new chapter. caroline's scheming have made her do something unexpected. please enjoy and review. Need a beta. any volunteers?

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Caroline and her maid were sitting in the parlour of the Lighthouse Inn and talking to Wickham, who had followed them and applauded their ingenuity in getting rid of the driver who stuck to them like a burr on Bingley's instructions.

They were sipping tea and Bethany was sitting in a chair behind her mistress while Caroline and Wickham were seated on the sofa.

Caroline: "well Mr. Wickham, I hear you are intimately connected to the Darcy family"

Wickham: "yes, my esteemed father was steward and estate manager to the late Mr. Darcy ".

Caroline: " I hear about some transactions between you and Mr. Darcy didn't go very well "

Wickham, "How much do you know about my interactions with Mr. Darcy ?"

Caroline: "enough to know you are the best man for a job I have for you"

Wickham: "does it involve money?"

Caroline: "yes of course. I am not a simpleton Mr. Wickham. I am well versed with how the world functions."

Wickham: "Miss. Bentley, what exactly is it do you want me to do. I can't imagine you have called me here to chat with me?"

Caroline : "straight to business. Good. This small talk was getting tedious. Mr. Wickham. On the night of the assembly, it was you Miss. Elizabeth ran into in the garden, wasn't it?"

Wickham: "And what makes you say that," he askedcautiously.

Caroline: "I see my information and choice was right. No honourable man, a gentleman, is so very very cautious with his dealings. "

Wickham was getting a little annoyed. This lady was toying with him like a cat does with a mouse. He asked her, "What is your interest in the Darcy family?"

Caroline replied,"I have some work for you and if you are able to do it well, I l get you a better post. Another promotion, but a really high rank and money of course. How about 2oo pounds now and the rest after you get the work done."

Wickham sat up straight. Were his ears deceiving him? Did this woman really say 200 pounds now and more later.

Caroline smiled at him, "Now Mr. Wickham, I understand you had some dealings with Miss. Darcy and the future Mrs. Darcy. I happen to know it was you who molested Miss. Elizabeth in the gardens. Unbeknownst to you, I had come out for a breath of air. I observed you rush after Miss. Elizabeth. I imagine you to have a secret tryst with her, But it all went sour. You pawed her and she ran off and got tangled with Mr. Darcy. Being the respectable gentleman he is, he's marrying her."

"Now I have been trying to win Mr. Darcy for years and I cant allow this countrywoman without dowry or connections to gain Mr. Darcy when I have spent so much efforts to win him. Now here's what I want you to do. You shall go to Mr. Darcy and let him know about your role in Miss. Elizabeth's disgrace. I daresay that hussy has already told him a sob story to trap him. But you shall let him know about your connections with society newspaper reporters. I don't imagine, he'll enjoy reading about his family name tarnished in the London dailies."

"Also I have to prevent my brother Charles from marrying her sister. That's another point. If possible you have to convince my brother that Miss. Elizabeth Bennet invited you to the garden and you were not the first man she's showed her interests in. Also when you see any drunken servants, you re to whisper this same story to them and make sure this piece of gossip is well spread. Mr. Darcy and my brother will not marry these bumpkins. And I can make other arrangements for wedding matches. So Mr. Wickham, all you have to do is ruin the Bennets and I shall make you rich and also purchase a high ranking post commission. I hope this proposal is acceptable."

Wickham was delirious. He could milk this opportunity for all it was worth. He could get money from Darcy, Bingley and this woman. But before he could say something Caroline said, "But I have a doubt. What was your relation with Mrs. Younge. I can't imagine she would have risked so much In assisting you with trapping Miss. Darcy unless you were related to her."

Wickham said, "she's my cousin on my mother's side. My mother was not from a polite background. She had trapped my father by compromising him. After they married, she had made life hell for him. She had multiple affairs and while giving birth to an offspring from one of these affairs, she and the baby passed. Mrs. Younge used to visit us from time to time. My father suspected I was also a product of an affair, so he would pay only the basic of attention to me. She used to come over and help with me."

"I had pulled some strings to get her in Darcy's employment and we used our wiles to trap Miss. Darcy. But Darcy came earlier than expected and that little bitch couldn't bear to hurt her brother and spilled the beans. All was lost. But now I see a good opportunity to make money."

Caroline said, "Also , once all this is done and the wedding is called off, you are to send a message and I shall arrive here and pay you the rest of the money and purchase your commission. As for now, " she mentioned to her maid and Bethany passed over a heavy leather bag with coins. "these are the 200 pounds as promised."

Wickham was very intrigued with this woman who passed over a bag full of coins without flinching. That meant she was very wealthy. His latest employer wasn't exactly paying him well after he was posted in Meryton. Not that he had any news of importance to share. In his previous posting, he was guard to the Colonel's lodgings. He was able to sell news for a tidy sum. After he was promoted, he was stationed far off from the Colonel. And now that he had a pretty little wife, Wickham had not been able to gain much news. He turned to Caroline and said, "When I finish my assignment, I shall send you a note to come over. Revenge will indeed be very sweet. Darcy shouldn't have wronged me and my aunt. And that Bennet girl. She wouldn't let me at her. Ran off indeed. I'll get all of them. "

Wickham pocketed the leather bag of coins and bowed and left.

Caroline sipped at her tea and said, "I am sure I shall be Mrs. Darcy yet and gain my place in society. Also Charles needs a little humiliation to teach him a lesson. He insulted me and chose that little country bitch over me. That Wickham is right. Indeed revenge is sweet."

Caroline got up and said to Bethany, "go down and check if that foolish driver man is awake and let's get on. If we don't make it in time, Charles can get suspicious. It won't bode well for us."

Bethany left to do her mistress's bidding. She went and woke the driver and made sure the carriage is ready to carry on for Ireland.

She came back and said, "Miss Bingley, Ma'am, we're ready to leave. The driver kept apologizing for having slept so soundly."

Caroline and her maid and the driver got into the carriage and went on their way to Ireland.

The silent observer from Lighthouse Inn was very interested in what was going on. He went to the nearest bookstore and bought some writing materials and wrote busily on a sheet of paper and posted the note to his superior.

In the Darcy carriage with its arms and insignia, Fitzwilliam Darcy was in deep thought. His valet had not seen his master so disturbed. Fitzwilliam Darcy had never been one for idle chat or small talk. But this trip was different. He had somehow felt his master was very unhappy with what had taken place. It was blessing London was only half a day's distance away and it took them slightly more time to reach there.