Wickham's Wife

by C. J. Hill

  “Oh, I am sure you are correct, my dear, but I should know my weaknesses by now and also the extent of my pocket. That alone should remind me to take care, will it not now?”

  Julia smiled, unconvinced. She had seen this nonchalant behaviour many times before: even though George acknowledged his weakness, believed himself immune from the temptation, she knew he would succumb. She wondered privately just how long it would be before he sought her assistance. Putting her doubts firmly to one side she responded.

  “Then let us hope that is the case, George. I hope you have finally learnt to take care even though you will be purporting once again to be someone with a family history that is not your own. It will be difficult indeed to refuse to join in when everybody believes you to be a gentleman of means. But enough of this! How soon do you expect the letter George? We must make the most of the time we have left, for who knows how long we shall be apart, or what other young ladies there will be in the country to replace me in your affections.”

  Wickham laughed delightedly at this display of jealousy, so rare in Julia. “Ah, ha! That is why you are so worried at my going! But when have I ever given you reason to doubt my affection or devotion to only you since we met? I have not looked at nor considered another woman since the beginning of our acquaintance, not even when I thought all was lost and we were apart for almost a year. That must give you some comfort, my dear, if nothing else can. We shall continue as we always have and hopefully, sometime in the future, we shall be able to be together again for always. Until that time we must write often, and I shall visit when I can escape my duties for a day or two – supposing I am not eventually stationed to some barbaric outpost in the North!”

  Julia laughed. “Let us hope that is not the case, George; that would be punishment indeed! You give me great happiness when you speak as you have of our future. I shall miss your company when you are gone, that is all, but I shall be strong and endure it as best I can.

  Chapter 16

  ~shire Regiment Barracks

  London

  October 17th, 18~

  Dear Sir,

  It was an honour to receive your application stating your desire to serve your country as a Gentleman Volunteer. We are in constant need of such selfless offers and yours is accepted on behalf of the King, with gratitude.

  Captain Denny has willingly vouchsafed your character and background, although your connection with the Pemberley Estate, naturally, speaks for itself. You will join at the rank of Lieutenant but, as a Volunteer, any extra expenses to do with your upkeep will be your responsibility alone and not that of the Regiment. Kindly peruse the enclosed list of expenses for which you will be responsible.

  All training and other military education as required by every soldier, regardless of rank, in preparation for defence against the French, will be expected of you.

  The Regiment leaves London within three days for the village of Meryton in Hertfordshire, where we shall remain for the entire Winter. While I understand you may have several matters of a personal nature to organise before joining us, please follow at your earliest convenience, but you will certainly be anticipated before the middle of November.

  Sincerely,

  Col. Forster Esq.

  This was the missive so eagerly awaited by Wickham. His acceptance into a Regiment! The Regiment where his friends would facilitate his transformation from failure to success was something to celebrate and he lost no time in informing Julia of his impending departure.

  As he was expected by mid-November he had much to do, including the ordering of his regimentals and other necessities clearly outlined on the list and he was thankful that he had managed to preserve some of his savings, for the outlay was considerable indeed but, he knew, unavoidable, important as it was to portray his exterior success.

  His friends in London were astonished at his decision, almost as much as Julia had been, but, after considering his selfless act, agreed it was something to volunteer for one’s country and that even they might be persuaded to act similarly if the war went on too much longer. Therefore, they congratulated him, and wished him well. Jardine, the most affected of his companions, sincerely hoped he would return from battle safely, until he understood that the furthest Wickham was destined to travel was Hertfordshire, when he repeated his wish, laughingly advising him that even Hertfordshire would have its terrors and unseen traps; not all frightening things were to be found on the French battlefield.

  Wickham assured him that he would make every attempt to remain unscathed by his experiences, an assurance he repeated to Julia on the eve of his departure as they sat in her parlour by the fire. Neither had said anything about the future all evening, such was their mutual sadness at their imminent separation.

  “Do not concern yourself about me, George, I shall be quite content here in London, thinking of you learning new skills and securing your position. You must promise to write often and tell me everything: the new acquaintances you make; the rigours of training; the young ladies you affect! – if you do not, I shall certainly never forgive you, confined as I am by my own life here.”

  “I can assure you that I will have little interest in any new persons – none will come close to alleviating my disappointment in not being near you, my dear. And you may look forward to many letters from me telling of my adventures with the denizens of Meryton, but I am already certain that they will be dull and very countrified, with much wholesome discussions about the weather, crops and livestock. I should not be surprised if I do not encounter one elegant or amusing person in the whole place, and I shall be restricted to sharpening my wits against Denny and Carter and any other smart gentlemen in the Regiment where there are none others to be had.”

  “You may be surprised, my dear,” replied Julia, “at the many very interested young ladies upon whom you will all unwittingly cast your charm, forcing them to all fall violently in love with you, and Denny, and Carter. Imagine the excitement that an entire Regiment of soldiers will cause amongst those so used to retired and confining lives! Such a change to their common round will throw mothers and daughters alike into a frenzy of competition against their neighbours to see who will win the dashing soldiers!

