Wickham's Wife

by C. J. Hill

  The man grimaced and took up his cards. He played with an assurance that Wickham remembered, causing him to fumble with his own hand more than once, finally dropping several cards to the floor which were retrieved by onlookers. The man watched as the cards were returned to the pile to be re-dealt, and growled:

  “Take care you do not drop any more cards, sir, else I shall consider it purposefully done and have you searched. I do not play with swindlers.”

  “Swindlers?” spluttered Wickham in angry indignation, leaping to his feet. “Swindlers? Do you call me a swindler, sir? How dare you! I have no interest in playing with someone who believes he is free to cast aspersions upon any and all of his companions at cards and get away with such an attack with impunity. Do not you recall my recent warning of the consequences of such idle and inflammatory talk against a gentleman? But perhaps you need reminding, sir, incapacitated as you were upon that occasion.”

  The man laughed at Wickham’s outrage. “On the contrary, I remember your threats, if they could be called such, perfectly. It is just that they do not convince me to think of you other than as I still do. But prove that you are not a cheat at this table and I will withdraw my opinion of you. Let us play until one of us has no money left and then we shall see who is the better, more honest player. Gentlemen: observe us and the game closely, allow nothing to distract you, then I shall be satisfied that this is indeed an honest table, as claimed, through actions rather than empty words.”

  Wickham met the man’s stare unflinchingly and nodded his agreement. The cards were re-dealt.

  The crowd around the table gathered more closely in anticipation of some excitement and, for a while, did as they were bid, but as the bets grew larger and the faces of the opponents grew more and more grave, it was the game itself that captured their attention and not the possibility of a scandal. Wickham forced himself to remain calm. He was losing, badly, and could not possibly withdraw the missing card from its hiding place without somebody noticing; but if he did not, and soon, it would be missed and then his opponent would accuse him of playing with a faulty deck, or even worse, he could demand a search of every player at the table to recover it, and Wickham would surely be discovered and accused.

  His hands grew clammy, his face heated and the blood began to pound in his ears; the cards would not turn his way; his opponent became increasingly confident, smiling with satisfaction at Wickham’s obvious discomfort. Wickham eased his finger about his collar, blowing air out through his lips as he surveyed the disaster that was his hand.

  “Here you are, Wickham! I wondered where you had taken yourself, but I knew you could not be far away. Shall I sit with you and bring you some luck, perhaps?”

  The entire table and its observers looked towards Lydia as she swept confidently into the room with Harriet and some other ladies, including Miss Armisted; Wickham felt the tension dissolve at her entrance. He rose gallantly from his chair and smiled as charmingly as he could manage, pleased, for once, to see her.

  “Of course you may, if you would not be too bored by it, Miss Bennet! The game has been going quite some time now, you are right, and I hope we shall be finished very soon. I apologise for having left you to your own devices for so long. Please, do take a chair with your friends but make sure not to disclose my hand to anybody.”

  The whole crowd laughed at his joke, the momentary diversion sufficient for Wickham to retrieve the card from his sleeve unnoticed and add it to his hand. He closed it quietly and then fanned it out again in case anybody was watching. No one was; Lydia had brought some very delightful young ladies to the table and many of the previous observers were now thoroughly engaged with their entertainment.

  After staring at his hand for several more seconds, he announced regretfully, “I fear, sir, that I must fold my hand and defer to your better luck this evening; it appears that I have nothing left to bet, as was our agreement.”

  “I am content to accept a note, sir. This decision seems most sudden; do not let the young lady distract you from our game.”

  “No. Indeed, I am happy to fold. Congratulations to you, sir, and a good evening to you.”

  Wickham bowed in general, and turning to offer his hand to Lydia, escorted her from the room, across the dance floor, and out through the doors of the house without reference to her or any of their other acquaintance. The Colonel observed them as they passed, as did many others but none sought to enquire the meaning of his sudden departure or why Lydia Bennet accompanied him. They assumed that, as usual, she was overcome with the heat and wished for some quiet and some air.

