Page 46 of Master of Himself

This reminded Darcy of the letter he intended to write to his cousin, which must also go out in the next post. Richard would be furious that Wickham had resurfaced so soon after the Ramsgate incident.

But Henry was right about one thing; Wickham must have come to point non-plus in town to have settled for the militia. Did he hope to take advantage of his anonymity here in Hertfordshire? Would he pass himself off as a dutiful soldier, honourably serving the King and defending the homeland? Would he attempt to make himself agreeable to Elizabeth?

Not if Darcy had anything to say about it.

Chapter 16

Tuesday Evening

Thanks to Darcy, Charles’s plan to see Jane Bennet had been ruined. He had scarcely spent two minutes in her company before Darcy had dashed off. At least she had pleasantly greeted his twin, which gave him some hope that she still regarded him favourably.

Not that he could entirely blame Darcy for this latest turn of events. If that Wickham fellow hadn’t come to Meryton, they would have had a delightful morning. But now, as if he didn’t have enough to worry about, a new threat had emerged. With Darcy’s childhood friend in the neighbourhood, the risk of exposure was greater than ever. He needed to be even more cautious.

The still greater danger was that the cad would make himself agreeable to Caroline. With a dowry of twenty thousand pound, a fortune hunter like Wickham would find her irresistible. At least she knew of his sordid past and wouldn’t fall prey to him.

“I can well imagine what has you in such a blue mood, Mr Darcy.”

Caroline’s comment brought Charles back to his senses. He was supposed to be playing whist, but he had allowed his mind to wander.

“You were thinking of your dear sister and wish to be reunited with her,” she said with a knowing smile.

At least she had been half right; he had, indeed, been thinking of his sister. “I suspect she is busy with her studies,” he said, rearranging his cards.

“I never knew a more diligent student with such natural talent,” she said.

The last thing he wanted to do was encourage another lengthy commentary about Miss Darcy. He put down his cards and retreated from the table. “I’m in no mood for cards tonight.”

“Nor am I,” Darcy said, coming to his defence. “Perhaps you might favour us with some music, Caroline.”

When Caroline glanced expectantly at Charles, as though seeking his approval, he gave her a curt nod and turned away.

How infuriating that, even in Charles’s household, Darcy’s preference took precedence over his own. Now cast further into gloom, he took up the newspaper and lamented the injustice of his position. No man had ever been treated so unjustly.

Perhaps he ought to be glad. At least now as Darcy’s twin, he was truly master of Netherfield. He ought to use this change in circumstances to his best advantage and arrange matters just as he chose. Since Caroline always deferred to Darcy’s wishes, he would decide what was served at meals, whether they played whist or piquet in the evenings, and which neighbours to call on.

Although, after stewing on the last matter for a few minutes, he thought better of venturing too far from the house. His recent performances had not gone particularly well. Impersonating Darcy in public had certain pitfalls that he hadn’t fully anticipated. He might look like Darcy, but his behaviour was never guarded or irritable. Perhaps he ought to confine his preferences to household matters, and, he thought with wicked delight, scowl more frequently.

***

Wednesday 20 November

Finding it impossible to do otherwise, Darcy set out for the Longbourn grove early that morning. He had to warn Elizabeth of the danger Wickham presented to her. This noble endeavour allowed him to disregard the impropriety of meeting an unaccompanied woman, especially one who had thoroughly captured his imagination. How he would explain a second visit was not quite as easy to justify, especially since the world perceived him as Charles Bingley.

“Good morning, Mr Bingley,” Elizabeth said, peering behind Darcy. “Are you alone again?”

Darcy hesitated. He knew he ought not to have come, but what else could he do? With Wickham on the prowl, he was now at his wits’ end. “I came to see you, Miss Elizabeth.”

She started at this, then glanced over her shoulder at the house.

“It may seem quite unusual, but I must speak with you.” He dared not to confess that he had missed seeing her every day.

“I must admit that I don’t fully understand. You’ve paid most of your attention to my sister,” she said, her brow creased with worry.

Naturally, she would have no reason to believe he wished only for her company. “I hope I may rely on your discretion.”

Her eyes narrowed as though in suspicion. “I’m not in the habit of keeping secrets from Jane, Mr Bingley.”

“That’s the problem. I’m not—” Catching himself about to make a disastrous mistake, he paced and wondered how best to proceed.