Page 47 of Regrets

“Lydia Bennet said that Mr. Wickham had asked to call on her at Longbourn, and so I wondered…”

“No.” His tone was curt.

“No?”

“No, Wickham may not call on you at Netherfield. That is what you were about to ask, was it not?”

Georgiana’s lower lip stuck out. “It is Mr. Bingley’s house, after all, is it not? Mr. Bingley,” she began.

Mr. Bingley put his hands up. “Oh, no, Miss Darcy. Do not put me between yourself and your brother. He is your guardian, not I.”

Georgiana crossed her arms over her chest and sat back, the very picture of feminine disgruntlement. Mr. Darcy only shrugged and went back to looking out the window. Then he realised what Georgiana had said and he turned to look at her. “Wickham is to call on Lydia Bennet?”

“That is what Lydia says, yes; but why should she get –“

He interrupted her. “I should warn Mr. Bennet that Wickham is not to be trusted.”

Georgiana was aggrieved. “This seems most unfair, Brother. I thought you agreed to give him a chance to prove that he has changed.”

“I agreed, yes; but he must be carefully watched until he has proven himself. I would not want Lydia Bennet to become his next victim.”

Georgiana’s hand flew to her mouth. “Victim? Victim! I cannot believe that you think so little of our childhood friend!”

Mr. Darcy shook his head. “All I will say is that he is not to be trusted around young ladies.”

Mr. Darcy longed to tell Georgiana the truth of their so-called childhood friend, but he knew that young ladies should not be made to hear such things, so he bit his lip. What was he to do? How could he protect his young sister when the truth was too terrible for her to hear? He hoped, against all reasonable expectation, that George Wickham truly had changed for the better.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Dorothy had finally decided on the best course of action. She went to Nancy, Miss Bingley’s maid, and said, “I have something that would be of great interest to your mistress.”

“And what might that be?” Nancy snapped.

Dorothy raised an eyebrow. “What is it worth to you?”

“How can I possibly know that in advance?” Nancy countered, irritation in her voice.

Dorothy hesitated. Nancy had been a sweet girl when she had first been hired, but three years in Miss Bingley’s service had made her short-tempered and mean-spirited.

Nancy, seeing Dorothy’s hesitation, said, “I will give you a shilling at least, and then more if your information warrants it.”

“Five shillings,” Dorothy said at once. “And I can promise you that it will be well worth it to your mistress.”

“Very well; but you will be sorry if I do not agree!” Nancy said, threateningly. She turned and dug her reticule out of a drawer and gave Dorothy five shillings. “Go on, then.”

Dorothy reached into her skirt pocket and produced the note. Nancy took it and read it, and her mouth fell open. “Miss Bingley will be livid that her brother did not tell her,” she said.

“But everything grateful to you for having found it out!” Dorothy reminded her.

“Yes, indeed. Well, you were right to bring it to me, Dorothy.”

Dorothy held out her hand and waited. The two women stared at one another for a minute, and finally Nancy’s gaze dropped; she went back to her reticule and produced another five shillings for Dorothy.

Dorothy thanked Nancy graciously, and left the room, smiling to think that she now had ten shillings to send home to her father.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Mr. Darcy was busy with some correspondence that had been forwarded to him from Pemberley, and so it fell to Mr. Bingley to accompany Georgiana to Longbourn. Mr. Bingley did not object in the least, as it gave him another opportunity to sit beside Miss Bennet and enjoy her lovely smiles. He was in danger of entirely losing his heart to her, but he did not regret that at all. She was everything suitable for him!