reason why we should not remain in the area.” Without intending to, Darcy’s eyes lockedonto Miss Elizabeth when he replied to Gigi. She did not look displeased. He knew not if it was because she wanted to get to know Gigi better, himself, or both. He cared not which, as long as she no longer ran in the opposite direction whenever he approached her.
“As I have leave from the regiment until after Twelfth Night, I too will tarry here,” the Colonel decided. The truth was he was intrigued by Miss Lucas and would like to get to know her better. “Andy, you could ask the local vicar if you can stand in for him one or more Sundays while we are here.”
Seeing the Bennet sisters’, Miss Lucas’s, and Bingley’s questioning looks, Lord Hilldale clarified. “I always felt a calling to the church. I studied divinity at Cambridge, served as a curate for two years, and took orders. I knew my lot was to be the Earl of Matlock one day, but I still enjoy spending as much time assisting in churches as I am able. When we have services in the chapel at Snowhaven, the main Matlock estate, I am the one who is the clergyman, when I am available that is.”
“Mary will love speaking to Lord Hilldale,” Charlotte mused. Now it was the Viscount’s turn to have a quizzical look. “Mary is the next Bennet sister after Eliza. If the church was a profession for women, that is what our Mary would do.”
“She used to be enamoured with the sermons of one Reverand Fordyce, but as soon as she was old enough to understand they were written by a man who disliked women and whose only aim was to keep our sex subservient, she thankfully stopped reading his drivel,” Elizabeth took up the telling. “Please pardon my impertinence if you are a devotee of Reverend Fordyce, my Lord.”
“No indeed, I am well pleased to hear that your, and your sister’s opinions of that misogynist’s writings coincide with my own,” Lord Hilldale averred with a grin. Could it be he would find a woman who shared his passions and cared not for his title or wealth? He was looking forward to meeting the middle Bennet sister.
“If you are willing to debate the Bible with our younger sister, you will have a friend for life, Lord Hilldale,” Jane added.
“When I have the opportunity, it will be interesting to experience the depth of her knowledge. Your father’s estate is close by, is it not?” Lord Hilldale asked.
“It is but three miles,” Bingley informed the Viscount.
“What say you?” Lord Hilldale looked from his brother to his cousin, “we call on the master of Longbourn and explain what type of man he ignored, and how his daughters and their friend saved his family from ruin.”
“You are welcome to call on Longbourn on the morrow, but I doubt it will do any good,” Elizabeth stated, “our father will treat it like a great joke.”
Jane raised her eyebrows. Lizzy truly saw the truth of their father now. It would be interesting to see how Papa would react to Lizzy’s defection. She hoped the relationship between Mama and Lizzy would only improve.
Those in the parlour rejoined the Hursts, the Major, Captain, and the sergeants in the drawing room. It was amusing. The latter two took up a settee between them. As soon as they returned, Mrs Hurst summoned the housekeeper to show the new arrivals to their chambers.
The Colonel was appreciative that Sergeants Biggs and Johns were placed in guest chambers and not with the male servants.
Not long after, the two Bennets and a Lucas headed for their estates.
Chapter 23
Avery sullen Wickham sat in his gaol cell contemplating his total failure to achieve any of the aims he had set for himself in Meryton. Rather than ruin the Bennet chits, he had not been able to touch them. Their reputations were safe, unless he could get a note to Lydia Bennet and find a way to ruin her from his incarceration.
For the first time since his arrest, he smiled. With all the fluff between her ears the silly girl thought herself engaged to him. He would send a note and have her come to see him. Wickham was sure he would be able to charm his gaoler to allow her into his cell, and then he would enact his plan and destroy the Bennet sisters’ reputations. He was determined to exact a measure of revenge against Miss Elizabeth for not doing as he had expected her to do.
He heard the door open, followed by footfalls. Now he had to convince the dullard who guarded them to allow him to write a note… When he heard the very last voice he expected to hear, or wanted to hear, all thoughts of the Bennets and how to ruin them fled his head.
“Well, well, well, at long last, Wicky is where he deserves to be, behind bars,” Colonel Fitzwilliam drawled.
“It does make a pretty picture, does it not,” Darcy agreed.
“Long overdue,” Lord Hilldale added.
Seeing Richard Fitzwilliam glaring at him from outside the bars of his cell, for the first time in his life Wickham was grateful for being under lock and key. There was no missingthe menacing look or the way Fitzwilliam’s hand was on the hilt of his sabre. Wickham correctly surmised it would take very little for Darcy’s cousin to demonstrate his skill with his weapon. He was the person at whom the exercise would have been aimed. With the bars to protect him and feeling a little safety thanks to them, he decided to play his last card.
“If I were you, I would get me out of here and make sure all my debts are paid,” Wickham stated as nonchalantly as he was able under the circumstances.
“Pray tell, why would we do that?” Lord Hilldale enquired.
