Pride, Prejudice & Secrets (22 page)

“I did notice, but I confess I do not understand,” Wickham said carefully, keeping his own sip of brandy on the modest size. He had no idea what was going on, but the game was clearly much deeper than he had imagined. Keeping a clear head was indicated.

“Then I will explain. My brother and I made a rather substantial fortune in shipping, and he married an English girl, the daughter of a shipbuilder. They had only one child, Marianskaia. When she was an infant, he shortened her name to Mary and changed the name of the family to King, which was his wife’s family name, so as to blend in with the English. In wanting them to become English, he was rather successful, as I believe you would testify.”

So much so that I had not a clue!
Wickham thought uncomfortably.

“To aid in the transformation, the two of us also hired a tutor to teach us to speak as English gentlemen, and that effort was equally successful, though it pleases me to remain the Russian refugee with my relations. In all these years, I never married, and following the death of both my brother and his wife, Marianskaia and her Aunt Dorothy are my only relatives. I am very fond of them — both of them.”

He turned to look directly at Wickham, and the intensity of his gaze was such as to make Wickham take a step back.

“And I do not want either of them hurt, Lieutenant. I hope, for your sake, that you understand that with crystal clarity, for your future — indeed, your very life — depends on it. Do you understand me, young man?”

Wickham licked his lips nervously, taking a sip of brandy before responding. “I understand the threat, but I do not understand anything else.”

“The threat, eh?” Noskov said with a harsh laugh. “Well, that is good. It may be enough to keep you alive and breathing. We shall see.”

He took another healthy swallow and gestured at the chairs. “Sit down, Wickham. I want to explain the dimensions of the situation in which you have inserted yourself.”

Wickham cautiously did as Noskov suggested, though every instinct made him want to bolt from the room and this terribly fearsome uncle, fortunes of ten thousand pounds be damned! But the cunning part of his nature, which had kept him safe in many chancy situations, told him he would never make it to the door.

“The first item to consider,” Noskov said, “is that you are indeed married to my niece, and there is no way I can undo it. Even if it were possible to seek an annulment, the fact you and Marianskaia shared a bed would taint her, and I will not have that. Is that understood?”

When Wickham did not say anything, Noskov leaned forward, returning to his original patois. “Is understood,
sukin syn
?”

Wickham nodded instantly and said, “Yes, I understand.”

“Good, good,” Noskov said, leaning back. “It is important, at least for you, that you understand me. Now, I grew up in a hard school back in Russia, then my brother and I came here, and I mastered the demands of another hard school and prospered. It is not easy for a foreigner to make a fortune in this country, and the sea is hard enough as it is. But, having mastered the elements of this society, at least those that pertain to my business, means I have access to sources with which you are not familiar, despite being born here. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Wickham replied, and Noskov nodded.

“So I know about you, George Wickham, son of a steward and, most would say, rather a wastrel and even a scoundrel.”

Wickham briefly thought about protesting but then thought it better to say nothing, which earned him a smile of approval.

“Good. Maybe you are smart enough to survive, after all. Now, I know about your debts.” He nodded at Wickham’s jerk of surprise. “Yes, I know all about them, those in Meryton and those you left behind in London. Probably others, but it does not matter; I know enough. I also know about your dalliances — maybe not all but enough. So let us reach a right understanding, Wickham; this is your first and your only warning. All of this disreputable behaviour is ended. Debts, dalliances, every nefarious scheme you ever dreamed of. And they will never, ever, be repeated. You are married to my niece, and you will remain a faithful husband to her for as long as she lives — or as long as you live. Whichever is shorter.”

He smiled coldly at Wickham’s stricken expression and said softly, “Understood?” Wickham only managed a convulsive nod, but that seemed sufficient to the other man. “My brother settled a dowry of ten thousand pounds on his daughter before he was killed in an altercation with a French privateer. He warned him off, but the bastard would not listen. I came up and boarded but too late to save my brother.”

