Chapter 6

Mr. Darcy had made very careful arrangements to have Elizabeth taken to Pemberley in one of his coaches under the careful watch of two of his most trusted manservants. As soon as he had seen her off, he made his farewells to her relations before heading back to his house in London with promises to send word immediately to Mr. Bennett on the news of the case.

The suspect that had been being held in London had come forward largely out of a deep feeling of guilt in his part in the death of Lydia but had also been enticed to talk by the very large bounty that had been placed on Wickham's head. As the news of the bounty spread Mr. Darcy had begun to fear for Elizabeth's safety since it was not likely to be difficult for his childhood friend to discern the reasons behind his involvement in this matter. When he had initially discussed the arrangements for Elizabeth to stay at Pemberly with Mr. Bennett he was worried that that the proposal would immediately be dismissed but was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the older man had warmed to the idea.

Mr. Bennett was slowly becoming quite the amusing diversion for Mr. Darcy. While his initial impressions of the man and his character were not wrong, he was beginning to see that despite his social shortcomings Mr. Bennett was a very intelligent and insightful man. He seemed to understand and accept that he should have kept a tighter rein on his younger daughters and his wife especially after her initial display towards his favorite daughter when they had arrived home from London. While he had been careful to not say too much, Mr. Darcy was certain that Mrs. Bennett's behavior had been the primary contributing factor in his consenting to the request to bring Elizabeth to Pemberley.

As Mr. Darcy's approach to town became nearer, he tried to force his thoughts on what his next steps in discovering Wickham should be. He was certain that the man wouldn't have stayed in town, but that would have meant that he could be anywhere. He had sent word of the bounty to the towns immediately surrounding London and had asked to have the wanted posters prominently displayed at all the inns and any of those places in which Wickham could have stopped on his way out of town. He had left word with the constable to be sent for immediately if there had been any leads whilst he was away, but he still stopped by the station to inquire in case something had been missed. Unfortunately, there was still no news to convey.

When he finally arrived at his home in London, he was grateful to find his dear cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam waiting for him.

"My deepest apologies, my friend, in the delay in getting here," Colonel Fitzwilliam said as Mr. Darcy joined him in the library. "How are you holding up?"

"I've never felt so helpless in my life," Mr. Darcy said as he poured himself a glass of bourbon. "I feel like Wickham is toying with me. And I fear what his next move will be."

"Surely you do not think him capable of any further misdeeds," Colonel Fitzwilliam asked incredulously.

Mr. Darcy sat down and took a long drink. "I think a desperate man capable of just about anything. Who knows what state of mind he is in now and I fear he will only digress the longer he is forced to live on the outskirts of civilized society constantly looking over his shoulder."

His cousin sighed. "What has been done to recover him thus far?"

"Hardly a thing," Mr. Darcy huffed. "I've sent word of a reward for information leading to his capture, but I feel that I should be doing something more."

"I may have an idea that could scare out some information." Col Fitzwilliam said with a sly grin. "How would you feel about paying a visit to some of the more colorful areas of town? I have a few contacts that might be willing to assist in discovering Wickham's whereabouts that perhaps the law might not…er…. consider."

Mr. Darcy hesitated for a moment only to silently appreciate his cousin and his willingness to help at any cost and replied, "Let me change and I will be more than happy to accompany you."


Dearest Brother,

I so miss you dearly and wish that you were here. I am most concerned about Miss Bennett and wish that you were here to provide guidance on how best to care for her. Since her arrival late in the night several days ago she has not yet emerged from her suite and has not eaten a crumb these past four days! Mrs. Reynolds has made sure that fresh meals have been delivered to her room, but she has not touched it once and only barely sips at her wine. I have, more than once, appealed to Mrs. Reynolds to call for a doctor, but she refuses! Pray write and make her summon someone to check on her health, Brother. I am much worried for her and fear that she is quite ill.

With much love,

Georgianna


My sweet Georgianna,

I am so sorry that I am still needed in town. I will promise you, most faithfully, to be home as soon as affairs are settled here.

Regarding your concerns about Miss Bennett, I'm afraid I must take the side of Mrs. Reynolds on this matter. Since we last had the pleasure of entertaining Miss Bennet at Pemberley, she has been under an almost constant strain due to the unfortunate events that ultimately led to the death of her dear sister. Upon return to her home in Hertfordshire she was expected to remain steadfast and reserved for the sake of her parents and remaining sisters. We must allow her now the opportunity to grieve her loss as completely as she must and in her own way.

While I cannot speak to the depths of her despair at this moment, I know that if roles had been reversed and it were I that were grieving I would not have maintained my demeanor as she has thus far. I feel that she is long past due some time for solitary reflections. Keeping this in mind, I must now implore you, sweet one, to assure that every measure is taken to ensure Miss Bennett's comfort at this time while still giving her the space that she so desperately needs. I would suggest fresh flowers be brought in her room and perhaps even a few novels that could allow her a much-needed escape from her distressing reality if only for a few precious hours. When she feels that she is ready to step back out into the world I take comfort in knowing that she will have you there with her to raise her spirits.

I will write again soon.

Sending my love,

Fitzwilliam