Hi everyone!
I am so, so sorry for the delay in updating this story. I have been busy with life, work and another story. Yes, I admit it is entirely my fault for starting another story. I promise to work on completing all my stories. It will not be easy with my limited time but I will do what I can.
Thank you very much for sticking with my story. Special thanks to these readers who left reviews:
Xpochakkox, Eleoopy, Gedoena, mereanafj, Colleen S, Amused, Lisa, MrsSP9, crispill, Jansfamily4, liysyl, Motherof8, Maria Teresa C, ChrisM0519, Regency1914, PDS1, Shelby66, Rosalieemmamailie, Deanna27, Levenez, TapTapAlways, srhittson, Linda, Time Lord Zee, RHALiz, leannejames000
Now let us continue with the story…
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"Denny! Carter! Release me! This is just a misunderstanding! I can explain everything when you unbind me," Wickham called out to the two men who used to be his friends.
"You can explain from where you are, Wickham. But I would advise, for your own sake, to save your energy for when Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Darcy arrive. You can deal with them, or actually, they will surely deal with you," replied Denny, thoroughly unimpressed with the scoundrel.
"Chamberlayne, my mate! Do not believe what you may have heard about me. We have been through a lot together. Come now, you must hear me out. If you untie me, I promise to give you some reward. I know how to get us some money," Wickham was starting to sound desperate.
"You will give me some money? Ha! You took all the coins I had been saving, and Pratt's too. I must warn you -- he is furious with you. You know what his temper is like. Consider yourself fortunate that he is not here," the officer answered.
"No, I only borrowed your coins. I… needed some money… for my mother… she… she has been ill. That was why I left so suddenly. I have every intention of paying you both back. I can pay you now, if you cut the ropes loose so I can find the coins in my pocket," Wickham pleaded.
"Mr Darcy already gave them the equivalent of the amount you have stolen. You owe him now. Oh, and I remember you said your mother had passed away a few years ago," Carter said.
Before long, Mr Darcy and his cousin appeared on the scene.
"At long last, we meet again, Wickham!" the colonel greeted.
"The good colonel! It is good to see you. I really could use your help. See, my friends here have committed an error in capturing me. Darcy, my dear friend, won't you help me out? After all, we have practically grown up together," Wickham appealed to the two men.
"Oh, I do not believe there was any mistake, Wickham. A good proportion of the residents here have been awaiting your arrest. You seem to be very talented at accumulating credit so quickly but not very good at settling them," the colonel replied, being careful not to reveal the identities of the women he had taken advantage of.
"I will pay my dues. I just need a little time to save some money. You know very well how little an officer earns for his wages," Wickham tried to reason.
"You do not need to worry about settling your debts with the shopkeepers. Your old pal Darcy, ever so generous, has already intervened on your behalf. Like he always does," the colonel continued.
"Did you now, Darcy? I thank you, again. You are a very good man, really. How can I ever repay you?" Wickham said, attempting to sound humble and grateful.
"I will let Colonel Forster decide what your fate will be, Wickham. I am afraid I can no longer tolerate your deplorable behaviour. It has gone on for far too long. I do not know how you can live with your conscience, knowing that you deceive so many innocent people," Darcy answered.
"Help me out, Darcy. Just this one last time. I promise you. I will change my ways after this. I have learnt my lesson. Your excellent father would never forsake me, you know that," Wickham entreated.
"He was not aware of your true character, Wickham. Had he been informed of your numerous misdeeds, you would not have enjoyed his protection. My father was kind and generous, but he was also just and honourable," Darcy spoke well of his father.
"You are just jealous. I cannot believe you are still jealous that your father favoured me over you, his very own son," Wickham taunted him.
"Believe what you will, Wickham. At this point in time, I only wish to hold on to the good memories of my father. And if you truly cared for him, you would do the same," Darcy said, knowing that Wickham was trying to rile him up.
"Darce, just ignore him. There is no use discussing anything with that poor excuse of a man. I do not know about you, but I am becoming impatient waiting here for Colonel Forster. Perhaps we should just take Wickham to him instead. The sooner he is dealt with, the better," Colonel Fitzwilliam suggested. "I think I should seek Mr Bennet to apprise him of what is happening on his property. Keep a close eye on Wickham. I will be back shortly." He then instructed Denny to walk further out to see if their commanding officer was on his way.
