Abduction & Acrimony Read online

  He was probably still in the area, which was vexing, especially since the militia had not yet found him. That left Darcy wondering how they managed to engage the French, but he supposed that was a slightly different matter. They met across the battlefield rather than hunted and searched for someone. He knew how cunning Wickham could be, for Fitzwilliam had been determined to keep an eye on the man after what he had done to Georgiana at Ramsgate, but Wickham had managed to slip away from the Runner he’d hired to track him, and Fitzwilliam hadn’t known where he’d ended up until he saw him as part of the militia at Meryton.

  He looked around for a bit but found no further sign of torn fabric or any other indication that might lead him in the direction Wickham had taken. He made a note of the location where he’d found the fabric as he placed it in his pocket, intent on reporting the information to Colonel Forster in the morning. For now, he was too impatient to return home to be bothered to backtrack to Meryton and find the colonel, especially since it was getting dark, and he doubted the militia would have any better luck finding Wickham in the dark than they had in the light for the past few days.

  He remounted Goliath and rode on, considering stopping at Longbourn as he neared it. He could find no justification to do so, as it was too late to be calling in to check on Miss Bennet’s state of health, though he had not seen her since the night he’d returned her to her Papa after they had assisted in discovering Wickham was the one robbing everyone.

  He hesitated for a moment longer before shaking his head, realizing the foolishness of the notion. It would raise eyebrows and lead to questions he didn’t want to answer if he decided to stop for an impromptu visit. Instead, he would arrange to have Georgiana invite the Bennet sisters for tea in the next few days. Heaven forbid, he could even endure their mother if it allowed him to see Miss Elizabeth again.

  Of course, he simply wanted to be sure she was all right after their misadventure. Though she had sustained no injury, she was still a woman, and it was likely it had left her discombobulated. Though she had actively sought out the investigation and had been instrumental in discovering the identity of the thief, she could hardly have anticipated the reality of doing so. He hoped she had recovered and restored her delicate constitution by now, but he wanted to verify for himself. That was the only reason he wished to see Miss Bennet again.

  3

  Darcy had just had a plate set before him by the maid when Georgiana entered the dining room. She was an early riser like he was, so they were able to enjoy breakfast together. He was concerned when he saw how wan she looked. She had been in bed by the time he returned to Netherfield last night, and he’d heard she’d rested poorly from her trip.

  Miss Bingley had been concern personified, waxing on about the state of Georgiana’s health to such an extent that Fitzwilliam had become impatient with it and had finally declared the matter sufficiently dissected and discussed before no longer speaking of it. Of course, that hadn’t deterred Caroline. She’d soon started another conversation about a topic which fled his mind now, because it’d been so tedious.

  Georgiana gave him a smile, but it wasn’t very bright. “Good morning, Fitzwilliam.”

  “Good morning, Georgiana. How are you feeling? Did you sleep better?”

  She pleated the napkin on the table instead of putting it on her lap. “I did not sleep well last night.”

  He tutted in sympathy. “I do know how difficult you find it to adjust to a new bed. Just about the time our visit has ended, you will be adapted.”

  She smiled. “That is true, but it was not a lack of comfort or familiarity that kept me awake.” She looked very serious, her dark eyes solemn when she met his as she asked, “Is it true George Wickham is in the area?”

  He scowled. “Who told you that?”

  “The Bennet sisters came for tea yesterday, and—”

  Darcy was angered. “Miss Bennet mentioned him to you? How dare she?” After he had told her about the situation, he was enraged Lizzy would talk about it at all with Georgiana. Had she been trying to get confirmation from his sister?

  Georgiana was frowning at him in confusion. “They were discussing the theft in the village, Fitzwilliam. Miss Caroline was the one who revealed Wickham’s name.” She smiled. “In fact, in retrospect as I replay the conversation in my mind, it seemed as though Miss Bennet was doing her best not to mention him.”

