Chapter 23

A very sullen Wickham sat in his gaol cell contemplating his total failure to achieve any of the aims he had set for himself in Meryton. Rather than ruin the Bennet chits, he had not been able to touch them. Their reputations were safe, unless he could get a note to Lydia Bennet and find a way to ruin her from his incarceration.

For the first time since his arrest, he smiled. With all the fluff between her ears the silly girl thought herself engaged to him. He would send a note and have her come to see him. Wickham was sure he would be able to charm his gaoler to allow her into his cell, and then he would enact his plan and destroy the Bennet sisters' reputations. He was determined to exact a measure of revenge against Miss Elizabeth for not doing as he had expected her to do.

He heard the door open, followed by footfalls. Now he had to convince the dullard who guarded them to allow him to write a note… When he heard the very last voice he expected to hear, or wanted to hear, all thoughts of the Bennets and how to ruin them fled his head.

"Well, well, well, at long last, Wicky is where he deserves to be, behind bars," Colonel Fitzwilliam drawled.

"It does make a pretty picture, does it not," Darcy agreed.

"Long overdue," Lord Hilldale added.

Seeing Richard Fitzwilliam glaring at him from outside the bars of his cell, for the first time in his life Wickham was grateful for being under lock and key. There was no missing the menacing look or the way Fitzwilliam's hand was on the hilt of his sabre. Wickham correctly surmised it would take very little for Darcy's cousin to demonstrate his skill with his weapon. He was the person at whom the exercise would have been aimed. With the bars to protect him and feeling a little safety thanks to them, he decided to play his last card.

"If I were you, I would get me out of here and make sure all my debts are paid," Wickham stated as nonchalantly as he was able under the circumstances.

"Pray tell, why would we do that?" Lord Hilldale enquired.

"Because if you do not, I will tell one and all that I compromised Miss Darcy…" Wickham's voice faded and he felt abject terror as Fitzwilliam pulled his sabre from the scabbard. With his other hand he withdrew a key from one of his regimental jacket's pockets. Wickham turned a deathly shade of white as Fitzwilliam approached the cell door and began to insert the key in the lock. He felt himself involuntarily relieve himself in his pants.

"What was that you were saying Wicky? Did William here," the Colonel cocked his head to his infuriated cousin, "not tell you what your fate would be if you ever breathed a word to a living soul about what you attempted with my cousin?"

"I-it w-w-was a-a j-j-joke. I-I h-have n-n-never s-said a-a w-w-word t-t-to a-anyone," Wickham stammered.

"You mean except for the soon-to-be ex-Lieutenant Denny over there," Colonel Fitzwilliam cocked his head to the cell where an equally scared Denny was to be found. "To your credit, you did admonish him never to repeat it to another, or I would unlock the door and finish you. You always think you are clever when you are not. This will be the final time you bedevil any other non-suspecting community who are charmed by the syrup in your forked tongue. "

Wickham fell back onto the wooden cot. He could not fathom how Fitzwilliam knew, almost word for word, what he had said to Denny the other day, when as far as he knew, Darcy and his damned family were all in London.

"I suppose you are asking yourself how we know what you said?" Darcy taunted his enemy. "For instance how do we know you intended to ruin Miss Lydia after feeding her one of your lies about being in love with her and asking her to marry you? Or your anger at Miss Elizabeth because she would not spread your pack of lies as you had expected her to do?"

Wickham was reeling. How could this be, was it wizardry? He was certain no one was near Denny and him when they were in the cabin! It was impossible!

"You were in the Bennets' cabin at the base of the hill the locals call Oakham Mount to ready the place for your coming seduction or rape. You opened the door and windows wide," Lord Hilldale revealed. "Did you know it is a popular place for locals to visit? I am told there is a pleasant area on the summit to sit. That day was windless and your voices carried clearly to some citizens of the area who had made their way up the hill before you and your cohort arrived."

"From up there, not only could the person or people hear every word you two said, but they had a clear view of the cabin as well," the Colonel added.

"Who?" Wickham croaked out.

"The who is not your concern." Darcy interjected. Just in case the miscreant escaped, which he was certain would not occur, he did not want the three ladies, especially one of them, to be targets of the cur. "Your friend over there, if he testifies against you, will be cashiered out of the army for conduct unbecoming an officer, but will not face a trial or time in prison." Darcy and his cousins looked at Denny who nodded his agreement emphatically. "You will be tried for trespassing and theft. Luckily for you it is not a hanging offence." Wickham perked up seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. "However after your stint in Newgate, you will go directly to one of the debtors' prisons. You did not think I have forgotten about all of your markers I have purchased, did you? It was already above two thousand pounds before we add the amounts from Westingham and Meryton. You will die in prison."

