Page 16 of Heiress of Longbourn (Pride and Prejudice Variations)
The Pig in the Poke Pub and Inn
The Next Day
The knock on the door was a familiar one, and Alexander, enjoying hot tea by the fire, rose to his feet, walked over to unlock the door, and opened it.
“George,” he said with a sigh. “Do come in and sit down.”
George stalked into the room, his face flushed, and sat down in the chair which Alexander had just vacated, the one nearest the fire.
Alexander collected his own cup of tea, settled on the less comfortable seat across from his brother, took a leisurely sip, and waited patiently for his brother to speak.
“What exactly do you think you are doing?” the elder Wickham demanded, eyes narrowed in anger.
“I have paid your debts in Meryton, though I will not pay any more. That is all.”
“That is not all, as you very well know! You informed all the merchants and shopkeepers that I never pay my debts.”
“Which is true. You never do.”
George Wickham leaned forward in his chair, his expression furious, his hands clenched. “How could you treat me, your own brother, in such a way? Now none of the people in this benighted village will give me credit!”
“I am not surprised,” Alexander replied evenly, watching his brother carefully. George had always been a hot head, and it was not out of the realm of possibility that he would physically attack him in his fury.
George leaped to his feet and began pacing up and down and up and down and up and down before turning to declaim, “Why must you persecute me, Alexander? Is it because I was our mother’s favorite, and old Mr. Darcy’s as well?”
Alexander felt his jaw clench, and it took a minute for him to respond calmly. It was true enough that both Mrs. Wickham and their godfather had preferred George, and it had hurt when his own devotion to his studies and determination to do good had been considered less important than his elder twin’s charm and silver tongue. But that was a long time ago now.
“George,” he said, standing up to face his mirror image, “I am sorry that we are not on favorable terms. I am sorry that you are struggling financially. But I cannot in good conscience stand idly by as you cheat the people of Meryton out of their hard earned coin...”
“They are nothing!” George snarled. “They are mere peasants compared to me, and to you, for that matter. We are the godsons of George Darcy of Pemberley, and deserving of...”
“Enough, Brother,” Alexander interrupted sternly, marching over to open the door to his chambers. “I serve exactly those sorts of people at Kympton, and I will not have you denigrate the people of this town in such a manner. Now, I am tired, so if you will permit me to go to sleep?”
The elder Wickham glowered at his brother and then stalked over to the open door.
“I will repay you for this, Brother,” he growled and departed in haste.
Alexander sighed, closed the door, and locked it. For a moment, he was tempted to leave early the next morning for Kympton, away from his brother’s fury, but he would not give way to fear like that. In his youth, he had submitted to George’s stronger character, but now he was a man, with determination of his own. Moreover, he ate less and exercised more than George, and if the matter came to fisticuffs, he would almost certainly prevail.
It was incredibly sad that he and his brother, the only ones left in their immediate family, were at such odds, but he knew that he must do what was right in God’s eyes, regardless of his brother’s desires.
Alexander changed into his night attire and went to bed, but it was some time before he was able to drift off to sleep.
***
The Phillips’s House
Meryton
A Few Days Later
Alexander relaxed a little more into the stuffed armchair. The furnishings in the Phillips's drawing room had been designed with comfort in mind, and for that he was grateful. The homely and equally comfortable woman before him – she fit well into her surroundings – was busy pouring tea for her guests. Lydia and Kitty Bennet sat on the adjacent couch, ignoring their aunt and Alexander alike, absorbed as they were in their own muttered conversation.
Alexander accepted his cup and saucer and a scone from his hostess with a warm smile and polite thanks.
“Are you certain you need to journey north soon, Mr. Wickham?” Mrs. Phillips asked hospitably. “My only brother and his family will be traveling from London to stay at Longbourn over Christmas, and I am convinced that you would appreciate meeting them. My sister Gardiner grew up in Derbyshire and would enjoy speaking of her youth with you.”
Alexander took a sip of tea and said, “That would be delightful, but I fear I must return to my parish because my curate has been managing my flock for many weeks now. However, I could not leave Meryton without thanking you for your hospitality. I am most grateful for your kindness to a stranger.”
Mrs. Phillips beamed at him and passed the plate of scones, and Alexander took another one. Mrs. Phillips might be a vulgar soul, but she was both friendly and generous, and he was genuinely grateful.
“But please,” Alexander continued, “tell me about your brother and his family. He is in trade, I believe?”
