Darcy turned to her, sliding his gaze to the corner, where Mary was comforting her mother.
Elizabeth nodded, aided her mother to her feet, and supported her out of the door. The housekeeper approached and was tasked to find the laudanum for Mrs Bennet’s hysteria.
“I shall join you,” Mary offered.
“Thank you, dearest.”
Once her mother fell asleep, Elizabeth paced restlessly in front of the windows, waiting for Mr Darcy and Mr Bennet to return. What was taking them so long?
#
The dread that had descended upon Darcy when he first heard Mary’s wails had by no means abated. Why had he not warned Elizabeth’s family about the full extent of the dangers of connecting themselves to the treacherous reprobate?
Despite Darcy’s trust in Elizabeth being absolute, he had no faith in the rest of her family. It was the two youngest’s atrocious behaviour, Mrs Bennet’s mean understanding, and Mr Bennet’s caprice that had prevented him from disclosing his greatest shame, though Jane and Mary must be exempt from censure.
The carriage shook on the uneven cobblestones, the stench was nigh on unbearable, and the denizens of the neighbourhood were watching him like carnivores studying their prey. He patted the pistol in his pocket before descending from the carriage. Mr Bennet looked about him in a nervous manner. This was not a place to show weakness, and he rapped on the hostelry door with his cane. Touching anything would likely result in catching some unspeakable disease.
A tattered maid opened the door.
“Come in, sir.”
She stepped aside to allow the gentlemen to enter. Behind the counter stood Mrs Younge, and his heart dropped into his stomach. The dolt had left her charge alone with Wickham. Not that he should have expected anything else; she had been instrumental in persuading Georgiana to elope with the scoundrel.
“Where is Wickham?” he snarled to the unwashed lady.
“First floor, second door on the right,” Mrs Younge informed him dispassionately.
It was too easy. Was he walking into an ambush?
“Take the wildcat with you on your way out, will ye,” she drawled.
If he were walking into a trap, would Mr Bennet be of aid or a hindrance? He was leaning towards the latter, and Elizabeth would never forgive him if her beloved papa came to harm.
“Perhaps you should wait here, Mr Bennet.”
The older man looked relieved. “Yes, I shall guard the door. The reprobate will not escape me, should he make a run for it.”
Darcy did not point out that an establishment such as this likely had more than one door and that Mr Bennet would not manage to stop a desperate soldier, but he refrained and trudged up the stairs. The door led into the common room, and patrons in various degrees of disarray were occupying the tables, though the room was by no means full to its capacity. In a distant corner, an incensed Lydia was sitting with her arms folded in front of her whilst berating Wickham. The culprit sat with his back to the door, receiving the admonishment with barely a shrug. He was either stupid or the men occupying the room were his cronies.
Upon his entrance, the murmur quieted and Wickham turned. Darcy was startled by the sight of his face. Strings of angry red marks marred his cheeks, his lip was bleeding, and he looked unsurprised at seeing him.
Lydia rose with a haughty demeanour. “I would like to go home, Mr Darcy.”
“Certainly. Your father is downstairs, and you should join him. I shall speak to Wickham before we depart.”
Wickham, the snake that he was, waved his hands in the air, signalling full surrender. How Darcy would have enjoyed it if the blackguard instead had egged him to fight. He was not so much a gentleman that he would feel prohibited from throwing the first punch.
“I am mighty glad to see you, Darcy.”
Those were the last words he had ever expected to come out of Wickham’s mouth.
“Those Bennet women are as spunky as spitfires.”
Darcy grabbed Wickham by the arm, hauling him out of the room and along the passage until he found an empty room in which to talk privately. That he came without protest was the only surprise.
“You should have thought about that before you absconded with a gentleman’s daughter.”
“I certainly did not! The chit entered my carriage willingly.”
