Fragments

by Teg

  putting yourself at risk.”

  “I won’t be the one at risk,” Elizabeth flatly stated.

  “No.” Will was determined to put a stop to an idea he viewed as dangerous. “I don’t want him anywhere near you. I don’t want him to even see you from a

  distance.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous! What could he possibly do? There will be guards

  everywhere.”

  “This is a pointless argument,” interrupted Charles in a loud voice. “It’s not likely that you would even be granted permission to visit him, Lizzy.”

  Shock and confusion were in her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “Lizzy, there’s a process to be followed. I can pull a few strings and hurry it along in Will’s case but not for you. A victim wanting to see her attacker in prison is going to raise some red flags. Since you have no intention of forgiving him then what purpose would it serve?” Charles shook his head. “No, I cannot see your application being approved.”

  “Well that’s just... just... unfair!” Elizabeth let her anger flow out in various colourful adjectives before she felt collected enough to return to the subject.

  “He’s the one in prison, he’s the one that’s guilty, and I am being treated like a criminal!” With this, she rounded on Will. “What are your plans when you see him? I’m sure you are more of a danger to George Wickham than I would ever be, yet they’ll let you in.”

  “I...” He looked at Charles, who seemed to take the hint and left them alone.

  “Look, there are some things I need to know. George has crossed my path too many times over the years and I have to make sure it won’t happen again.”

  Elizabeth felt a prickling uneasiness. “What kind of things do you need to know?” She saw him hesitate. “Please, Will. Don’t go.” I don’t want you to know.

  “Lizzy,” he said, moving toward her. “I’ve known George since we were boys.

  I always suspected he would end up in prison eventually but I never thought it would be at the expense of someone I love. Blind ignorance, really. I should have seen it coming. He continually targeted those I cared about, who were close to me; pets, friends, my sister.... you.”

  “No, Will. That’s not why he did it.” She tried to keep the panic from creeping into her voice.

  “Don’t blame yourself, Elizabeth,” he reassured. “It was nothing you did that caused him to attack you. It’s George and the warped way he sees the world.”

  Shaking her head, Elizabeth attempted to make herself understood but the

  harder she tried the more confused her words became. In a final plea she held fast to him, tearfully requesting he change his mind. “He’s hurt you, too. Will, don’t let him hurt you anymore. Leave him where he is and let things be.

  Please!”

  Placing his hands on her shoulders, Will pushed her far enough away that he could see her face. “I’m sorry this is causing you so much distress, Elizabeth, but I cannot do as you ask. It’s not only about you. Years of offenses he’s committed need to be addressed and I can’t put it off any longer. While George is confined in one place there is no better time.”

  Elizabeth sighed, resigned to the worst, knowing it was an argument she would never win. “Be careful,” she whispered. “Remember how much I love you and

  need you with me.”

  He frowned in concern at this sudden expression of vulnerability. “I shall never forget that, my dear,” he said, softly kissing her lips. “Your heart I shall guard even better than my own.”

  She bowed her head. That’s what I’m afraid of.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Charles looked at his friend, the argument on the tip of his tongue.

  “I don’t want to hear it again,” said Will. “I’m doing this alone and that’s final.”

  “I promised Lizzy I wouldn’t let you face him without me there,” objected

  Charles.

  “He won’t tell me anything I want to know unless I’m alone. Besides, seeing two of us is only going to make him wary enough to guard his tongue. That’s the last thing I want.”

  “Blast you, Will, for making sense! Why did you wait until now to say it? You could have saved me the trip.” It was then that Charles noticed the other man’s determination slip, worry creasing his brow.

  “Depending on what he says, I may need you here when it’s over, my friend.”

  Silently acknowledging his continued presence, Charles drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly after Will had walked through the door which would lead him to George Wickham.

  Visitors were a rarity, even more so for certain inmates. Those with no family and few, if any, friends spent day after day in the company of none but fellow prisoners and the men ensuring their captivity.

  It was with a great deal of curiosity that George Wickham waited for the locked door to open, admitting him to the visiting room. Upon seeing who awaited

  him, George’s first words were a graphically obscene oath before collecting himself. “Slow day at the office?” he drawled.

  “I’m disappointed. I thought prison would have taught you some manners by

  now.”

  “Oh, it has,” smirked George. “You had a sample of that first.”

  Will’s eyes narrowed slightly, although no other sign of his annoyance was visible.

  “But enough of these pleasantries,” continued George in his customary smooth style. “I know you’re a busy man without a minute to waste so whatever has brought you here must be important.” He quirked an eyebrow upward. “How

  may I be of service?”

  “Service? You? This is a new side to you, wanting to help others,” Will blandly replied.

  “Haven’t I always been solicitous of your feelings?”

  “My feelings. Yes, you’ve generally been quite attentive to those.” Will leaned his elbows on the table between them. “What does your superior observational skill tell you now?”

  For a moment George felt a flicker of apprehension, then it was gone.

  “Curiosity, my friend. That and you seem to be rather upset with me but that’s nothing new. I am at a loss to figure out your reason for coming here, however.

