Chapter 24: Of Blackguards and Changed Young Women
Lady Elinor sat across from her husband with a glass of wine. He had told the staff to tell Bennet that he was busy and would get to him when he felt so inclined. Mostly to annoy him further, but his wife's reaction to his name worried him exceedingly. He let her calm down and have some wine.

"Darling, do you remember when we first met after church?"

"Of course. It was the day that changed the rest of my life for the better," the earl smiled.

"Do you remember what I said when you asked to see me again?"

"Yes. That you could not. I was so scared you were not interested at all."

"Oh, I was. Completely interested. But I had just stopped promenading altogether."

"Yes, you said that. I was confused because you said you were out in society but not promenading. It made no sense to me."

"I had been promenading before that day… That is where I met Thomas Bennet."

The earl paled, "Eli… Are you telling me he is your stalker?"

"Yes. He claimed he was in love with me. He would follow me everywhere. I could not go to the shops or to the park because he would appear wherever I was and try to talk to me. He would annoy or scare away any man who was trying to talk to me, as well. He would leer and act in an awfully familiar way that he was not entitled to. He kept chasing me around. It is as if he always knew where I was. I felt watched all of the time… It was unnerving. He kept insisting on buying me things to have an excuse to talk to me."

"Darling," he went around the coffee table and pulled her into his arms. "I am so sorry. Some men are too stupid or too blind to realize-"

"Oh, no. He was not blind or stupid. He was malicious. I started going out with my governess and a maid. Then, I would only go out with them if my mother came along. When things kept escalating, and he did not even respect my father facing him head-on… I was too terrified to walk around at all."

"Now that I have met him, I am not surprised. Disgusted? Absolutely, but not surprised. Darling, if you do not want to see him, you do not have to… Did you ever know why?"

"Why what?"

"Why was he so persistent? I mean, you are -of course- extremely beautiful, charming, smart, and-"

"My love. I am already your wife… There is no need for such flattery."

"There is always a need for it. Happy wife, happy life, my love," he kissed the back of her hand.

"You are so good to me… As for why… My mother quickly discovered he was trying to find someone wealthy to marry. Obviously, we were not titled, but my father did very well for himself."

"Of course, he did. I remember those days fondly."

"I do not," she took a shaky breath.

"Darling-"

She covered her face with her hands as she cried as she remembered.

He pulled her to his chest, holding her, "Come here, love. You are safe. There is nothing you can tell me that would make me see you as anything other than my magnificent wife."

She sobbed, "Thomas Bennet… He… He tried to compromise me."

"He. Did. What?!" the earl's upper lip spasmed in fury.

"I… It was all so sudden… I… He locked us into a study in a ball. I was so stupid… I had stepped out for some air. The ballroom was too full and stuffy. You remember the fashion back then. I felt like I was choking... I really thought I was safe… He was not there. I had asked several times. I went around the room holding onto my father's arm to survey it and make sure he was not in attendance. I was at Sarah's… I had been there countless times. I just wanted to be alone for a moment, to catch my breath… You know?"

He nodded, "And you went into a study…"

"Yes. I knocked and checked as best as I could in the dark, and it was empty. He was hiding. I closed the door behind me and right when I was about to open the window to cool down the room, a hand covered my mouth from behind..."

"Good Lord, I am so sorry, Eli. You must have been terrified. Did he-?"

"No. I mean, he groped me and tried to get someone to come in so we would be discovered alone."

The earl bristled, "I should kill him… What did you do?"

"I… I stabbed him with a letter opener. While he wailed in pain and tried to grab me again, I took advantage of the fact I knew the house perfectly well. I disappeared through the hidden servant stairs. I found Sarah, she loaned me a dress. Mine was… torn and had blood on it. Sarah burned it. I had hand-shaped bruises on my breasts, my legs, and hips. My mother realized I had changed. My father had no clue. I do not know what my mother told my father, but I was more guarded than ever from that day forward. I was only allowed to attend church with both my parents. Only two balls per season. That is why I didn't marry until I was twenty-three. People thought I was an old maid."

"My love, come here. I am so sorry that happened to you…" he hugged her tightly. "I never pressed for details because I knew you did not want to relive the experience."

"I did not… I just… I never thought I would see him again."

"You do not have to."

"I do. I have to get over it."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes. Just let me get a letter opener in case he feigns ignorance."

Mr. Gardiner was not a man prone to anger or to outwardly showing his frustration. He had been taught to control his emotions since infancy. Having two sisters had helped him control himself better. His parents had impressed upon him how much of an advantage him being born a man was and how much more precarious his sisters' situation was in comparison.

