by Zoë Burton
The officer, do you know his name?
“Not sure I do. He hadna’ been in town long; couple weeks maybe.” The innkeeper paused. “Wait. I remember you comin’ in here before and warnin’ me about a man. Wickham was his name, was it not?”
“It was.”
“I think it was him that Goulding was drinkin’ with. I remember keeping a close eye on his tab, because ye had warned me.”
“Might we speak to the maid? Jenny, I think you called her?” Richard asked.
“Certainly.” The innkeeper stepped to the kitchen door, located just behind the bar to the left, and hollered for Jenny. When she came out, wiping her hands on her apron, he said, “These gentlemen want to talk to ya about a customer.”
Slowly Jenny nodded. “Of course.” She stepped over and eyed them up and down, and apparently liking what she saw, she leaned over the bar, displaying her assets for both gentlemen to see.
Darcy cleared his throat. “Jenny, I am Fitzwilliam Darcy and this is my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. We have some questions for you.”
Richard leaned his forearm on the bar as Darcy was speaking and gave the maid his most charming smile. “Forgive my cousin. He can be a bit stuffy.”
Jenny giggled. “Very well,” she purred. “What can I get for you?” She drew her finger down Richard’s arm and fluttered her lashes when he winked.
Darcy rolled his eyes, clearing his throat again. “Your employer told us that Lieutenant Wickham was here a few nights ago, buying drinks for Robert Goulding. Do you remember serving them?”
Jenny looked at Darcy suspiciously, but then Richard leaned over and whispered in her ear, making her giggle a second time. She took the coin Richard offered her and answered Darcy’s question.
“I see. Did you happen to hear any of their conversation?”
Jenny looked back at Richard, who pressed another coin into her hand. “Some of it, but not much. Mr. Goulding was angry about a woman who turned him down, and the lieutenant seemed to be encouraging him. Later, they separated, but Mr. Goulding was in his cups, like.”
“What did he do after they separated?” Darcy sensed this was the evidence he needed, and was eager to hear what Jenny had to say.
Jenny thought for a moment with her brows drawn together but then then her features cleared. “If I recall rightly, he visited nearly every table in the place. He was still talking about the woman, I think.” She paused, tapping the top of the bar. “And you know, I think it wasna’ long before every man in the room was talking about her. I remember wondering who she was. I only caught part of her name, though. “Lizzybeth or some such thing.”
With a triumphant look at Richard, Darcy thanked Jenny, pressing another coin into her palm. “You have done me a great service today. Thank you.”
With a curtsey, an inviting look at the winking Richard, and a final giggle, Jenny sashayed back into the kitchen.
The gentlemen briefly discussed canvassing the customers currently making use of the room, but given the anger Darcy held toward the people of the town, and the fact that he would be more inclined to beat anyone who spoke against Elizabeth than deal with it rationally, they decided to return to Netherfield. Both were certain they had more than enough evidence to back up their claims.
~~~***~~~
The next day, Bingley and Hurst accompanied Richard and Darcy to the Gouldings’. Knocking on the door, they were invited into the entry hall and asked to wait while the servant—Darcy guessed she was the housekeeper—went to see if the master of the house would see them. Within a few minutes, she was back, asking them to follow her.
As Darcy followed the woman into the master’s study, he took a moment to examine James Goulding. The contrast between this gentleman and his future father-in-law was stark. Darcy hoped this meant the interview would proceed in a better fashion than any had so far with Bennet. He bowed to his host and chose a seat when it was offered.
“I am surprised to see you gentlemen today, though perhaps I should not be, given the meal we shared two nights ago.”
“To be honest, sir, we are not here for a social call. Rather, we wish to discuss the rumours that were bandied about your table the other night.”
Goulding shifted in his seat. “I apologize about that. You know how these young men are, especially the first sons.”
“Indeed,” Darcy said, doing his best not to roll his eyes.