  Has something happened recently that would affect us both?”

  Will frowned. “Have you not given any thought to the reason you are here?”

  Tilting his head to the side, George suddenly realised the connection. “Ah, it’s your friend Bingley that concerns you. Of course, since he’s married to Lizzy’s sister. Such a small world we live in.”

  “Quite.”

  “So, what have you come to say?”

  Will leaned back and stared for some minutes at the other man. When he spoke his voice was strong and clear. “I wasn’t at your hearing, George. Did you have any defence at all? What explanation did you offer?”

  “Do I detect concern in your tone, Will? Is that for me or for someone else?”

  “Consider it curiosity... merely curiosity.”

  George chuckled. “How is Georgiana?” His smile widened at the anger which

  momentarily reflected in his visitor’s eyes.

  “You’re in here for assaulting one woman and at the first opportunity ask after another.” Will snapped his teeth together. “I might point out that you have yet to ask after your victim.”

  “What can you tell me that my lawyer hasn’t already?” He tapped his head in sudden recollection. “Ah, the Bingley link. Okay, I’ll bite. How is Lizzy

  doing?”

  Ignoring the question, Will asked another of his own. “Why did you do it,

  George? I’ve never understood your motivation for any of your actions but

  with this one I want to hear your excuse.”

  George was growing bored with the topic. He shrugged. “She made me angry. I got carried away.”

  “What do you mean, she made you angry? You nearly killed her!”

  “She made me really angry, then.” His brow f
urrowed as he cast his mind back.

  “Yeah, it would have been just like any other argument. She’d tell me to get lost and a day later I’d come ‘round, apologise and give her some flowers.

  Back where we started. But no,” George sneered, “she pushed me too far. Had to bring you into it and pretend the two of you’d had some kind of fling.”

  “What?”

  Again George chuckled. “Caught me off guard with it, too.”

  “What are you saying?” The words were clipped.

  Stretching his legs out under the table, George sprawled comfortably. “She tried to make me jealous. Oh, for a minute it worked but then I realised what she was doing. As if I could end up with any castoff of yours! It just made me angrier.”

  “You expect me to believe that Elizabeth claimed to have been my girlfriend at one time? You’re lying.” Will stared, unblinking, as George’s expression

  changed from smug to annoyed.

  “What she said was that you were a most passionate kisser, implying that I was not.” He examined his fingernails nonchalantly. “Of course it was a complete fantasy but annoyed me nonetheless.”

  “And that is what you considered enough provocation to beat her?” Will asked suspiciously. ‘There must be more to it.”

  “No,” said George with a shake of his head. “Why do you always want it to be more complicated than it is? She annoyed me, I got mad and hit her a few

  times. It’s as simple as that.”

  “As simple as nearly killing another human being?”

  “Don’t tell me you feel sorry for your old friend! I’d never believe that.”

  “Sorry for you? No, that would never occur to me. I did hope, however, to see some sign that you are sorry for what happened, for what you did.”

  “I’m sorry I’m in here, that’s for sure! I’m sorry I ever saw that bi–!”

  Will’s eyes bored into George.

  “That young lady,” he amended, dipping his chin as if to bow. “More trouble than she was worth. To think she actually believed I’d buy that garbage about you and her! That was her mistake.”

  “Her mistake? George, she’s not the responsible party. You are!”

  “No, she’s not. That’s right.” The smirk reappeared on his face. “Terribly unfortunate for her to be in the wrong place at the right time. Oh, how

  negligent of me! Of course you have no idea how we met.”

  Will also had no desire to hear the story. “I doubt its importance is significant to anyone but yourself.”

  “You’re right there!” laughed George. In a sudden move he brought his face close to Will’s. “Let’s skip the rest of the chit-chat. What are you doing here?”

  Will blinked but didn’t back off. “Why, George? Why did you beat her so

  badly? Do you hate me so much that her offhand comment about kissing me

  sent you over the edge?”

  “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” George laughed again. “It’s always about you, isn’t it? Don’t you think beyond that tiny sphere, Will?” Just as quickly his manner became suspicious. “You’re trying to trap me with something. Well, it won’t work. I didn’t believe her then and I won’t believe you now. Don’t bother trying.”

  “Trying what? I don’t understand you, George.”

  “Yeah, right!” He licked his lips anxiously. “She was never your girlfriend. I know that and you know that. I’m not quite sure what you’re up to by coming here, though. You can’t pin anything else on me but what I’ve already been accused of.”

  “Convicted,” Will reminded him.

  “Yeah, and I’m not about to pay for anything I didn’t do!”

  “What are you afraid of?”

  George pushed his chair back from the table, putting some distance between them. “I swear, Will, after Georgiana I didn’t bother with you anymore. The stuff with Lizzy wasn’t about you. How could it be? You didn’t like each other, even Charles said so.”

  “Charles....”

