“Well,” Darcy replied after a brief hesitation, “if you two wish to share the cabin, I could not care less. As a sign of ultimate benevolence, if you both appear at the ship tomorrow night, my man will purchase another ticket for you and will give you three hundred pounds for expenses. I would rather pay the money and be sure neither of you will be a burden to me any longer.”
“Upon my word, that is the most generous gift, which they do not deserve. It would be cheaper if you just threw Wickham in debtors’ prison and had him transported if he did not pay his debts. It would not cost you a penny,” the colonel interjected.
“I could, but the idea of having to deal with that pathetic excuse for a man for months is repugnant. I would rather pay to get this annoyance out of my life. To remove his accomplice too would be a special bonus.”
Darcy looked at the two people who had caused such distress in his life and spoke.
“Tomorrow evening. My last offer. Take it or suffer the consequences.”
With that, Darcy and the colonel left and hurried to their carriage, which immediately began to move. A mere glance about was enough to explain why Mrs Younge wanted to leave too; that sort of business, in that sort of place, with those sorts of people could only go bad. Darcy took off his gloves and rubbed the back of his hand.
“I hope his face hurts more than my fist,” he said.
“I am certain it does. Darcy, I hope you are aware that Wickham might disappear.”
“I doubt it. I hired a few men to watch him. If he attempts to run, he will be held. Then he will be sent directly to prison.”
“Good. I see you have considered all this thoroughly,” the colonel said.
“I have. I was deeply affected by the story of Janey and her child. It could have been Georgiana, you know.”
“I do know, Darcy. It crossed my mind too.”
“Of all his deceptions, the seduction of young, innocent girls is the worst, as it ruins their lives. I have heard he is now pursuing a Miss Mary King from Meryton, who has recently inherited ten thousand pounds. He was right, you know — people always fall for his lies, always like him, always trust him. I cannot imagine why. Even my father trusted him so much that he would not heed my warnings.”
“I cannot tell you why. To me, that man is nothing. You were probably right to waste some money and get rid of him immediately. I cannot even imagine how much you will have to pay his creditors.”
“The total will probably be close to ten thousand pounds,” Darcy said, and the colonel gasped in shock.
“Ten thousand pounds? That is at least ten times more than his pathetic life is worth.”
“Probably, but my sanity, my peace of mind — and that of some people who are very dear to me — is worth much more. It is all decided.”
The carriage continued onwards, entering more familiar streets.
“Darcy, there is something I must ask. That friend you said you saved from an imprudent marriage — the one I mentioned to Miss Elizabeth — was it Bingley? Was it him and Miss Bennet?”
“Yes,” Darcy answered briefly.
“Dear Lord, what a stupid fool I have been! Of course Miss Elizabeth understood the truth immediately. I should apologise to her…and to you!”
“Richard, please never mention this story again. Miss Elizabeth and I have clarified the situation. She knows what I did, and she knows I am trying to remedy my errors. There is nothing more for you to add.”
“Then I have to say — I cannot understand what objections you had to Miss Bennet. She is an exceptional beauty and a gentleman’s daughter. Indeed, she is more than Bingley could hope for, even though he has money. Besides, you seem to be on friendly terms with the family, including with Miss Elizabeth. What was the problem?”
“The problem was my stupid arrogance,” Darcy replied briefly.
“Ah…” the colonel said. “About that, I need no more details. Shall we meet tomorrow night, at Bingley’s?”
“Yes, as we planned. Hopefully by then we shall have news about Wickham too.”
***
Despite Bingley’s initial resolution, his sisters and brother-in-law attended the dinner party. When Darcy entered, they were talking to Jane Bennet. Unlike other times, neither of the Bingley sisters attempted to catch his attention, but both greeted Georgiana cordially.
The dinner table was arranged according to the master’s preference, so that on Bingley’s right was Miss Bennet and on his left Mr Gardiner. Darcy sat somewhere in the middle, opposite Elizabeth and close enough for a little bit of conversation. Georgiana was next to him, then Mrs Annesley and Mrs Gardiner; the colonel sat between Elizabeth and Miss Bingley.
Darcy’s attention was mostly on Elizabeth, and several times his eyes caught hers. She was certainly not indifferent to him, but the nature of her interest was unclear. She was talking to the colonel, and for a moment, Darcy felt the bite of jealousy, as unreasonable as such a feeling was.