He smiled, but it was a cold, deadly smile as he said, clearly and distinctly, “We executed every surviving pirate, Wickham. We did so by lowering them slowly into the water and letting the sharks have them. You must get it clearly through your mind: I am not a nice man. Not at all. But I am very, very protective of my family. Do not make me have to lower you to the sharks, Lieutenant Wickham. It would distress my niece to have her husband disappear, but she would get over it in time. For expediency, of course, you would suffer a fatal encounter with a footpad rather than a shark. Very sad. My niece would grieve but even if she were carrying your child, her life would go on. I will not have her married to a scoundrel.”

George Wickham felt a cold terror fill him. What in Heaven had he walked into? Was there any way to survive the situation?

“Now, before you start to get panicky, Lieutenant, consider that ten thousand pounds will be more than sufficient to redeem your debts and still leave you sufficient to live on. If my estimate is accurate, there will be more than nine thousand pounds left afterward, and that is enough for a comfortable living for a lifetime, as long as it is not frittered away.”

Wickham was starting to see at least a glimmer of hope, and he felt encouraged enough to say, “Ah, there were some debts of honour…”

“Gambling debts, you mean,” Noskov said harshly. “That is another thing, Wickham; your days of gambling are over. You are no good at it, you know. In any event, you will need your money to support your wife and family. I will not see those funds wasted by a man who cannot gamble, or you will have that encounter with the footpad. Understood?”

Recovering from his shock, Wickham said unhappily, “Understood.” It was galling to have again come so close to total success, only to meet an obstacle impossible to overcome. But at least he might survive…if he did as this fiend required…

“Good, good. Now, to continue, I will be watching you, Lieutenant. You will never be free of my agents, and you will never know who they are. They will send me regular reports, and I am only ten years older than you, so you are not likely to outlive me.”

He drained the last of his brandy and got up to fill his glass half full before he sat down across from an almost numb George Wickham.

“Now, that is all I have to say. I am usually a man of few words, but this situation required me to be explicit. But trust me, I mean what I say. Make my niece happy, Lieutenant. Work very hard at it. And, to show you that I have some understanding, I will go even further. I know you make almost nothing as a militia officer. So I have arranged to buy you a commission as a lieutenant in the regulars. Let me see, yes, here it is — the Second Battalion, Thirtieth Regiment of Foot. What is more, I am providing the commission at no charge. Understood?”

Wickham nodded again, sensing hope that he might live, though he was certain his life would never again be the same.

Having to live like everyone else?
he thought mournfully.
I would ask myself what could be worse, but I have been warned what would be worse. If this man has left me any escape routes, they are not apparent.

“Now, you will need to resign from the militia to accept a regular commission. That will provide a living. With judicious supplements from your savings — which will be invested in the Funds, by the way — you will have enough money to allow you and my niece to live comfortably. The battalion is at Plymouth at the moment, and I have engaged a chaise to take all of us there tomorrow.”

“All of us?” Wickham asked without thinking and winced internally as Noskov smiled sardonically.

“Yes, all three of us — you, my niece, and I. I will accompany you to make sure you and Mary are well settled.”

Wickham nodded numbly. There was no escape from this man’s schemes. None at all.

“I understand your militia uniform will be adequate to begin with, but I have more good news for you. I have already arranged for a tailor to perform any needed alterations, again at no cost to you. I imagine your experience with the militia will prove useful. I know little about the army, but I understand many regular officers come from the militia. But please understand — there will be no further charity.”

“I understand, Uncle,” Wickham said coldly, and Noskov gave an answering rumble of laugher.

“Good, good. You have spirit at least, even if you were a wastrel. But your new life begins now, Wickham. After my niece returns, we will tell her the news, then you and I will go see your debtors. I want to leave early in the morning, so you will also need to resign your commission — after you redeem your ‘debts of honour.’ You English are exceedingly strange, even after all I have learned. So, I believe we are at the end of our family chat, which is just between you and me, not to be shared. You know my eye will be on you, and I heartily advise you to forget about trying to withdraw her fortune and disappear. I will learn of it within hours, and there is no place within the kingdom where you might flee. So, please be very careful. And make my niece a good husband. Understand?”

“Yes, sir, I do,” Wickham said, with all the firmness he could muster. “I pledge it on my life.”

