“In that case, fortune may be smiling on you. Colonel Forster, our commander, has authority from the Lord Lieutenant to add officers when not in Derbyshire, if he has the need,” Carter revealed. “It just so happens that a Lieutenant was called back to the family estate because the heir was killed, making him the one in line to inherit. Heirs, especially when they are only sons, are not allowed to serve.”
“In that case, what do I do to be appointed to the commission?” Wickham enquired.
“You will need to meet with Colonel Forster. Wait and I will ask when he is available to meet with you. It should not be too long after his current meeting concludes.” Carter made his way to a closed door and knocked on it. When bade to do so, he entered. He returned within a minute or two. “If you wait here for the colonel,” Carter pointed to some chairs on one side of the office, “you will be seen as soon as he is able; it will not be long.”
Wickham took a seat. ‘I cannot believe the way my luck has changed,’ he thought. ‘First, St Claire rescues me from that squalid hellhole, then he gives me the opportunity to make my fortune, and now the additional four hundred pounds he gave me to purchase a commission is mine. With such a turn of luck I will use it to wager with and I am sure I will make it grow significantly.These gullible fools did not even ask me about why I am in Bedfordshire, so much the better.’
The door opened, and a man not in uniform exited. Carter showed Wickham into the colonel’s office.
It took him no time at all to charm the man. Wickham had to sign an honour pledge, which he did after giving theimpression he read it. Then Colonel Forster shook his hand and welcomed him as the regiment’s newest lieutenant.
Back in the outer office, Captain Carter instructed Lieutenant Denny to show the newly minted officer around the area and where he would go to purchase his uniforms. It was a long and busy day, but by the evening, Wickham was in his billet. It was a room in a local boarding house.
He sat down to write a report to St Claire. He told him that he was a lieutenant in the regiment he had been sent to join and that they would move to the town of Meryton, in Hertfordshire, by the end of October.
There was, of course, no mention of the lack of cost to receive a commission. Never once did Wickham wonder how a man who worked for the king was not aware that a militia officer is appointed by the county’s Lord Lieutenant. There was no industry in questioning anything St Claire said or did; Wickham was earning too much blunt to do so.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
There were several reasons Darcy instructed his coachman to make for Longbourn before Netherfield Park.
The chief among them was that he had no intention of exposing Gigi to what, Hurst had told him, would be Miss Bingley’s cloying attention. As soon as his sister had mentioned to Elizabeth that she wanted to come into Hertfordshire, but, due to Miss Bingley’s residence, Gigi preferred not to reside at Netherfield Park, an invitation to be hosted at Longbourn had not been long in arriving.
As Elizabeth had experienced living in the same house as Miss Bingley, albeit briefly, she was not about to allow her friend to suffer in that way.
Darcy’s other reason was that he did not want to wait any longer to see Elizabeth. If, as he hoped he would, he saw she was amenable to his asking, Darcy intended to request a courtship. The few times he had seen her since first dancing the supper set with her at Aunt Elaine’s ball in ’09, and at the ball before the double wedding in that same year, his desire to advance an understanding between them had increased greatly. He was aware that he was already in love with Elizabeth. However, he had learnt from Andy’s example. One did not rush a Bennet girl.
He looked across at the forward-facing bench where Gigi was happily chattering with Mrs Jenkinson. That woman had been a godsend. She was firm while being warm and protective of his sister, something which endeared the companion to Darcy. He fully understood why Anne had givenJenkisuch a brilliant character and the heartiest of endorsements.
They had stopped to rest the horses and take refreshment two hours previously, and since then, he had been lost in thought; therefore, Darcy had not been paying attention to the passing countryside. Hence, he was surprised when he felt the coach slow and saw they had entered the market town of Meryton and were turning onto the road that after a mile would bring them to Longbourn. Knowing they would soon arrive did not quench Darcy’s impatience to be there. More than once he had debated with himself about climbing out and pushing to make the conveyance speed up.
Those ridiculous thoughts flew from his head as the coach slowed again when the team pulled them past Longbourn’sgateposts. It was less than a half mile until they arrived at the manor.
The team of two matched pairs came to a halt before Longbourn’s manor house and the colder weather notwithstanding, Darcy was pleased to see the Bennets waiting for them on the step leading to the front door. His eyes locked onto Elizabeth, whose arms were draped over her brother’s shoulders to make sure he did not run forward prematurely.
Darcy climbed down, and as much as he wanted to be before Elizabeth, he turned to hand Gigi and then Mrs Jenkinson out of the carriage.
“William, Gigi, and Mrs Jenkinson, you are all most welcome,” Fanny stated.
The family knew the companion well from the times they had been in Anne’s company before her marriage to Ian.
“It is very good to see all of you again,” Darcy stated but his eyes were fixed on Elizabeth.
Other than Tommy, who was inspecting the four horses, no one missed the smouldering look in Darcy’s eyes when he looked at Elizabeth. There was no missing that Lizzy seemed to be receiving his attentions with pleasure.
Before the Darcys arrived, Elizabeth had convinced herself that William’s interest in her was the imagining of a young girl. That opinion was negated as soon as she saw the way William was looking at her, like she was the only woman in the world. It seemed that what she remembered was real.
“I think we should all repair inside,” Fanny suggested.
Elizabeth needed her mother to elbow her before she woke up and made for the house.
On the other hand, it was Gigi who knocked her shoulder into her brother, snapping him out of his self-induced trance. She could not have been more pleased; it seemed that she would gain six sisters and three brothers sooner rather than later. She, of course, counted her Fitzwilliam cousins and Charlotte in her numbers.
While Catherine and Lydia guided Gigi upstairs to her chamber, and Mrs Jenkinson followed at a more sedate pace, Darcy approached Elizabeth.
“May I ask your father for permission to speak to you in private?” Darcy asked.
“Yes, William, you may,” Elizabeth granted. “I look forward to hearing what you have to say.”
