Chapter 9

L ydia Forster stood before her husband, father, and brother sweating nervously. Even though she was not intelligent and thought no further than what would give her instant and self-gratification, she could tell she was in trouble. Could it be Wicky—no after the way he treated and spoke to her, he was no longer her Wicky—had gone to her husband and told him about her adultery?

"What is between you and Lieutenant Wickham?" Forster demanded emphatically.

He had ignored the signs there was something illicit occurring between his wife and Wickham. He knew his wife liked to flirt and titillate his officers, but he had never thought, no, it was more than that, he hoped she would never break the bonds of marriage. The look of guilt on Lydia's face told him everything he needed to know.

"Lyddie, did Mr. Wickham blackmail you into trying to have him make purchases on Father's accounts?" Elias Phillips asked his twin gently.

She had never been able to prevaricate to Elias. Lydia began to wail. "I-I b-believed h-him that h-he w-would p-pay everything b-before P-Papa w-was aware," Lydia managed between sobs. Haltingly, she told all, admitting to succumbing to Wickham's charms on three separate occasions. Also relating her suspicions he had left debts in the previous town where the regiment had billeted, and the dastardly man's threats if she did not produce banknotes for him.

"Lyddie, do you not see the threat was an empty one?" Elias assured his sister. "Had he told Forster what he had done with you, he would have been run through. From what you said he is a silver-tongued devil who seduces where he can." He looked at his sister sadly. "That being said, it does not excuse what you have done, Sister."

"No, it does not," Forster bit out. "I will call that bastard out!"

"You are justifiably furious; any man in your place would be," Philips placed a restraining hand on his son-in-law's shoulder. "You know duelling is illegal, and even more so in the army." Philips paused allowing his words to penetrate the fog of Forster's anger. "Did you not tell me your officers are all required to sign a pledge of honour which your predecessor had instituted?"

Forster's face changed from anger to calculation. "I will court-martial him for conduct unbecoming of an officer and breaking the pledge he signed," Forster decided. He turned to his father-in-law. "May Lydia live in your household until I allow the rage I am feeling regarding her behaviour to dissipate. Once I can think rationally about her, her adultery, and if we can have a joint future, I will inform you of my decision."

"Please Jackson," Lydia began to plead when a quelling look from her husband caused her to cease speaking.

"Madam what you did was beyond the pale. You do not want me to make any decisions regarding your future when my outrage is burning as hot as it is now. If you force me to do so, I promise you that you will not be sanguine with my decision," Forster barked, causing Lydia to shrink back as the tears fell freely again. "Now I must go see my adjutant and have Mr. Wickham brought to me. If you will excuse me." Forster bowed to his father-in-law and then his brother-in-law. He turned on his heel and marched out of Philips's office. He did not look at or address his wife again before the door was closed behind him .

Philips led his defeated daughter into the house which was attached to his offices. When all was explained to his wife, she did what he would have expected. She tried to blame the Lieutenant while acquitting her daughter of any wrong doing.

"Hattie Philips! You will not attempt to defend the indefensible. Your daughter is a married woman and made a decision to commit adultery. Now she must suffer the consequences of her own choices," Philips stated firmly, causing his wife to shrink back. "In part, I blame myself, I should never have allowed you to indulge our daughter as you did in the past."

Without another word, Hattie guided her snivelling daughter to the chamber she had occupied before her elopement.

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

"Carter, send a trusted officer and a few soldiers back to Bromsgrove in Worcestershire , where we were encamped before Meryton," Forster ordered. "I want all the merchants canvassed and a statement of any unpaid debts left by our men tabulated. You will purchase them and bring the vowels back to me." Forster cogitated. "Also, have them make discreet enquiries to see if any young ladies were meddled with and then abandoned."

"It will be done, Sir," Carter replied smartly.

"Once you have sent the men on their way, bring Lieutenant Wickham to me," Forster instructed trying to disguise the seething ire he felt from showing when he mentioned the seducer's name.

