Page 61 of Missing
"I do not know, Wickham. The master neither tells me nor consults me about his plans," Jackson replied with sarcasm.
"I cannot remain another moment. The family will soon take breakfast, and we shall depart northwards.
I hope you can manage your difficulties.
" With that, Jackson turned back into the house.
He wished never to see his former friend again.
He was content with his new life, and as Wickham was no longer close to Mr. Darcy, there was no need to feign friendship to keep his position.
But Jackson had not noticed that Mr. Gibson had been observing him from the kitchen window as he conversed with Wickham.
The butler had never liked Jackson; he was idle and careless in his duties.
Yet Gibson hesitated to trouble his master with such matters, particularly now, when Mr. Darcy was rejoicing in the restoration of his family.
For the present, he resolved instead to write to Mrs. Reynolds, sending the letter with the coachman.
He would inform her of all he had seen and allow her to address the problem once and for all.
Mr. Darcy, meanwhile, was content to take breakfast with his two children and his daughter-in-law. After so many years, he felt his family almost complete, and he prayed that his dear wife might see from above that their beloved son had returned at last.
Two hours later, the whole Darcy family set out for the north. Mr. Darcy and Georgiana travelled together in one carriage, while William and Elizabeth rode in another. They would re
main a week at Pemberley before continuing to the Lake District for their honeymoon.
On the second day of their journey, Elizabeth perceived that her husband was unusually thoughtful, and she longed to know how to comfort him. "Is something amiss, my dear?"
"Do not concern yourself, my love. I am only a little anxious about returning to the place where I was lost all those years ago—that is all."
"I understand, William. I hope that our days at Pemberley may dispel your doubts."
"You cannot imagine how happy I am to have you by my side. It is blissful to spend the whole day together—even in a carriage—my sweet love," said William, kissing his wife.
Elizabeth nestled into his arms and returned to her book, while her husband pressed a gentle kiss upon her brow and gazed at the lovely landscape of that part of the country.
◆◆◆
Jane had organised an informal dinner with her entire family to celebrate her happiness at living in Netherfield with her husband. They had been there for almost a fortnight, and Jane believed she was in the midst of a dream from which she did not wish to awake.
For the first time since their marriage, they had had the leisure to order their lives as a loving couple.
Jane was in charge of managing the household, while Charles attended to the affairs of the estate.
As a result, they both felt useful and engaged in something productive, which raised their self-esteem as individuals and as a couple.
It had not been easy to assume so many responsibilities from one day to the next.
Yet they had the support of the Bennet family, their neighbours, and Violet.
Even Mr. Bennet left his study and his books on more than one occasion to accompany his son-in-law on visits to the tenants.
Violet had spoken to him and stirred both his reflection and his conscience for the negligence he had long shown his family.
"How beautiful everything looks, Jane. You are an excellent hostess, and the most beautiful, too," Mrs. Bennet exclaimed with delight.
"Welcome to our home," said Charles warmly.
"All this we have organised to show our gratitude for all your help and to apologise for the distance I once placed between us. Today, I know that you are part of my life, and I never wish to estrange myself from you again. And that includes you, Mrs. Dalton," Jane added with emotion.
Violet was deeply moved and thanked Jane. She perceived her son's sister-in-law spoke with sincerity and rejoiced to see how much she had matured in the past few weeks.
"With my dear Angel, we are considering a ball at the end of this month. We wish to invite all our neighbours to thank
them for their warm welcome and to reconnect with the community," Charles announced cheerfully.
Kitty and Lydia were overjoyed; not only would there be a ball, but afterwards they would travel to Manchester with the family and spend time with Violet, visiting various parts of the north.
Mary offered to play the pianoforte, and Violet assisted her with the more difficult passages. They had become good friends and spent many hours practising together and conversing.
Unfortunately, just as the family was about to proceed into the dining room, Caroline arrived unexpectedly.
The Hursts had told her they wished to travel alone and did not know when they would return to London.
Although Caroline attempted to disregard their warnings, Mr. Hurst had been so incensed that he declared that if she did not leave his house, he would throw her out himself.
Thus, Caroline had no choice but to travel to Hertfordshire and request accommodation from her brother. She did not intend to remain long—merely as many months as it might take for Charles to rent or purchase a house in London.
When she entered Netherfield, Caroline was outraged to see that many of the decorations she had chosen were gone.
It seemed as though someone had redecorated the house without even consulting her.
But she had no time to dwell upon it, for she overheard voices in the drawing room and entered at once to confront her brother.