Noskov smiled slowly and leaned across to clap Wickham on the shoulder. “Yes, I believe you do. Perhaps you will prosper in your new battalion. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.”

He held up his glass, which still held a swallow of brandy, and said, “A toast, nephew — Vashe zrodovye!”

“Vashey zarodoy!” Wickham said, and Noskov gave a great booming laugh as he looked out the window and drained his glass.

“Just in time, boy! Niece and sister returning now! Get coat and come!”

It was a very chastened George Wickham who greeted his wife and her aunt while Noskov acquainted them with the news of Wickham’s rise in the world. He also said to keep this news completely secret since he and Wickham had some business affairs to clear up before leaving in the morning. Mary’s eyes glowed proudly as she bade her husband goodbye, and she blushed as Wickham gallantly raised her hand to his lips before departing.

As he and Noskov carried out their errands, Wickham thought back on the past hour. He had plumbed depths of terror completely new to him, and his present relief was almost exhilarating by comparison. Every time he entertained the briefest notion of violating the terms of his sentence, a single glance at his ferocious uncle caused those thoughts to evaporate.

At least I will be departing Meryton,
he thought.
And there is no need whatsoever to tell anyone where I am bound. It will be much easier to begin a new life if there are no shards of the old one to stumble across.

Chapter
14

“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.”

— Charles Dickens, British novelist

Wednesday, April 29, 1812: Hertfordshire

Darcy and Elizabeth were just leaving Longbourn when her Aunt Philips came bustling up the drive. Hardly had they exchanged greetings before she said, “Have you heard the news about Mr. Wickham, Lizzie? It is most extraordinary!”

“No, Aunt, we have heard nothing more about Mr. Wickham than he was returned from Scotland with his new wife,” Elizabeth said, sharing a look with Darcy. Both of them were thinking different variations on the same theme, though for different reasons:
Will this man ever stop plaguing us?

“Everyone is talking about it all over town,” Mrs. Philips said excitedly. “Wickham has resigned from the militia, and he and his wife have left Meryton! No one knows where they have gone!”

“That is not what I would have expected,” Elizabeth said, “but I shall not lose much sleep over where Mr. Wickham has gone.”

“But Lizzy, were you not on friendly terms with him at one time?” Mrs. Philips said doubtfully, with her usual thoughtless vulgarity. Elizabeth almost closed her eyes in mortification at having her previous gullibility mentioned in front of the man who had been so falsely maligned. But there was nothing she could do except set the situation straight.

“That was when he first arrived in Meryton, Aunt, when all we noticed was his amiable and agreeable nature. Later, after his character became better known, some in the neighbourhood, including me, changed their opinion.”

Mrs. Philips looked at Elizabeth doubtfully, for her powers of observation were no more highly developed than her sister’s. She had noticed nothing to change her mind, though she did agree his elopement was somewhat unsettling. But, since she had news to impart, she put her puzzlement aside and continued.

“But do you not think it strange he would leave so soon after returning? And his new wife hardly had a chance to be introduced as ‘Mrs. Wickham’ before they were all gone.”

“He likely was leaving to avoid paying his debts,” Darcy said in a tone of icy politeness, reminding Elizabeth of a similar comment made previously. She said nothing, however, for this looked to be another area of contention between the two men into which she had no wish to enquire; George Wickham was worth no more of her time.

But Mrs. Philips was quite surprised by Darcy’s words and asked in confusion, “But how did you know of his debts, Mr. Darcy?”

“Because he leaves debts wherever he goes, madam,” Darcy replied, and Elizabeth winced at the frozen venom in his voice.

“Well, at least he did not leave them in Meryton,” Mrs. Philips said with satisfaction. “He and his wife’s uncle visited all the tradesmen and settled everything before departing.”

“Then it is fortunate he married a wife with a fortune sufficient to make this an exception to his usual rule,” Darcy said, his words biting even if his tone was more moderate.

But again Mrs. Philips overlooked any higher meaning in Darcy’s words and nodded energetically. “Yes, it is indeed fortunate! But I do wonder where they went.”

