Page 16 of Longbourn’s Son (Pride and Prejudice Variation #22)
It was past midnight when Luke quietly let himself in the front door of Longbourn, which had been left unbolted by the servants. He picked up the low burning lamp sitting on a small table near the door took a few quiet steps toward the kitchen, hopeful of not waking anyone in the house.
“Luke?”
Luke jumped slightly and turned an exasperated gaze on his twin sister, who had appeared like a wraith from the front parlor. “Kitty,” he hissed softly, “I do wish you would not wait up for me!”
Kitty smirked in the flickering light of the candle and said, “I am sorry, my dear; you are permitted to be out carousing into the wee hours, but I am afraid that you will have to live with the certainty that I will wait up for you to come safely home.”
He chuckled and gave her a warm hug. “It is not necessary, of course, but I confess to pleasure in seeing you before I turn in.”
“Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” Kitty asked.
Luke hesitated and then sighed, his face thoughtful in the dim light. “In some ways, yes, but in other ways, very much not. But come to the kitchen with me, Kitty, if you wish to talk. I am starving.”
Kitty shook her head in mock disapproval. “I do hope Cook does not wake up and catch us messing up her tidy kitchen!”
“We will not leave a trace,” her twin promised.
A minute later, the twins had tiptoed their way down the length of the house to the large kitchen where the Cook ruled during the day and two cats, black and white sisters, terrified the mice at night.
Kitty, alerted by a welcoming meow, reached down and picked up the more friendly of the two felines, lifted her to her shoulder, and sat down on a convenient chair.
Luke in turn put down the lamp, pulled out a loaf of bread and quickly cut a slice, which he buttered lavishly before taking a large bite.
“I drank too much,” he declared thickly, once he was able to speak at all, “though I did not intend to do so.”
“Oh Luke, are you drunk?” Kitty asked rather anxiously.
“Not drunk, no, but I definitely overindulged,” Luke responded with a grimace. “I am glad I walked home; the exercise cleared my brain, and the fresh air was most welcome after a few hours inhaling cigar smoke.”
Kitty wrinkled her nose. “I do hate the smell of tobacco, though I know most gentleman seem to like it.”
“Well, I do not,” her brother stated decidedly, collecting another slice of buttered bread and sitting down on a chair near his sister.
“What is that jingling I hear?” Kitty asked in a puzzled tone.
Luke hesitated briefly before he used his clean left hand to dive into his pocket, whereupon he produced a handful of small coins, which he placed carefully on a nearby table which also held a bowl of red onions.
“Where did you get the money?” his sister demanded.
“From cards,” Luke said with a deep sigh.
Kitty’s eyes widened in surprise and distress. “You were gambling ?”
Luke winced and nodded, “I fear so, yes, and that is why I did not enjoy most of my evening. I did not wish to gamble, but I was caught up in it, so to speak.”
“I do not understand. If you did not wish to gamble, surely you could say no!”
Luke leaned back against his chair with a soft groan, took another bite of bread, and murmured, “I am very glad you did wait up, Kitty, for I need to speak of tonight. It started well enough. Samuel Lucas greeted me upon my arrival and directed me to Captain Williamson, who was at Aunt Philips’ dinner party a few nights ago. Do you remember him?”
“Is he an older man, about Father’s age?”
“That is the man, yes. We spent a full thirty minutes discussing horseflesh, and he is very knowledgeable. It was a most enjoyable conversation as he has learned much about the Suffolk Sorrels, which I have considered acquiring. They are strong and docile and good work horses. At any rate, after a half hour had passed, Samuel invited me to play Casino with a few of the other officers, including Lieutenants Pratt and Wickham. Captain Williamson distributed the fishes and we were playing most enjoyably, but an hour later Wickham suggested that playing for nothing was dull, and we ought to play for chicken stakes, merely a half pence a point.”
Kitty frowned. “I suppose that is true enough, that most officers and gentlemen do play for money, for all that Father is so very opposed to gaming. At least it was not much money!”
Luke shook his head in the soft light of the lamp. “It matters not if it was not for much money; Father and I have our differences, but we both agree that playing money for cards is a foolish activity, especially for me as I am not experienced and am far more likely to lose money than win it.”
“Why did you not refuse, then?” his twin asked practically.
The youth grimaced in exasperation. “I tried, I promise you that I tried! I said it was growing late and I ought to leave, but Samuel begged me to stay, and Wickham offered to lend me a few pence, and Williamson intimated that only a child would leave before eleven, and they kept plying me with brandy, though I tried to drink slowly.”
Kitty was troubled now, and her eyes wandered to the little pile of coins on the counter. “Did you accept a loan from Mr. Wickham?”
“No, of course not. I had a few coins on my person, and I finally agreed to trade them for smaller denominations. I was actually a winner for the night, as was Samuel and the Pierce brothers.”
“Then surely no harm was done, though I do think you had best not go again to such an evening if gambling is to be a large part of the entertainment.”
“I assure you I have no intention of spending another evening so foolishly, but there was something about the way it all developed. I felt compelled to gamble, and it made me uncomfortable. But I do not know; perhaps it is merely that Jane and Lizzy warned us recently that the officers might not all be good men.”
“So you imagine they might have been cheating in some way? But if you won, and the officers lost, surely there is no fear of foul play?”
“I suppose not.”
Kitty eyed her brother with concern and laid a comforting hand on his arm. “We are both tired and should get some sleep, but perhaps you ought to speak to Lizzy tomorrow if it bothers you so. I do not think we ought to mention the matter to Father.”
