36. Chapter 36

July 3, 2014 - Time to find out what was in the letter and to let Darcy play the hero. Go Darcy!

Chapter 36

By the time they reached Mr. Gardiner's study, Darcy and Bingley both were very concerned. Mr. Bennet looked as if he had aged since they had last seen him but five days before.

"Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley. Undoubtedly you must be wondering the reason for my presence here tonight. Just this afternoon I received an express from Colonel Forster in Brighton." Darcy's sense of unease heightened. What had Lydia Bennet done? "My youngest daughter, Lydia, has eloped, has left her friends and thrown herself into the power of a Mr. Wickham." Darcy bristled at the mention of that name. "They were traced as far as London but no further. They have not gone on to Gretna Greene."

Mr. Bennet fell silent. He knew what he must now do but was having trouble saying the words. At last he resumed. "As the situation now stands, I am honor bound to release you from your obligations to my family. I do not need to consult my daughters on this. They would be in full agreement with me, no matter how much it would pain them. I will not have you share in our pain and disgrace." Unable to bear any more, Mr. Bennet rose to leave the room before the tears that were threatening would be shed. He had not taken more than three steps when he felt a strong hand grab his arm. He turned to see Darcy staring intently into his eyes with Bingley rising to follow.

"I will not relent Mr. Bennet. I will marry Elizabeth. I have given her my pledge and you have given me your consent," Darcy said in a low voice. "I will not allow George Wickham to triumph over me again!"

Mr. Bennet was astonished at the ferocity in Darcy's voice. Clearly the two men had a history together and he doubted there was much good to tell.

Bingley, not wishing to be outdone by his friend added, "I WILL marry Jane, Mr. Bennet. I am not afraid or ashamed of my choice now, nor do I ever intend to be in the future. What can we do to help?"

"We must speak to my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, as soon as possible. He knows all about Wickham and he will be an invaluable help. You must tell us everything you know, Mr. Bennet. If I know Wickham, he will want to be found. We must be prepared before we met him to ensure he marries Miss Lydia on our terms," Darcy continued.

Mr. Bennet stared at the two gentlemen before him. He was, to put it mildly, very relieved at the constancy of their love for his daughters. He wasted no time in sharing the entire content of the express. He had sent an express back to Colonel Forster asking him to meet him the next morning at Gracechurch Street. It was agreed that they should all meet again in the morning. But first, they needed to inform the rest of the party of the contents of the express. Bingley assured the other men that the Hursts would not betray their secret and could be trusted with the truth. Darcy was concerned for his sister, but realized that this was an opportunity for her to put the past with Wickham behind her. She would be distressed, but somehow he knew she would be more concerned about Elizabeth and her sisters than herself.

The men all returned to the dining room. Darcy, Bingley and Mr. Gardiner sat down and each took the hand of his beloved, as Mr. Bennet remained standing to address the party.

"I have just finished informing the gentlemen of the contents of an express I received just this afternoon. Lydia has left Brighton with an Officer named George Wickham." Elizabeth, Jane and Georgiana all gasped. "They have been traced to London but no further. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley have offered their assistance in finding the wayward couple and bringing about the marriage. We will keep you informed of our progress. For now, let us pray that we find them quickly." Mr. Bennet turned to his daughters and their fiancées. "Would you please rejoin me in the study?"

The four arose and followed him back into the study. When the door was shut, Mr. Bennet took the hand of each daughter. "Do not despair, we will find them. Your future husbands will have it no other way," and then Mr. Bennet left, the four of them stunned that he would do so.

Elizabeth began to sob and Darcy moved to comfort her. At first she resisted, but Darcy insisted and she allowed him to hold her in his arms. At last able to speak and she pushed herself out of his embrace. Brokenhearted she tearfully spoke.

"In light of the events of the evening, I feel honor bound to release you from our engagement."

Darcy took her forcible into his embrace again and said, "No, Elizabeth. We will marry on July 11th as we planned. Please trust me and let me do this for you." Then, before she could protest, he kissed her deeply and passionately. Elizabeth responded just as passionately, her heart overflowing with relief. Surely this was the best man she had ever known.

If Elizabeth had enough sense at the moment to be mortified at her behavior, she need not have worried. Much the same scene was being played out between Jane and Bingley. Jane too had offered to end the engagement, but Bingley would have none of it. And while Darcy and Elizabeth were occupied, so too were Bingley and Jane. The four of them gradually became aware of their situation at roughly the same time. They smiled sheepishly at the other couple and Elizabeth said, "We will tell no one if you promise the same."

"I do not think any of us has any other option," Bingley replied.

