Chapter 9

“W elcome Mr Bennet,” Colonel Forster stood when his adjutant showed the gentleman into his office. “I trust your visit is not due to something Lieutenants Pratt or Miller did.”

“No, my call on you is in no way connected to those two men, but is in fact regarding a different lieutenant, one who, in my estimation, if left unchecked will blacken the name of your regiment in every town in the realm,” Bennet drawled evenly.

“Who is the officer who can cause such a disaster to befall my command?” Forster demanded.

“Lieutenant Wickham,” Bennet responded.

Inexplicably, the Colonel relaxed. “Wickham warned me that Mr Darcy would attempt to blacken his name and provided me with all of the facts to refute anything that man said,” Forster declared. What the two Lieutenants had told him was fresh in his mind, but he chose to believe it was only bravado.

“Indeed, and what proof did your lieutenant show you that you are willing to believe him and none other?” Bennet challenged.

The Colonel opened his mouth to begin to speak, but he quickly closed it again. His eyebrows knitted as he searched his memories. After some moments, he looked up at the man sitting and waiting calmly for his answer. “I saw nothing, he gave me his verbal assurances on his word of honour.”

“Let me guess, he told you of how Mr Darcy refused him a church living, and how Mr Darcy was jealous of him?”

“Yes, that was the gist of it. There were also some tales about Mr Darcy attempting to cause trouble for Wickham at school and with his benefactor, the late Mr Darcy, the current one’s father.”

“And he offered only his word. Was there one man who he claimed would attest to the veracity of his claims?” Bennet enquired.

“As far as I remember, no. Wickham did not claim any who could corroborate what he told me,” Forster admitted.

“As far as I am aware then, you should know Mr Darcy has never mentioned his feelings regarding Lieutenant Wickham to a single soul in the neighbourhood. The information I have regarding your officer did not come from that source. On the issue of blackening names, it is your man who is doing all of the blackening. Not a day after meeting my second daughter, he told her his tale of woe, of which I know for certain, was made up of whole cloth. By the by, did the lieutenant share with you his propensity to run up debts and not pay them? Or perhaps he mentioned he enjoys seducing girls who are barely no longer tender aged?” Bennet sat back and watched the Colonel’s face which was darkening with anger.

“You said you know, does that mean you have proof?” Forster clipped out. Suddenly he realised what Pratt and Miller had reported was not mere boasting.

“I do. My sister-in-law hails from Lambton in Derbyshire. When I mentioned my doubts of the truth of Lieutenant Wickham’s assertions to her husband, who is my wife’s brother, he had his wife write to friends in the Lambton area. No she did not ask for negative information about your officer, she asked for any information regarding both him and Mr Darcy. Her letter arrived by express this morning.” Bennet extracted the letter from his pocket and handed it to the seething Colonel.

Forster knew a gentleman would not make the kind of accusations against another man that Mr Bennet made without a good faith belief they were the truth. He hoped it was not so. Because if it was, what did that say about his ability to judge the character of his men? He took a deep breath and began to read. The more he read, the more ashamed he felt that he had been taken in by such a man.

“ CARTER !” Forster thundered once he had completed the reading.

“Colonel?” a concerned adjutant managed when he entered the office moments later.

“When is Wickham supposed to return from London?” Forster demanded.

“By midday on the morrow, Sir,” Captain Carter responded smartly. Unlike many of the other junior officers, Carter did not see the militia as a way to impress local ladies. He wanted a military career and was saving all he could in order to purchase a commission in the regulars. It was the reason the Colonel, who used to be in the regulars, had made him his adjutant.

“Am I correct that it was Lieutenant Denny who recruited him?” Forster queried.

“Aye, Colonel, that he did,” Carter averred.

“You will not repeat a word of what you are about to be told to another soul until I say you may,” Forster insisted. “Close the door and come sit next to Mr Bennet.”