"Charles, can you explain what happened to the vases and decorations in the main hall? And in this room—who dared alter everything without my permission?" Caroline demanded, furious at the sight of the house full of people she considered vulgar.
"I was the one who rearranged everything," Jane replied. Her heart beat quickly, and she was nervous, but she would not permit Caroline to coerce her again.
"And why did you do that, Jane?" Caroline asked defiantly.
"Because she is the mistress of this house and may do whatever she chooses," Charles interjected. He took Jane's hand and kissed it, making plain his support.
"I cannot believe, Charles, that you would allow this woman to speak to me so."
"Whom you call this woman is my wife. If you cannot respect her, then you may return to London with the Hursts," Charles answered firmly.
"I shall go to my chamber. I have no interest in continuing this quarrel, least of all before these people," Caroline retorted.
"Do as you wish, Caroline. We are celebrating and will not endure your ill humour. Tomorrow you and I shall speak," said Mr. Bingley. He then apologised to the family and invited them into the dining room.
The evening passed delightfully, filled with laughter, conversation, and plans for many activities to benefit the tenants and the community. Jane and Charles were happy to have found their place in life at last, and they resolved not to allow Caroline to ruin what they had built.
The following day, Mr. Bingley spoke to his sister and told her that she might remain at Netherfield for no more than a fortnight, after which he would escort her personally to Scarborough if necessary.
"You cannot do this to me, Charles."
"Yes, I can, and I shall! Hurst told me what you did at Darcy House, and you cannot imagine the shame I feel—for our family and for losing Mr. Darcy's friendship."
"Will you also defend Eliza Bennet? I imagine Jane must have told you lies that Eliza contrived, for she has always hated me."
"You are mistaken, Caroline. Elizabeth knows nothing—her husband sought only to shield her from your contempt. And I never told Jane, out of shame. So I remind you once more: you have two weeks to leave my estate."
Caroline protested as much as she could, but it was of no avail; neither Jane nor Charles gave heed to her complaints. At last, when the fortnight had expired, she had no choice but to go live with aunt Henrietta, where she remained until she married.
◆◆◆
When William arrived at Pemberley, all the long-serving estate employees recognised him at once. His physical resemblance to his father was striking, though in temperament he bore a far greater likeness to his mother.
William and Elizabeth made an excellent impression on everyone; they were unfailingly kind and considerate. Moreover, the young Mr. Darcy and his wife appeared genuinely eager to learn about the estate and to explore its beautiful park and surroundings.
After three days at Pemberley, William once again dreamt of the woman his cousin Fitzwilliam had told him was Wickham's mother. Mr. Darcy had assured him that Edith had given her life to save him, yet for some reason, William could not bring himself to believe that tale.
After breakfast, Elizabeth and Georgiana withdrew to the music room to practise duets for the evening's entertainment. Mr. Darcy had invited several friends from neighbouring estates to meet his son and daughter-in-law. For that reason, William did not wish to disturb them.
Almost without knowing how, he found himself on the path leading towards the river, and as he walked, a torrent of memories overwhelmed him. It was as though he had stepped back through time and was once more living the events of twenty-two years ago.
'Look how fortunate we are, my dear George, to meet our dear Master Darcy.'
'Good afternoon, Mrs. Wickham. We are going to the river; it is so hot, and Master Fitzwilliam loves to fish.'
'May we accompany you?'
'Of course, Mrs. Wickham.'
William halted when he reached the river bank, upon the very spot shaded by several trees beside a great rock. He remembered fishing there with his father and Richard on more than one occasion. Then, gazing into the rushing water, a dreadful revelation struck him.
'You should never have been born, you wretched child. Were it not for you, George and I would be together, and my son would be heir to all of this.'
'Mrs. Wick—'
'I hope I never have to see you again…'
In a rush of memory, William recalled how Edith Wickham had thrust him into the river and, in so doing, lost her own balance and fallen with him.
'That woman tried to kill me… She is the cause of everything that followed,' thought William in horror. At last, the great mystery of his life had been solved, and the truth was far more appalling than he could ever have imagined.
He knew he must speak with Elizabeth; only she could help him determine what to do with such a terrible discovery. Yet
when he returned to the main path, he received another shock altogether.
"Wickham! What are you doing here?" William demanded in anger.
"I came to finish what my mother attempted and failed to do," Wickham replied coolly. He then drew a pistol, levelled it at William, and smirked with evident satisfaction.