Hello again! I hope you are all well.
As always, I will start with sending a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who continue to read, comment, favourite and follow this story:
Colleen S, Guest, liysyl, TapTapAlways, eelarahs, Guest, Deanna27, Guest, roses0002, srhittson, Leslie E, pemsnowy, RHALiz, crispill, Shelby66, PDS1, Levenez, Tolkeingal, psicologia.joise, Eleoopy, lpinney
Yes, yes, I know some of you are tired of Lydia's antics… but it will not be realistic if she just miraculously transforms into a sensible young lady. This is fiction, not fantasy. She will be dealt with, as well as Wickham, though not in the same way.
I am also impatient for the reunion of ODC but that will happen after Darcy's London trip. Not too long now.
Thank you for not throwing rotten apples at me. Hopefully, this chapter will provide enough distraction so you will forget about wanting to hurl anything potentially hurtful my way.
Stay safe, everyone and I hope you like this next installment.
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Mr Darcy left Hertfordshire in a thoughtful mood. He did not expect to witness the interaction between Mr and Mrs Bennet. Despite feeling awkward in their presence, he admitted to himself that he was pleased they would allow him to see their natural and playful, if sarcastic, manner towards each other. Perhaps he was mistaken in his initial assessment of their characters. During his conversation with Mr Bennet, Elizabeth's father had no qualms about voicing his displeasure with him and his behaviour and did not seem intimidated by his wealth and station. Mrs Bennet had behaved with more civility than he deserved when she received him during his last two visits. Her frivolous and histrionic demeanour had noticeably mellowed after Mary became engaged to Mr Collins. Reflecting upon it now, he supposed that she had been increasingly worried about their future and that of her daughters, especially as Longbourn was entailed to a male heir. Any mother would understandably wish for her daughters to be settled well and now that their home was secure, she behaved with more tact and grace.
He then shifted his thoughts to Elizabeth. He hoped that she was truly on the mend and would be able to receive his call tomorrow. It was only less than two days since he last saw Elizabeth and he already missed her. After he had declared his intentions towards her, he strangely felt some liberation even though Elizabeth did not welcome his suit. He knew he had yet to convince her to give him a chance but he no longer had to keep his feelings hidden and restrained. It was ironic how it never occurred to him before that he would face obstacles in winning the hand of his choice of wife. And now, here he was, a rich man under the power of an unassuming country miss. He fervently hoped that she had read Georgiana's letter, believed its contents and discovered Wickham's real character.
His plan was to head straight to Matlock House and speak to his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam posthaste. He intended to depart London for Hertfordshire tomorrow morning. The sooner Wickham was dealt with, the better. He could not allow that scoundrel to cause any more damage.
Mr Darcy arrived at Matlock House mid-afternoon. He was shown into the parlour and was received by his aunt, the Countess of Matlock, Lady Eleanor Fitzwilliam.
"Fitzwilliam, what a welcome surprise! I am so glad to see you," his aunt exclaimed.
"I am pleased to see you too, Aunt Ellen. You look very well. I hope everything is well with the family."
"Oh, yes. We are all well. Your uncle and Richard are currently out but they will be back for dinner."
"I see. I was hoping to speak to Richard. Has there been news as to when he is due to resume his duties?"
"No news as of yet. Is something the matter, Fitzwilliam?"
"There is something I was hoping he could assist me with. Urgently. If he is available to help."
"It sounds serious," his aunt replied, now observing him more closely.
"Yes, it is. But I cannot speak of it here," Darcy said in a low voice, seeing that there are servants around.
"Did you come by straight from travelling?"
"I did. I left Hertfordshire this morning. Bingley invited me to his newly leased estate there. I plan to return tomorrow."
"So soon?"
"It is vital that this matter is resolved as soon as possible."
"You can wait here for Richard to arrive. I am sure he would be more than happy to help you. You know he considers you like a brother and will not refuse his services. Shall I call for some tea?"
Darcy did not want to tarry and wanted to make sure he has everything in readiness for his return to Longbourn on the morrow.
"I thank you for your hospitality, Aunt Ellen, but I should like to proceed to Darcy House to attend to some business. Would you kindly tell Richard I need to speak to him?"
"Of course. Will you join us for dinner this evening? Your uncle will be pleased to see you. You can talk to Richard then."
"Yes, I should like to join you for dinner if it poses no inconvenience."
"It is no bother, nephew. You know our home is always open to you. But be aware that we have other guests joining us for dinner."
Darcy raised his eyebrows and waited for his aunt to elaborate.
"We will only have two guests, Mrs Craven and her daughter Miss Emma Craven. You have perhaps heard of a Mr Craven from Yorkshire?"
"Yes, I have though I have not met him. He is a respectable gentleman with a large estate, from what I have heard."