  “Did you return the card successfully, Wickham? I should have come over earlier, should not I? But I could not break away from Miss Armisted; she would keep on talking and asking questions, I could not escape her. I suspected that things would not go well after that unpleasant man sat down. Who is he, by the way? He does not seem to like you very much.”

  Wickham had stopped walking as she spoke and now looked at her with great surprise; that she knew about his card was shocking: that she had willingly aided him in front of all her friends in covering up his guilt, astonished him.

  “How can you possibly know about the card, Lydia? You cannot have seen it; nobody saw it, I hope.”

  She laughed. “Oh! Wickham. I am not so simple as you think. How do you think I manage when I play my little games with the ladies? It is not because the other ladies allow it, I assure you, and ribbons and trinkets must be paid for, you know. It is a simple sleight-of-hand, and much easier for you with your long sleeves; I have to rely upon clumsiness and noisy foolishness for my distraction. I am sure that half the players in the room tonight concealed a card or two, are not you? Probably that very disagreeable gentleman of yours had half the pack up his sleeve!”

  Wickham gaped at her words; here was another, quite unexpected side to Lydia. He knew that she was perfectly able to play any of the card games offered to the ladies most evenings, and did so with great enjoyment and merriment; but never had he suspected that most of that gaiety was a cover for something else. Perhaps he should not have been quite so determined in his efforts to detach himself from her; together they could make quite a profitable team!

  “Tell me, Lydia. Just how much success have you had since you have been in Brighton?”

  She laughed, delighted at his sudden interest in her. “Well, one has to be careful, you know. Although I always loudly claim to win every game as a friendly warning to my opponents, obviously I cannot win every time. It is impossible anyway – the cards do not always work in my favour - and, I have discovered, the other ladies tend to get rather put out if they lose too much, so I am very careful not to upset them by taking all of their money. They lose some, I lose some: I win, they lose: they win, I win less – that is the best plan and no one suspects or feels cheated. But, to answer your question, Wickham, I have won enough to supplement the meagre amount of spending money my father provided for the entire Summer; I do not honestly know how I should have survived otherwise since I am only allowed to play for fish at home. Money is so much more exciting!”

  Wickham smiled in the darkness despite his own painful loss that evening. Lydia Bennet: a woman after his own heart! Who would have imagined she had the ability, not to mention determination enough to execute such a plan. And without him suspecting a thing.

  “But you must not tell anybody, Wickham,” she said, gripping his arm, anxious at her disclosure. “I hope my secret is safe with you, just as yours is with me.”

  “My dear!” he patted her hand, “I believe you may rely upon my secrecy without the slightest concern. I had no notion of it before this evening and I shall continue just as unaware, as, I hope, shall you about mine. However, we are certainly treading a fine line; I feel obliged to warn you of the implications if you are ever caught, Lydia. You would be returned in disgrace to your family who will be expected to refund all of your ill-gotten gains; I would be dishonourably discharged from the Regiment in the best case: cha
llenged to duel in the worst. It will not be pleasant, I assure you, if either of us is found out.”

  “Then we shall take good care never to be found out!” Lydia laughed as she slipped her hand under his elbow and smiled up at his serious face. “But I am sorry that I did not rescue you earlier tonight; you must have lost a great deal to that vulture especially as he set everybody to watching you carefully and accusing you of the most ungentlemanly conduct. It is a pity indeed that the cards did not play well for you - that would have certainly shown him. Never mind! My ruse had its effect, did it not now?”

  Wickham smiled down at her before answering. She was certainly a very handsome and amusing young lady – if he could but forget Julia for only a few hours. Lydia was willing, he knew, and he was - he also knew - weak; a most unhappy combination indeed.