"B-but y-you w-will dishonour the memory of your father…" Wickham attempted to manipulate.

"As I was reminded, after that attempt you made to elope with my sister, my late honoured father would have run you through without a second thought," Darcy rebuked. "As soon as you tried to use my sister to gain a fortune and avenge yourself on me, for your self-induced problems, any possibility of mercy from any of us was wiped away."

"You have two choices: one for now and one for when you have served your sentence at Newgate," Colonel Fitzwilliam offered. Seeing Wickham's questioning look he proceeded. "You can fight a duel against me in the morning on the morrow, which before you get any ideas would be a fair duel, or after Newgate, you will be transported to Van Dieman's Land. Before you get happy, you will have to serve fourteen years, but it is better than being imprisoned for your debts for the rest of your life. If you choose that option, there will be a caveat. If you ever darken the shores of England again, you will be arrested and sent to debtors' prison."

Wickham knew he was out of options. He would never fight Fitzwilliam, especially when he would not be able to cheat. In a fair duel, he would be dead. That left him with the rest of his life in a dark hole like Marshalsea, or fourteen years and then freedom in New Holland. Neither of those options were good, but the latter one was preferable.

"I choose to be transported," Wickham averred morosely .

"After you serve whatever sentence the court of assizes in Hertford imposes on you," Lord Hilldale reminded the wastrel. All Wickham could do was nod.

The Colonel stood before the cell in which Denny was being held. "You should choose your friends with more discrimination. The same applies to you as to that bastard. Repeat a word to anyone, ever, and then you will be seeing me again, and I will be the last thing you see in the mortal world. Do you understand?"

"Aye, Colonel I do," Denny vowed.

"Once you bear witness against him, you will be free to go," Lord Hilldale reminded Denny.

No sooner had the Fitzwilliams and Darcy left than Wickham sat there silently, in his own waste, lamenting his terrible luck that his bragging to Denny had been heard.

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

As had been discussed at Netherfield Park the previous day, the residents—minus the Major, Captain, and two sergeants, who had departed for London earlier that morning—arrived at Longbourn at an acceptable hour for callers.

Although Lord Hilldale was a viscount, rather than be nervous to meet a noble, Mary was in anticipation of meeting him after her sisters told her that he was also a clergyman. In addition, they informed her that he had indicated his desire to debate theology with her. When Jane and Lizzy had related the Viscount's opinions regarding Fordyce's sermons, Mary was happy she had come to the same conclusions some years previously.

Since Fanny had put them back in, the two youngest Bennets had begun to dress in the fashion of a young lady not yet out in society. Lydia's gown, which had been rather revealing in the area of her bosom, had had fabric and lace added turning it into an appropriate dress for one of her age.

Charlotte had arrived just before the party from Netherfield Park. She was seated on a settee with Jane and Eliza when the eight from that estate were shown into the drawing room.

Darcy was nervous his shy sister would be overwhelmed by the youngest Bennets, as he was not aware of the changes which had occurred since Wickham had been exposed. He did not worry about Becca as she was far more outgoing than Gigi. Hence, when the introductions were made, he was pleasantly surprised by the demure behaviour of Misses Kitty and Lydia. Even more shocking was the calm demeanour of the Bennet matron. Not one attempt to match any of her daughters with the arriving men was made.

Bennet, who had come to see who the arrivals were, was as shocked as anyone at the way his wife was behaving. More than that, he felt disappointment she had not exposed herself when the Viscount, Colonel, and Lady Rebecca were introduced. It was then he noticed his two youngest were sitting like demure young ladies, no giggling or vulgar effusions. What could account for what he was seeing?

Most troubling of all, since his two eldest daughters had come to see him with that fiction about Messrs Denny and Wickham, his Lizzy had not come to spend time with him in his study. Even worse, when he had tried to make sport of his wife and silly daughters at mealtime, not only had she not participated, she had looked affronted where in the past she had joined him. Could it be his dismissal of her concerns had caused her to become missish?

As much as Lord Hilldale wanted to see just how deep Miss Mary's knowledge of the Bible was and the Colonel desired to learn more about Miss Lucas, the men knew they needed to speak to Mr Bennet first.

