Wickham's Wife

by C. J. Hill

  April arrived and The Season was imminent. Much was to be done in preparation as, this year, Jardine intended hosting several dances and dinner parties for his friends, and expected Wickham to see to the minutiae of organising everything, in addition to his usual tasks. Tradesmen must be spoken to, additional caterers hired for the events, musicians vetted and chosen, flowers decided upon and ordered, the ballroom and other lower rooms must all be at their sparkling best - even the chandeliers were to be dismantled piece by piece and meticulously cleaned. Of course, the housekeeper managed much of the inside work herself, ordering her maids and servants about all day with unflagging determination, but the guest list, outside suppliers, and additional staff had to be coordinated by Wickham in the absence of any lady of the house. Bachelor households were reliant upon others for their entertainment successes or failures.

  Wickham happily applied his extensive knowledge garnered from his years at Pemberley watching the preparations there; he may have been a young boy, then, but he could recall many of the necessities for a successful event and willingly worked long hours organising everything as he would like to have it if it were his own party.

  Expense was not an obstacle and only the best of everything was ordered in vast quantities: wine, flowers, linens, glassware, silver, additional paintings to cover bare spots on the walls, new draperies in the rooms, new chairs for exhausted revellers. Wickham made sure to consult Jardine about each purchase, but found that his every recommendation met with approval. He was, for the first time in almost a year, content. He was ordering supplies like a king, living in comparative luxury, and his debt appeared to be a fair way to being cleared. He was not entirely sure that when it expired and he was free to leave, he would actually do so, such was his comfort in his situation and interest in his work. He had never know such contentment in a job well done; had not known it was possible to feel such a sense of accomplishment before.

  However, two weeks before the first dinner to be hosted by Jardine, some startling news came to Wickham. He was in the kitchen discussing the requirements for the party with the cook, when a delivery was made by the butcher. The cook broke off her conversation with Wickham and chatted with the garrulous man who was full of information about one of their new neighbours: a Miss Georgiana Darcy had taken a house several doors down from Jardine's residence for The Season and was to be accompanied by a charming lady, a widow it seemed, who would be her governess for the duration of Miss Darcy's stay in London. The delivery man had met the governess and was suitably impressed with her demeanour, manners and breeding; she had been most charming, if a little reticent upon first acquaintance.

  Wickham was shocked! He vaguely recalled something that Julia had said about Georgiana being rumoured to be coming to London, but to have Darcy's sister actually living in London, on the same street as he, was astonishing indeed. How odd that Darcy had not recognised the address and avoided it at all costs when looking for a suitable establishment for his sister.

  But perhaps Darcy was unaware of his current situation - indeed how could he know? Wickham was sure Darcy imagined him far away from London by now, or even in prison, cast out in disgrace after his failure to satisfy his debt, and Wickham felt a little pride in himself at this thought; he had managed to satisfy his debt, by himself, as Darcy had directed him to do. To have managed something on his own without relying upon anyone else's money or good will, or having to flee the country, was something of which to be proud, and Wickham allowed himself to feel that pride as he waited for the cook to finish her conversation and return her attention to him.

  If Miss Darcy was in London, then she must be invited to the party! She would be one of the most important new young ladies of The Season and anyone who ignored her, or simply did not know of her, would suffer from the omission most painfully. Wickham thanked the chance that gave him the news first, and the ability to bring it to Jardine's attention later that morning.

  "In making up the guest list, I assume you intend inviting Miss Georgiana Darcy, as your newest neighbour, Jardine? She is not on your current list, but I believe it would be a mistake to omit her, do not you think?"

  Jardine looked up, startled. He had not heard the news, but then he did not spend any time in the kitchen.

  "Georgiana Darcy? Of Pemberley, I presume? Well, naturally we must invite her. If she is a near neighbour, you must dispatch an invitation immediately. Is she arrived yet, do you know, Wickham?"

  "I do not believe she has actually taken up residence yet, but her governess is apparently there already and so will be able to inform us as to the date of Miss Darcy's arrival. With your permission, I shall deliver the invitation to the house personally this afternoon and enquire."

  Jardine nodded absently. He had heard that Miss Darcy was a very wealthy young lady indeed, and if she were attractive, with a pleasing personality also, she might just do for himself! Marriage had never particularly been his object, but at nearly thirty, Jardine had recently found himself the object of anxious enquiries from his parents regarding his future plans, and those of the family name. He supposed he should consider marriage if a suitable young lady could be found. Georgiana Darcy might just be that person.

  Before Wickham left the room, Jardine stopped him saying: "Do you have any recollection of Miss Darcy, Wickham? You must have known her as a young girl. How old is she, do you know? What is her temperament?"

  Wickham hid a smile and answered honestly. "In truth, sir, she was a very young child when I did know her but I have not seen Miss Darcy in many years. She was quite a happy, pretty little thing who loved to play with me and her brother when she was allowed. She will be perhaps fifteen now, or a little older. What she has become I would not like to guess as conjecture can be misleading, but her education will have been everything a young lady in her position should have had, and I am sure she is elegant and charming as are all young ladies. I am afraid you must gauge her character for yourself when you meet."