  “I see.” His anger fled as quickly as it had stirred. He was irritated with Caroline’s revelation, but since he’d refused to take her into his confidence, he could hardly fault her for mentioning the man’s name in front of his sister, likely expecting there was little to no connection between them, since Georgiana had still been in the nursery the last time Wickham had been in favor at Pemberley and a welcome guest.

  She couldn’t know the past scandal, so she would’ve had no reason to shield his sister. He had no doubt if Caroline he’d issued an order not to mention Wickham’s name, she would’ve complied perhaps even under threat of her own life if it was to please Fitzwilliam. He was more displeased than anything at the depths of her supposed loyalty, understanding the motivation from where it stemmed.

  “He was in the area, and perhaps he still is, but you shall not have to deal with him. I swear you will never see George Wickham again, Georgiana.”

  She looked uncertain for a moment before her shoulders relaxed, and she nodded. “If you state it is true, then it must be.”

  Fitzwilliam felt a lump in his throat at her unshakable confidence in him. How he wished he could guarantee it for certain. He could envision no way in which Wickham would ever have access to his sister again, but he had been too shortsighted to imagine Wickham ever going after Georgiana at Ramsgate to start with, or obtaining the cooperation of her companion, Mrs. Young. He didn’t want to make the same mistake again, and he was determined to keep Wickham away from Georgiana through any means possible.

  He looked up at a sound in the doorway, barely hiding a grimace when Caroline joined them. “You are awake quite early, Miss Bingley.”

  She flashed him a brilliant smile. “I do love watching the sunrise.”

  He hid a snort of disbelief behind clearing his throat as he buttered a crumpet. In all the years he’d known Miss Bingley, he’d seldom seen her rise before ten a.m. He suspected she’d had a servant wake her so she could try to have breakfast with him alone. The thought almost made him shudder.

  She was another one to watch out for, because he did not believe Caroline was above machinations that might force them into a situation where he had to offer for her. He was determined that would not happen either.

  “Were you discussing Wickham?” she asked, sounding innocent.

  Darcy stiffened, wondering how much Caroline had listened to at the doorway, but she did not seem to be in possession of salacious gossip. He doubted she could have held in her excitement if she’d overheard anything to make her suspicious. Either she would have run off to tell Louisa, or she would have been fawning all over Georgiana with fake sympathy while privately decrying his sister as immoral. He had no illusions about Charles’s sister. “She was asking about the thefts in the village.”

  “But you sounded like you knew him, Georgiana. How is that possible?”

  Georgiana looked frozen, her gaze darting around the room with clear terror.

  Darcy’s voice was harsher than he’d intended when he said, “If you do recall, Wickham was once part of Georgiana’s life. She does remember him, because he can be a charming fellow, though there is nothing below the surface that keeps one charmed once after they become familiar with the true character of the man.”

  Caroline flinched at his harsh tone, and her light complexion paled further. “I had forgotten,” she said in a subdued voice.

  “I do not remember him well,” said Georgiana unexpectedly. She sounded far more confident than he would’ve expected, especially since she was telling a fib. “What I do remember was the unpleasantness of the exchange between my
brother and Mr. Wickham the last time he visited Pemberley. It left a negative impression, and I simply do not wish to see the man again.”

  “Very wise of you indeed. Who would have imagined he would turn out to be such a low character when having the Darcy family as fine examples of how one should behave?” Caroline seemed to find that almost more unforgivable than that he had stolen from people in the village. Knowing her, she probably did.

  He endured the rest of breakfast with Caroline’s prattle before turning to Georgiana as she was about to finish. “If you are agreeable, I thought we might take a ride this morning? I know your dear mare is not here, but Charles has a few fine horses from which to choose.”

  Georgiana smiled, true pleasure blossoming on her face. Other than music, riding was one of her passions, and it never failed to distract her. He’d suggested the idea with that in mind, but he also had a second purpose, one which he was reluctant to admit even to himself.

