“Mr. Darcy!” exclaimed Lydia, eyes wide. “Did you not have an unfortunate history with the gentleman?”
“Where did you hear that?” asked Mr. Wickham, though his manner suggested he knew very well.
“From your fellow officers.”
“At the ball,” said Mr. Denny, “I informed them of what little I knew of the matter.”
Mr. Wickham appeared disappointed, which unsettled Kitty, though she could not yet say why. “It concerns a living left to me in the late Mr. Darcy’s will. After his father’s passing, the son refused to honor his father’s wishes.”
“How cruel!” exclaimed Kitty, the first time she had spoken.
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Wickham,” said Lydia, giving the officer a coy smile, “but I cannot consider it much of a loss.”
Mr. Wickham’s smile was almost wolfish in a way that made Kitty shudder. “Is that so, Miss Lydia? Are you of the opinion that I deserved to have my future prospects dashed?”
“You would have been wasted in the church, Mr. Wickham,” said Lydia. “Scarlet suits you much better. And if you had not come to Meryton, we never would have made your acquaintance.”
“I thank you for your kind words,” said Mr. Wickham with a laugh. “Though I regret the life I might have had, I echo your sentiments. I hope our friendship will continue to grow into something closer.”
The way he stared at Lydia when he spoke brought a slight shiver to Kitty’s spine. There was something in that look that did not please her, though she could not say exactly what it was. Lydia spoke again, so Kitty had no time to consider it.
“I agree, Mr. Wickham, but I should tell you something. You see, Mr. Darcy is not the only Darcy present. Last night, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, and Miss Georgiana Darcy dined at Longbourn.”
Had Kitty not been watching Mr. Wickham, she might not have seen the expression of utter stupefaction, shaded by what looked like a hint of apprehension.
“Miss Darcy has come to Meryton?”
“It appears to be so,” replied Lydia. “In truth, I cannot like the girl much. She says little, and when she does, she speaks of boring subjects such as music. When Kitty and I attempted conversation, she was silent as a mouse.”
Kitty thought that was a little unfair—Miss Darcy had seemed shy, an affliction Kitty could well understand, having grown up as the invisible companion to the livelier younger sister.
“Rather, she is as proud as her brother,” said Mr. Wickham, a peculiar gleam in his eyes. “Given Darcy’s defects, it is not surprising she turned out that way.”
Lydia appeared satisfied and changed the subject. It was not long thereafter that they moved along, soon gaining the road back to Longbourn while the officers returned to their barracks. Kitty was not certain what to make of all that had happened. Though she had never suspected Mr. Wickham of being anything other than the excellent man he portrayed, she now wondered if there was more to him than his easy manners suggested.
AS GEORGE WICKHAM WALKEDback to the barracks with his fellows, he considered what he had just learned. It was curious that Darcy would bring his sister to Meryton into a situation where Wickham was nearby. He might not have expected it of the man, nor that his timid sister would agree to it.
“Well, Wickham,” said Denny, interrupting Wickham’s thoughts. “It appears your old adversary has returned to Meryton. What do you mean to do about it?”
“Do you suppose there is anythingIcan do about Darcy?”
“Perhaps not,” agreed Denny. “But surely his offenses against you merit some retribution.” Denny stepped closer and elbowed Wickham in the side. “As a woman of her standing, perhaps Miss Darcy’s dowry is enough to provoke your personal attention, eh?”
It was all Wickham could do to keep his countenance. Even though it was a jest, Denny had come too close to the truth for comfort. Wickham spoke at once to deflect.
“One does not simply pay Miss Darcy attention under her brother’s nose. She is but sixteen, and her brother is jealous of their standing and has the earl’s support. Should I attempt sucha thing, I have no doubt it would bring Darcy’s wrath down on my head.”
“That is unfortunate,” said Denny with an exaggerated sigh. “She must have a dowry to tempt any man.”
“Thirty thousand pounds,” said Wickham, though preoccupied.
Denny was correct—such a dowry would have set Wickham up for life. The old rage at Darcy for ruining his plans rose in his breast. To be thwarted by mere chance was almost more than he could bear!
As Denny prattled on, Wickham listened to only one word in three. More interesting were his thoughts about what he might do with the information, how he could twist matters in his favor.
The path to Georgiana’s dowry was, unfortunately, gone forever; by now, Darcy must have informed her of their dealings, poisoning her against him. Georgiana, shy and trusting as she was, would never dream of questioning her brother’s account. Even if he could somehow get her to Gretna Green, one needed a willing bride, and Wickham did not think she would ever be one again for him. The notion of compromising her was equally beyond his abilities, for Wickham ending up on a ship bound for Van Diemen’s Land or worse was a more likely result of any such action.
Could he threaten to expose Ramsgate to the neighborhood to extort a sum of money from Darcy for his silence? So blunt an instrument would not succeed, he thought, for Darcy would just as easily call Fitzwilliam to Meryton. Wickham did not like his chances of surviving an encounter with Fitzwilliam, not after the Ramsgate affair last summer.