  “No! I believe you will have a very entertaining time in the country, my dear, possibly more so than you anticipate, and then what will you have to write to me for, I wonder? For common courtesy, you shall be forced to choose a wife from amongst them and I shall be entirely forgot.”

  Wickham looked at her mournful face and laughed delightedly. “Oh, nonsense, Julia! What can any other lady have to offer that I have not got already, here, with you?”

  Julia glanced at him. “Money, George; money? It is a powerful persuasive. There will be plenty of well-endowed young ladies in the country who will be just like Miss Darcy – perhaps not as financially attractive as she is – but just as easily convinced to be in love and happy to cast their fortunes upon you.”

  “Ah, what a wonderful notion!” Wickham laughed again. “But how many young ladies do you think I shall affect, Julia? And will they all be horribly rich and unprotected?” He paused as he saw how his words cut deeply.

  “Do not concern yourself, my dear. I promise that I shall stay alert to any easily-persuaded young females, ignore them to the point of rudeness and never forget that you are my only love. Will that comfort you?”

  Julia laughed then; the notion that George could ever ignore a pretty young girl was absurd, much less be rude to her. But Julia’s worry remained. He was attractive to women and easily caused many to fall for his charm and appearance; and he had never been above accepting friendly offers from those who should know better. All she could hope was that he would remain true to her and their relationship even when tempted out of all reason by whoever he encountered in Meryton. His propensity for gambling and drinking she refused even to consider; there was nothing to be done about that except his lack of funds must surely restrict his activities in those areas and, hopefully, Meryton could n
ot boast of one inn.

  Within two days, George Wickham was happily reunited with his friends, Denny and Carter, who had accompanied him to Meryton after spending some days of leave enjoying the pleasures of London, and was ensconced in comfortable quarters in the village of Meryton. He had been warmly welcomed by Colonel Forster and introduced to many of the Regiment's officers, all of whom were delighted with their new acquaintance's gentlemanly demeanour and manners: everything he said amused; everything he attempted was elegantly done. His deference to their knowledge and his obvious desire to learn as much as possible added to their approval of him; his evident knowledge of the world and intimations of an interesting past served only to increase his distinction even though none could claim any previous association. They concurred that he would certainly do as a welcome addition to their ranks, and they anticipated many enjoyable evenings being spent in his company.

  Wickham, for his part, was very content with his new situation. The officers seemed a gentlemanly group and accepted his answers to their questions about his prior experiences without questioning too deeply into the facts of the matter. He found that, as always, the mention of Pemberley and his association with it brought renewed respect, and he embellished without compunction his well-worn tale of unfairness at the hands of that family and his determination to succeed in life even without their assistance. For this he was lauded as a most temperate fellow; they were all certain that they would never be so forgiving and reticent if such treatment had been apportioned to them. His ability to join their ranks as a Volunteer certainly suggested to everybody that he had already made great strides in his stated endeavour, and they congratulated him upon his success thus far. One of the officers who was listening closely to Wickham's account broke in questioningly:

  "I believe it was someone by the name of Darcy who attended the Lucas Lodge party a week or so ago, was it not?" he looked around at his fellow officers for agreement. "A rather proud-looking fellow who did not speak to any of the general company but kept to his own friends; I believe he may have deigned to meet the Colonel but he certainly did not demean himself by making our acquaintance."

  The other officers agreed that it must be the case: what a coincidence that it should be the same person here in Meryton who had dealt their new friend such a bad hand?

  The casual relating and discussion of the coincidence immediately struck shock and disbelief into Wickham's heart. What cruel twist of fate had brought him within the sphere of Darcy again, so short a time after receiving his condemnatory letter and all it signified? It was essential to find out if it was the same Darcy, although the description almost confirmed it.

  "I cannot imagine why the Darcy I know would be in this village, at this time of year. He has his own estate in Derbyshire; for what purpose would he spend time here, pray?"

  "He is here with friends, we understand; one of the gentleman has leased a property near here at Netherfield," advised one.

  "Yes, the friend appeared to be much more pleasant and agreeable; he spent all evening dancing and talking with everybody in attendance,” agreed another, “but, as we say, we were not introduced to any others in that circle, much less informed about his friend's situation, so we cannot absolutely confirm it is the same person."

  Wickham had to be satisfied with that and hope fervently that it was another, lesser branch of the Darcy family tree who had taken up residence with friends in Meryton; but from the accounts given, it certainly sounded alarmingly like the original.

  Captain Denny took it upon himself, within the first few days of Wickham’s arrival, to introduce his friend to all whom he knew, not only within the Regiment but also those of more recent acquaintance in Meryton. He had, in the short weeks since his arrival, made some firm friends in the village and found that the attraction of an officer attired in his regimentals was, as Julia had predicted to Wickham, a powerful attraction to young ladies.

  One morning he called upon Wickham and suggested a walk to familiarise Wickham with the limited delights on offer in Meryton. They walked along the main street, carelessly perusing the windows of the bakers, haberdasher, milliner, butchers and grocers, while discussing in a general way other, more amusing pastimes that could be had, such as they were used to having in London: those of drinking and gambling. Denny was happy to assure Wickham that these pursuits were freely available at the local inn and some residences in the area, and he promised that not too much time would pass before they would have a chance to experience those pleasures again.

