Author's Note: Another chapter for you
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updated Sept. 17 with corrections from comments (now that they are back!) Thanks for pointing those out to me!
Chapter 23
As they departed for Darcy House, Fitzwilliam sent a message to Richard at his barracks requesting his assistance. Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth were just able to acquaint George with their news before Richard arrived. After exchanging greetings, Fitzwilliam informed Richard about Wickham's visit to Meryton.
"What the devil?" Richard exclaimed immediately upon hearing this news.
"Richard," Darcy reprimanded, while Elizabeth merely giggled at the outraged look on her husband's face.
Fitzwilliam rolled his eyes at his wife as he pulled her into his side. "Richard, can you join us at Netherfield for Livesay's wedding? We will be there less than a sennight, and I would feel better knowing Elizabeth was well-protected. I hope you can suggest some soldiers or former soldiers I could hire for a few days to guard against Wickham. George, is that miniature of Wickham still somewhere in Father's old room?"
"We must ask Mother since she still resides in her old chambers. As far as I know, nothing has been touched in that room," George replied. "Father's things were moved from the study into his chambers after he passed, as I did need to use that room."
"A miniature of the man would make it easier for the guards to be on the lookout for him," Richard replied. "There are a few men, former men under my command, who would appreciate the chance to work for you, even for such a short time as you propose. I will contact them tonight and bring them to you in the morning. When are you to depart?"
"We were scheduled to leave the day after tomorrow," Elizabeth answered. "Meryton is only about a four-hour carriage ride, and we intended to leave mid-morning. Is that enough time to make the necessary arrangements?"
Richard looked at her and nodded. "I believe so. How many men do you need, Fitz?"
"At least two, although four would be better. We need to speak to Mr Livesay about this and see what can be done once we arrive to protect Elizabeth's youngest sisters," Fitzwilliam answered.
"That is, unless we can manage to rid Meryton of Wickham," Richard retorted. "Do we have anything to use against the scoundrel?"
"I do hold some of his debts, but it is insufficient to land him in debtor's prison for an extended period," George responded. "I settled a considerable portion of his debts when we were still on friendly terms, but that was before I realised he was exploiting our friendship. I am certain Father cleared many, though he did not retain the receipts as far as I have found."
"Perhaps I could arrange to have him pressed into service with the Navy. I have a Captain who owes me a favour, and I could see what could be arranged with him," Richard suggested. "It would mean my remaining in London another day or two. However, I might be able to discover what our old friend has been up to, that is, if he actually is in London."
Elizabeth continued to listen to the gentleman's plans, and while she occasionally asked a question, she had little to add to the general discussion. However, the questions she asked were good and caused the men to consider some additional ideas that had not occurred to them. It was nearly dinner time when their conference ended, and Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam made to depart.
"Elizabeth, Fitzwilliam," Lady Anne called out when they stepped into the hallway outside the master's study. "I was only just informed that you have been in the house most of the afternoon. Is aught amiss?"
"Mother," Fitzwilliam greeted his mother with a kiss on the cheek. "We needed to speak to George about a letter we received today."
George stepped into the hallway behind them. "Mother, I need to ask you about something that belonged to Father. Would you care to step into my study for a moment?"
Elizabeth stood on her tiptoes to whisper into her husband's ear. "Your mother needs to know about Mr Wickham and his threats. She and Georgiana could also be at risk if he merely intends to strike at the Darcy family in some way."
Fitzwilliam started at her words. "You are right, my dear," he whispered back. Louder, he spoke for all to hear. "George, I believe you should discuss with Mother what we were just speaking of, and Richard, we may need twice as many men as I suggested earlier."
"Whatever are you speaking of, Fitzwilliam?" Lady Anne asked.
"Why?" George inquired.
Elizabeth spoke. "We should all return to the study. There is more to consider here. But Lady Anne needs to know what we know."
Everyone returned to the study, and Fitzwilliam shut the door behind him. Once again, everyone took a seat. This time, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam sat beside each other and silently held hands while George grudgingly explained Wickham's threat and subsequent actions.
Lady Anne was surprised at the actions of her husband's godson. She had never cared for the boy and knew that Fitzwilliam had refused to room with him at university after that first year, but not the reasons. To discover that George Wickham was a profligate and a scoundrel came as little surprise, but knowing that her son had followed in his example for a time came as a shock. "George!" she reprimanded her son. "You knew better than to behave in that manner."
"I was never as bad as Wickham and am now attempting to improve. I was never as bad as some of my companions, other first sons, but Father's passing meant that I could not participate as often as I would have liked and forced me to behave more responsibly than I might have without the weight of Pemberley on me. I have wished for Fitz's luck in being a second son many times," George replied.
