Chapter XXVII

" I

t is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, ladies," said Mr. Wickham.

? Elizabeth had seen his kind before, and not only from the regiment in Nottingham. The winsome smile he directed at them informed her that the man considered himself a charmer, and the way he looked them over suggested he was not above using his wiles on unsuspecting young gentlewomen—perhaps any woman he felt he could entice into doing things she ought not. By contrast, Mr. Denny was a typical officer, appearing very young and earnest, admiring them all but not in a way that made the admired feel wary of him. The former might be a dangerous man to a woman who had no interest in idle flirtation or even less proper activities, while the latter was na?ve, a good sort, but not terribly interesting.

? Bemused by her thoughts, Elizabeth gave herself a mental shake, for she had no proof whatsoever that Mr. Wickham was not a decent man. It was not proper to judge a man by nothing more than his looks and manners after an acquaintance of less than five minutes, even if his behavior toward Maria had disquieted her. Resolved to push such thoughts to the side, Elizabeth turned her attention back to the two gentlemen.

? "Do you ladies live nearby?" asked Mr. Denny in what seemed to be a polite request.

? "Yes," replied Louisa while Elizabeth was gathering her wits. "I live with my brother to the north at Netherfield Park, while Miss Elizabeth lives just west of my home at Longbourn."

? "From whence do you hale?" asked Elizabeth.

? "The north," said Mr. Wickham, appearing little inclined to elaborate.

? At the same time, Mr. Denny said: "My home is in Suffolk."

? "And have you been with the militia long?"

? "About a year for me," replied Mr. Denny with a pleasant smile. "My friend Wickham only joined a month ago and on my recommendation."

? The ladies' eyes found Mr. Wickham, and he shrugged. "I was denied an inheritance and have been searching for an occupation. When I met Denny by chance in London, he gave a good account of life in the militia. I thought to put his tales to the test."

? "Denied an inheritance?" demanded Maria. "Oh, you poor man."

? "Do not concern yourself, Miss Maria," replied Mr. Wickham, "for I am not the resentful sort. I would not betray so much as the name of the man who denied me, for I esteem his father far too much."

? "That speaks well to your character I am sure," replied Maria, beaming at the officer.

? Mr. Wickham appeared pleased, though he made no further comment on the subject. The ensuing conversation was nothing short of banal, for Elizabeth did not find the officers at all interesting. Instead of participating, she watched the interaction between Maria and the two men. Mr. Wickham, as had been her first impression, appeared to revel in the attention he received, and used his charm like a cudgel. To a certain set of young ladies such as Maria—those with little experience and a romantic disposition—she supposed his good looks and charm might be devastating weapons. To a woman like Elizabeth who already looked on officers with suspicion because of past events, the more she stayed in Mr. Wickham's company, the more disquieted she became.

? "Well, Wickham," said Mr. Denny after they had spoken together for some moments, "we are about to go on duty. We had best depart."

? "That is no less than a tragedy," said Mr. Wickham with a wink at Maria, who giggled at his false gallantry. "It seems duty calls, ladies. You will forgive me if I hope to be in your enchanting company again before long."

? "Not at all, Mr. Wickham," replied Maria. "I hope for the same myself."

? Mr. Wickham offered an elegant bow, while Mr. Denny grinned and gave a friendlier farewell, after which the two officers walked away.

? "Have you ever seen such handsome men and such excellent manners?" demanded Maria, her expression dreamy. "To be the focus of such a man would fill all my ideas of romance!"

? "Of course, it would," said Elizabeth, "until you remember they cannot afford a wife."

? Maria regarded Elizabeth, confused.

? "These men have little more than the clothing on their backs, Maria, and cannot even afford to keep themselves without support from their families. How could they manage the extra expense of a wife?"

? "I had not thought of that," replied Maria. "But it matters little, for I do not mean to induce one of them to offer for me. I only want a little fun."

? "Fun is all fine and well, Miss Maria," said Louisa, smiling at the young girl. "Just recall that you know nothing of these men other than what they tell you."

? "There was a regiment near my home in Nottingham," added Elizabeth. "Of those men, most were good and proper, but there were several who were not gentlemen by their behavior with the ladies, and a few who possessed other vices. By all means, have your fun, but I would suggest you take care."

? "That is good advice, Elizabeth," said Maria.

? Deep in thought, the girl excused herself and wandered away, her path taking her to the road to Longbourn and Lucas Lodge. When she was out of earshot, Elizabeth turned a raised eyebrow on Louisa who laughed.

? "Do you suppose we sowed enough doubt in her mind to protect her?"

? "Only until she is again in company with them," said Elizabeth, shaking her head. "Charlotte told me she would speak to Maria and as she is a sensible woman, I can only suppose she did. I will speak to Charlotte again when next I see her."

