However, he knew that he could rely on his sister to keep a secret.

“Miss Bennet had news from home, so that she must return to Hertfordshire, and is leaving today. It is a private matter, and something that she would not want mentioned abroad. As I must myself be away from here tomorrow, there is no need to tell Bingley or his sisters.”

Georgiana looked at him quietly for a moment, and seemed almost to intend a question.

But she only said, “I remember that you once told me in London that Miss Bennet was one of the few people you could rely on to keep a secret of yours. You can be sure that I will not tell the Bingleys, or anyone else. But I shall be very sorry not to see her tomorrow. Shall we meet her again at another time?”

That was a question to which Darcy would dearly have liked to have known the answer himself.

He contented himself with the reply that “Miss Bennet is someone whose acquaintance I value, as you know. I do very much hope that we shall both have the opportunity to see her again.”

And with that, Darcy went away to speak to Bingley. His friend, whilst as surprised as Georgiana that business would require him back in town so soon, gladly undertook to take good care of her in his absence. Then Darcy went to his study. He penned a short note to his cousin Fitzwilliam, which was sent immediately to Lambton to catch the express.

The rest of the day was spent pleasantly enough. Miss Bingley and her sister expressed regret that Darcy must leave them on the following morning, but little curiosity and no sorrow that, as a result, Miss Bennet and her relations from the city would not be coming to dine.


Darcy left in his coach at first light the following morning for London.

Without any company to distract him on the journey, his mind alternated between the events of the past few days and the task that might lie ahead.

What irony of fate was it that Wickham seemed to continue to have the power to injure him in those matters most dear to his heart!

Last year, it had been the attempt to elope with Georgiana from Ramsgate, which had so nearly succeeded. Only a few months ago, he had thought that the first and only person that he had ever wished to marry preferred Wickham to himself and had, as he subsequently discovered, been nearly deceived as to his true character. Certainly, Elizabeth Bennet’s opinion of himself had, from her remarks at Hunsford Parsonage, been damaged by Wickham’s recital of the history of their acquaintance.

And now, just as a most lucky chance had given him the opportunity to redeem her opinion of him, Wickham had been the reason for Miss Bennet returning to Hertfordshire because of her sister’s elopement.

The only remedy must be to find some way of making sure that Wickham married Lydia Bennet, and as soon as possible.

That would doubtless require parting with a significant sum of money. In itself, that concerned Darcy not at all, beyond regret that it should need to be expended on persons for whom he had no regard or respect, and who had no claim on his sympathy or generosity.

There was pain in the thought that he would most probably, if the matter were to be concealed from the world at large, need to locate the fugitives himself and negotiate directly with Wickham in order to achieve a satisfactory outcome to the affair. 

At this point, Darcy allowed his mind to stray to Miss Elizabeth Bennet and their recent acquaintance. She had been quiet, so very reserved, compared to their meetings in Kent, that had ended in that most painful encounter when she had rejected his proposal. But earlier, one evening at Rosings, she had conversed with both himself and Fitzwilliam in the lively manner that he had remembered from Hertfordshire.

“Shall we ask him why a man of sense and education, and who has lived in the world, is ill qualified to recommend himself to strangers?”

How such a remark from her with a smile could so touch his heart! He had long come to realise that her lively disposition would be of great advantage in balancing his own tendency to introspection. Her love of the country, her interest in reading, would match his own. And just a little hint of a compliment from Elizabeth Bennet gave him such comfort. And that, he thought, must be sufficient to sustain him until he should ever see her again.

What could the outcome have been if they had only had a little more time together in Derbyshire, perhaps on a drive out into the park at Pemberley? Likewise, the dinner that he had planned would have been another opportunity to try to remove the unfavourable impression she had formed of him.

