Chapter 25
How are you all, dear readers?
Last Saturday, I went to Bath, which is about 22 miles from where we live. The place has links to JA and it also has the Jane Austen Centre, which I hope to visit one day!
I have been working on three chapters at the same time and it proved to be a bad idea. But I guess I will just have to post the next chapter and see if that works. Thank you so much for continuing to read and special thanks to these readers who left valuable reviews:
ChrisM0519, Lisa, Deanna27, Pablo M. Portillo, liysyl, loritahubbard, PDS1, Shelby66, roses0002, srhittson, RHALiz, Colleen S, Levenez, Jansfamily4, DSLeo, Eleoopy, Rosalieemmamailie, Guest, PinkSlytherin
Pablo M. Portillo: You guessed right! Fantastic!!! ;-)
srhittson: Yes, our school year just ended. We start again in September. ;-)
DSLeo: I think I get what you mean. ;-)
I am trying to incorporate some D/E moments here and there as I think some people want more of that. I hope you will not mind too much that after Wicky is dealt with, ODC will have more time to get to know each other as the baddies are gone! I do not want Lizzy to just miraculously fall for Darcy overnight. Sounds romantic but it just is not realistic.
So… here it is the next chapter!
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"So are the rumours true? That you have inherited ten thousand pounds from your grandfather?"
"How did you know?" Miss King asked her friend warily.
"Everyone has been talking about you," Miss Goulding whispered.
"Yes, they say you are fortunate to have landed such a sum. That it will help your chances of finally finding a husband. Especially with your freckles," Miss Long laughed.
"What are you trying to say?" cried Miss King.
"Oh, nothing. We were only reporting to you what others think. So you know," Miss Goulding replied.
"Come on, let us go find mother. She must still be at the milliner's shop," Miss Long dragged her friend, leaving Miss King on her own.
Miss King stood awkwardly by herself on the streets of Meryton, reeling from the shock of what her friends told her. Looking around, she tried to look for her aunt, who had entrusted her to her friends not too long ago. With her eyes stinging with tears, she started to walk blindly hoping to reunite with her relation.
"Oh! I do apologise. I was not minding where I was going," she blurted out after she collided into someone.
"Miss King," Mr Wickham greeted and bowed.
"H-have you perchance seen m-my aunt, sir?" Miss King asked while hastily wiping her tears away.
"Ah… I do not believe I have," he answered and noted her upset countenance.
"Oh, never mind me. I shall –"
"Miss King, you look ill. Is there anything I can get you for your present relief?"
"N-no, I thank you, sir. I must –"
"I insist, Miss King. You look very ill indeed. Now, shall we walk together while searching for your aunt? I am at your service."
"That is very kind of you, sir."
"It is a privilege to walk with a handsome lady. The pleasure is mine."
Miss King had been attracted to Mr Wickham from when she first laid her eyes on his person. However, she always thought she did not stand a chance to be noticed by the charming officer, what with the presence of the prettier Bennet ladies. Her observations were that he was either paying attention to Miss Elizabeth or to Miss Lydia.
"How did you come to be separated from your aunt?"
"My friends, Miss Goulding and Miss Long, beckoned to me, wishing to have a conversation. My aunt left me with them while she went into the shops."
"And where are your friends now?"
"They… they left me."
"Why would your friends desert you?"
"I do not understand that myself. They asked me about my inheritance. Then they claimed that people have been gossiping about me. That I was fortunate that I have acquired money so I can… attract… a husband. Especially… with… my… freckles!" Miss King started sobbing.
"Come, you ought not be seen in public when you are in such a state."
Mr Wickham led her into a secluded alleyway.
"You are so good to me, sir," Miss King gratefully said.
"Listen to me, Miss King. You are beautiful. I have always thought you are beautiful but you never seemed to show any interest in me," he said in a sad tone.
"Y-you think I am beautiful?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes! You are one of the most handsome ladies among my acquaintances. I especially adore your freckles. I would love to kiss every single one of them."
Mr Wickham advanced steadily, making Miss King step back and lean her back against the wall. Her face was flushed and he was so close that she felt the heat emanating from his body. He raised his hand and stroked her cheek delicately with his fingers. She held her breath, nervous and excited for his next move.
"May I?"
She nodded, her lips apart and eyes shut.
He kissed her lightly on her forehead, her nose and her cheeks. Receiving no objections from her and hearing her rapid breathing, he wrapped one arm around her waist, pulled their bodies together and kissed her sensuously on her lips. His other hand started wandering and touching parts of her that had not been touched by another before. Suddenly, he pulled away, panting heavily.
