Page 19 of To Go Against Her Heart (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

Wickham, in a fit of rage, set about packing his belongings, resolved to abandon his present lodgings without delay.

He tossed his personal belongings into his trunk with disdain, and never in his wildest dreams had he imagined being caught in his lie.

Escaping unpunished after the Ramsgate incident had given him great confidence; it convinced him beyond doubt that Darcy would never risk his sister’s reputation.

But half an hour ago, at the Colonel’s house, everything had changed.

Right after his meeting at Netherfield, Colonel Forster headed directly to Sir William and met with other acquaintances he trusted and understood that Wickham was indeed spreading rumors about Darcy’s dealings.

He also possessed a letter from Richard, stating everything he needed to know.

As he began his enquiries in the shops in Meryton, the colonel slowly realized that Wickham had debts in several places.

Finally, he summoned Captain Denny, Wickham’s closest ally, who confessed to Wickham’s offences in town and his current intention to court Miss King for the sake of her dowry.

During the confrontation, Wickham felt cornered and could no longer deny the web of lies he had spun about the Darcy family.

The colonel was livid with anger and immediately expelled Wickham from the regiment.

He had also warned him never to set foot into any country with the idea of trapping a woman for wealth.

“Do not assume that you are free to act as per your wishes once you leave the regiment, Mr. Wickham; I will have eyes on you wherever you go. I will ensure the world knows you have been dishonorably discharged from the militia and be aware that you will find it difficult to find employment anywhere. Be assured, Mr. Darcy and his cousin will not stand idle should you endeavor to stir trouble by bringing up the name of the young woman you deceived. I warn you, act with caution and measure every step you take,” he said, looking piercingly at him.

More than the colonel, Wickham was unsettled by the fierce and cold determination in the eyes of Darcy.

The same man who had once allowed him to leave unscathed at Ramsgate to protect his sister’s reputation now appeared utterly unthreatened by it.

During the encounter, Darcy had walked closer to Wickham and grabbed his coat.

“I do not care what you will do or how you will survive. But if I ever become aware of you trying to cheat another woman or if you ever intend to mention my family to anyone you come across, you will wish that I had killed you in Ramsgate,” he said in a voice making Wickham tremble.

He had left Colonel Forster’s house in a hurry, not wanting to spend another moment with them. Captain Denny was nowhere to be seen, and Wickham was very certain that he had betrayed his confidence. He had no other choice but to leave Hertfordshire immediately.

Wickham had always been confident that Darcy would never forsake his sister’s reputation to seek revenge upon him, and this conviction gave him confidence to continue his wayward pursuits of women and money.

He never supposed that Darcy would risk Georgiana’s welfare by exposing him.

But now he perceived that the only leverage he had once possessed was gone.

With Colonel Forster entering the picture, Wickham was convinced he could no longer proceed with his life as before.

As much as he longed to avenge himself upon Darcy, he at last understood that he lacked courage as his entire livelihood was at stake.

He now bitterly regretted having commenced his slanders against Darcy, from the very moment he first uttered his falsehoods to Elizabeth.

***

Within a few days after Wickham’s discharge, word spread in society about his true character, and everyone acquainted with him, especially the women, was shocked beyond measure.

Elizabeth and Jane were equally surprised and relieved by the developments. Mr. Bennet understood from them that Darcy had arrived upon Mr. Bingley’s insistence. However, Mrs. Bennet was unable to believe the turn of events.

“Who would have presumed such a charming man to be so evil? I cannot believe it,” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed.

“I am equally shocked; why our very own Lydia might have been at risk of falling for the man,” Lady Lucas mentioned.

The families had gathered at Lucas Lodge that morning, and Elizabeth was impatient to discuss everything with Charlotte.

“I understand that Miss King is quite shocked by the news, Lizzy. I heard that she was anticipating a proposal from him soon, and it is quite evident that her dowry made him favor her above all the women here. How were you able to suspect him right at your very first meeting?” Charlotte asked.

“He asked me the very same thing,” she replied and bit her lip.

“Who?”

“I meant, Papa,” she said, and her friend looked at her doubtfully.

“Honestly, I do not know. There was nothing sincere about him or his story that day,” Elizabeth said.

