Chapter XXXIII

G eorge Wickham was not a happy man. Time was expiring on his chance to seize what he wanted and would exhaust itself should Wickham not act before Darcy returned from wherever he had gone. Not knowing the errand on which Darcy departed had left Wickham uncertain, though not paralyzed. Yet something told him that his chance would evaporate if he did not act that day.

? Yet the Bennets remained close to home, and Georgiana did not so much as venture from the house, leaving Wickham with no opportunity to take his vengeance. Given how much Georgiana enjoyed walking, that they had not done so seemed like the cruelest luck; Wickham had no notion how to fathom it. The relative ease of abducting her while she was out on a walk appeared denied him, leaving him to contemplate other, more dangerous options. Not impossible, to be certain, but actions that posed a much greater risk to his success, and perhaps his continued ability to draw breath.

? In other circumstances, Wickham might have relished the challenge, for spiriting Miss Darcy away from under the Bennets' noses would bring immense satisfaction. At present, however, thoughts of what might happen should Darcy return and catch him unaware consumed him. Darcy had long ignored Wickham's activities other than the times he had paid off his debts to satisfy some notion of family honor. With the events in Ramsgate, however, Wickham knew he could not wager his freedom on the assumption that Darcy would continue to ignore him, and he trusted less in Fitzwilliam's ability to restrain himself from exacting revenge.

? No, whatever he did, he needed to accomplish it at once and retreat with his prize. Once he had secured her, it would leave Darcy with no choice but to negotiate with him. Darcy would no doubt try to catch Wickham in the act of paying him off, but Wickham had always fancied the life he led had left him capable of countering Darcy's every move and outsmarting him if it came to that. Once he had a trunk stuffed with Darcy's money, he could leave England and its adherence to the class system behind. Thirty-thousand pounds would go a long way in the New World, which was neither so civilized nor so prejudiced as England.

? Thus decided, Wickham looked for a way to put his plans into motion. If he could not find it, he would create an opportunity. Nothing would stand in his way.

"This is a surprise!" said Mr. Bingley for perhaps the third or fourth time. "I had some notion of your growing regard, but not so much as to suppose you would become engaged with such haste!"

? "I suspected they might," said Elizabeth, more than a hint of smugness welling up within her breast. "When I sent Louisa to confront my father, I wondered if he would take the opportunity, for I was certain his thoughts could not prevail over her presence!"

? "It appears you were correct," said Mr. Bennet, the fondness in his look at Elizabeth filling her with warmth. "Unlike the rest of you, I am not young and do not need to court a woman for a sixmonth to know I wish to have her for a wife. Your sister, Bingley, is a rare woman; I cannot wait to be joined to her."

? "If Louisa wishes it, I shall not object." Mr. Bingley paused and laughed. "To own the truth, I had thought I would be approaching you for the hand of your daughter and not the reverse."

? "You may do so at any time convenient after my daughter gives her consent. So long as you offer your blessing to my union, I am happy to offer mine for yours."

? "What a strange coincidence this is!" exclaimed Georgiana. "I might never have expected to find this much romance in Hertfordshire, of all places. This business will shock William when he returns from Kent!"

? "Perhaps not so surprised as you thought," said Elizabeth, "for he noted something of their growing closeness." Elizabeth turned her attention to her father with a mock scowl. "I must wonder, Papa, if some indiscretion has made a hasty union desirable."

? "Only you, Lizzy," said Mary, shaking her head in affection, "would presume to take our father to task for improper behavior."

? The entire company laughed at Mary's jest.

? "Well, it seems someone must."

? Mr. Bennet fixed her with a pointed look, ruined by the twitching of his lips. "Perhaps I should withhold my permission when Darcy asks you for your hand, Lizzy."

? "Why you would do so is beyond my comprehension. Mine is not the courtship that is only weeks old. Mr. Darcy has been in the neighborhood for months now and has never presumed to breach propriety."

? "No, he has not," agreed her father. "For that, I shall be forever grateful to him, for a man does not like to contemplate a daughter in such circumstances, even if she is a married woman with a decade's claim on the title!"

? The company laughed at Mr. Bennet's comment, the gentleman turning to Mr. Bingley. "You cannot understand it, Bingley, even though you are responsible for your sisters. Though I cannot boast a sister you must trust me—a sister is altogether different from a daughter."

? "I hope to understand it someday," replied Mr. Bingley. "Until that blessed day arrives, I shall offer my congratulations and my blessing, and I shall hold you to your promise to offer me the same when the time comes."

? "Excellent, Bingley! Now, if I could only find someone to take my most exasperating and impudent daughter off my hands, I shall be very well pleased."