"We have to stop, Miss King. I am sorry."
"Y-you are sorry?"
"I am not sorry about the kiss, only that I lost control of myself. You deserve better."
"Oh no, please do not say that. I... I care for you."
"You do? Will you agree to marry me then, after I have compromised you so?"
"Yes! I will marry you, Mr Wickham!"
"You have made me so happy, Miss King. But your parents… they will not approve."
"I am afraid you are right. But what are we to do?"
"What do you say we elope?"
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After extracting a promise from the young lady, they quickly parted ways. Miss King was in good spirits, and soon after, she spotted her aunt coming out from a shop with her purchases.
Mr Wickham spat on the ground and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. He then rushed to camp, taking some spare clothes and money. Now what he needed was a place to hide. He could not risk staying in Meryton while both Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam were present in the area and most likely hunting for him. There was someone he could always rely on and that person lived in nearby Hatfield, about six miles from Meryton.
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Back at Longbourn, the men went into Mr Bennet's study to convene. Lydia's tears trickled down her cheeks continuously and she could no longer contain her sobs.
"Oh hush, you silly girl! Of all the men, you had to fall for that scoundrel!" Mrs Bennet scolded.
"But… mama… I did not… know. You… all of you… liked him too. Everyone did."
"There is nothing for it now. You are still very young and your heart will soon recover. One day, I hope you will find a truly honourable man. Like your sisters did. In future, take the time to know the man first--"
"Mama, please. Perhaps now is not the time." Jane pleaded, urging her mother to stop chastising Lydia.
"Very well. But she really has to learn –"
"Mama…" Jane warned again, feeling protective of her sister. She went over to Lydia to comfort her.
"Would you like to go upstairs now, Lydia?" Jane kindly asked.
Lydia nodded and headed upstairs to her bedroom. She did not dare meet anyone's eyes, most especially Lizzy's. Jane accompanied her upstairs but Lydia did not feel like talking to anyone, and asked to be left alone. Her eldest sister sighed and hesitantly turned to go. Stopping by the doorway, she assured Lydia,
"Anytime you need me, Lydia, you know you can come to me. And Lizzy too. She is very worried about you."
Hearing no reply, Jane left and shut the door gently.
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Jane came back down to find Lizzy distractedly attempting to read the book that Mr Darcy lent her. Like herself, Elizabeth was also waiting for the men to come out of the study to learn about their plans. Their other sisters have all gone upstairs to retire for the evening. Colonel Forster was first to emerge and bid farewell politely to the ladies. The rest of the men still confined themselves to the study.
"Mr Bennet, may I be upfront with you?"
"Certainly, colonel."
"I have a feeling that Miss Lydia knows more than what she has told us. I did not want to say this In the presence of Colonel Forster so as not to invite speculation."
"Could you explain what you mean, colonel?"
"Did you notice her reaction when you made your announcement during dinner and when Colonel Forster revealed the news of Wickham's planned elopement?"
"I know she is likely to be infatuated with Wickham. She is naïve and the news would have caused her some grief. Poor Lydia, discovering in this manner that Wickham prefers another."
"Wickham only prefers Miss King because of her newly acquired inheritance of ten thousand pounds," Darcy added.
"I think Miss Lydia may have inadvertently told him that Darcy and I are here and that gave him cause to flee," the colonel surmised.
"It is possible. But she did not know about Wickham's character then and was not aware that we were planning to act."
"For now, I think it is best that we do not reveal the details of our plans to her. Perhaps Miss Bennet or Miss Elizabeth can extricate more information from her."
"We shall see. However, it is now rather late and we will have little time to alter our plans. Tell me, colonel, is Lydia the reason why you insisted that a couple of officers be within the vicinity of Longbourn?"
"In part, yes. We also need to cover as many properties as possible where Wickham might attempt to steal horses from. To make a hasty escape, he would need a good horse. That was perhaps why he told Miss King that he will be waiting by the stables."
"I understand. So, are you all returning to Netherfield first?"
"Yes, Bingley can stay there. Darcy and I will make our way to the King's property a couple of hours before dawn."
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When the door to the study opened once more, Elizabeth quickly stood up and sought out Mr Darcy with her eyes.
"Papa, please tell us -- what are you planning to do?" enquired Jane.
"Colonel Forster will assign some officers to various identified areas in the village. Our guests will go back to Netherfield. Mr Darcy and the colonel will proceed to the young lady's property before dawn, an hour before Wickham is due to meet her."
