Chapter Seventeen
Darcy was up early the next morning. Like Elizabeth, he had a restless night sleep. The situation with Wickham and Lydia still weighed heavily on his mind. He knew how burdensome knowing the truth about Wickham’s affair would be for his wife, but there was little he could do. As he left their room, he did his best not to disturb Elizabeth. It was rather late by the time she finally settled into sleep for the night, and he knew she would be tired. After he was dressed, he made his way downstairs to have his breakfast and gave orders that a tray was to be taken up to Elizabeth later. As he sat at his desk pouring over his correspondence, a knock came to his door.
“Yes, come in,” he called out.
Howard opened the door and stepped inside, “I beg your pardon, sir. I know you asked not to be disturbed, but…” he said lowering his voice some. “Mr. Wickham has come to see you, and he refuses to leave until he is permitted in.”
Darcy leaned back in his chair, “Very well, Howard; show Mr. Wickham in,” he told him.
“Very good sir,” Howard left the study, only to return a few moments later followed by Wickham.
“Thank you, Howard, that will be all,” Darcy said as he got up and walked over to his window. Once the servant was gone, Darcy turned to Wickham and said, “I must say, Wickham, I am surprised to see you here this morning. For what purpose have you called so early?” he asked pretending not to know.
Wickham was agitated, “You know very well why I am here!” he accused Darcy. “Just what is the meaning of this letter you sent to me yesterday?”
“I should think the meaning of the letter was quite clear,” he snapped at him. “Tell me, Wickham, have you even thought about calling on your poor wife, or are you incapable of even that simple act of kindness?”
George glared at him. “I have every intention of seeing Lydia when it is safe for me to do so,” he told him. “Not that it is any concern of yours.”
“You have made her welfare my concern when you neglected your duty as her husband,” Darcy snapped at him again. “Truly George, to be having an affair with a married woman, and such a short time after you married…” he said in disgust. “Even for you, that is something I would not have expected.”
“Darcy, I am not here to discuss my personal affairs with you,” George told him. “All I want from you is the answer to my question. I want to know the meaning of this letter you sent to me yesterday. I am also very interested in learning how you came to know where I was staying.”
Darcy shrugged his shoulders, “As I said before, the meaning of the letter should be clear. Your wife has made purchases in Cheapside, where she is staying,” he said somewhat condescendingly. “And as her husband, you are accountable for her debts. The bill was sent to me, and I saw fit to pass it along to you.”
“You know very well I do not have that kind of money,” Wickham told him.
“Then perhaps you should speak to your wife about not buying things she cannot possibly afford,” Darcy snapped at him. “Come now, Wickham, what did you think would happen when you agreed to marry Lydia? Did you imagine I would continue to pay your way? That I would support your wife and child for you while you gamble and squander all your money on some other woman?” Upon seeing the stunned look on his face, Darcy continued, “Yes, I know all about your affair with the Lady DuVernay.”
Wickham walked over and sat down in the chair near the desk, “Darcy, I have something here I am going to show you,” he said as he took a letter from his pocket and handed it to him. “This matter must be handled with the utmost of care. I am revealing the contents to you now so that you will better understand what I am involved with. This is a letter from Colonel Wellington giving me leave from my duties in Newcastle so that I may carry out a particular mission here in London for him. I think you should read it before you cast me as the rake and scoundrel.”
Darcy picked up the letter and read it over carefully. He took note of the signature and the date, “So, you expect me to believe that your commanding officer has commissioned you to spy on Lady DuVernay, and that is why you are here in London now?”
Wickham smiled devilishly, “Believe what you will; the letter is genuine,” he told him defending his actions. Seeing the look of doubt on Darcy’s face, he said, “Come now, Darcy. Even you will concede that I have some natural talents that make me perfect for just such a mission. The Lady DuVernay has many friends in Paris; much more, in fact, than her husband does. She is a wealth of information, but unlike Lord DuVernay, she is not as willing to part with it. Colonel Wellington was given the task of finding an officer who could spend time with Lady DuVernay and persuade her to share some of the latest gossip from home concerning Napoleon’s troop movements.”
“And I suppose the Colonel could not find an unmarried officer to spend time with the Lady in question?” Darcy remarked in disgust as he tossed the letter back down on the desk.
Wickham picked up the letter and carefully placed it back into his coat pocket. “As I said, I do have a particular set of talents that made me the most logical choice,” he told him again. “Besides, the Lady DuVernay singled me out several times when she visited with her sister in the north. When the Colonel took notice of that fact and approached me, he did so knowing of my desire to be of service where I can. Once he explained the delicate nature of my mission, I was intrigued. Of course, I was reluctant at first; after all, I am a married man” he said trying to sound sincere. “However, when the colonel mentioned that my expenses would be paid for, and there was the possibility of making even more money,” Wickham smiled deviously, “well, I simply had to consider his request of me. After all, unlike you, I have to work for my income; I was not so lucky to be born into wealth. This opportunity has given me a chance to provide for my dearest Lydia and the babe that will soon be arriving.”