"Still, I know your father, and I taught you to be a better man than that, although, perhaps not, since Wickham also ended up as he did. Fitzwilliam always knew he would have to make his own way, and while he inherited an estate upon his marriage, he spent several years learning a career and making his own way. Instead of wasting the funds he inherited from his father, he invested it." She turned to smile at her son and daughter-in-law sitting close together, holding hands. "His investments have turned out very well for him since they also helped him to obtain a wife," she teased.
Elizabeth blushed. "I am very thankful that my uncle was able to introduce me to Fitzwilliam," she replied. "His investments with my uncle worked out well for all of us, I think." She laid her head on his shoulder, and he smiled down fondly at her.
George and Richard groaned. "Enough, you two," Richard complained. "You are miserably happy, we know, and you make us all miserable when you put those besotted looks on your faces."
Fitzwilliam laughed. "Miserably happy?" he questioned. "I am not certain I have ever heard those two words used in such close proximity. I am happy, yes, and will even admit to being besotted. But miserable—not at all." He smiled affectionately at his wife again, evoking yet another groan from the gentlemen.
"Enough," George said again. "Mother, Richard is going to find some former soldiers we can hire to accompany us to Hertfordshire. Elizabeth has agreed"—he looked to his brother to confirm this—"to curtail her tendency to walk alone, and I ask that if you and Georgiana leave the house for any reason, you take at least two of these men with you. Richard will hire at least six, although eight or even ten would be preferable. That would allow for two protectors for each lady, and their presence should be enough to deter Wickham from attempting to do anything. Do you know where the miniature Father had of Wickham is? At one point, it was in his study along with his miniatures of me and Fitzwilliam. I do not believe he ever had one of Georgiana, at least not here in London."
"It may be in his chambers," Lady Anne replied. "I begin to believe it is time I clean out your father's chambers—he has been gone for more than two years, and it is time you took your rightful place both here and at Pemberley."
"That is unnecessary, Mother," George protested. "Perhaps when I decided to marry, but even then, I am not certain I would want to force you to give up the rooms you share with Father. While it may be good for you to go through Father's things, do not do so because you believe I need the master suite."
Lady Anne merely nodded, determined to continue this conversation later, perhaps after they returned to Pemberley. She had been clinging to her husband's memory, but it was time for her to move forward in her life. However, right now, they had more important things to concern them as they travelled to Netherfield and then on to Pemberley.
"If things are not settled with Wickham when we depart Hertfordshire, do you intend to retain these men to protect us?" she asked.
The men all looked at each other. "Yes," Fitzwilliam answered. "At least, I will. I know, Elizabeth, that you would not like to have your movement restricted, but I do hope you know that protecting you is the most important thing to me. If, for some reason, we do not resolve the situation with Wickham before we leave for Oakridge, we will need to hire two or three of these men to continue to protect you." Elizabeth nodded her agreement.
George also nodded. "I will do the same. We are all travelling together to Oakridge, as neither Mother nor I have seen your estate yet, but when we return to Pemberley, I want several men to accompany us. Wickham is very familiar with that estate, and I want to ensure Mother and Georgiana are safe from whatever Wickham might attempt to do."
Lady Anne agreed with her sons. "My brother may be able to aid you with finding someone to arrange for Wickham's being pressed into service. It would be best if you spoke with him tonight, Richard," she suggested. "The Earl has never held Wickham in high regard and disapproved of my husband's favouritism toward him. I, too, had reservations, but my ability to voice them was limited, given my husband's deep regard for his late father's memory. However, since Wickham poses a threat to our family, we must take every possible measure to ensure he cannot harm any of us, including safeguarding Elizabeth's family in Hertfordshire."
Lady Anne invited all three guests to join them for dinner, but all three declined. Elizabeth had considered agreeing but did not want to put her housekeeper and cook out as they had planned to eat at home that night. Richard would contact George and Fitzwilliam the next day once he found men for them to hire and would follow the rest of the Darcy family to Hertfordshire a day or two after they departed.
It felt odd to Elizabeth to arrive at Netherfield, so close to Longbourn, without the intention of visiting or staying at her childhood home. When they disembarked from their carriage at Netherfield, they were greeted by Mr Livesay and two of his friends. One would stand up with him at the wedding, while the other came to get away from London for a few days. Lady Anne would serve as the hostess of Netherfield for the days leading up to the wedding, which had been arranged while they were still in London. Netherfield would host a dinner one night before the wedding, and Elizabeth expected Charlotte to visit for tea a few times while she was in residence.
Several members of Mr Livesay's family, his mother and his married sister, would arrive in the days leading up to the wedding. Still, the Darcy family were the earliest guests to arrive, which was also why Lady Anne was asked to act hostess. No entertainments were planned for the first several days, and Lady Anne asked Elizabeth to work with her on making arrangements for the dinner party since Elizabeth had never hosted one before. The two ladies would also meet with the housekeeper tomorrow afternoon to make plans for meals during the sennight they were in residence.
