2,179Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the long hiatus. A few months ago, a series of coincidences got me involved in contributing some news summaries to one of the political parties in my state. Before I knew it, I was working full time on the campaign for the US election held last Tuesday. I felt, and still do, that it was the most consequential election of my life, and it completely consumed my time. That's all I want to say about it, because I don't want a review section full of politics.
As I mentioned in some previous author's notes, I have difficulty writing about Collins, and the chapter that should have been here was no exception. It's finished, but I'm not happy with it, and I wasn't exactly thrilled with the others, so I think I'll just consider the Collins chapters a failed experiment and move on. I'm going to rewrite them (making them much shorter) at some point, but I don't want to make my lovely readers wait even longer for a new chapter than they already have, so I'll do that later, and jump straight to Wickham now. He's much more fun to write.
The three things of importance that happened in the chapter I decided not to post are:
1) Lizzy asked Colonel Fitzwilliam talk to Collins about his personal hygiene, and now the Bennets are more comfortable with the idea of Collins courting Mary
2) the colonel also helped Darcy clarify his feelings for Lizzy
3) Caroline Bingley realized that her efforts to steer Darcy and Lizzy away from each other are not working, so more drastic action must be taken
Warning: Part of this chapter will be told from Wickham's POV, and will contain language that may not be appropriate for children, though it is milder than most movies.
Another Warning: This website has the charming feature of deleting any chapter files that have not been updated for a year, and many of mine are near that deadline. Accordingly, I will be going through the older chapters to do minor corrections based on suggestions from my helpful reviewers, to reset the time bomb. Some readers get notified that a new chapter has posted when an old chapter is updated, so if you get a notification of a new chapter but you don't see one, you can safely assume that you didn't miss anything.
Chapter 35 - Wickham
Longbourn, Hertfordshire, Oct 24, 1811
The sun shone brightly through her window as Elizabeth awakened, and she was happy to see a breeze stirring the branches of the trees in the distance, now rapidly losing their leaves. Between the sun and the breeze, there should be no large puddles to worry about. In fact, it would be perfect for walking, because the roads would not be muddy, but neither would they be so dry that passing horses or carriages raised thick clouds of dust.
She looked forward to walking into town with her sisters after breakfast, to help their aunt Philips set up for the card party she was holding to welcome the newly arrived militia officers. Mrs. Bennet, now informed that Mr. Collins was interested in Mary, was all for the idea, but could not resist giving unwanted advice even for something so mundane, demanding that they all wear bonnets with large brims so that the bright sunshine did not cause freckles.
They set off at a brisk pace, though not quite so brisk as Elizabeth favored, for Mr. Collins had offered to escort Mary. He was not a swift walker, and was soon mopping his brow and puffing due to the surprisingly warm sun. Even Lydia, a sturdy walker but also a hearty eater who was not far from plump, unbuttoned the top of her pelisse as the rays beat down.
As they turned onto the main street, they saw a group of officers standing near the chandlery, and Elizabeth recognized Captain Carter, whom she had met with Kitty and Lydia two weeks earlier, talking with two other officers who had their backs to the sisters. Lydia and Kitty also recognized the captain, but then their eyes widened as the other officers turned to look at them.
One of them was the man they had seen arriving on the London stage with Collins! Lydia had thought at the time that all he lacked was regimentals to be quite the handsomest man she had ever seen, and now he was wearing them. They were tailored to accentuate the taper from shoulders to waist, and he could have served as a recruiting poster.
As Kitty and Lydia whispered furiously to each other, Elizabeth imagined she could hear the gears in their heads whirring as they mentally crossed items off their lists of the minimum income they would require from a handsome husband.
UI
George Wickham, the newest lieutenant in the militia, was enjoying the sun, talking with his new friends Denny and Carter. Carter was facing the street, while Wickham had his back to the street so that he could admire his reflection in a shop window.
Lieutenant Denny was saying, "I could wish we had been stationed in a larger town. I have only seen a handful of young gentlewomen, and none of them were especially pretty."
