Authors Note: what do you think about this twist? Let me know!

Updated - I realised I had not included some information I thought I had.

Chapter 15

Upon arriving at Netherfield, Mr Bennet promptly sought an audience with Mr Bingley. Their prior interactions had been limited to Mr Bennet's initial visit and his subsequent return call, both of which had been rather awkward. Skipping the customary formalities, Mr Bennet immediately inquired about Mr Darcy.

"Mr Darcy?" Mr Bingley replied, somewhat puzzled by this line of questioning. Believing this was an opportunity to introduce a hint of scandal, he decided to recount the version of events as presented by his sister, Caroline. "Well, he did visit, but I had to ask him to leave. It appears he invited my sister to his rooms one evening while he was here, and then he refused to do the honourable thing and marry her. I had never believed any of the gossip circulating in Town about him until this event."

"So, he is no gentleman?" Mr Bennet inquired, eager to gather any tidbits he could use against Mr Darcy. He realized that the only way to achieve his goals was to convince at least one of the trustees to act in his favour. If that involved employing blackmail, so be it. His cunning daughter, Lizzy, would undoubtedly comply with his wishes. Unbeknownst to her, she possessed a substantial inheritance, so the switch to Collins would likely go unnoticed. Mr Bennet deemed Lizzy more intelligent than he was, and his rationale for relinquishing her rightful inheritance was to quell his wife's complaints about the entail. For his lifetime, he would continue to receive financial support from Lizzy's estate. When he was gone, his wife could work on Lizzy to ensure that the provisions for the family endured.

Mr Bingley recounted tales of his own exploits, none of which were particularly nefarious. He had a proclivity for quickly falling in and out of love, but with the right spin, he could portray Darcy as quite the scoundrel. Since Darcy had severed ties with the Bingley family, and given the Bennets' lack of ties to London, Mr Bingley's tales would do little more than tarnish Darcy's reputation in the local area. As a thank you, Mr Bennet invited Mr Bingley, together with his family, to join him at Longbourn for a meal in the coming week. Mr Bingley readily accepted, having decided he needed to secure Jane before Caroline returned from London. She had left only a day or two after Darcy, intended to see how badly her reputation had been affected and what, if anything, Darcy had done as a result of Caroline's actions. The news of the scene she created at the theatre had not yet reached Meryton.

By the time Mr Bennet left Netherfield, he had garnered quite a bit of information that would no doubt cause a scandal in London were it widely known. When he arrived at Longbourn, he informed his family he would not join them for the evening meal and secluded himself in his study for the evening. He composed a long letter to Darcy offering to keep silent about what he knew if he agreed to the marriage contract. As he wrote, he also contemplated how the deliver the letter, deciding that when he wrote to Mr Elliott next, he would arrange the meeting for the three of them in a sennight in London. At this meeting, he would find a way to hand Darcy his note and then arrange a private meeting for the two of them. If all went well, then he would gain Darcy's approval for the marriage and begin moving forward with his plans.

That Darcy already knew Elizabeth did concern Bennet somewhat, and he wondered if that gentleman realised the lady he conveyed to London was his ward. If he did not, it was all the better for Bennet. He momentarily wondered if he were being played for a fool, but since he had become so used to thinking himself smarter than everyone else, decided that it was unlikely he was being deceived.

In Kent, Mr Collins took out the letter from the solicitor he had hired, one George Wickham, who had offered to help him with the matters related to his marriage contract and inheritance. He had already signed a contract with that gentleman to manage Briarwood once it was his. As he understood it, Briarwood, a modest estate with an income of at least three thousand pounds per annum, would be his upon his cousin's death, although the management of it, at least in part, would resort to him when his intended came of age.

It was this reason for Mr Collins's decision to employ Mr Wickham. Collins himself had minimal knowledge of estate management, as his life's primary ambition had been to emulate the conduct he so admired in the rector in the town he grew up in Hampshire. He aspired to bring hope and happiness to his parishioners through his benevolent counsel, and surely, as a man of God, all those he served would gladly seek his wisdom. Securing the position of rector in Hunsford had fulfilled his deepest aspirations. Not only did his wisdom find appreciation among his congregation, but his patroness, the esteemed Lady Catherine de Bourgh, was gracious enough to share her own counsel in all matters, both large and small. There was nothing not significant enough for Lady Catherine to have an opinion, and she expressed these often and forcefully. Mr. Collins saw no harm in adopting her words as his own, which he frequently did, taking pride in imparting her proclamations to anyone who would listen.