“I swear not a word will cross my lips,” Carter saluted. He turned, closed the door, and took the seat his colonel had indicated.

“Mr Bennet came to see me with rather serious accusations against Wickham…” The Colonel gave the Captain a succinct version of what he had learnt. Carter had heard the same story from Wickham and tried to defend the Lieutenant. With Mr Bennet’s permission, the Colonel handed over the letter.

The Captain’s looks of scepticism were soon replaced with a steely anger. “That bastard signed the Code of Conduct! Sorry, Mr Bennet,” Carter apologised.

“I am not a delicate female who will swoon at hearing coarse language. I think bastard is an apt descriptor for that profligate, libertine seducer,” Bennet responded with a grin.

“When that man returns, have him brought to me. Send Denny as well, I want to determine what he knew, and when he knew it. Wickham is no longer an officer as his former actions would have disqualified him from ever receiving a commission. He dissembled in all he told us, not to mention he has violated the Code of Conduct too many times for me to count,” Forster commanded. “We do not want the miscreant put on his guard, so until he is before me, he is not to sense anything has changed. Have armed soldiers outside as well as in your office as soon as the two Lieutenants are within.”

“It will be done,” Carter responded with another salute.

Bennet did not miss the almost feral look in the Captain’s eyes. He came close to pitying the former Lieutenant for what would be meted out to him if he said or did the wrong thing once he was taken into custody. It was pleasing that the man would not be free to ply his trade among the citizens of Meryton, and hopefully any other place, any longer.

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

Miss Bingley decided she did not want to wait two days, so she gave her maid some additional banknotes and had her walk into Meryton to instruct the coachman to be at Netherfield Park within the hour.

“Louisa, we are closing the house and joining Charles and my Mr Darcy in London,” Miss Bingley told her sister.

“But Charles said he would be back in a matter of a few days,” Mrs Hurst objected. “You know he wants to pursue Jane Bennet. Why would you say we are to leave today?”

“Before they departed, Charles and Mr Darcy discussed enjoying the rest of the little season, then Christmastide at Pemberley before we return for the season,” Miss Bingley prevaricated. “They made the decision just before the departure, so you see, there is no reason to remain here. Besides, you know our brother. Once he is in Town he will have no desire to leave it for this or any other backwater.”

Mrs Hurst was not sure, but she did not think her sister would dissemble when Mr Darcy was involved. “But we have no coach,” she pointed out.

“Charles rented one in Meryton for our use; it will be arriving shortly,” Caroline lied.

“In that case I will see to Harold’s and my packing,” Mrs Hurst stated. It was a good thing they were departing so Charles would no longer shift after Jane Bennet.

“I will deal with the servants, and have the house closed.” She turned to the closest footman. “You there, boy, deliver this letter to Longbourn for me. Leave here as soon as we depart.”

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

By the time Bennet arrived back at Longbourn and had handed the reins of his horse to a groom, he knew something was wrong based on the sounds of anger emanating from his second daughter.

“How could anyone lie to me like this?” Jane asked as her father entered the drawing room.

“Janey, earlier today, did you not believe that the evil which obviously resides inside of Mr Wickham did not exist in the world?” Elizabeth demanded.

Jane nodded that it was so.

“Then why do you think Miss Bingley cannot be the pernicious woman I said she is, one who would hurt you and others for her own selfish ends?”

“A note was just received from Miss Bingley which contradicts what Mr Bingley said about his returning in a few days,” Fanny related to her husband calmly when he entered the drawing room.

The volume of noise in the room was far less than normal thanks to the two youngest Bennets being secured in the nursery. “Will someone please inform me what that supercilious woman has done?” Bennet looked at each of the four ladies in the drawing room in turn.

“That woman , I will not call her a lady, sent this to Jane,” Elizabeth held a missive out to her father.”

“Jane, do I have your permission to read it?” Bennet requested.