"I met some very charming sisters a fortnight ago," said Captain Carter. "Three of them, all young and pretty, and they live on an estate only a mile or so away." He looked down the street as motion caught his eye. "And speak of the devil, here they come now!"
Wickham and Denny turned to look, and were very pleased with what they saw.
As the Bennet sisters drew closer, Carter said in a low voice, "Great God, there are two more of them, and that tall blonde could give a rise to a dead man! The short, dark-haired one is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and I believe that she recognizes me."
He smiled and bowed as the ladies drew near. "Miss Bennet, how delightful to see you again. Might I dare to hope that you remember me?"
"Captain Carter, well met," said Elizabeth with a smile and curtsy as the ladies stopped in front of the officers. "But as my elder sister is now present, it is she whom you must address as Miss Bennet. Please allow me to introduce you to my other sisters, and my cousin."
What a tasty batch of quim, Wickham thought, as the brunette performed the introductions. She was indeed very pretty, and had intelligent eyes. Her elder sister was nothing short of stunning, her youngest was extremely voluptuous, and the next youngest was pretty by any standard. There was nothing much wrong with even the middle sister, though she was certainly on a tier below the others. But that was irrelevant, for she was holding the arm of that smelly wad with whom he had been forced to share the coach from London the other day. A clergyman, he recalled. He must be attached to this Miss Mary in some way. He wished them joy, for he would have his hands full, literally, with the other four sisters.
He had tentative plans of approach for all of them within two minutes. Over ten years from his first fumbling attempts at seduction, he now considered himself a master of the craft. To bed four pretty maidens from the same family would be a tale that might buy him dinners for years. He paid close attention to their names, for a woman was flattered when a man remembered her name after hearing it only once.
To Miss Jane Bennet, the stunning one, he showed only polite acknowledgement. He knew that she would be used to men fawning over her beautiful face, so he made it a point not to linger on it. Instead, he would treat her indifferently until he could contrive an opportunity for an extended conversation, and then pretend to be pleasantly surprised by her intelligence and wit. Beautiful women always wanted to be appreciated for something other than their looks. He hoped that she might even have something interesting to say, but he doubted it.
Miss Elizabeth, the one with the intelligent eyes, looked as though her conversation might be more interesting. And her face and figure were all a man could ask for - while he knew that most men would favor her blonde goddess of a sister, he preferred women with dark hair. He noticed that as soon as she had introduced her sisters, she faded back and left the conversation to the others, as if she did not want to be seen next to the sister who eclipsed her in beauty lest she suffer by comparison. This type was always easy to bed. A woman with a more beautiful sister was used to being the second choice, ending up with the less handsome man, becoming jealous of the attention not being paid to her. Though she might deny it even to herself, she would take great satisfaction in showing up her sister when this time, the most handsome man in town (if he said so himself) paid his attentions to her. And that, in turn, would make the blonde jealous, for all she might pretend that she did not want to be admired for her beauty. She would not be used to a lack of interest from a handsome man, and she would take steps to remedy that situation. It had happened many times before, to his benefit.
Miss Catherine and Miss Lydia appeared to have a similar dynamic. Miss Lydia must get a great deal of attention due to her generous bosom, and Miss Catherine would be jealous of that, so the same strategy would work with those two sisters. And Miss Lydia had not only a balcony suitable for Shakespeare, but the boldest eyes he had seen in a gentlewoman, with Miss Catherine not far behind. The question with them was not whether he could seduce them, but whether he could prevent it from happening too quickly, for he had the impression that they would not be able to keep it a secret, and that would not help his chances with the others. Best to save them for last.