She had applauded his efforts in relinquishing his claim on his cousin's estate for a more profitable one, and even more so when he stated his intention to remain as the rector of Hunsford for his lifetime and hiring someone to oversee the estate so he could remain where he was. His wisdom in following Lady Catherine's advice in marrying one of his cousins, even if she was not a Bennet cousin but a Tomlinson, was also celebrated, although she questioned the timing and was just as upset as her rector was that she had not been present during his visit.

Pure chance had resulted in Wickham crossing paths with Collins that day. He had been fleeing from Ramsgate after his attempt to elope with Georgiana through Kent and sought refuge in a nearby pub, not far from Rosings. Wickham had toyed with the idea of stopping at Rosings to inform Lady Catherine about how close Darcy had come to allowing Georgiana's ruin, believing he could use this information to make Darcy's life difficult. It was during this contemplation that he overheard Collins discussing Briarwood.

Wickham knew much about Briarwood as he had accompanied his godfather, George Darcy, to the estate on several occasions. When George Darcy had run it, it had earned something like six thousand a year, and likely more now since one thing knew about the present master of Pemberley was that he was a talented overseer and estates under his management flourished. Wickham wondered if there was some money set aside that he could claim along with the estate. If so, he would be set for life, as surely the amount the estate earned far surpassed Georgiana Darcy's dowry.

With that in mind, Wickham decided to strike up a conversation with Mr. Collins, who had just received a letter from his cousin. This letter was Collins' first inkling of the potential inheritance, and he was loudly conversing with anyone who would listen, seeking advice on what he ought to do.

Wickham saw a golden opportunity and offered his services. He spun a tale about his father's experience as a solicitor and later as a steward for a "large estate in the north." He claimed he had been wrongfully dismissed for falling in love with the master's daughter. This fabricated story drew sympathy from the gullible Collins.

Without considering references or conducting any kind of due diligence, Collins hired Wickham on the spot. The enthusiastic Collins even handed him an immediate five-pound retainer, promising more in the future once he acquired the estate.

"My dear sir, your story deeply moves me, and I find your offer of assistance most generous," Collins said, swayed by Wickham's account of hardship.

Wickham responded with a manipulative smile, "I assure you, Mr. Collins, your trust in me will not be misplaced. I shall assist you in every way possible."

His knowledge about Briarwood had also done much to convince Collins to hire him. Wickham drafted a contract between them, assuring Collins he did not need to worry about the legal language contained within, which would only serve to confuse him.

"You need not concern yourself with the legal intricacies, Mr. Collins," Wickham reassured him insincerely. "This contract is simply a formality to protect both parties, and I will make sure you understand every aspect of it."

Collins readily agreed and signed the document without reading it, offering a contented smile to the smarmy man who was grinning at the success of his scheme.

Wickham was pleased to have manipulated the gullible Collins into unwittingly signing the deed to the estate over to him. Although he was not a solicitor, he had studied the law enough to know how to use it to his advantage. The contract that he had convinced Collins to sign essentially transferred the estate to him, making him not only the estate manager but its owner. In the end, Collins would be powerless to change the course of events. Once Collins married the young lady, Wickham planned to assert his claim and take possession of the estate.

For a moment, Wickham thought how fortunate he had been that Darcy had shown up when he did and blocked his elopement with his sister since surely owning Briarwood would keep him living well far longer than he would with Georigana's dowry, and he would not even be saddled with such a passive and unwelcome wife.

Following Collins' unsuccessful visit to Longbourn, he had written a letter to his "solicitor," asking him to gather more information about his cousins, particularly his bride. With another twenty pounds in his pocket and a promise to cover all expenses, Wickham began his trip to Meryton to see what he could discover there.