Wickham's Diary (7 page)

I went to the tailor’s today to order a new coat and then stopped at the jewellers to buy a diamond pin for my cravat. I had to go to the less fashionable establishments where I was not known, otherwise the shopkeepers would never have given me credit, but what do I care about such small matters now? All that was in the past. Before long I will have credit everywhere again, not only as a wealthy man, courtesy of his wife’s fortune, but also as a member of the Darcy family. What a wonderful thing fate is! Not only is it going to bring me a wealthy bride, it is going to make me Darcy’s relation. In a few weeks time, he will no longer be able to regard me as a servant; he will have to call me his brother-in-law!

I had a letter from Belle this morning. She and Georgiana are settled in Ramsgate. As they do not know anyone, there will be no danger of anyone seeing me paying my addresses and no one to interfere. Darcy has no plans to visit, being too busy with business at the moment, and so it is time for me to put my plan into action. I am looking forward to it. Revenge and riches! What more could a man want? The summer promises to be an interesting one.

A fine day, exactly the sort of day I wanted, with a smiling sea, a gentle breeze, a blue sky and white clouds floating across it. The poets themselves could not have designed a better day for my purposes.

At eleven o’clock exactly I set out from my lodgings. At a quarter to twelve, I saw Belle walking along the promenade towards me with her charge. I was elated to see that Georgiana was even more beautiful than I expected. Her figure was light and pleasing, her complexion was clear, her eyes were dark and lovely and her hair was thick and lustrous.

I carried on walking and we drew level and then I feigned a look of surprise and said, ‘Why, if it isn’t Georgiana! Or Miss Darcy I should say.’

I turned the full force of my charm on her and she exclaimed, ‘George!’

The delight in her voice went straight to my heart, or I should say, straight to my pocket.

Belle, playing her part magnificently, said to Georgiana, ‘Do you know this gentleman, Miss Darcy?’

‘Oh, forgive me, Mrs Younge. Of course you do not know him, but yes, I do. I should not have spoken to him if we were not acquainted, I do assure you. This is…’

‘Mr George Wickham, at your service, ma’am,’ I said, making Belle a low bow. ‘An old friend of the Darcys.’

‘Oh!’ said Belle, her voice warming. ‘You are known to Mr Darcy?’

‘I am indeed.’

‘George grew up with Fitzwilliam,’ said Georgiana. Then she hesitated, as though remembering that recently we had not been friends.

Belle took her opportunity, however, and said, ‘In that case, you must join us for dinner, Mr Wickham. If you are willing to take potluck we will be honoured to see you. Will we not, Miss Darcy?’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Georgiana, overcoming her brief anxiety. ‘Yes, we will. It is nice to see a familiar face.’

‘And a friendly face,’ I said to her. Then, turning to Belle, I said, ‘Thank you for the invitation. I would be delighted to accept.’

‘Then we will see you at six o’clock,’ she said.

I bowed and walked on, returning to my lodgings by a circuitous route.

It was not until a few hours later, at two o’clock, that I learned how Georgiana had reacted to our meeting; Belle, on pretence of ridding herself of a headache, had excused herself from her charge and once again taken a walk by the sea.

‘Where is Georgiana?’ I asked.

‘Practising the pianoforte. Have no fear. She will not discover us. She is very obedient and will not venture out of the house without my permission.’

‘You did well to seize the moment and invite me to dinner,’ I said. ‘I saw her wavering and I thought we were undone. Has she said anything to you about me?’

‘Yes. She said that she was not sure her brother would like you joining us for dinner because the two of you had argued. I said that she should not trouble herself about it, that men were always arguing about politics or business or world affairs and that it meant nothing. She relented at that and said that the girls at her seminary were often arguing as well, but that the arguments were soon forgotten. Then I sealed the matter by asking her if her father had approved of you and she said that yes, you were a great favourite of his. So I told her that, in that case, she was right to offer you hospitality and extend to you every courtesy. You have only to flatter her a little and look at her appreciatively and the thing will soon be done.’

‘Good. The sooner the better. We do not want Darcy ruining our plans. He has no intention of coming here, I hope?’

‘He intends to call at the end of the month but not before, so you need not worry about it. By then your work will be done and you will be in Scotland.’

‘Ah! Scotland. It is a long time since I was there. I think I might stay there for a few weeks and give the fuss a chance to die down. Georgiana can write to Darcy once we are married, and then a tour of the highlands will give us a chance to lose ourselves until Darcy has had time to accustom himself to the idea and to accept it. And what do you intend to do, once Georgiana has gone?’