Might he even manage to bed them both at once? The thought was very stimulating, and he decided to sneak another look at Miss Lydia's bosom just as a sudden gust of wind caused her to quickly reach up to prevent her bonnet from being blown off. He saw the thin muslin fabric of her dress, visible through the unbuttoned top of her pelisse, strain against those big pillows, and imagined how they would look unbound. Simply mouth-watering. He suddenly realized that he was leering and quickly looked around to see whether anyone had noticed, but he was safe - the other ladies were also busy tending to their broad-brimmed bonnets as the wind tried to abscond with them. That was careless, he chided himself. He had been frequenting low taverns for the last several months, where the barmaids welcomed such looks, but he needed to be more discreet around gentlewomen.
Unfortunately, the interruption caused by the gust of wind had somehow reminded the sisters that they had to be going, so that was the end of a very pleasant interlude. He watched the ladies as they left, wondering how he could arrange to meet them again. Might they be at the card party the officers had been invited to? Then he looked past them and saw two horsemen approaching from the end of the main street. Wait, no, it could not be - but it was!
What in blazes is Fitzwilliam Darcy, of London and Derbyshire, doing in Meryton? He felt himself redden with rage. He was down to his last few pounds after buying the forged papers certifying him as a landowner* and getting his uniform tailored to emphasize his fine physique, and he would need credit from the local merchants if he were to live as he deserved while in Meryton.
Darcy could ruin his chances to do that, by spreading tales of unpaid debts. As if Darcy had not ruined his life already - refusing to give him the living, refusing even to loan him a reasonable sum to tide him over, and most recently, foiling his plan to elope with Georgiana. He could have been a wealthy man right now, living the high life in London, rather than fetching and carrying for some jumped-up colonel in a village of no consequence, if it were not for Darcy, always turning up where he was neither expected nor wanted.
He tore his eyes away from Darcy to notice that the ladies had stopped, and that Miss Elizabeth was looking at him. She met his eye for a moment, then turned back and looked at Darcy, then looked back at him again in confusion. Does she know Darcy? Apparently she did, for he saw Darcy touch his hat to the women before he turned his horse and rode away, along with his unknown companion. At the distance Darcy had been from the ladies when he turned, he would not have been obligated to acknowledge their presence unless he knew them - and the high and mighty Fitzwilliam Darcy did not do anything he was not obligated to do, nor even some things he *was* obligated to do.
It was now more important than ever that he meet these women again, and soon, before Darcy could fill their heads with malicious slander. People tended to give more credit to the first version of a story they heard.
UI
"Miss Bennet, how delightful to see you again. Might I dare to hope that you remember me?"
"Captain Carter, well met," said Elizabeth with a smile and curtsy as the ladies stopped in front of the officers.
Introductions were made all around, and the ladies learned that the very handsome man's name was Mr. Wickham, and the third officer was Lieutenant Denny. As was her wont, once the introductions were performed, Elizabeth slipped into the background so that she could better observe the new acquaintances. This was made quite easy, thanks to the bulk of Mr. Collins.
She was pleased to see that Mr. Wickham did not show any improper interest in Jane, but there was something about his manner that seemed off to her. Then she realized what it was - while he appeared to give a person his full attention when speaking with them, he never went too long without scanning his surroundings, often rather slyly, as he faced in one direction while flicking his eyes to another as he blinked. Elizabeth was very familiar with this technique, for she often used it herself, and indeed was doing so now as she watched the men closely without appearing to. She had several advantages over Mr. Wickham, however, that made her more adept at the art. Her eyelashes were longer and thicker, and her hair, especially in the gentle breeze, often fell to the sides of her face in such a manner that it was more difficult for people to see her eyes than for her to see through her lashes and hair. Best of all, the wide brim of her bonnet made it impossible for anyone taller than she was to see her eyes if she did not want them to, and most adults were taller than Elizabeth.
The conversation was lively. All three men were as gentlemanly as one would expect of militia officers, but Mr. Wickham especially was very smooth and polished in his manners. Elizabeth paid him special attention, not because she was smitten, but because she could see that Kitty and Lydia were. She noticed another anomaly - she estimated his age to be no more than six and twenty, yet there were subtle signs of dissipation. Could he have formerly been in the regulars? The hard and dangerous life of men who had faced battle might explain both his wariness of his surroundings, and the lack of freshness in his face. Intrigued, Elizabeth continued to watch him without seeming to, and was wondering whether he would be at her aunt's card party later today when OH DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN!