Darcy had heard it all before from him. Wickham’s tale of woe was not about to influence him to see him for anything other than he was. “And what of your wife?” Darcy demanded to know. “Have you no feeling for the woman who will one day have your child? How do you suppose Lydia would react knowing you are carrying on with another woman?”
Wickham pretended to be the caring husband, “Darcy, you do me a disservice. You accuse me of not loving my wife or caring for my child. The truth of the matter is I sent Lydia to Longbourn because I care for her well-being. I knew this mission of mine would be difficult, but I wanted to protect Lydia from any heartache, so I sent her to be with her mother,” he told him. “Really, Darcy, you cannot possibly understand my motive in all of this. Why, I felt compelled to take on this mission for King and country. I want to do my part in bringing Napoleon to his knees. If that means I must do some things that others would find distasteful, then so be it. I know someone like you, with your lofty attitudes of morality and honor, will never understand my reasoning or the harsh realities of war, but truly what I am doing now I do for Lydia and the baby. With the information I gather, I will make a tidy sum and will be able to take care of her in a manner to which she deserves.”
Darcy was not about to let him have the last word. “Wickham, do you take me for a fool?” he asked him, his voice filled with anger. “We both know you have faced no real difficulties. You speak of the harsh realities of war while you sit in London carrying on an illicit affair with a married woman! You may tell yourself or others that what you do is a noble thing, but we both know it is not. Believe what you like so as to ease any conscience you might have about your conduct, but know this; I am well aware of your gambling debts to your fellow officers. I know of your continual selfish and reckless behavior. You do not fool me. What you do now is not for King or country, but rather your own selfish purposes. I am sure Colonel Wellington knows all too well that you could easily be persuaded into this plan of his to gather information from this woman knowing your true nature and how greedy you are. The fact that he is willing to overlook that you are a married man does not speak very well of his character and eve
n less of yours.”
Wickham shrugged his shoulders, “Think what you will, Darcy,” he said pretending to be the innocent one. “You are always eager to think ill of me no matter what…”
Darcy could not contain his temper any longer. It was bad enough that Wickham behaved as he did and justified it, but that he played the victim with Darcy was too much to bear. “Wickham, you will not make any money should I decide to make this arrangement of yours known to your wife and Lord DuVernay,” Darcy threatened him.
Wickham’s eyes narrowed, “You will not tell Lydia. You know it will bring too much pain to her family, and you will not want your precious Elizabeth to be disheartened,” he commented.
Darcy pushed back from his desk and walked over to the window, “That is where you are mistaken, Wickham. Elizabeth already knows of your affair. She saw you yesterday in Cheapside,” he informed him. “Really, Wickham, how could you be so careless as to carry on your affair in public in the very neighborhood that your wife and her family are staying!?”
Wickham had forgotten about Lydia’s aunt and uncle, “I was not aware that Lydia was in town. I have not heard from her since I sent her to stay with the Bennets. Colonel Wellington and I agreed it would be best for him to hold all my correspondence until I return to Newcastle. Of course, he would get word to me if anything unfortunate had come up. As for Lydia being here now, I assumed travel would be out of the question when you take into consideration how far along she is in her confinement. I am truly astonished to find her here now.”
“Well, now that you know she is here,” he told him. “I suggest you conclude your business with the Lady DuVernay and return to your unit. I am sure by now you have gathered enough information!” Darcy commented. “While you are right in saying I would not inform Lydia of your conduct, I have no such objection to speaking with Lord DuVernay.”
“You would not lower yourself to speak with him about this matter. You would never consider doing such a thing!” Wickham challenged him.
Darcy glared at him, “I would, without any hesitation,” he told him. “Take my advice, Wickham; go and see Lydia. Make up some lie, you are very good at that, then return to Newcastle until Lydia is safely back at Longbourn,” he told him. “And in the future, may I remind you, that you are a married man. Perhaps you might consider being a bit more discreet so that those who are innocent are not harmed further by your selfish behavior.”
Wickham stood up and walked over to the door, “I will do as you have suggested, Darcy,” he said in a very irritated voice. “But from now on, refrain from involving yourself in my affairs. I do have some very powerful friends in high places now.”
Darcy smiled confidently, “As do I Wickham,” he retorted back. “As do I.”
Not long after Wickham left, Elizabeth came down to see Darcy in his study. “William, you should not have let me sleep so long,” she told him as she came into the room.
Darcy looked up at her. He was unsure if she was still upset with him or not. “I knew you were tired and did not sleep much during the night, my love. I thought it best to allow you some time to rest.”
Elizabeth took in a deep breath, “It is true, I got very little sleep last night,” she admitted. “I kept thinking about poor Lydia and how wretched Wickham’s treatment of her is.”
“And what did you decide to do about that?” Darcy asked her.
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders as she walked over near the window and looked out at the busy streets below. “After considering all that you have said and speaking with Jane, I believe you are right. I will not tell Lydia of Wickham’s betrayal. I will only say that she was mistaken in thinking she saw him and that it was only someone who looked like him.”