After Jane and Elizabeth helped each other with their appearance, they rejoined the rest of the party. Mr. Bennet gave them a wry smile and raised his eyebrows as they regained their seats. Darcy finally recalled his sister's presence and was relieved to see the determined look on her face. He could tell what she was thinking; this was a time to be strong for Elizabeth. He was filled with pride for his much grown up younger sister. She had come so far in the last ten months and they owed much of it to the remarkable woman he was to marry.

Darcy was surprised to see his cousin waiting for him when they returned to Darcy House.

"Fitzwilliam, just the man I need to see. I was going to send a servant to fetch you as soon as I got home."

"Darcy, I have urgent news about Wickham. I think we will finally have our revenge. He has deserted, run away with some young thing to London."

"Yes, I know."

"But how?"

"That young lady you were referring to is Elizabeth's younger sister."

"That certainly changes the situation. Do you think he chose her because of you?"

"Yes, I do. I am also certain that he found her more than willing."

"What will you do now?"

"If you are asking me if I still plan on marrying Elizabeth, then the answer is yes, I am. We are also going to find Wickham and make him marry Miss Lydia. I cannot think of a more appropriate punishment than to shackle him with Lydia Bennet as a wife."

Darcy's smile surprised his cousin. "And how are you going to ensure that he does not leave her, Darcy?"

"You let me worry about that. I plan on making it impossible for Wickham to run out on his bride. Now, I can use your assistance in other areas if my plans are to come to fruition. I need you to travel to Brighton to gain Colonel Williams' assistance. I also need you to enquire about buying a certain commission I have in mind."

"I am at your service. Colonel Williams will be livid that any of his officers have acted in such a deplorable manner. I am certain we may count on his full assistance. He will have taken this very personally."

After detailing his plans to his cousin, Darcy summoned his most trusted servant to his study. "Jones, I have a very important errand for you in the morning. I need you to travel to Surrey to investigate a matter for me. I want you to discover any debts that have been incurred by George Wickham. You are to take this letter with you and give it to his creditors. In the letter I am offering to assume all of Mr. Wickham's debts. Please bring back a detailed listing of all such debts. On Monday I will instruct my banker to pay them all. Please assure the merchants that they should have their money by Tuesday. That should insure their prompt cooperation."

"Very good sir, I will leave first thing in the morning."

"One more thing, Jones. Tell no one here the nature of your business."

"As you wish, Mr. Darcy."

Before Darcy retired for the evening, he checked on his sister.

"You received quite a shock this evening. Are you well?"

"Thank you, I am well. What will you do about Wickham, Fitzwilliam?"

"I will find him, make him marry, and send him away. Does this distress you?"

"No, I am only concerned for Elizabeth, Jane, Mary and Catherine."

Darcy smiled, "It speaks well of you, sister. You have grown much in this last year. I am very proud of you, Georgiana."

"Thank you, Fitzwilliam. That is a good pride and not the insufferable Darcy pride you speak of?"

Darcy smiled at her impertinence. "Sometimes I wonder at the influence of Elizabeth over you. Perhaps I should have a word with her."

"Only if you promise to encourage her to never change."

Darcy and Georgiana smiled at each other and Darcy left for his own chambers.

Mr. Bennet was surprised to see Darcy in such a good mood when he arrived the next morning. Mr. Bennet had not slept well and he was a bit annoyed at the younger man's good humor.

"You appear to be in an exceptionally good mood this morning considering the circumstances," Mr. Bennet shot out.

Darcy, sensing the older gentleman's frustration, sought to appease him. "Mr. Bennet, please do not feel that I am insensitive to the anguish you now find yourself in. I am very angry with George Wickham. However, I have reason to believe that all will turn out well. But perhaps it would be wise to inform you of that gentleman's association with my family."

Darcy proceeded to inform Mr. Bennet his entire history with Wickham, including Ramsgate. When he was finished, Mr. Bennet was amazed.

"You said you informed Elizabeth of this back in November?"

"Yes, because of her close acquaintance with my sister, she needed to know."

"And you arranged for Mr. Wickham's transfer?"

"Yes, it was the best solution to the situation. If I had known he was to be at Brighton, I would have warned you not to send Miss Lydia. I am certain he pursued her because of me. For that I am sorry."

"It is not your fault, sir. I can see no flaws in your motives and actions. You sought to protect your sister from potential ruin. How then do you propose to deal with Wickham and still safeguard your sister and my daughter?"

"With the one thing Wickham understands, money!"

"Mr. Darcy, I cannot allow you to pay off the scoundrel. He will demand more than I can, in good conscience, ask you to pay out."

"You underestimate the cards we hold. He will more than agree to our terms before we are done."

"What part would you have me play, Mr. Darcy?"

"I must speak with Bingley before I give you a final answer, but I would ask that you enter into an engagement to provide for Lydia £100 per annum as well as assure her of her equal share of the sum of the money secured for your children upon your and your wife's decease."