"Then, we were to pretend that we were… you know," Lydia blushed.

"And?"

"And that is when Wickham opened the door to the carriage and ripped Mr. King off me, but he was not counting on my father's pistol to be waiting for him."

"Well, at least you had the sense to bring your father's pistol… He was hogtied, I am told… Your handiwork, I presume?"

"Why would you think that?" Lydia blushed and looked away.

"Mr. King does not strike me as the kind of man who knows his way around ropes and knots or farm animals. He looks more like a man who can paint or sing…"

"He does," Lydia blushed further.

"Hmm… Are you willing to marry him, then?"

"I am willing to marry him, but it does not matter because he is not willing to marry me."

"What?" Mr. Gardiner frowned.

"Mr. Darcy can explain it better."

Mr. Gardiner sighed, "Fine. I will leave you to rest."

"Uncle?"

"Yes?"

"I am really sorry… about everything."

"Do you understand the gravity of what you have done, Lydia?"

"Yes," she sniffed.

"Then, you understand that just words and empty apologies will not suffice," Mr. Gardiner crossed his arms. "You have a lot of apologizing to do, regardless. But it will not be enough without true change."

"I understand."

"You should start by apologizing to Mr. Darcy. You took him away from courting your sister. Not only that, but he had to involve several people at a great personal and financial cost."

"He has been exceedingly kind to me…"

"Then, you must -of course- apologize to Mr. King Jr. because he got caught in a problem you created. I am extremely disappointed in you."

Lydia's eyes filled with more regretful tears.

"You could be with child. You could have been sold to a whorehouse. You could have ruined your family and been lost to us forever and simply saying you are sorry is not enough. Crying like this will not make people feel sorry for you, Lydia. You did not think of them when you did what you did. You did not think of their futures, their lives... Catherine had her first nervous breakdown from how worried you made her. Your mother and aunt have been worried sick. Your sisters have suffered a lot. You could have killed your father, who is already doing rather poorly."

"I know," she sniffed.

"You better start thinking about how you are going to apologize to everyone and decide to change your ways because if whatever plan Mr. King Sr. and Mr. Darcy have devised is to succeed, you will have to do as you are told. That means no childish protests, complaints, or trying to get out of any duties or responsibility for what your lack of sense caused your family and everyone else involved."

"Yes, Uncle. I know."

"You wanted to make adult decisions, Lydia. Adult decisions carry adult consequences. You chose the behavior, and thus, you chose the consequences. Now, all you can do is own up to what you did. No excuses. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

Mr. Darcy had an awful night's sleep. He missed Lizzie to the point of physical pain, and all the traveling around and getting in and out of awful places were finally catching up to him. He was tired and cranky. He was not ready to talk to any young lady, especially not one as capricious and immature as Miss Lydia. However, she had requested an audience, and he would have to talk to her sooner or later. The doctor did not seem to think she was with child. She had insisted there was no intimate relations to the doctor. However, Darcy was not that credulous, and Lord knew what she understood by intimate relations at all. Mr. Gardiner insisted he would wait outside the open door for propriety's sake. Mr. Darcy was not entirely sure why he would not just sit next to her.

"Mr. Darcy," she curtseyed and sat after he nodded and motioned for her to do so.

"Miss Lydia, I understand you wanted to talk to me."

"Yes, sir."

"I am listening."

"I… I do not even know where to begin."

"Then, maybe I shall."

She nodded.

"I do not know whether it is my place to speak to you like this, but as a man with a younger sister around your age, I must ask. Do you truly hold so little respect and love for your family and yourself as to allow a man who was a mere acquaintance to put you in such a terrible, dangerous position?"

His words hurt, but they were fair, and he spoke in a controlled tone.

She took a deep breath, "No, sir."

"Then, explain yourself."

Lydia had shocked Mr. Darcy. She could tell because his serious mask was replaced by one of naked confusion and mild disbelief. She had never seen so much emotion on his face. Mr. Darcy stared at her oddly, as if he thought she was a complete stranger.

"And so, because I understand that all of this is my fault, I accept whatever punishment or course of action is decided by all of you."

Mr. Darcy frowned; he seemed unsure whether she was speaking for herself or if her uncle's presence had anything to do with her change of attitude and behavior, "Why?"

"Because I have proven I cannot be trusted to make my own decisions. I trust my uncle, and I trust you, Mr. Darcy. I will abide by what you and my parents determine best."