“I am afraid my curiosity on the matter does not match my desire to walk with Mr. Darcy to Oakham Mount, Aunt,” Elizabeth said. “Will you please excuse us?”

“Oh, you are the most energetic walker, Lizzy! How you do it, I cannot fathom; it makes me tired just to hear you speak of your rambles. But by all means see Oakham Mount, Mr. Darcy! The view is quite excellent.”

“So your niece informed me, Mrs. Philips.” Darcy tipped his hat as he and Elizabeth turned away. It was not until they passed out of sight of Longbourn that Elizabeth felt her tension ease. She had chosen the destination because it was a long walk and she had not yet shown Darcy the view from the Mount. But almost any of her various favourite routes would have worked equally well; she simply had to get away from her house, from the turmoil, and especially from her mother.

And then I meet with my Aunt Phillips,
she thought,
who could not pass up an opportunity to display her lack of sense! I do love her, and I do love my mother, despite them both being so silly. But my mother is driving me to distraction. I tried to tell her I do not want my father to spend an exorbitant sum on clothing, but she just will not listen. She says our family’s reputation will be ruined if I am sent off to Pemberley with only the rags in my closet!

She glanced at Darcy, who caught the motion and looked back. His smile and the intentness of his eyes brought a return of the shiver of mingled nervousness and longing she had experienced with increasing frequency the past weeks, especially since Jane left for Plymouth.

Somehow I do not think William cares particularly what I wear,
she thought as Darcy examined her leisurely, seeming to run his eyes up and down her form in the manner so increasingly pleasing to her. But this morning, his gaze brought a slight flush to her face, and her feminine intuition made her think that Darcy might be imagining the movement of her body beneath her clothes.

Should I feel offended?
she wondered, but the little shiver that ran down her spine answered her question in the negative.
I cannot deny I find it pleasant when William watches me, and it causes me to wonder at the events of our wedding night.

The thought of the intimacies of that night resulted in another shiver, and she desperately wanted to hug herself to quell these unfamiliar emotions. Determinedly, she forced her thoughts away from the strange and unknown sensations that plagued her these days. Instead, she tried to concentrate on simply walking and enjoying the sunshine and the crisp spring breeze.

The couple made good time as Elizabeth paced along beside Darcy, her gait free and easy as they held hands rather than walking with her arm in his.

The manner of walking arm-in-arm looks fashionable,
she thought in amusement,
but one never gets anywhere walking like that. And I need to stretch my legs this morning!

They made way for one of her father’s tenants taking a wagon of hay to the village. She could not remember the man’s name though his face was familiar, and she knew he would quickly tell his wife about her holding Darcy’s hand, and the story would soon be all about the village.

It is perfectly permissible for an engaged couple to hold hands in public,
she thought gaily,
even though such liberties are more common in the drawing room or on a garden bench rather than a country lane. But we are engaged, so I will not worry. I have excised any doubts about this marriage, and I refuse to let the opinions of others so wholly unconnected with me depress my spirits.

She and Darcy said little this morning, though their walks were usually filled with conversation. Conversely, neither felt any discomfort with the silence, having come to know each other much better during the past days.

Elizabeth felt contentment as she pondered the past weeks with the pretences and subterfuges discarded, leading them to comprehend more of the other’s character than in all the preceding months of their acquaintance. She was, of course, able to perceive more of Darcy’s character than he of hers for the simple reason that he had been so much more reserved and distant and thus had concealed more.

But still Darcy learned much about her. If Elizabeth’s liveliness and easy manners had initially drawn him, he now learned more of her inner desires as well as the knowledge gained through reading. That knowledge was patchy in many areas, since she had no formal instruction, but he had learned she knew more of history, philosophy, and the arts than he had ever suspected. She simply did not show off her knowledge until they had the opportunity to move beyond immediate topics.

Despite her intentions, Elizabeth’s thoughts kept returning to her disconcerting intuition, remembering the night before Jane departed when her sister confessed she was thinking thoughts she never before considered. Elizabeth wondered whether such thoughts were contagious since she was now having the same experience.

