Page 9 of Heiress of Longbourn (Pride and Prejudice Variations)

Longbourn

The front door of Longbourn opened, and Darcy stepped in after Bingley, removing his hat and coat as he did so. They had not originally planned to visit the Bennets today, but between Miss Bingley’s nagging and flattery and Mrs. Hurst seconding every word out of her sister’s mouth, the two gentlemen had agreed with an admirable commonality of purpose that a brisk, refreshing ride was in order. Once they had attained the road, Bingley had pulled up and looked with wistful hope down the lane before eagerly suggesting that they ride over to Longbourn for a visit.

Darcy had not wasted a second before agreeing, hoping that a visit would do help his ridiculous heart attain its equanimity. Now, his mind whirled with both guilt and excitement as he and Bingley followed the Longbourn butler down the hall towards the sitting room. He wondered if his current plan was backfiring – it had seemed so logical last night as he lay awake pondering. His fascination with Miss Elizabeth absolutely had to end. Distance, oddly enough, was not dulling his interest, so perhaps the solution was to spend more time with her and her family.

It was an unorthodox approach, admittedly, but one that seemed almost assured of success. One could not, after all, be in the company of Mrs. Bennet and come out feeling fonder of the noisy, vulgar woman. Nor did the youngest two Bennets inspire affection for any but their nearest kin. Even if Darcy could not develop a disgust for the lady herself, he had little doubt that extensive time spent around her family would provoke a distaste that would inevitably spill over.

It could not happen soon enough, Darcy thought, his breath catching as his eyes landed on Miss Elizabeth as she rose from her seat. He greedily took in the piquant face that haunted not only his every waking moment but also his dreams at night. She was incredibly alluring.

“Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy,” the butler said and retreated out of the room.

All six of the Bennet ladies were present, and Mrs. Bennet was chattering with such enthusiasm that it fell to Miss Bennet to stand up and greet the visitors.

“Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy,” the eldest daughter of the house said, stepping forward, her eyes glowing, her gaze fixed on Bingley. “Welcome. Thank you for coming.”

“Oh, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy!” the youngest Miss Bennet cried out. “We have seen the most remarkable thing. You would not believe it!”

“Lydia!” Miss Elizabeth said in a reproving tone.

“Lizzy, it really is absolutely incredible!” Mrs. Bennet said, her blue eyes bright with enthusiasm. “But come, sit down, sit down, will you not, and we will have tea.”

The two gentlemen did so, and Lydia waited only for a servant to be summoned with orders for tea to say, “Mr. Bingley, do you know Lieutenant Wickham of the militia?”

Darcy felt all the breath leave his lungs, and he felt briefly dizzy. What had Wickham said or done?

“I do not, Miss Lydia,” Bingley said kindly. “Is he a new officer in the regiment?”

“He is,” Miss Kitty said, her face flushed with enthusiasm, “but the most amazing thing has happened. His twin brother has arrived in Meryton, and Mr. Alexander looks exactly like Mr. Wickham.”

Darcy blinked in astonishment and glanced at Elizabeth Bennet, who was, he realized, looking back at him, her brow slightly furrowed.

“Mr. Darcy, I believe you must know the two Misters Wickham?” she asked hesitantly.

Darcy took a moment to gather his thoughts, which gave Bingley time to inquire, “Do you, Darcy?”

“I do,” he agreed, keeping his eyes fixed on the object of his affections, whose lovely face was grave. “Their father served as steward of Pemberley for many years, and his wife bore him twin sons. My father, George Darcy, stood as godfather to both of the Wickham sons, and they grew up on the estate and went to Cambridge with the assistance of Darcy funds.”

“Oh, then you are old friends!” Lydia exclaimed. “How absolutely wonderful! They are both so very handsome, though Mr. Alexander looks very drab compared to his brother in his red coat.”

Darcy could not speak. He admired Alexander Wickham thoroughly, but despised his brother, so what was he to say?

“Is the younger twin joining the militia, then?” Bingley inquired, mercifully replying so that Darcy could wrestle with his thoughts.

“No,” Miss Kitty said with a pout. “Mr. Alexander is a mere clergyman, which seems such a pity for such a good-looking man!”

“There is much to be said for serving God’s people as a rector,” Miss Mary said, speaking for the first time.

“Moreover, a good living is far more stable an income than that of a militia lieutenant,” Mrs. Bennet said with unexpected practicality. “Is Mr. Alexander Wickham married, Mr. Darcy?”

Darcy blinked at the matron and managed to say, “He is not, no.”

“I see!” Mrs. Bennet said, turning a speculative look toward her third daughter.

“I must confess that I have never met identical twins,” Bingley remarked. “Do they truly look completely alike?”

“Like two peas in a pod,” Mrs. Bennet said promptly, just as two maids entered with tea service. The lady of the house busied herself with cups and spoons and milk and sugar, and Darcy, when he had accepted his cup with a word of thanks, turned to find Miss Elizabeth gazing intently at him.

He felt his heart beat faster at her close proximity, his mind caught up in its normal battle between longing and guilt. He must overcome this. He must…

He realized, belatedly, that the lady was not looking at him with admiration or coquetry, but was instead regarding him with concern.

“Mr. Darcy,” she said in a low voice, “this is a forward question, but do you approve of Mr. Alexander Wickham?”

He swallowed hard and said, “I do, very much. He is a fine man.”

Now her voice was lower still, and she said, “Am I right, perhaps, that you are less pleased with his twin brother?”

He felt his jaw set at these words, his mind flashing back to George Wickham’s betrayal of Georgiana, and he ground out, “I am indeed most displeased with the elder Mr. Wickham, though I have no intention of explaining the details.”

He had, he realized after a moment, spoken more harshly than intended, and Miss Elizabeth sat back a trifle and said, “I apologize for my question, sir.”