? "That may come sooner than you expect, Papa," said Elizabeth, acting mysterious, though she was aware it was a miserable failure.

? "Then I shall expect to see Darcy at once when he returns."

? "You shall," piped up Georgiana. "This dithering has gone on long enough. I expect my brother to gift me with a sister without further delay!"

? It was a merry party that spent the evening together, the only thing missing was Mr. Darcy. Longbourn's kitchens created a celebratory meal in which they all partook, and the wit flowed as did the wine as they toasted the happy couple and the others soon to follow. It grew late before the Netherfield party returned home, which they did with some reluctance. When Elizabeth sought her bed that evening, she did so immersed in happiness, and more so because she expected that when Mr. Darcy returned, they would have a joyful announcement for the company much as her father's.

"Louisa, I would like to speak to you."

? Fresh from the heady feelings of accepting the proposal of a good man, Louisa Bingley looked up at her younger sister, seeing at once Caroline's serious expression. It was late, the Bingley siblings having arrived back at Netherfield after the sun had set in the late summer sky, each at once seeking their bed to recover from the evening of merry making. Louisa had thought her siblings had gone to their beds, but her mind had been too active to allow sleep; therefore, she had stayed in this attitude in the sitting-room attached to her bedchamber, staring into the fire, seeing the faces of those she loved in its blazing depths, thinking of the life she had led and what her life would become.

? As Louisa regarded her sister, the belated realization that Caroline would wish to speak washed over her, though her sister pressing the issue that very night was something of a surprise. Caroline, being who she was and espousing the opinions that had ruled her for so long, would not rest until she made her sentiments known. The question in Louisa's mind was the content of those sentiments, for Louisa thought her sister had changed as much as she had herself since coming to Hertfordshire. For the better, to own the truth.

? "Come and sit with me, Caroline," invited Louisa, gesturing her forward. "I am pleased to speak, for I find myself far too active to rest."

? Without hesitation, Caroline agreed and settled herself close to her sister, and in an action that shocked Louisa, her younger sister rested her head on Louisa's shoulder as she used to when they had been young girls. Perhaps Caroline had changed even more than Louisa thought.

? "You are pensive tonight, Caroline."

? "Should I not be?" asked her sister, not removing her head from Louisa's shoulder. "It has been a momentous day, has it not?"

? "Yes, I suppose it has." Louisa thought on the matter for a moment then shrugged. "It is not every day that a woman becomes engaged to the best man she knows and assures her happiness. Yet, for all this, the day is one of contentment rather than one of excessive significance, though I suppose I may change my mind later."

? "It is important for our family at the very least. What I wish to know is whether you expect to be happy with Mr. Bennet as a husband."

? The question hung in the air between them, not unexpected from Louisa's perspective, but poignant all the same. Then again, when Louisa considered it, she wondered at Caroline's question, for prior to coming to Netherfield, she might have expected her sister to ask after the state of her sanity, rather than whether she would find happiness. That Caroline was not this Caroline, as she had considered many times, the reminder helping her answer her sister with as much truth as she possessed.

? "Yes, Caroline, I believe I shall be happy with Mr. Bennet as a husband. Perhaps he is not a man I dreamed of marrying as a young girl, but as a woman, one must have different goals, a more pragmatic way of looking at the world. Mr. Bennet is a good man, one with whom I get on well, one I respect and esteem. He is not Colonel Fitzwilliam, full of tales of his exploits, possessing of broad shoulders and an athletic masculine body, but his shoulders are broad enough for me."

? Though she could not see, Louisa could well imagine Caroline's grimace of distaste. Colonel Fitzwilliam had always been far too glib, too teasing for Caroline's taste; Louisa had long suspected that the colonel had seen Caroline's ambitions for what they were and acted to protect his cousin and perhaps give the upstart a taste of her own medicine. It had been amusing but Caroline had always been out of sorts after meeting the good colonel, whereas Louisa, not fixed on Mr. Darcy excluding all other men, had always found the colonel to be an excellent, if somewhat flamboyant man.

? Caroline sighed and lifted her head from Louisa's shoulder to look at her earnestly. "Matters are not falling out as I might have expected, though I suppose you already understand this."

? "As you know, I had no preconceived notions of how our lives would turn out. I apologize again, Caroline, but I never held the same fascination for high society. While the trappings of wealth and prestige are fine, I can live without them. Happiness is the most important consideration."

? "You have spoken of happiness but said nothing of love. If you are to forgo the benefits of fortune and standing, you must have love to fill the void."

? "I esteem Mr. Bennet very much now," replied Louisa. "That will, I expect, turn into deep love, perhaps by the time I meet him at the altar. As you all said, we have not known each other long, which makes our engagement a little precipitous. However, Mr. Bennet is, as he stated, a man who has adult daughters, one who does not feel he needs to wait. Affection already exists in abundance between us; love will come in time."