There were places she longed to revisit, and she still hoped to convince her husband to accompany her to a few. She had not been in Hertfordshire in months, and even then, Hertfordshire had barely felt like home after her grandmother died. She would like to visit the dower house where she lived once more and, of course, to visit Oakham Mount.
That slight incline was the highest point near her home, and she had loved to walk there in the mornings to watch the sun rise over the countryside. There were far better places to watch the sunrise in Dovedale, and she had explored a few with her husband in the short weeks they had stayed at Oakridge. Learning to ride made these expeditions easier there, but she still hoped to spend at least one final morning at Oakham Mount to say a final goodbye to her childhood.
Fitzwilliam knew of her hope and intended to make it happen for her. However, he worried that doing so would make it too easy for Wickham to find them and made plans to ensure the men they hired would accompany them. Elizabeth agreed to ride to Oakham Mount rather than walk, and they planned to make the journey their first morning at Netherfield.
The following morning, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam arose early and, attired in comfortable clothing, made their way to the stables where their horses had already been readied. The previous night, they had arranged for a picnic breakfast to be prepared and packed into saddlebags secured behind the saddle on Fitzwilliam's horse. Horses for their two guards had also been prepared, complete with water and a flask of coffee.
The guards maintained a discreet distance behind the couple, though Elizabeth could not help but be keenly aware of their presence. She regretted that such precautions were necessary, as she had hoped for a more private introduction to these cherished places. Nevertheless, she consoled herself with the thought that she could still savour these moments one last time.
Finally arriving at the base of the mount, Elizabeth brought her horse to a stop. "We should dismount here, my love," she told him.
He did as she suggested and then moved to her horse to help her down. His hands lingered on her waist as they were somewhat hidden from the guards where they stood. Leaning down, he kissed first her lips, then her nose. "If not for the guards, I would enjoy loving you here," he whispered. "Perhaps once we arrive home, we will be able to find some isolated locations for the purpose."
Fitzwilliam was delighted when she blushed brightly at his words. "Come, dearest, you are not still bashful with me, are you now?"
"Outside, Will?" she asked. 'Are you certain you would wish it?"
"Yes, dearest," he replied. "If we were at Pemberley, I can think of several places I would like to take you, places that are very private and secluded. At Oakridge, well, we are equally unfamiliar with the estate and will have to seek out places of privacy. But, yes, dearest, outside."
Her cheeks were flushed, along with her throat and chest, yet Fitzwilliam discerned a glint in her eyes that conveyed her embarrassment rather than an objection to the proposition.
The couple ascended to the summit of the hill, where they enjoyed the spectacle of the rising sun. Their guards maintained a prudent distance and observed no signs of anyone in the vicinity. While the Darcys made a concerted effort to conceal their affection for each other, the guards spent much of their time facing outward, away from where the couple stood. They quickly learned to avert their gaze when the couple embraced and smiled knowingly at their frequent displays of affection.
After leading him to the bench Longbourn's steward had built there for her use, Elizabeth told Fitzwilliam several stories of her childhood as they watched the sunrise and ate the breakfast provided for them. "Many times, I thought my mother would faint when I would return from one of my walks. As a girl, I frequently climbed trees and played with the boys from the neighbourhood and would come home with my dresses torn and covered in mud. Although my grandmother would assist me in cleaning my dresses and teaching me to mend the inevitable tears, Mama would sometimes see me and complain about my wild ways," she laughed.
"I was decreed a hoyden at the age of seven—I had to ask my grandmother what that meant. My grandmother told me to delight in the title for now but that by the time I was thirteen, she had begun to teach me to act like a lady and taught me how to tamp down on my natural impulses. I was an active child, and she taught me how to use that energy in constructive ways. She was the one who taught me so many things about what it means to be a gentlewoman and the mistress of an estate. She, along with my uncle, were the ones who taught me what it truly meant to love someone else."
"I wish I could have met her," Fitzwilliam replied quietly.
"I do, too," she replied, her voice equally soft. "I miss her."
"My father's father died when I was just a baby, and my grandmother lived on the estate until I was ten. My mother's parents were both alive when I was born, but both passed before my fifth birthday. I have vague memories of them and a few more concrete memories of my grandmother, but not like you have," Fitzwilliam replied.
"Grandmother was more a mother than a grandparent," Elizabeth said. "If not for her, I would not have survived childhood, quite literally. Mama wanted nothing to do with me except when it benefited her."
Darcy pulled her into him. "I love you, Elizabeth, and I am grateful your grandmother saved your life and helped form you into the exceptional woman you have become."
"Thank you, Will," she replied. "We have been here long enough, do you agree? Let us return to Netherfield."
