“Call tomorrow, and I will see what I can do for you.”
Darcy said no more but turned to go back to his waiting cab.A sense of satisfaction rested on his face.
Darcy came again to Edward Street. Mrs.Younge’s information was not easy to come by, but for a promise of no visits from the constable and thirty shillings as a bonus, the woman provided Darcy with an address for George Wickham. He took the public carriage again today, and he gave the driver the address. “Are you sure, Sir, you want to go to this place?”The driver looked confused.“I beg your pardon, Sir, but a man of your obvious standing would not regularly be found there.” Darcy just nodded to the driver as a sign of his determination to go. Inside the carriage, Darcy’s contempt for the situation he must enter nearly made him tell the driver to turnaround, but the memory of the misery found on Elizabeth’s face forced him to push onward. He discovered George Wickham let a room above a tavern on a bustling, inner city street frequented by a diverse clientele. Having already asked the proprietor for a private table, a bottle of brandy, and two glasses, he paid the man extra to tell Mr.Wickham that Mr. Darcy waited on him in the tavern.
In a matter of minutes, George Wickham strolled into the public room. “Well, Darcy, what a happy occasion this must be to bring us together again.”
“Have a seat, Mr.Wickham.” His reply had the intonation of a command rather than a request.
Wickham slid casually into the seat. “May I?” he indicated the brandy. Darcy did not break his stare, nor did he verbally respond, but Wickham poured himself two fingers of brandy from the decanter, tossed it off, and quickly poured another before he turned back to his former friend. “I seriously doubt this to be a pleasure call, but I am confused as to why of all people you are here, Darcy.”
“I have come for the girl, Mr.Wickham.”
“What girl? Can you not get your own girl, Darcy? With all your money, do you need my help in finding a girl?” Wickham snickered at his attempt at humor.
“I have come to see Lydia Bennet.” Darcy’s voice led Wickham to realize he meant business.
“Oh, her!You are welcome to her; she has lost her usefulness, if you know what I mean,”Wickham sneered.
Darcy flexed and released his fists several times under the table, but he never flinched although Wickham’s words disgusted him. “Then I am to assume you have no intention of marrying Miss Lydia.” He measured each word carefully.
“Why would I want to marry such a silly girl as is Lydia?” Darcy’s contempt grew by the second, but he kept his anger in check. Wickham had no intention of doing the honest thing by Lydia Bennet; that much was guaranteed.
“May I see the girl?”
“Of course,” Wickham replied, “once you tell me how you became involved in this matter.Why is the great Fitzwilliam Darcy here in this place asking about an insignificant girl like Lydia Bennet? Do you fancy her for yourself? No, she is not the type for you, but I cannot figure your connection.”
Darcy hoped the story he hadpracticedwould be believable although it possessed holes in it. If Wickham knew Darcy’s real motivation,Wickham would use it against him.“During my stay in Hertfordshire, I became intimate with Mr. Bennet; we share common interests—love of the land and, of course, books. His cousin upon whom Longbourn is entailed is my aunt’s cleric, a man whom she respects. My connection to you was known by your own words to anyone in Hertfordshire who would listen. All of these factors led Mr. Bennet to swallow his pride and to ask for help in this matter. He has no sons to aid him, and he is not familiar with London. I am the logical person. Mr. Bennet simply wants a resolution to this matter.”
“I am not sure I totally believe you, Darcy,” Wickham began, “but I will send the girl to talk to you.”
Darcy commanded, “We will need to speak again after I have time with Miss Lydia.”
Wickham said nothing, but one could easily tell he enjoyed the drama of Darcy’s request. He left the table, and Lydia Bennet shortly replaced him. She flounced to the table like a spoiled child being sent to stand in a corner. “Mr. Darcy,” she did not even make him the courtesy of a bow, “my dear Wickham says you wish to speak to me, Sir.”
“Please have a seat, Miss Lydia.” He tried to use the voice he used to use with Georgiana when she did not want to practice her music or to complete her studies. Lydia sat down, but she tried to let him know by her actions she did not do so willingly. “Miss Lydia, I have been asked to bring you back to the safety of your family,” he began softly.
“Why, Lordy, would anyone in my family ask you to do any such thing?You snubbed Lizzy; no one there likes you.” Her words stung Darcy’s pride, but he relied on the restraint of his emotions before; he did so now.
“Your family and friends are concerned for you, Miss Lydia. A person would turn to the Devil for help in order to bring a loved one home. I am far from being the Devil even in your sister’s estimation. My connection to Mr.Wickham made me a logical choice for this task.”
Luckily, Lydia Bennet’s shallowness kept her from seeing through this deceit, but her shallowness also made her immovable. No matter what Darcy offered as a logical reason for her leaving, Lydia Bennet’s determination remained with Wickham. She wanted nothing to do with “boring old Longbourn” or with “sisters who never wanted to do anything that was fun.” She believed Wickham planned to marry her as soon as his “luck” changed, and they got a little cash flow. She wanted nothing to do with any of her “so-called” friends. Lydia Bennet could not be persuaded to leave; that meant Darcy would have tobreakWickham’s resolve.
When Wickham returned to the table, he helped himself to another drink before he addressed Darcy’s demand. “So, the girl prefers me to you, it seems,” he started.“I guess I win this battle.”
“The girl expects you to marry her,” Darcy’s voice had not changed since he began this ordeal. “I realize you must be in dire straits or else you would not be here, Mr. Wickham.”
“I do not know where she got the idea we would marry,” he protested.“I promise I never made such overtures.”
“Your promises are well known, Mr. Wickham.” Darcy wanted to deal with him physically, but he continued what he started. “I am not the betting man who you are known to be, but I would think it to be a sure bet you left Brighton because your debts were coming due. Miss Lydia probably had some ready cash—at least, enough to get you this far.Am I getting close?”
“As far as Lydia is concerned, it was her choice to come along. I offered her no encouragement,” Wickham swore. “I will admit to being short of cash, however.”
“As I suspected,” Darcy stated. “Mr. Bennet is not a rich man, Mr.Wickham, but I am sure he would bestow something suitable on Lydia upon her marriage.”
“I would prefer a woman with a larger purse, if you do not mind.”
“It is not as if an heiress is likely to find you in thisfineestablishment; now is it, Mr.Wickham? At my count, you lost the last two with whom you tried to make an alliance. A man should seriously consider his options.”
