‘Oh, what a shame, Miss Elizabeth.’
She smiled ruefully at Georgiana and Eleanor. ‘I fear my concentration has let me down, ladies.’
Dropping the mallet onto the lawn, Elizabeth walked over to retrieve her ball, kicking aside some of the undergrowth as she looked for it.
‘Is this what you seek?’
Startled, Elizabeth let out a small gasp as she looked up. Standing a few feet away, under cover of the trees, the ball in his hand, was a familiar figure.
Chapter Seventy-Nine
The commotion in the entrance hall at The Grange had brought Bingley from the drawing room, and he hurried to join the others.
‘Take up your places.’ The colonel hissed, as rapid footsteps could be heard on the gravel driveway, and Darcy exchanged a look with Bingley as they turned towards the parlour, and Mr Bennet moved forward to open the door.
‘Open up! Mr Darcy, sir!’
Darcy’s skin grew cold as the door was pounded. ‘That is not Wickham; it is Rivers! Let him in.’ Fear gripped him; his steward’s sudden appearance, the urgency in his voice, did not auger well.
Rivers almost fell through the doorway as Mr Bennet swung it wide. ‘He has been sighted, sir.’ He addressed Darcy, struggling to gain his breath. ‘Not a half hour back, entering the Pemberley woods. A woodsman felling trees along with his apprentice saw a man tethering his mount. He recognised Wickham, sent the youth as fast as he could to me.’
Darcy was out of the door before anyone could stop him, but Rivers grabbed his arm. ‘Forgive me, sir.’ He dropped his hold. ‘There is other news. Danvers reports an old shotgun missing since this early morning. It is rusted and unlikely to fire true, but...’
‘Darcy, wait!’
Colonel Fitzwilliam and Bingley rushed out behind Rivers as a pale Mr Bennet came to stand on the threshold, but Darcy had already mounted his steward’s horse.
‘I must get back.’ His voice was hoarse with anguish, his throat so tight he could barely swallow. What in the name of the devil had brought Wickham to Pemberley instead of The Grange? All he held dear was two miles away, with both Elizabeth and Georgiana defenceless and unaware of the evil at bay.
Unheeding of his cousin’s shout to the stable boy to bring their mounts, he dug in his heels, urged the horse to build up speed and scaled the first gate he came to, racing across the fields towards Pemberley.
~o0o~
Elizabeth stared at Wickham, her mind racing and her heart pounding.
‘Here; come and take it.’ Wickham held out the croquet ball to her, but being no fool, Elizabeth stayed where she was. She needed time to think—if only some rational thought would oblige!
‘You are surprised to see me.’ It was not a question, but Elizabeth chose to answer it nonetheless.
‘Not entirely; perhaps a little, to find your unpleasant presence here, rather than at The Grange.’
Wickham frowned. ‘How did you…?’ Then, he smiled. ‘Ah. So – your father has spoken to you about our… business dealings.’
‘Do not attempt to glamorise your underhand actions by calling them business.’
‘To me, it is my business.’ Wickham tossed the ball in the air and caught it. ‘And you are right; it was indeed my intention to call at The Grange, and I arrived in the district early for that very purpose. Too early to call upon your father as it happens.’ He paused, his gaze drifting beyond Elizabeth towards the lawns leading down to the house. ‘I have fond memories of Pemberley from when I was a boy, so I decided to take a walk until it was a reasonable hour.’
Elizabeth raised a brow. ‘And what, pray, is the reasonable hour for extortion? Being so practised in the art, you must know.’
Wickham smirked. ‘It depends. You see, my life often turns on my luck, and so it was this morning—hence my coming back now.’
Not fully comprehending his meaning, Elizabeth tried to marshal her thoughts. The twins remained in their tree—an innocent diversion that now seemed to entrap them. She hoped they would make no sound, that Wickham would not notice the ladder leaning against the trunk.
‘As my father is not here at Pemberley, I do not see where your luck comes into play. You would do better to seek him elsewhere.’
‘Perhaps he is no longer my target.’
Elizabeth’s mind darted to Georgiana, hoping she would remain safely with Eleanor Latimer, but to her consternation, she heard the soft fall of footsteps behind her.