Richard took over the conversation at this point. “We have been to the tavern and spoken to the innkeeper and the girl who was serving your son the night he got foxed.” He paused, taking in Goulding’s flushed face and his tight grip on the arms of his chair. “Robert was talking about a girl, one who spurned him, with an officer of the militia.”
Goulding closed his eyes and groaned, and Darcy knew the gentleman understood where the rumours came from. “You know the lady of whom he was speaking?”
“Yes,” Goulding sighed. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He was outraged when she turned down his proposal of marriage. I tried to talk to him about it, but he could not see past his affront. To this day, he speaks disparagingly about her and her family.”
“If it helps,” Richard softly added, “he was spurred on four nights ago by the officer, a Lieutenant Wickham. This officer had been heard several nights previously threatening to ruin Miss Elizabeth.”
“And he found the perfect foil in my son.” Goulding hung his head and took a deep breath. Looking up once more, he asked, “Is this lieutenant responsible for getting my son drunk?”
“He is.” Richard glanced at Darcy before turning his eyes to his host again. “If it helps, Wickham has an overabundance of charm that he is well-versed in using. Your son is not the first person to fall for Wickham’s methods.”
“It does help, yes, but … I must confess to you that my Robert is not always the most,” Goulding paused, “astute young man. I fear my wife and I spoiled him most dreadfully. It does not surprise me that he is the cause of the Bennet’s troubles, but it does anger me.” He stood. “Let me call him in here to give an accounting of himself.”
Chapter 12
Robert Goulding strode into his father’s study complaining. “What do you need, Father? I was on my way out the door when Banks insisted you asked for me. You give him far too much latitude, in my opinion. Thinks he is better than he is.” Robert sniffed and stopped as he noticed his father’s guests. “I say, what is going on?”
“You remember these gentlemen, do you not? Mr. Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr. Hurst, and Mr. Bingley.”
“I do.” Robert bowed. “Good day to you all.” He looked at his father as the other men returned his greetings.
“Sit down. I would have a word with you.”
Darcy winced at the elder Goulding’s harsh manner. He hoped it would not put the younger man off from accepting responsibility for his actions.
As his son followed his instructions, Goulding took a deep breath, remaining in a standing position. He let it out slowly as he scowled at Robert. “These men,” Goulding gestured to his visitors, “have evidence that you, personally, have ruined the reputations of Miss Elizabeth Bennet and all her family.” He paused, leaning forward to glare at his son. “Before you ask, yes, I do believe them. I told you months ago, when she refused you and her father supported her, to let it go; to find someone new and move on with your life. Did you listen? Did you?” The volume of Goulding’s voice had begun to rise, and the louder he became, the more his son seemed to shrink.
Robert cleared his throat. “I thought I had.”
“You thought you had? What does that even mean? You stood right here in this room,” Goulding’s face was red, and spittle flew out of the corner of his mouth as he flung his arm toward his desk. “And you promised me that you would cease your complaints and temper your anger. Does your word mean so little?”
“See here, now. Who says I did not?”
“I say you did not.” Darcy rose to his feet, his own color rising. He felt someone grab
his arm; Richard was beside him, urging him to sit down and let Goulding handle his son. With a glare at Robert, Darcy reluctantly complied.
“Robert Nathan Goulding, I swear if you do not control yourself and answer the questions I ask you, I will cut off your allowance indefinitely.”
His bravado cut short by Darcy’s outburst and his father’s threat, Robert subsided into his chair. “Very well. I apologize, sir.”
“Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam made a visit to the inn last evening, in Meryton, was it not?” Goulding turned to the cousins for confirmation. Seeing their nods, he turned back to Robert. “You met one of the officers there and started drinking with him. It has been determined that this was the night you came home in your cups and nonsensical. It has also been determined that while Lieutenant Wickham was plying you with ale, you were complaining to him of Miss Elizabeth and her refusal of your marriage proposal. The very thing you promised me you would stop doing.” Goulding glared at his son once more before continuing his narrative. “You went from one table to the next and told every man in the room that Miss Elizabeth spread her legs for any willing gentleman. Do you deny it?”
