“Now that you mention it, I suppose I am,” Elizabeth owned as she made to put the warm garment on. The coat was buttoned and then she pulled on her warm gloves. “I suppose I cannot hide here until my majority in March, so I will come home with you.”
“Have you decided what you want to say to Mama and Papa?” Mary asked as the three began their descent from the summit of the hill.
“It will come to me,” Elizabeth averred. “Let us pack upJaney’s things first. Then I will decide what to say, how to say it, and when to do it.” Elizabeth turned her head to Charlotte. “Will you come assist us on the morrow?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I will!” Charlotte exclaimed. “Has anyone decided what to do with Jane’s belongings?”
“You and my sisters may choose what you desire. I am sure Jane would have been happy if most of the rest of her clothing is given to the servants, tenants, and Mr Pierce to distribute to the needy,” Elizabeth replied.
“Will you not want some of her garments?” Charlotte enquired.
“There are only two of us who can fit into Janey’s dresses and gowns. Mary here, and Kitty are of similar shapes. Both of them are a little shorter than Janey was, but that is an easy fix,” Elizabeth opined.
Mary stopped herself from saying that she would not wear the colours Jane wore. Then she realised she would be honoured to wear any of her late sister’s clothing. It was finally time to listen to Jane when she had stated lighter colours would look good on herself, as would a less severe coiffure.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The three men resident at Netherfield Park were on their way back to the estate from the Longbourn Village church in Bingley’s coach. They neither noticed nor cared about the post from London which had just arrived at the Red Lion Inn, especially given the outcast who was still resident there.
Seeing the inn reminded Hurst of what had been related to him, before the church service had begun, regarding his wayward sister-in-law. “Caroline finally faced a lady who was not intimidated by her,” Hurst reported. Seeing the questioning looks from the other two, he revealed what had been told to him. “I would have enjoyed witnessing Miss Bennet, putting that shrew in her place.”
“As would I,” Bingley gave a half smile for the first time since his angel had passed away. “That sister of mine has never understood when it is better to be quiet than speak. When I see Miss Bennet again, I will have to commend her for her indominable spirit.”
“That is one lady who would not even back down from Prinny,” Darcy stated with admiration. “Bingley, are you set on your course regarding the dowry?”
“I am, more so now after she compounded her already atrocious behaviour. I am steadfast in my decision,” Bingley declared firmly. He turned to his brother. “Your resolve to not allow Louisa to attend the Bennets while we were at the funeral looks ever better in light of what Caroline did.”
“When will you go to London to see your solicitor?” Darcy queried.
“On the morrow as there is no time like the present,” Bingley returned. “That way I should be back at the estate on Thursday with the signed documents. I want everything irrevocable before I meet with my sister.”
“I will join you. I would like to see Giana and the Fitzwilliams,” Darcy decided.
For the balance of the two miles from Meryton the men were silent. The sombre nature of the day weighed on each man in different ways. As Darcy’s thoughts were during his dreams and much of his waking time, his were now with Miss Bennet. He wondered how she was faring and if and when she intended to confront her parents. At least, if her parents did not like what she said to them and banished her, she would have a home with the Gardiners. After hearing how much Mr and Mrs Gardiner loved all of their nieces, especially the eldest two, he was sure Miss Bennet would be safe with them.
Bingley was thinking about what would never be with his late fiancée, the woman he loved, and Hurst was trying to decide what to do to correct his wife’s behaviour.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
George Wickham could not believe he had sunk so low as to have to join the militia. He had been in London, doing what he did best—running from creditors, as well as angry brothers and fathers of seduced girls. He realised London was getting rather uncomfortable as the searchers were starting to get too close to him. One of the men looking for him had known to check Karen Younge’s boarding house on Edward Street.
Luck had been on his side as he had been at the local inn trying to win some blunt at the tables. As was often the case, the cards were not with him. It was only when he returned to Edward Street, and Karen had told him about the man asking about him, that he realised how close he had come to disaster. Even though he did not have an abundance of funds, well hardly any—thanks to the bastard Darcy—he knew he needed to leave Karen’s house behind him.
He had entered a seedy inn and for the second time in the same day, Lady Luck had smiled upon him—if only she would do so when he was gambling. He had recognised Jim Denny from Lambton. It was fortuitous there were no Denny daughters, and the father was a farmer so there had been no debts left owing to anyone named Denny. The man was wearing regimentals. Wickham had approached him and thankfully, although Denny remembered him, he did not mention any of theindiscretionsWickham had left behind in Derbyshire.
After a little conversation, Denny had related his aim was to recruit several officers for the regiment of the Derbyshire Militia in which he was serving. If one had a gentleman’s education and was from the shire which gave the regiment its name, a Lieutenant’s commission was free, if not it cost ten pounds. The man was returning to the town of Meryton in the backwaters of Hertfordshire. With the commission being free, and being in the last place anyone would seek him, Wickham agreed to join the corps.
They were to depart in the morning. Fortunately, Wickham had the blunt for the night in one of the inn’s rooms, the same establishment where Denny was staying. He would not chance being rejected by the militia by not paying for the night, as much as it went against his nature.
That had led Wickham to where he now stood after he and Denny alighted from the post coach—in front of the only inn in this backwater town. It was a good place to hide for a while. He would earn two pounds a month, and from what he could see there were more than enough shops, where of course he would gain credit. He was also certain he would never pay what he owed.
As he looked up the street, he was surprised to see a coach and four turn off the street he was on. He had not thought there would be any in this place with resources for such a vehicle. Could it be there was a woman with a large dowry who would fall for his charms? If there was such a woman in the vicinity, Wickham was sure he would be able to marry her and make off with her dowry as soon as he said, ‘I will’ and signed the register.
It would not replace the thirty thousand pounds he had been shifting for when he and Karen had convinced that mousy Georgiana Darcy to agree to an elopement. That was gone so he needed to concentrate on the here and now. As long as the amount was ten thousand pounds or greater, he would be happy—for now.
He walked with Denny towards the Colonel’s office. “Are there pretty ladies here abouts, and more importantly do they have decent dowries?” Wickham asked nonchalantly.
“There is a group of five Bennet sisters. Four of the five are very pretty. The youngest two are always flirting with any officer in regimentals, but they have no dowry, only fifty pounds a year, so I hear,” Denny related.
