Willow Hall Romance: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Series

by Leenie Brown

  “Nice work,” said Richard, coming to take Bingley’s place with the net.

  Lydia was not far behind. It seemed she had appointed herself fishing instructor. No matter how Marcus scowled or attempted to draw her away, she was determined that everyone who wished a turn to catch a fish would be successful. Besides, she had said on more than one occasion with a bright smile, fish were delicious, and she would not be eating cold meat and cheese for supper.

  Bingley bowed his head in acceptance of the compliment. “I shall wish you the same success.”

  “Oh, he shall not fail,” Lydia assured Bingley. “Colonel Fitzwilliam is a very disciplined sort of man. He will have the skill and patience to accomplish the task.”

  Richard smiled broadly. “A fine assessment.”

  Lydia’s eyes sparkled. “I also heard him say he was as fond of fish as I am, and a man’s stomach will often rule his will.”

  Bingley could not help the laugh that escaped him at her comment. “So, you think him both clever and hungry?”

  “I do,” Lydia replied. “Perhaps at a different spot — we might have completed our run of good fortune at this spot.” She placed her hands on her hips and looked up and down the stream. Then, with a clap of her hands and what Bingley considered a rather self-satisfied smile, she suggested that they try the spot near Mary Ellen.

  “An excellent idea,” agreed Bingley with a smirk at Richard, who had yet to come to terms with his particular regard for that young lady.

  Richard’s brows drew together. “How can you be certain that it will be a good location?” he asked Lydia.

  “Oh, I cannot make a guarantee,” her eyes were fairly dancing with contained delight, “but I am certain with a bit of patience and attention, there might be something to be caught there.” She laughed lightly and walked away. “Come along,” she called over her shoulder.

  The furrow between Richard’s brow deepened. “What does she mean?” he asked Bingley. “What else could be caught besides fish? A frog? I do not care for frogs.”

  Bingley shook his head. “I believe she means you might catch Miss Dobney, or, more likely, Miss Dobney might catch you.”

  “Miss Dobney catch me?” Richard looked toward Mary Ellen and then back at Bingley. “Does she wish to catch me?”

  Bingley nodded. “Although I am not to say.”

  “Come along, Colonel,” Lydia called again.

  Richard tipped his head to the side, his lips pursed and his eyes narrowed, as he studied Mary Ellen. “I suppose,” he said at last, “being caught might not be such a bad thing.”

  “Aye,” said Philip, who had come to join them right before Lydia had called to Richard the second time, “it would certainly make her happy.”

  Richard blinked.

  “Come along, Colonel,” said Philip. “You must do your duty and allow yourself to get caught so that Marcus and I might be free of a lovelorn sister.”

  “Lovelorn?” Richard asked as he followed Philip.

  Bingley chuckled and went to find Jane.

  ~*~*~

  Later that evening, Bingley tapped his fingers on the table next to the letter he had written. He was uncertain if this was the best course of action. Perhaps he should just take a trip to town to speak with Mr. Newman. Letters were tricky items. There was no guarantee that the intended recipient would be the only recipient of the news in a missive. He scanned the words again.

  “A breach of contract has occurred. Please detain the party who is in neglect and extract payment as needed. The packet may be shipped from Portsmouth.”

  “That is a serious look you are wearing,” said Richard as he slipped into the library at Pemberley. “Letter of business or pleasure?”

  “Business,” said Bingley with a sigh. “An agreement has been breached, and I am uncertain of the best method of rectifying the situation.”

  Richard settled into a large leather chair and tossed one leg over the other. “What are your options?”

  Bingley shrugged and folded the paper without sealing it. “Write to an associate and have him deal with the issue or go see it done myself.”

  Richard pondered this information for a while. “Is it a serious breach?”

  Bingley nodded. “Damaging,” he blew out a breath, “but the remedy is not without significant risk either.”

  The comment caused Richard to raise a brow and look eagerly at Bingley. “Is this remedy something that would fall outside of the law.”

  Unwilling to admit such a thing, Bingley tilted his head and gave a half shrug.

