Chapter 23

J uan Antonio álvarez, known as the Spaniard thanks to being born in Spain, was not overjoyed by the report his man gave him. Not only had George Wickham fled London before his men could collect him from the boarding house on Edward Street, but now it was not only Bow Street on his trail, but many soldiers as well.

Se?or álvarez had no doubt he would never see the more than two thousand pounds Wickham owed him, but he had wanted to have the satisfaction of ending the welcher himself. It was his reputation for being ruthless with those who did not pay which made sure all but a few paid and paid on time. His sources had informed him the latest intelligence was Wickham was on his way to, or had recently arrived in, Scarborough. As much as he wanted to give Wickham a permanent smile himself, álvarez was too intelligent to do anything in sight of the Runners or the army.

There was always the off chance his men would find Wickham away from the prying eyes of those seeking him. Hence, he decided to send some of his best men north. If they were able to capture Wickham while evading the others seeking him, so much the better. The same day a carriage departed bearing four men sent northward by álvarez. Like it would with their master, Wickham's silver tongue would gain him nothing but a thrashing.

In anticipation of his men completing their tasks successfully, the Spaniard began to sharpen the blade of his special knife he used on those who did not, and would never, pay him what they owed.

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

Thanks to an ice storm raging just north of the inn where Bingley and Wickham had spent the night, not uncommon in the latter parts of November, rather than depart the next morning, they remained there for two days.

Sure that no one had any clue as to his location, Wickham was not concerned. As long as the puppy was paying for everything, he cared not about the delay. During the two days they were at the inn, Wickham had much time to think both of how he would avenge himself on those who had wronged him and his future prospects.

He needed to marry an heiress to keep him in the style he believed was his due. He had failed with that mouse, Georgiana Darcy, and even had he succeeded, due to the restrictions on her fortune he would have seen none of her thirty thousand pounds. Thinking of the amount stirred a memory. Had Bingley not always boasted about his youngest sister having a large dowry? Yes! It was twenty thousand pounds, not the size of the one he had hoped to control, but still enough…for now.

Wickham had only seen the youngest Bingley once some years past and did not remember her name. She was not the most comely woman, nothing to the three Bennets he had hoped to have, but neither was she homely. She would do well. He shrugged his arms into his jacket and knocked on the door leading into Bingley's chamber. He did not wait for a response.

"I have decided how you can purchase my permanent silence," Wickham drawled as he sauntered into Bingley's bedchamber. The latter was lying back on the bed, his hands under his head and staring off at nothing in particular.

Bingley sat up and swung his legs over the side of the mattress. "And what would that be?" His dislike for Wickham grew daily. If there was a way to send the man on his way without too much expense to himself, Bingley was all for it. It was a great pity his silver inlaid duelling pistols were at the bottom of the trunk still lashed to the coach. Bingley was not a violent man—which is why he paid others to do his dirty work for him—but had he the means, he may very well have made an exception in this case.

"Arrange a marriage between me and your youngest sister," Wickham averred succinctly. "You are her guardian, are you not?"

"Not any longer," Bingley spat out derisively. "Before we departed Netherfield Park, I irrevocably signed her guardianship over to my brother-in-law, Hurst. I have no authority to arrange a marriage." To himself Bingley added, ‘ Even had I, it would never be to a wastrel like you. I have no time for my sister, but I would not see her tied to one such as you! ' "Now leave and allow me to return to my contemplation."

Without another word Wickham made for his own chamber and slammed the interleading door. It had been such a good plan, to be thwarted yet again!

How was it possible his luck could be all bad? Another large dowry he had dreamed of would never be his. What did he have to do to receive his due? The only option was to make sure Bingley paid him a substantial sum once they arrived at his house in Scarborough. He would demand the same amount as the sister's dowry. That way he would have the money without being tied to the Bingley family.

Of course, if he had married Bingley's sister and obtained her dowry, once he ran out of funds he planned to abandon the woman and look for greener pastures. Wickham smiled to himself as he thought about the additional funds he would have forced Bingley to provide him to stop the scandal of his sister being thrown over. As soon as he would have judged no more money would be forthcoming, he would have moved on.

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

Luckily for George Wickham the weather had slowed the men riding to capture him, even if the full force of the storm had not hit them. The bad weather had cut the number of hours they were could ride safely, but they were able to advance slowly on their way north.

The combined group of Bow Street Runners and militiamen arrived at the Flying Pheasant Inn on the evening of the day Bingley and Wickham departed. It was discovered the two had recommenced their journey a little after midday. That meant they were only about a half a day behind their quarry.

The two days the two men being followed had remained at the inn, thanks to the storm, made it almost certain the express riders had reached the environs of Scarborough already where the regiment was encamped. That meant the Yorkshire Militia would be prepared to take the murdering deserter into custody as soon as he arrived in Scarborough.

Knowing a night ride to close the gap between his men and the fugitive on icy roads was inadvisable, and an unnecessary risk to the life and wellbeing of his men and horses alike, the Captain in command of the soldiers—he had been given authority over the runners as well—decided they would overnight at the Flying Pheasant Inn and ride at first light.

