‘Mr Wickham is also a military man, or soon will be. He is to join the militia.’
‘Indeed,’ said Colonel Fitzwilliam thoughtfully. ‘You seemed well matched in temperament as well as in the dance,’ he continued. ‘I saw you smile many times. I hope I may amuse you as well as he did.’
‘He had an advantage,’ Elizabeth said with a light laugh. ‘We are old friends.’
‘Old friends?’ said Colonel Fitzwilliam, looking at her intently.
‘Is that so surprising?’ asked Elizabeth.
‘No, not at all. In fact, from the way you seemed to understand each other so well, I expected it.’
‘You seem very interested in Mr Wickham,’ said Elizabeth.
‘Not at all,’ said Colonel Fitzwilliam. ‘Let us be done with him. We will not talk of other people. We will talk of ourselves. I am very boring, I am afraid, so, pray, tell me about yourself. Have you always lived in Meryton?’
‘Yes, all my life,’ said Elizabeth.
‘But you travel, I think. Perhaps to London?’
‘Yes, my aunt and uncle live there. One of my aunts and uncles,’ she corrected herself. ‘I love them dearly and I often spend time with them in London. It is always a pleasure to go there, to visit new places and meet new people. Do you live there?’
‘I live wherever the army takes me, but my family is in the north,’ he said. ‘However, I have often visited London and I like it very much. I spend much of my time there when I am on leave.’
They talked of the places they frequented in London and the sights they had seen. Then they moved on to talking about the officers, many of whom were friends of Colonel Fitzwilliam. But somehow the conversation always returned to Mr Wickham.
Elizabeth said as much to Jane when the dance was over, and Colonel Fitzwilliam had returned her to her aunt and uncle at the side of the room. Jane was also there, as it would soon be time for supper. The dancing had ended and there was a pause before the parade to the dining-room should begin.
The two ladies retired to refresh themselves. There was a room set aside for the ladies. It was already crowded as the guests had their hair repaired by their maids, or tears in their gowns mended, or other such things. But there was a smaller room set aside for the use of the Bennets, a token of Mr Bingley’s esteem for Jane.
Elizabeth and Jane made their way to this room, with Jane telling her aunt she needed to cool herself, and Elizabeth expressing a wish to dab her temples with eau de cologne.
Once there, the talk turned again to Colonel Fitzwilliam and his seeming fascination with Mr Wickham.
‘Perhaps he is jealous,’ said Jane.
‘Jane! What nonsense!’ said Elizabeth, laughing.
‘I do not see why,’ said Jane. ‘I saw him watching you on several occasions. I think he admires you, Lizzy. I dare say he has heard of talk concerning you and Mr Wickham and wanted to ascertain your feelings before proceeding.’
‘Have a care, Jane, or you will make my head swell!’ Elizabeth teased her sister.
‘I speak the truth as I see it,’ said Jane.
‘Yes, dearest, and that is the wonder of it,’ said Elizabeth. ‘You really believe it. I am lucky to have you as a sister, to give me confidence.’ She became thoughtful. ‘You say he might have heard talk concerning Mr Wickham and myself. I hope there is no gossip about us.’
Jane looked awkward.
‘Jane, there is. You have heard something. What is it?’
‘The gossips say that Mr Wickham would propose to you tomorrow if he were free to follow his own inclination. They say that only a want of fortune prevents it.’
‘I wish the gossips would mind their own business!’ said Elizabeth hotly. ‘It does no good to have such things talked about. It only makes us both look ridiculous.’
‘No, Lizzy, I disagree. Our friends are sorry for Mr Wickham, that is all, and small wonder. They mean it kindly.’
Elizabeth sighed.
‘I suppose so. But I still wish they would find something else to interest them.’
‘Well, perhaps they will,’ said Jane, and she blushed.
‘Jane!’ said Elizabeth. ‘Do you mean . . . ?’
‘Yes,’ said Jane, her eyes shining. ‘Mr Bingley has asked me to marry him and I have said yes.’
‘Oh, Jane, this is wonderful news! Why did you not tell me at once? It is so like your nature to listen to all my news before sharing your own. My dear sister, I am so happy for you.’