'Did you find it, Miss Elizabeth?' There was a gasp. ‘You!'
Elizabeth turned to see Georgiana standing a few paces away, her eyes wide and a hand to her mouth. Then, she hurried to Elizabeth's side and took her hand.
'Come away, Miss Elizabeth. This man,’ Georgiana’s voice was shaking, and Elizabeth squeezed her hand. ‘Does not have, nor has he ever had, good intentions. My brother will have him thrown from the grounds.’ She made as if to turn away, her hand still grasping Elizabeth’s, but Wickham merely laughed.
‘Darcy will struggle to evict me when he is not even here.’
Georgiana turned back to glare at Wickham.
‘Then I shall do it. This is private land and you are trespassing. If you do not leave directly, I shall call for assistance from the house.'
A faint rustling sound came from the twins’ tree, and Elizabeth held her breath, hoping only she had heard it, but Wickham merely laughed again.
'Whom are you going to call, Georgiana? Mrs Reynolds? One of those weakling footmen?’ He flexed his shoulders. ‘I am more than a match for them.’ His gaze fixed possessively on Georgiana, and Elizabeth felt a chill run through her body. ‘You are without your protectors; I saw your brother and cousin leave earlier.'
Georgiana drew in a breath. ‘Why have you come to Pemberley? What is your purpose?’
‘I believe Mr Wickham is on his way to The Grange to see my father.’ Elizabeth could sense Georgiana’s surprise, but she gave her hand another squeeze as she turned to Wickham. ‘Please, do not delay on our account.’
Wickham tossed the ball in the air again and caught it, then met Elizabeth’s gaze with a raised brow.
I told you; he is no longer my target. I have lost interest in squeezing paltry sums from your father.'
Georgiana gasped again. ‘You mean…’ she threw Elizabeth an anguished look. ‘You have been attempting to extort money from Mr Bennet? Oh, Miss Elizabeth.’ She took her other hand in hers. ‘This… man has brought nothing but misery to myself, and thus my brother. He is grasping and shallow, and I am distraught to think he has imposed upon your family as well.’
Elizabeth flinched at the sound of slow applause. Wickham had tossed the ball aside, his assessing gaze running over Georgiana and then back to Elizabeth, who could feel distaste rising in her throat.
‘How very touching, Georgiana.’ His mocking gaze moved to Elizabeth. ‘And speaking of such, I witnessed a very touching scene at dawn.’ He gestured behind them towards the house. ‘Just over there. Did you know, Georgiana, your brother is in danger of being entrapped by a woman whose family’s reputation is in tatters?’
Elizabeth’s skin went cold and she could not look at Georgiana, but she raised her chin and met Wickham’s arrogant gaze firmly. If only she had retained hold of her mallet, she would swing it at him!
‘It would suit your underhand methods to be spying upon people.’
Wickham shrugged. ‘I thought I had been discovered when I disturbed those pheasants.’ Then, he smirked again. ‘But I suspect you were thereafter both too intent upon your... business.’
Saddened to know such a moment had been overlooked, Elizabeth sighed. What must Georgiana be thinking of her?
‘So, my old adversary, Darcy, has shown his partiality for a mutual friend.’
Georgiana’s startled gaze moved from Wickham to Elizabeth. ‘You are acquainted? Friends, even? I do not understand.’
‘Mr Wickham is no friend of mine, Miss Darcy. Your brother revealed the depth of his evil procliviti
es long ago.’
Georgiana looked anguished as Wickham took a step closer to them. ‘We were good friends once, Miss Elizabeth, were we not?’
Elizabeth’s eyes flashed. ‘Was I foolish enough to believe your lies? Yes, I fell for them at first, but I will be forever grateful for finding out the truth about you.’ She was at a loss as to what to do. If they turned away, was he not likely to follow them? Would there be any way of shaking him off, or was it best to keep him talking in the hope someone, anyone, would come to their aid?
She caught the movement of branches in the twins’ tree, and keen to distract Wickham, she sought another topic.
‘Upon whom did you prey to find where we now lived? I cannot believe you came across the direction by this so-called luck of yours.’
Wickham laughed. ‘Is your curiosity raised, Miss Elizabeth? Should I be flattered you wish to know my methods?’