  Richard smiled. “I had not thought you capable of such.” There was a note of pride in the colonel’s voice.

  “You do not condemn me?”

  “I would need to know the particulars before I could pronounce any sort of judgment,” Richard replied with a grin. “However, I am not a strict judge if you are worried about that.”

  Bingley blew out a breath and rose from his chair. “It is not that,” he said, moving to join Richard in the chairs before the unlit fireplace. “I wish to keep the number of people who know about any of this as small as possible.”

  Richard’s eyes grew wide, and he let out a low whistle. “So, it is a fair distance on the opposite side of the law?”

  Again, not willing to admit it aloud, Bingley gave a half shrug.

  “A pound of flesh?” Richard asked in a whisper.

  Bingley was almost positive he heard a hint of excitement in Richard’s voice.

  “Something of that nature.” Bingley sighed again. He longed to discuss this with someone who could advise him on the best course of action. If Wickham were to meet with an accident here in Derbyshire, Bingley knew that no one would ask questions, and if they did, Mr. Williams would confirm that it was merely an accident. Elsewhere, Bingley was uncertain if events would play out so cleanly. He shook his head. “Life and death are not mine to award.” He rubbed his chin with his right hand. “I should tend to it myself.”

  “I wish you would tell me what it is.” Richard’s tone was disappointed. “If you are not indeed planning on killing someone, then I do not see the need to be quite so secretive.”

  “What of transportation?” asked Bingley.

  “For you?”

  Bingley shook his head in response to the startled question. “Lady Catherine knew of Darcy marrying because of Mr. Collins.”

  Richard wore a look of confusion. “Darcy mentioned that.”

  “Collins learned of the wedding from Wickham.”

  Richard’s eyes grew wide. “Darcy did not mention Wickham.”

  Bingley smirked. “And why do you suppose that would be?”

  Richard’s features grew hard. “Because I need very little reason to be persuaded to do harm to that man. Darcy is far too patient.”

  Bingley nodded. “I quite agree. It is the same with my sister. I cannot understand how Darcy has managed to suffer Caroline’s attentions all these years without telling her to leave off.” He paused for a moment. “Although he did not ask her to stay yesterday.”

  Richard gave a low chuckle. “She has reached her end. There is always a limit to Darcy’s patience but reaching that limit does not mean he is willing to leave all reason behind. He will always take what he thinks is the noblest road.”

  “Which means sacrificing himself and not the other person,” said Bingley.

  Richard nodded emphatically. “Precisely. Cutting off of friendship, the paying off of debts, the buying of property — all helpful and not without merit, but they do not eliminate the problem.”

  “Like Wickham.”

  “Yes, like Wickham,” agreed Richard. “It was only a fortunate accident that Darcy’s purchasing Willow Hall worked out so well for Lucy. I am certain that Tolson would not have stayed clear of her.”

  Bingley’s lips twitched.

  “You think not?” asked Richard.

  “Mr. Williams would not have allowed it.” Bingley had spoken to Mr. Williams long enough befor
e presenting his deal to Wickham to know that the man was willing to bend the rules to see justice served in swift order.

  Richard allowed this to be true.

  Bingley rose to return to the desk and collected his letter. He slipped it into his pocket. He would consult with Mr. Williams before taking any action.

  “What agreement do you have with Wickham?” Richard asked.

  “I paid him for silence,” said Bingley. “About Lydia,” he added in reply to the question Richard was about to ask. “Lady Catherine knew about Lydia travelling to Derbyshire with Wickham.”

  Richard nodded his understanding. “He does not believe you will carry through on your threat. He has not said a word regarding Georgiana because he knows I would not hesitate to relieve him of his life. ”

  Bingley tapped the letter in his pocket. “How would you do it?”

  Richard’s smile grew wide as if it was a topic he had considered at some length. “He has a good seat. I have seen him ride.”

  “A transfer from the militia to the regulars?”

  Richard nodded. “The cavalry, to be precise. I have connections enough to see him on his way to meet Old Boney within a fortnight.”