  Wickham excused himself and went to the study to prepare another invitation for Miss Darcy. How serendipitous it seemed: a person from his past, but someone who had been extremely fond of and looked up to him. She had always been affectionate and pleasing, and Wickham had devoted hours and hours to her childish amusement. He wondered if she had much changed since. He expected her life had been a succession of maids and governesses hired by Darcy to ensure her every accomplishment, but that could not be any bad thing to have removed her from the influence of her brother's proud and taciturn nature: it could only have improved her chances of becoming a most pleasant and amiable person.

  Quickly donning his hat and coat, and upon peering outside into the torrential rain, fetching his umbrella, Wickham made all haste down the street to the address taken by Darcy for his sister. For any other person, he would have waited until the inclement weather had improved but, such was his urgency to issue the invitation and be one of her first callers, so putting Jardine in a good light, he delayed not one minute more than he would have on a sunny afternoon.

  Unsurprisingly, his appearance was somewhat dampened by the time he arrived at the front door and pulled the bell; his shoes and trouser legs were soaked through and he felt most uncomfortable at the picture he would present and at the prospect of retracing his steps once the missive was delivered. He waited impatiently for the door to be opened and looked up with a smile as it did so, preparing to explain the reason for his presence - and came face-to-face with - Julia!

  They both stood, shocked, looking at the other for what seemed an eternity until Julia stammered, "George! What do you do here?" And then, more cordially, "Come in out of the rain; you are soaked through."

  Wickham did not recover his senses as quickly as she and stood gaping at her, dripping on the vestibule tiles and mutely holding the invitation which he had withdrawn from his inside pocket.

  Julia waved him to a chair by the fire. He sat, stunned, still looking at her and then croaked, "Julia! What are you doing here?" What has
become of you in the past year, for God's sake, that you are living here?"

  Julia smiled. The shock had not been so great for her; she had known when she moved into her new position just how close she would be to George, and had prepared herself for the meeting every day, but had not imagined it to be on her doorstep.

  "I am Miss Darcy's governess-companion for the present time; I still have my rooms and all other business interests, do not concern yourself on that score."

  Wickham was confused. "But why, Julia? Why would you willingly go back into service when you have your independence, an independence you prize above anything?"

  "Oh! Being in Miss Darcy's employ requires very little of me other than being her companion, and her chaperone when she goes out in society. She has no actual need of tuition in any area; she is perfectly well-accomplished already. But Mr. Darcy was unable to accompany her due to his other commitments, not that he wanted to, as he despises London society, and so he advertised for a governess-companion."

  Wickham looked incredulous. "That still does not make any sense, Julia. Why were you looking for a governess position in the first place when you say everything is going well?"

  "I confess, I was not actually looking; as you say I have enough to keep me busy, but my friend, Lucy Belmont, who is a housekeeper close by here, learned of the position through discussions going on between her master and mistress. They wished to help Mr. Darcy out of his predicament of presenting Miss Darcy into society, which was so onerous to him, by first of all offering for Miss Darcy to be their guest. This, apparently, Mr. Darcy would not countenance, considering it far too excessive a favour to accept from acquaintances barely known to him or his sister. They then determined to find him a suitable person who could accompany Miss Darcy and be a companion to her while she is in London.

  "Well, Lucy suggested that I should apply, using my past experience and current standing as elements in my favour: I am not too old to bore Miss Darcy, yet I am not so young as to lead her astray or give her false advice. Lady Addington, my previous employer for whom I worked as a governess before becoming married, was kind enough to confirm my credentials and character; those references were good enough for Mr. Darcy's assistant when he interviewed me for Miss Darcy, and so, here I am for the Summer."

  Wickham was still confused. "Yes, I understand that they are very sensible to hire you, Julia, they could not have chosen better for someone with your knowledge of the world and refined manners, but I still do not understand why you would even bother."

  "I confess, I did not agree with the idea at first when Lucy mentioned it; I thought it to be beneath me and too confining to go back into service. But then she mentioned the wages being offered, which are very generous, and, as you know, I take any chance to improve my financial stability. I was also terribly interested to actually meet the great Darcys who have had such an influence upon you, George, and move within their world for a short time as you have, even though I am yet to meet the famous Mr. Darcy!

  “Miss Darcy, whom I have only met fleetingly for her approval of my appointment, appears to be a delightful young lady and very easy-tempered - we will get along extremely well indeed. And my businesses can progress with minimal oversight from me for the time being; I have managers in every one of them and they know where to find me should it be necessary. When time allows, I will visit some to check upon their progress. This situation is only for three or four months or until Miss Darcy returns to the country, and at the end of it I shall have put away quite a sum of money to be invested elsewhere. It is all quite sensible, I assure you, George."

  Wickham sat forward to gain the benefit of the flames and thought quietly about what he had just heard. Julia was ever alert for new opportunities to improve her prosperity; she was always making sensible decisions which protected her interests, and here was another. It quite put him to shame to reflect upon the difference between her reasons for re-entering service, and his. As if reading his mind, she enquired about his life with Jardine.