Such as being intrigued and curious when I think of being completely alone with William
, she thought, and the sudden warmth of her ears and cheeks made her glad she was wearing a bonnet.
I know nothing about men and women, just as Charlotte was completely without a clue. In fact, I will need to study before I can lay claim to being naïve!

As she looked up at Darcy’s tall figure and the handsome features that seemed to always contain a measure of sternness and controlled reserve, she thought,
Jane is now Mrs. George Fitzwilliam, and I am still Elizabeth Bennet. Actually, I am ‘Miss Bennet,’ at least for a short period, and that is what is troubling me. I want to be Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, even if William is not as robust and imposing as his blue-uniformed cousin. His shoulders are almost as wide, his waist is as slender, he is just as tall, and he is actually more handsome. And I want to be his, just as Jane is George’s.

She was glad Darcy was content to walk in silence, for she suspected his thoughts might lie in forbidden areas that she simply did not know how to address. In any case, his silences no longer concerned her; she accepted them as part of his nature. And keeping one’s mouth closed until there was something worthwhile to be said, she now realized, was more of a virtue than a vice.

“I have been thinking much about my sister and your cousin.” She broke the silence, and he nodded but said nothing. “I know everything happened very fast, but Jane said enough that I can confirm her contentment, no matter the rapidity of events.”

“Yes, George did prove to be somewhat precipitate. It may be due to his military experience, but I am pleased your sister was not distressed.”

“Actually, it was Jane who suggested Reverend Thompson might be persuaded to…accelerate the process. And, while I believe her that everything was as she wished it, it was quite unlike her usual manner. After thinking more on the subject, however, I believe I understand her emotions better.”

Darcy nodded, saying nothing at first until Elizabeth fell silent. He then moved to a different topic. “Your sister’s marriage is proving most interesting from a familial point of view. As I mentioned earlier, Lady Matlock sent personal congratulations on my engagement, but I did not receive an official congratulatory note from my uncle until this morning. It appears Jane and George spent two days with them in London while George visited the Admiralty, and she charmed my uncle so completely that he lost no time in sending his congratulations on our marriage. I hope Richard was present since he will unfailingly pass on all the details. His sense of humour is much like yours; he delights in, as you once said, follies and nonsense and inconsistencies.”

“Have you memorized everything I have ever said?” cried Elizabeth, remembering her comment from the previous autumn and stopping so suddenly that Darcy turned to face her.

“I have made rather a study of you, my love,” Darcy answered softly, laying his hand gently on her cheek. “But I assure you my studies do not redound to your discredit.”

“I hope not, else I should have to tease you at every opportunity!” She leaned her cheek onto his ungloved hand, half closing her eyes in contentment at the touch of his skin on her own.

“Which should not bother me, as I am sure being teased by you cannot help but work to the improvement of my sense of humour.”

Elizabeth had to smile at that; then she reluctantly raised her head from his hand and said seriously, “I am quite pleased at this news about your uncle, William. I am not happy at having caused a rift between you and your Aunt Catherine.”

“You caused nothing, Elizabeth,” Darcy said sternly. “She is at fault, not you.”

“I will not say differently, but please understand I am still not happy,” Elizabeth said soothingly. “But at least it appears our marriage is not going to cause anything similar with the Matlocks, and that does please me.”

“Richard said his mother would bring his father to a right understanding of the situation, and he again is proving to be more useful than he looks.” Darcy moved his hand back to her cheek.

Again Elizabeth smiled, nestling her cheek into his hand and contenting herself with saying, “The two of you are really quite close, are you not? I did not realize it at the time, you know. When I first met the Colonel, I was impressed by his agreeable nature, but I also thought it merely coincidental and likely convenient that the two of you visited your aunt at the same time.”

“It was more that we provided mutual support in order to get through the encounter. I assure you, the time I spent at Rosings this year was the longest of our visits. Richard and I were always good companions, which is one of the reasons my father had the two of us share Georgiana’s guardianship.”

“Oh yes, Georgiana! When will she come to Netherfield? I would have thought she would have come before this.”

“I was thinking of going to London tomorrow. But you are correct — she did desire to come before this, and I shall have to confess to her that I was enjoying my time with you too much.”

