Wickham's Wife

by C. J. Hill

  Wickham smiled to himself as he imagined, but, surprisingly, none of these reasons came close to equalling his hopes of a new life with Julia.

  They trotted quickly out of town and onto the open roads, quietly delighting in being alone in each other's company at long last, and the glorious sense of release they both felt. Although the contents of Mr. Darcy's letter certainly did still rankle in Julia's thoughts - if she ever got the opportunity to clear her name, she would - she had finally agreed with George that writing explanations and excuses would do no good; Darcy was such a proud person, he never would admit himself to be at fault. Much better to let the words fade away and enjoy the extra income that had accompanied them. But, still, the idea that he would now forever consider her to be an untrustworthy and manipulative person, after she had taken such great care of his sister, and had advised her against any such foolish thoughts about both Mr. Bingley and George, continued to give great distress; to be condemned without at least being given a chance to explain and make her part, or lack thereof, very clear was most unfair.

  However, Julia had already decided what her unexpected extra windfall would go towards: she intended purchasing a large house in London which she could run as a boarding house for middle-class travellers and the like. She had observed the landlady in Albion Square going about her duties which seemed only slightly onerous if one had the services of a reliable maid or two and a cook, and those Julia could source very easily from her own books. She mused upon just where she would be able to purchase such a property. It had to be close to the City centre, but she was not sure that she could afford a large house there; perhaps she may have to look slightly further out, she considered, as the sun warmed her pleasantly through her shawl.

  She was brought back to reality as George broke into her thoughts. "My dear, I have been thinking about how I shall use the money, but I am still uncertain. There are several business ventures of interest that I have been investigating and might pursue but I know without a doubt that if I am not careful with my windfall, it will dissipate as money always seems to do. I dearly want to prove to you that I have learned my lesson; I want to show you that I can be successful; and, most of all, I want to remove any objection you may have about my suitability as a husband, my dearest Julia. The long separation caused by my foolish behaviour has proved beyond any doubt that I must have you always by my side, and I will do whatever I must do to make that come about."

  Julia smiled and rested her hand on his as it held the reins. "That is something certainly to be wished for, George. You know my mind upon the subject but, if you prove yourself willing to work hard to make something of yourself, and to stay away from the temptation of the tables and drinking in particular, perhaps it may be possible that we shall indeed become husband and wife. It is my dearest wish to know that you are a reformed and reliable character who will not gamble away everything he has without a moment's thought as to his future security."

  Wickham grinned slyly. "Perhaps being reminded how irresistible I am to other ladies has something to do with your change of heart, my dear? You do not wish me to be tempted again by a rich young lady such as Miss Darcy, perhaps?"

  Julia laughed a little and acknowledged that might, perhaps, be the case.

  "Poor Miss Darcy! What must she be thinking this morning? How must she be feeling, I wonder? To have been so humiliated, swept away from her foolish dreams by her overbearing brother. She was very brave when Mr. Bingley left London, but to have it happen again, and so soon, can only be distressing in the extreme. While I believe her fondness for you was of a genuine nature and formed not upon a slight fancy but the memories of your kindnesses to her as a child, she should have heeded my warning against any greater notion, but she would not and so she has paid the price, once again, for that misguided affection.

  "That is why my independence and security are still of the greatest importance to me, George," she continued. "I could not allow any man to be so in control of my life and future happiness - not even you, my dear. Do not suppose that I have changed my mind upon that score, for I assure you I have not. But I would be willing to compromise if I were assured of our relationship continuing in the same manner as it always has. Marriage should allow some freedom for each partner."

  "Yes, yes, your security is what guides your every move, I am well aware of that, Julia. I should know that I come second to it in every way, but it shall not matter for I am resolved. I will prove that I am a changed man from this moment onwards, just see if I do not. And, as for any change in our relationship after we are married, be assured it shall be as it always has been."

  Julia smiled at his enthusiasm and hoped rather than knew it to be true. He must do what he could to secure her good opinion once he was again in the temptations of his old haunts but she would not wager any amount upon his being able to carry out his plans. However, she hoped, she hoped very much to be proved wrong. Nothing would give her greater happiness to settle down with the man she loved and who, she knew, loved her, but more importantly, a man upon whom she could finally trust and rely.

  The last vestiges of Summer were wearing away in London: smoggy heat had clogged every house for a month or more causing the greatest discomfort, and the lack of rain gave everything a dispirited exhausted air - even the trees in the parks drooped from the heavy coating of dirt on their leaves and lack of water. Streets were filthy; foul smells permeated everywhere.

  As they drew up in front of Julia's tiny office she sniffed suspiciously as if expecting to see a dead body rotting in the gutter. Wickham laughed as he helped her down and carried her bags into her rooms upstairs.

  "Well, here we are again, my dear. Let me open the windows for you to air out the place a little. You will soon become accustomed to it again - it is only because you have been used to the clean sea air that you notice the smell. Tomorrow it will be nothing out of the ordinary, I assure you."