  Perhaps while they were out riding, they might cross the path of a certain young Bennet woman, one who enjoyed strolling through the mornings each day with regular consistency. If they happened to cross paths, and Georgiana was with him, there would be nothing improper about stopping to speak with her. If that occurred, of course.

  “I shall run up and change. Be sure you do not mention this to Athena,” said Georgiana with a laugh.

  “I would not dream of damaging her feelings by revealing you have ridden another horse.” As he teased his sister, he braced himself for moments alone with Caroline while she went up to change.

  “You are so good with her, Fitzwilliam.”

  He stiffened at the use of his first name, but he did not chastise her for it. “She is my sister. How else would I be with her?” He kept his tone cooler than usual, wanting to discourage anything that might be flittering through Miss Bingley’s mind.

  “Not every man would be so patient with a sibling. In fact, my own father was never very engaged with us. He always preferred Charles, which is natural, I suppose. After all, Charles was his son and heir, and we were just girls.” She sounded almost unbothered by that.

  He had a moment of sympathy for her. “That is most unfair then. I assure you, when I have children, I will be equally happy to have boys or girls.”

  “That is good to hear.”

  It was only when she lit up with excitement that he realized he shouldn’t have mentioned that topic at all, particularly around Caroline Bingley. She might take it as encouragement, and he quickly sought to shut it down. “Truly, I am in no hurry to reopen the nursery at Pemberley. That would require taking a wife, and I find that a dreadful prospect at this point in time.”

  She looked crestfallen. “I see. I suppose men do have the luxury of taking their time to find a suitable wife, even a man in your position. Tongues do wag about how you have not yet, so you must be brave to ignore the idle gossip.”

  He couldn’t discern if she were trying to hit out at him subtly, or if she were trying to imply something as a warning. Perhaps she was simply trying to goad him into requesting what information she had heard. No doubt, it would confirm the ton speculated he would never marry for immoral reasons, despite whether or not that was true. Caroline was certainly one for manipulation, and he refused to rise to it. He simply shrugged. “Gossips do enjoy the sound of their own voices, but that makes little difference to me.”

  “Most admirable.” She looked only vaguely disappointed, but at least she descended into silence.

  Georgiana arrived a few minutes later, and Caroline had to praise her on how quickly she had changed, making Fitzwilliam resist the urge to roll his eyes. If Caroline thought he would soften toward her and consider her as a possible bride just because she was trying to ingratiate herself with Georgiana, she did not know Fitzwilliam well enough at all.

  Even if Georgiana and Caroline had been the best of friends, he would not have married the woman just because his sister asked him to. He would do much for Georgiana, but he refused to consign himself to an unhappy marriage even for her.

  The ride had gone longer than expected, but it was simply because Fitzwilliam had yet to see the object of his quarry. Of course, Georgiana remained oblivious, and she was not complaining about the length of the ride. He knew of days she’d spent riding all over Pemberley in the accompaniment of her companion and a groom, and he imagined she could spend just as many hours on horseback as she could in front of the pianoforte, happily losing herself in the experiences.

  Finally, his search bore fruit as he caught sight of a slender figure ahead of them. He pulled gently on Goliath’s reins, urging the horse to slow to a walk, and Georgiana immediately did the same. No doubt, she had seen Miss Bennet as well.

  He was certain it would be the right Miss Bennet, but he couldn’t confirm until they got closer, and she turned to face them. Her bonnet had obscured most of her face, but now when she looked at them, he recognized Elizabeth Bennet, and his heart skipped a beat. It was a most undisciplined reaction, but she had a tendency to undo him despite his best efforts to resist.

  She lifted a hand and waved to both of them, and she did not seem unduly irritated to see him. He took that as a good sign as he dismounted Goliath. He walked over to assist Georgiana, but she had already gotten off the horse and stood with Elizabeth.

