“When I arrived, Jane asked to talk to me. Uncle Thomas allowed us to use his study, and after telling me she did not want any secrets between us, she told me what my little brother has known and had to keep secret this last three years,” Andrew informed his mother.
“So, you know about Lizzy,” Lady Elaine stated. “Unlike the vow required of Richard when he unravelled the truth, the time for you to guard the secret is much shorter.”
“Once I told Jane it made no difference in how I felt about her, I requested a courtship,” Andrew related, and then he paused as his mother looked at him questioningly. “But Jane stated she did not want a courtship.” Andrew affected a saddened look.
“Oh Andrew, I am so sorry,” Lady Elaine said sympathetically. “We all believed she was in love with you.”
“That she is, Mother,” Andrew relayed joyously. “If you had allowed me to finish, I would have told you she said because she loves me, a courtship was not needed. I am officially betrothed to Jane.”
“Andrew!” Lady Elaine swatted her eldest playfully. “How could you make it sound like she had rejected your suit. You are not too big for me to bend you over my knee, you know.”
“What has our eldest done now, Elaine?” Lord Matlock asked as he entered the sitting room.
“He was making sport of his mother,” Lady Elaine reported. “All is well; Jane accepted a proposal of marriage; your son is betrothed, Reggie.”
“Congratulations, my boy, you could not have chosen better,” the Earl stated happily, then gave his son a bear hug.
“Hello Andrew,” Anne greeted her cousin as she joined them in the sitting room. “You look rather pleased with yourself. Jane is well?”
“She is well, and as I am betrothed to your good friend; I have many reasons to be pleased,” Andrew informed Anne.
“I wish you and Jane happy, Andrew,” Anne gushed joyfully, “I do not know if you are good enough for my Jane; you will just have to try to be.” Anne smiled as she teased her cousin. “Will you join us when we travel into Kent on the morrow, or do you have a ring to deliver to Netherfield Park?”
“The Bennets know I am joining you, so they are not expecting me to return until we return from Kent,” Andrew relayed to his family. “When do Uncle Robert, William, and Gigi arrive?”
“Robert and Gigi plan to collect William from his friend’s estate and then journey to London,” Lady Elaine stated. “They should be here well before we are to make for Netherfield Park for the holiday.”
“It will be good to see the Darcys. How does Richard’s courtship of Cassie progress?” Andrew asked.
“He is at Holder House as we speak,” Anne reported. “From what I have observed, the courtship seems to be proceeding anon.”
“And your courtship with Jamey, Anne?” Andrew asked. Anne blushed deeply as her cousin asked about the man she loved. “You deserve to be happy, and I have reservations on his being good enough.” He winked at her.
“Things are progressing.” Anne allowed. The truth was their courtship was nearing its natural conclusion, but until Jamey spoke, Anne would not be willing to state more than she had.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
George Wickham was sitting in his small attic room of the boarding house on Edward Street. After three years on his own, he finally understood the rectitude of his father’s words about having to earn one’s way and nothing being given to one because they thought it was their due.
He considered his animosity towards the Darcys and was able to admit they had never done anything to him. In fact, as painful as it was to accept, everything bad in his life was self-inflicted.
It was his behaviour alone which caused him to be sent away from Pemberley. He felt shame as he remembered the way he used to leer at the blond while promising himself she would be his, never once considering her preferences or that she might not have desired a connection with him. He owned that the chances of her wanting the connection were less than naught. One of many reasons why she might reject him was he had never behaved in an honourable fashion.
If he had not gotten in his own way, he would have received an education and might have gone into the church or the law. Was it too late for him to change the direction of his life? What had his father said about consequences? George remembered the words:There are always consequences, good or bad.His father had given him the key to his future, and George realised he had rebuffed it without consideration.
After his epiphany, he decided realisation was not enough; he needed to back up his thoughts and words with actions. He intended to do something to prove to his father he had finally learnt his lesson, that he was more than his past mistakes. George knew he would have to apologise to Mr. Darcy for trying to use his name, and regardless of how long it took him to do so, he needed to repay every farthing of the debts he had accumulated in that gentleman’s name.
The first step he decided to take was to save his wages rather than follow his late mother’s folly and throw his money away on games of chance that he invariably lost. He also needed to find a job—a good job—better than the one he had at the boarding house, which was little more than a brothel.
The next day, George was sent to Gracechurch Street by Mrs. Younge to acquire a bolt of fabric needed to make new dresses for some of the girls who plied their profession at the house.
When George arrived at Gardiner and Associates, he saw a sign proclaiming the business was looking for a new clerk. “Who do I see to apply for the position?” He asked one of the men in the warehouse. The man pointed him to the offices raised above the sales floor.
“Please wait here,” a man requested. After a few minutes, the man returned. “Mr. Gardiner will see you now.”
“Mr. Wickham, how is it you have no characters?” Gardiner asked pointedly after the applicant sat in the chair indicated.
“Until this point, Sir,” George stated evenly, “I did not deserve any…” With brutal honesty, George Wickham told Mr. Gardiner all. He did not gloss over his theft from the carpenter in York, or the use of the Darcy’s name in Staffordshire. He admitted very last detail, as if he were in a confessional, though he was taking a huge chance and half suspected that Mr. Gardiner would have him thrown out the door. When his recitation was completed, George sat in silence waiting for Mr. Gardiner to pronounce his fate. “It could not have been easy for you to admit to so manypastfailings, Mr. Wickham,” Gardiner stated.
