Page 32 of To Go Against Her Heart
“Yes, sir. He raised me as his son, and I loved and respected the man. But his son deserves none of my respect. He used his status and wealth to ruin my life and has always been jealous of me. I have suffered to a great extent because of him,” he said, seeing the concern on the Colonel’s face.
I never knew it would be so easy to fool this man.
“That is why we must expose him to the world. For all I know, his uncle is the Earl of Matlock, and he cannot be left in ignorance about his nephew’s actions. I can easily bring the man to his senses; he must compensate you for the living you lost.”
“That is not required, even if he has behaved in unpardonable ways, I have always strived to live up to the expectations set by his father for me. I can never let the Darcy name be ruined.”
“Is that so? Then why did you take the liberty of tarnishing his image with every acquaintance in Meryton?”
“I beg your pardon.”
“Do not lie, Wickham. I know the entire truth. You cannot fool me like the others,” he yelled. Instantly, the door opened, and Darcy walked in with rage.
Wickham stared in disbelief at the sight of Darcy, whose face betrayed nothing but fury. He had gotten away unscathed from many of his misdeeds, yet now he realized that his schemes were brought to an end. From the look on the Colonel’s face, he feared he would not be spared, and for the first time in his life, he regretted havingliedto someone.
Chapter 13
Wickham, in a fit of rage, set about packing his belongings, resolved to abandon his present lodgings without delay. He tossed his personal belongings into his trunk with disdain, and never in his wildest dreams had he imagined being caught in his lie. Escaping unpunished after the Ramsgate incident had given him great confidence; it convinced him beyond doubt that Darcy would never risk his sister’s reputation. But half an hour ago, at the Colonel’s house, everything had changed.
Right after his meeting at Netherfield, Colonel Forster headed directly to Sir William and met with other acquaintances he trusted and understood that Wickham was indeed spreading rumors about Darcy’s dealings. He also possessed a letter from Richard, stating everything he needed to know. As he began his enquiries in the shops in Meryton, the colonel slowly realized that Wickham had debts in several places. Finally, he summoned Captain Denny, Wickham’s closest ally, who confessed to Wickham’s offences in town and his current intention to court Miss King for the sake of her dowry.
During the confrontation, Wickham felt cornered and could no longer deny the web of lies he had spun about the Darcy family. The colonel was livid with anger and immediately expelled Wickham from the regiment. He had also warned him never to set foot into any country with the idea of trapping a woman for wealth.
“Do not assume that you are free to act as per your wishes once you leave the regiment, Mr. Wickham; I will have eyes on you wherever you go. I will ensure the world knows you havebeen dishonorably discharged from the militia and be aware that you will find it difficult to find employment anywhere. Be assured, Mr. Darcy and his cousin will not stand idle should you endeavor to stir trouble by bringing up the name of the young woman you deceived. I warn you, act with caution and measure every step you take,” he said, looking piercingly at him.
More than the colonel, Wickham was unsettled by the fierce and cold determination in the eyes of Darcy. The same man who had once allowed him to leave unscathed at Ramsgate to protect his sister’s reputation now appeared utterly unthreatened by it. During the encounter, Darcy had walked closer to Wickham and grabbed his coat.
“I do not care what you will do or how you will survive. But if I ever become aware of you trying to cheat another woman or if you ever intend to mention my family to anyone you come across, you will wish that I had killed you in Ramsgate,” he said in a voice making Wickham tremble.
He had left Colonel Forster’s house in a hurry, not wanting to spend another moment with them. Captain Denny was nowhere to be seen, and Wickham was very certain that he had betrayed his confidence. He had no other choice but to leave Hertfordshire immediately.
Wickham had always been confident that Darcy would never forsake his sister’s reputation to seek revenge upon him, and this conviction gave him confidence to continue his wayward pursuits of women and money. He never supposed that Darcy would risk Georgiana’s welfare by exposing him. But now he perceived that the only leverage he had once possessed was gone. With Colonel Forster entering the picture, Wickham was convinced he could no longer proceed with his life as before. As much as he longed to avenge himself upon Darcy, he at last understood that he lacked courage as his entire livelihood was at stake. He now bitterly regretted having commenced hisslanders against Darcy, from the very moment he first uttered his falsehoods to Elizabeth.
***
Within a few days after Wickham’s discharge, word spread in society about his true character, and everyone acquainted with him, especially the women, was shocked beyond measure.
Elizabeth and Jane were equally surprised and relieved by the developments. Mr. Bennet understood from them that Darcy had arrived upon Mr. Bingley’s insistence. However, Mrs. Bennet was unable to believe the turn of events.
“Who would have presumed such a charming man to be so evil? I cannot believe it,” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed.
“I am equally shocked; why our very own Lydia might have been at risk of falling for the man,” Lady Lucas mentioned.
The families had gathered at Lucas Lodge that morning, and Elizabeth was impatient to discuss everything with Charlotte.
“I understand that Miss King is quite shocked by the news, Lizzy. I heard that she was anticipating a proposal from him soon, and it is quite evident that her dowry made him favor her above all the women here. How were you able to suspect him right at your very first meeting?” Charlotte asked.
“He asked me the very same thing,” she replied and bit her lip.
“Who?”
“I meant, Papa,” she said, and her friend looked at her doubtfully.
“Honestly, I do not know. There was nothing sincere about him or his story that day,” Elizabeth said.
“I dare say, if the story had not been about Mr. Darcy, you might have been less interested.”
“Do not be ridiculous, Charlotte.”