  Bingley took his seat next to Richard once again, interested to hear exactly what he would have planned to dispose of Wickham. “But you have no guarantee that he would die.”

  Richard shrugged. “Being of a lowly rank, he would be cannon fodder, but should he manage to return with his life, it would not be as a whole man. He’d no longer be pretty enough to pose any danger to a gently bred young woman. And I suspect, if he did not die of disease, he would eventually drift up along the Thames.” He nodded his head slowly as if satisfied with this result.

  “And if the war should end before you have a chance to dispose of him on the continent? Then what?”

  Richard’s face scrunched up as he considered his options. “That would take some thought,” he muttered at last. “I suppose, there could be a loose rock on a steep path where he might lose his footing.”

  “What about transportation to one of the colonies?”

  Richard’s brows rose. “It would relieve us of his presence, but what about the ladies there?” He again scrunched up his face as he considered it. “The journey might be hazardous.”

  Bingley swallowed. He knew precisely how dangerous a sea voyage could be. “More so at some times of the year than at others.”

  They sat in silence for a time.

  “I would want to string him up for harming Georgiana and run him through if he harmed Miss Dobney,” said Richard, “but I would do neither.”

  Bingley looked at him in disbelief. “You had a plan to see him done away with. Why this turnabout?”

  Richard shook his head. “It is not a turnabout. I would still see him off to the war if I could. But if there is no war, I would not risk losing my life to avenge my angel.” He smiled. “I could not be the cause of her sorrow.” He shrugged. “I would persuade him to take a voyage, and then, I would spend my time comforting those he had wronged.”

  Bingley understood the sentiment. “So, we are agreed that Darcy’s ways might indeed be the wisest?”

  Richard groaned. “I will need a drink before I admit such a thing.”

  Bingley laughed and rose to fetch the needed refreshment. “Shall I make it a large dose? Are you also going to admit your admiration for Miss Dobney?”

  “Miss Dobney? Why should I be admitting to admiring her?” His tone was questioning, but his look was sheepish as if he were asking a question to which he very well knew the answer.

  “You cannot call a lady an angel unless you admire her.”

  Richard sighed. “Then make it a large dose.”

  Chapter 11

  Darcy looked up from the letter he was reading as Bingley and Richard entered the breakfast room the following day. He gave the briefest of nods in greeting and tossed the letter on the table.

  “Not a good morning?” Bingley asked as he filled his cup with tea.

  “No, it is most certainly not a good morning.” Darcy leaned back in his chair, arms folded, eyes narrowing as he scowled. “Do you know where our aunt went when she left yesterday, Richard?”

  Richard slowly lowered the forkful of food he was about to place in his mouth. There could only be one place Lady Catherine could have gone. “Matlock?”

  “Precisely.” Darcy uncrossed his arms long enough to take a large gulp of his tea. “Your father is attempting to calm her, but she has told him the same tales she shared with us at the church. He wishes to see that I am not being taken in by a fortune hunter and so has requested that I put off the wedding until he has had a chance to mollify our aunt and meet Elizabeth.”

  Richard’s brows rose. “He is questioning your decision?”

  Darcy’s jaw clenched as he nodded. “It appears he is, although he claims he is only doing what he thinks will work best to appease Aunt Catherine and cause the least amount of disunity.”

  “Are you going to do it?” asked Bingley around a mouthful of toast and jam.

  Darcy shrugged. “I will speak to Elizabeth, and if she is amenable, then yes — but for no more than a week. And it will only be a postponement. I will be marrying Elizabeth.”

  “Father is usually quite reasonable,” Richard assured Darcy. “He is merely attempting to keep the peace as much as possible. His visit will be a mere formality. He knows, as well as anyone, that you are your own man.”

  Darcy relaxed slightly. “I do hope you are correct.”

  “I am.” Richard returned to his plate of food. “He allows her to feel she has been heard and then tells her what will be.”

  Darcy nodded. He had seen his uncle use that very tactic with Lady Catherine, and it usually worked with only a small amount of stomping and snorting from his aunt.