? Louisa nodded. "That would be for the best. Now, since you persuaded me to accompany you on this walk back to Netherfield, I believe we should depart, for I would like to rest this afternoon."

? With a laugh, Elizabeth agreed, and they set out at once. Their encounter with the two officers had taught Elizabeth wariness, not dissimilar to what she had learned from their counterparts in the north. Other than this and the need to speak to Charlotte about her sister's behavior, the officers made little impression on Elizabeth, as she had seen their ilk before. As such, Elizabeth had forgotten about them by the time they arrived at Netherfield; they were of little consequence, and she said nothing to the other ladies.

Had Elizabeth any insight into the thoughts of the officer that had caused her uneasiness, what she learned would have justified her caution. While many considered George Wickham to be among the worst of men—though most did not learn this until after the unfortunate results of their association—Wickham considered himself to be no worse than the next man. If there was anyone in the world who lived by the maxim that God would excuse a man for cheating his fellows a little, that man would go by the name of George Wickham.

? If only his crimes were of small consequence. The young ladies he had seduced and defiled, the merchants he had defrauded, the men he had cheated at cards, and everyone he had ever hurt in any way would beg to differ. The fact of the matter was that Wickham was a man who took advantage of every situation he could for personal gain, whether of wealth or the satisfying of his... other urges. Wickham was, in fact, a man who never considered the consequences of his actions suffered by those he hurt; he focused entirely on himself.

? "Well, Wickham, what do you think?" asked Denny as they walked, nudging Wickham's arm with his elbow. "The ladies here are as comely as those in Brighton, are they not?"

? "Beautiful, Denny," replied Wickham, considering the dark-haired beauty who had appeared so wary of him.

? "And the Bingley sisters, if the rumors are correct, possess sizeable dowries."

? As Denny chattered on about the ladies and the fun he expected to have in Meryton, Wickham considered the deeper ramifications of what he had heard in recent days. The regiment had only been in Meryton for less than a week, but Wickham had long been accustomed to learning all he could about a place so he would know the lay of the land, so to speak. It helped him identify what was available to an enterprising man and how to go about exploiting those opportunities one could find in every place one visited.

? The Miss Elizabeth Bennets of the world were an irresistible attraction to Wickham, for he loved nothing better than to teach those ladies with a little more discernment how futile their pretensions, how ineffectual their resistance to his charms. Wickham had had great success over the years bedding such women, some of whom had fallen to his charisma, while others had been perhaps a little... less willing. So confident was he in his abilities that he was certain he could have Miss Elizabeth just like he had many other ladies.

? His habit of learning the important points of the neighborhood had served him in good stead this time, however, for several young ladies of Miss Maria Lucas's ilk had been a positive font of information. The most important thing he had learned was that his detested nemesis, Fitzwilliam Darcy, was staying in the neighborhood, along with his sister, who Wickham had almost seduced. What a coup that would have been! Vengeance too, for he owed Darcy for his offenses against Wickham these many years since they had been children.

? Were Georgiana not present, Wickham might give some thought to ruining Miss Elizabeth and throwing the matter in Darcy's face before retreating from Meryton to bask in his superiority. That would not gain him the riches he deserved, but it would be satisfying to rob Darcy of the woman for whom he harbored some pathetic affection.

? Georgiana's presence changed matters entirely, as did Darcy's current absence from the neighborhood. Yes, he had also heard about Darcy's return to Pemberley at his steward's insistence. That opened a window of opportunity, for perhaps Georgiana's dowry was not beyond his grasp after all. It would take careful planning and a bit of fortunate happenstance, but Wickham did not think it was beyond his abilities. Perhaps he would even give the girl back to Darcy when he had her dowry in hand. Then again, perhaps not, for defiling Darcy's little sister would be as satisfying as defiling the woman he was courting. If he played his cards correctly, mayhap he would accomplish both. What sweet revenge that would be!

? Now, he hoped Miss Elizabeth would fail to mention her meeting with him to Georgiana, for Wickham knew that would derail his plans. He judged it unlikely, for he had the distinct impression that Miss Elizabeth did not much consider the regiment. If he had known of Darcy's presence before coming here, he would have used one of his aliases, though he supposed that Denny already knew him, which would make that difficult. There was nothing to be done, for the die was cast. Should Miss Elizabeth act in a way he did not predict, he would just need to get what he deserved in some other way.

? "It seems one of the young ladies caught your fancy."

? The comment caught Wickham's attention and he turned to his companion.

? "You have not heard a word I said in these last five minutes complete!"

? "Well," said Wickham, thinking a bit of misdirection would not go amiss, "Miss Bingley is a comely woman, and her dowry would suit any man, I should think."