As his father had relentlessly moved forward with the details of that fateful night, Robert seemed to shrink further into himself. Memories, some clear but most vague, at best, swirled in his mind. He could see himself laughing with a table full of tenant farmers and heard his own voice telling a crude joke about “Miss Elizabeth.” He felt a sickening certainty inside that he was, indeed, guilty of destroying an innocent woman. “I cannot deny it,” he whispered. Robert leaned forward, head in his hands and elbows on his knees as memories continued to flood his thoughts. The voices of his father and the visitors were simply flutterings on the edges of his awareness.
At his son’s admission, Goulding had closed his eyes for a moment and hung his head. Moving as though he felt every minute of his age, he resumed his seat. “Well, gentlemen, it appears we have our confession.”
“Indeed.” Darcy was watching Robert with an expression of distaste. He could not imagine allowing himself to be worked upon in such a manner, nor letting an event eat at him to the point of bitterness. It was a sign of a weak mind, in his opinion. “I expect recompense to be made.”
Though the room was silent for a long moment, Robert raised his head from his hands long enough to reply. “Of course. I am uncertain how it might be accomplished at this point, but I will do whatever is required of me.”
“He would be well within his rights to sue you for slander, Robert. Bennet, as well.” Goulding felt a need to impress the possible consequences upon his son. He sighed. “To be honest, I feel this is as much my fault as it is yours. I allowed your mother to coddle you, to instill in you the idea that whatever you wanted should be yours without argument or struggle. I had my fair share of it, as well, giving you everything you asked for. We taught you the correct behavior but did not bother to teach you to apply it. You are the last of our children; we knew there would be no more. Your mother and I adored you, and could not have been prouder of you, simply because you existed. We should have allowed you to fail now and again in small ways, so that you would not find yourself failing so spectacularly now.” Goulding turned to Darcy. “What manner of recompense do you have in mind? He will begin immediately.”
“I demand that he go back to those he spoke to and confess his untruths, and that he do it publicly.”
Hurst interjected his thoughts. “I can tell you that some of the crudest of the stories have reached Netherfield Park. I should think some visits with the families in the area, to do the same with them, should be part of his penance.”
All the gentlemen had turned their eyes to Hurst when he began to speak, and now all of them nodded, including Robert.
The elder Goulding spoke again. “This is an old-fashioned notion, and will bring the eyes of the town upon us, causing our own shame, but I suspect we deserve it. I propose, Robert, that you stand in the high street and cry out your sin and clear Miss Elizabeth’s name. That is certainly public enough, but given the magnitude of your error and the reach of the tales that have been told, it may be the most expedient manner in which to do it.” Goulding leaned forward. “If you baulk at this, I have ways of making you complete the task; you know I do. You may have reached your majority and become competent in your training, but you are still dependent upon me, to a point.” Seeing Robert’s hunched shoulders and reluctant nod, Goulding sat back. “Do you have anything you wish to say to these gentlemen? In particular, Mr. Darcy?”
Slowly, Robert lifted his head. Though his gaze wavered, indicating that he was experiencing difficulty in looking Darcy in the eye, he apologized. “I am sorry for my actions, for letting someone get me soused, and then allowing my bitterness of spirit to overwhelm me and cause me to tell untruths about Miss Elizabeth. I will,” he paused, swallowing hard. “I will make sure everyone knows that I was out of my head and did not know what I was talking about, and that she is a pure and virtuous woman.”
Darcy’s mien was smooth, but his eyes bore into Robert’s. “Do you understand that the man who plied you with liquor is one who has sworn vengeance upon me for imagined wrongs? And that he threatened to ruin Miss Elizabeth within my hearing a fortnight ago? Do you comprehend the manner in which you were used by him?”
Robert visibly flinched at Darcy’s words. “I did not know that. I certainly would not have shared a pint with him, had I known his character. I can promise you that I will never drink to excess again, and that I will be more careful with whom I spend my time in the future.”