For the first time since arriving at Longbourn that early morning, Darcy became conscious of the light emanating from a window on the first floor of the house. He assumed it was from a candle being used in a bedroom. Curious to know if it might be coming from Elizabeth's bedroom, he let his eyes adjust to the near darkness until his sight had better focus. He thought he could make out a feminine figure partly concealed by the curtains and wondered if it could be Elizabeth watching the proceedings from a distance.
Wickham followed his line of vision and smirked mischievously. If he could not elicit a reaction from him using his deceased father's memory, maybe he could employ a different tactic.
"Ahhh… Miss Elizabeth. She really is a fine beauty. I often wonder why people think Miss Bennet is the most handsome of the Bennet sisters. I myself have a strong preference for Miss Elizabeth. Not only is she very attractive, she is also vivacious and passionate. Just what every man wants in a woman, and I am speaking from experience," he enunciated his words with deliberate emphasis, as if sending some secret meaning.
As expected, upon hearing this speech, Darcy glowered at Wickham, who in turn laughed at him. The enraged gentleman slowly approached the other man.
"Do not speak of Miss Elizabeth that way. You are not worthy of even saying her name," Darcy hissed, struggling to manage his anger.
Wickham continued to laugh and added, "Very well, I shall not pronounce her beautiful name now. But… we can imagine she has her hair down. What do you suppose she is wearing for bed?"
Darcy took a few more steps closer to his adversary and said, "I am warning you, Wickham. Say no more!"
"Or what? What would you do to a helpless man who is tied up to a tree? She will see how badly you treat her… special friend," Wickham spoke mockingly.
By this time, the gentleman had lost all his restraint and was ready to deliver some physical harm to his childhood friend. Before he could do so, Wickham summoned all his strength to lunge at him with a penknife. Unbeknownst to Darcy and the two other men, Wickham had adeptly hidden this weapon and had managed to wriggle one hand in order to reach it. He had succeeded in distracting Darcy with their conversation and had used the knife to cut the ropes loose.
"Darce!" the colonel hurried to save his cousin, hoping he was not too late and that Darcy had not suffered a serious injury from Wickham's surprise attack. It did not take long for the experienced colonel to rid Wickham of his knife.
Carter and Chamberlayne held Wickham roughly to prevent an escape while the colonel pointed a sharp sword at his throat.
"Now, now. You will not dare try to move too much, will you? Or else this sword that I so meticulously polished might just pierce your skin. Here, at your throat. But… I am not sure whether I want to tarnish my cherished weapon with your dirty blood… or your awful stench. Can you not control your bladder, Wickham?" the colonel said disgustingly.
"It is those Bennet girls. They emptied their chamber pots over my head! That was why I got caught. It is all their fault! They are ill-bred and so uncouth!" Wickham said through gritted teeth.
"Ahh… you underestimated the power of women. I must remember to congratulate them for their clever thinking and brave actions. But for now, I am still not certain what to do with you. Or with this sharp sword. Shall I use it to remove one of your body parts?" the colonel said, slowly moving the sword up to the top of his neck. "Your tongue, perhaps? So you can cease speaking ill of the Bennets, who are fast becoming my good friends."
The officer enjoyed watching Wickham as he shook with fear.
"I told you not to move too much. I might make a false move." The sharp weapon suddenly slid south, down to the buttons of Wickham's breeches. "Oh, I do apologise. My sword slipped," he continued. "I have another idea. How about I cut off one of your… appendages? So you can no longer use it to importune others?"
And after hearing that threatening message, Wickham's breeches became more soaked, this time by his own bodily fluids.
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This is the first time I have attempted to write something with a slightly action theme and I am not really sure how to do it. I will read the chapter again in the next few days and edit as it probably needs tweaking. The essence and events will stay the same. I really ought to sleep now as it is nearly 3am and I have to be at work before 8, LOL.
Thank you to the thoughtful replies to my last question. It seems so long ago now. I really appreciate knowing your thoughts.
Next question if you wish to share your answers:
Super belated Christmas question (sorry):
If you had a pick in choosing who gets your name for Secret Santa or who you get for Secret Santa, who would you choose and what would you like to receive/give? Choose from any PnP characters.
I would want Darcy to give me a personal tour of Pemberley. Yes, I know it is not the usual gift one gets for Secret Santa and it won't be secret if he conducts the tour himself LOL.
And maybe I could give Bingley a good pen that will not cause blots, or Darcy a joke book or a whoopie cushion. LOL.
Stay safe, everyone! ;-)