As promised, another chapter!
Nearly two hours later, Oliver led his wife down to join the rest of the family. They would be leaving soon.
"Ah, here they are," said Mrs. Gardiner. "Mr. Gardiner and I have called for our carriage and we wondered if you might like to join us."
"We would be delighted," answered Oliver.
"Kitty," said Mr. Bennet to her for the first time since their arrival, "you look lovely."
"Thank you, Papa," she answered. Indeed, she did look very lovely. The colors, cloth, and style suited her very well. A glance around the room told Oliver everyone agreed, though they said nothing themselves. Oliver led his wife behind her uncle and aunt, as their carriage was first.
On the way, the two couples chatted. He knew they were politely trying to sketch his character. He learned a little about them as well. He had heard the man was in trade, and though it wouldn't matter anyway, he was pleased to learn that they did not dwell in Cheapside, but only nearby. The man did quite well for his family. He told them a little about their home.
"I understand Nottinghamshire is not so different from Derbyshire," said Mrs. Gardiner.
"Indeed, it is not. You know the area?"
"I was raised at Lampton, in Derbyshire."
"I am familiar with the area. My good friend, Mr. Darcy, has an estate located nearby. Pemberley."
"Yes, it is a beautiful estate, though I have only seen it from a distance."
"You are not familiar with the family?"
"No, we ran in very different circles."
"They are a very private family. My father happened to make friends with Old Mr. Darcy while they attended university together. With their family estates being so close, they kept up the intimacy. Though we are two years apart, Darcy and I grew up to be very good friends ourselves."
She smiled at him. They then pulled up to the house. They were greeted by the Phillips and led inside. There were quite a few people there, and one he was not expecting.
"Catherine, do you see that man over there?"
"Which one? There are several officers here."
"The one resting his hand on the chair."
"Yes."
"Do not go near him unless I am with you, and advise your sisters to do the same. He is not respectable, no matter how he may appear."
"Who is he?"
"His name is George Wickham and he is a man I am very familiar with. Steer clear of him if you can."
She nodded her compliance. The Bennet's arrived a moment later. Mr. Wickham had not yet noticed him, and for this he was glad. Much to his dismay, his wife's sisters happily greeted the rogue. He was already forming a plan when Miss Elizabeth led him over. Wickham's pale features gave him a little satisfaction.
"Mr. Wickham, this is my sister, Mrs. Andrews, and her husband, Mr. Andrews."
"Hello, George," he said lowly.
"Andrews. It has been a long time. Congratulations."
"Thank you. Yes, it has been a long time. Perhaps we should take a moment to reacquaint ourselves, Excuse us."
He led him across the room and to an unoccupied corner he was sure they would be unheard in. Wickham opened his mouth to say something, but Oliver cut him off.
"Out of choices, I see. You wouldn't have joined the militia otherwise. Don't waste your stories on me, I know you too well to be taken in by them. My father never liked you, and I haven't since I learned the rumors were true while I attended university. Stay away from the Bennets. I know you owe a great deal of money, and I know to whom. I do not carry the sediment that Darcy does. There is no place you can hide from me. Be assured, you do not wish to cross me." He had said all this with a smile, giving the illusion that all way well. Wickham, too, was holding his smile, though barely.
"Understood," he replied, before moving off. Oliver made his way back towards his wife.
"What's he doing?" asked Lizzy, looking at her sister accusingly.
"When we arrived, he told me to stay away from that man, and he advised me to insist that you to do the same. He said he is not a respectable man."
"And I am sure he has been told this by Mr. Darcy," her sister spat.
"What has he to do with Mr. Darcy?"
"He was the son of Old Mr. Darcy's steward and was treated in an infamous manner. I am sure he has been told all manner of things about him!"
"Lizzy, Mr. Andrews spent a great deal of time in Mr. Darcy's home as he grew up, and Mr. Darcy also spent a good deal of time at Dalton. Their fathers were friends. Perhaps there is a reason for his reaction. I do not know the situation in any case, and I do not know Mr. Darcy well, but, though we have not been married long, Mr. Andrews would not bid me to avoid someone without just cause."
"He is your husband, therefore, he has a say in your life, but he has no control over mine!"
"You're right, I do not," said Oliver as he approached. "Now is not the time. You are drawing the attention of the room. I shall answer any questions you have tomorrow."
Lizzy forced a smile and strode away, presumably to find Mr. Wickham. Kitty turned to her husband, but before she could open her mouth he said, "Later."
Dinner was announced and Kitty found herself being led to dinner on the arm of her uncle and her husband on her aunt's. They were seated together at the head of the table. Colonel Forster was next to her, her parents across from her. Also in attendance were the Lucas's. On down the table were a few of the officers, Charlotte Lucas, Maria, and her sisters mingled together. Lizzy looked visibly upset. Mr. Wickham didn't appear to be conversing much with her. Overall, she thought dinner was pleasant. Her Aunt Phillips asked her the same questions her mother and Aunt Gardiner had. The meal was finished and the ladies and gentlemen separated for a time. Lizzy would not look at her and Jane sent her a sympathetic smile.
Of all the people in the room, the last person she thought she would end up next to was Charlotte.
"I understand congratulations are in order," she said. "You are to marry my cousin, I am told."
"Yes, in three weeks."
"And are you happy? I admit I know nothing of him. I left before he arrived and I haven't heard much about his character."
"He is an… interesting person. I am pleased with my situation. But what about you? Do you like your new home?"
Kitty smiled. "Yes. I am very happy at Dalton. I was so nervous before we arrived, but everyone has been so kind and patient with me. I was unaware of just how large a job it was to run your own home."