‘No. Of all things, Mr Wickham, you should not be flattered. I ask because I wish to know to whom we are indebted.’
He frowned. ‘Indebted?’ Then, he laughed again. ‘So you are pleased to see me!’
‘You mistake me. I am glad you are brought here, but merely because you will rue the day once the gentlemen return. I suspect they look forward to letting you feel the impact of their displeasure in your actions.’ They were brave words, and Elizabeth uttered them with a conviction she was far from feeling, but her mettle would not allow any hint of her trepidation to reach this poor excuse for a man.
Wickham raised a brow. ‘Perhaps it is the gentlemen who will be rueing the day. Darcy will be a better paymaster than your father. After all, I hold it in my power to ruin more than one reputation with what I know.’
Elizabeth drew in a sharp breath. ‘Do you threaten us, Mr Wickham?’
‘You may say what you will; my brother will have you thrown from the grounds upon his return.’ Georgiana glared at him, but he merely smirked.
‘Perchance they will be too late.’ Wickham leered at her, and Elizabeth stepped forward, uncertain of her purpose, as suddenly something flew through the air and brushed past Wickham’s cheek.
His hand went to his face, and he looked all around, and Elizabeth held her breath, anxious for the twins. There was no denying the missile was nothing more than an apple, which rolled away into the undergrowth before Wickham noticed it.
‘Is there a problem, Mr Wickham?’ Elizabeth raised a brow, and he took a menacing step towards her.
‘Do not mock me!’
He made to move forward again, and Elizabeth stepped in front of Georgiana. She was not prepared to let him get within touching distance of her.
Suddenly, another missile winged its way across from the nearby tree. It was evident the twins’ aim was no better with a piece of fruit than an arrow, but this time the apple rebounded off a branch and came crashing back into Wickham’s face.
If Elizabeth was not mistaken, she heard a smothered ‘whoop’ from behind the veil of leaves, and she looked anxiously to Wickham, but he had let out a whelp of pain and clutched his nose as blood began to pour through his fingers.
A small cry escaped from Georgiana, but to Elizabeth’s dismay, Wickham let out a roar of temper, and wheeled around, grabbing something from the ground behind him. It was a rather ancient looking shotgun, and he pointed it at Elizabeth, before swinging to his right and aiming it straight at the branches whence the missiles had emanated.
Chapter Eighty
‘No!’ Elizabeth made to move forward after Wickham, but Georgiana grasped her arm and held her back as an arrow whistled through the air, shot straight and true, followed swiftly by another. There was a thud and a gasp of surprise from Wickham.
‘What the hell!’
He had fallen against the nearest tree, two arrows neatly piercing his coat sleeve, effectively pinning him to its trunk, the gun now lying on the ground at his side.
‘A moving target is always valuable practice.’ Eleanor Latimer lowered her bow as she stepped forward to stand beside Elizabeth. ‘Colonel Fitzwilliam did say I might find an opportunity if I chose to borrow some equipment.’
A short laugh escaped Elizabeth as all three ladies took a step closer to the man now skewered securely to the tree by one sleeve.
Wickham’s breath was coming in heavy gasps, his nose still spilling blood. ‘Your aim is suspect.’
Eleanor shook her head. ‘My aim is true. Had I wished to kill you, it would be so.’
Dashing a hand across his nose, smearing blood onto his cheek, Wickham fidgeted under her glacial stare. 'I like a woman with spirit. Would someone be so good as to introduce me?'
Elizabeth walked over to pick up the gun before tossing it well out of his reach and turning to stand before him. 'No, we will not. Perhaps now you will be so good as to answer my question: how did you find us?’
‘That is my business.’ He reached across with his free arm and started to tug at one of the arrows, and Eleanor raised her bow, already fitted with another arrow. ‘Do not make the mistake of thinking I will not use it again. I think you should answer Miss Bennet’s question.’