  Julia smiled, grateful to be at last in her own home, modest as it was, but rather wondered if opening the windows was the sensible thing to do; surely keeping the smell outside was the best course of action. She opened and closed her few cupboards, replacing her belongings and then proceeded downstairs to look over the books and consider her future plans now she had money to invest.

  She noticed that George had been as good as his word: several new staff had been signed up and supplied out in various roles to many households she did not recognise as being on her lists. They must be new contacts made by George and she would remember to thank him tomorrow for his diligence on her behalf.

  Meanwhile, she had several letters to compose ready to send in the morning: the first was to Miss Darcy regretting the manner of their parting and wishing her a speedy recovery from her disappointment; she did not mention the content of Mr. Darcy's letter written in anger, nor Wickham's name, but if Miss Darcy wished to reply and make enquiries, she now had the means so to do.

  The second was to her attorney, Mr. Brown, advising firstly that she was back in London and soon hoped to be at liberty to travel to Cambridge to inspect her businesses for herself; and secondly, requesting his advice regarding the purchase of a large house in the London area for the purposes of letting lodgings.

  The third was more in the style of a note to her friend, Mrs. Lucy Belmont, to whom she had not spoken for several months and, realising this, thought of all the gossip she would be able to impart: Lucy, no doubt, would be in no short supply herself! It would be pleasant to renew their friendship and Julia looked forward to her reply, which was happily effected in person two days following as Julia sat in her little office catching up with some book work. The shop door was flung open and Lucy bustled in.

  "Julia! At last! My dear, it has been an age indeed! I was so delighted to receive your note; as soon as I could get away I thought to come here first. But I cannot stay long - I am only out on an errand. Oh, my dear, have you been in the sun? But I declare you look very well even if a little sun-tanned: you cannot have been all Summer
in London, of that I am certain. Put the kettle on immediately - I have some delightful little cakes fresh from the baker's to share."

  Unsurprisingly, even though she had declared it to be impossible, Lucy managed to remain with Julia for the duration of an hour and a half. The news being imparted was so interesting and shocking and surprising, all thoughts of leaving after only one cup of tea were entirely forgot. She demanded full accounts of Ramsgate: its society, its amusements, its sights; she wondered at the sudden departure of Miss Darcy; she approved the intentions of Mr. Wickham and sincerely hoped he would be successful, and at the end of it all announced herself quite exhausted.

  Promising to meet very regularly from now on the two ladies parted company and Julia returned to her books with a warm feeling towards her sympathetic friend. How pleasant it was to talk freely with someone who was her friend alone: not Miss Darcy's; not George's, but hers, and who took her side in everything without question or condemnation.

  Mr. Brown was as prompt with his attentions as he had always been; arriving from Cambridge the third morning after receiving her letter and proceeding to enquire into her adventures with hardly less interest than Lucy had shown. Again, Julia kept many of the more interesting personal details to herself but managed to impress him with her life as a lady's companion in Ramsgate in the height of Summer and all that had entailed. Mr. Brown was particularly interested in the Military activities going on there and wished to converse at length about the War and its perils. In this he was disappointed; Julia had little to impart on that subject other than having observed soldiers practising their drills and manoeuvres, and that they had all seemed perfectly nonchalant about the fate which awaited them.

  "And so, you see, Mr. Brown, I now have a sum of money come from my employment to Miss Darcy which I mean to invest in a lodging house, if you would consider assisting me in the matter. I would be most grateful for any advice you may be able to give."

  Mr. Brown bowed, and after making some pertinent enquiries regarding the limits of her expectations, took his leave saying, "Let me make some enquiries on your behalf, Mrs. Younge, and I shall return tomorrow with some suggestions for suitable locations and properties, and then we might, with your permission, go together to view said properties and discuss the benefits of each.

  “May I call upon you at the same time tomorrow morning, madam?"

  Julia smiled her agreement and wished him a successful search before settling back down into her office to await developments with a fair degree of excitement at the prospect of another business venture under her management and ownership. However, her excitement began to dim as she wondered what had happened to George; he had not been in contact since he had left her upon their return. It was unlike him to stay away for so long after their recent reunion - unless, and she tried her hardest to ignore the thought, - unless, he had returned to his old habits and was, even now, gambling away his money in the belief that he could turn it into twenty times the amount upon the turn of a card or toss of the dice.

  Pushing such thoughts to the back of her mind where they stayed, persistent and unwelcome, for the remainder of the day, Julia decided to walk past George's rooms and see what could be seen, if anything at all. After all, she had nothing to keep her in the office; it was a bright early Autumn day, crisp, sunny, and good for walking; and she felt the need of his company and the reassurance that her fears were unfounded.

  The distance was not great between her business and George's rooms and the span of twenty minutes' walk sufficed. Julia strolled past the front door, hoping at every step that George would appear in his usual debonair manner, greet her warmly and take her arm. But it was not to be and feeling rather exposed as a single lady walking alone, Julia retraced her steps in as purposeful manner as she could muster back to her own home.

