“Tell me something I do not know,” Darcy sallied. “I have been sitting here contemplating absconding with Elizabeth to go to Scotland. I think Bingley will marry her elder sister, but I am not certain he will stay if Wickham does manage to ruin one of the other girls. I do not know how much to say to him, as I do not want any of this getting back to his sisters.”
“Bennet thinks you are a cad and that Wickham would be a fool to remain nearby,” Fitzwilliam replied. “He does not understand the lengths Wickham will go to get his revenge on you, and the Bennet girls presently appear the best way to do it. How did you manage your tasks after leaving your fair maiden?”
“Phillips is sending an express to her uncle Gardiner informing him of our concerns about the girls. Phillips does not believe Bennet will be able to be worked on, and until he is proven wrong, he will stubbornly persist as he is. However, it could be too late at that point, and one of the girls could be ruined, if not seriously harmed. I expect four or five men to arrive before noon tomorrow to protect them. Did Bennet at least agree to the militia guarding his home?”
“He did,” Fitzwilliam replied, and Darcy sighed in relief.
“At least he allowed that concession to his daughters’ safety, even if he will not act to protect them,” Darcy replied. “I hope to be able to speak to Elizabeth soon or will write her a note telling her of what we have arranged. As soon as possible, I will have a man waiting at the kitchen door each morning to escort Elizabeth to Oakham Mount so we can speak in greater privacy.”
Chapter Eighteen
It rained much of that week, so Elizabeth and Darcy had only a few opportunities to speak, and the girls remained confined to the house. One of the men hired by Darcy had slipped Elizabeth a note each morning, which she exchanged with one of her own, but for days, that was the most contact they had with each other. Through these notes, Darcy kept Elizabeth apprised of the search for Wickham and reassured her of his love for her.
The sun finally cleared on Saturday afternoon but it was too late for Elizabeth and Darcy to arrange a meeting. Therefore, the first time they had a chance to see each other was at church on Sunday. Darcy managed to slip Elizabeth a note, unobserved by everyone except Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was standing guard to ensure they would not be seen. After squeezing her hand, they separated, she to her carriage and he to his.
“Who was the man with Mr. Darcy?” Lydia asked as soon as she entered the carriage. “He was not as handsome as Mr. Wickham, but from his insignia, I believe he is a colonel in the Regulars. Is he the one that visited you Monday, Papa?”
“What!” that man demanded. “Were Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam at today’s service? I did not see them and cannot imagine why they would be there or even still in Hertfordshire. None of you girls are to have anything to do with either of those men, do you understand me? I wish they would return to London permanently.” This last was said in a near growl, surprising everyone with him in the carriage. He fixed his two youngest girls with a hard look before glaring at Elizabeth.
Kitty and Lydia looked taken aback, but nodded and chorused, “Yes, sir.”
Undeterred, Elizabeth stubbornly glared back. Her father was the first to break eye contact.
“Mr. Wickham escaped from the gaol Monday,” her mother exclaimed, oblivious to the undercurrents in the carriage and her husband’s statement. “They say he had promised marriage to three different girls, all under sixteen, and already had acquired debts in nearly every shop in town. There are other girls he did ruin. He had scarcely been in town a month and was already nearly fifteen pounds in debt, far more than he would have made as a mere lieutenant in the militia, which is one of the reasons the militia members were denied any further credit. I am glad he did not attempt to engage himself to one of my daughters as they say he only promised marriage as a way to obtain favours from the girls. Girls, you must remember that not all members of the militia are good men, and if any promise marriage without first approaching your father, you are to refuse them. Eloping may sound like good fun, but truly, any man who will not approach your father to ask properly is a rake and a cad, and you should avoid such unsavoury men.”
All five of her daughters looked at the matron in shock. Elizabeth and Jane because they had never heard such wisdom comefrom their mother, Mary because of the mention of “favours” and “elopement”—such scandalous ideas—and Kitty and Lydia because it went so much against what their mother usually said. Since the militia had arrived, their mama had only spoken of how wonderful it would be to be married to a man in uniform, but now she was advising them to be wary of the gentlemen.
“Surely Mr. Wickham could not have been so terrible,” Lydia attempted to defend her favourite.
“He was, Lyddie,” her mother responded. “I have not told you the worst of it, what is not for a maiden’s ears. Suffice it to say, he is a most undeserving man, and you should be cautious. Mr. Bennet, Colonel Forster paid a call on you earlier this week, did he not? Did he tell you the news of Wickham’s escape?”
“He did and suggested he may not have gone far. All my daughters should take care when leaving the house until he is caught. It seems unlikely that the man would not have gone as far away as he could, since only a fool would remain nearby where he would be much more easily caught,” he insisted.
“Why did you not say something sooner, Papa?” Kitty asked.
“I did not see any point,” he admitted. “I cannot fathom an escaped prisoner remaining nearby when people are looking for him. I admit I did not speak to this Mr. Wickham very often but cannot imagine him being so unintelligent as to stick around where he is being pursued.”
“As many have said before me, ‘angry people are not always wise,’” Elizabeth stated. “The lieutenant was angered by his arrest and holds a grudge against Mr. Darcy and against me. I have been warned to take particular care until he is caught, and it was suggested that my sisters may also be in danger.”
“Why does he hold a grudge against you?” Lydia asked.
“He attempted to take a liberty from me that I was not inclined to give. When he did so, I recalled what Mr. Lucas told me when we were children about protecting myself when a man sought to importune me. It was effective and occurred at nearly the same time Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived at Longbourn. They were able to pull him away from me and were the ones who took him to the gaol. Apparently, he was overheard speaking of his desire for revenge against me. You must not speak of this outside of this carriage, as it could ruin not only my reputation but all of yours. That is why nothing has been said before now, as the gentlemen have so far been able to keep it from being known.”
“Papa, if Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy protected our sister from such an awful man, why have you not invited them to our home? Why have you not mentioned to the rest of us that Mr. Wickham is seeking revenge on Lizzy? This seems like something we need to know, and I cannot imagine why you felt it unimportant.” It was Kitty who asked the question, but all five ladies, other than Elizabeth, turned questioning eyes on the gentleman.
“As I said, I doubted the veracity of the claim. And as far as not welcoming Mr. Darcy into my home, I have my reasons and do not need to explain those to any of you. Since Colonel Fitzwilliam is his cousin, he is likewise unwelcome.”
“Is Mr. Darcy a rake, Papa?” Lydia asked.
“I believe he is,” he replied at the same time Elizabeth cried, “Of course not!”
The same five pairs of eyes that had been staring at their father turned toward Elizabeth. Again, it was Kitty who asked the question they were all thinking. “I thought you did not like Mr. Darcy, Lizzy.”
“Well, the fact that he pulled Mr. Wickham away from me when that man attempted to injure me did much to improve my opinion of him. Besides that, he apologised for the slight at the assembly, and if you did not notice, he danced with me at the Netherfield Ball. We met again in Kent and have become friends. In fact, I am convinced that he is truly the best of men.”
“Ha!” her father cried. “You believe that now because you do not know him well. Your first impression will prove correct, and I do not want to hear another word spoken about Wickham, Darcy, or Fitzwilliam again.”
Elizabeth made to speak, but he cut her off with a stern look. Instead, she glared at him in return which she held long past the point when he looked away.