? Denny laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. "If you could induce her to look your way. She does not seem to be the sort of woman to engage in casual flirtation."

? "Ah, but remember, Denny," smirked Wickham, "I do not engage in ‘casual flirtation.' I will have her eating from the palm of my hand in less than a fortnight."

? "Good luck, my friend. For my part, Miss Elizabeth caught my fancy, though I suppose the rumors of her courtship with a wealthy man doom my suit before it is even begun."

? Wickham smiled and nodded. "Perhaps it does, my friend. I am certain there are many ladies in the neighborhood who would suit your fancy."

? "Aye, that is the truth."

? Denny turned and entered the camp, Wickham following behind. In truth, he detested the duties of an officer, but he must maintain appearances until he could make his move. It would not be long—Wickham knew it with long practice borne of instinct. Soon, he would have all he ever wanted.

After several nights at Netherfield, the Bennet ladies with Georgiana Darcy in tow returned to Longbourn, chattering about their stay with the Bingley ladies. Bennet welcomed them, noting with amusement that while he was happy to allow them time with their friends, he missed their presence and wished to treasure these last few weeks—as he supposed—that he would have them living in his home.

? "How was your stay, girls?" asked Bennet when they met him in the sitting-room.

? "It was agreeable, Papa," said Jane. "The Bingley ladies are easy to esteem."

? Bennet chuckled, thinking of the elder of the two ladies, who Bennet found more than agreeable. "Aye, I suppose they are. Bingley was also good company; I appreciated having a companion rather than endure those days alone."

? "Come now, Papa," said Elizabeth, mischief lighting her eyes. "We all know how much you relished the respite from enduring ladies' conversation all day long."

? "That is without a doubt," replied Bennet. "Yet I still relish your return, my dears, for I have never parted from you for more than a night."

? Bennet listened as they chattered and regaled him with tales of their doings at Netherfield, including a walk the previous day to Meryton. Given his middle daughter's propensity to walk, he fixed her with a knowing grin, to which Elizabeth huffed and shook her head.

? "It was not my suggestion, Papa, though Louisa was good enough to walk back to Netherfield with me. The other ladies all claimed fatigue and returned in the coach."

? "As I might have expected," replied Bennet.

? "We also came across several officers in Meryton, and before we departed, Louisa and I stopped to talk to a pair."

? "Oh?" asked Bennet. "Do you find yourself as enamored with these fine fellows as you did the regiment in Woodborough?"

? Elizabeth's look heavenward delighted Bennet's sense of humor. "I beg your pardon, Papa, but I do not remember being infatuated with the regiment in Woodborough.

? "As for the officers we met yesterday, let us say that there did not appear to be much difference when comparing them to those we met in the north and say nothing more. However, I believe I must speak to Charlotte, for Maria appears to have far more interest in them than she ought."

? "She will not be the only one," observed Bennet.

? "No, but I would not leave her to their predations either. Charlotte is sensible; she will act to curb Maria's interest in them and protect her."

? "Then you will want to visit tomorrow morning."

? Elizabeth nodded and they put the subject to the side. The following morning, as she had suggested, Elizabeth left Longbourn in Jane's company, returning about forty-five minutes later after a visit to Lucas Lodge. Charlotte had not been home, but Elizabeth had tried to impart some small warning regardless, hoping to speak with her friend at some later date. Had something serious not happened in the interim, Bennet might have been more interested in that morning's events.

? "What is it, Papa?" asked Elizabeth when he joined his daughters that morning.

? "To own the truth, Lizzy," said Bennet, "I am not quite certain. I received a letter this morning that has astonished and concerned me."

? His most sensible daughter regarded him. "Who sent it?"

? Bennet felt his lips tighten into the rictus of a smirk, one which held no mirth. "That is the curious part, for it is from my cousin's patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh."

? "Aunt Catherine?" exclaimed Georgiana. "As I recall, you are not at all acquainted with her."

? "That is true, Georgiana," replied Mr. Bennet, "except through amusing anecdotes your brother has shared with me."

? "Then why would Lady Catherine write to you?"

? Bennet sighed and drew the letter from his breast pocket. "It is a matter of much astonishment."

? Looking to his daughters, Bennet nodded. "You all know of the circumstances of my inheritance of this property, including how Mr. Collins defrauded my father. I believe your brother has told you something of this, Georgiana."

? "He has," confirmed she.

? "You will all remember Mr. Collins who visited us some weeks ago." When they all agreed, he continued. "This is a letter from Lady Catherine de Bourgh, in which she has taken me to task for the grievous crime of inheriting Longbourn when it is the property of her parson, Mr. Collins. I shall not bore you with a recitation of her ladyship's charges and demands, but at the root of it all, she has instructed me to vacate the property so that Mr. Collins may take his rightful place."