  But Julia must be remembered: she must not be forgot, even in a moment’s weakness. She was the reason behind his current dishonesty; the reason he needed to win more than he lost. She was the reason he had resisted the attractions of all other young ladies; and she would hopefully remain the reason for him to resist the attractions of Lydia, the most determined young lady he had come across yet and who had made her feelings for him more than plain on several occasions.

  “It was most fortunate indeed that you managed to cause such a diversion this evening and I thank you for your part in allowing me to depart from the table without being discovered; if I had not managed to replace the missing card, I have no doubt that our friend would have made an inventory of them for his next assault on my character. In repayment, I am more than willing to intervene on occasion when you indicate my assistance is required.”

  Lydia positively glowed with happiness. Here was her Wickham congratulating and speaking cordially to her, and offering his assistance to her, just as she had always desired!

  “And I shall serve the same purpose for you, Wickham! Everybody knows my feelings for you, anyway, so it cannot be of any surprise if I am constantly by your side: you, perhaps, might need to increase your civility and attentions to me when we meet. But leaving Brighton better off than we arrived is a pleasant thought indeed. Where do you go tomorrow? We must make every attempt to attend the same parties, you know.” As they walked the short distance to the Colonel’s door, engagements were confirmed or decided upon, and plans implemented over the next few weeks.

  Suddenly, everybody was talking about Lydia’s rise in favour with Wickham, to the very great jealousy of many of her acquaintance including Miss Armisted who, once she saw it, merely declared it to be the passing folly of most men and would, as it had with others, pass very quickly from Lydia to another, more sophisticated and deserving lady.

  Gentlemen and ladies rarely played together, especially if the wagers were high; ladies pretended to play merely for amusement: gentlemen for sport and superiority. And, so, some evenings only Wickham would play, or only Lydia would play, giving each other the opportunity to observe and distract as needed. Their discussions about the games were invariably conducted in secluded corners of rooms, and construed by their many observers as a clear indication of the two becoming more and more intimate and fond of each other. Although Julia was constantly at the back of Wickham’s mind, having the attention of Lydia Bennet was not as onerous as he had once thought. She was not her sister’s equal by any means, but as an amusing companion and accomplice she played out her role with great eagerness and surprising efficiency.

  For several further weeks the pair were seldom seen apart and upon Harriet and the Colonel’s enquiries, Lydia admitted nothing while allowing much to be understood; what they and others surmised could not be blamed entirely upon her behaviour – Wickham was just as culpable in that - but she certainly delighted in the envious looks she garnered every morning whilst out walking, the comments made and questions asked in passing. Finally, she was being recognised and admired for herself. And by Wickham no less! Her plan was coming to fruition. She could not imagine another, happier girl in all of England!

  Chapter 33

  Mrs. Bracecourt’s home still held the distinction of being the eminent gathering spot in Brighton. Now that Lydia increasingly enjoyed the protection of Wickham, she was frequently to be found there in his company, laughing at his friends’ jokes and amusing them in her own way. It was certainly not the horrifying ‘den’ of her imagination of only a few weeks ago, and she revelled in her feelings of superiority over the young, inexperienced girl who had held this place in such awe and fear. How quickly she had changed her opinion of its denizens and activities!

  Harriet, frequently, tried to caution her against its propensity for excess but, just as frequently, Lydia dismissed her friend’s concern as one fuelled by her continuing ignorance and speculation, citing, as her most convincing reason for attending, the fact that whatever happened there - and nothing did, she assured her friend, airily - Wickham would protect her from anything even vaguely scandalous and escort her home out of harm’s way. Harriet could do no more, other than mention to her husband that, perhaps, he may wish to consider dispatching a letter as soon as may be to the Bennets, warning them of their daughter’s behaviour and requesting her removal from his care before something untoward happened. Her friend would not be advised; her friend believed herself safe in the hands of Wickham, a person about whom Harriet and her husband were increasingly not so sanguine. Rumours had begun circulating - probably based upon jealousy as most rumours are - and Wickham’s character, as well as Lydia’s by association, was becoming tarnished the further into the Summer they all progressed. It was a most unfortunate situation, knowing as she did Lydia’s long-standing love for Wickham, a love that Harriet had never imagined would come to anything – why would she? Wickham was an experienced older man; he had rebuffed Lydia’s attentions many times and it was inconceivable that his feelings had altered so drastically towards her. But altered they appeared to have been and now Harriet felt it her duty to mitigate the situation as well as she could. It was all becoming too worrying indeed.