  He picked up the letter, read it once more, and rose to go write his reply. He would give his uncle until the day after tomorrow to meet Elizabeth, and he would not agree to a postponement until he had discussed the issue with her. He drained the last of his tea as he stood next to the table.

  “Sir,” said the butler, entering the room before Darcy could do more than place his empty cup back on the table, “you have a visitor.”

  Darcy checked his watch. “It seems early for callers.”

  “I am told it is not a social call, but one of great importance which requires your attention as well as Mr. Bingley’s.”

  Darcy’s brows rose.

  “It is Mr. Williams, sir,” continued the butler.

  “Shall we meet him here?” Darcy asked Bingley, who was still devouring his breakfast.

  Bingley wiped his mouth. “No, your study might be best. You have that letter to write.” He motioned to the paper in Darcy’s hand.

  “But your plate is not empty.”

  Bingley grimaced. “I have had enough.” He emptied his cup of tea and stood. “Richard, you will join us, will you not?” He gave him a significant look.

  Richard’s eyes grew wide. “You think I will be needed?”

  “If it is about whom we discussed last night, yes.”

  Richard popped the last morsel of his toast into his mouth and finished his tea before following Bingley and Darcy from the breakfast room. He was just a step or two behind Mr. Williams in entering Darcy’s study.

  “I had planned to come see you later today,” Bingley said quietly to Mr. Williams. “It seems Lady Catherine learned of Miss Lydia’s trip to Derbyshire from Wickham.”

  Mr. Williams’ face grew even more grave than it had been when he first entered the room. “Did Lady Catherine mention anything about Miss Bennet’s and Miss Elizabeth’s stay at Netherfield?”

  Bingley’s eyes grew wide. “No. She only spoke of Miss Lydia’s journey to Derbyshire with Wickham.”

  “Then,” said Mr. Williams, turning to include Darcy and Richard in the conversation, “we have an additional problem. I had thought it might be Wickham who had begun such a rumor as
I heard.” He scratched at the stubble on his cheek. “I suppose it might still be him, but he has been gone for some time, and this is the sort of thing that does not take very long to circulate.”

  Bingley swallowed as his stomach roiled uneasily.

  Mr. Williams looked first at Darcy and then Bingley. “There is no easy or gentle way to say this, gentlemen, but your honor and that of your ladies have been called into question.”

  “What?” Darcy’s roar was low.

  “How?” Bingley added in a dangerously cool voice. He drew deep, deliberate breaths. He would know the details before he allowed himself to feel the full force of his anger.

  “The insinuation is that things were not entirely proper during the ladies’ stay at Netherfield.”

  “How improper?” Bingley’s voice was still low and controlled, belying the tumult within. He could feel the truth of Richard’s comments last night. He did feel the urge to run through whoever was endeavouring to harm Jane.

  “There is speculation as to why Miss Bennet left Hertfordshire for London within a month of her stay and why her stay in town was for an extended time.”

  Bingley’s drew a great breath and held it as he waited for Mr. Williams to continue.

  “She returned in a state of sadness that indicated some loss. Whether it was because Mr. Bingley refused to do his duty by her or due to the loss of a child is up for discussion.”

  With a whoosh, Bingley expelled the breath he had been holding.

  “I have heard that some think it is due to both.” Mr. Williams turned toward Darcy. “There is no talk of Miss Elizabeth ever having been with child, but there is speculation that you are marrying her due to…” he shifted a bit uneasily, “certain charms.”

  “They think Miss Elizabeth has seduced Darcy?” Richard’s voice held as much astonishment as his face.

  Mr. Williams nodded. “That is what one of my men heard and relayed to me.”

  “It is not true,” said Darcy when he could finally find his voice.

  “I never thought any of it was true,” Mr. Williams assured him. “I just knew you should be made aware of the tales before you heard them elsewhere.” He glanced at Bingley. “I had also hoped that the source of the rumors might be Wickham since his reputation is not for honesty; however, after what Bingley has said about your aunt not mentioning this, it seems unlikely.”