With a scowl, Wickham’s arm dropped. ‘It is as I have told her already: my life has been blessed with luck. It has served me well in the past just as it brought me here to Pemberley this morning.’ He stopped, then eyed the bow and arrow still pointed in his direction warily. ‘I happened to be passing near Meryton a month or so ago, thought it might be amusing to revisit the district. It was not difficult to pick up on the biggest piece of local gossip, albeit a year old.’ He turned his gaze upon Elizabeth. ‘I knew Lydia did not die in the fire, so I decided to track down your father. No one knew the family’s whereabouts beyond the vicar, who was believed to send any communication via the address of relatives in town. I recalled your uncle and aunt from their Christmas visit, soon discovered the location of Mr Gardiner’s business. Your uncle emerged from the building, and I followed him home. Once I had established their address, it was easy. A few sweet words in the housemaid's ear, a few promises made, and she was willing to let me walk her on her duties, one of which included taking the post.‘
Elizabeth sighed. They had felt so secure in their anonymity, yet he made it sound so simple to destroy. ‘What was your intention once you came to Derbyshire?’
‘To place my business before your father. In return for compensation, I would keep to myself the knowledge of your ‘dead’ sister being alive, that your father had somehow concealed the fact in an attempt to salvage the family name.’ He paused, attempted to flex the shoulder of the arm pinned to the tree. ‘Of course, that all altered after what I saw earlier, hence my coming back to Pemberley just now. Darcy is a far bigger prize, having more at his disposal.’
Elizabeth tried to conceal a shudder. ‘He will not oblige.’
Wickham laughed harshly. ‘You do not know him. He will do everything in his power to maintain his privacy, safeguard his good name; his character.’ He almost spat the word. ‘I discovered his weakness—or rather, his passion for you, Miss Elizabeth—a woman whose family is in disgrace, whose father not only claimed his own daughter as falsely dead but is alleged to have had a hand in his wife’s death also. Oh yes, Darcy will pay dearly, if not to protect you but for the sake of his own reputation.’ He turned his gaze upon Georgiana with a sneer. ‘And I have an added hold upon him: my ability to besmirch the Darcy name beyond recovery by revealing my conquest of the innocent Miss Darcy.’
Georgiana paled, and Elizabeth put an arm about her shoulders. ‘But – but nothing happened between us!’
Wickham laughed again. ‘My word against yours, but the damage will have been done. Hint a little here, suggest a little there. It will be sufficient to ruin you, and your fall will destroy your brother.' He paused, his brow furrowed. ‘ I do not know why I did not think to do so before now.’
Elizabeth’s anger was stirring, and her grip tightened on Georgiana’s shaking shoulders, but it was Eleanor Latimer who spoke.
'Should you make good on your threats, then you will be forging your own noose. The last I read, extortion was a hanging offence.'
With a lopsided shrug, Wickham stared up at her. 'It would have to be proved first; besides, Judges are the biggest cowards of all, and more prone to commute a death sentence than sanction it.'
Elizabeth released an exasperated breath. ‘There is ample proof. Did you not write to Papa twice, in your own hand, making your threats?'
‘What of it?’ Wickham laughed. ‘Have me sent to Court, by all means, and I will speak freely of it. You will all be ruined anew, as will Georgiana this time.'
Elizabeth’s arm dropped from Georgiana’s shoulder. 'Not if I can do anything to prevent it.’
Wickham snorted. ‘You are very bold with no Darcy to support you, Miss Elizabeth.’
‘My courage always rises with any attempt to intimidate me.’ Elizabeth turned to Georgiana. ‘We are to be sisters, and I will not allow this man to harm you in any way.’
Georgiana’s eyes widened, and then she smiled, happiness spreading across her features. ‘Oh, it is all I have hoped for; longed for! I am so pleased for you both!’
‘As am I, Miss Bennet.’ Eleanor also smiled at Elizabeth, but then Wickham’s mocking voice intruded.
‘Save your smiles for later; I intend to make my point to Darcy as soon as he returns, and I will not be prevented.’
In their distraction, he had taken a firm grip on the arrows and, breaking them, had freed himself from the trunk. He quickly retrieved the discarded gun and swung back towards the tree concealing the twins, kicking away the ladder.
‘And I will remove any opposition, starting with whomsoever is in this tree.’
Wickham made to raise the gun, but suddenly he was pelted by a stream of flying objects, some of which hit their target, bouncing off his head, his face and his shoulders, showering him in flakes of pastry, sweetmeat and coating his lashes with a liberal dusting of sugar.
A Quest for Mr Darcy Page 53