Page 24 of The Same Noble Line
Of course, they had all learned it from him. She held his gaze, her voice steady. “Not at all, Mr. Wickham.”
A silence hung between them, taut and unyielding, until the lieutenant forced a laugh. “I hope I have not offended you somehow, Miss Elizabeth. I should dislike that above all.”
Elizabeth inclined her head very slightly, her gaze never leaving his. “I am not offended, Mr. Wickham, but if you will excuse me, I must be on my way.”
As she turned, she saw two riders approaching, their figures unmistakable even at a distance. Mr. Darcy’s rigid posture on horseback was as familiar as it was imposing, while Colonel Fitzwilliam’s relaxed demeanour provided a striking contrast. As they neared, Elizabeth noted the taut set of Mr. Darcy’s jaw when he saw Mr. Wickham.
“Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy said with a polite nod as he reined in his horse. “Wickham.” His tone was clipped, the single word heavy with contempt.
If Mr. Darcy’s presence unnerved Lieutenant Wickham, the arrival of Colonel Fitzwilliam made him visibly anxious. The colonel dismounted with an almost feline grace, his eyes glinting with a darkly amused sort of menace.
Elizabeth shivered.
“Wickham,” Fitzwilliam drawled, his voice rich with mock cordiality. “What an unexpected pleasure. You seem to have a knack for turning up where you are least wanted.”
Mr. Wickham’s confident façade cracked, his smile stiffening as he stepped back instinctively. “Fitzwilliam,” he said, his voice a bit higher than normal.
Colonel Fitzwilliam advanced a step, his expression darkening. “I believe you have some matters to discuss with Colonel Forster. Shall we?”
Mr. Wickham’s eyes darted toward Elizabeth as if seeking an ally, but she remained silent, her brow furrowing as she observed the interplay. The colonel’s grin widened, and he gestured toward the direction of the militia encampment.
“Now, Wickham,” he said, his tone firm but laced with an unsettling edge. “We would not want to delay. Colonel Forster will want to clear up the misunderstandings you seem to have with several of the merchants in town here.”
The man hesitated, but under the colonel’s pointed stare, he had little choice but to comply. “Of course.”
Mr. Darcy was watching the exchange without uttering a word, his icy gaze fixed on Mr. Wickham. With a final nod to Elizabeth, he turned his horse and followed the other men as they made their way toward the camp.
Elizabeth stood on the street with Sarah beside her, clutching her parcel and watching the men retreat. Her curiosity burned hotter than ever. Whatever secrets Mr. Wickham harboured, it seemed Colonel Fitzwilliam was more than willing to uncover them.
With that, she turned for home, her heart calming as she walked.
“Sarah,” she said slowly as they left Meryton and turned onto the path back through Longbourn’s village, “you made a noise when Mr. Wickham spoke to me.”
The maid did not reply, but then, Elizabeth had not asked a question. She did so now. “Do you know something of him?”
“I would not like to say, Miss Elizabeth,” Sarah replied.
Elizabeth stopped walking to allow Sarah to catch her up. “If you are concerned that I will not believe you, I can assure you that it is not the case.”
Sarah paused. “I believed you favoured the man.”
“I did at first,” Elizabeth told her. “That does not mean I cannot change my mind. What do you know?”
“Only what I hear.”
This was proving more difficult than attempting to keep Lydia at her needlework. “Which is?”
Sarah hesitated but finally spoke frankly. “That he is a gamester, and that he meddles with the servant girls. Mrs. Hill warned us never to be caught alone with him.” Sarah pursed her lips before saying, “And we are not to let the young ladies be alone with him neither.”
Mrs. Hill was always very careful with the servants in her charge. That she had given such explicit orders to the maids was significant. That she had included the Bennet daughters in her circle of protection was just as concerning.
The entire thing was shocking. Jane had been correct. Mr. Wickham had not been telling the truth, but she had been wrong in ascribing his motives to any preference he felt for Elizabeth. She was unsure what the lieutenant had hoped to gain by fooling her, but she suspected she had only been a way to seek revenge on Mr. Darcy by damaging the man’s reputation. And when she had not spread the story, he had done it himself the moment Mr. Darcy returned to London.
He had used her. Or attempted to.
As they entered Longbourn, Elizabeth took the basket from Sarah. “Go down to the kitchen to warm yourself and have something hot to drink,” she said with a smile.
Sarah bobbed a curtsey and hurried away. Elizabeth strolled to the small indoor stillroom and placed the herbs and the list on a wooden table for Mary. When she joined Jane in the drawing room, Aunt Phillips was just leaving to see Mamma.