"So little, Mr. Darcy?"

"Bingley and I will see to it that they will have more to live on, with sufficient attachments that will ensure Wickham's good behavior. And you should not plan on seeing your daughter for many years after her marriage. They will be sent to some place far enough away to guarantee they will not return to wreak havoc on our lives anytime soon."

"Fanny will miss Lydia most terribly, but I must say I am warming to the idea of sending Lydia away to gain some maturity and sense."

"Then let us hope that will be accomplished!"

Bingley joined them not long after. Darcy took his friend aside to gain his cooperation in the payoff of George Wickham. Darcy would be the one to lay out the principle sum but Bingley was more than willing to match Mr. Bennet's yearly sum and to pledge his portion of the tiered payment Darcy was proposing. Colonel Forster arrived a half hour later and he and Mr. Gardiner joined the conference.

The Colonel briefed the men on the events leading up to the elopement. "After your warning, Mr. Bennet, I kept a diligent watch over Miss Lydia. She was never allowed out of the house by herself and was made to always keep within my sight whilst at balls and parties. Unfortunately, this was not enough to protect her. I am mortified that this could have happened and I apologize for failing to protect your daughter, Mr. Bennet."

"There is no need, sir. I fear the same would have happened if I were there. Lydia is a head-strong, silly girl and was ready to throw herself at the first man who courted her."

"Colonel Forster," Darcy asked, "have you been in contact with Colonel Williams over the affair?"

"Yes, I have. He is as chagrinned as I am. I hope you catch Wickham and give Williams ten minutes alone with the cad."

"I had thought much along the same lines. Never fear, sir, he shall be dealt with. Do you know if he left any debts in Brighton?"

"Most assuredly. Both with tradesmen and debts of honor! I made several inquiries before I left. Lieutenant Denny was quite helpful. It seems Wickham owes him a great deal of money."

"Excellent! If you would speak to Denny when you return, I would like a listing of those debts."

"Anything I can do to help, sir"

After Colonel Forster left, Darcy began detailing his plans. Mr. Bennet was impressed. Darcy left little to chance and once Colonel Fitzwilliam returned and Wickham was found, it would not be long before there was a wedding.

Darcy was most pleased to see Elizabeth after meeting with the gentlemen in the study. Elizabeth still seemed out of sorts from digesting all that had occurred in the past twenty-four hours. Darcy suggested a walk and Bingley was quick to ask Jane as well. They walked down to the nearest park at which point the two couples split off in different directions. Darcy wasted no time in reassuring Elizabeth of his love and commitment to her.

"Please trust me, Elizabeth, all will turn out well. Your sister will soon be found and they will be made to marry if, in fact, they already have not."

"How can you be so certain?"

Darcy looked roguishly at her. "I am Fitzwilliam Darcy, Master of Pemberley and of a reported £10,000 a year. I always get what I want."

"Always?"

"Thank God, yes. For I would be lost without you, Elizabeth," Darcy said as her took her gloved hand and raised it to his lips for the most seductive of kisses. Elizabeth shivered and Darcy looked upon her with his intense gaze, pleased to be able to elicit such reactions in her.

That afternoon, Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived in London accompanied by Colonel Williams. They met with Darcy, this time at Gracechurch Street.

"If you find the scoundrel, I would like ten minutes alone with him!" Colonel Williams spat out.

"I am in complete sympathy, Colonel. Did you bring his list of debts and the extra men?"

"Yes, I did. Though I am very interested in your plan."

"Could you confirm the penalty for desertion, Colonel Williams?"

The Colonel confirmed what Darcy already knew and was very impressed on how Darcy planned on using this. Colonel Williams would enjoy the part he had to play. Wickham had embarrassed him and he was delighted to see the wastrel get his comeuppance.

Darcy began to make inquiries amongst Wickham's known acquaintances in town. He was not surprised to learn that he had turned to his old friend, Mrs. Younge, for help. She was not, however, forthcoming with any information. Darcy was forced to bribe the woman who was willing to ruin his sister. But at last the location of the missing couple was ascertained. Darcy sent servants to verify the location. Once he was certain they were there, he set sentries on them to see that they did not slip away before Darcy was ready for his move. Finally, on Monday morning Darcy was in possession of all that he needed. He set off to pick up his cousin and Colonel Williams and his men. Bingley would see to purchasing the special license and Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner would arrange for the parson to perform the ceremony. Colonel Fitzwilliam had already arranged for Wickham's new commission. All that was left to be done was to confront the couple.

Lydia was the first to alert Wickham of the impending doom. She was sitting next to the window when suddenly she exclaimed, "La, that is Mr. Darcy with your commanding officer? Whatever can they be doing here?"