“No, no, not at all,” he said hastily. “I did not mean … the truth is that, erm, my relationship with the Wickham twins has been rather complex and…”

He trailed off and was relieved when Miss Elizabeth smiled and said, “I would think having indistinguishable young men at Pemberley would be challenging in and of itself. Did you ever wonder which was which?”

Darcy found his mind turning to the past, to easier times, when he had been companions to both Wickham boys, when they had run the halls of Pemberley together and ‘borrowed’ tarts from the kitchens.

“When they were young, I did occasionally mistake one for the other,” he said with a reminiscent smile. “As they grew older, they developed subtle differences, so that I was able to discern which was which. By the way, do you happen to know, that is, did Mr. Alexander mention where he will be staying tonight?”

“He did, actually. He has a room at the Pig in the Poke in Meryton.”

“Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. I believe I will pay him a visit.”

***

Alexander Wickham’s room

The Pig in the Poke Pub and Inn

Meryton

Later That Day

The tap of the door pulled Alexander out of his reverie, and he turned and called out a greeting. A moment later, a neat maid entered the room and said, “Mr. Darcy is here to see you, sir.”

Alexander leaped to his feet and hurried over toward his patron, who, to his profound relief, smiled and held out his hand. The two men shook hands, and then Alexander said, “Will you not have a seat, Mr. Darcy? Would you care for some refreshments?”

“I require nothing, thank you,” Darcy said, looking at the servant girl, who retreated out of the room and closed the door behind her.

“Sit down, please, sir,” Alexander repeated, gesturing toward the better chair in front of the fire. Darcy did so, while the younger man lowered himself onto a plain wooden chair. For a moment, the two gentlemen gazed at one another until Darcy said, “I am surprised to see you here.”

Alexander sighed and straightened his back. “I am equally surprised to see you, sir. That is to say that George told me that you are staying in the area, but I was startled. He thinks it is by chance; may I ask whether that is true?”

Darcy clenched his fists and nodded. “It is truly a coincidence, a most regrettable one, from my perspective. It was a very great shock when I recognized him in the streets of Meryton some days ago.”

Alexander lifted one eyebrow and said, “I am impressed that you did recognize him; there are still many who cannot tell us apart.”

“Well, as for that, I did have a moment of uncertainty, but I quickly realized it must be your elder brother. You would never abandon your flock in Kympton and careen off to take a position in the militia.”

“That is true. I would not.”

Darcy nodded and asked, “Did your brother send for you to intercede on his behalf with me, perhaps?”

“Not at all,” Alexander replied immediately. “No, George was very displeased at my arrival and even demanded I leave. I am here because...”

He trailed off, looked at the fire, and then turned back to his patron before continuing in a firmer tone. “Because I heard what happened at Ramsgate, and I am outraged on your family’s behalf, and I came to ... to remonstrate with George, and to do my best to prevent this sort of thing from happening again.”

Darcy stared at the clergyman, his mind awhirl, and blurted out the first thing on his mind. “How did you hear of it?!”

The younger Wickham sighed, leaned back in his chair, and clasped his hands together. “I heard it from Miss Melissa Bagley, who is sister to Mrs. Dorothea Younge. The Bagleys are distant cousins, and Melissa and I actually considered making a match of it before we decided we would not suit. However, she and I have remained friends, and she wrote to me recently informing me of her sister’s execrable behavior, and of my brother’s decision to join the militia here in Meryton. As soon as I could find a curate to look after my flock, I came here with the intention of ... well, I do not expect my brother to change his ways, but I can, at least, explain to the local inhabitants that he is neither an honorable nor estimable man.”

Darcy had listened to this explanation with only half an ear, because his mind was still stunned by the information that…

“Mrs. Younge is your cousin?” he blurted out.

Alexander winced. “Distant cousin, yes. The situation in the Bagley family is somewhat similar to my own in that Melissa Bagley is a kindly and sympathetic woman, and her older sister Dorothea, widowed four years ago, is entirely willing to set aside morality and honor to advance her own interests. If I had known that George was plotting with Dorothea, I would have informed you at once, but regrettably, I did not.”

“It was my fault,” Darcy said miserably. “I ought to have checked her bona fides with more care.”

“It truly would not have mattered, sir. Mrs. Younge is an intelligent, well-educated woman, and she is well versed at making herself agreeable. Melissa tells me that Dorothea has been liked and respected by her former employers. No, it was a conspiracy against your family by two people who both have reasons to be grateful to you, and I wish to apologize on my family’s behalf.”

“Alexander, you have nothing to apologize for,” Darcy said heavily.

The other man looked vaguely startled at his patron’s use of his Christian name, but it was, perhaps, no great surprise. They had all been good friends in their youths.

“I do feel guilty,” he confessed. “I have been so busy with my parish, and George and I are not on good terms, so much so that I had no idea what my brother was doing until Melissa’s letter.”

“You are not your brother’s keeper,” Darcy said with a sad smile and rose to his feet. “I must go, but before I do, I wish to extend an invitation on behalf of my friend, Mr. Bingley, who is leasing Netherfield Hall. There is to be a ball next Tuesday evening, and you are invited.”

Alexander looked surprised. “A ball? Will George be there?”

Darcy grimaced expressively. “All the militia officers have been invited, so it is likely.”

“Then I will be there as well,” the clergyman said promptly. “Thank you, Mr. Darcy.”

“Thank you and good evening,” Darcy replied and strode out of the room, his chest somewhat lighter. He was not willing to openly oppose the elder Wickham for fear of Georgiana’s name being bandied about in a dishonorable manner, but he trusted Alexander Wickham entirely, and certainly the presence of the more estimable brother in Hertfordshire would limit the depredations of the elder twin among the local women.