"Mr Bennet, may some of us meet with you in your study?" Lord Hilldale, as the eldest of the cousins, requested.

"Do not tell me you are here to speak to me about the hands of any of my silly daughters," Bennet riposted. He did not miss that no one else in the drawing room appreciated his humour. "This way, my Lord." He led the way and Darcy and the two Fitzwilliams followed behind him.

In the drawing room Mary and Miss Darcy discovered they had similar tastes in music, Kitty and Lydia were soon speaking to Lady Rebecca about fashion, Jane and her fiancé had their heads together, leaving Elizabeth and Charlotte to speak with the Hursts. Fanny Bennet surveyed her drawing room with contentment. She did not miss the chaos which previously marked this room only a few days past.

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

Bennet seated himself behind his desk and indicated the chairs in front of it, there were two, so the Colonel moved a third one closer. "You asked to speak to me," Bennet commenced once all three of his guests were seated.

"Mr Bennet we appreciate your time as we are well aware of the work you are deferring to meet with us," Lord Hilldale responded.

As much as he loved to use sarcasm in making sport of others, Bennet was not sanguine when it was aimed at himself. These were not men to be trifled with so he bit his tongue and other than a slight incline of his head, he did not respond.

"We understand Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth came to see you the other day to report a conversation they had overheard," Darcy stated.

He could not fathom why these men desired to speak of his Lizzy's fanciful imaginings, especially not the man who had slighted her at the previous assembly. He knew the man had been unable to apologise thanks to his own intervention. "Yes, my two eldest daughters repeated a fantastical story and then seemed missish when I did not charge off and confront the officers based on the fiction they told," Bennet responded dismissively .

"Mr Bennet, what you were told was as non-fiction as can be. Mr Wickham has left a trail of ruined young ladies in many towns in the realm. Especially when he is motivated by revenge, as he was due to Miss Elizabeth's failure to spread the lies he told her about my cousin, he is most dangerous," the Colonel related. "It is by His Grace alone that two of your daughters and Miss Lucas happened to be on the top of the hill and were able to hear the two miscreants. Had they not been made aware of the true nature of the libertine; it is a certainty that Miss Lydia would have been meddled with and then all of your daughters would have had to share in her shame."

"And yet, Lydia was not ruined," Bennet crowed triumphantly. He was quickly tiring of the men; there was no amusement to be had.

"Only because of Miss Elizabeth's brilliant mind," Darcy asserted.

"What know you of the mind of one who is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt you ? Why should I listen to you who never apologised?" Bennet smirked.

"I have apologised, and would have the same evening had Miss Elizabeth allowed it. How is it you did not approach me at the dinner with the officers and demand I apologise? Had you done so, I would have told you that your daughter would not allow me to say anything past the barest of civil greetings. It does not take a great intellect to recognise your daughter's intelligence," Darcy averred.

Knowing how he had encouraged Lizzy to turn the other way if the man approached her, Bennet was well aware what Mr Darcy said was the truth. It was a pity he had missed the proud man humbling himself before his Lizzy. "What did Lizzy do?"

"Do you remember the page you signed?" Darcy queried. Bennet nodded. Darcy went on to explain how Miss Elizabeth had the men arrested. That was after Sir William and Miss Lucas convinced the merchants in Meryton to offer no further credit to the soldiers. "It is due to his incarceration he was unable to meddle with your daughter. You should know the scoundrel does not take ‘ no' for an answer. If he wants to bed a woman and she refuses, he takes what he wants by force."

"We just felt you should be aware nothing Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth told you was a fiction or exaggerated, in fact if anything, they may have understated the danger," Lord Hilldale stressed. "If not for His Goodness, you and your family would have been embroiled in an all-encompassing scandal from which none of you would have been able to hide."

"If you desire proof of our assertions, it can be provided," the Colonel stated. "From my time in the army I can tell you that inaction can cause more harm than the incorrect measures at times."

Listening to home truths was not his favourite activity, which led to a scowl rather than a derisive grin on Bennet's face. "I see my failures have been great indeed," he spat out. "So this is your opinion of me! This is the estimation in which you hold me! I thank you for displaying your disdain for my prowess as a parent. My faults, according to what you think of me, are heavy indeed! I have no need for you to insert yourselves into my family's business." Bennet waved the men away. He had heard enough. He needed some time to read and drink his port to restore his humour.

Shaking their heads at thoughts of the most indolent man any of them had had the misfortune to meet, the three made their way back to the drawing room.