? The cacophony of voices that erupted thereafter was nothing less than he had expected. Unable to answer them all at once, Bennet held up a hand, and they quieted.

? "In answer to your question, the ownership of the estate is not open to interpretation. Mr. Collins the elder willed it to me, and he used a solicitor in Stevenage, one not connected to his family. No court of law in England could find any evidence of my using improper means to take the estate, just as there was no recourse for my father when Mr. Collins persuaded my grandfather to alter his will."

? "Yet this alarms you, Father," said Elizabeth.

? Bennet shrugged and confessed that she was correct. "It is an unfortunate fact, Lizzy, that those in our society who possess wealth and influence sometimes get what they want regardless of the legalities."

? Tapping the letter, Bennet added: "Lady Catherine promises she will seek the aid of her brother to see justice done. With the voice of an earl supporting Mr. Collins's suit, I cannot guess how it will all turn out."

? "That is nonsense, Mr. Bennet," said Georgiana, her tone a little more heated than she likely intended. "My uncle would never allow my aunt to involve him in such things."

? "What does Lady Catherine have to do with the matter?" asked Elizabeth. "Even if Mr. Collins had a claim on the estate, why would she involve herself?"

? With a shake of his head, Bennet turned to Georgiana, who did not hesitate to respond, though with a huff.

? "Lady Catherine does not hesitate to meddle in anything that catches her fancy. My brother has spoken of her style of management of Rosings Park, which borders on intrusion into the lives of those who live on or around the estate."

? "If you will forgive me, my dear Georgiana, I suspect it goes far beyond that."

? Georgiana nodded and smiled. "In truth, my brother's comments were far less benign than I suggested."

? "What I find the most curious about this," said Elizabeth, "is Mr. Collins himself. When he was here, he gave no indication of coveting the estate."

? "That confuses me too," said Bennet. "My cousin appeared a little simple to me. I would not have thought him capable of the sort of deception this would imply."

? "Then what will you do?"

? Bennet sighed and rose. "I suppose I must go to Stevenage to speak to the solicitor, though I suspect I know what he will say."

? As Bennet had expected, the solicitor agreed with him. Mr. Hanson was a man of about Bennet's age, graying dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Bennet had been fortunate to retain him, he knew, for Stevenage was much larger than Meryton and there were only two solicitors in the town. He had been Mr. Collins's solicitor for the will that had led to Bennet inheriting Longbourn; he could understand why Mr. Collins would not trust Philips for the inheritance, having met the man himself, but he yet had no notion of why Collins had left him the estate at all, and Mr. Hanson had no more information himself.

? "This is spurious, Mr. Bennet," said Mr. Hanson after he read the letter. "Do you even know who this Lady Catherine de Bourgh is?"

? "She is the aunt of my close friend," said Bennet. "I have heard of her, but I have never made her acquaintance."

? Hanson regarded him. "Do you suppose the relationship has something to do with her intention to interfere?"

? "I cannot imagine why," said Bennet. "Darcy has spoken of her meddling nature, but this seems to be a step too far for even an inveterate busybody."

? "The law is clear," said Hanson. "Collins willed the estate to you, and as such, there is no ambiguity. When the nobility involves themselves, anything is possible, but I cannot see them doing so for a matter that does not affect them. Alone, this Lady Catherine does not have the influence to affect your claim on the estate."

? "Thank you, Hanson. That is what I thought myself."

? The solicitor nodded. "Perhaps you should write to this friend and ask for his opinion."

? "I mean to do that at once," replied Bennet.

? With a nod and a word of farewell, Bennet excused himself and left the office. As he might have thought, the ladies were eager to hear the solicitor's assessment when he returned, which he gave without hesitation.

? "You will write to my brother?" asked Georgiana when Bennet gave his account.

? "At once, and I shall send it express." Bennet grinned. "Darcy informed me that his business at Pemberley was nearing conclusion, and as I suspect he wishes to return as soon as may be, I do not suppose receiving my letter will pose any hardship."

? Georgiana fixed Elizabeth with a sly look and agreed. "No, I do not suppose my brother will protest at the prospect of returning early. When he arrives, he will wish to journey to Kent and set my aunt to rights."

? "Let us hope he is up to the task," replied Bennet.

? An hour later, Bennet had written the letter and sent Theodore to Meryton to post it to Pemberley at once express. What Darcy would think of his aunt's officiousness was a matter of certainty in Bennet's mind; the number of times Darcy had complained about her, especially when Lady Catherine bombarded him with letters of protest after Collins's departure as he had known she would, Bennet suspected Georgiana had the right of it. The situation should not turn ill for his family, for he knew the solicitor's assessment was correct. Yet he disliked the uncertainty and the thought of needing to defend himself in court.