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“But Wills… I don’t! I don’t have any sense about people at all! I was completely misled by Mrs. Younge and Mr. Wickham. If you hadn’t come to Ramsgate in time…”

Darcy felt the familiar flash of anger toward Wickham but this time it was tempered by the certain knowledge that he needed to comfort his sister rather than wallow in his own hurt pride. He moved to kneel by her chair and took her hands in his own.

“Georgiana, listen to me. You were the victim of two experienced fraudsters. You were assured by me that you could trust your companion and I failed in my duty there. I should have checked Mrs. Younge’s background more carefully.

She had excellent references but I found out later that they were acquired through blackmail and other nefarious schemes.

And Wickham…” Darcy rocked back on his heels and ran a hand through his hair.

“He and I… we played together as boys but even then I suppose I was aware of his lack of morals. He was always spying or plotting, and he felt no guilt if the blame for one of his transgressions fell on someone else.” Fitzwilliam felt his throat tighten but forced himself to continue.

“I remember once when I was eight and he was ten, George boasted to me about sneaking into the home orchard to pick some early cherries. He nearly got caught but somehow managed to shift blame onto one of the tenant’s sons.

” He drew a breath. “Wickham found it amusing that the boy received a whipping for thievery that he did not commit.”

“Oh Wills… how horrible! What did you do?”

“I went to Papa. I fear he did not put much credence in the story of an eight-year-old.”

“Oh Wills…”

Darcy shrugged. “George’s manners around our father were very engaging.

He was always careful to maintain his high opinion.

” Will glanced to his sister. “Do you remember Mrs. Wickham at all? I sometimes think that she coached her son from his earliest days to insinuate himself with Papa; pushing ‘dear Mr. Darcy’ to do this or that for his godson… Well, regardless, George could not hide his want of principles from another boy with whom he spent so much unguarded time. By the time we were at university, he stopped bothering with even the pretence of hiding his immoral tendencies from me.”

Darcy hesitated again but glancing up at his sister, he reminded himself that her best protection might lie in knowing the truth.

“He drank to excess and gambled… ignored his studies whenever he could charm his tutor or another student into doing his work. He… he frequented brothels… and he would boast of seducing other men’s wives. ”

Hearing his sister’s sharp intake of breath, he looked up at her shocked eyes.

“Ignorant as you previously were of everything, detection could not be in your power, and suspicion certainly not in your inclination. I wish I could protect you from knowing such things, Georgie, but… well, I’ve learned recently how important knowing the truth is for a woman to protect herself.

Just because Papa wouldn’t listen to me, doesn’t mean that no one else will. ”

Her brother sighed and stared into the distance while Georgiana considered his words. “Wills? Have you seen Mr. Wickham since Ramsgate? I wonder where he is, sometimes. I… I quite dread that I might meet him on the street some day…”

“Georgiana—if you ever see that bastard again, you are to tell me immediately . Or Richard. Wickham knows that he is never to come near you again; if he does, we will take care of him once and for all.”

“But Brother, I don’t want to lose you or Richard to a duel… or to prison for murder!”

Seeing how distraught his sister had become, Darcy took a deep breath and settled himself back in his chair. He needed to reassure her, he reminded himself, not rant like some irresponsible youth ready to fling himself into battle.

He purposefully lightened his tone. “It would not come to that, my dear. You see, George has done something very stupid— he has entered the Hertfordshire militia as a lieutenant. He is currently stationed in Meryton under the command of one Colonel Forster, a gentleman who happens to be well-known to our own Colonel Fitzwilliam.”

Pleased to see his sister relax a bit, Darcy continued, “ Lieutenant Wickham is now subject to military regulations and punishments and, as you know, Richard is in a position to make certain that they are enforced.”

Georgiana clapped her hands together in a mixture of pleasure and relief. “So he can never do this to any other girl?” She was surprised to see her brother’s face fall. “Wills? Has he hurt someone already? Is it anyone I know?”

“I don’t believe that he managed a seduction…

she is too intelligent and proper to fall for that…

but he certainly managed to turn her head…

and whisper enough lies in her ear that she quite despised me…

” This last was said quietly, almost to himself as his memory spun him back to that fateful evening at the Hunsford parsonage.