‘I intend to be found searching for her, saying that I am beside myself with worry for she went to her room as usual the night before but when her maid went to draw back the curtains in the morning she had gone. I intend to hand him a note saying that she had eloped with the man of her dreams and then I intend to say that I have guarded her carefully and that she has not spoken to any young men, except his friend Mr Wickham.’

I laughed.

‘I wish I could be there to see his face when he hears my name.’

‘If you are there to see his face he will see yours and then you are ruined,’ she said. ‘You must be well away before that happens, safely in Scotland, indeed safely married. Where will you go after your tour? You cannot stay in the highlands forever.’

‘To London, perhaps, or to the country, to buy a home of our own. A large house in ample grounds, a gentleman’s residence, with a river running through it. We can entertain there. We can invite Darcy to dinner!’

‘I wouldn’t mind a little home in the country myself,’ said Belle. ‘Nothing so grand as what you have in mind, but a comfortable little place with a maid to wait on me. I might buy something in your neighbourhood.’

‘Do, Belle, and we can carry on our friendship at close quarters. We will celebrate our luck together!’ I envisioned a happy future, with Belle to entertain me and Georgiana to be my beautiful, and very wealthy, wife. ‘But for now you had better go back or she will be missing you. I will see you at six o’clock.’

She hurried off and I returned to my lodgings, where a willing little chambermaid awaited me. I passed the afternoon pleasantly enough and then dressed with care, presenting myself punctually at Georgiana’s house. It was a respectable dwelling, nothing too large, but ideally suited to being a young lady’s summer residence. I was shown in, and there was Georgiana looking very beautiful, her Darcy profile classically handsome, her figure graceful and elegant. Her dress was very costly and her shoes, dyed to match, were as expensive as her dress. She rose to meet me and I caught the scent of lavender and roses.

Belle stood respectfully behind her, looking demure and respectable.

Georgiana was suddenly overcome with shyness, for she was not used to the role of hostess, and so Belle prompted her, saying, ‘Miss Darcy.’

Georgiana looked flustered but she welcomed me all the same, saying, ‘Mr Wickham, welcome,’ with all the consciousness of a young lady welcoming a guest for the first time on her own.

‘Thank you, Georgie—but I must not call you that, you are a young lady now and not a child. I must call you Miss Darcy,’ I said with a charming smile.

She blushed but she looked pleased, and Belle cast me an approving glance.

‘Won’t you ask Mr Wickham to sit down?’ said Belle.

‘Oh, yes, please George, do sit down,’ said Georgiana.

Belle and I exchanged glances, for neither of us had missed Georgiana’s use of my name, and then I turned back to Georgiana.

She sat down and I followed suit, placing myself in a chair opposite her.

‘What a coincidence, your names being so similar, George and Georgiana, just like they are a pair,’ said Belle, filling the silence, for Georgiana was shy.

‘When I was younger, my mother called me Georgie, and Georgiana was also called by that name,’ I said, looking at Belle and then turning and smiling in a friendly fashion at Georgiana, who smiled in return.

‘I think you said your mother lived in Ramsgate, Mr Wickham?’ asked Belle, knowing I had said no such thing but wanting to give me an opportunity to speak.

‘No, alas, my mother is dead,’ I said.

And I felt real regret as I said it.

‘As mine is,’ said Georgiana.

We exchanged sympathetic glances.

‘I can see you have much in common,’ said Belle.

‘Indeed,’ I said. ‘We both lost our fathers some years ago, my father following Miss Darcy’s father to the grave within a matter of months. He was Mr Darcy’s steward.’

‘A fine occupation, and a very necessary one,’ said Belle. ‘Suitable for a gentleman, and yet at the same time of great use. So many gentlemen these days seem to fritter their time away on nothing. Miss Darcy and I were talking about it only the other day. Do you have a profession, Mr Wickham?’

‘Yes, I intend to go into the law.’

‘A noble calling,’ said Belle approvingly. ‘Do you not have family members in the law, Miss Darcy?’ asked Belle. ‘Was not your uncle a judge?’ Georgiana said that yes, that was so, and Belle remarked comfortably that interests in common were so important to friendship and she was sure she was delighted that Miss Darcy had found such a suitable companion in Ramsgate. ‘For the people hereabouts are not all of the right kind. You must ask Mr Wickham if he would care to join us for a picnic on the downs tomorrow,’ said Belle to Georgiana. ‘I would have suggested it last week, but without a gentleman to lend me his arm I could not have managed the hill and even you, my dear, I am persuaded would have found it difficult. But with a gentleman those kinds of things are so much easier.’