Jane nodded as she fought to hold back the tears which threatened to fall. Bennet could see his eldest daughter’s pain clearly written on her face. He gave thanks to Providence once again that he had bestirred himself from his study, and he was aware that in the past rather than giving his daughter succour he would have made an ill-advised jest at her expense. He opened the letter and flattened it out. He was certain it had been crumpled in anger by his second daughter. He began to read:

1 November 1811

Netherfield Park

I do not pretend to regret anything I shall leave in Hertfordshire, except your society, my dearest friend; but we will hope, at some future period, to enjoy many returns of that delightful intercourse we have known, and in the meanwhile we may lessen the pain of separation by a very frequent and most unreserved correspondence. I depend on you for that.

You must know that we inhabit the superior society found in the first circles as populated by those of our and Mr Darcy’s social status. You must also own that there is no such society to be found in the country.

When my brother left us this morning, he at first imagined that the business which took him to London might be concluded in three or four days. However, before he and Mr Darcy departed, Charles decided he and his friend would not want to leave London as he had first planned. It is normal when he is in Town that he is never in a hurry to leave it again. He told us to close the house and follow him thither. That way he will have his family and friends around him for Christmastide which we shall pass at the magnificent estate of Pemberley.

In addition, many of my acquaintances are already in London for the winter; I wish I could hear that you, my dearest friend, had any intention of being one of the crowd—but of that I despair. I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaus will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three of whom we shall deprive you.

Mr. Darcy is impatient to see his sister; and, to confess the truth, we are scarcely less eager to meet her again. I really do not think Georgiana Darcy has her equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments; and the affection she inspires in Louisa and myself is heightened into something still more interesting, from the hope we dare entertain of her being hereafter our sister.

I do not know whether I ever before mentioned to you my feelings on this subject; but I will not leave the country without confiding them, and I trust you will not esteem them unreasonable. My brother admires her greatly already; he has been unofficially courting her for almost a year now. Charles will have frequent opportunities now of seeing her on the most intimate footing; especially as her relations all wish the connection as much as his own.

A sister’s partiality is not misleading me, I think, when I call Charles most capable of engaging any woman’s heart. He has engaged in many passing fancies over the years, and I apologise if his manner has given you the wrong impression, but I am sure you can understand that it was only some harmless flirtation on his part. Given his prior attachment, he could never have proceeded in furthering an acquaintanceship with you. He would not forsake the fortune and connections he will gain when he and Miss Darcy are united.

I am sure you did not miss the closeness between Mr Darcy and me while we were in your neighbourhood. Mr Darcy and I have an informal understanding, but he has promised to invite all of his family—including the Earl and Countess of Matlock and other noble relations—to Derbyshire for the festive season where he will announce our official engagement.

With all these circumstances to favour these attachments, and nothing to prevent them, am I wrong, my dearest Jane, indulging in the hope of the two events which will secure the happiness of so many?

I wish you all of the best for the season, my friend,

Caroline Bingley

“If any of this is true, I will eat all of my beavers,” Bennet scoffed. “That woman is delusional, and I am sure those she has used to make you think her brother was trifling with you, would be very interested to see what she has written. Jane, your hand is the best. I want you to make an exact copy of this letter.”

“You really think it is not true?” Jane wondered hopefully as she dried her eyes. Her father nodded emphatically, as did Lizzy. “Yes, I will copy the letter for you, Papa.”

“Dearest Janey, use your own eyes. An unofficial understanding indeed. A blind man could see how much Mr Darcy disdains Miss Bingley. As we know that is not close to the truth, it is certain it was all a work of fiction. She does not write fiction as well as the author who calls herself A Lady though. Unlike Miss Bingley’s fantasy, her stories are excellent to read and believable,” Elizabeth opined.

“Lizzy, did you hear the name of Mr Darcy’s house in London during any of the times you have been in company with him or the Bingleys? I am sure that pernicious woman must have mentioned it many times in your presence,” Bennet enquired. “If you do not know it, I will send my letter via Gracechurch Street. I am positive Gardiner would know how to find Mr Darcy in London.”

