“Do not call me‘Son’, Mr Wickham,” George spat out.“I am a Darcy, and you will show me the respect that I deserve.”
“As it was me who raised you, you are, in fact, my son regardless of who your natural father was, and as you have been told multiple times by myself, Mr Darcy, and the Earl of Matlock, you arenotthe natural son of the master of Pemberley. I am afraid that your mother prevaricated, for what reason I will never know, but a prevarication it was nevertheless, and there is nothing in the world that will change that fact. Your wanting it to be such or murdering me will not change the truth, George,” Jim said, as he sat down hoping to talk his son off the mad path on which he had set himself.
For the first time since his mother had poured her poison into his ear, George Wickham started to doubt her tales.“Do you know who my natural father is, if it is not Mr Darcy?” George demanded.“My mother always told me that was why I was named George, after my natural father.”
“Your natural father died some years ago and you were named for my father. You are free to look in the family bible; it is notated there on the day of your birth. In my mind, you were my son in every way, and I felt it a befitting honour to name you after my father.” Jim informed his son, hoping that he was finally reaching him.
George stood and reached for the bible on the shelf next to him, keeping his eye on his adoptive father in case he tried to move against him. He opened the cover and there he saw the proof that Jim Wickham had claimed he would. Next to his date of birth it read:‘George Jim Wickham, named for his paternal grandfather and father.’Rather than calm him, George became very agitated as he realised that the bulk of his beliefs about who he was were built on lies. One thing would never change; he would extract his revenge on those he believed wronged him. Knowledge that George Darcy was not his natural father did not change his plans.
His revenge would start here and now; Jim Wickham had whipped him multiple times and he would not allow that to stand. The man he had called father had done nothing to petition Mr Darcy when that man withdrew as his godfather. If the man was not loyal to him, then what value was he? Jim Wickham saw the cold look in his son’s eyes as George looked at him like he was nothing, then deliberately George raised the weapon and without hesitation discharged at the man sitting opposite him.
He saw the red bloom on the man’s shirt and the look of disbelief on his face. George knew that he had to leave as soon as he could, so he found the key to his father’s strongbox and removed all the funds that were therein; a paltry twenty pounds but that would have to do for now. He reloaded the pistol and then headed toward the park. He was determined to get revenge on the one that had started all the problems for him with Mr Darcy: the mongrel!
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
At the coaching inn that night, Oscar Bingley confirmed that there was a footman outside his youngest’s door and that the window was jammed shut so there was no option for her to attempt an escape from the second-floor window. He then joined his wife in her chamber.
“I wish I would have seen the damage that I wrought sooner,” Martha said displaying more contrition as befitted the situation after years of trying to make her understand the truth.“How are we to correct her? She is not yet fourteen; surely there is something that can be done?” Martha asked hopefully.
“Now that you mention it, let me tell you the real reason that we are to Wiltshire…” Oscar proceeded to inform his wife about the school that Caroline would be attending in a little more than a fortnight. When he was complete, his wife did something that she did not very often—she thought about what her husband said.
“I believe that this is the best chance of having her behaviour and beliefs amended,” Martha said.“At least, that is what I will pray for as you and I both know how stubborn Caroline can be. How many times have you warned her and then done what you said you would do when she did what she was not supposed to? And still, she thinks that you will not stand by your word!”
“It is my fear that Caroline has allowed her delusions to take a deep hold of her, and if she is unable to change her behaviour, I am afraid we may have to turn to more drastic measures,” Oscar said allowing the inference to hang heavily in the air.
“Let us give the Dark Hollow School a chance before we act precipitously,” Martha said, hoping that it would even though there were some doubts. The parents agreed and climbed into bed, the same bed, for the first time in some years.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The afternoon after the Bingleys departed, the family celebrated Elizabeth’s eighth birthday. There was, of course, a massive chocolate cake, with nine candles on it. There was a pile of gifts, as there was each year, including some new riding habits as she was growing out of her old ones.
There were games before the cake, then after the candles were blown out and the huge slices of cake consumed, knowing the answer already, Anne asked:“Do you want to ride in the morning, Lizzy?”
“Yes, I very much want to. I need to try out the new hunter green riding habit that Aunt Anne and Uncle George gave me.”
“Horsey!” exclaimed Alex who had turned two earlier in the month.
“Yes, son, horses,” his father indulgently said.“When you are older you will get your chance.”
“We will meet at the stables before we break our fasts,” William stated.
“Me too, me too,” Georgiana demanded.
“Sorry, Gigi, we will be riding too far for you to ride with us,” Elizabeth said, and her cousin looked crestfallen as she fought the tears that threatened to fall.“I will ride with you later in the day, I promise, Gigi, and you know I always keep my promises.”
Lizzy’s words had instantly cheered her cousin and the family chatted amiably until it was time to retire to change for dinner.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Carol Fitzpatrick read the latest report from Pemberley. She was encouraged that all of the people that she desired to make pay for what they had reduced her to were at Pemberley. There was one possible fly in the ointment. Her late husband’s bastard, George Wickham! Her men, both in the environs of Pemberley now that the Fitzwilliams left Snowhaven, had reported that the young man watched the family whenever he could, thinking himself well hidden.
‘If his by-blow interferes in my plans, I will get rid of him!’she told herself.‘Then again, he may be of use to me.’She decided that she would evaluate if he could be useful to her before she chose to dispatch him.
She was a lot happier than she had been as she moved toward exacting her revenge on the family which had naught but ignored her advice and direction. She felt good enough that she had ventured out into local society again, though was displeased with it for what a savage place she had to endure while her plans came to fruition.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Once Wickham packed a valise, he slipped out of the rear of his late adoptive father’s dwelling carefully into the late afternoon sun in case someone had heard the shot and came by to investigate. He vaulted onto the dead man’s gelding after securing the valise to the saddle. Based on what he had learnt in the past, he knew that the mongrel and some of the other family members would take a ride in the morning. He rode to the outcrop of rocks close to the bridle path and went to sleep on the ground, hidden from sight by some boulders.
