The three men did not waste time in making their way upstairs to face Mr Wickham.
"Now I need my sword!"
"Colonel, he has just regained consciousness. There are three of us able-bodied men against a bedridden one. I think a sword is hardly necessary," the kind-hearted Mr Bingley reasoned.
"Let us find out why he is here first," Darcy was wary.
When they entered the room, the patient stared at them with a blank expression.
"What are you doing here?" the colonel questioned.
"I- I beg your pardon?"
"How are you feeling, sir?" Bingley enquired.
Turning his head, Wickham shifted his attention from the colonel to Bingley then winced.
"My head hurts… pardon me for asking… but who are you? And where am I?"
"I am Mr Bingley. You are in Netherfield. Some of my men found you unconscious on our grounds and I have instructed them to bring you in."
"Thank you, sir. I am in your debt." After a pause, Wickham wondered, "Netherfield… in which town?"
"We are near Meryton. In Hertfordshire."
"How long have I been here?"
"This is your third day here."
"I have been here for three days…" Wickham mumbled. "And is he your valet?"
"Whom do you mean?"
Wickham gestured to the man beside Bingley.
"Oh, no! This is Colonel Fitzwilliam. You are acquainted with him. And, of course, you know his cousin Mr Darcy," Bingley stated and stepped aside.
Wickham knitted his brows and studied the two men's faces.
"Why are you here, Wickham?" the colonel asked in a gruff voice.
"Wickham?"
"Yes, you, Wickham!"
"My name is Wickham?"
"Stop playing games with me! I have travelled this far chasing you in this dire weather!" the colonel warned then grabbed Wickham by his shirt.
The patient's eyes widened with alarm.
"Release him, Richard," Darcy spoke and waited for his cousin to loosen his grip of the man. "What do you remember?"
"Nothing. I do not remember anything…" Wickham sounded confused.
"Try."
Detecting the solemn tone in Darcy's voice, Wickham closed his eyes in an attempt to retrieve some memories.
"Wake up!" the impatient colonel urged after a few moments.
"What do you remember?" he prodded, to which Wickham only shook his head then winced yet again.
"Do you remember your family?"
"No."
"Do you remember the places where you lived? Where you grew up?"
"I do not…"
"Do you remember Whitechapel? The rookeries?" Still receiving no positive reply, the colonel continued, "Do you remember Hatchet, the butcher?"
"I am sorry, I truly have no recollection…" Wickham answered while looking at him straight in the eye.
"Surely, you remember something!"
"Colonel, perhaps we ought to give him more time," Bingley mediated then addressed Wickham. "I will have some food and broth brought up for you. You must be hungry. Someone will dress your wound. Then later, if you are up to it, you may want to join us in the parlour."
After issuing some instructions to his staff, the men proceeded to make their way downstairs.
"Do you think he has really lost his memory?" the colonel was suspicious.
"It is possible. He must have had a bad fall and suffered a knock on his head, judging by the injury on the side of his head," Bingley speculated.
"He did not react when you mentioned the areas where he has accumulated debts in the past. He did not even blink when you dropped the name of the mad butcher who hunted him while wielding a massive cleaver," Darcy said.
"Hmm. But why did you invite him to join everyone in the parlour, Bingley?"
"Miss Bennet and my sister Caroline are both upstairs confined to their chambers. I think I would rather have Wickham with us where we can observe him."
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The Netherfield party was assembled in the parlour after dinner, passing the time with the same amusements as the previous evening. After a servant admitted Mr Wickham into the room, curious eyes followed his tall figure as he sought a place to settle. Introductions were made, and the two youngest Bennet sisters were delighted to have such a handsome young man in their company.
"Mr Wickham, does your head hurt?" Lydia remarked with feeling, wishing to leave the card table to sit beside the newcomer as soon as she could.
"Mr Wickham, I hope you are not in too much pain," Kitty quickly added, not wanting to be ignored.
"The pain is becoming more tolerable. I thank you for your concern," Wickham smiled.
"Mary, why don't you take my place at whist?" Lydia called to her sister who was occupying the same settee as Mr Wickham.
"I do not engage in bets," Mary replied, and returned to her book.
"Lizzy, your eyes must be tired from all that reading. Come and take my place here," Kitty invited.
"I have no great ability at playing cards. You derive more pleasure in it than I do," Elizabeth answered.
"Hmpf! You two are such bores!" Lydia said with a dramatic sigh.
"I shall play. Colonel, would you care to join as well?" Mrs Bennet asked then waited for the colonel to complete their table.
Happy to be relieved from their game, Lydia and Kitty positioned themselves on either side of Mr Wickham, nearly shoving Mary away.
"Mary, you can sit next to Lizzy or Mr Collins over there," Lydia ordered.
"I find it admirable how some young ladies can be so dedicated to improving themselves by reading," Bingley commented. "I find that I am not so patient with reading. When I start reading a story, I am always tempted to sneak a peek at the final chapter to discover the ending."
"In my opinion, ladies must be careful in their selection of reading material. I fear that they may select some books which are not suitable for their delicate minds," Mr Collins added. "Perhaps they ought to devote more time on other accomplishments such as painting tables, covering screens or netting purses."
"What are your thoughts on the matter, Mr Wickham?" Lydia wondered.
"I do not think I have any business minding young ladies' choice of pursuits, but I think reading is a worthwhile activity." After hearing this, Lydia and Kitty immediately collected the books closest to them.
"Oh, Mr Wickham! My girls love reading. My husband has an abundance of books for them to browse," Mrs Bennet proudly declared. "You must call at Longbourn when you are recovered."
The colonel looked intently at Mrs Bennet, wanting to warn Mrs Bennet against becoming too familiar with the man.
"Is something the matter, colonel?"
"Nothing at all, madam."
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Once they were in their shared chambers, Lydia and Kitty started chattering exuberantly.
"Oh, Mr Wickham! He is so handsome!"
"He is everything a young man should be! So charming!"
"Mmm. Did you see him smiling at me?"
"I think he smiled at me more! I think he fancies me!"
"I think he fancies me, not you!"
"How can you say that? He spent more time talking to me!"
"I do not think so!" Lydia retorted and carelessly flung their books onto the bed.
"What is that?" Kitty noticed that a folded piece of paper had slipped out. She was about to pick it up but Lydia managed to grab hold of it first.
"Let me see it!"
"Oh, my goodness! It is true! He likes me!" Lydia gushed, placing a hand over her chest.
"Give that to me! What does it say?" Kitty hastily snatched the paper and read its contents out loud.
Such fine eyes, like stars in the midnight sky
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Hi all. Sorry, I am having issues using this site. Sometimes I cannot access it from the app which is what I use to upload and edit work.
Thank you very much for your feedback. I think more of you prefer a reformed Wickham. We shall see. I could not make up my mind yet.
abujoe: It was a pleasant surprise reading your review. You have read my mind about Wickham losing his memory. I had that idea from the start, but I am undecided about what to do with him further along in the story.
(Chapter subject to editing)