Page 29 of Midnight at Pemberley

“I cannot believe you speak so lightheartedly about this wickedness,” she challenged.

Darcy’s face reddened from a mix of anger and regret. “You are mistaken if you think I find no horror, but I have lived with it longer than you. It has been my existence. Forgive me if I am aware that evil corrupts absolutely.”

“So, we cannot go to the authorities. What do we do, then?” she asked in tones of resignation.

“First, I must lure Wickham from the area. He customarily seeks out easy victims. He chooses very vulnerable targets. Rarely does Wickham select a woman of circumstance. If he did, he might draw more notice from the local law officers. In most small villages and towns, the law is incompetent, at best. By the time someone makes a connection, he is gone.”

“That does not make these women not worth saving!” she protested. Her eyes widened in vexation.

He spoke coldly. “I never meant to imply otherwise.”

“Did Wickham kill Vivian Piccadilly?” she demanded.

Darcy spoke unguardedly. “I always assumed he was the perpetrator. Miss Piccadilly’s body was found close to a stream. Her father was devastated by the condition in which he discovered her. I felt the shame of my part in the man’s pain.”

“Your part?” Elizabeth seized upon the words. “What part did you play in Vivian’s death?”

He avoided a response. “Does it matter?”

“It matters to me, William.” Elizabeth stood, staring at him as if seeing him for the first time.

“If I tell you, you will turn from me.”

Suddenly, she saw things in a sharper focus. She recalled her aunt’s description of Vivian’s body. In a voice of resigned contempt, she said, “You prevent Wickham’s victims from following him, do you not?”

“The only means I know to stop them from becoming Wickham’s followers is to break the connection between the body and the soul. I permit the soul to make its way to Heaven, rather than to dwell in Hell.”

“How can you do such a thing?” she gasped.

“It is the most responsible thing I do. I offer prayers of redemption for the victim’s soul and forgiveness for mine, and then I do what must be done.” His eyes were dark with anger at the injustice.

A frown creased across her forehead. “Did you do the responsible thing today?” she whispered.

“It is done.”

“Oh, William!” She collapsed onto the seat beside him and took his hand in hers. Unsurprisingly, he required as much comfort as she. “You have been placed in an unwritten tragedy. It is no wonder you withdraw from society.” Her slim, strong fingers intertwined with his.

“I did not succeed where you are concerned, Vixen.”

“You simply prefer a challenge, Mr. Darcy.”

“I suppose you are correct. I want what I cannot have.”

Taking to heart her role in this mad situation, Elizabeth demanded, “Explain to me what you plan to do.”

Darcy summarized his plans for the next few days. “I will come to you tonight. Tomorrow, we put in place at Longbourn some supposed deterrents to vampires. We will decorate the sashes of all the windows with garlands containing cloves of garlic, work iron crosses or bars at each door, and a few other such ornamentations. I will ask you to do so without raising the attention of your family members. We must be careful. Wickham cannot cross the threshold of any house unless invited to do so. As your sister already invited Wickham to Longbourn, we require stronger deterrents than customary.”

“I will see to it,” Elizabeth said in a businesslike tone.

“I suspect,” Darcy continued, “Mr. Wickham will call upon you soon.”

Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide with surprise. “He would not!”

“He will, Elizabeth, and you will respond graciously to his concern for your well-being. It will become common knowledge that Mr. Bingley and I found you, and the three of us discovered the body. Mr. Wickham will want to know how you feel about me after this incident. With your words and your actions, you must convince him that although you appreciate my gentlemanly behavior towards you, your feelings have not altered. I am still the man who cut you at the assembly.”

“I doubt I can feign those feelings,” she asserted.

“You will do the responsible thing, Elizabeth, because what you do will affect your family and many others.” Darcy watched as realization crossed her features before he continued. “Bingley plans a ball at Netherfield in less than a week. I cannot leave before then without severely disappointing him. Meanwhile, I will convince Colonel Forster to send Wickham to London for several days. After the ball, I will return to Pemberley. Hopefully, Wickham will follow. He is not likely to stay in the military, for it has too many regulations. I cannot imagine why he places himself in a situation where he is constantly watched and supervised.”