Georgiana invited me on the picnic and I accepted, saying I would be delighted to offer the ladies any assistance they might require.

It was time for dinner, and as we ate, we planned several excursions for the coming weeks. Georgiana became animated as we discussed picnics and boating parties, and by the time dinner was over she had lost her shyness around me and was treating me as she had done in the days, long gone, when we were all children together. Cries of, ‘Do you remember, George, when…?’ or ‘Did we not have fun on the day…?’ led to shared memories, and Belle smiled at us both benignly as we talked over old times.

‘And how is your playing coming along?’ I asked Georgiana as we moved into the drawing-room after dinner. ‘You always had a musical touch, though you were not always inclined to practise,’ I teased her.

‘Miss Darcy is a proficient,’ said Belle. ‘She excels at music; everybody says so. Her masters are very pleased with her. So are we all. Play something for Mr Wickham, my dear. That pretty tune you were practising this morning, perhaps.’

Georgiana sat down at the instrument and played a lively sonata. She really played well, and as I sat and watched her, I thought, I will make her happy. She will want for nothing as my wife. She will have clothes, jewels, a pianoforte, a horse, and a fine house to live in. And when Fitzwilliam sees how happy she is with me he will forgive me everything, particularly when the children come along, for then he will have nephews and nieces to strengthen the attachment between us. We will visit Pemberley at Christmas and Rosings at Easter and before very long, perhaps he will decide to do something for us and Georgiana and I will have an estate of our own.

As I thought of Darcy I remembered him as a lonely figure, surrounded by friends and yet somehow out of their reach. I remembered him saying that he was looking for something. I wondered if he had found it. I had certainly found what I was looking for, a rich, beautiful, and well-connected wife. So at ease did I feel, so at peace with the world, that I hoped he had found what he was looking for, too.

Georgiana finished her sonata and I congratulated her warmly. She smiled at my praise and Belle and I exchanged glances again. It would be easy to win her affections and make her agree to an elopement.

I have a few weeks in which to woo her and then it will be off to Gretna Green and a wedding over the anvil.

The weather could not have been more perfect for our picnic. I hired a carriage for the first part of the journey, but when we reached the downs I helped the ladies out. Then, giving them each an arm, I escorted them to a beauty spot with the coach driver carrying the basket. I thanked him for his trouble, paid him handsomely, and then set about helping the ladies to all the choice delicacies contained in the hamper.

Afterwards, Belle declared herself too tired to walk any further but said that we must not let that stop us, for she would enjoy watching us as much as she would have enjoyed walking with us.

I gave Georgiana my arm and we set off.

Luck was on my side. We had not been walking for more than five minutes when a sudden gust of wind blew her bonnet off and sent it tumbling down the hill. We both ran after it, just like children again, and did not see our danger until it was almost too late, for the downs fell away suddenly and Georgiana nearly ran over the edge. I caught her hand and pulled her back, dragging her into my arms. Our faces were inches apart and I felt her body melt into mine and I knew that she was attracted to me. I let her go, and I saw the reluctance in her eyes as she was forced to step away from me.

‘I am glad I found you again, Georgie,’ I said.

‘As am I,’ she whispered, overcome with confusion.

‘I am afraid your bonnet is lost,’ I said, as I watched the wind carry it out to sea. ‘But never fear, I will buy you another one.’

‘Oh, there is no need, I know you cannot afford it!’ she said.

I smiled.

‘What, do you think I am a pauper?’

‘Fitzwilliam says that your pockets are always to let,’ she told me.

‘When I was a student then yes, I admit, I spent unwisely, but I am older and wiser now. Young men are apt to be foolish, but maturity cures the problem you know.’

I gave her my arm and she hesitated.

‘Come now, we are old friends, are we not?’ I said.

She smiled shyly and took my arm. I covered her hand with my own and she looked up at me, her eyes drawn to mine. I looked steadily into her eyes and then, when her eyelids began to droop and her head inclined towards me of its own will, I said, ‘We must go back.’

She blushed and said, ‘Of course,’ and we walked back to Belle.

Belle had seen everything and cast a triumphant glance at me.

We had had the best of the weather. Clouds started to cover the sky and the breeze became colder. We gathered our things together and we went back to the carriage, just as it began to rain, and we were soon on our way back down to the town. I took my leave of the ladies and went to the milliners, where I bought the most beautiful bonnet in the window. And then I went to an out-of-the-way inn and entertained myself with a willing wench until the early hours.