“It is Darcy House on Grosvenor Square,” Elizabeth remembered.

“I have a letter to write. It will be sent as soon as Jane hands me the copy of Miss Bingley’s letter.” Bennet stood and strode towards his study.

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

Darcy was frustrated. He had convinced himself that as soon as he was away from the neighbourhood around Meryton, he would forget about Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He had not. If anything his longing for her was more intense. It seemed absence did in fact make the heart grow fonder.

Add to that his confusion about the Bennets after he had seen Mr Bennet check his youngest daughters at the ball, to the extent he removed them. Most surprising of all was when the man had sent Bingley away with a flea in his ear for wanting to dance a third time with Miss Bennet without an official understanding. If the Bennets had been grasping, and if Mrs Bennet would have forced the eldest Bennet daughter to marry Bingley regardless, like he had believed, then Mr Bennet would have waited for after the third set they danced together to force the issue.

Thankfully he was one who would revise his opinions when presented with evidence to the contrary. Darcy had been set to tell Bingley he saw no affection for him in Miss Bennet, but the Bennet parents’ behaviour at the ball had told him he was not always right in his assessments of others, so he would keep out of Bingley’s love life and tell him to do whatever he chose to do.

His ruminations were interrupted when Killion knocked on his study door and entered offering Darcy the silver salver which had one letter on it. He thanked and dismissed his butler. He did not recognise the writing, but it was in a masculine hand. He received a great shock when he saw the direction from whence it came:

Longbourn, Hertfordshire

He assumed that Mr Bennet had written a rather thick missive to him for some reason, which he could not guess, but he would not know unless he broke the seal and read the letter. He opened the pages and watched as an enclosed letter fell out. At a glance he could tell it was in a feminine hand. Was Mr Bennet trying to claim compromise? No, that could not be. The letter would not be contained in one from him if that were the case. Darcy decided to read.

1 November 1811

Longbourn

Mr Darcy,

I know we have only met on one or two occasions, but there are reasons I must write to you. Before you think it, I must inform you that the enclosed letter although, written by my eldest daughter, is not from her to you. It is a copy of a letter which I think you and Mr Bingley both need to see.

The original is with me, securely in my safe, as I would not chance it being lost in the post, even if this was posted by express. If either you or Mr Bingley desire to see the letter in the hand of the one who wrote it, with her signature affixed, you are welcome to call on me at my estate. As it was later in the day when I sent this, I would assume you will receive it on Saturday the 2nd of November.

Before you read it there are some points I need to address with you:

How can you call yourself a gentleman when you insulted my second daughter without ever having met her at the assembly in September? I assume the words were not aimed at her, but she heard them which insured her intense dislike of you. This leads me to the next point. She should have been more discriminating, but her feelings for you opened her to Mr Wickham’s lies.

How could you leave the area, again as one who calls himself a gentleman, and not warn a single soul of Mr Wickham’s predilections? Are we so far below you that allowing him to seduce young girls and leave debts is acceptable to you?

You must know my Elizabeth thinks that all of the times you stared at her were to find fault with her.

With no thanks to you; but thanks to my sister-in-law, Mrs Gardiner, who used to live in Lambton, we were made aware of the truth of that man’s character and also all of the lies he told my daughter were exposed.

“Someone must know the Robertsons,” Darcy told his study as he felt shame for the things in which he had erred; things Mr Bennet had justifiably pointed out. Luke Robertson was one of the few who knew about the dealings with Wickham connected to the living he had refused. He went back to the page.

Colonel Forster knows all and will clean his own house. I can only wonder why you cleaned up after this man, in effect enabling him, but did not take action against him.

T Bennet

It was with trepidation Darcy lifted the folded copy of a letter on his desk. The more he read the more his fury built. Within the hour, he was on his way to Bingley’s house.