Before Elizabeth could respond, “Not at all,” or far less politely, “Not on your life,” Mrs. Hammond replied, “Yes, I believe it will do very well.”
As soon as the men were gone and the door closed, Elizabeth huffed, “Mrs. Olivia Hammond, whatever are you about?”
“Pshaw, I am merely an old woman. I am about nothing at all.”
Olivia Hammond was eighty-two years young with a bold zest for living that equaled Elizabeth’s. Before her widowhood, she sailed with her husband, a sea captain, to places Elizabeth only dreamed of. From her youth, Elizabeth spent time with Mrs. Hammond every week. The two were the best of friends.
“Do not say so, for I know you far too well.” Elizabeth busied herself emptying the basket since Hannah, the girl who helped Mrs. Hammond in the mornings, was already gone. “If half the men in the War Department were as crafty as you, the conflict with France would have ended years ago. Napoleon would shake in his boots if he knew you.”
“Crafty? Not at all. I say, who are those gentlemen, how well do you know them, and why have I heard nothing from you about either man?”
Elizabeth studied the widow.Was she trying to make a match, or was she trying to make new acquaintances?Whatever the case, she replied, “The man carrying the basketis Mr. Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire and Darcy House in London. Currently, he is a guest of Mr. Bingley at Netherfield Park. He arrived approximately one month ago. Since I was taught not to say anything at all if I could not speak well of someone, I did not tell you about him. Our initial introduction did not go well. As we both just learned, Colonel Fitzwilliam is his cousin.”
“And who has caught your eye?”
Emphatically, Elizabeth stated, “Neither!”
Mrs. Hammond chuckled. “Elizabeth Bennet, you dare to tease me? What I noticed was not one, but two handsome men who appear to be wealthy and possibly unattached. I suspect that the one who came to your aid could not say if my hair was black or white since his eyes rested only on you. The other had a ready smile, though it appears that a natural reticence or the lack of introduction kept him on his horse. He would be welcomed in most parlors as he is a relative of Mr. Darcy and a colonel.” She tutted. “Miss Lizzy, if I were your age with such fine ankles and shapely legs, I would—”
“Mrs. Hammond! You were at the window?” Chagrined, she wondered again exactly how much Mr. Darcy and his cousin saw. Running her hands down her skirt, despite the fact that it was far too late, Elizabeth made certain that her hems were precisely where they should be.
“I might have been, for there have been such goings-on with the regiment here. They are quite noisy when they pass by my house on the way to and from their camp. I fear they are not as they appear, honorable men desiring to aid their fellow man.”
Elizabeth paused, a jar of soup in one hand and a piece of cook’s favorite cake in the other. “For as long as I can recall, we have never had so many officers in Meryton. With the arrival of the militia, it seems we are surrounded.”
Mrs. Hammond agreed. “Certainly, none in the militia here are so finely dressed as the colonel. Why, I have not seen the like since Captain Hammond and I sailed from Port Royal in the year ’68. In Jamaica, the officers dressed formally despite the heat and humidity. I do wonder why Colonel Fitzwilliam is here and how the two gentlemen get on. Not all cousins are alike, you know. Nor do they always do well together. Why, my only cousin Mildred was as quiet as a little mouse. Never would she have boarded her husband’s ship as I did. She made several attempts to discourage me from the match. As far as the two gentlemen go, I am curious, that is all.”
“In this, you are not alone.” Elizabeth set the rest of the items from the basket on the table. “The colonel was not at the assembly where we first were introduced to the party from Netherfield Park. Nor was he at any other gatherings. I cannot imagine that he is in Hertfordshire for official military business.”
Mrs. Hammond set the empty basket aside. “Do you think he is associated in some way with the militia who have been in Meryton for a mere four days? They are social beasts.”
“Why would you say so?” Elizabeth asked. “Although the majority are rank and file, the officers I have met have been jovial and charming. I would hardly describe Captain Carter, Mr. Chamberlayne, and Mr. Denny as vicious wolves.”
Mrs. Hammond’s spine stiffened. “I fear you will not like my reply at all. You see, I understand that quite a few of those officers were gathered at your aunt Philips’s house last evening. The noise they made as they returned through the village was enough to wake the dead. I will tell you, Miss Lizzy, stay away from them. They may look appealing in their fine red uniforms with their lofty plan to protect us from the French, but the ribald comments I heard from them were disrespectful of our ladies, especially your younger sisters. You had best speak to your Papaabout keeping Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia inside. They are far too trusting to be around men who are not.”