‘You must say nothing about it yet,’ said Jane. ‘Mr Bingley intends to travel to London tomorrow to ask my uncle for his permission. Oh, Lizzy, what have I done to deserve such happiness?’
Jane was positively glowing and Elizabeth’s heart swelled with happiness.
‘You have been good and sweet and kind all your life,’ said Elizabeth. ‘There is no one who deserves it more.’
‘I wish with all my heart that you could be so happy,’ said Jane.
‘Perhaps, one day, I will be,’ said Elizabeth.
‘With Mr Wickham?’ asked Jane.
‘I confess I like him very much, but I keep reminding myself that I must know a great deal more about him before anything can develop between us.’
‘Poor Lizzy, your wounds from Mr Darcy go deep,’ said Jane with an anxious glance at her sister.
‘You must not feel sorry for me. Indeed, I am glad of them. They serve as a warning to me, never to judge someone on a short acquaintance,’ she said. ‘I am very taken with Mr Wickham. He is handsome, charming, interesting, entertaining, respectful to my aunt and uncle, friendly to my sisters . . . but even so, I know little about his past.’
‘You know what he has suffered at the hands of others.’
‘I do, but when did he suffer it, Jane? What has he been doing since? Captain Denny mentioned that Mr Wickham was seven-and-twenty. When was he deprived of the living? How has he been keeping himself since then? These are things that only time can answer.’
Jane was surprised.
‘You surely do not suspect him of any wrongdoing,’ she said.
‘My dearest Jane, I know that such a thought would never occur to you. You are too good to suspect evil in others. But the young officers talk, and they are not always discreet. They are often at Longbourn and I have heard it said, on more than one occasion, that Mr Wickham is very good at cards. One of the young officers hinted that he has lived by gaming.’
‘Lizzy, you shock me. If he were a gamester we should have heard about it,’ said Jane.
‘In such a short space of time? I think not. Besides, I am not saying that he is a gamester, only that there could be sides of his character which are not yet clear to me. Why, only this evening he told me he has to go to London on business tomorrow. I have never heard him mention such a visit. It seems very sudden.’
‘There is nothing in that,’ said Jane. ‘Gentlemen often need to go to London, and perhaps he wishes to wind up his affairs before Christmas. Or perhaps he wants to put them in order for another reason.’
Elizabeth blushed, but she could not pretend to doubt Jane’s meaning. If he were preparing to marry, then he would want to arrange his affairs with all speed.
‘It may be so,’ Elizabeth admitted. ‘But whatever the cause, I need to know if he is in the habit of making sudden changes of plan. As a friend, it is unimportant. As a wife, it could become very irksome.’
Jane nodded.
‘There is no hurry. Now that my dear Charles and I are engaged, our family’s future is assured. You and my sisters will come to live with us at Netherfield Park.’ Jane took Elizabeth’s hands. ‘I owe all my happiness to you, Lizzy. If you had not prevented me from marrying Mr Collins, then I would not have been in a position to fall in love with my dear Charles. A lifetime of marriage to Mr Collins . . .’ She shuddered.
‘Do not think of it,’ said Elizabeth.
‘No,’ agreed Jane. ‘Even thinking of it makes me shudder. But thinking of marriage to my own dear Charles
. . . oh, Lizzy I am so happy!’
The two sisters embraced. Then, arm in arm, they went downstairs, where supper awaited them.
Chapter Nineteen
The mood in London was not so cheerful. Mr Darcy was restless as he waited for Colonel Fitzwilliam to return from Meryton. He hid this from those around him, for he did not want them to know how much store he set by his cousin’s visit. Although he feared Miss Bennet had been in collusion with Mr Wickham, he entertained a hope that he was wrong and that she was innocent of any wrongdoing. And so, when his cousin was announced, he arranged for him to be shown into the library, where the two men could be alone. He greeted his cousin with alacrity.
‘Well?’ he asked, as the two men seated themselves. ‘What news?’
He saw from Colonel Fitzwilliam’s face that it was not good.
‘Ah. So it is as I feared,’ he said.
His voice was leaden.
Colonel Fitzwilliam nodded.