  He approached, recalling Georgiana mentioning the Bennet sisters had come for tea yesterday. He did not know if it had been all the Bennet sisters, but he imagined Lizzy had been included, so they likely knew each other, but he wanted to make sure. “Miss Bennet, have you met my sister?”

  She nodded, and her smile seemed genuine as she bestowed it upon Georgiana. “I have. We had tea together yesterday.”

  He nodded, satisfied introductions had been handled. “How are you feeling?” Perhaps he should’ve been more subtle with his question, but her state had weighed on his mind for too long.

  Her eyes widened for a moment, and she obviously sensed he was asking about more than just her general state of health. After a moment, she shrugged. “I suppose I am fine. I recovered from the excitement quite well, though Mama insisted I take to my bed for at least two days. I managed to wheedle that down to twelve hours.”

  She laughed, slightly self-deprecatingly, and he found it charming. He realized he was grinning like a fool and quickly regained control of his cheek muscles. “No doubt, that was quite a feat to win a negotiation with your mother.”

  Lizzy laughed again. “It can be when she sets her mind to something.” She turned to Georgiana then. “Are you feeling better? Did you rest sufficiently last night, Miss Darcy?”

  “I do feel better,” said Georgiana. She looked it too. There was color back in her cheeks, and their extended ride had obviously benefited her.

  “Excellent.”

  For a moment, Darcy had the strange impulse to tell Lizzy about the piece of fabric he’d found in the brambles outside Meryton, but he held back. For one thing, it was completely inappropriate to confide in her, because he did not wish for her to run off and endanger her safety, but for another, he was nonplussed by the urge to work with her again on the matter.

  He managed to quell it and withdraw some of his enthusiasm for their interactions. They managed civil discourse for a few minutes before Lizzy announced she should return home before her mother worried, and she parted with his sister’s reminder the ball was coming soon, and she promised Georgiana she would be there.

  They watched her walk away for a second before Georgiana got on her horse, and Darcy remounted Goliath. They kept the horses at a much slower pace as they returned to Netherfield.

  “Miss Bennet is quite nice.”

  “Yes, I suppose she can be.” For him, she was mostly associated with confusion and conflict, though he couldn’t deny he enjoyed trading banter with her. He’d seen her be nice to others, including George Wickham, which still made his nose curl with displeasure.

  “Do you like her, Fitzwilliam?” Georgiana seemed shy as she asked the
question, probably realizing it was beyond the bounds of propriety even for siblings.

  He did not take her to task for that. Instead, he struggled to craft an answer that would not encourage Georgiana to think there was anything between him and Miss Bennet that didn’t exist. “Her family is unsuitable. They are uncouth, and her younger sisters run wild. Her mother would be a burden to any man who chose to marry Miss Bennet.”

  Georgiana seemed to accept his word on the matter and changed the subject to the beauty of the leaves starting to change color. It was a mundane topic, but he embraced it, taking advantage of the moment to quiz Georgiana on how plants grew, to ensure she had received satisfactory instruction on the topic from her governess. He was pleased when she gave him the correct answer, and that segued into more academic conversation, much to his relief.

  4

  Lizzy had wandered farther afield than usual for her morning walk, finding herself near Netherfield a couple of days later, though she had no reason to walk this way. If she went much farther, she might end up in front of the house and spotted by someone. Then she would be expected to stop and make a social call. This early in the morning, that would be frowned on, though she supposed it would be further proof for Mr. Darcy that she and her family lacked all manner of decorum.

  She tried to find the humor in that, but she realized she was uncomfortable with him maintaining that impression of her and Jane, at least. The family was unorthodox, and she would be the first to admit her mother in particular could be dreadfully embarrassing, but Jane and Lizzy conducted themselves with proper behavior, and she resented being tarred with the same brush.

  She jolted to a halt when she heard crying. She turned to follow the sound, soon coming upon Georgiana leaning against a tree. She was wiping tears from her eyes and hiccuping. Lizzy rushed forward. “Are you injured, Miss Darcy?”