Mr. Darcy blinked repeatedly. He stared. He took a deep breath. It was as if he was talking to a whole other sensible young woman he had never met, and he was unsure how to thread in this case. Perhaps starting with the worst-case scenario was best.

"You would be willing to do that even if that means marriage to someone you may not even like?"

She blinked, "I like Mr. King. He is a good man."

He sighed, "Miss Lydia, Mr. King Sr. is trying to find someone else to marry you."

She paled and felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, "Oh… I see."

"Miss Lydia, his father believes it is plausible to extricate him from the problem altogether. Only his family knew that Mr. King Jr. had returned from his travels. He can be secretly sent away for a few more months and return once things have calmed down."

Lydia tried not to blink lest tears fell, "Is that what he wants, Mr. Darcy?"

"Who?"

"Mr. King Jr."

"I do not know. It was his father who came to talk to us. Apparently, his son had more than just a dislocated shoulder. His clavicle seems to be injured as well."

"What?!" her hands clutched the armrests of the chair.

"Indeed. He also broke two fingers punching Wickham and sprained the wrist of his uninjured arm, trying to stop the horses when you came across our carriage."

She looked down, "Will he recover?"

Mr. Darcy frowned slightly. She looked genuinely concerned, "Of course. He just needs some rest. His injuries have been tended to already. He will be well."

"I am glad to hear it. He was kind to me. I would hate for him to be in pain for long."

"So, will you? Marry someone you do not know?" Mr. Darcy pressed.

"If you all think it is best, I suppose I must," tears fell down her bruised face.

Mr. Gardiner chimed in from the door, "And we will not have to drag you to church kicking and screaming?"

"No, Uncle."

"I see," Mr. Darcy said.

"What, sir?"

"Nothing, Miss Lydia. Are you prepared to travel, or do you require one more day of rest?"

"I will do whatever you want, Mr. Darcy. I am in no position to make requests. I have derailed your life for long enough already."

Mr. Darcy took a deep breath, "Please answer my question."

"I would rather stay one more day, but I am at your disposal."

"Understood. You are dismissed. A maid will call you down for supper."

"Thank you, sir," Lydia curtseyed and left.

Mr. Gardiner sat on the chair that his niece had vacated and pulled the door close. "Do you know someone looking for a wife?"

"Me?"

"Yes. I trust you to mind her interests better than Mr. King. He clearly only wants for his son to be freed of any responsibility and scandal."

Mr. Darcy massaged his temples, "I will make some inquiries."

"Have you considered the long engagement charade?"

"I did. However, it will only work if Mr. King Jr. chooses to help."

"We could find someone else for the charade… and let it still be a charade. Maybe?" Mr. Gardiner tapped his fingers against each other.

"Mr. Gardiner, it brings me no pleasure to participate in any deceit, and I would be very hard-pressed to sell this charade to any man and then make sure we keep the secrecy."

"That is true. I have been thinking, and I do not think I know any-"

"Darcy!" Mr. Walker came in and pulled the door back closed, "Oh! I am sorry. I did not know you were busy. Mr. Gardiner," Mr. Walker shook his hand. "I can come back later."

"No. Please, come in. Mr. Walker, you are single, yes?"

Mr. Walker groaned and looked up at the 'heavens' dramatically, "Why?! I am a good man. I do not hurt anyone. I follow your commandments. Why would you allow Lady Elinor and her matchmaking ways to chase me all over England?"

Mr. Darcy laughed for a while, "Thank you, Marcus. I needed that."

"I am not joking."

Mr. Darcy chuckled, "I know."

"Mr. Walker, we are in need of a man who will pretend to be engaged to my niece."

"Uh… I cannot. I am a horrible actor. I suppose it is unconscionable for a lawyer to say this, but I am not the greatest liar. However, we do know someone who could perhaps do the job well. Do we not, Darcy?"

"Wait... We do?" Darcy blinked repeatedly.

"Mr. Young, Darcy."

Mr. Darcy leaned his head back against his chair, "No. Absolutely not."

"Why not?! Darcy… Think about it. He is perfect. He looks exactly like Wickham, but much younger. That means that people who saw Wickham may just think their eyes tricked them, and they saw Mr. Young."

"Mr. Young?" Mr. Gardiner looked at both men in confusion.

"My apologies. Mr. Young is Mr. Wickham's illegitimate child. The only thing he has in common with his biological father, thank the Lord, is his appearance."