“I dare say, if the story had not been about Mr. Darcy, you might have been less interested.”

“Do not be ridiculous, Charlotte.”

“Very well! He has been here for a couple of days, and you still have not had the unfortunate occurrence of meeting him?”

“I did briefly, during my morning walk.”

“Of course you did,” Charlotte replied with a smile. However, Elizabeth was silent. Even to Jane, she had not disclosed Georgiana’s secret, and over the past few days, she kept replaying Darcy’s words.

In her heart, she knew she had greatly misjudged him and could feel his pain when he related the horrifying incident in his past.

“I am certain, until the Netherfield ball, Mr. Wickham will be the talk of the town. I must say, had you not intervened, God knows what he had planned to do here. My father states that a couple of maids from Meryton have reported about him to Colonel Forster as well. They came forward after he left the village; maybe they were afraid to do so while he was still present.”

“I am thankful that Mr. Darcy decided to expose him.”

“I agree. Pray tell me, how is your cousin faring?”

“He is very excited about the prospect of meeting Mr. Darcy. He spoke at length about his generosity and…” She stopped.

“And?”

“And the delightful prospect of his marriage to Miss de Bourgh.”

Charlotte could sense the hesitance in her voice as Elizabeth mentioned Darcy’s marriage, and she was curious to witness her friend’s interaction with Darcy in the coming weeks.

***

“You must stay for the ball. I cannot allow you to leave before that,” Mr. Bingley said to Darcy, expressing his wish for him to attend the ball he had meticulously planned.

“I have no plans to stay, nor am I interested in the amusement it offers.”

“I must insist; you could easily remain another week and attend the ball. If you are concerned about Miss Darcy, she may be invited to join us here. Shall I write to the colonel and extend the invitation?”

Darcy wavered, uncertain whether to remain and learn Elizabeth’s true sentiments or to return to Georgiana.

He was well aware that Wickham would head to town, and the very thought of that made him restless.

Yet he was certain that the latter no longer had the power or courage to hurt anyone.

Richard had also ensured that his men would constantly monitor Wickham’s activities.

“Darcy, I asked you something,” Mr. Bingley said, seeing that his friend was lost in thought.

“I will stay until the ball,” Darcy said, and Mr. Bingley was delighted.

***

Elizabeth carefully avoided her routine morning walk to the mount and took other trails near Longbourn, as she did not want to meet Darcy there accidentally.

Somehow, she felt uncomfortable in his presence and could not understand, despite every resolve of hers, how he managed to draw her into a conversation.

The warmth in his eyes as he looked at her gave her a sense of comfort, something she had missed for a long time.

He did not remind her of Mr. Harrington, as he was nothing like him.

Mr. Harrington had charmed her right from their first meeting in London, and she never perceived any flaws in him until the moment he stood before her, wanting to break off the engagement.

But in Darcy, she saw a proud man with distinct flaws.

She understood that the pride and arrogance she had held against Darcy since the Meryton assembly were a disguise to mask his pain.

She could not restrain her admiration for his character; the very fact that he respected her words and sought to amend his actions touched her deeply.

He occupied her mind so completely that she was hardly able to focus on anything else.

It was evident to Jane that Elizabeth was not in the best of spirits and suspected that it had something to do with Darcy’s arrival.

Just like Charlotte, she was eager to see how her sister would react in Darcy’s company, and from Mr. Bingley, she understood that he was to stay until the ball.

However, Elizabeth and Darcy met some days later at Lucas Lodge.

Sir William had invited his friends for supper, and Elizabeth attended the gathering, knowing very well that Darcy would be present.

Charlotte observed them keenly while they greeted each other, whereas Mr. Collins was thrilled beyond measure to meet Darcy and could not contain his excitement.

“I cannot believe my good fortune, Mr. Darcy. It is indeed a privilege and honor to meet you here. I had assumed this fortunate event would occur only next year when you visit Rosings Park, but I am truly glad that you are in Hertfordshire now,” Mr. Collins blurted in excitement.

“Mr. Collins is my cousin,” Elizabeth explained, suppressing a smile and seeing the shock on Darcy’s face.