  How foolish she felt! She was greatly relieved, the more she thought about her ill-considered walk, that George had not come across her. What would she have made as her excuse? That she was spying upon him would have been very clear; she had no reason to be in that part of town and she could not admit to an overwhelming urge to see him. Why had she not sent him a note, as a lady should? Because she had wished to see for herself that he was not in a gambling house; that he was at home, but she had not even achieved that. Mortified at her foolish behaviour, Julia sank down into the chaise and stared at the wall.

  When George appeared at her door the following morning, looking sheepish as he had of old and paying more than necessary attention to her plans, her fears were confirmed. He enquired most particularly about the amount of money she intended investing into the property and then firmly advised against any such notion.

  "Property in London is a bad investment, my dear. It will not increase as it does elsewhere and why would you wish to become a servant in your own home, pray? No, I do not think this a good idea or sensible use for your money."

  Julia looked at him in disappointment; this was the George she had seen of old: the George who had spent and lost more than he could afford in one night, or perhaps several nights, but was still under the delusion that the next night would set everything straight. Trying hard to cover her feelings, she enquired how his own plans were progressing, only to be answered evasively.

  "Oh! I do not intend leaping into something immediately, my dear. I must take my time and investigate all avenues before I come to a decision, you know. Just because you decide something and the next day it is done, does not mean that everybody must follow your lead."

  "No, of course you do not, George." Julia responded acerbically. "I merely enquired because you stated, very recently, that you were planning to enter into a business and prove yourself to me - did not you? Surely it is not impertinent to ask how those plans, so firmly stated by you, are progressing?"

  As they stood in silence, glaring at each other, each knowing what the other was thinking, Mr. Brown bustled in.

  "Mrs. Younge! Good day to you. Oh! And good day to you, too, sir."

  Looking from one to the other and realising that neither party had any intention of making introductions, he turned to Wickham. "I am Mr. Brown, at your service, sir. I am attorney to Mrs. Younge and to her late husband before that. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, sir."

  Wickham bowed, acknowledging Mr. Brown's presence, excused himself, and left the premises.

  Bewildered, Mr. Brown turned to Julia to enquire but was forestalled by the despair written all over that lady's face. Clearing his throat he walked to the window and occupied himself by observing the activities in the street. After regaining her composure, Julia approached him and enquired what he had learnt regarding the properties.

  Beaming with his good news, Mr. Brown began:

  "Well, Mrs. Younge, it would appear that now is certainly a prudential time to purchase in London. So many men are leaving to serve their country that houses are being left empty for sale. Perhaps they do not anticipate they will return from the War or perhaps they feel they will become more affluent because of the War - I do not know what the reason is - but I assure you that there are several very pleasantly positioned properties which would more than suit your needs and purpose. But we must arrange viewings immediately so I can assist you with negotiations before I return to Cambridge."

  Julia smiled weakly. "I was just being advised by Mr. Wickham that investing in property in London is not a sensible nor prudent endeavour, and he was most firmly against me doing any such thing."

  Mr. Brown's surprise was sufficient to confirm Julia's worst suspicions about George’s motives.

  "Oh, I am sure he must be mistaken, my dear Mrs. Younge. Everybody with whom I have consulted has been of the same opinion as I am: that you should invest now while the properties are available and reasonably priced. I do not think that London will grow any smaller in size, indeed, there is great talk of expansion out into the country roundabout. Many wealthy gentlemen have already purchased great swathes of land for just such an eventuality. You must follow
your instincts, my dear. After all, Mr. Younge believed them to be very astute did he not? Pray do not be swayed by one gentleman's opinion, whatever his reasons for it may be."

  Julia nodded, warmed by his kindness and sensible words.

  "Of course I shall do as you suggest, Mr. Brown. You have never set me wrong before and I do not think that you would ever do so. I thank you for your trouble. We shall visit the properties you have selected this afternoon and my decision shall be made this evening. I might perhaps engage you to accompany me to my bankers tomorrow, if I may trouble you further, in the possibility that I might be in need of a loan, but after that, I shall endeavour to manage on my own and so release you back to Cambridge."

  Mr. Brown laughed, much relieved. "Of course, I should be delighted to assist wherever I can and see to the papers of conveyance when they are drawn. I am glad that you continue in such a sensible manner, Mrs. Younge: Mr. Younge would be very pleased and proud, I am sure, if he were here to see it."

  And so it was that Mrs. Julia Younge, previously of Cambridge, and more recently of Sheer Lane, became the proud owner of a rather large, slightly run-down house in Edward Street - a respectable neighbourhood of businesses and houses close to the City centre and routes in and out of London - as soon as the paperwork and other formalities were completed. Within a month she had spruced it up, furnished it to a comfortable standard, and installed two maids, a boy for the heavy work, and a cook. She had also taken out advertisements in local newspapers and was very happy with the results: only one of the six rooms remained unrented; the others were all rented on long-term leases to business gentlemen of the middle-class variety in need of comfortable and reputable accommodations.