"Wait a minute. How old is this child?"

"Sixteen going on seventeen."

"How is that even possible?!"

Marcus blushed and coughed. "Let's just say that Mr. Wickham was precocious and leave it at that."

Mr. Gardiner looked disgusted, "Ugh. I do not know if that is a good idea."

"I can have him come here, and you can meet him. It will assuage you, I assure you."

"Marcus, no," Darcy's tone was forceful.

"Whyever not?"

"Because we know that Miss Lydia finds Wickham attractive. A more age-appropriate version of him will very likely appeal to her, and if it is all a charade and her feelings get involved... she will suffer once more when the charade ends."

Marcus scratched his head, "Pardon me, Darcy, but do you have another alternative that will not make your stomach churn? He is a decent young man. He is kind and responsible. At least, he would be in her age group, and as an added advantage, he despises his father so…"

"I know that, but Miss Lydia has been through enough," Darcy slapped the desk.

"You would prefer Mr. King Jr, then?" Mr. Gardiner asked. He was surprised that Mr. Darcy was defending Lydia like this. He would have thought the man would do his best to handle the matter quickly and without any regard to her wellbeing.

"No. Not me. I am not a factor in this. Miss Lydia would, and her preference should matter..."

"Mr. Darcy, she will abide by our judgment," Mr. Gardiner reminded him.

"She should be glad she even has any choice, Darcy!" Marcus slapped his forehead. "Sorry, Mr. Gardiner, but I find it hard to feel bad for her after what she has done."

"No apology necessary. I quite agree with you."

"She is fifteen years old, Mr. Gardiner. I know too well how long it takes and how difficult it is for a young lady to overcome having her heart and her hopes trifled with."

Mr. Gardiner winced, as did Walker. The former could imagine Mr. Darcy's struggles, and the latter remembered Darcy's state when Georgiana was permanently locked in her bedroom, and they still did not know if she was with child. He remembered how hollow his eyes were, how bad his posture was, how he looked to be on the brink of collapsing from his guilt and the weight of all the what-ifs.

Walker paled, "Of course, you are right. I did not mean to imply-"

Mr. Darcy pulled his hair back, "She would have to spend significant time with him. She would have to hold onto his arm, attend social occasions with him, and dance with him. Miss Lydia did a very stupid, very childish thing that had horrible consequences, but that does not mean that the rest of her life should be punishment for her one mistake. I cannot… I will not have her suffer for the rest of her life."

"Mr. Darcy, you are too kind, and I understand your reservations. However, adult decisions entail adult consequences. I already told her this, and she will do what she must do for the benefit of her family."

"She could be Georgiana!" Mr. Darcy snapped. "Mr. Gardiner… Miss Lydia c-could have been Georgiana."

Walker poured Darcy a drink and handed it to him.

Mr. Darcy drank it all in two gulps. "If I had arrived one hour late, only one measly hour late, Georgiana would have been taken by Wickham like Miss Lydia, and Lord knows if she would even be alive today!"

Marcus placed one hand on Darcy's shoulder, "She is safe, Darcy. She is home."

He sighed, "I know. I just… God. I think the safest course is for all of us to return to Pemberley. Her parents need to weigh in on this... Mr. Gardiner, I would prefer it if you travel with us, but I can take two maids and travel on horseback with Walker."

"I will go with you. However, I need to take my leave. I have to talk to my steward and hand out instructions."

"Certainly. Thank you for coming. We leave at dawn."

Lydia knew she was not supposed to listen behind closed doors, but curiosity got the better of her. Whoever that Mr. Walker was, he had a lovely voice. Hearing Mr. Darcy defending her so was deeply moving. She had never said much to the man or about him; what little she said was unkind. She promised herself to do better. From now on, she decided to ask herself, 'What would my older sisters do?' before any significant decision making. The following day went by rather quickly. Before she knew it, her things had been placed in a carriage, and she was sitting next to her uncle in Mr. Darcy's extremely comfortable carriage.

Lizzie was enjoying getting to know the real Anne. She was witty and lovely. She was still a bit shy, but regardless, she even looked better after several days at Pemberley. Georgiana enjoyed playing cards with her, and Anne had a wonderful singing voice. She had called the modiste and even managed to rope Mary into getting a new dress as a gift for helping her come up with the most essential qualities for a potential husband. Lizzie, however, was pacing… again. She was eating less. She was sleeping poorly. She was avoiding her father's bedroom like it was the plague. Everyone was. As such, the staff tending to him was coming out looking more and more like they wanted to resign. She went upstairs with one goal in mind, but as she turned toward his room, she saw the earl and his wife go inside, dismiss the staff, and close the door behind them. She questioned whether to linger or leave, but then she heard a carriage approaching, and she ran. It had to be him. She could feel it.

