If Only In His Dreams

by Schertz, Melanie

  Turning to face his mother, Darcy had a lost expression on his face. “I told her that I would release her from the agreement if that is her wish. I do not wish to force her into a marriage against her will. I wish only her health and happiness.”

  “Your love is strong if you are willing to go against what you wish to honor her feelings in the matter. What was her response?”

  “She did not wish to be released from the agreement.” A dimpled smile graced Darcy’s cheeks. “I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I am to know she will still have me.”

  “Then I will tell you what your grandfather told your father; never take her for granted and love her every day of your lives together.”

  “I will do just that, Mother. You can rest assured, I will always love her.”

  Chapter 10

  Elizabeth had walked to Meryton with her friend Charlotte the following morning. Charlotte’s sister, Maria, accompanied them, for she wished to find some new ribbon for her gown. As they neared the millinery, two young men, dressing in regimentals were walking towards them. The one man was known to Maria. “Mr Denny, how pleasant to see you today.” The girl remarked.

  “It has been near a week, Miss Maria. And who might these young ladies be?”

  “This is my sister, Charlotte Lucas, and our dear friend and neighbor, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Ladies, this is Lieutenant Denny, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Long’s home last week.”

  Denny bowed to the ladies. “And this is my friend, Lieutenant Wickham, who has just joined our regiment. I am certain that he will be quite a favorite amongst the ladies in the neighborhood.”

  The ladies all curtseyed to the men. “So, Mr Wickham, have you been in the militia before, or is this a new career?” Charlotte inquired.

  “I have not. But mine is a sad tale, due to some difficulties with a former friend who has treated me ill.”

  “How sad for you.” Elizabeth found the young lieutenant to be handsome, though there was something about his manners that made her curious. “And where do you call home when you are not in the militia?”

  “I am from Derbyshire, Miss Bennet. I was born there and lived there until I was near twenty five.”

  “Derbyshire? Why, I have been to Derbyshire, for my aunt spent her youth there in the village of Lambton.”

  “Do say. What a coincidence this is. When were you there?” Wickham was slightly nervous at the news.

  “It has been several years now. I found it quite beautiful; the natural beauty was so breathtaking. Where in Derbyshire to you hale from?”

  “I was born and raised at the estate of Pemberley, not but five miles from Lambton.” Wickham stated. His behavior became somber. “If it were not for the current Master of Pemberley, I would be there still. His father, God bless him, was a kind and loving man. He had left me a valuable living at the parish in Kympton. But the son refused to acknowledge his father’s wishes, out of jealousy and spite.”

  Maria gasped. “How cruel a man. For this man to behave so against a man who would do the Lord’s work, it is truly appalling.”

  Elizabeth had a feeling that she knew the answer to her question before she even asked it. But she felt it was necessary to ask. “And who is this Master of the estate that has done you such harm?”

  Not knowing that any of the Darcys were in the area, Wickham felt free to make his claims. “Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy is the man. His father treated me as a son and loved me more, and because of it, the son has been cruel towards me. He denied me the living which would have allowed me to live comfortably, forcing me to place my life in jeopardy in the militia.”

  “How did you come to know the Darcys?” Elizabeth asked.

  “My father was the steward for the late Mr Darcy. I grew up with the current Mr Darcy, even went to school with him, as his father wished for me to have a gentleman’s life.”

  “Why, there is a Mr Darcy here in the neighborhood.” Maria replied. “I believe that he is from Derbyshire. Eliza, is that not where Mr Darcy and his family are from?”

  Nodding her head, Elizabeth replied. “Yes, Mr Darcy, his mother, Lady Anne, and his sister, Miss Darcy, are from Pemberley.” Turning towards Wickham, she continued. “The Darcy family is staying with Mr Darcy’s friend at Netherfield Park.”

  “And Mr Darcy is courting Eliza.” Maria said with a smile.

  Shocked to hear that his stoic friend was finding the charms of a young lady, especially this young lady before him, to be acceptable, Wickham took a greater interest in Elizabeth Bennet. Though she was pretty, and had a luscious figure, from what he could tell, she was a country miss. Wickham had expected to see Darcy settled down with some daughter of the elite of the Ton.

  “How interesting, Miss Bennet, as I was led to believe that Mr Darcy was engaged to his cousin, Miss de Bourgh.”

  Having already been told of his uncle’s demands that Darcy was to marry Anne de Bourgh, Elizabeth was not surprised at the statement. “No, Mr Darcy has never been engaged to Miss de Bourgh, it was only a wish of his uncle, Lord Matlock. Miss de Bourgh is actually engaged to Mr Darcy’s cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Do you know that gentleman?”

  “Indeed. He was very close to Mr Darcy, spending a great deal of time, during their youth, together. The man can be quite intimidating.”

  Charlotte smiled. “Well, as he is a colonel in His Majesty’s army, being intimidating may be a good thing.”

