I am aware that this story so far does not make since with the title but hang in there. I feel like a back story was needed for Mr. Bingley to where the story starts to unfold especially with adding my own characters to the story.

Chapter two

The friends of Wickham

Bingley left shop and went back across the street and meet with Mr. Daniels who was now looking at him funny.

"I understand you being late from a candy store, but to come back from a candy store empty handed, that is not like you Bingley. You alright, mate?" said the man named Mr. Daniels.

"I did purchase some sweets but I gave them to a woman I am acquainted with."

"A woman? Not the same woman you seem to be pinning over since you arrived back from hertfordshire."

"Yes, the very same."

"Really?" Mr. Daniels, turning so he can see the opposite street. Spotting a pretty woman with a young boy in tow. "That her, there across the street, with the boy?"

"Yes."

"The woman is pretty. She looks like a true English rose."

"She does, doesn't she. She told me the most interesting story while looking for sweets."

"Did she now. Well, when we finish with this business we should talk about it at my place. I have some things you'll want to see."

"Very well." Bingley said with a sigh.

Later that day, Bingley arrived with Mr. Daniels at his place where they wandered down to the man's study. Pulling out the chair from across the desk Bingley sat down, put his head between his hands and sighed.

"What am I to do, Daniels? I straight as day told a gentlewoman to meet me alone, or as close to being alone. What if she looks down on me for suggesting such a thing. "

"Well no point in worrying just yet, if she shows or not we will go from there." said Daniels with a soft chuckle. "Tell me what the lady told you."

"She told me she's been in London since January. That, she called on my sisters when she arrived, and they turned her visit down, rescheduled it and when they called they had ended the friendship claiming that I was no longer interested in her and that they could no longer be friends."

"Damn, Bingley. I don't know how many times I've told you that you need to put your sisters in check. They should not have done that and they should not have involved themselves with your business. God knows what they must have said to your pretty angel. But we will take this divine intervention and we will convince your love to be with you if that is what you want, Bingley. You do know I love a good romance. Even my own marriage is a romantic one even from the start."

"Good hell, I'm not trying to make the columns on the London papers with the shock of the year. I still hear the rumors of your good marriage and how it started. Hiding out for a rough winter on your estate where no one was able to get to you until the snow melts."

"Yes, well she was already my wife by then. Nothing her family could have done to stop it. Speaking of which, why don't you convince her to run away to Scotland with you?"

"And stay where, I don't own anything in scotland. But I suppose I could rent there for a while if I was close to Edginburgh."

"It is just your lucky day then isn't it. Do you remember Mr. Anston who used to hang in the same crowd as Wickham?"

"Yes, I do. Horrible man thinks he is above his station. I had thought the man was titled until Darcy told me otherwise."

"Ha, I had forgotten he's such a pompous ass. Well, besides that, he approached me the other day while I was at White's. He said he had some business he wished to discuss, he asked that I meet him in a few days, which now happens to be yesterday at his townhouse and I told him I would.

"When I arrived at the townhouse he told me that he needed to make some quick sells of property that he owns. He said he would like this to be kept as quiet as possible, he does not want word to get out he owes such debts. He told me one of the men who he owes a debt to, had decided to call it in."

"I had not thought him the man to have such debts, but he was or still is good friends with Wickham."

"Nor had I, but he thought I might be interested in purchasing one or two of his properties to get the creditor paid. He said he has an adequate property just a day's ride from Scotland that he received in his wife's dowry, that it is quite run down and has not been properly managed since his wife's grandfather passed on. He was hoping to get it back and running again to its potential but lacks the money to do so." Daniels said casually "He also has another townhouse here in London he acquired during a gambling match he has not told his wife about so it won't be missed. It is on Gracechurch street. He is trying to sell both for 40,000 pounds, which in itself is a deal. I was thinking of purchasing them until I remembered that I was to meet with you today and that you would have better use for both the properties than I."

"I suppose that is a really good price for an estate and a townhouse in London." Bingley said with a strained look on his face.

"Well it could just be the solution you need to make that pretty English rose your wife."

"I have the money, and that is far less than I was planning on spending for an estate let alone a townhouse with it. Tell him I will buy it, and that I would like to make the sell quick and I would also like to keep this quiet. I'm not sure how my new brother would react to such a purchase. He made it clear he was not interested in Netherfield when we went to see it."

"Very, well then. Lets get some drinks made shall we, my wife told me when we arrived that she would like it if you stayed for dinner. And I will send a note over to Mr. Anston to come over as well with the paperwork."