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Anna Darcy burst into uncontrollable tears when the only parts of what she heard from her guardians were that she was being sent away. After all, after being so very bad, she deserved to be cast out, but it did not lessen the pain of the blow. At least when she shared her worry with William—between sobs—that she may be with child, he had assured herthat being kissed by a man and even allowing him the liberty of touching the top of her breasts could not lead to her being in the family way.
William had been angry enough, so she did not share that she had agreed to anticipate their vows—whatever that entailed—later the same night William arrived. She gave thanks that she had seen George’s—no, Mr Wickham’s—true colours before she took that step. Her brother’s arrival had put paid to that part of the liar’s scheme. Then, her brother had told her everything he had learnt from Mrs Younge and Anna had realised what a silly little girl she was. A silly and bad one!
Richard shaking her—gently—caused Anna to stop her sobbing and look at him with wide, wet eyes.
“You arenotbeing sent away or banished!” Fitzwilliam told his young cousin firmly as soon as she ceased the wailing. “Mother and Father are to have you reside with them for a time so that Mother may help you come to terms with everything.”
“Do Aunt Elaine and Uncle Reggie really want one as bad as me in their home?” Anna asked with her eyes pointed to the floor as the tears began again.
“Did you do things that your upbringing and education should have told you were wrong? Yes, you did,” Fitzwilliam replied gently. “However, that doesnotmake you a bad person. Those who manipulated and lied to you are evil incarnate. You are just a young lady who made some errors in judgement. Mother intends to assist you to see where you went wrong.”
“Also, you must know that I blame myself more than I do you,” Darcy admitted. “But as Richard said, the lion’s share of the culpability is to be laid at the door of Wickham and Mrs Younge.”
“Mother will seek out some candidates to be your companion, and before we chuse one, we will make sure that she is exactly who she says she is,” Fitzwilliam added. “Anna,did William tell you why your late father broke with the bas…seducer?” He saw his cousin shake her head. Fitzwilliam looked at Darcy, who shrugged his shoulders but said nothing. “While we were at Cambridge…” Fitzwilliam unfolded the story, sans any colourful words.
“So, you are telling me that if he is caught, he will end up hanged for theft?” Anna verified.
“Yes, that he will,” Darcy confirmed.
Anna bit her lip. “W-what if h-he t-tells what I-I agreed to?” She was worried. She deserved to be ruined, but William and the Fitzwilliams did not deserve to be stained by her mistakes.
“When he is arrested, we will make sure that Wicky is gagged. Father will see to it that the trial will be held in a closed courtroom. It does not hurt that Andrew’s new father-in-law, the Duke of Bedford, will throw his support behind that request. The sentence will be carried out as soon as the verdict is delivered,” Fitzwilliam assured his cousin.
“We will make certain the judge informs the gentlemen of the jury that if they repeat any of the condemned’s lies, they will be arrested. No, Anna, I agree with Richard; you have nothing to worry about,” Darcy stated. “That wastrel will not be allowed to slander you or any of his other victims.”
Relieved and moved that her family were all acting in concert to help her, rather than casting her from their midst, Anna calmed, and with the aid of her maid she began to pack.
Chapter 13
Rather than hiding in the depths of St Giles, he should have been married to the mousy Georgiana Darcy and owner of her dowry of thirty thousand pounds.
Damn the prig for arriving days earlier than he was supposed to come. He had spoilt everything for Wickham, again! First, it had been the restriction the old man had placed on him all because of some maids and debts left behind. It was only fair that the Darcys should pay his debts; they had more than enough blunt to do so.
Then, there was that debacle at Cambridge. He supposed that the bastard whose father was in trade was more to blame than the prig and Fitzwilliam. Wickham felt a cold shiver traverse his spine when he thought of the last man. Lastly, he had heard damned Fitzwilliam was still alive, not doing Wickham the favour of dying on the battlefields of the Peninsula and at that time, was a major. What a fool, risking his life for others. His thoughts returned to his bad luck at Cambridge.
Bingley had seen him lift the Medfords’ purses and had watched as Wickham had hidden the loot in Darcy’s suite. When he had been sent down instead of being arrested for theft, Wickham had thought that Mr Darcy had stepped in to save him. He had not; the worst blow had come at Pemberley. The old man had not only made him sign documents admitting he stole the purses and acknowledging that the charges would be reinstated if he ever acted againstthe Darcys, or did anything else that was dishonest, he had also withdrawn both as Wickham’s godfather as well as any and all patronage.
Being Mr Robert Darcy’s godson had become an integral part of Wickham’s persona as it gave him consequence he would not have had as just the son of a steward. Not only did he lose Mr Darcy’s patronage that day, but his gentleman’s education, and according to the old man, there would be nothing for Wickham in his last will and testament.
Wickham chose to disbelieve the last item. Hence, when he heard that his former godfather had died, he made for Pemberley to collect what he believed he had been left in the will. He had been so sure the old man would have relented. He had not. He was thrown from Pemberley’s lands for his trouble.
With the little money he had at the time, he had made his way to London and eventually met Karen and Clay Younge. By acting as if he loved the former, he had a warm bed, food, and coin from time to time.
It did not last long. The brother, who was a brute, insisted Wickham contribute. As Wickham could speak like and even look like a toff, he scouted houses where the residents were away for Younge and his crew to rob. For a few years things had been as well as could be, but then one night, Younge and his crew were caught in the act. Younge and his two men had swung, and much to Wickham’s relief, none of them had shopped on[2]him.
In Wickham’s mind, there were two reasons for his reprieve. First, telling would not have gained them any leniency, and secondly, in his mind more importantly, Younge and his men hated toffs, and those who protected them, with a white-hot passion.
As he had not been the reason for her brother’s capture,Karen Younge had allowed Wickham to remain with her at her boarding house on Edward Street. The cost was having to perform some duties around the boarding house for her.
Things would have continued in this way had he not seen the advert in the paper telling how one Mr Darcy was seeking a companion for his sister. His foolproof plan—or what was supposed to be—was hatched and on the promise of ten thousand pounds of the dowry to Karen—money he would never pay—she agreed to play her part and becameMrsYounge.
Everything had been going to plan; he was to bed the little mouse that night, but damned Darcy arrived, and Wickham had to run for his life. Luck was with him; Darcy had not thought to post a man at the back door. Wickham had sprinted across the yard and was on the horse he had left tied to the fence before anyone had found him. The money he had received from the pawnbroker for little Georgiana’s jewellery was enough for him to make his escape and to hide himself in the depths of Seven Dials.
He could not go back to Karen. If she had not been arrested herself, she would have been informed about all of the lies he had told her. Knowing that Fitzwilliam would be after him and that the bastards would have him arrested and hung if he was caught, Wickham knew he needed to keep hidden for a while and then he would discover a way to make some blunt and escape England.
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