Page 30 of Saving Jane
“Darcy, what game is this?” Wickham asked angrily. “There is no time for tricks and schemes! They plan to hang me in less than a week’s time!”
“Wickham, everything you do is part of some scheme to lay hands on someone else’s fortune,” Darcy nodded to the governor who motioned for one of the guards to open the cell door. There two of Darcy’s footmen stood, holding a woman dressed in widow’s weeds with a veil over her face and a gag around her mouth. More importantly, the valise with the money from Rothschild’s Bank was in the free hand of one of the footmen.
She struggled and her muffled cries called out to the prisoner, but he made no move to help her.
“I believe they intend to try you tomorrow and hang you the next morning,” Darcy informed Wickham.
Now the attorney spoke up, “Mr Wickham, we were able to locate Mrs Young and bring her here today. She has been persuaded to share her information, and she says you are blameless for the murder of the first Mrs Wickham. She has confessed to poisoning Mrs Wickham.”
Wickham grinned and whispered to Darcy, “Women are so simple to handle. Pleasure them a few times and they believe you are a god.”
Standing and approaching the governor with his hand outstretched, Wickham said, “Mr Jefferson, my gratitude for the resolution of my beloved wife’s murder will see you fifty guineas richer! Take charge of your prisoner, return my valise and I shall reward you this very hour.”
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A woman–not the woman held by the footmen and not dressed in widow’s weeds–rushed into the jail cell from the side, shouting and cursing George Wickham.
“You bastard! You said we were wed! I signed the licence and the register at Saint Mary’s! I got the high and mighty Mr Darcy to come to your aid and you would hang me in your place!” she shouted.
Crazed, Mrs Young turned to the governor and pointing at Wickham, she shouted, “He did it. George poisoned her with inheritance powder. All in one great meat pie he brought Dora from the street. She loved the damned things–she hardly chewed before she swallowed every bite, him sitting there beside her the entire time, telling her that he loved her and wanted to bed her!”
She turned back to George Wickham and completed her story, “She was dead and cold in the morning when he came to my bed.”
“Damn you, Edith!” George cried. Realizing he was doomed; Wickham turned to Darcy with more curses and advanced to strike at the man.
The footmen released the actress in widow’s weeds and entered the cell to protect their master. But Darcy was not touched by Wickham, when the prisoner stepped close enough to strike at the gentlemen, Darcy deflected the attacker’s right arm with his left and followed through with a punch to Wickham’s abdomen with his right fist that left George doubled over.
Except for the prisoner, the governor and his guards hustled everyone out of the cell, closing and locking the door behind them. In the hallway, Mrs Young cried bitterly.
Darcy took the valise and handed it to his attorney who opened it tofind a dozen cheques.
“Mrs Wickham–Mrs Young–has cheques for almost five thousand here. They look to be authentic and drawn on Rothschild’s.”
“Those are mine!” Wickham called from the jail cell door. “And there should be six thousand in cheques and four hundred pounds!”
He coughed as he recovered from Darcy’s strike to his abdomen and then yelled, “Edith, what have you done with my money? Where is the rest of my inheritance?”
The governor and attorney consulted together for a moment and then announced, “We shall testify at Mr Wickham’s trial that his conspirator confessed all and named Mr Wickham as the responsible party in the poisoning death of Mrs Dora Wickham.”
“This valise shall be returned to Mr Horace Jones of Bath when he returns to shore from duty with HMS Defiance.”
The governor bowed to Mrs Young and said, “Madam, I shall keep you close until such time as Mr Wickham is tried and convicted–in case the judge wishes to hear the words from your own mouth. Then you will be free to go; unless Mr Darcy wishes to press charges against you.”
“I will not bring charges against Mrs Young so long as she agrees to depart England and never return.”
The officials conferred again before the governor announced, “Mrs Young will be taken from this prison after Mr Wickham is sentenced and placed onboard a ship of her choosing heading for a British possession. If ever she returns to Britain, she will be arrested.”
Mrs Young stood quietly while George Wickham cursed her repeatedly. Under her gown she could feel the cheques for one thousand pounds and sewn into her gown, her hat and her chemise were almost four hundred pounds. On her person, there were only twenty pounds and a few shillings. A guard escorted Mrs Young away, to a private cell in another part of the prison. She would pay the governor and his guards almost a pound for bedding, food and drink over the next few days, but she would be taken to a ship bound for the West Indies within four days.
Mr Darcy watched the woman being led away and heard George Wickham behind him begging for his life. He walked away without speaking to the man again, followed by the governor and his attorney and footmen. Darcy heard his name called for a short time, but the thick walls soon muffled the sound.
Outside the building he paid the actress her fee and watched his footmen escort her to the carriage, to return her to the theatre whereshe performed in Shakespearean productions. Then Mr Darcy turned to the governor of the prison and handed over five pounds.
“If you will make certain the noose breaks his neck when he drops–my father would not want his godson to suffer a slow strangulation,” Darcy explained to the man.
“I shall speak to the hangman and pay his fee from your generous donation. Mr Wickham will have food and drink through his door but not be allowed out until his trial and execution.”
“Very good.”