  “Well, not in so many words. He let it slip one day, much to Lizzy’s

  embarrassment, that you’d said she was ugly.” That brought a grin to his face once more. “You’ve always been the height of tact, haven’t you?” He laughed as the colour spread in Will’s face. “It explains why you have so many friends, you know. Charles Bingley is a very forgiving soul but he’ll reach his limit eventually.”

  With a sharp movement, Will suddenly sat tall in his chair and fixed an icy stare on his companion. There was thoughtfulness behind the gaze and George didn’t like what he saw. “Now I understand,” said Will with a deadly calm. “I just had to step outside my tiny sphere, as you called it, and into yours. Yes, seeing it from your twisted perspective makes everything much clearer now.”

  Laying one palm flat on the table between them, Will lowered his voice so that

  George had to lean closer to hear him. “You should have thought it through more, George. Then you would have realised it was bigger than you believed.

  It’s more than just you, now. You’ll have to deal with me and you aren’t going to like it one bit.”

  There was little said between the two friends on the drive home. Will’s mind was not silent, however. After assuring Charles that he was not suffering any overwhelming feelings of guilt or other disturbing emotions, he lapsed into a preoccupied state, mulling over all he had learned.

  The true state of affairs had been an unexpected revelation but not one that could be dismissed as absurd. It left Will with another dilemma, though, and few people in whom he could confide. He needed to discuss it with Elizabeth, of course, and the trip back to the Bingleys’ seemed as if it would never end.

  Charles respected his silence, commenting only as they neared their destination with an enquiry about Will’s plans for dinner. Jane, it seemed, expected him to stay and had in fact depended on his presence.

  When they entered the house the two ladies were not far from the door,

  anxiously looking at the faces of both men for some sign of how the afternoon had turned out. Relieved that Will smiled at them, Jane informed no-one in particular that the meal was nearly ready and she was returning to the kitchen to see to the final preparations. Elizabeth cautiously approached as Charles moved toward the living room, suggesting the pouring of drinks for himself and his friend.

  “Well?” whispered Elizabeth, almost afraid of an answer.

  Will simply enfolded her in his arms, so tightly that she gasped for air. He did not speak but his cheek rested against hers, his lips moving soundlessly next to her ear. Inhaling deeply, Will finally eased his hold and his voice was unsteady as he said, “Life is so fragile, Elizabeth. I want to live every moment of it with you.”

  She blinked, disturbed by the vulnerability in his tone. “What happened, Will?”

  she asked, but he only shook his head, assuring her that they would speak about it later and that she should not be alarmed. He was simply not ready to get into it right away.

  Smiling, Will took her hand and pressed the back against his lips. “I promise to tell you everything, just not here and not now.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, still confused and apprehensive but trusting that all would be okay.

  When Will suggested they go for a drive after dinner so that they could be alone to talk, Elizabeth had not expected to end up at his home.

  “I feel comfortable here; even more comfortable when you are here with me. I hope you don’t mind,” he explained after taking her coat and laying it across the back of a chair. “Would you like a glass of wine or something else?”

  “Wine would be nice, thank you.”

  He handed her a glass and took a brief sip of his own before putting it on the table beside them. “Elizabeth, what I heard from George was not what I’d

  expected when I set out this morning. I was quite prepared to take the blame for all that had befallen you –.”

  “Will,” she interrupted, “it wasn’
t your fault. I’ve said that every time you tried to take responsibility.” Looking away, Elizabeth swallowed with difficulty and closed her eyes. “Now you know, don’t you? I didn’t mean to do it but... I brought it all on myself.”

  “No.”

  She felt his hands warm upon hers, then his voice gently urging her to look at him. Sighing with resignation, Elizabeth opened her eyes to see Will watching her with all the pain she felt mirrored in his expression. “How can you stand it?

  Why do you still want to be with me?” she whispered.

  “Elizabeth,” he said, the syllables as much a caress as his fingers tracing the edge of her chin. “Don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t my fault. You were a greater victim than anyone realised.” When she looked at him, even more confused, he explained with as much control as he could

  muster. “It wasn’t about me or my feelings for you. That was my own myopic view and probably the coincidence of your comment to George, about kissing me, that night when he.... well, that led you to blame yourself.” Will saw her slight nod and winced. “You didn’t want me to know about that.”

  “It set him off into a rage and I was afraid you would...” Elizabeth leaned against him, still unsure what to think or feel. “I knew you’d somehow take responsibility for it if you found out. You’ve done so much for me, and been hurt so much already, I couldn’t stand seeing you hurt even more.”

  “You’re right. I would have done just that.” Will smiled ruefully but it was quickly replaced by a grim expression. “I’m not sure if I was more relieved to find out that George knew nothing about how I felt or more angry about his true motivation for what he did to you. Elizabeth, you were targeted from the very beginning but it had nothing to do with me. George set out to hurt

  Charles.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  It hardly seemed possible. Elizabeth could not imagine why George Wickham

  would want to cause her brother-in-law grief.

  “I’ll tell you,” said Will, wrapping his arms about her as she laid against him,

  “and knowing George as you do, it won’t be difficult to believe.”

  She was glad she couldn’t see his face as he spoke. There was anger and pain in every word.