  Elizabeth began to laugh. “I so agree with you, Charlotte. What good would he do if he appeared welcoming to his enemies?”

  “Well, I believe we should be on our way, as we have some shopping to do before heading home.” Charlotte said, looking at her friend who gave a small nod of her head. Looking back at the men, she continued. “It was a pleasure to meet you both. I pray that you enjoy your stay in the neighborhood.”

  “With such fine young ladies as you, I am quite certain that we will.” Wickham smiled as the men bowed to the ladies before they left towards the mercantile.

  Maria could not control her curiosity. “Such interesting information of Mr Darcy, whatever could be his reason for treating poor Mr Wickham so cruelly?”

  “Maria, you have only heard Mr Wickham’s tale, and though he seems kind, the fact that he so willingly spoke of his ills to us after only moments of knowing us is surprising indeed.” Charlotte was level headed in her thinking, and could always be counted on to look at issues from many views.

  “But Charlotte, Eliza is being courted by this man, how can we not be concerned for our friend’s safety?”

  Elizabeth looked at Maria. “Believe me, Maria, if Mr Darcy was a cruel and heartless man as Mr Wickham implied, it would be a concern. I have come to believe that Mr Darcy is one of the best men I have ever known. There is more to this story with Mr Wickham than he is claiming.”

  Having found the items they were shopping for, the ladies left Meryton to make their way to their homes. What was not known to them was the fact that they were being watched. Wickham was intrigued to know more of the lady who had won Darcy’s heart, and he began to imagine ways to get even with his old friend.

  What Wickham had failed to speak of with his new friends was the fact that Darcy had given his former friend financial compensation for Wickham signing a release in regards to the living at Kympton. Wickham had told Darcy he had no plans to take orders, and as such, he wished money instead. Besides the one thousand pounds that had been designated in Gerald Darcy’s will to be given to Wickham, Darcy gave him another three thousand in lieu of the living. A year ago, Wickham had returned to Darcy, stating his desire to take orders and wished for the living that was left to him by Gerald Darcy. Darcy refused this request, and denied giving Wickham any further support. Wickham was furious, as he felt that Gerald Darcy would have given him money to support his life. He also had convinced himself that he should be the rightful heir, that Darcy did not deserve the inheritance.

  Wickham had begun to plan methods of extracting more funds from h
is childhood friend. One plan was to find a way to convince Georgiana that he was in love with her and talk her into an elopement. But this option would be difficult as Lady Anne was nearly always with her daughter and Lady Anne disliked Wickham. She knew how often Wickham would commit offenses only to place the blame off on her son.

  He had always been cruel to Darcy, and the older Wickham became, the manner of his cruelty grew worse. Darcy would never tell his father that Wickham was the cause of most of Darcy’s problems, as the son attempted to cover the debts to protect his father from the truth. The gambling, the debts to merchants, even seeing that the children that Wickham fathered with the many young ladies he ruined found homes. And yet, Wickham always demanded more.

  Darcy’s father had always been generous, as the man told Wickham time and again that he had respected Wickham’s father. The elder Wickham had died in a tragic fire and Mrs Wickham had always told her son that the Darcys were responsible for his death. Mrs Wickham had been a greedy woman, always expecting everyone to be generous to her for no reason. This was a trait that was passed down to her son.

  Mrs Wickham had died three years after her husband, leaving young George Wickham with very poor morals.

  When George Wickham and Fitzwilliam Darcy were in school together, Darcy had fancied himself in love with a young lady who was the sister of a classmate. Being his first exposure to young ladies showing him attention, he was quite confused with how to behave. George discovered that Darcy cared for the young lady, then used the information to cause Darcy as much pain as possible. Being that Wickham and Darcy shared a dormitory room, there was very little that could be hidden from either. The painful discovery of Wickham bedding the young lady was devastating for the heir to Pemberley. The young lady was ruined and her brother was furious with Wickham. When she later learned that she was with child, she was taken to Scotland and kept there throughout her confinement. The young lady died during childbirth, and Darcy found a home for the baby. The classmate drank himself to death after his sister’s death, causing a commotion in their family.

  Now, George Wickham could see that he would have yet another chance to take a young lady away from Darcy.

  Chapter 11

  Elizabeth was puzzled after her encounter with Wickham. She knew enough of Darcy and his mother to disbelieve Wickham’s tale. But he was quite at ease in his manners and she knew that he could easily manipulate others against the Darcys. Elizabeth determined the best course of action was to speak with Lady Anne and her son. Instead of returning to Longbourn, Elizabeth made her way to Netherfield.

  When she arrived, Elizabeth was escorted into the drawing room where Lady Anne was spending some time with Georgiana. “Lizzy, what a surprise; to what do we owe the pleasure?”

  “I need to speak to you on a matter of urgency.” Elizabeth replied. “Could we speak in private?”

  Caroline had just entered the room. “Miss Eliza, I was not informed that you were expected today.”

  “I needed to speak to Lady Anne and I pray for your forgiveness in not informing you.”

