Chapter 10

O nce Wickham took flight and the knight—with his broken right arm—had been delivered to Mr. Jones, Darcy mounted Zeus and rode back to Netherfield Park.

Richard had remained in the town to speak to the Colonel and Mr. Bennet, which was the greater motivation for Darcy to remove himself from the town. Almost as important a reason to leave was his growing attraction to Miss Elizabeth. The voice in his head screamed he had fallen in love with her, but he pushed it aside. He no longer trusted himself around her and thanks to his choice not to discuss everything with Richard, Darcy had made the decision on his own that he had to tamp down his personal preferences, and think of his duty to his name, his sister, and his family. As such, he could not offer for a penniless country miss no matter how intelligent she was or how fine her eyes were.

Once they had been introduced, Captain Carter had requested Mr. Fitzwilliam follow him to his Colonel's office. There Richard was able to confirm the deserter was in fact a profligate libertine, and those were his good qualities. When the Colonel shared that Wickham had seduced one of the officer's wives, Richard had not been at all surprised.

He had related the history between the coward and the Darcy family, never naming the young lady of good birth Wickham had targeted for her rather large dowry.

There was no question what fate would await Wickham when—if—he was caught. Either he would swing as a horse thief or face a firing squad for desertion, depending on who brought him to heel first. Colonel Forster had expressed his wish it would be one of his men who brought Wickham to himself to answer for his crimes.

While Fitzwilliam was with the Colonel, Bennet had gone to see Philips. He left his daughters with Miss Goulding talking among themselves, under the watchful eyes of Jimmy, while indulging their sweet teeth at the confectionary store's tearoom. Miss Lucas and Miss Maria would have joined them but they were with their mother at Mr. Jones's house satisfying themselves that their husband and father was well other than a broken arm.

Bennet blew out the breath he had been holding. "So, you have no idea whether Forster will take Lydia back?" Bennet shook his head.

"Not a hint as to what he intends to do regarding her," Philips stated as his son nodded his agreement. "Mayhap my daughter will finally learn there are consequences to bad behaviour."

"The useless man attempted to importune my daughters," Bennet revealed.

"What could be his motive besides Cousin Jane and her sisters' beauty," Elias mused. "As far as we know, no one knows the truth of their dowries or your financial position?"

"Until that criminal is caught alive, we will have no clue why he stopped them," Bennet opined. "Mr. Fitzwilliam," both Philips men looked at Bennet quizzically. "Mr. Darcy's cousin who is also a resident of Netherfield Park. He and his cousin know of Mr. Wickham's propensities. I will be asking him more about the blackguard later."

Not long after Bennet left his former brother-in-law's office, he was about to walk to the confectionary and bakery when he saw Fitzwilliam leaving the Colonel's offices. He hailed him and the two men walked to the shop where the sisters and Miss Goulding were enjoying their refreshments. Bennet did not miss Mary's blush when she saw who entered the tearoom with him.

"Do we know how Sir William is faring?" Elizabeth enquired.

"While I was with Colonel Forster, he received a message relating that Sir William had, what seemed to be, a clean break in the bone of his upper right arm. Mr. Jones set it without an issue and after a few months' recovery, Sir William will be as good as new," Richard reported.

"That is very good to hear," Jane responded appreciatively. "Lady Lucas, Charlotte, and her brothers and sister will be well gratified with that news."

Bennet looked around to confirm the four young ladies had completed their treats and beverages. "I will have Jimmy summon the coachman and we will depart for Longbourn," he told his daughters. Bennet looked at Richard. "You said your horse is with you?"

"Yes, Invictus is waiting for me," Richard confirmed.

"You will come call on us now, will you not? I think we need to discuss some things." Richard knew it was a statement not a request.

"Allow me to collect my stallion and I will follow you back to your estate," Richard stated.

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

Bennet and Cilla had expected the deserter to be bad, but not nearly as bad as what Richard had told them. "Be secure in the knowledge that the information about your ward will never be shared without your expressed permission," Priscilla assured Richard. "But then why did he approach our daughters? As far as he was aware they have no dowries to speak of and he knows nothing of our family's financial position."

"Wickham is always looking for the easiest way to achieve his aims regardless of who he hurts to do so," Richard averred. "In my opinion, he was so desperate that he reckoned he could extract a few thousand pounds from you and that would be enough for his immediate needs."

"Do you think his inability to gain credit made him more desperate?" Bennet enquired.

