He took especial care with the final wrapping, securing the parcel himself and enclosing the seventh stanza of his Twelve Days arrangement in his own hand. The thought of her discovering them filled him with a boyish eagerness. Though he would not witness her delight, the knowledge that she would find joy in it was reward enough.
When prepared, the gift was entrusted to his valet, who would see it placed in the proper hands at first light.
But dawn brought with it a far graver duty.
He rose early, foregoing breakfast, and donned his great coat before the rest of the house had stirred. The morning brought little change in the weather; the air remained raw, the frost lying as heavy as it had all week. He strode to the gatehouse where Jameson waited, arms folded, his posture that of a man braced for unpleasant work.
“He will come?” Jameson asked, eyes still on the road.
Darcy gave a single nod. “He will. Wickham never neglects opportunity; not when it promises money.”
They waited in silence as the first tendrils of light crept over the distant hedgerows, catching on the bare branches and turning them to lace against the morning sky. Every hedge and tree seemed cloaked in the glitter of cold fire.
At length, a figure appeared in the lane, sauntering with an ease wholly at odds with his precarious circumstances.
“Good morning, Darcy,” Wickham called, his voice too bright, too forced. His gaze flicked from the waiting carriage to Jameson. “I see I am to be chaperoned. How thoughtful.”
Darcy did not answer the pleasantry. “Jameson will accompany you. He will see you aboard a vessel bound for the Americas. The funds I have arranged will be delivered at the docks. My man will leave once the ship has cleared the harbor.”
“And if I refuse?” Wickham smirk was half-hearted.
“Then you will be escorted to Marshalsea, where you may enjoy the comforts of your own making.”
Wickham’s features twisted, amusement and bitterness mingled. “Still so cold, Fitz. All business, as ever. Not even a farewell handshake for an old friend?”
“My offer is rescinded in ten seconds if you are not in that carriage.” Darcy’s words fell like granite, immovable.
“Very well, very well.” With a careless flourish, Wickham mounted the steps. “You always did lack a sense of humor.”
Jameson followed, shutting the door behind them. The carriage lurched forward.
From within came a muffled remark—Wickham’s final barb: “Give my compliments to Georgiana.”
Athud, followed by a faintoof, reached Darcy’s ears. A grim smile tugged at his mouth. He had instructed Jameson thatWickham’s taunts were not to be indulged. It appeared his man had dealt with the provocation in earnest.
The carriage rolled down the frozen path, wheels crunching against the rime. Darcy let out a breath he had not known he held. It was finished. Wickham was gone.
For so long, the blackguard had coiled a noose around his and Georgiana’s lives—deceit, manipulations, debts—and now he had ensnared the people of Meryton as well. At last Wickham was gone, and none of them would be bound by him again. In removing his foe from their lives, he had acted as honor demanded, as justice required. And above all, as love compelled.
He turned back toward Netherfield. The wind swept across his cheeks and lifted the fur collar of his coat. They were safe now. And on the morrow would come the eighth day. When she opened it, would she begin to suspect? Would she smile? The notion warmed him more than the wan morning light.
December 31, 1811
Elizabeth
On the seventh day of Christmas,
With a flourish so grand,
Seven painted fans
From a faraway land.
The morning began much as others had of late, with frost upon the panes and the same still, wintry cold. Yet for Elizabeth there was a brightness in it, for she woke with the happy expectation of another gift. Already dressed in a simple gown, she was fastening her sash when Jane entered her bedchamber, eager to hand over the latest delivery.
“Another parcel has arrived for you, Lizzy.” Jane held up a box in the now-familiar style, wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. She came to her sister’s side and dropped it into Elizabeth’s lap and clapped her hands once.
“I am very excited to see what lies within. How are you not bursting with curiosity?”
