Page 30 of Leave Her Wild
Darcy swallowed both his criticism of Miss Bennet and his irritation at Bingley’s continued reticence. “We agreed that weboth preferred a simple joining. I sent word of the notice to my new rector, Mr. Ericks, so he might alert the community. I have also written to Mr. Nathan to prepare Pemberley for the new Mrs. Darcy’s arrival.”
“It sounds as if you have everything well in hand,” Bingley remarked in an odd tone, which Darcy did not recognize as fitting one of his friend’s nature.
Darcy knew the arrangements for the ceremony had been addressed, but “everything well in hand” was an exaggeration. However, before he could construct an appropriate response, another familiar figure stepped before him.
“Darcy!”
Darcy froze while complete dread drained the color from his face. “What are you doing in London?” he hissed.
“Where else should I be? My wife wished to call upon her parents, and I, naturally, thought you would require my assistance. After all, next week, we will be brothers.”
“We will never be ‘brothers’!” Darcy growled. “I have made my stance at Longbourn perfectly clear to the Bennets regarding your marriage to the youngest Bennet daughter. As far as I am concerned, you may rot in Hell. If the Bennets wish to support Mrs. Wickham and I suppose, you, it must be from their pockets, not mine.”
Bingley stepped closer to Darcy’s side. “Perhaps it would be best, Mr. Wickham, if you join who you came to London to visit and leave this conversation behind. I was present years ago when Darcy drove you from his family estate. I possess no doubt he would gladly do the same today.”
“Even the great Fitzwilliam Darcy does not have the right to order me from a public park,” Wickham asserted.
“Stay. Do not stay, I care not,” Darcy growled. “Just remember what I said. No money from me. Earn your living as a soldier, a shopkeeper, a farmer, or a gambler. I do not care ifyou live. Nor if you die. I will not present you a second thought. My father never recognized your conniving—your lying nature, for he only saw you as the son of a man he greatly admired. You received your father’s glory, not one of your own. Whereas, I have been the constant . . .”
“Constant what?” Wickham interrupted. “Master? You always thought yourself my master just as your supposedly exalted father thought himself the ‘master’ of mine. You were always to go first, for you were the son of Pemberley’s master. Do you know what it is like to come second or third or fourth?”
Bingley answered for Darcy. “He is not the son of the Earl of Matlock as are his cousins. Many walk before Darcy, but he is a gentleman by birth and in his actions. He presents others their due when they deserve to go before him. In truth, neither you nor I were born to be a ‘gentleman,’ though we each were presented with a gentleman's education at Cambridge.”
“You still are on the outside looking in,” Wickham asserted with a snarl. “Just like me.”
“Not so,” Darcy contradicted Mr. Wickham’s insult. “Mr. Bingley has used his education to improve not only the legacy of his father’s trade, but to move his sisters into the ranks of the landed gentry. He has prospects of owning an estate soon. Whereas . . .”
“Whereas I am again on the outside looking in,” Wickham countered.
“Outside? My father’s will offered you the opportunity to take orders and be presented a living as quickly as it became vacant, along with a legacy of one thousand pounds. It was your choice not to take orders, but you possessed the gall to request an additional pecuniary advantage in lieu of the preferment.
“You made outrageous claims of studying the law instead of being a clergyman. I truly wished to believe you would use your Cambridge education and not be a disappointment to myesteemed father, but I knew in my heart that you would remain a blight on the world, blaming us all for your not being born to a fortune that you would have assuredly, by now, wasted away, instead of doing good in this world. You, as is customary for your woe-is-me personality, resigned all claim to assistance in the Church and accepted three thousand pounds in lieu of the living.”
“Four thousand all together!” Bingley exclaimed. “With a bit of sense that sum could last a person more than a decade while living comfortably.”
Wickham forced a laugh before he dared to ask, “How is Miss Darcy? I have missed her sweet company.”
Darcy reacted immediately, catching Wickham up by the lapels of his uniform. “If you think to speak my sister’s name again, I will beat you to within an inch of your life. Swallow your filthy lies or you may deal with me.”
Wickham put his hands up in a gesture of surrender as he backed away from Darcy. “I simply meant, unlike you, Miss Darcy always had an affectionate heart.”
“I know exactly what you meant,” Darcy said as he shoved Wickham hard. “Stay away from me. Away from ‘my’ family. ‘My’ family is not yours. It will never be yours!”
A crowd had gathered, interested in what could surely be a newon ditsto share with others at this evening’s various entertainments.
Bingley quickly caught Mr. Wickham’s arm. “Come, Wickham, permit me to stand you a drink. There is a small inn not too far removed. Enough has been said. Let us find somewhere to recover our equanimity.”
Darcy watched as Mr. Wickham straightened the cut of his uniform. Pure hatred marked all of Wickham’s features, but the lieutenant looked around, suddenly realizing they had drawn an audience. “You are correct, Bingley,” Wickham said in thosetones of companionship he often used when he meant to execute a ruse. “Though it is still a bit early, I could use a drink.”
Bingley looked at Darcy and shrugged his apology. His friend would keep company with Wickham to defuse the lieutenant’s and Darcy’s argument. “Then come along,” Bingley said with an abbreviated bow in Darcy’s direction.
Darcy glanced about him to view familiar and unfamiliar onlookers before he presented Bingley his gratitude with both a bow and a nod of acceptance. With a tug of his jacket to straighten it, Darcy bent to pick up his cane, which he did not recall dropping and turned in the direction of his home.
Chapter Twelve
He returned home, still shaken by his encounter with Mr. Wickham. Shutting himself off in his study, Darcy had first constructed a letter to send by express to Georgiana in Bath, who was to arrive at Darcy House on Saturday. Though he did not expect Georgiana to encounter Mr. Wickham, he meant to warn her of the man’s presence in London. Though Darcy did not believe Wickham knew of his sister’s residence nor did he believe Mr. Wickham would ever be able to “sweet talk” Mrs. Annesley, Georgiana’s companion, he could not take the chance.
He had finished the letter and had asked Mr. Thacker to have it delivered immediately, when the knocker was released. Thacker responded quickly.