Darcy sighed heavily and pushed away from his desk. He stood up and walked over to the fireplace. “Before you do that Elizabeth, you should know Wickham called here this morning while you were still asleep,” he told her as he took up the poker and moved about the last remaining embers from the morning fire.
Elizabeth turned around to look at him. Her eyes opened wider, “Did he really?” she asked astonished that Wickham should do so.
Darcy returned the poker to its place near the fireplace, then turned towards her. “Yes, he came very early to see me. He was upset that I sent the bill for Lydia’s gown to him,” Darcy explained.
Elizabeth furrowed her brow, “I had no idea you planned to send Wickham the bill from Mr. Higgins.”
Darcy smiled Briefly, “Yes, I did so with the express purpose of drawing him out. I was not certain that Wickham was meeting with the Lady DuVernay, but I knew he was staying at the Dark Horse Inn. I knew if I had the bill sent to him he would be unable to pay it and would come to see me.”
“You wanted Wickham to come to see you?” Elizabeth asked him.
“Yes,” he said simply. “I knew Wickham would not pay Higgins. I knew he would have no problem allowing Lydia to run up debts in my name and leave the bills to me, that is why I included payment for the one gown with my letter to Mr. Higgins. I am sure by now, every shopkeeper in Cheapside knows not to take business from your sister unless I have authorized it. Any that do so without my authorization do at their own risk.”
“William, I do not understand,” Elizabeth began to say. “If you knew Wickham would not pay the bill, why did you forward it to him to begin with?”
Darcy walked back over and sat down at his desk. “I did so because I wanted Wickham to know I had found him out. I was hoping to deal with him before you or your family were made aware of his presence in London to spare you the pain of knowing what he was up to. I am sorry that I was unsuccessful in doing so,” he told her. “However, I now believe he will be returning to Newcastle very soon, and it is possible he will see Lydia before he does.”
“Do you believe he will take Lydia with him?” Elizabeth asked.
Darcy furrowed his brow, “I cannot say,” he told her. “When Wickham left here this morning, I believe he knew I meant business and that at least for now he will be more discreet on how he conducts himself in the future.”
Elizabeth sighed heavily, “I suppose that is all that we can hope for, then.”
“I am sorry to say unless the man changes,” he told her. “Then yes, that is the best we can hope for.”
“Still, if he goes to see Lydia, there is every possibility that she will seek to return to Newcastle with him,” Elizabeth told him.
Darcy considered for a moment what Wickham had said, “I am not sure. Wickham did say the oddest thing. He mentioned how astonished he was that Lydia should be in London. He thought it very peculiar that she should have traveled from Longbourn with how far along she is.”
Elizabeth shook her head, “I am not at all surprised. He has shown no real concern for her well-being thus far. It is very likely that Wickham does not know or care when his child is expected to be born.”
“I am sorry to say, you are probably right in saying so,” Darcy commented. He wanted more than anything to cross the room and take her in his arms, but he was unsure if she was still angry with him or not. “Will you go and see Lydia this afternoon?” he asked her.
“Yes, I think I must. She is expecting both Jane and me to come,” she told him. “Yesterday, after seeing Wickham, Lydia began to have some pain. It quickly passed, however, Jane felt it best that Lydia return to my aunt’s house and rest. Lydia was so distraught at seeing Wickham and eager that I should speak with you on the matter that it was decided that Jane and I would return today and go with her to get her gown, giving me time to speak with you. I am expected there very soon.”
“How do you plan to proceed?” Darcy asked her.
Elizabeth chewed her bottom lip for a moment. “I will let Lydia be my guide in how I should respond,” she told him. “If she has seen Wickham, I will know it and respond accordingly. I will say that you were able to contact him and make known to him that Lydia is staying with my aunt and uncle,” she said trying to hold back the sadness
she still struggled with. “If he has not gone to see her, I will simply say I have no news yet but hope to very soon.”
Darcy could see how hard this was for her, “Elizabeth, I am truly sorry you have had to deal with any of this. I feel as if I have failed you, my love. My hope was to deal with Wickham myself so you, nor your family, would ever know of Wickham’s abominable treatment of your sister. I am truly grieved to see you so upset. I hope your disappointment with me will not be of a long duration.”
Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears. She knew he did his best where Wickham was concerned. She rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist burying her head in his shoulder. “Oh William, I am sorry too. I allowed my own frustrations at Wickham’s conduct to cause me to be cross with you. I know you did what you thought was best for my sister and me. Will you forgive me, please?” she asked him softly.
Darcy leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “There is nothing to forgive. I know your anger was not really directed at me, but rather at George Wickham,” he told her as he held her close. “Elizabeth, do not ever doubt that I love and cherish you. I promise you, Wickham’s conduct is repulsive to me. That he treats his wife so abominably is beyond the pale. I am only sorry for you and your family at ever having to know the man. I regret my actions so very much in not making known his character sooner. It is a regret I will carry with me for some time, I think.”
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