“Wills?” His sister’s curious voice brought him back to the present. He hesitated for a moment and then decided that, just as he knew all the details of her failed romance, perhaps it would help her to know of his own recent heartbreak.

He stared into his empty teacup for a moment. “Last autumn, while you were staying with our aunt and uncle at Matlock, you know that I spent some time in the country with Bingley, helping him learn to run the estate he has leased.”

“It was in Hertfordshire!” exclaimed his sister with growing concern. “Is that how you found out that Mr. Wickham was in the militia?”

“Yes, though he was careful to avoid me once he realized I was in the neighborhood. He had no compunction about spreading rumors behind my back, however.” Darcy was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts, until he noticed his sister’s ashen face.

“No! Not about you, dearest… He said nothing about you. You must understand—his resentment, his desire for revenge, it is all focused on me. He worked very hard to maintain Papa’s high opinion but that was all made useless upon his death because I was the heir and George could not fool me .

Wickham resents my birthright and looks for any way to take his revenge.

At Ramsgate, his chief object was unquestionably your fortune but I cannot help supposing that the hope of revenging himself on me was a strong inducement. ”

Georgiana relaxed somewhat over his words. “But Wills… what lies did he spread? And why would anyone believe them of you?”

Darcy sighed. Would his sister’s good opinion of him survive the story of his so-called courtship of Miss Elizabeth Bennet?

“That, my dear, is quite a long story which I will tell you if you truly wish to hear it. However, may I suggest that we move to the library so that the servants may begin clearing the breakfast dishes?” Upon gaining his sister’s agreement, he offered his arm and the two Darcys walked quietly through the halls of their big, empty house, feeling for once that it was a little less lonely.

As they settled into the comfortable chairs on either side of the fireplace, Darcy was wondering where to begin and how much to tell when Georgiana spoke up.

“Was it Miss Bennet?” Seeing the look of shock on her brother’s face, she gathered her courage to continue.

“You spoke of Miss Elizabeth Bennet several times in your letters from Hertfordshire and then from Kent, yet you haven’t mentioned her once since you returned from Rosings.

Was she the lady who believed Wickham’s lies? ”

To say that Darcy was surprised was an understatement. Thinking that Richard might have been talking out of turn, he queried. “How do you know about Miss Bennet?”

Georgiana stifled a giggle. Her Aunt Eleanor was right—sometimes men were completely obtuse.

Her brother truly had no idea how often he spoke of the lady.

“From your letters, Wills. And you mentioned her a few times over Christmas.” Seeing that her brother still looked perplexed, she explained further.

“Usually when you mention ladies it is in such an ironic tone that I can almost see them fussing over you.”

She mimicked his deep voice. “Miss Bingley bids me send her greetings, as she cannot be bothered to write herself, and hopes to exchange table designs or some such nonsense when next she hunts you to ground in London.”

Darcy could not help but be amused at how well his sister mimicked him and waved his hands in mock defeat.

Encouraged, Georgiana continued, “With Miss Bennet, it was different. You spoke of her preference for Milton over cards and how it shocked Mr. Hurst. And of how she loves to walk in the mornings and appreciates nature… and how she beat Mr. Bingley at chess!” Seeing a soft smile grow on her brother’s face at this recitation of memories, Georgiana decided to take a chance.

“Might I meet her? She sounds wonderful.” She started at the flash of pain that ripped across her brother’s face.

“Oh Wills, what have I said? I’m so sorry! What has hurt you so?”

Darcy looked down into his sister’s dear face where she had come to kneel at his feet.

Her eyes, so like their mother’s, were full of concern and compassion.

He squeezed her hands in reassurance. “Miss Elizabeth is all that is lovely… and kind… and I don’t know that either of us will ever have the opportunity to meet her again. ”

After a long minute of silence, he sighed deeply. “Georgie, you might as well know that your big brother is an arrogant dunderhead.”

Seeing that her brother had recovered somewhat, Georgiana stood and, mimicking the stance and tone so often taken by their cousin the Colonel, responded with far more spirit than she had lately displayed; “I shall be the judge of that, sir! The facts, if you please… leaving nothing out!” She then sat down in a comfortable armchair opposite her brother and, toeing off her slippers, tucked her feet up under her skirts.

Unable to do anything but laugh, Darcy gave her a mock salute and began his side of the story.