The Captain saluted and made his way out of his colonel's office. As Sanderson was the man he trusted most in the regiment, he pulled the Captain aside and charged him with the Colonel's instructions. He told his friend to select a good sergeant and four men to accompany him. With the first part of his task accomplished, he went looking for Wickham to discharge the second part of what he had been ordered to do.

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

Seeing that neither the Bingleys nor the Hursts wanted to join them to explore the shops in Meryton—Darcy only wanted to peruse the bookshop—the two cousins mounted their stallions and made the two mile ride into the market town.

They found two lads who would take care of Invictus and Zeus—Darcy's horse—in the stables while the cousins explored the town. Much to the boy's delight, they were presented with a half crown each. Darcy saw the bookseller's establishment and headed that way with Richard following behind.

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

The three Bennet sisters had accompanied their father, who needed to see the owner of the bookstore among others, into the town. As was the new normal now, the three were followed—at a slight distance—by a Longbourn footman.

Their first stop had been the haberdashery to peruse some newly arrived ribbons. Although Elizabeth would have much preferred to look through the recently arrived books at the bookseller, as they needed to stay together under Jimmy's watchful eye, she was more than willing to do something which was not her first choice just to be with her older and younger sisters.

Even though Wickham was still outraged he had not been able to procure credit in Meryton—or approach one of the young flowers to pluck—when he saw the three beauties enter the haberdashery, Wickham felt like his luck was turning. He was certain the young ladies were daughters of a gentleman.

Although he had heard that the largest dowries in the area were no more than two thousand pounds, if he was able to ruin one of them, he would be able to extract anywhere from five to ten thousand pounds from the father. That sum would allow him to return to London, placate the Spaniard , and then win lots more blunt. Yes, his luck was about to turn, of that, he was sure.

Wickham had not missed the footman who had planted himself next to the door leading in and out of the shop. The man looked rather fit so he would have to rely on his charm. He found a place to stand on the other side of the street which gave him a clear view of the door and waited.

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

When Bennet entered the bookstore, it did not take him long before he saw Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy. "Gentlemen," he greeted. "A tolerable day is it not?"

The cousins bowed, and the tips of Darcy's ears took on a decidedly scarlet hue. "Mr. Bennet," Darcy responded curtly before he took himself to the back corner, as far from his antagonist as he was able. ‘ These people are below me in every way! How dare he throw my words back at me each time he sees me? ' Darcy asked himself silently. His obstinacy insured that the more he felt pressured to make his apology, the less likely he was to do so.

"Bennet, if you are going to rib my cousin each time you see him, allow me to point out his faux pas for which he has as yet not made amends," Richard grinned.

"Point taken. I will not jest with him about his words again," Bennet agreed. After inclining his head to the younger man, Bennet made his way to Mr. Bilson's office to conduct his business.

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

"Come Lizzy, you waited with us without complaint, now we will accompany you to Mr. Bilson's," Jane smiled at her sister once she and Mary paid for their purchases.

Elizabeth's countenance lit up, as did Mary's. Both were bibliophiles like their father, although Elizabeth was slightly more enamoured with the written word than Mary was. The three exited the shop and nodded to Jimmy who was waiting for them. Jane and Mary handed him their purchases.

Wickham saw the ladies exit and hand their packages to the footman. He crossed the road and then wiped some imaginary lint off his shoulders, plastered what he considered his most charming smile on his face and approached the beauties.

He stopped before them, cutting off their way across the street unless they went around him. Wickham bowed with a flourish of his hat. "Ladies, I was walking on my way to my duties for King and country when I saw you exit the store. Your presence brightened the light of the sun. With such beauty before me, how could I not stop and make myself known to you? Had I not, my heart would not have born the pain of not knowing you," Wickham sang.

"We have neither been introduced to you, nor do we desire such," Jane stated cooly.