Wickham was unsurprised to see Darcy, but the presence of Colonel Williams unnerved him. He briefly contemplated fleeing but realized the futility of such an action. Darcy was coming prepared; undoubtedly they had been watched. Flight was impossible. Wickham poured himself a brandy to calm his nerves before his guests arrived.

Darcy knocked on the door of the room. The accommodations were even worse than he imagined. He could not tell Elizabeth the conditions he found her sister in.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't my old friend, Darcy. Come in. I see you have been so kind to ensure my commanding officer was able to find me. I was unsure if he would be able to decipher my directions."

Darcy addressed Lydia, "Miss Bennet, your family is very worried about you. There is a carriage waiting a short distance from here. Let me escort you to it so you may return to your family.

"I want to stay with George. We are to be married!"

"Yes, Miss Lydia, you are indeed to be married. But your family desires you to be married from one of their homes. Besides, if you do not return to Gracechurch Street, how will you ever buy your wedding clothes? Mrs. Gardiner is ready to take you shopping as soon as you return."

Lydia was still doubtful, but Wickham knew she needed to leave so that they could get down to business. This was the reason why he seduced her in the first place.

"Lydia, my love. Darcy is right. Please let him send you to Gracechurch Street and I will call on you tonight. Right Darcy?"

"Mr. Wickham will see you tonight. I give you my word." Darcy confirmed.

With this last little bit of reassurance, Lydia was finally convinced to leave. Darcy nodded to the Colonel on his way out.

Ten minutes later, Darcy returned from seeing off Lydia with Colonel Fitzwilliam in tow. He had been waiting patiently with the carriage. They had decided not to risk panicking Wickham with his presence when the first contact was made. They entered the room to find Colonel Williams calmly sitting in a chair and Wickham lying doubled up on the floor.

"Do not worry. I took special pains not to damage his face. We would not wish his appearance marred for his wedding, would we?" Williams said answering their unspoken question. "Thank you for the promised ten minutes, Darcy. I am much obliged. Get him up on the chair." Colonel Fitzwilliam ordered the two soldiers that had been waiting outside of the room.

Once Wickham was seated, Darcy began. "George, old boy, I cannot tell you how satisfying it is for Richard and me to finally see you get what is coming to you. You must know that I hold all the cards so I am warning you to be reasonable. I intend to see you and your bride comfortably provided for. All you need to do is act the gentleman you have always pretended to be and you will never be poor for the rest of your life."

Wickham looked up, eyes full of fear and hope. "I am listening."

"Since you have chosen Miss Lydia Bennet to warm your bed. You shall marry her, tomorrow."

Wickham blanched at the rapidity of his fate.

"Upon your marriage you will receive a commission in the regular Army and will be posted to Fort York, in Canada. You will remain there for the next five years. You must live on your army pay and the yearly allowance you shall receive from Mr. Bennet, Mr. Bingley and myself. We will each give you £100. If you should have any children, I will increase my portion by another £25 per child. In addition to this, I will immediately settle a sum of £3,000 on Miss Lydia in such a way that she will have complete control over the money. For the first five years, all interest will be reinvested into principle. At the end of five years you will be given the option of returning to England or staying in Canada. If you should chose to return to England, I will see to your family's passage but that is all. If you decide to remain in Canada, you will be given a final settlement of an additional £1,000 once again completely under the control of your wife. You will continue to receive your yearly allowance for as long as you wife or your children live. However, if it ever comes to light that you have mistreated or abandoned her, I will have you brought back to England and thrown into debtors prison until you can repay these." Darcy threw out the letters proving Darcy had assumed all of his debts in Brighton and in Surrey.

"So, George, are you ready to be married tomorrow or do you want to go to prison. Once you have served out your term for desertion, you will be sent to debtor's prison. It is your choice. Or maybe I should just let Richard run you through. It is certainly the cheapest option for me. With four impeccable witnesses that saw you lunge at him with a knife, he will never even set foot in a courtroom."

"Which church am I to be married from, Darcy?"

"Do not trouble yourself on such trivial matters. Colonel Williams and his men will be sure to have you there on time. I will settle up your account and make sure you are presentable to you fiancé this evening. Gentleman, escort the lieutenant to the coach."

The two soldiers roughly escorted Wickham out of the room. Darcy and the two colonels stayed behind. Darcy poured them all a drink. "To Miss Lydia Bennet, may she make George Wickham's life a living hell!"

I just love it when Darcy can flex all that power for Elizabeth's sake. I had to laugh the other day when someone asked me what I had done with Wickham. He may have been sent to another regiment, but he was still in the country and Brighton was a major encampment for soldiers.

I'll be out of town while I'm posting the rest the story so I will not be responding to reviews after tonight until after I'm done posting. I've uploaded all the chapters and can post off my phone if need be, but not reply to reviews.

For my fellow Americans, have a wonderful July 4th tomorrow!