And I did not want to bring her into the neighbourhood when she might encounter Wickham,
he thought dourly.

“You are coming to know me far too well, William!” she said. “I was about to chastise you for making your sister wait, then you disarm me with such an endearment! What shall I do with you?”

“Possibly you should marry me,” Darcy said complacently, smiling down at her.

“Possibly.” The yearning she felt to step closer to Darcy and put her arms around him was so evident and undisguised that, by mutual and unspoken agreement, they turned and resumed their walk. But her roiling emotions caused her to look ahead for some feature of the countryside that might afford a measure of privacy. She was rewarded some ten minutes later when she spied a little grove of trees ahead, some twenty yards off the road where a small stream looped close to the road before flowing away. When she and Darcy got close to that point, she gathered her courage and pulled him toward the trees. He said nothing, merely following her into the trees until they were out of sight of anyone who might come along the road.

She stopped then and turned about, confirming they could not be seen from the road unless someone actually entered the grove. Satisfied, she faced a bemused Darcy.

“I have been thinking of you and me as we walked, William,” she said, with an unprecedented intentness. “Remembering how Jane looked at your cousin when they left, seeing her so affected by a man unlike herself, as you are unlike me, I was dwelling on what it will be like once we are married.”

Darcy felt his heart spring at her words, and, trying to keep his voice light, he replied, “And what subjects are of particular concern after we are married?”

But Elizabeth’s voice was not light and she did not answer his question as she looked deeply into his eyes. “I would like it very much if you would kiss me.”

Darcy made no verbal reply, but it was not necessary as he stepped forward and gathered her into his arms. Elizabeth felt a vast contentment at the unparalleled sensation of being held by a man she cared for. Her face was upraised as his came closer, then her eyes closed in reflex as she felt his lips on hers. At the touch, she instinctively raised herself on her toes, pressing her lips against his as her arms went about his waist and she pulled him close with surprising strength. Their kiss deepened, and Elizabeth pressed herself even closer with inexperienced but eager fervour.

Finally, Darcy broke the kiss and leaned back, keeping his arms around her but needing to see her face.

“We must stop,” he murmured. She felt the same reluctance she read in his face; she knew they ought to stop.

“I know, but I do not wish to,” she said with a sigh, laying her head against his chest and hearing his heart pound in rhythm with her own.”

“If I do not stop now, I may not be able to,” he replied, holding her tightly.

Elizabeth sighed again and said, “I know you are right, but I almost wish you would continue. I feel…most unnatural.”

“No, you feel natural, Elizabeth.” Darcy managed a slight smile. “You are experiencing the feelings of a woman who is not yet a wife.”

“Then I suppose we should not repeat this experiment,” she said regretfully. “Do you think you might speak to my father and suggest the date for our wedding be advanced?”

“If that is what you wish, then I would be eager to do so, my dear. You know I wish us to be married as soon as feasible just like every young husband.”

“Yes, just like a young husband,” she said, smiling at the ancient jest. “But I also wish to be a young wife, and my mother has never enjoyed herself more than she is at the moment. I believe she could go on for months — at which time, I should have to be confined! I think we ought to be married soon. Or else I believe I would not reject those liberties you mentioned!”

“Do not say such things to a man so ardently in love! I will speak with your father when we return.”

Elizabeth had a sudden thought and smiled slyly, looking up at Darcy with mischief again dancing in her eyes. “Perhaps there is another way to approach this, William. Suppose I speak with Papa instead. I will tell him you do not wish to wait any longer, especially since he and Mama have not even agreed on a date. I will suggest you might even be impatient enough to drag me off to Gretna Green!”

“That will either force a decision or will have him set the hounds on me!” Darcy said, but he suddenly looked more cheerful. “It is fortunate I am as much a believer in proper preparation as my cousin; I also have a license in hand. And we have already passed the waiting period.”

“And if the problems are difficult to resolve,” Elizabeth said demurely, “and if you should suggest Gretna Green, I would not oppose it.”

Darcy smiled and tightened his embrace again. Then, looking into her eyes, he said softly, “In that case, despite our agreement that it is too dangerous…”