  "For, you know, Wickham, anything that you wish to do or play can be found within the confines of this small village, difficult as you may find it to believe. We have had several very enjoyable evenings at a Mr. and Mrs. Philips' house; they entertain many of their neighbours and have been so kind as to include us in their circle. It is all very uncomplicated and innocent, as ladies are present, but most enjoyable all the same. We have met many new friends at those evenings and you will too…. Ah! I see we are spotted by some of them," Denny muttered quietly as he perceived two girls hastening across the street in their direction. "Let us turnabout and meet them upon our return."

  As they approached each other, he murmured in Wickham's ear, "Lydia Bennet is one of the more animated and determined of the new acquaintances I mentioned. Brace yourself, man!"

  "Denny! Denny! You are returned, at last! Thank goodness!"

  Denny and Wickham stopped to meet a stout, pretty young girl, breathless and flushed with excitement and happiness, in the company of another, seemingly less-exuberant girl, both of whom were clearly most familiar with Denny.

  "What a lark! We were coming to see if you were returned from Town, and now here you are." Other ladies, in the company of a clergyman, immediately joined them.

  Mr. Denny addressed the girls directly, and entreated permission to introduce his friend, Mr. Wickham, who had returned with him the day before from Town, and he was happy to say had accepted a commission in their corps. "Mr. Wickham: allow me to introduce Miss Jane Bennet, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Miss Catherine Bennet and Miss Lydia Bennet."

  "And may I introduce our cousin, the Reverend Mr. William Collins, of Hunsford, Kent?" responded the eldest Miss Bennet.

  Everyone politely acknowledged the introductions and then Lydia broke in quickly, "Tell us, Mr. Wickham, will you wear the same uniform as your friend?"

  Wickham bowed slightly and acknowledged that he would indeed soon be wearing the uniform of an ensign; Lydia and Kitty laughed delightedly. There then passed, for several minutes, very agreeable conversation with all the young ladies present secretly admiring the manners and looks of their new acquaintance, when the sound of hooves coming down the street arrested their attention.

  Lydia, upon recognising the riders, called out loudly, "Oh, Jane, do look! It is your Mr. Bingley and his friend." waving her hand frantically to attract their attention.

  "Lydia!" hissed her elder sisters in great embarrassment but she would not be quelled.

  "Mr. Bingley, how lucky to see you here. Here is Jane, as you see, greatly recovered and in good health, thanks to your kind ministrations."

  "Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Kitty, Miss Lydia! Good day to you all." Mr. Bingley was all charm and politeness. "How fortunate! We were just on our way to Longbourn to enquire after your health and now here you are out walking and in seemingly great good spirits."

  He then continued his addresses particularly to Jane while the rest of the party moved slightly away to continue their conversation with Mr. Denny and Mr. Wickham.

  Wickham's reaction to the riders had been the complete opposite to that of Lydia's; his heart had unhappily fallen to his boots at the sight of the new arrivals: Mr. Bingley's friend was, indeed, none other than Fitzwilliam Darcy!

  There was nowhere to hide: Darcy was, at that very moment glaring in obvious disgust and loathing at Wickham from the height afforded him by his horse, his face white with anger: Wickham could feel his own burning in mortification. H
ow he wished now he had heeded the warning about a Darcy being in town and kept to his lodgings. With all the strength he could muster, Wickham touched his hat in recognition, only to suffer the humiliation of being almost entirely cut by Darcy - a faint nod was all he could summon - as he turned his horse and walked it a little away to await his friend. Embarrassed, Wickham returned his tattered attention back to the group, smiling as nonchalantly as he could at Miss Elizabeth who had quickly averted her eyes from the scene she had clearly witnessed.

  "Where are you bound, Miss Lydia?" enquired Captain Denny.

  "We are for our aunt's with our cousin - she is expecting us, but you would both be very welcome, I assure you," Lydia responded, smiling encouragingly at Wickham. "Our aunt Philips enjoys company and any new person is always welcome. She would be very pleased to have two new persons to meet. Do say you will come and meet her, Mr. Wickham."

  Wickham, forcing himself to regain his self-control, inclined his head slightly to acknowledge the invitation. "I would be most happy and honoured to meet your aunt but, as she is not expecting me, and I am not known to her, I do not feel it right to impose myself without some prior warning."

  "Oh, I assure you that my aunt would not care - she does not hold with such stuffiness. But if you are concerned, walk with us to her door and I will introduce you, then there can be no awkwardness. Come Kitty, Elizabeth, Jane, let us continue to our aunt's and introduce all of our new acquaintance to her."

  But, upon reaching the said house, the two gentlemen resolutely bowed and politely took their leave much against the protestations of Lydia and her aunt who, upon seeing the interesting new gentleman in the company of her nieces, determined to make his acquaintance. They would not, however, be persuaded and left amid much determined fare-welling and hopes of meeting again very soon.