"Miss Craven is to spend the season here in London."
"And?"
Lady Fitzwilliam laughed at his nephew.
"Do not look so worried, Fitzwilliam. I am aware you are not comfortable with new people. I am not trying to play matchmaker. At least not for you."
"For Richard? Does he know?"
"Yes. He does not seem to mind so much as long as he is not pushed. He is very amiable and likes meeting and conversing with people. I think he has come to the point in his life where he knows he will have to eventually settle down. I am merely helping him explore his… options."
"He is fortunate to have you as a mother, Aunt Ellen," Darcy replied with a hint of melancholy and a tight smile.
"Please remember that I am always here for you if you need anything. Your mother, and your father, would have been very proud of how you turned out, Fitzwilliam."
Darcy nodded and bade goodbye, quietly stating that he will return for dinner.
Lady Fitzwilliam looked at his retreating figure with motherly concern. When she observed him during their conversation, she noticed dark circles under his eyes, which meant he probably had not been sleeping well lately. She also noted his slightly unkempt appearance, although he did come direct from travelling. Her nephew had always appeared impeccably dressed and groomed in the past.
The countess knew that Fitzwilliam had taken on huge responsibilities as a guardian and father figure to Georgiana and as master of Pemberley since their parents passed away. She strongly suspected that that he was quite lonely but just did not want to admit it. He was too proud to allow anyone to help him unless necessary and he simply did not want to worry or burden anyone. He had always been sensible even as a child but he had grown even more serious and solemn after he assumed such important roles. It would do him well to have someone care for him. Someone to show him how to enjoy life. A trusted companion. A partner he can share his troubles with. A loving wife. An affectionate sister to Georgiana.
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Mr Darcy arrived at his London townhouse and after meeting briefly with his housekeeper, he immediately strode towards his study. He had kept all the receipts of the debts he paid up and the written testimonials from Wickham's unwitting victims. His calculation was that the debts cost him a few thousand pounds. How Wickham could have spent all the money he wanted and was granted in exchange for the living at Kympton and still accumulated these arrears in a short span of time was beyond him. Worst of all was that Wickham had been responsible for ruining a string of young women wherever he went, with at least a couple of them ending up with child. He could not rest knowing the fate that befell these innocent girls so he found them willing husbands who would treat them with respect and raise the children as their own.
Once he had ensured that the paperwork he needed was in order, Mr Darcy called for his valet so he can prepare for his dinner engagement at Matlock House. He hoped the guests would not stay too late into the evening as he wanted to have the conversation with Richard without any more delay. Aunt Ellen would have told him and his uncle, Lord Henry Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Matlock, about his visit this afternoon so they would be expecting him. He would need to explain the situation carefully to his three relations if he wanted Richard to accompany him to Hertfordshire. He could not just take his cousin away from his home and family at such short notice without good reason. Richard would very much relish the thought of finally bringing Wickham to justice but he knew his family would have questions for him. They were aware of the Ramsgate incident and felt very protective of Georgiana.
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Colonel Fitzwilliam had been impatiently waiting for his cousin's arrival. Since he learnt about his visit earlier that afternoon, he had been wondering what Fitzwilliam needed from him. The colonel knew that his cousin hardly ever asked for any favours so he knew this must be a very serious matter. He hoped that it had nothing to do with his cousin Georgiana, whose guardianship he shared with Fitzwilliam.
When his cousin eventually arrived, he immediately addressed him in hushed tones.
"Finally! Whatever took you so long to get here?"
"I am well, Richard. Thank you for asking. I hope you are well too."
"Enough of the pleasantries. You can see I am well. And I can see you are dressed in drab colours as usual. Now, what is the matter? Why are you here?"
"I can tell you missed me terribly. You make your guests feel very welcome."
"Fitz, will you stop stalling? Mother's guests will be here shortly and I am going to go mad if I have to wait any longer to know what this is about. Now, spill!"
"I thought they were your guests. Aunt Ellen told me --"
"Fitz! I am warning you…"
"Wickham."
"Wickham?!"
"Yes. Do keep your voice down."
"What has he done now? I am going to run him through with my sword!"
"It is a long story. It will be better to wait till after the guests have left so I can explain the situation to you, Uncle Henry and Aunt Ellen."
"But why did you ask mother about my availability? And why are you off to Hertfordshire again tomorrow?"
"I was hoping you would join me when I return to Hertfordshire. He is there."
"Then count me in! I will grab any chance to get my hands on that poor excuse of a man! I shall polish and sharpen my sword tonight!"
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What did you make of the colonel?
Happy now?
There will be more of him to come, of course.
Perhaps one more chapter in London before we go back to Hertfordshire.
I cannot believe I made it to chapter 20!
Way longer than my 100-word shorts, eh?
Thank you for your time.