With two, and in some cases three men to a chamber, there were warm beds for all. Even more importantly was the stables were large enough to accommodate all the horses, so their mounts would be well cared for and rested by the morning. That there was warm and plentiful food to be had was an added, much appreciated bonus.

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

Peters and Harris were lamenting the misfortune which had landed them in Newgate Prison while they waited to discover their fates. In the years since the two incidents they had kept the secrets, but greed had led them to seek money the easy way.

Except it had been anything but easy, evidenced by the current squalid gaol cell in which they found themselves. Trying to get money out of that Mr. Bingley had led to the idea of selling Wickham's note to that Mr. Darcy, the toff.

They had both blamed one another for their misguided decisions and almost came to blows over who was most culpable for the current trouble in which they found themselves.

The two men were praying for the best, which in this case was a ship to New South Wales in New Holland. Yes, they would have fourteen years of hard labour, but as long as they did their time without causing trouble, they would eventually be free. It was a much better option than having their necks stretched by the hangman. Of course that option depended on Wickham being caught and brought to stand trial. Their fates now rested with the abilities of the men searching for Wickham to find him and return him to the Old Bailey.

Separately, both men rued the day they had ever met George Wickham and through him that Bingley fellow.

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

Darcy was pleased Anna was not at Darcy house to see him in the morose mood which had gripped him since the start of the manhunt for Wickham, followed by Richard's return to Hertfordshire. He had recently approved Anna's travelling to Holder Heights with Andrew and his wife as Lady Charity would be travelling with them. As he had not heard anything to the contrary, he was still under the impression Richard, his aunt, and uncle, would also be part of the party enjoying Christmastide in Staffordshire.

It was the first day of December, a Saturday and Darcy was sitting in his spacious study in deep contemplation. He was holding a snifter of brandy which he was unseeingly watching as he swirled the amber liquid in the glass. The subject of his cogitation was, as it was so much of the time, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

Here he was a day short of a month since the ball at Netherfield Park nowhere near the raven haired, emerald-green eyed beauty and not only had he failed in banishing her from his consciousness, but if anything, he hankered for her more now than ever. The question was what should he, and what could he, do about his feelings which he could no longer deny were driven by a deep love of the lady?

His argument she was too far below him was slowly but surely being destroyed. Without revealing the status of Richard's relationship with Miss Mary Bennet, the message his aunt and uncle had clearly imparted to him, was if she were to be Richard's choice, he would have their full support.

Surely that meant if he gave in to the desires of his heart, Miss Elizabeth accepting him would not be seen as a degradation.

In his mind if either he or Richard offered for one of the Bennet sisters, the reply was a foregone conclusion. They would of course accept men so far above them in status and wealth. He ignored the voice reminding him the Bennets had never been enamoured with his connections or money.

Knowing he needed to make many changes, and making them were not the same thing.

He did decide he would condescend to apologise for his words at the assembly the next time he saw Miss Elizabeth. When he was with Richard at Holder Heights, Darcy would request to join him at Netherfield Park in order to further his suit with Miss Elizabeth.

That night he had the most pleasant dream yet in which he and Miss Elizabeth made passionate love. Yes, at some point he would honour her with a proposal.

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

"When do you think there will be news in the quest to track down the murderer, horse thief, and deserter all in one person?" Elizabeth asked as she, her sisters, and Richard, as she and Jane had been requested to address him, sat in the west parlour on Saturday afternoon.

"Given the distances involved now that it is known he is with Mr. Bingley on the way to Scarborough, I would estimate it will be some days before we hear any news of consequence," Richard replied.

"Do you think Mr. Bingley was also culpable in the murder of your uncle?" Mary enquired.

"I do not," Richard averred, "however, based on the fact the same men assisted Bingley, I believe Bingley went to Wickham to ask if he knew men who could assist him in his perfidy against my cousin."

"Although I have no good feelings regarding Mr. Bingley I did not think he would lower himself to participate in a murder," Jane stated.

"You have the right of it, Jane. Bingley is too much of a coward to ever take part in such a plot," Richard responded. "He only met William when we were in our second year at Cambridge and as far as we know, Wickham was not seen in the area until a month before my cousin was attacked."

"To be so driven by avarice and envy," Elizabeth shook her head, "to me it sounds like Mr. Wickham is one of those who only see what they do not have, rather than the blessings they do have."

"Lizzy, that is a mostly accurate assessment of his character," Richard agreed, "except you must add a consummate liar and seducer to your list."

"No wonder he looked at us the way he did," Jane shivered at the thought of being touched, never mind being pawed by the man. "It only shows the wisdom of Mama and Papa's decision to hide their income and the truth of our dowries from the world at large. "

"Lizzy, you will be visiting your friend who is to marry Hunsford's vicar around Easter upcoming, will you not?" Richard enquired, seemingly incongruously. Elizabeth nodded. "As I have no secrets from Mary and I know neither you nor Jane would ever repeat this, there is something I must relate which is regarding that libertine Wickham and my ward, William's sister, Georgiana. You will meet her when you visit, and your knowing about this may help you understand her more."