At least, he might have been able to establish the foundations to take forward their acquaintance. Her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, had appeared cultivated people with whom he would have been happy to spend more time. With Miss Bennet, they had been most pleasant to Georgiana. He had noted that they had not been overborne by Miss Bingley’s manner, and had been courteous to his servants, a habit that lady did not favour. All in all, he was sorry not to have been able to see more of Elizabeth Bennet with her uncle and aunt. Especially in view of his comments to her about her family in April, he would have liked very much for her to have been certain of that.

That thought led him on to speculate about what was at that moment occurring at Longbourn, a house he had never seen. He was sure that Jane Bennet would be grateful for her sister’s return home.

Less pleasing were thoughts of the reception that Elizabeth Bennet might get from her mother; the vulgarity and lack of discretion that Mrs. Bennet had displayed so often in company, and on visiting her daughter Jane at Netherfield. Some months ago, the thought of that lady’s defects would have been enough for him to think no further of Elizabeth Bennet. Now, they were but an irritation, to be regretted, but ignored.

Thoughts of Netherfield brought his mind to Bingley. His delight in encountering Jane Bennet’s sister in Derbyshire had been very evident. If there was to be a successful outcome to the flight of Wickham and the youngest Miss Bennet, then Darcy must address the issue of his friend’s affections, which he had himself disrupted. He now tended to accept Miss Elizabeth’s judgement of the matter, and therefore that Jane Bennet had reciprocated his friend’s affections.

That brought Darcy’s thoughts back to his own affections and wishes.

If Elizabeth Bennet was ever to become the wife of a man of consequence and be able to move with ease in his own circle, without any reproach, the union between Lydia Bennet and Wickham must be accomplished. Otherwise, it would be a source of pain and embarrassment that Darcy would not have Elizabeth Bennet bear. At least he had the means, and perhaps Fitzwilliam had the knowledge, to accomplish a satisfactory outcome to that elopement.

What an irony it was that Wickham had pressed his attentions on such different characters as his sister Georgiana and Lydia Bennet, with equal success. Thus Darcy continued as the miles passed, his mind teasing away both at the problem of the moment, and the affections of many months. He might not relish the task ahead, but it must be done.

As night drew on, the coach reached the next town, and he took accommodation for the night.


Darcy left early the following morning and, by late afternoon, he was in his house in town.

He had no intention of contacting Mr. Bennet until some positive outcome seemed likely, so the next day he made various inquiries as to the whereabouts of Wickham and Miss Lydia Bennet, but to no avail. He concluded that he must await the reply to the letter he had addressed to his cousin. That came by the express two days later.

It was brief:


Dear Darcy,

I have received your note, and send my reply by express as you request.

When I paid Mrs. Younge last year the wages which you said should be given to her (which, as you will recall, I did not agree were due), she had taken a large house in Edward Street, and was then letting to visitors.

I have had no contact with her since. But I have no reason to believe that she should have moved from there.

Whatever the reason for you contacting her, I hope that it has nothing to do with Georgiana.

Yours,

James Fitzwilliam.


Darcy lost no time in calling for his coach, and setting off for Edward Street.

He located the house in question. Mrs. Younge was at home, but she was clearly not pleased to see him. Rather, she was defiant and, to begin with, disclaimed any knowledge of Wickham or where he was to be found.

It took Darcy several visits over the next two days before he could get from her what he wanted. It eventually became clear that she would not reveal where Wickham was without the assistance of a particular sum of money. But she did know where he was to be found, and that the youngest Miss Bennet was with him. Her friend had indeed gone to Mrs. Younge on his first arrival in London, with the intention of staying there, but the house was full. So Wickham had gone to another lodging, only a few streets away.

When he had ascertained what bribe would persuade her to tell him what he sought, and had passed it over, Darcy obtained the address. He went there straightway, and saw Wickham. Their conversation informed Darcy that marriage had never been his design. Wickham told him that he was obliged to leave the regiment, on account of pressing debts of honour but, despite Miss Bennet’s youth, he had no scruples about laying all the ill-consequences of her flight on her own folly.