  Harriet watched one evening as Lydia preened herself before the mirror before going out to Mrs. Bracecourt’s for the third time that week.

  “I wish you would not go there quite so often, Lydia,” Harriet started. “You should sometimes accompany the Colonel and me when we visit our friends; it would be better for you to be seen in other company once in a while, do not you think?”

  “Oh, la, Harriet! Why should I come to some stuffy party with you, to stand about sipping and nibbling and being bored when I could be with Wickham? What a ridiculous idea! I am not a married woman who must stay beside her husband all night laughing at his jokes and listening to his dull conversation. You may fill that role, as you do, but I shall not. I intend having fun and enjoying my life while I am still able. Mamma advised me to take every opportunity to enjoy myself, and I intend to do just that. Wickham has finally come around and sees me as I have always wanted him to; I believe it will not be very much longer before I will become Mrs. Wickham – oh! how droll that sounds! You know that has always been my object, Harriet, and I thank you for your sensible advice for his entrapment. Why should I not enjoy his attention as often as I can when I have waited so long to gain it? Do not concern yourself about me; I shall take care. I am perfectly happy – be happy for me.”

  “But it is not proper for him to be your only escort to every event; you are not married; you are not engaged; you are not even related – all of which would excuse your present intimacy - you are merely acquaintances of a very short duration. Tongues are wagging about your behaviour, Lydia. Surely you can see what an effect you are having on your own reputation? I speak only as your friend and out of the deepest concern for you.”

  “I have said, Harriet, your concern is not necessary. Wickham and I are more than mere acquaintances, even though nothing has been said; we have a mutual interest in many things, now and hopefully into the future, but be assured that he always treats me as a gentleman should; he has done nothing fo
r which I can reproach him – unfortunately!”

  “Lydia!”

  “Oh! Do not look so shocked, Harriet! I would not mind if he had. I must go; Wickham will be here shortly. How do I look, Harriet? Will I do, do you think? Will he gasp with delight when he sees me?” Lydia laughed as she flounced out of her room and almost danced down the stairs, her friend looking on with foreboding.

  Mrs. Bracecourt’s was positively seething; the whole of Brighton’s most interesting and important were there, once again eager to be entertained by whatever events had been planned. Lydia looked about her at the now-familiar rooms with anticipation; Wickham also felt an eagerness to join the throng at the tables. His hope was that tonight, finally, would prove to be the evening that would allow him to depart from Brighton, successful at last, and return to Julia in London. The happy mix of entertainments and company, copious alcohol consumption amongst those already gathered, and his prescience of good fortune made him most anxious to begin.

  “I will leave you here, Lydia, if you have no objection; I see a game forming where I would like to try my luck.”

  “Of course I have no objection. But I warn you; I shall not be watching your game, Wickham, nor providing a diversion, for I see that the ladies have their own table tonight. I hope they intend playing for serious sums – I have enough now that I can join them. Play well, Wickham; may we both have good luck tonight!”

  “Good luck to you too, Lydia; let us hope to meet later, richer than we are now. But take care not to overstep yourself; it is easy to do in the heat of the moment. I will return in an hour or so.”

  Wickham deposited Lydia amongst the other ladies around the table, and, after ensuring she was happy in their company, crossed the room and entered the one reserved for serious games across the hall; many of his acquaintance were there already and greeted him enthusiastically. Wickham enquired into the nature of the game and the stakes, and settled himself at the table as the game began.