A sudden gust of wind threatened to snatch Lydia's bonnet from her head, and she quickly reached up to grab it. The motion, along with her surprised intake of breath, emphasized her bosom. And, just for a split second, Elizabeth saw naked lust in Mr. Wickham's eyes before he resumed his mask of pleasantness.
Elizabeth quickly lowered her head to let the brim of her bonnet hide her face and pretended to grab at it as Lydia had, not sure that she could master her expression of shock and disgust. She took a moment to collect herself, then managed to squeak out, "This has been very pleasant, but our aunt will raise the roof if we are late for our visit."
Jane and Mary looked at her sharply. "Raise the roof" was the phrase that was supposed to indicate some sort of danger,* but there was no one importuning Elizabeth, and everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves. A beat later, Kitty and Lydia also recalled the meaning of the phrase, and Lydia looked at Elizabeth imploringly. But Elizabeth repeated, her voice more composed this time, "I am sorry, gentlemen, but we must be going. Our aunt will raise the roof if we are not on time."
She turned to Freddie, the footman who had accompanied them. "Freddie, you and Mr. Collins might stay a moment to learn where the men are likely to socialize, so that he may have some male companionship while he is here. Please escort him to our aunt's house when he is finished."
Mary understood this to be an order, not a suggestion, and though she did not understand, she was the sister who had the best idea of Elizabeth's abilities, and she released Collins' arm without question.
Elizabeth could see the mental struggle in Lydia, who clearly wanted to converse with the officers longer. But in her entire life, Lydia had never known Elizabeth to be wrong about anything important. Surely she must have a good reason? With great reluctance, she curtsied and bid the soldiers a good morning.
Her other two sisters were also puzzled, but they could hardly fail to remember that Lizzy almost always turned out to be right about anything that was remotely predictable, and they trusted her implicitly to have their best interests at heart, so they all took their leave and began walking toward their aunt's house, which was only 50 yards down the street. They all glanced at Elizabeth as if to ask what the matter was, but Elizabeth was striding determinedly toward the Philips house, looking severe, so no one spoke. Then the sound of horses made them look up, and they saw Darcy and Bingley approaching from the other end of the street.
"Look, Darcy, they have already walked into town!" cried Bingley.
Darcy had been lost in thought, so had not noticed the young ladies. He looked up now, though, and smiled as he saw Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked up at the same moment, and immediately felt some relief as she saw Mr. Darcy smiling at her, and Mr. Bingley with him. Then she received her second shock of the day as she saw Darcy shift his gaze to look past her, and his face went from one of welcome to one of barely suppressed fury.
She looked back over her shoulder and saw that Mr. Wickham was staring back at Darcy. He appeared almost stricken, but his expression was quickly turning to one of anger. She instantly formed a plan, and proceeded to stare at Wickham until he noticed her doing it, which took only a second. She held his eye for a moment, then turned and made it obvious that she was looking at Darcy. She then turned back to Wickham, trying to seem as confused as possible. Once she was sure he had seen her confusion, she resumed walking toward her aunt's house, now just a few doors away. She saw Darcy, still looking angry, touch his hat to her, then he turned and rode back the way he had come. Bingley, looking completely at a loss, bowed from his saddle to the sisters and followed Darcy.
Elizabeth strode to the door of an unpretentious whitewashed building and employed the knocker. Mr. Philips' law office was on the ground floor of the building, and the living quarters were on the first floor. The Philips' footman instantly allowed the sisters inside, and then went upstairs to inform their aunt that she had visitors while they were removing their pelisses and bonnets. As soon as the sisters were alone, Lydia rounded on Elizabeth and said, "All right, Lizzy, why did we have to leave? If that was some sort of a test, I -"
She cut off with a squawk as Elizabeth fairly launched herself at her. Lydia took a step back in alarm, then relaxed as Elizabeth hugged her fiercely, saying, "Oh Lyddie, thank you for not making a fuss on the street! I was so frightened for you!"
