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Both gentlemen winced at the wording, and the impact on their ward.

“As you can imagine that inadvertent comment struck deep. I burst into tears and sobbed on Miss Bennet’s shoulder for several minutes. She and Mrs. Annesley led me upstairs and I had a chance to compose myself and repair the damage to my tear streaked face. After we returned to the parlour I took the decision to tell Miss Bennet of my folly last summer.”

Both her guardians were half out of their seats in an instant.

“Please sit and let me continue my tale. You will have the chance to comment presently. I asked permission from Mrs. Annesley and at my imploring gaze she reluctantly agreed. She led Mrs. Smith to the other end of the parlour so that it was just Miss Bennet and myself. I told her the whole sordid tale and her face got every more angry. I mistakenly assumed that it was at my behaviour but she put me to rights and explained that she was angry at the man. At this point I had made no mention of the name of the man.”

Georgiana took a sip of tea and continued to stare her guardians in the eye.

“Miss Bennet talked about three aspects of the event. You know I have struggled to let go of my shame, particularly at the way I went against all that I had been taught. She talked about a child that has been told that flames are hot but still insists on putting their fingers towards a fire.”

Three sets of eyes turned to the Colonel who winced.

“That was more than 20 years ago. Heavens, it is close to 25 years ago.”

Two peals of laughter and a smug smile from his mother.

“The point she emphasised was that I was unburned from my stupidity, just like Richard does not have a burn mark on his right hand. She did not excuse my behaviour. Which leads to the second point. She calmly apportioned the blame; the man, my companion, myself, and my brother. Yes William, you were not spared. But she helped me see that I was betrayed by someone who was there to protect me and someone who owed much to the Darcy family. She reminded me that in Dante’s circles of hell, the ninth and lowest level is reserved for betrayers. Wickham and Mrs. Younge will spend eternity with Judas and Brutus.”

The two names were said for the first time and she could see that her guardians were thinking about the circles of hell.

“Changing the literary reference Miss Bennet then talked about my single weakness. There was no other man that knew me so well as a child and could persuade me to abandon my family and all my teachings. Wickham was my Achilles heel. The love, the care and the education I received, the dedication of my guardians, they were my bathing in the River Styx. But just as Thetis held Achilles by his heel so Wickham was my weakness. But, unlike Paris, his arrow did not strike me. You were there brother to rescue me from my own weakness. Miss Bennet took the time to explain this, but took it one step further. She told me that I had one weakness and he was now gone. I would never again believe sugared words from any man. My escape from Wickham was the equivalent of full immersion in the River Styx.”

Georgiana inelegantly shrugged.

“I am not immune to men, but I am on my guard.”

She could see comprehension dawning and smiles forming on the face of her guardians.

“There is one final part to this. I refrained from using Wickham’s name until the very end. When it came up as part of the conversation Miss Bennet reacted. Apparently, he was present in Hertfordshire while you were a guest of Mr. Bingley?”

The last was said to her brother who winced but nodded.

“I did not mention him because I did not wish to upset you.”

Georgiana pursed her lips.

“Did you not consider the impact of his behaviour on the local community?”

Another wince, this time accompanied by a shake of the head.

“Miss Bennet informed me that he had tried to blacken the family name, and yours in particular. He also was accused of.” She searched for an appropriate word. “Unseemly conduct with the daughter of a local tradesman.”

Silence reigned in the room.

“You will be pleased to know that Wickham disappeared from the neighbourhood shortly after your own departure.”

Darcy’s head shot up.

“There were two common rumours as to his disappearance. The first was he deserted due to debts of honour with his fellow officers. This is the rumour with the most credence, given that several officers were owed money by him. The second rumour is, that despite a brief period of time in uniform, he was unhappy not to be promoted to Captain. Richard, you will know this already, but there are all sorts of requirements for rank within the Militia. So the second rumour is he deserted because he was denied a promotion he thought was rightfully his. Despite his lack of experience and the Rules and Regulations of the Militia. As you can tell, this rumour appears flimsier than the first, but it is actively touted within the community.”

Georgiana took a fortifying sip of tea.

“Miss Bennet told me the last rumour, the one not known within the local community but the one she strongly believes to be the truth.”

She emphasised the words ‘strongly believes’ and held the gaze of her guardians.

“She believes that Wickham passed out unconscious, by unknown means, and was transported to London in the back of a cart. He was deposited at a house of ill-repute which, completely coincidentally, was raided by the Impressment Squad. She is sure that he is a pressed landsman on one of His Majesty’s ships.”