Notes: Chapter 5 showed the beginning of the Wickham marriage. This is the end of it.
Mrs. Wickham, after four years of marriage, decided enough was enough. Her husband was a slovenly drunk with delusions of grandeur, who gambled away his pay and came home either to beat or to rut with his wife. The idea of being an officer's wife, as she had seen in Harriet's home all those years ago, had been enchanting. The reality was disappointing, to say the last. The home of this officer was never going to be a place of contentment. She was ashamed to admit her circumstances to any of her sisters, especially after gloating as she had, when she was the first to marry. She had laughed in her sisters' faces, her at the timeunmarried, older sisters.
Heavens, did they get the last laugh! Every one of her sisters, even drab old Mary, married either well or very very well. Jane and Lizzy were rich, Kitty was comfortably settled and even Mary had done wel for herself. All of them had servants to take care of menial jobs, Lizzy and Jane probably had personal maids, cooks, coachmen and what have you not.
Mrs. Wickham had nothing and no one. Nostaff stayed with the Wickhams, unless they were paid their wages directly by some good Samaritan. The maid of all work was paid by Mrs. Darcy and probably was able to save more money than was Mrs. Wickham.
Still, Mrs. Wickham had grown up and learnt,and over the years managed to hide some funds from her husband. Now, certain she would be able to get away, she tentatively reached out to one who might aid her. Through letters, she made her arrangements and on the first multi day drill her husband's regiment was to engage in, she would leave here forever.
Mrs. Wickham began to pack all the necessities for herself and for her two children. Little George and little Eddy had only two sets of clothes each, so she made sure to pack extra blankets for warmth.
On the first day of the drill that would take her husband out to the Scottish border for a week, Mrs. Wickham pretended to be asleep until he was gone. Then she woke up her boys, dressed them and fed them as usual. She made sure to pack every last bit of food and drink that was in the house. No reason to let anything go to waste. Then she packed her bags and urged her boys to follow her. This was the most complicated part of her journey, carrying her own luggage whilst keeping two boys under four with her, all the way to the nearest town, where the post stop was. None of the men were around, thankfully. Any who felt Lieutenant Wickham owed them money, might have stopped her flight, but no one did. Some of the other wives nodded, others looked away. Nobody spoke to her, and nobody would remember seeing her either, if asked.
After hours of walking, herding two very tired boys in front of her, Mrs. Wickham arrived at the post stop. She paid for the ticket and sat down to wait, her sons sagging in her arms. One hour later the post coach arrived, and Mrs. Wickham hurriedly dragged her belongings and herchildren on board. Once seated, all three Wickhams fell asleep. The coach rumbled away from the inn exactly on time and when Mrs. Wickham woke up, she was many miles away from her home and her husband. Mrs. Wickham grinned at the dusty window and felt more hopeful with every mile that passed.
After a long and tiring journey, which took her as near as five miles from her sister's home at one point, Mrs. Wickham arrived at the final destination of this leg of her travels. The coachman unloaded her bag, while she directed her sons towards the inn. When her luggage was on the ground, she heard somebody call her name.
"Lydia!"
She turned and ran to him.
"Uncle Gardiner, you're here! Thank you. Thank you!"
She hugged her uncle, whom she hadn't seen since her wedding day. Whom she thought she would never see again.
Mr. Gardiner knelt and introduced himself to Eddy and George, and proceeded to gather the Wickham's luggage.
"Come," he said. "Let us get you settled for the night."
Mrs. Lydia Wickham followed him, holding the boys hands. For the first time in almost four years, she felt safe. She felt hopeful. This flight, born out of desperation, began to seem more like a grand adventure and less like running away from every bad choice she'd ever made.
Mr. Gardiner took them to their room, and that night the Wickham's slept in the most luxurious bed they had ever experienced. Both mother and children slept better than they ever had in Newcastle.
The next day, Mr. Gardiner took them to the ship. He carried their belongings on board, and Mrs. Wickham noticed she had somehow acquired one more trunk.
Mrs. Wickham hugged him tightly.
"This is goodbye then," she said in a tremulous voice.
Mr. Gardiner made her promise to write, then said goodbye. He stood on the shore until the ship disappeared from view, hours later. Mrs. Wickham waved until she could no longer see him. This time she really would never see her uncle, or any of her family again.
"Forgive me," she whispered.
She hoped her sisters would understand. Lizzy likely would, she seemed to know more about Mr. Wickham's character than any of her other sisters.
She simply had to flee. She could not wait until someday he would beat her to death, or hurt her boys. She would pretend to be a widow, and go where he would likely not follow. If ever his regiment was sent to the America's, her uncle would write to warn her.
Till his demise, she was his she would take another name and present herself as a widow, she would side with the Americans, not the would hide the rest of her life. He would never be able to find her.
Despite travelling into the unknown, she was excited and hopeful. Whatever awaited her and her boys, could not be worse than what they had left behind.
Mrs. Wickham and her sons sailed into the sunset.