Charlotte smiled at her. They talked about the different expectations for different houses. She admitted that she had not yet seen their house in Town. She had no idea if the running of it would be the same as Dalton; she only knew that the townhouse had its own staff apart from Dalton. The gentlemen joined the ladies. Oliver made his way over to her and joined her conversation with Charlotte.
"Mrs. Hartfield is not as easy going as Mrs. Croft. She likes to run the house a certain way, and has always done so. In fact, my mother encouraged it. When she was in Town, my mother liked to do little more than give her input into the meal and any updates she felt were needed to the house and furnishings. Grandmother is no different while she is there. Ladies in Town, unless they make their home there year-round, usually choose to focus on being entertained as that is the general purpose for being in Town."
"I will gladly continue that tradition," laughed Kitty. Oliver and Charlotte chuckled with her. Music began and a few dancers took their place. Lizzy looked over triumphantly as she danced with Mr. Wickham. Kitty heard her husband sigh heavily. He turned back to their conversation, however, ignoring what was happening across the room. Charlotte left them when Lizzy was no longer occupied. Sir William and Lady Lucas walked up and started a conversation with them. Kitty was only paying half attention. Her mind was elsewhere.
It suddenly occurred to her that she didn't know what her place was. It was baffling that she had only been gone for nearly six weeks, and yet she was so changed. She supposed that had to do with the amount of time she had been made to listen and learn, and she had been too intimidated to do otherwise. Everyone at Dalton had worked diligently, as she now understood, though it had never actually been said, to make sure she did not make their family look foolish. There was a part of her that wanted to be angry over that, but the glaring fact was that her husband would likely have never married her under normal circumstances.
Lydia was dancing as she always was, and Kitty knew that had things not happened as they did, she would be doing the same. She was not sure what all had occurred at the Netherfield Ball, but she knew she would have been involved had she been there, as well. She had learned, in the short time she had been at Dalton, how important her behavior was. There in Hertfordshire, away from the scrutinizing eye of Society, her family could get away with their behavior, so long as the neighbors did not care. It would not be so in Nottinghamshire, and it certainly would not be in Town.
So, there she sat, filled with all of these new revelations and manners, and she had no idea what to do with them. Lizzy was obviously upset with her for supporting her husband. Jane would always comfort Lizzy, not because she did not care for Kitty, but because they had always comforted each other. Outside of their interactions before she married, she and Mary had few real interactions, and she had simply always followed after Lydia. She dreaded her eventual confrontation with Lydia. Her younger sister didn't even try to hide the envious looks, and had been eyeing her jewelry since she came downstairs that evening. Kitty knew she would have to ask Oliver to keep her jewels put away, for Lydia would, at some point, try to find them.
She excused herself from her husband and the Lucas' and walked over to Mary and Maria. Maria was pleased to see her and remarked on her dress and appearance. Mary smiled a little and continued playing. Kitty made a selection for the next dance. She bantered with Maria for a bit, and then sat next to Mary to turn the pages better. She was happy to have the evening come to a close.
Her maid had left, and as always, she heard the soft knock on the door before Oliver made his entrance.
"I have often wondered why you bother knocking when you come in before I can give you any kind of indication that I heard it."
He smirked. "A little warning is better than none."
"Am I to now learn who exactly Mr. Wickham is?"
"He is the son of Darcy's late father's steward. He was raised with Darcy, and was my own playmate whenever I was at Pemberley. We were all close as children. Darcy is two years older than myself, and Wickham nearly the same. I suppose I looked up to them a great deal. I vaguely remember noticing that Darcy and Wickham began to grow apart as they got older, but both made time for me when I was at the estate. Darcy began to come to Dalton on his own, and my father no longer looked at Wickham with a friendly eye. As I grew, I became aware of rumors surrounding the man. Gambling and entertaining women. Large debts remaining unpaid," he said delicately. "I refused to believe any of it. They went off to university, where I did not hear from Wickham at all for the next two years, though Darcy wrote often. Then my own time came to escape to university. I was startled to discover that Wickham was a very different man from the playmate I remembered. He had debts that I, at first, tried to help him with. Even then, I did not want to believe everything was true. By the end of the year, I was forced to accept that he was not who I believed him to be. I stopped helping him, believing that perhaps he would straighten up when he realized he had no one to get help from. I underestimated him. He is blessed with happy manners that help him in gaining new friends, however, he is often incapable of keeping them.
"As of the moment, his debts are great and he has fathered two children that he has nothing to do with. Both live at Pemberley with their mothers, as Darcy has taken them on as his own responsibility. He has broken many hearts and pocketbooks. Your sisters are not safe with him. He is not content with what he was given. Old Mr. Darcy provided him with something his own father could not offer thanks to the expensive tastes of his wife. He was the one to pay for his education, yet Wickham continues to crave that which he is never likely to have. I told him this evening that he is to stay away from your family. I will not penalize him for this evening, as I know your sister was determined to go against me, but I am almost sure he will avoid your family in the future. I wield a great deal more power now than I did before."
"What did you threaten him with?"
"I threatened to reveal his whereabouts to his creditors. I know who he owes, and they are not pleasant people. The fact that he has joined a militia tells me that he is desperate."
"Will you tell Lizzy all of this tomorrow?"
"Yes, and anything additional if it will convince her to leave him be."
"Before you go," she said, standing and walking to her trunk. She pulled out four boxes he knew held some of the family jewels he had given her. "Could you keep these with your things? I do not trust Lydia not to come and go through mine."
He accepted the boxes with an impressed look. It caused a funny feeling in her belly. After he had accepted them, he bid her goodnight. She made herself comfortable in the bed and fell asleep, exhausted from the long day.