“Oh yes, indeed he is,” Mrs. Phillips said, “and very gifted he is. Such an intelligent man and reads ever so much, and my sister Gardiner has such lovely fashion sense. My elder three nieces have spent many months in Cheapside with the Gardiners, though less so of late, as my brother and his wife have had four children in the last eight years and are busier than they were in the past. But yes, such a charming family. Oh, I see the tea pot is empty, and my sister Bennet and other nieces are coming soon from the dressmaker’s shop. Please excuse me!”
His hostess rose to her feet and hurried out of the room with the empty pot, and Miss Lydia gave off whispering to her sister and turned bright eyes and a flirtatious smile on him.
“I do wish you would leave being a boring clergyman,” she said with a toss of her dark curls. “Just think how well you would look in a red coat like your brother!”
Alexander laughed and shook his head. “I thank you for the suggestion, Miss Lydia, but I belong in the church and find great satisfaction in my work.”
Miss Lydia’s pretty face turned into a pout and she sighed. “It sounds terribly dull, but I am glad you like it.”
“Thank you,” Alexander said in amusement.
“Is your house a pleasant one?” Kitty asked curiously.
“It is, very much, and I am pleased that Mr. Darcy keeps it in good heart. That is not always true for clergymen, you know. The patron of the living is responsible for repairing the parsonage, and some patrons are far from diligent. I have friends who are living in buildings with leaky roofs and windows, and I am grateful for a well-built house of my own.”
The door opened at this juncture to reveal the rest of the Misses Bennet, along with Mrs. Bennet, followed by Mrs. Phillips with a full tea pot. The drawing room was suddenly full of chattering ladies. Alexander, after greeting the ladies appropriately, lapsed into silence and listened as the Bennet ladies discussed the upcoming wedding between Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley, and Miss Bennet’s gown which was almost ready for the wedding, and Mrs. Bennet’s excitement, and the discussion about whom might be the actual heiress of Longbourn.
The conversation required little from him, leaving him free to ponder the implications of the exchange. Alexander sipped his tea, letting Mrs. Bennet's excited chatter wash over him. He had long had a gift for understanding the minds and motivations of others, and it had stood him in good stead as a shepherd of a flock. He was not arrogant enough to believe that he fully understood the hearts of men, however, nor what caused such diverse personalities among close relations.
The Bennets were nonetheless an interesting study in how widely families could range in character and interest and conversation. Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth were models of good behavior and sensible discourse. Miss Mary was a trifle solemn, but she was young and had time to grow into easier social graces and, anyway, she was not an embarrassment to her family. The younger two girls, however, were spirited and lively to the point of wildness. They were loud and boisterous and talked incessantly of ribbons and assemblies and officers. They were both determined to wed a handsome red-coated officer, and to that end, flirted indiscriminately with every lieutenant and captain quartered in town.
It was foolishness, undoubtedly. Alexander was well aware that a mere lieutenant could not afford to support a wife in the style to which the Bennet sisters were accustomed. He blamed the girls' parents, of course. Lydia was headstrong and loud and foolish, but she was not stupid. A firm explanation of the disadvantages of such a match might quell any such notions in her head, and Kitty, always easily led by her willful younger sister, would too soon relinquish the idea as well.
But Mrs. Bennet did not have the sense to rein her daughters in, and Mr. Bennet lacked the inclination to do so. Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth did their best, but the two young girls needed a firm authority to guide and discipline them. It was a pity, Alexander thought, that their father was not more interested in them. There was nothing the visiting clergyman could do, but he wished that someone could enjoin Mr. Bennet to be a better father instead of leaving that burden on the shoulders of his eldest two daughters.
At the moment, they both endeavored to corral their young sisters. Alexander nibbled his scone, staring at Miss Elizabeth where she sat in low-voiced conversation with Miss Kitty. He had caught Darcy doing exactly that many times, and he smiled a little to himself at the thought. He had maintained an amiable relationship with Mr. Darcy for years – a friendship even, despite the disparity of rank. Alexander had known his patron since they were both boys, and he could say without hubris that he knew Mr. Darcy well. He had never observed Mr. Darcy displaying so much interest toward a lady before, and if he were a gambling man, which he was not, he would be willing to bet that Mr. Darcy was attracted to the second Miss Bennet.
It was not a great surprise as Miss Elizabeth was pretty, vivacious without being rambunctious, intelligent, and witty without malice. She complemented the staid Darcy in every way, lively where he was grim, easy in company where he was silent, but without any of that sort of frivolity which must necessarily grate upon any man with practical sensibilities. They would be a remarkably good couple, in Alexander's opinion, but of course, the Bennet connections were poor, and they had little wealth or breeding to recommend them. Again, a pity that the strictures of society would prevent a union between such a compatible couple, but there was nothing Alexander could do about that, so there was no point in fretting. He could instead focus his full attention on the scones, which were excellent.