"For me? Whatever for?"
"Mr. Wickham dropped his mask while he was looking at you. It was only for a moment, half a moment, but he did not look at you as a man looks at a woman, but as a wolf looks at a fawn. I tell you, I have never before seen the like from a gentleman."
"Could it not have been love at first sight?" asked Lydia hopefully.
Elizabeth shook her head. "I believe I have seen sudden love, the night Mr. Bingley met Jane. I promise you, this was nothing like that. It made my skin crawl."
Everyone was quiet, until Jane finally said, "What should we do, Lizzy?"
Elizabeth frowned. "I hardly know. But we may be in luck, for it appears that Mr. Darcy knows him, and can tell us something of his character. And I shall ensure that our aunt has invited Mr. Wickham to the card party this afternoon, and see what I can make of him. I believe that he saw me notice that Mr. Darcy cut him, and he will want to explain it to me. "
"Should you not talk to Mr. Darcy first?"
"I think not. I will certainly talk to him later, and Colonel Fitzwilliam as well. I do not think that Mr. Wickham is from the same sphere as Mr. Darcy, so it may be that they met each other through the colonel, for they are both soldiers. I also believe that Mr. Wickham is from Derbyshire, for he has the same accent as Mr. Darcy and the colonel, so that still could mean the colonel knows him.
"But I think I should like to try to take Mr. Wickham's measure uninfluenced by another's opinion. And I think it must be today, for I expect that Mr. Darcy will visit us once he gets over his anger, which was itself a sight to behold. If I thought I might have been hasty in getting us away from those men, all doubt vanished when I saw the anger that Mr. Wickham engendered in Mr. Darcy."
They were interrupted by the arrival of Freddie and Mr. Collins, but it was perfect timing, for the footman was coming down the stairs to escort them to their aunt. After everyone was settled in the parlor upstairs, Elizabeth quietly asked for a private word with her aunt and uncle, and Mrs. Philips accompanied Elizabeth downstairs to her uncle's office.
Elizabeth quickly explained the situation, and asked whether Mr. Wickham had accepted the invitation tendered to the officers. Her aunt affirmed that all the officers had accepted - it was no surprise that they would welcome a chance for free food, drink, entertainment, and the chance to meet gentlewomen - and asked how she and her husband might help. Mr. Philips had the deepest respect for Elizabeth's intelligence, for she had been helping him with drafting contracts for several years, and he assured her that he and his footman would be there to help protect her. Elizabeth planned to bring Freddie as well.
She knew that Kitty and Lydia had been looking forward to the party even before they had seen the handsome Mr. Wickham, and that they would howl when she told them, backed by her father if it came to that, that they must not attend. Jane and Mary, already content with their beaus, would be much more easily convinced to stay home. Elizabeth wanted Mr. Wickham all to herself, for she had many questions that needed answers.
*In order to join the militia as an officer, a man had to prove that he either owned or was heir to land.
*The "raise the roof" signal was arranged in Chapter 30.
A/N: This chapter (and its consequences) was the first plot bunny I had for this story, almost four years ago. It was the first idea I ever had for a story of my own, and it took me a while to decide to flesh it out and try my hand at fiction. In my ignorance, I thought I might write a chapter or two of background to set it up, and have the whole thing done in a month. And then it just grew and grew, along with the horrifying discovery that I can write fiction at only 10% of the speed of the better writers here, or even at my own speed at non-fiction. I have been as frustrated as you that it took so long to get here. I hope you like what's coming.
Thanks to everyone who follows, favors, or reviews, especially with constructive criticism. I am way behind in replying to questions in reviews and PMs, but I will try to catch up.
Copyright 2024 by Dee Lime, all rights reserved.