"You must know, other than our parents, we would never repeat what you tell us to anyone without your explicit permission," Mary assured her suitor.

"Bennet and Mrs. Bennet are already aware of what I am about to tell you." Richard paused and took a deep breath. "This past summer…" Richard told an abbreviated version of Ramsgate and Anna's rescue by William fortuitously arriving earlier than he had been expected. "It was only after my cousin arrived that the bas…profligate wastrel discovered the restrictions on Anna's dowry. Eloping would have gained him nothing." He looked at the sisters who were aghast at Wickham's actions, not to mention Mrs. Younge's, who rather than protect her charge, had tried to harm the girl.

"Is that part of the reason your cousin was in such a bad mood when he arrived in the neighbourhood?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Yes, I am sure it was, but that in no way excuses…" Richard began to answer.

"We know it does not," Mary interjected, "but it does explain the reasons behind some of his actions."

"The reasons for my telling you was not to garner sympathy for William," Richard stated. "Since Ramsgate, when Anna meets new acquaintances, she is extremely shy, will not look you in the eye, and you will have a hard time hearing her monosyllabic responses. "

"You do not want me to think Miss Darcy is proud and aloof like her brother can be," Elizabeth guessed.

"Exactly!" Richard exclaimed. "She needs more friends close to her own age; she was fifteen in March past. She has one very close friend, Lady Charity Rhys-Davies who is a year younger, and the sister of my sister-in-law, Marie. Charity will be with her mother at Hilldale so I am hoping you will be able to draw Anna out. She loves music, so that is a good subject to engage her interest and have her drop some of her defences."

"Did you not tell me how so many attempted to befriend her to get closer to her brother?" Mary verified.

"Indeed," Richard confirmed. "Miss Bingley was one of those, but that was when she was being manipulated by her brother. As far as I know, since she has changed Anna has not seen her."

"Janey, you will be with the Gardiners on Portman Square after Twelfth Night," Mary pointed out, "is it possible you will meet Miss Darcy in London before she meets Lizzy in Kent?"

"She will be at Pemberley after Christmastide as my parents will be making for Hilldale to be with Marie and Andrew rather than in London," Richard explained. "She and William will journey directly from his estate to mine in the first few days of April."

Elizabeth was not sure she was sanguine with seeing Mr. Darcy in Kent, especially after he had attempted to turn his aunt and uncle against Mary. However she would not renege on the acceptance she had given Charlotte to avoid the man. Also she was looking forward to meeting Miss Darcy, and Richard—who she suspected would be engaged to Mary by then—would be present. She had a thought. If Mary was indeed his fiancée at that time, she would make sure Charlotte invited her as well. As they would be hosted at the parsonage, propriety would be observed. Besides, if Mr. Darcy wanted to avoid her, he would have to go away, not her. Elizabeth decided to speak to Charlotte regarding Mary before her wedding which would be held in a week.

"Thankfully Sir William still has one good arm to use to walk Charlotte up the aisle," Elizabeth remarked. Thinking of Charlotte had caused her to think of her friend's father.

"According to what Charlotte related to me yesterday, his arm will not be out of the splints yet," Jane revealed, "however, she tells that he is pain free now and Mr. Jones will remove the restrictions before Christmastide." Even through his pain, Sir William had never lost his jovial nature which was one of the many reasons he was well liked by all five Bennet siblings.

"Speaking of the season upcoming, Henry and Tommy will arrive home in a fortnight," Mary said excitedly. She smiled when she thought of the approbation for her courtship both of her brothers, but especially her twin, had expressed in return letters after Mary had written to them of her glad tidings.

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

The Bingley coach made its way into Scarborough after what seemed like an interminable journey thanks to the two day delay due to the inclement weather.

Bingley was deep in thought about how he was to rid himself of the parasite who had attached himself to his pocketbook. The faster the better. He would start by barring him entrance to the Bingley family home, which he had never sold.

For his part Wickham was thinking of the sum he would demand from Bingley. He would have liked the same as the sister's dowry, but he had noted how sullen the man opposite him had become and he was sure he would refuse such a sum, regardless of the threats. He decided he would demand ten thousand pounds and be willing to settle for as little as four or five thousand.

Wickham felt the coach slowing and then come to a halt. He thought they had arrived at Bingley's house, that was until he looked outside and saw they were surrounded by soldiers, rifles pointed at the cabin of the carriage.

He felt panic set in. Wickham could not imagine they were here for Bingley, it had to be him. Why would they go to this effort for a deserter? Well, he supposed there was the matter of the horse he had borrowed . But still, that did not explain the show of force he saw. He watched in horror as soldiers approached the door on either side of the coach.

As the doors were pulled open, Wickham reached for the knife in his boot and pulled Bingley in front of him as a shield, the knife to the man's throat.