  “As it is the country and you obviously are quite backwards on what is proper, I will forgive you this time. Please make sure that you do not take advantage of my hospitality in the future.”

  Lady Anne was appalled by Caroline’s behavior. “Lizzy, shall you join me in the sitting room off my chambers?” Elizabeth nodded her head and followed Lady Anne.

  The ladies sat down on the sofa beside each other. “Lizzy, please accept my apology for Miss Bingley’s behavior just now. She was extremely rude and I will be speaking to her brother in regards to how she treated you.”

  “I am not concerned about Miss Bingley’s words. I have another matter which I believe is far more important to speak of.”

  Concern was apparent on Lady Anne’s expression. “Has something happened, Lizzy? You are pale; shall I have a glass of wine brought to you?”

  “No, I will be well. There is something I need to speak of with you. I met a young man today when I was walking in Meryton. He claimed an acquaintance with your family and he spoke quite ill of William.”

  “Would this man’s name be Wickham?” Lady Anne asked. When Elizabeth nodded her head, Lady Anne continued. “If I were a betting person, I would guess that he claimed that William cheated him from an inheritance from my husband.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes grew to round saucers. “This is exactly what he spoke of. How did you know?”

  “He has been telling the same story since my husband’s death. I doubt that he informed you that my husband had left Wickham one thousand pounds and the living at Kympton, near Pemberley, if he would take orders. Wickham declined taking orders and requested a financial settlement instead, as he claimed to prefer to study law. William settled three thousand pounds for the living as well as the original thousand. Wickham signed papers releasing the living. He comes back from time to time to exact more funds from William, and he is continually denied.”

  “I thought his story was far too smoothly spoken to be the truth. Unfortunately, Mr Wickham told the story when I was with my friend, Charlotte, and her sister. If he is so willing to tell us of his sad tale moments after meeting him, then he is most likely telling his tale to others who do not know your family as I do. What can we do to avoid his further damaging your reputation?”

  “It would be wise to speak to William on this matter.” Lady Anne said as she stood and rang for a servant. When the servant entered the room, Lady Anne inquired if her son had returned from his ride Being told that he was in the study with Mr Bingley, Lady Anne asked that Darcy join her in her sitting room.

  While waiting for Darcy, the two ladies chatted about the Darcy family dealings with Wickham. Elizabeth was shocked to learn that when Wickham was only fifteen, he seduced the sister of Lady Anne’s personal maid, ruining the girl and her family when it was learned that she was with child. Lady Anne’s maid had been frightened that she would be fired from her position, as she was sure that the Darcys would not wish to have such a young lady from a ruined family work for them. “I was furious with Wickham, and told my husband that he needed to deal with Wickham. It was not the first time that I had heard stories of his proclivities, though it was the first time that it touched someone so close to me. Of course I did not release Maggie, she is still my maid. Her sister finally married a clerk at the solicitor’s office in Lambton. I ensured that the girl had a dowry to make her securing a decent man easier.”

  Darcy walked into the room, closing the door behind him. “Has something happened? Lizzy, are you well?”

  “I am, William, though I have met someone who I would prefer to never have to deal with again.” Elizabeth stated as Darcy came to sit in the chair that he pulled up next to her area of the sofa.

  Looking first at Elizabeth, who could not raise her eyes to meet his, then to his mother, he begged with his eyes for an answer.

  Lady Anne decided that she should tell her son the news. “It appears that the militia has a new lieutenant. George Wickham was introduced to Lizzy when she was in Meryton today. He began telling his tale of how you have wronged him, even before he knew of the connection between you and Lizzy.”

  Darcy stood and walked to the window, attempting to control his emotions. Elizabeth had seen him do this enough; she realized that he needed a moment to collect himself. When he turned around, his eyes showed the depth of pain that he was feeling. He returned to his chair, taking hold of Elizabeth’s hands in his own. “My dearest Lizzy, forgive me for having to speak of these matters, but it is vital that you know them for your own safety.”

  “Your mother has already explained the type of man that Mr Wickham is; his… treatment… of women and the many children he has fathered by ruining women.”

  “Mother has first-hand knowledge of how he has behaved, with Maggie’s sister being an example. When we were in school, there were many times that I would return to our rooms to find him bedding a maid or some girl from the neighborhoo
d.” Taking a deep breath, he continued, keeping his gaze on her hands rather than her face. “A school mate introduced me to his sister, Christina. She was a pretty young girl, who spoke sweetly to me and, I thought, took a great deal of interest in me. It was my first experience in meeting a young lady of the Ton, and it was obvious that she was much like the other young ladies I have met in society since. But her sweet words were a balm on my shy personality. Needless to say, when I discovered her in Wickham’s bed in our dorm rooms, I was crushed. Wickham knew of my interest in Christina, and he took great joy in ruining her. We learned that she was with child, and later, while giving birth, she died. Her brother never recovered from the incident, the pain drove him to take his own life.”