‘I believe so. I witnessed Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Wickham together in town and then again at the Netherfield ball. On both occasions I watched them closely. There was a harmony between them that suggested a close relationship. When I later danced with Miss Bennet at the ball it was obvious she admired Mr Wickham. She said they were old friends, and knew each other well.’
‘Old friends,’ said Mr Darcy, with a voice like doom.
Colonel Fitzwilliam nodded.
‘You were right to dismiss her, Darcy. If she and Wickham are old friends, then I fear there is mischief afoot. I hoped that Wickham would have been warned off when he knew Miss Bennet had been dismissed, but I have reason to suppose that he has not been put off at all. I fear I must tell you something which will trouble you. After dancing with Miss Bennet at the Netherfield ball, Mr Wickham left early. I spoke casually to some of the officers on the following day and discovered that he had removed to London.’
‘London!’ said Mr Darcy.
Colonel Fitzwilliam nodded once more.
‘If he thinks to elope with Georgiana from here, he will find more than he bargained for,’ said Mr Darcy from between clenched teeth. ‘She will not leave this house, not to go to the park or the shops of the museums, or anywhere else, unless I am by her side, to protect and guard her.’
‘A wise precaution,’ said Colonel Fitzwilliam. ‘But I intend to take one more precaution, if you agree. I intend to go and see him, and warn him away. You spoke to him last time, but this time I mean to threaten him with more than exposure if he attempts to approach Georgiana again. I will make it very plain to him that if he attempts anything else he will find himself holding a duelling pistol, and not even Wickham is fool enough to think he can face me and emerge with his life.’
He wore a grim expression, which reminded Mr Darcy that he was a battle-hardened soldier and not a civilian.
Mr Darcy said, ‘Yes, the time has come for such tactics. At all costs, Georgiana must be safe. Thank you, Cousin.’
‘There is no need to thank me. I am Georgiana’s guardian, as well as you, and it is my sworn duty to keep her safe.’
‘To that end, I hope you will stay with us here at Darcy House whilst you are on leave. Then you can protect Georgiana when I have to attend to other matters.’
Colonel Fitzwilliam accepted the invitation, then he said, ‘There is no time like the present. I intend to seek Wickham out and speak to him right away.’
George Wickham was at that moment ensconced in Mrs Younge’s dingy room in a London boarding house. She was a blowsy woman, well over thirty years of age, with dark red hair and avaricious eyes. Her clothes were unclean, with a dirty apron tied over a drab gown. She wore a mob cap, which had once been white, and a gaudy shawl.
‘You were a good sort to bring me this,’ she said, fingering the fringes on the shawl. ‘If not for that Mr Darcy, I’d be dressed in all sorts of fol-de-rols by now. If he hadn’t interfered you’d be plump in the pocket, and so would I. We’d be in clover, my dear.’
When working for the gentry, Mrs Younge was capable of speaking like a well-bred woman and dressing in suitable attire. She had been an actress in her youth, and was capable of acting the part of a respectable matron when necessary. But when she was at home, her true nature was revealed.
‘Any more heiresses on the horizon, my dear?’ she asked.
Wickham, lolling in his chair, cradled a glass of brandy.
‘None yet,’ he said. ‘But I am keeping my eyes and ears open, and I hope you are doing the same. I am tired of living off my wits and living off cards – neither of them reliable methods of sustaining the kind of life I want.’
‘Lor, I thought you lived off tick,’ she said. ‘Thought you never paid a bill if you could put it on a tab.’
‘Even tabs have a way of catching up with a man eventually. Then I have to move on to another town, one far enough from the first so that no rumours of debt follow me. Why else would I find myself in a dull as ditch-water place like Meryton?’ He took a long drink of brandy, then pulled a face. This was no excellent vintage, but a cheap spirit that tasted sour. ‘So make sure you keep on the lookout for any likely young ladies. I would rather have an heiress with twenty thousand pounds, but ten thousand would do.’
‘You can be sure of it. If I hear wind of any pigeons I’ll send you word sharp enough. So if you’re not chasing an heiress, what are you doing here? Not that I’m not glad to see you. You’re always welcome here, George, you know that. I wish I’d somewhere better to entertain you, but this will have to do ’til I make my fortune, or you make yours.’
