Page 31

“The very same,” Darcy confirmed as he urged Zeus forward into a canter.

“I am sure you have your reasons for not wanting to be in his company, so I will not try and force a confidence,” Bingley responded. He remembered something. “I just told Miss Lydia that I will invite the officers to the ball. I will not do so if you prefer.”

“Do not exclude them for me. If I know Wickham, he will find a reason to keep away. He knows to keep his distance from me,” Darcy revealed.

Darcy was disappointed that he and Bingley were on their way back to Netherfield Park. That meant that he would have to be in company with the cloying Miss Bingley. At that thought, Darcy decided that if her fawning got to be too much, he would simply cry fatigue and go rest. Even though he would never gratify a compromise, Darcy had Carstens—his valet—sleeping on a cot in front of the door from the hallway into his chambers.

For the remainder of the short ride, the two friends did not speak.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

As William Collins watched Mr Wickham, he saw that the man was wearing a gentleman’s mask, yet he suspected he was anything but. The reaction of both men, his patroness’s cousin and the soon-to-be lieutenant, told him that the latter was not a man to be trusted. It was only when Mr Darcy—thanks to Cousin Jane mentioning his name William knew the name of the man—did not approach and turned away that the Wickham fellow had recovered his equanimity.

Add to that, William had heard both Miss de Bourgh and Colonel Fitzwilliam speak about Mr Darcy as one of the most honourable men they had met, socially inept but a good man.

Cousin Lydia’s voice broke through William’s thoughts.

“You must all come to my Aunt Hattie’s, Mrs Phillips’s, card party on the morrow,” Lydia invited.

“Lydia!” The three eldest Bennet sisters chorused again.

The three eldest Bennet chits’ reaction to the youngest’s invitation stopped Wickham accepting for himself and the other officers.

“You may not issue an invitation to Aunt Hattie’s house without her say so,” Elizabeth chastised.

“Why do you try to spoil my fun?” Lydia demanded as she stamped her walking boot.

Wickham saw a way to ingratiate himself with the delectable Miss Elizabeth. “I am afraid, Miss Lydia, that Miss Elizabeth has the right of it. We cannot accept an invitation without it being issued by the mistress of the house.”

Seeing that she did not give a fig about the rules of society which Mamma said made no sense, Lydia was not pleased that Mr Wickham contradicted her. She saw her aunt approaching them. “Aunt Hattie, you will invite these four officers to the card party you are having on the morrow, will you not?” Lydia requested.

“I only see three officers, but they are welcome,” Hattie agreed.

“Mr Wickham will be a member of the regiment within the hour,” Denny related. “He will be in uniform before we attend your house, Mrs Phillips.”

“Then, it is settled.” Lydia clapped her hand. “We will see you there.”

“I apologise for having to leave you, but I must take Wickham here to meet with the colonel so he will be able to gain his commission,” Denny said with a bow.

“Did I not read that the Lord Lieutenant of each county appoints the officers to the county’s militia? Or did I err?” William Collins asked innocently. He had seen that the Wickham fellow had been about to ignore decorum and accept Miss Lydia’s improper invitation, and he had changed his mind when he heard what Cousin Elizabeth said. It was almost as if the man wanted to impress his cousin. William had no clue as to why, but he was resolved to watch the man carefully whenever they were in company together.

“Your understanding is true,” Pratt responded. “It is within the Lord Lieutenant’s discretion to allow the commander of each regiment to grant a certain number of commissions if, like in our regiment’s case, there is a shortage of officers.”

“I thank you for your detailed reply.” William bowed to the lieutenant.

With that, the officers bowed and then walked towards Colonel Forster’s office in the house he was renting while in Meryton.

“Cousin, why did you question that handsome Mr Wickham’s honour?” Lydia screeched as soon as the officers had walked away. “That was not well done. You are just jealous that he is so handsome and will soon be wearing a scarlet coat.”

“Lydia Frances Bennet, that was very impolite of you,” Elizabeth admonished.

William inclined his head in thanks for Cousin Elizabeth’s defence. “Cousin Lydia, I did not question Mr Wickham’s anything. I asked a general question of the three officers based on something I read. I could not ask Mr Wickham, as he is not yet an officer and may not know.” William allowed the child, who should not be out of the schoolroom, never mind allowed to roam freely in society, time to consider his reply.

As soon as Lydia realised her cousin was correct, she shrugged her shoulders and went on to chatter with Kitty and Aunt Hattie, without issuing an apology to the parson.

After a little while Hattie took her leave of her nieces and their cousin—Jane had made the introduction—and made for her house.

The five Bennet sisters and Collins walked back towards Longbourn, much to Mary’s pleasure in the same groupings as they had walked to the town.