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I t had taken one day. Only one day for the rumour that she was home to spread around the town. Elizabeth sat resentfully in the sitting room, her lips pressed tightly together.

The room was full of officers — including Mr. Wickham. The same officers that Mama had been bemoaning had not called since Lydia and Kitty had gone from Longbourn.

She glanced across the room at Mary, sitting in a disapproving silence. She would ask Mary later if the officers had, in fact, still been calling on Mama.

But she didn’t think so. Mama was hysterically excited; talking at high volume and speed, and constantly trying to get Elizabeth to join in the conversation.

But she had no intention of giving them the slightest encouragement. Apart from Mr. Wickham, they were all very young, very conscious that their red coats gave them the status of gentlemen, and an arrogance of that thought. She would not pass the time of day with them.

As for Wickham … He was about thirty years of age, she thought, smooth and handsome, with the happy manners and gentlemanlike behaviour that gave everybody certainty that he was a true gentleman.

She looked over at him with hooded eyes. Mr. Darcy had not said much about him when she’d mentioned his name two days before, but his reaction to her words proved the depth of his distaste for the man. What had he said?

“… he is a practised charmer, and wishes to obtain wealth by fair means or foul. He cannot keep it, of course, being an inveterate gambler and womaniser.”

She couldn’t remember the exact words, of course, but there was enough there. Mr. Darcy had also seemed concerned for her, asking her to take very great care around the man, or any influence he might try to gain over the family.

But she’d looked at him rather too long. He was smiling, and got to his feet, coming over to her and bowing politely.

He indicated the seat beside her with an enquiring expression, and she was just about to give him a set down when Mama jumped in.

“Oh, yes, Mr. Wickham! Sit down and tell Lizzy all about the latest training places you have been!”

Elizabeth stifled a sigh. There was something … different about Mama underneath all the excitement and noise, and she tried to puzzle it out, ignoring Mr. Wickham’s voice.

Suddenly, Mama looked a little pale. “Excuse me,” she muttered faintly, and tottered from the room.

Elizabeth jumped up. “Mama!” And she reached to take her arm. Mary hastened from the room behind her, anxious not to be alone with the officers.

The housekeeper appeared, and Elizabeth watched as she helped Mama upstairs, before turning to Mary.

“Please come with me while I send the officers away, then I’ll go up and see what is amiss with Mama.”

They went onto the room, and Mr. Wickham leapt to his feet. “I am sorry Mrs. Bennet feels unwell, Lady Elizabeth, but happy to see you ladies return.” He indicated the seat beside him again. “I would hear more of your time at the great balls in town.”

Elizabeth gave him a disdainful look. “Thank you, Mr. Wickham, but no. I wish to be with my mother, as I’m sure you will understand.

So I will ask you gentlemen to leave, please.

” She stood back, Mary standing beside her, and watched as they glanced at each other, clearly wanting to remain.

One or two even reached for their teacups.

“At once, please.” Elizabeth let her voice harden. As they filed out, they bowed.

Of course, Mr. Wickham was last. “Your compassion for Mrs. Bennet is admirable, my lady.” He extended his hand, clearly wishing to take hers and bow over it.

Elizabeth lifted her chin and put her hands behind her. She nodded, but didn’t say anything.

As they watched them walk down the drive, she fumed. “Be careful of him, Mary. I have been warned about him in particular, and he may try to bribe my father by compromising any one of us.”

Mary looked up at her. “He won’t want me, Lizzy. Not that I am interested in him at all, but he pays me no mind.”

“Did they come here at all when it was just you and Mama?”

Mary was quiet for a moment. “Not at first, though Mr. Wickham did come several times with a few of them.” She blushed slightly. “He did carry me a cup of tea, although he really wanted to ask about you and when you would be home.”

“Hmph!” Elizabeth shut the door with unnecessary force. “I’ll go up and see to Mama. Thanks for chaperoning me, Mary. We’ll have to be careful, you and I.”

She pushed him from her mind as she went upstairs. She didn’t want to tell Papa or Father of the warning she’d had about him, or she may not be permitted to stay here.

She knocked quietly on her mother’s door. “Mama? Are you well?”

Her mother was pale, and Mrs. Hill was bathing her face, accompanied by soothing words, but Elizabeth thought she looked more shocked than ill.

“Yes. Yes, my dear. I am better now. It must … I must have eaten a little too much at breakfast, that is all.” Mama struggled to sit forward a little before giving up the attempt. “Lizzy, dear, can you ask your papa to come up to see me? I must speak with him this moment.”

“Of course, Mama,” Elizabeth was puzzled. She couldn’t imagine what this meant. She couldn’t remember Mama ever asking her to fetch Papa upstairs before.

But she slipped down and knocked on the library door.

“Papa, I am afraid Mama was taken unwell and has had to retire upstairs. I have sent the officers away — although they were quite reluctant to leave.” She knew her eyes flashed her ire. “But I have just been up to Mama, and she asked me to request that you wait upon her at once.”

Papa put down his book. “Well, that is surprising.” He didn’t look surprised, though, and Elizabeth’s sense of unease intensified.

What was even more astonishing was that Papa made no demur about being disturbed and went up without making any sort of sport of it. He shut Mama’s chamber door firmly behind him after sending Hill out, and Elizabeth was left standing there.

Hill smiled at her, but there was amusement behind her expression, too, and Elizabeth frowned.

“Do you want me to bring you and Miss Mary some tea, my lady?” Hill was shepherding her downstairs, and Elizabeth shook her head.

“Not yet, thank you, Hill.” She went into the sitting room.

“Mary, would you walk in the gardens with me for a short while? Then we can call for more tea.”

They hadn’t taken more than a single turn around the gardens before Elizabeth spoke.

“Have you see anything unusual before today, Mary? Everything seems so different, and it looked to me like Papa has something he knows about but I don’t.” She didn’t like that feeling, she acknowledged to herself; it made her feel rather less secure in herself.

Mary nodded. “I think Mrs. Hill knows something, too. But Mama hasn’t said anything, and I’m sure she cannot keep a secret, so she must not know whatever it is.”

“Well, she seemed shocked by something in her chamber, so perhaps she has discovered it.” Elizabeth shrugged.