The militia officer's face pinched, but he remained where he was as Jimmy had closed the gap between where he had been standing and where the Miss Bennets were. He looked at the officer threateningly.

"Why would we want to know one who dissembles to us with such ease?" Elizabeth asked guilelessly. Seeing the fake outrage on the man's face, Elizabeth continued before he could lie to them again. "I was standing by the window when I saw you across the street. I observed you as you took a position where you could watch the door of the shop behind us. You, Sir, must be used to ladies who are not intelligent enough to see through your lies."

Wickham was about to grab the petite, dark haired beauty when he heard his name being called. He turned and saw Captain Carter approaching. What bad luck. For now, he would have to recede.

Darcy and Richard heard someone call out the name " Wickham" and they looked at one another and by mutual agreement they exited the bookshop. Bennet who had just completed his business with Mr. Bilson, followed right behind the cousins.

Frustrated he could not put the shorter lady in her place, with a huff Wickham turned towards the Adjutant. As he turned, he saw the faces of two men he hoped never to see again. Darcy and Fitzwilliam! What were they doing here? There was no mistaking the thunderous looks on the faces of the cousins as they began to cross the street towards him.

The three Bennet sisters did not miss the look of abject terror on the officer's countenance as soon as he saw Mr. Darcy and Mr. Fitzwilliam. All of the colour drained out of the man's face as he seemed frozen to the spot as the two men, with Papa behind them, began to approach them.

It felt like his feet had turned to lead. Wickham was well aware if Darcy and Fitzwilliam got their hands on him, he would more than likely not see another sunrise. Just then the knight who he had seen around the town was passing on his horse. Wickham willed his legs to move, charged towards the man, unceremoniously pushed him off his horse, and sprang onto the back of the gelding.

Before Richard or Darcy could detain him, Wickham was galloping up the main street of the town towards the north. Their stallions were all the way at the other end of the street in the stables, so even if the cousins ran, the libertine would be gone before they mounted.

Bennet ran to the side of his friend who was writhing in pain in the roadway. Knowing Wickham was gone, Richard and Darcy joined Bennet to assist Sir William to his feet. The way his right arm was hanging, there was no doubt one of the bones was broken. By now they had been joined by Captain Carter and others who had seen the man attack Sir William and steal his horse .

Seeing a lad close by, Bennet barked an order at him. "Run to Mr. Jones's house and inform him we are bringing Sir William to him, and that he had an accident." The boy nodded and took off in a sprint towards the doctor's house.

While the cousins and the Captain assisted his friend to Jones's house, Bennet dispatched his footman to Lucas Lodge to inform them of the occurrence in Meryton.

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

Wickham rode like the wind. He did not know if he was being chased or not, and he cared not. He would not stop to make sure, all he needed was to put as much distance between himself and the damned cousins.

As soon as he was out of sight of the godforsaken town, he wheeled the borrowed horse off the road which led to the Great North Road, and instead cut across fields so he could join the road to London in a few miles south of Meryton. Yes, he needed to avoid the Spaniard if he did not want a permanent smile cut into his neck, but Wickham knew his only option was to make for Town and throw himself on the mercy of Karen Younge. At worst, he could charm some money from her and make his way as far from London and Hertfordshire as possible.

He would have to make sure he was not seen by any of the men who worked for Juan Antonio álvarez, because Wickham had no doubt there was a bounty on his head. It was not healthy to run out on a debt owed to the Spaniard. If only his luck had held at the tables. He had been up a few hundred pounds and then lost it all and much more on a bad run of luck. After all it was not his fault the cards had not turned in his favour, was it!

He pushed thoughts of the Spaniard and the ways Se?or álvarez would have him punished before his life was ended from his mind.

His contemplations returned to the dark haired one who had been so rude and dismissive of him. How dare she call him out for prevaricating? Wickham did not know how or when, but he would have his vengeance on the lady!

It was all her fault he was in this trouble!