  "I hope you are nearing the end of your indebtedness, George? It has been almost a year since you left my house. Has Jardine at least been a kind employer and allowed you to develop new, useful skills?"

  "Yes, indeed he has! Although we started under such an ignominious beginning, we have become very comfortable with each other. He has taught me the daily demands of his business activities and I have begun to enjoy the responsibility of it. I confess, I do not know what I shall do when my time with Jardine is up."

  "Well, I hope you shall not revert to your old ways, George, after all that you have had to do to mitigate the consequences of such a life. Even though you enjoyed it while it treated you well, surely you must now see that such a lifestyle cannot ever be supported on your meagre income? You must begin to consider what your future will be while you have the leisure to do so: once you are released by Jardine from your commitment, you will not have such luxury. But I overstep myself; you must do as you please, of course.”

  They both sank into silence as they watched the flames in the fireplace.

  "Perhaps, now you are warmer and a little less wet, you would like to deliver that letter which you clutch so defensively?"

  Wickham recalled himself and handed it over to Julia who read the name and smiled.

  "I shall give this to Miss Darcy when she arrives in two days' time; what type of occasion is it and when it is for, may I ask?"

  Wickham told her and she advised that, to her knowledge, Miss Darcy would be available on that date, and that it was her first such invitation but many more were anticipated just as soon as word spread that Miss Darcy was in town. Wickham rose and smiled at Julia.

  "I am so very glad to see you again, my dear, and that there is no awkwardness between us. I am delighted also to learn that you are doing so well, as you always have. May I call again on a day when you are free? Perhaps we could take a walk as we used to do?"

  Julia smiled as he kissed her hand, restrainedly agreeing that such an outing might be possible, and waved him farewell as he walked down the street.

  He was quite changed, she thought, quieter, more sensible than before. Perhaps this estrangement and the experience of working for a living was all that had been necessary to reform the indolent George Wickham. She certainly hoped that it was so.

  Chapter 8

  The response from Miss Darcy was swift, written in a small but elegant hand: she and her companion, Mrs. Younge, would be delighted to attend Mr. Jardine's dinner party. Her friends, Mr. and Mrs. Stanton, whom, she understood, had accepted previously, would also be accompanying her for the evening. Wickham and Jardine were equally delighted at the news, for separate reasons.

  Wickham was confident that he would attend not only as Jardine's assistant but also as his guest and would, in that capacity, be allowed to mingle with Miss Darcy and, more particularly, with Julia. At last, Julia would not only see him once again in his distinctive London milieu: dapper, debonair, and charming, but now also as an efficient and dependable assistant, even more so than he had ever been for her in Cambridge. Hopefully, all memories of his transgressions would be swept away beneath the force of the new identity he had formed for himself over the past year. Julia would see him as a rehabilitated character; someone who had turned his life around; someone who had gained the trust even of the person he had tricked; perhaps someone whom she too should reconsider taking back into her life. And, if Miss Darcy did not know of his prior behaviour - and why should her brother have mentioned it to such an innocent person, pray? - he could impress that lady even more than during her childhood with his suave knowledge and elder brotherly-type concern for her, and Julia would observe his effect upon her too!

  Jardine, of course, cared not one jot about the companion other than to make several caustic recommendations to Wickham about his behaviour to her, once he understood that this, ironically, was the lady whom Wickham had cheated the year previously. He sincerely hoped Wickham's prior reputation had no lingering e
ffects upon the person who held sway over the opinion of one of the most eligible ladies to attend his first party of the season. Jardine’s thoughts were entirely taken up with presenting himself to the greatest effect to impress Miss Darcy, even though his own position in society and wealth should be a formidable combination enough. He relished the notion of becoming acquainted with such an esteemed family and the possibility of her wealth joining his. However, none of it would eventuate if the lady in question were undesirable in any way; any fault in her looks, temper, or manners would not be tolerated, and he spent the vast part of the remaining time before the party in a flux of calm certainty interspersed with black doubts, and then absolute ambivalence towards the whole idea of marriage, and Miss Darcy in particular.

  Both men, therefore, were in a high state of anxiety when the evening arrived, both feeling the enormity of the occasion. When Jardine asked Wickham on the day of the party, for the fifth time, about Miss Darcy's nature and her looks, and found Wickham still could not improve upon his limited knowledge, Jardine actually accused him of concealing something terrible about her in order to humiliate him. Wickham, shocked, assured him of its improbability in every respect and hurriedly excused himself to prepare for the evening and to ensure that all was in order below stairs.

  In truth, since his first shocking encounter with Julia, Wickham had not managed to see her again, and his own stretched nerves were at breaking point without the added tension of being accused of subterfuge; he had certainly not had an opportunity to see Georgiana, even from a distance, and so could not possibly offer an opinion about her either way. Jardine would have to make his own judgments this evening, just as others would have to do. Wickham sincerely hoped that Georgiana had been carefully groomed for the excess of attention that was going to be focused upon her.