Mr. Darcy winced as he got off his stallion. Richard grunted. His years in battle meant that his body was older than his years. Walker descended with significantly more grace. However, he had only moved around on foot for most of their search for Miss Lydia.

"Brother! Richard!" Georgiana was the first one out. She could not care less about social graces. She just lifted her skirt and ran.

Both men were glad that the impact of her hug was shared between them. Regardless, they grunted in pain. "Gigi!" "Georgie!"

Walker took his briefcase from the horse and was surprised to find himself on the receiving end of one of Georgiana's hugs. She whispered, "Oh, welcome back, Marcus."

He stood still, hands at his sides. "Miss Georgiana."

She leaned her head closer to his ear and stood on her tiptoes, "Serious match-making is afoot. Just thought you would want to be warned."

All color drained from his face. "I knew I should have stayed in London," he complained.

She chuckled, took his arm, and pulled him away from the collision path. A couple of blurs ran outside. Had it not been for their horses, both Darcy and Richard would have fallen. However, neither complained. Darcy felt like he could finally breathe properly again as his arms wrapped around his intended. Richard was instantly relieved by his future wife's scent. They put the ladies down with matching blushes when Mr. Gardiner cleared his throat as he descended.

"Uncle!" the ladies rushed to help him down and greet him.

Lydia was shaking. She was terrified of facing her family. She took a deep breath and found Mr. Darcy's steady, gloved hand waiting for hers. She felt like bursting into tears. Her hand was trembling. He must have felt it because

"Miss Lydia," he said softly. "Welcome to Pemberley."

Georgiana was so shocked at the girl's bruises that she was barely able to quieten her gasp with a hand over her mouth. Mrs. Bennet would have fallen were it not for her brother catching her.

"Mama," Lydia walked a few paces and threw herself down to her knees before her mother. "I am sorry. I am so sorry."

Mr. Darcy did not know what to do. Grabbing her and lifting her did not seem wise. His back was already in pain. The last thing he wanted was to drop her. Lizzie and Jane were too shocked to move.

Mary looked at the scene from the stairs. She had been working on lessons with Parson Villiers when they heard the commotion. She had been holding onto his arm at the top of the stairs. Mrs. Bennet was too shocked to move. Her heart was racing. She held onto her brother with a vice grip. Mary took a deep breath, let go of him, and ran to her sister.

"Lydia," she lifted her sister's face. "Come. You need to sit down."

"Mary!" Lydia held onto her arms tightly but did not move. "I am sorry, Mary! You were right! I am so stupid. I am so sorry! This is all my fault!"

"Shh…" Mary kissed the top of her sister's head. "Lydia, we are causing a scene. I will help you get inside. Then, we can talk."

Walker handed his briefcase to Villiers and went back downstairs. "Miss Mary, I do not think it wise for her to walk. Allow me."

"Thank you, sir."

Walker was glad for all his fencing and boxing. Miss Lydia was not too heavy, but she was frozen, so she was not even trying to hold onto him.

Mr. Gardiner helped his sister back up the stairs. Lizzie pulled William behind them. Georgiana followed them. Richard imparted directions to the staff, and Jane held onto his arm.

"I have missed you so," she kissed his cheek.

"So have I," he kissed her hand.

She fished in her pocket and pulled out a wrapped bottle. "The perfumed oil, as promised, Colonel."

He took it with a smile. "Thank you, my dear. The handkerchief has almost lost all its fragrance." He put it in his pocket and walked inside with her.

Mr. Darcy and the colonel left the Bennets to their own devices. They doubted the ladies would be comfortable talking without privacy. Both wanted nothing more than to collapse on their beds after eating in the study. Anne, however, had other plans. Walker began to arrange the paperwork he had accumulated in the previous days. Before he managed to sit down to eat, the doors swiveled open.

"Cousins!"

"Anne!" Richard was closest to her and gathered her in a hug, twirling her around. "Look at you! Wearing pastels! You look lovely!"

"Oh, hush!" she sidestepped him to give Fitz the biggest hug she could manage. "Thank you!"

"Anne, there is no need to thank me. This is your home. Always."