Elizabeth’s hand flew to her chest. “Mrs. Hammond, how can you say this? Several times, my sisters and I have encountered the officers, and they have been nothing but gentlemanly toward us.” Elizabeth paused. “Yet, if what you say is so, and I have no reason to doubt you, I cannot imagine someone as pleasant as, say, Mr. Wickham approving of the conduct of his peers. He recently joined the militia, likely unaware of the sort of men with whom he would associate. Yes, he was gathered with other officers at Aunt’s house. We were there for only a short time before the weather drove us home. His conduct was nothing less than proper.”
Mrs. Hammond’s face was a study in earnestness. Her eyes were sharp as they looked directly at her. “Mr. Wickham? Is he a favorite of yours?”
Elizabeth considered her question carefully. She had complete confidence that Mrs. Hammond would not share anything she said with others. No, her questions were to satisfy her curiosity, nothing more.
“No, I would not say he was. Last evening, he trusted me with a report of Mr. Darcy’s misconduct. I will confess that the bad I knew of Mr. Darcy paled when the full truth of the master of Pemberley’s misdeeds was known. Apparently, he went against the desires of his father by robbing Mr. Wickham of a promised living three years prior. When I asked why Mr. Darcy was not taken to court to enforce the inheritance, Mr. Wickham clarified that the portion of the late Mr. Darcy’s will where his entitlement was written was ambiguous. Otherwise, Mr. Wickham would have pursued the matter legally.”
Mrs. Hammond stirred a small amount of honey into her tea. “Could this be true?” Seating herself in the chair closest to the fireplace, she said, “Great men have many experts in therules of inheritance at their disposal who are well-versed in the law. To be casual or unclear about an asset must be unusual, I imagine, since gentlemen, especially with a large estate intended for future generations, would be particularly careful in leaving enough instructions so their wishes were carried out to the letter.” She set the spoon on the table next to her. “I am wondering why Mr. Wickham is certain that he had the right to the position. Did he mention if he had the offer in writing?”
The doubt creeping in made Elizabeth uncomfortable. “He told me that he grew up at Mr. Darcy’s estate as the godson of the elder Mr. Darcy, who provided him with a gentleman’s education. His opinion was that Mr. Darcy’s father enjoyed the company of Mr. Wickham far more than he did his morose son.”
“I see,” Mrs. Hammond mused. “It is odd, is it not? Mr. Darcy left clear enough instructions for his heir, who looks to be not yet thirty, to inherit a massive estate with all its holdings, yet he did not make it clear about this one living? Livings are valuable and particularly important to a property since the chosen one would provide spiritual guidance to those occupying the land. I read the circulating papers, Miss Lizzy, and have for years. I have heard of the Darcys of Pemberley in Derbyshire. Their assets are reputed to be some of the grandest in all of England. Had there been an inkling of a loophole where poor legal rhetoric would have questioned the veracity of Mr. Darcy’s inheritance, there would have been an uproar from the abundance of claims against the estate. Do you not agree? To be the master of Pemberley would be the ultimate dream for most men.”
“I suppose.” She barely kept from squirming in place.Why had she so easily accepted Mr. Wickham’s narrative without questioning it as Mrs. Hammond did? The facts were obvious. And she considered herself clever!
Mrs. Hammond continued. “Additionally, I wonder why he shared private information with you, an almost stranger to him.What was his purpose? What did he hope to gain? Especially since Mr. Darcy was not there to come to his own defense.”
Hesitating, Elizabeth admitted, “I do not know.”
“Another thing to consider is why an educated man is in the militia instead of being settled in a career. Because of the Darcy family, Mr. Wickham could have pursued the law, fighting his own battle in court. Or he was in a position to qualify for another living in the church. Even had the military been his goal, his education would have merited an increase in rank or a place in the regulars. Do think about this, Miss Lizzy. Could it be that Mr. Wickham wasted the investment Mr. Darcy’s father made in the young man? Providing a gentleman’s education is expensive.”
Elizabeth sputtered as Mrs. Hammond’s words trickled past her quick judgments. She, who prided herself on making accurate first impressions, had not thought the matter through.Confound it all!She closed her eyes momentarily, wondering why in the worldshehad not come up with the same questions.