Luke shook his head vigorously. “Absolutely not; you know how much he hates gaming and would no doubt lecture me ferociously. But yes, I will talk to Lizzy.”
/
Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, second son of the Earl of Matlock, cousin of Darcy of Pemberley, military man, had not felt so elated in a very long time.
He was trotting on the back of his favorite chestnut gelding along a pleasant road, a cold breeze riffling his short dark locks, with London several hours behind him and George Wickham only a few miles in front of him.
He grinned fiercely, contemplating Wickham’s expression when he set eyes on the Colonel.
If he had been present at Ramsgate, Wickham would not have escaped with his handsome face intact.
It was a great pleasure that Darcy was finally willing to take steps to remove the malignancy that was George Wickham from society.
Suddenly, Richard noted the presence of a horse and rider waiting ahead of him on the road.
For a brief moment, he felt a twinge of concern, but then reminded himself that he was not on some rough trail in the Spanish Pyrenees, but on a smooth road only three and twenty miles from London riding in broad daylight. It was unlikely to be a bandit.
Within a minute, the colonel’s sharp eyes recognized the horse, a black stallion, and his rider, Fitzwilliam Darcy. Darcy waved a welcoming hand toward him and waited until the chestnut came to a halt next to him.
“Richard,” he said, reaching out to shake his cousin’s hand. “Thank you for coming so quickly. Do you have the debt receipts?”
“Of course I do, and I hope your eagerness to obtain them means you are ready to cast that varmint into King’s Bench or Marshalsea, where he belongs?”
Darcy shook his head and, with a slight flick of his heels, directed his black to begin walking toward Meryton. Richard fell into step beside him, his gaze turned expectantly on his wealthy cousin.
“I visited Wickham this morning in his rather shabby room in a boarding house,” Darcy explained, “and threatened him with debtors’ prison if he whispers a word about Georgiana, or attempts to speak to her, or even looks on her insolently.
I also told him that I would be keeping a close eye on his accounts with the local merchants. If he steps out of line, he will pay.”
“But does he know that?” Fitzwilliam inquired cynically. “You have warned him before, I believe, and never followed through with your threats.”
“I daresay he is not particularly concerned about me ,” his cousin admitted, “but I saw the alarm on his face when I handed him a copy of the letter that I wrote you. He knows that you will have no hesitation about locking him away. Indeed, that is why I need you here in Meryton, Richard. You will encourage me to take the steps that I should have taken long ago.”
“You have coddled him for years, Darcy, and in truth, I never could quite understand it. He is a rogue and a reprobate, nothing like the elder Mr. Wickham, who was a fine man and excellent steward to Pemberley.”
“Wickham takes after his mother,” Darcy agreed heavily.
“She, you will remember, was a spendthrift and in spite of my father’s decision to pay his steward very well indeed, the Wickham family was always on the brink of insolvency.
But as to Wickham himself, my father loved him dearly.
I have been a fool, without doubt, in not bringing him to heel before, but I always hoped he would see the error of his ways and change.
Marshalsea is a death trap, Richard. If Wickham does choose to disregard my warnings and we send him to prison, there is a good chance he will die there. ”
“He may be hesitant to speak of or to Georgiana, but he will rack up debts,” the army officer asserted.
“He has no concept of economy, and has long depended on robbing merchants and tradesmen to fund his lifestyle. He is also a gambler. But Darcy, I am concerned about Georgie. Wickham has never been violent, but it is just possible that if he is desperate enough…”
“I assure you that the thought occurred to me as well,” Darcy asserted, his face grim.
“Georgiana and I spoke at length, and she is aware that she must be especially careful to be well guarded when outside of Netherfield. I have also summoned my twin footmen, John and Jacob, from London; they will help guard my sister. I doubt that Wickham will try anything; a kidnapping attempt is a hanging offense and at heart, he is a coward.”
“I agree, but I am thankful you have taken steps to protect Georgiana. I have no doubt within a few weeks, Wickham will have garnered substantial debts with the local merchants, and we can make our move.”
“Are you able to stay that long?”
“I am. My general has given me an indefinite amount of leave; it is one advantage of being an earl’s son, I suppose, that my superiors are inclined to give me what I want.”
Darcy nodded, and peering ahead, suddenly said, “Oh, I see three ladies walking ahead of us, and I am quite sure that one of them is Miss Elizabeth Bennet!”
Colonel Fitzwilliam cast a startled look at his cousin, “Who?”
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Mr. Bennet, her father, is master of the local estate of Longbourn,” Darcy said distractedly. “He has five daughters and one son. I would like to speak to Miss Elizabeth; would you be kind enough to draw her two friends apart after I introduce you to them?”
Richard stared incredulously at his cousin. “Is there any chance that you have a tendre for a country woman?”
Darcy shot an exasperated look at his cousin, “No, of course not. Miss Elizabeth is a charming and intelligent woman but not a worthy wife for a Darcy, and of course, I am more or less promised to Anne.”
The master of Pemberley sighed and added unhappily, “I suppose I should offer for our cousin soon, even if I am not at all enthused. But enough of that. Miss Elizabeth saw through Wickham’s winsome facade when they first met, and she warned me of his presence in the neighborhood.
Georgiana was distressed at the news and I was not able to speak in more detail to Miss Elizabeth.
I need to assure her that she is wise to be cautious in her dealings with Wickham. ”