? While Caroline regarded her for some moments, she did not gainsay Louisa's assertions. Her next comment was a surprise, for Louisa had thought the subject was buried and dead.

? "Much might have been different if you had accepted Mr. Hurst's proposal."

? This was not the recrimination Caroline had laid at Louisa's door on the heels of the event, nor was it even the exasperated words Caroline had spoken on the road to Netherfield. It was more of a wistful sort of observation, one that lamented the dying of dreams many years in the making.

? "How so, Caroline? If you recall, Mr. Hurst's estate was not much larger than Longbourn. As he is a slothful man, more interested in filling his belly than managing his estate, and Mr. Bennet is an industrious man, Mr. Bennet's income may outstrip Mr. Hurst's in time."

? "That may be so. But Mr. Hurst's appeal was not in the size of his estate, but his presence in town."

? Louisa snorted with amusement. "It is interesting to hear you say it, Caroline, for you know Mr. Hurst's reputation for gluttony, and he has no claim to anything beyond the second circles. Even some of them do not accept him."

? "It is better than having no presence," said Caroline, a hint of the old bitterness appearing in her voice.

? "Should Mr. Bennet desire it," replied Louisa, not swayed by Caroline's argument, "I am certain he could find acceptance in town. His friendship with Mr. Darcy would guarantee it. If you consider it from that perspective, my future with Mr. Bennet is more fortunate as Mr. Darcy holds him in such esteem. Mr. Darcy would have done nothing other than tolerate Mr. Hurst."

? "Yes, I suppose you are correct." Caroline sighed. "I apologize, Louisa, for I did not intend to relitigate your refusal of Mr. Hurst. A part of me still wishes you had accepted him, but I understand why you did not."

? "Then what is your purpose?"

? Caroline pursed her lips. "It is what I said. This business of your engagement to Mr. Bennet has come on so suddenly that I wished you to assure me of your future happiness."

? "Which I have done."

? "I shall accept your assurances." Caroline offered a wan smile. "Within me still exists the desire to move among the cream of society, but I shall not say your decision is erroneous or misjudged. I believe you are correct—as you grasp those things that are most important to you, it is unlikely you will not find happiness in your marriage."

? Louisa eyed her sister. "What of you, Caroline. What will make you happy?"

? For the first time in what seemed like ages, Caroline responded with a wry smile, one that highlighted her features and made her appear so much prettier than she when wore the habitual assessing look, or the scowl she often showed to those she considered rivals.

? "That, my dear sister, is what I must discover."

? "Will you discover it in Hertfordshire?"

? Louisa's question was nothing less than a reference to Mr. Lucas such that Caroline could not misunderstand. That did not mean she meant to answer the question.

? "Perhaps. At present, I cannot say. Should I decide in his favor, you shall be the first to know."

? Caroline rose and kissed Louisa's cheek and then slipped from the room, leaving Louisa staring at the door she closed behind her. Never would she have expected Caroline to even allow a hint of merit in Mr. Lucas's suit, to say nothing of the possibility of accepting him. It appeared Caroline had changed far more than Louisa knew.

Momentous was a word the Bingley sisters used to describe the day, but even they did not know how correct they were, though not for the same reasons. Elizabeth Bennet had no notion of it either, for she retired that evening as happy as she could ever remember, finding rest at once; the promise of dreams featuring Mr. Darcy might have played a minor role in assuring her quick descent to slumber, unaware of the trials that would present themselves that night.

? Ever after, Elizabeth could not say what awoke her in the darkest hours of the night. An excellent sleeper, she was unaccustomed to waking, such that coming alert provoked her to sit up and glance about the room. Everything appeared normal, the room was dark with not even a sliver of the moon's light, even diminished as it was waning, did not light her surroundings. The unusual nature of the event and Elizabeth's excessive sudden stimulation rendered her unable to lie down again and try to find rest.

? At length, she lowered herself again to her pillow, shaking her head at her strange fancy. Then, a definite sound which though unidentified was unmistakable, drew her from her bed, determined to discover the reason for it. Having the presence of mind to pull a dressing gown over her shoulders, Elizabeth fastened it in the front and moved to her door, opening it on silent hinges, grateful for the work of Longbourn's servants to repair much of the damage neglect had wrought on it by the previous owner.

? In the hall, there was nothing amiss that Elizabeth could see, though it was dark enough to render discerning anything near impossible. The doors were all closed, there were no lights from below doors, and there were no further sounds she could distinguish. On the verge of returning to her room with a shaken head about her silliness, Elizabeth caught sight of something that made her pause; there was an open door, further down the hall on same side as Elizabeth's room.