Darcy nodded. Looking at the elder Goulding, he spoke again. “I wish to be present for his punishment.” Looking back at Robert, he added, “The very first person you need to address is my betrothed. Do not expect much grace; I fear it will be a long time before she or any of her family forgive you. However, the effort must be made.”
“Yes, sir. I will ride over this afternoon.” Robert looked back down at his clasped hands where they hung between his knees.
Rising to his feet, Darcy thanked Goulding for his time, reminding him of his desire to observe the gentleman’s son’s penance, then turned and strode into the hallway. He was standing at the front door, hat and gloves in his hand, as he waited for his friends to say their goodbyes and join him. When Richard clapped him on the shoulder, bringing him out of his contemplation, Darcy placed his hat on his head and led them all outside.
“So now what?” Bingley asked as he put his foot in the stirrup and bounced up to mount.
“Now I go to Longbourn. Elizabeth needs to know what happened. Though I suspect her unhappiness the past days was more worry about losing me, the actions and words of her friends and neighbors have worn on her.”
“Yes, Jane told me that even Charlotte Lucas was doubtful about Elizabeth’s innocence in the matter.”
Darcy breathed in deeply. Exhaling loudly through his nose, he shook his head as he tapped Romeo’s sides to start him moving. “I will be more than happy when I can remove Elizabeth from this area. I am as angry as she is that people who have known her since the day of her birth are choosing to believe the worst of her. On the other hand, I feel partly responsible. None of this would have happened if Wickham had not wanted vengeance against me.”
“Do not do this, Darcy,” Richard entreated from Darcy’s other side. “Wickham made his own choices. He was given fair compensation for everything he refused, and he signed away his rights to the living. This is not your fault.”
“I failed the woman I love, Richard. That is unacceptable!” Now that the urgency of the situation was past, Darcy’s sense of duty to his beloved was turning his thoughts toward how he could have prevented the disaster.
From behind Darcy, Hurst spoke up. “I disagree, wholeheartedly; as I am certain our friends do, as well.” Seeing the nodding heads of Bingley and the colonel, Hurst continued. “You heard a threat and acted immediately to circumvent it. When that threat turned into some
thing else, you again took action. You did not sit on your hands and hope it would all go away. You saw your duty and fulfilled it. You failed no one, not really. If you are telling yourself you did, you are listening to a voice you have no business paying attention to.”
Richard turned in his saddle and pointed back to Hurst. “Listen to the man, Darcy!” Facing forward once more, he added, “I know you, and I know how you were raised. My uncle was a wonderful gentleman who instilled in you a deep need to care for all those who fall under your purview. That is good and admirable. But what your father failed to do, or maybe he did and you have forgotten or ignored it, is to teach you that the fate of the world does not rest on your shoulders. Things happen, Darcy, and the best we can do as mortal beings is sometimes not enough to prevent every misfortune from occurring. You have saved the reputation of an entire family, not just by marrying their daughter, but by discovering the cause of their ruin and addressing it.”
“Not everyone is going to believe Robert Goulding when he tells them he spoke untruths. It is the nature of man to believe the worst. My Elizabeth and her family face an uphill battle to regain their standing, and there are some who may never accept them back. Elizabeth will be leaving with me, of course, but you, Bingley, and Jane and the rest will continue here.”
“The fact remains,” Richard said, taking up his argument once more, “that the truth will be exposed, and Miss Elizabeth will marry you, automatically redeeming her. I must believe that counts for something or I would not come out of this experience unscathed. You should, as well.”
Darcy sighed, one hand holding the reins and the other resting on his thigh as he stared ahead. “I know you are correct, Cousin. The feelings of guilt are difficult to push aside.”
“You must try, though,” Bingley said. “Guilt, left unchecked, is as bad as anger.”
“Yes, it is.” Darcy sighed once more. “Thank you, all of you, for reminding me of these things. It would not be wise for me to enter Longbourn thinking I was the source of all of Elizabeth’s troubles. I would not be able to comfort her as she requires; I will push aside my concerns and guilt and not allow them to control me.”