"Certainly," Richard responded succinctly. "That fact is highlighted by his attempt to first have Mrs. Forster assist him to purchase on credit, and then his attempt to blackmail her. He is one who hates to be told no, or feel like he was disrespected."

"You mean like Jane and Lizzy did?" Priscilla asked worriedly.

"Do not concern yourself, Cilla dear," Bennet assured his wife as he took her hand. "We will employ footmen-guards and make sure that our children are safe at all times."

"In that I can assist you," Richard volunteered, "I have several friends who chose the profession I intended for myself," realising the Bennets did not know what his former plans had been before Rosings Park, Richard shared his desire from when he was a lad to go into the regulars. "If you like, I will contact some of my friends who are still in the army about some former soldiers, marines, and sailors. Those men would be happy to find gainful employment."

Bennet looked at his wife who nodded. "Thank you, Fitzwilliam, that would be most appreciated," Bennet agreed. "We have five children so I think between five and twenty and thirty men would be what we will need. They will be able to function as outriders and footmen as well as guards."

"Mayhap some of them will be in place when your cousin, Mr. Collins makes his appearance," Priscilla added.

"The fastest way of contacting my friends will be for me to ride to London in the morning," Richard decided. He smiled when he saw the Bennets were about to protest. "You are not putting me out, I enjoy their war stories. "

Soon enough the three who had been in the study joined the sisters and Mrs. Jones, who was a companion now as none of the Bennets needed a governess any longer, in the drawing room. To no one's surprise, Richard Fitzwilliam ended up speaking to Mary more than any other, although he was careful not to only speak to her exclusively.

Cilla and Bennet looked at one another knowingly. If the attentions to their Mary continued in this fashion, a conversation would have to be held with Richard Fitzwilliam.

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

"Why are you off to Town on a whim?" Darcy asked his cousin once the latter had shared his intention to ride thither in the morning.

"It is not a whim; I have things to discuss with Whitfield and Sisley. I will be back the following day, or the day after that at the very most," Richard averred.

His two friends were in the Royal Dragoons, a colonel and lieutenant-colonel respectively. If he had not had an estate to manage, it was the regiment in which Richard had chosen to take a commission. Like he would have, both had entered the Dragoons as second-lieutenants and earned their promotions by merit, not with money.

"How is it you seem friendly with Mr. Bennet?" Darcy changed the subject.

"Why should I not be? He is the primary landowner in the area of Meryton, and he is an interesting man to be around," Richard replied. "He is an excellent chess player too. So why have you never called at Longbourn?"

"They are below me, as they are you as well," Darcy responded peevishly. He would not admit his true reason to Richard as he knew his cousin would not allow him to live it down.

"Sometimes I wonder if you are in fact the son of my late Uncle Robert and Aunt Anne. They never espoused the drivel you do at times," Richard pointed out.

The trouble was Darcy knew what Richard said was nothing but the truth, but his pride would not allow him to admit it to his cousin. "In that case, enjoy your time in London. Will you visit Anna?" Darcy changed the subject to one less contentious.

"Of course I will," Richard averred. "Even were she not my ward, Anna, Mother, and Father would not forgive me if I were not to call. Andrew and Marie are at Hilldale House and they will be just as upset with me if I ignored them."

"Are your parents and Andrew sanguine with missing the journey with their friends? It sounds like it will be the holiday of a lifetime," Darcy stated.

"Neither my parents nor Andrew will leave Marie when she is to deliver her first child. In fact, Ladies Rose and Charity will remain at Hilldale as well," Richard revealed. "Last I heard, Lady Rose had convinced Lady Gwendoline Winston to remain with her."

"You mean the Duchess of Hertfordshire?"

"The very one. You know William, if you are so enamoured of the journey, Bedford would invite you to join them if he was aware you desired to do so."

"For the same reason you will not go—the spring planting—I cannot either. Besides, Anna is very excited Lady Charity will be at Hilldale. You know how close they are. I would not want to be away from Anna for three or four months even if there was not estate business to take care of."

"Let us go find Bingley and Hurst for some pre-dinner billiards," Richard suggested. Darcy agreed and the two men left their private sitting room to seek out the brothers-in-law.

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

After Colonel Whitfield, Fitzwilliam, and Lieutenant-Colonel Sisley had exchanged greetings, Fitzwilliam had told them about the type of men he needed to locate, Whitfield stated, "We have the perfect men for you. There are two former sergeants, one bigger than the other who would fit your friend's needs."