"I know. Geo said the same. My mother is still trying to find me. The earl got a letter and-" she stopped talking when she noticed there was someone else in the room. She curtseyed with a blush, "Pray excuse me, Mr. Walker. I thought they were alone."

"There is no need to apologize, Miss DeBourgh," he bowed.

She seemed to have remembered something, "But there is a need to thank you!" She walked over to him and took his hands. He looked down at their joined hands, perplexed.

"Thank me? I do not understand."

"You carried my mother out of Darcy House in London to defend my cousin. Did you not?"

Walker blushed and looked at Darcy and Richard accusingly. "That was supposed to stay between us! Look, Miss DeBourgh. I know that it was out of line, and I had no right, but I-"

Her index pressed against his lips, quietening him immediately, "I am thanking you, sir, not telling you off. No one has ever done something like that, and I am sure she deserved it."

She lowered her hand back to his and squeezed, "Thank you, Mr. Walker."

"Uh… You… You are welcome."

She smiled with bright eyes and he forgot they had company. That is until Richard cleared his throat with a teasing smile.

"Right. I will leave you to your meals. Fitz, may I trouble you for an audience tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"Thank you. Ricky," she winked at her cousin and left. She did not bother to close the doors.

When her steps could not be heard anymore, Walker laughed, "Fitz? Ricky?"

"They are childhood nicknames," the colonel grumbled.

"It is just that the two of you are such tall men for such small nicknames."

Darcy narrowed his eyes, "Shut it, or we will see to it that she starts calling you Markie, too."

"You would not do that to me!" Walker complained.

"We may not have to," Richard chuckled. "You saw her hands, right, Darce?"

"Yes. I am thinking… a month?"

"What? For what?" Walker blinked.

"A month and a half," Richard corrected.

"Want to wager?" Darcy chuckled. Richard nodded.

"Wager what?" Walker frowned.

"Marcus, if you are this out of training, you will be completely under her spell in less than a month…"

"Under her spell? Do not be ridiculous!"

"Your eyes glazed over. Your whole face is still flushed, Marcus," Darcy smirked.

"Were you two not starving? What are you waiting for, then? EAT!" Marcus turned his chair to face away from them to eat his meal and hide his blush. To his mortification, both his lips and his hands were tingling.

The cousins laughed for a while and started to have their meal.

A/N: Hello! I hope you are safe and healthy wherever you are.

There has been some confusion regarding ages. Some of you may think that the Math isn't well… "mathing," but it is. Allow me to explain. Darcy is between 28-29 here. Wickham would have to be around the same age. Mr. Young Jr. is sixteen. If you do the Math, that would mean that Wickham sired his son when he was 12-13. Now, breathe. Put down the torches. Please remember that the context of this story is not our context.

Improper relationships, while typically occurring between older men and younger women historically are not of exclusively like that. Many people who grow to be abusers are very often victims of abuse themselves. Am I excusing abusers? No. I wouldn't classify Mrs. Young as a cougar which was suggested in comments. In canon, we don't know her age. So, yes, I am saying she abused Wickham because regardless of his 'willingness,' he was too young to consent. I actually was inspired by a case I know in real life. A nanny (who worked 3 min away from where I grew up) abused a boy she was taking care of and got pregnant with his child when he was only 12-13. She was 19 at the time. There was DNA testing done, and it was the teenager's son, much to the outrage of his parents and the whole community.

Is it awful? Absolutely. Is it rare? Kind of, but not quite. Is it rarer than older men doing the same to younger women? Yes, but absolutely not unheard of. While this sounds absolutely abhorrent today, let us not forget that life was much different back then. It was common for people to marry much younger. Mrs. Young didn't need to be far too many years older than Wickham (as in what we would classify as MILF age today). She could have married very young (say at 15 to someone older she has no affection for, as marriage was -first and foremost- a financial proposition at the time) and be involved with Wickham by the time she was 18-19 at the latest. She only needed to be old enough to be a Mrs… And morally bankrupt enough to have an improper 'relationship' with someone younger who wasn't her husband.

Does my explanation creep you out? I know. It creeps me out, too. However, it is still a real scenario today. There are women in their mid to late twenties who are high school professors and have improper relationships with teenage boys, and even have children with them. Again, is it rarer than older male teachers praying on teenage girls? Definitely, but it still happens more than it should… which is never. I don't really like having to explain my plot decisions much, but since this was a question that I got in a very detailed manner by a lovely reader, I thought I should include it here in case anyone else was confused. I hope this clarifies things. Oh! And no cliffhanger! :) Thank you for reading. -Lux-