"And Mr Bingley?"
"I am to stay at Netherfield, Miss Bennet, unless plans change. I am most willing to lend my assistance. But I do have my sister and her injured husband in residence."
Jane breathed a sigh of relief to learn that Mr Bingley will be not be directly involved in any possible danger but she was nevertheless concerned for the other two men.
"Can Colonel Forster and his men not deal with Mr Wickham instead?" Elizabeth nervously asked.
"The colonel and I personally want to see him caught and brought to justice, Miss Elizabeth. We have to ensure that he has no chance of escape," Darcy said.
"Worry not, Miss Elizabeth. I will look after your… my cousin. Besides, there will be a good number of us against one Mr Wickham. He is no match to us."
"Jane, Lizzy, if you are able to talk to Lydia and determine whether she knows any more information about Mr Wickham, please let me know. I will be in my study before I retire."
The gentlemen bid goodbye and made their way to the front door. As Mr Darcy was putting his hat on, Elizabeth called out to him,
"Mr Darcy, pray wait for a moment. I forgot to return your book."
Mr Darcy turned to face her and saw her swiftly approaching. The colonel stepped out to afford them some privacy.
Elizabeth held out the book to him with her left hand and he received it with his right.
"Thank you once again for lending me the book."
Darcy nodded but was slightly disappointed to know that she only wanted to return the book. He was hoping for something more but accepted that he should not be expecting anything else.
"Please… take care. Your sister needs you back safely."
Just when he started to feel his heart soar after hearing her first three words, he again felt discouraged to know she only thought about his sister needing him back. How about her? Does she not want me to return to her safely?
Mr Darcy then felt the tips of her fingers touch his underneath the book. He did not know whether it was he or she who moved to cause the contact to happen.
Gazing at her fine eyes, Mr Darcy tried to decipher if she was attempting to communicate a message to him. With no success at this, he slowly tore his eyes away from her and peered down at the book. It was as if he was trying to see through it and observe their fingers touching but this clearly would not be possible. How he wanted to take her hand and raise it to his lips but he could not take such liberties. Gradually, he unattached three of his fingers from underneath the book and hovered them over hers, caressing her fourth finger ever so tenderly.
The last thing he wanted to do then was to remove the book from her grasp as that would signify the end of their physical contact. But he had to lest people become suspicious of their prolonged encounter.
"I wish you a good evening, Miss Elizabeth. I hope to see you again soon," he said in a low tone and bowed.
After turning, he inserted the book safely into the pocket of his great coat. While keeping his arms down his sides, he instinctively flexed his right hand. He stretched out his still tingling fingers and stepped out of the front door.
As soon as he was outside, the colonel walked beside him and teasingly chided,
"What? That was all?"
"Have you been watching us?"
The colonel smirked, "Someone needs to chaperone."
"Can we not have a moment to ourselves?"
"You did have a moment with her. Though she initiated it this time. Tsk tsk. If you are depending on her to make the move to bring you two closer, I suggest you think again."
"What will you have me do?"
"Oh, I do not know. Maybe you need to learn the art of flattery. Perhaps then you may be rewarded with some action." At this, the colonel puckered up his lips and made smooching noises.
"Richard! That is so indelicate of you! It will be wholly inappropriate. We are not even courting. Besides, she is too clever to know false flattery."
"Ahh.. you have to be sincere when you flatter her."
"How does that even work? Anyway, let us deal with one thing at a time. The business involving Wickham first."
"Hopefully, that will be settled by tomorrow. After that, you can focus on wooing your Elizabeth."
"Not if some glutton keeps eating the candies I buy for her."
"I did not eat them all!"
"Well, it does not look presentable to gift her a half-empty box of candies. What would she think of me?"
"A dunderhead!" the colonel muttered.
"Pardon?"
"I said, 'let us move ahead'."
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Meanwhile, Lydia was crying silent tears in bed.
Is it really true?
Is Mr Wickham eloping with another young lady?
Why would he ask me to elope with him then ask another?
He cannot mean to elope with two of us!
Who is that other lady?
What does she have that I do not have?
Is Mr Wickham still coming for me?
And if he does, should I run away with him?
And Lydia cried herself to sleep.
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I plan to donate a small amount to "Save Jane's Roof" and/or "Jane's Fund". This is to aid in the preservation of Jane Austen's House in Chawton, where she lived 8 years of her life prior to her illness. As a thank you for your support, I would like to donate under the collective name JAFF readers. I also booked myself a virtual live tour of the house museum.
Stay safe, everyone! ;-)