‘It’s good enough,’ he said, stretching himself luxuriously before throwing off the last of his drink. ‘It’s only for a few days. Then I can go back to Meryton.’
‘Escaping your creditors, are you?’ she asked.
‘No. Not my creditors. Something worse,’ he said with a frown.
‘Oh?’ She looked at him sharply. ‘And what might that be?’
Wickham put his drink on the window ledge and sat up now, all signs of lounging gone.
‘Colonel Fitzwilliam.’
Mrs Younge went an unhealthy shade of grey.
‘Colonel Fitzwilliam? You don’t mean to say you saw him? What did he say?’
‘Nothing. I saw him at a ball and you may be sure I made a swift exit, before he had an opportunity to speak to me. But I am convinced it was not a chance meeting. He looked at me directly, and at my partner.’
‘Handsome, was she?’ asked Mrs Younge.
Wickham nodded.
‘Oh, yes.’
‘P’raps that’s why he was looking at her then.’
He shook his head.
‘No. I do not think so. You see, she was Georgiana Darcy’s companion.’
‘What?’ exclaimed Mrs Youne.
She was now listening sharply.
‘Georgiana was in Meryton.’
‘Well that was a bit of luck,’ said Mrs Younge. ‘Do you reckon you still have a chance there?’
‘No. None at all.’
‘I thought she was sweet on you.’
‘She was, and I believe I could make her so again, if I had a chance. When I saw her in the street and spoke to her she tried to hurry on, but I was undeterred. A man with pockets to let must not lose heart so easily. Luckily, I was helped by her companion, Miss Bennet, who believed me when I said I was an old family friend. She encouraged Georgiana to speak to me. I was congratulating myself on having found a useful ally, but I was premature, because soon afterwards Darcy whisked Georgiana away from Meryton and dismissed Miss Bennet. He must have seen us together, or someone else must have seen us and told him about it. I am sure Colonel Fitzwilliam came to Meryton on purpose to frighten me off, so that I would not try to follow her.’
‘And were you frightened?’
‘I am not frightened of anything,’ he said, annoyed.
‘No? That’s a good thing, then, because unless I miss my guess, that’s him at the front door.’
&nb
sp; ‘What?’ Wickham sprang up. ‘Why did you not tell me?’
‘I’ve just seen him, just arrived this minute.’
There came the sound of the front door opening, voices below, a foot on the stair.
Wickham looked around wildly then ran to the window. He tried to lift the sash but it had been painted shut.
‘You can’t get out that way,’ said Mrs Younge. ‘Here.’
She opened the cupboard, which was a large one set into one side of the chimney breast. But it was too late. The door opened and Colonel Fitzwilliam entered the room.
Wickham, caught half way to the open cupboard, put on a show of bravado.
‘Colonel Fitzwilliam?’ He straightened up and gave his jacket a tug, pulling it down to smooth out the wrinkles. ‘To what do I owe this pleasure?’ Then he added insolently, ‘Unless it is Mrs Younge you are here to see. I know she has a liking for military gentlemen, and they for her.’
Colonel Fitzwilliam clenched his fist but regained his temper quickly.
‘I suggest you keep a civil tongue in your head,’ he said evenly. ‘It will go better for you if you do.’ He paused for a moment and then said, ‘I will not beat about the bush. I have no wish to spend any longer in your company than is necessary. I have come to warn you to stay away from Miss Darcy. No,’ he said, holding up his hand to silence Mr Wickham, who had been about to speak. ‘I do not want to hear any of your lies. You will never go back to Meryton. If I see you there I will assume you are looking for my ward and I will call you out. Furthermore, I do not want to see you in London, where my ward resides. Therefore, you will leave London and not return.’
‘I cannot up and go at a moment’s notice,’ cried Wickham.
‘Can you not? You seem to do it remarkable well when your creditors are pressing you. However, I am not an unreasonable man,’ said Colonel Fitzwilliam, with a smile which showed his teeth. It gave him a wolfish look which made Wickham take a step back. ‘I will give you a week to put your affairs here in order, but if I find you here beyond the week then I will assume you are in Londond to try and contact my ward, and I will call you out.’
A Companion For Miss Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 20