? On the pads of her feet, careful not to make any noise, Elizabeth approached the door wondering if Georgiana had woken in the night and left her room for whatever reason. As she neared the door and was about to step into it, she heard a voice that chilled her heart.

? "I suggest you be silent, little Georgiana! Your brother has taken everything from me, so I have nothing left to lose. If you try my patience, you may end with your neck snapped!"

? Elizabeth did not hesitate. She backed away from the room as quickly and quietly as she could, hurrying down the hall and down the stairs, avoiding the creaks she knew from several months' experience in the house. When she reached the first floor with no sign the man in Georgiana's room had heard her flight, she hurried to the back of the house and the servant's quarters. While she might have preferred to approach the footmen or steward, she did not know which rooms they inhabited. Instead, she went to Mrs. Hill's door and, eschewing a knock that might alert the intruder, she turned the handle and slipped inside.

? "What is it?" came the voice of the housekeeper at once, though Elizabeth could not be certain whether she had been awake or was a light sleeper.

? "Mrs. Hill! There is a man in Miss Darcy's room!"

? "Abduction?" demanded Mrs. Hill, throwing off her blankets at once. Elizabeth noted that the moonlight that was absent from her room shone in Mrs. Hill's room on the opposite side of the house, a strange and detached notion in the moment's urgency.

? "I heard him speak of doing her harm," said Elizabeth, feeling breathless.

? "I shall rouse John and Theodore at once."

? Elizabeth backed out, allowing the housekeeper to follow her out. As it was not proper for her to enter the servants' rooms, Elizabeth fretting while Mrs. Hill roused their manservants, the wait seemed to encompass hours rather than the few moments it was. Soon the solid figures of the two Longbourn footmen loomed before her, accompanied by a third, revealed to be Mr. Whitmore.

? "Miss Elizabeth," said the steward. "This man is in Miss Darcy's room?"

? "He is," confirmed Elizabeth. "He spoke of having nothing left to lose after Mr. Darcy deprived him of everything."

? In the dim light of the hall, Elizabeth could just make out Mr. Whitmore's features as they tightened in alarm. "It cannot be him," muttered he, "but no one else could be so brazen."

? "Do you know who it is?" questioned a shocked Elizabeth.

? Mr. Whitmore shook his head. "Mr. Darcy has an enemy, but he has had no dealings with him in recent years to the best of my knowledge. He paid Mr. Wickham off many years ago and has not seen him since."

? Elizabeth's blood ran cold. "There is a Mr. Wickham in the militia regiment."

? "Then we must make haste," said Mr. Whitmore, not wasting any further time.

? Beckoning to the two footmen, Mr. Whitmore started through the house, reaching the stairs and climbing with more attention to haste than any attention to remaining silent, with Elizabeth and Mrs. Hill following behind.

? The men of the house approached Georgiana's door just as a man emerged from the bedchamber dragging the unwilling gentlewoman behind him. The darkness of the hall denied Elizabeth clear sight of the shocked intruder, though the sudden stillness of movement spoke volumes. It was that brief paralysis that proved his undoing.

? Quick as lightning, John and Theodore darted forward before the invader could move, and though he cried out, they separated him from Georgiana at once, moving to bring him into custody. Georgiana fell to the side with a muffled cry, but the two footmen took no notice, wrestling a struggling intruder away from the young woman, Mr. Whitmore throwing himself into the melee while Elizabeth and Mrs. Hill hurried to Georgiana. As Elizabeth had expected, the girl's hands were bound, and a cloth stuffed into her mouth to prevent her from calling for help.

? "What is the meaning of this?" demanded Mr. Bennet as he stepped from his bedchamber to the chaotic scene in the hallway.

? At that moment, the three servants gained control over their prey, the two footmen wrenching his arms behind his back while Mr. Whitmore buried his fist into the man's midsection, provoking a gasp of pain—it also ended his struggling, at least for the moment.

? "Your daughter summoned us, Mr. Bennet," said Mr. Whitmore, turning to the master of the house, even as Mary's and Jane's doors opened as if synchronized. "It seems Mr. Wickham, an old enemy of Mr. Darcy, dared to enter your house to abduct your guest."

? "Wickham?" demanded Mr. Bennet, stepping forward to inspect the man supported by the two footmen. "Darcy has mentioned a man in his past who meant him harm. Are you certain it is he?"

? "Without a doubt, Mr. Bennet," assured Mr. Whitmore. "I have been to Pemberley and seen him before."

? "Take him to the sitting-room," instructed Mr. Bennet. "There we can determine what to do with him."