At the edge of town they waited for Jane and Bingley to catch up, a business of more than a few moments. When they walked on, Darcy saw Lydia in a tete-a-tete with Wickham.
He strode forward in anger. Wickham caught the movement and stepped back guiltily, clutching a letter. Darcy was soon confronting the man while Elizabeth drew her youngest sister back.
Wickham looked at Darcy with an air of affronted innocence.
"Mr. Darcy. So good of you to notice me."
"Mr. Wickham, you will stay away from my wife's sister or so help me God —"
"What? What will you do, Mr. Darcy? What ruination will you visit upon me that you have not already done?"
Elizabeth was frightened of the pale fury of Darcy's countenance as he abruptly turned away from the man with a low oath. Wickham caught Lydia's eye and gave her a mock salute before sauntering away.
"Well, that was very unpleasant of Mr. Darcy," Lydia said to Elizabeth. "I daresay Wickham did nothing to deserve it."
"He deserved it and more," Elizabeth whispered urgently. "Please, Lydia."
"What?" her sister asked lightly. "We all know how dreadful Mr. Darcy was to poor Wickham. Are we supposed to make believe that we don't now that he's your husband?"
Jane begged her to be quiet as Darcy, who had re-composed himself, approached and apologized for the encounter.
"Miss Lydia, I am sorry for my interference, but I possess certain information regarding that young man which makes me know how terribly inappropriate a connection he is for any of my wife's sisters, or any respectable young woman."
Elizabeth, who could sense a pert remark coming, trod painfully on Lydia's foot, and the remark was lost in Lydia's pain and accusation.
All of the pleasure gone out of the afternoon, Kitty was quickly collected and the party began their journey back toward Longbourn.