(A/N:)

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Jane Austen Works RP:

www.f anfiction forum/Regency-Roleplay/176463/

Guilty:

"George Wickham, the Jury has found you guilty of the attempted murder against a Mrs. Lydia Wickham. You have been sentenced to death, by being hung around the neck with a noose, until your neck shall snap" With that, the Gravel hit it's destination. The sound echoed through out the dead silent court room.

It seemed as though forever until people began to leave, but it can't have been for more then a few seconds.

George Wickham was yanked up by his arms, unable to believe what he had heard. He knew he would be found guilty, but the idea of being hung is what seemed to shock him into the dream like state he was in as he was being walked away from the court room.

It all seemed to go in slow motion. Wickham looked around, people were in tears, and yet he heard no noise. One sight that seemed to imprint itself into Wickham's mind, was the sight of Denny and his wife, Lydia, both stood up. Lydia began to weep, but as soon as she started, Denny pulled Lydia close, and guided her face to his chest, wrapping his arms around Lydia with the sort of love that Wickham had certainly never given to Lydia.

Wickham was at last, pulled from the last sight of Lydia and Denny, but not before he had made a fraction of a second's eye contact with his old best friend.

...

"I can't believe it Denny! You've done it, this is all your doing" Lydia cried as she wrapped her arms around Denny. "Had it not been for you, we would have never been able to arrest him" Lydia said as she finally pulled apart from him, just enough to stare up at Denny.

Denny took Lydia's hand. He smiled down at her. "Now it's a matter of waiting" He replied he set Lydia's hand on his arm to escort her from the court.

...

"What do you want Wickham?" Denny asked harshly. Wickham had practically begged Denny through letters to come and see him.

Denny, after nearly a week of refusing, finally gave and came. It was dangerously close to when Wickham's death sentence would be carried out.

Wickham reached into his pocket, and pulled out a document, which he then handed to Denny.

Denny opened it up and frowned. "Your will." He stated as he read through it, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "You've left everything to Lydia" he noted and looked up at Wickham.

Wickham nodded. "You see Denny, being sentenced to my death, has given me time to think. I've wronged so many, and hurt so many people in my life time...Surely I'd be damned to hell... but I though perhaps if I gave at least something back, I'd be accepted into heaven. I've left everything to Lydia, yes, but under law, she would not receive a piece of it until she is wed to a man."

"why are you showing me this, Wickham?" Denny asked, holding up the will.

"You know why" Wickham stated. "Don't let it go to waste. And don't come to my hanging." Wickham stated. "Some of the men have told me that many men wet their trousers once their necks have snapped, I hope not to be one, but in the case it should happen, I'd prefer my best friend not see it"

"Is there anything else?" Denny asked, Wickham shook his head.

"No, only that you give Colonel Fitzwilliam this message, tell him, that Lydia is the only one who ever knew" Wickham laughed a little. "He'll know what it means"

Denny looked fairly confused at this, but only nodded. "I'll take this with me." He stated holding onto the will. Denny then left Wickham alone in his cell.

...

Lydia was awaiting for Denny on the steps of her cottage. Jane and Bingly had been kind enough to let Lydia live out in one of their empty cottages until she could get on her feet, as Wickham was still owner of everything they had. "How did it go?" Lydia had asked as she leaned up to kiss Captain Denny on his cheek.

He and Lydia could not marry until Wickham was dead, and even then there would be a waiting period that Lydia ought to be "mourning", but neither of them could mourn the loss of Wickham. And while it was improper for the two to be so affectionate, They couldn't seem to help themselves. Even with Denny's sense of moral and honor, he realized the tight situation Lydia had been thrown into. And while Denny would certainly never allow Lydia to kiss him in a public situation, in the privacy of the woods and cottage, he found he could be more relaxed about it.

"It was... unexpected... Lydia, he's left you everything, of course you wont be able to touch it until you marry... But I do not feel as though that would a problem" Denny said with a small smile. He had not outright said he planned to marry Lydia, but it was of course implied.

Lydia raised her eyebrows in surprise. "why would he do such a thing?" Lydia asked.

Denny held out a paper he had gotten just before he left down. "same thing for doing this, He wants to get into heaven at the last moment" Denny said as she showed Lydia an interview Wickham had done that was printed out right on the front page.

"Murderer Confesses"

That was the title of the piece. The entire interview, was Wickham confessing to making up the lies that he had written about in his book, clearing the Darcy's good name.

Lydia couldn't help but smile. "this is wonderful! Lizzie might forgive me!" Lydia exclaimed and hugged Denny tightly, as she often did when she got excited. "Oh Denny, wont you stay for supper?!" Lydia asked cheerfully, Denny often stayed with Lydia, he had become a very frequent, and welcome guest.

"As much as I wish I could, I've got to get back to the tavern to write and send a letter, Wickham had asked me to send Colonel Fitzwilliam a message, very peculiar indeed...He said to tell the Colonel, that the only one who ever knew, was you, Lydia" Denny informed Lydia, he cocked his head to the side a bit to look at Lydia.

Lydia only waved her hand. "Oh it must be to do with that thing I saw back in New Castle, the Colonel had gone up on business, but I found him in an alley way with some girl, turned out to be an old lover when I talked to the girl" Lydia said. "silly thing, she was so thoughtless it was unbelievable, anyway, I had tried to tell Wickham of what I saw, but he was much to busy to pay me any mind" Lydia said with a shrug, as though the entire situation was nothing.

Denny stared at Lydia, how could she take so little care into such a scandal. "Lydia, when did this happen?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, it was long ago, right after Wickham and I had gotten married, but before The Colonel and Georgiana got married" Lydia clarified. She took Denny's hand and smiled up at him. "Please, stay Denny, a letter like that can surely wait?" Lydia asked sweetly.

Denny couldn't help but to agree when Lydia put it like that. "Of course, I'd hate to make you feel abandoned" Denny laughed a little as he entered the cottage.