"You are referring to Biggs and Johns are you not?" Sisley verified. Whitfield nodded. "Our friend has the right of it, they are excellent men who like many former soldiers have had a hard time finding employment which pays enough to support their families. Wait until you see them, their size alone would deter most who would want to make mischief with those they are guarding."

"That, and they are connected to many former soldiers, sailors, and Royal Marines," Whitfield added.

"Do you know where I may find these men?" Richard asked.

His friends gave him directions to an inn on the outskirts of London where the two former sergeants had found menial employment in the stables. As soon as Richard saw two enormous men who dwarfed the others in the stables, he knew he had found Biggs and Johns.

The two men had just begun to muck out some stalls when they were hailed. "Biggs and Johns?" Richard verified. The two men nodded in response.

The slightly larger of the two pointed to himself, "John Biggs," then he pointed to his friend, "Brian Johns. "‘Ow do you know ‘bout us?"

It took no time for Richard to explain who had sent him to find them. "My friends told me you know other men who are looking for good work, and I can promise you the pay is far more than whatever the pittance you are earning here is."

"Wat are we to do?" Johns asked for both.

Richard explained what Mr. Bennet required and why. When he had told all to the two men, he stepped back to allow them to talk among themselves without him pressuring them with his proximity .

It was a short discussion. "We accept," Biggs stated in his gruff voice. "We ‘ave families. Is there place for ‘em to live, and work for our missuses?"

"As I am not the master of Longbourn, I cannot guarantee you anything, however, from what I know of Mr. Bennet, he will do what he can to accommodate you," Richard related. "Do you know about thirty men in addition to you two who would like work like this?"

"Aye we do," Biggs confirmed. "When do we start, where is this Longbourn, and ‘ow do we get there?"

"How about we meet at the Dragoons' barracks at first light. I will have rented carriages waiting, and the estate is near the market town of Meryton in Hertfordshire," Richard averred.

It was agreed. Both huge men had much pleasure in telling the stablemaster they would not be working for him any longer. The man desired to give them a setdown because of the short notice prior to leaving, but he was too intimidated by the two. He paid them what they were owed and said not a word about their leaving.

The two left to find others who they would bring to the meeting point in the morning.

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

"I hope I did not overstep in renting carriages rather than carts for the men," Richard said to Bennet as they stood and watched the line of rented conveyances come to a halt in the drive. He had been prepared by Fitzwilliam for the bulk and height of the men named Biggs and Johns, but even so, when he first saw them, he felt slightly intimidated.

"No, you did the right thing. It is too cold to make the men ride in carts when not all of them have adequate coats and warm clothing," Bennet assured Fitzwilliam.

Including Biggs and Johns, there were thirty men in total. "Welcome to Longbourn," Bennet addressed the assembled men. "You were all told what we need, were you not?"

There was a chorus of "aye" in various tones and accents.

"How many of you are married?" Bennet enquired. About a third of the men raised their hands. "Between our two estates we can accommodate most of your spouses who desire employment, and the rest, we will find them positions at neighbouring estates." Bennet could only but grin at the look on Fitzwilliam's face when he mentioned two estates. He would have to speak to him later. "The tenants are always looking for lads to work, especially during the planting and harvest seasons, so if some of you have sons who are strong enough, and desire to be employed, they will be able to earn some additional money for your families. We have a school for our tenants' children where they learn to read, write, and do basic sums. Any of you who would like your children to attend, male or female, may send them at no cost. Are there any questions?"

"When can we bring our families?" Biggs queried.

"In the next day or two, as soon as we find accommodations. I will make sure that your wives and children travel in rented carriages and your belongings are transported by cart," Bennet averred.

Even if their wages were not more than enough to take care of their families, and they were, the lengths the new master was willing to go to accommodate them on its own would have gained the men's loyalty. For many of them, it would be the first time in a while they would be able to put three meals a day on the table for themselves and their families.

Richard watched the looks of pleasure on the faces of the men who had served His Majesty honourably. Now they were no longer in the military, all they wanted was to work and earn enough to live without worrying if they and their family members would eat and be clothed. He resolved to employ as many ex-soldiers as he needed at Rosings Park and to suggest the same to Father, Andrew, and William. If the men were as good as he expected, mayhap this was something which estate owners throughout the realm could do.