“Consequence of Courage” Chapter-3

Hello, dear Janeites!

The month of May is in full swing and I don’t know about you, but reading always makes me happy. I was just speaking to a new friend about how books have shaped my life. What a wonderful way to get lost from our own troubles and sorrows, am I right?  And what better way than ANOTHER happily ever after starring our favorite couple?

We are now in chapter 3 of Consequence of Courage. For a quick recap, Elizabeth thwarted Wickham’s plan in Ramsgate and Wickham pushed her into a rosebush and tore her gown. VERY ungentlemanly, if you ask me!  After returning home from Netherfield, Elizabeth caught Jane’s cold and has been unable to go to Meryton or attend her Aunt Phillip’s card party, keeping her from properly meeting  this new officer her sisters have been swooning over.

I hope you enjoy this UNEDITED version of chapter three!

Monday, November 16, 18___

“My dear, I hope you have prepared a good dinner tonight,” Mr. Bennet said, laying down a letter he had been reading.

“Why are we to have a guest? Jane?” she asked, turning to her eldest. “Is Mr. Bingley to dine with us?”

“Not that I am aware, Mama.”

“It is not Mr. Bingley, and we are to have no one dine with us. In fact, someone is not dining with us, and that is why we are celebrating.” The girls sat awkwardly looking at him, waiting for him to continue. “About a month ago, I received a letter from my cousin who is to inherit the estate, and about a fortnight later I replied. He was scheduled to arrive this afternoon, but I just received this letter that he has had to delay his journey due to illness.”

“You were not going to inform me that that man would arrive today until today? You have no compassion, Mr. Bennet.”

“Yes, well, it is all for naught, as he has postponed his trip until after the New Year, so things are as they were with no harm done. Now, I am sure the youngest girls will want to go into town to see the officers, and the eldest two shall accompany them.”

“Papa, I would rather not, if it is all the same. I have a headache and would like to lay down,” Elizabeth said, touching her temple.

“Let Mary go with the girls as Mr. Bingley may call today, and Jane needs to be home,” Mrs. Bennet said, already having forgotten her husband’s transgression. “And Mary, see to the post while you are in town.”

“Very well. Mary,” he said addressing his third daughter. “If at any point you believe your sisters are misbehaving, you have my permission to quote scripture to them in attempts to save their mortal souls.”

“She would do that without your permission, Papa,” Lydia said rolling her eyes. “Come, Kitty,” the youngest Bennet said, grabbing her bonnet and pelisse. “We can outrun Mary and then we won’t have to listen to her.”

The girls screeched as they slammed the door, and ran down the gravel drive. Elizabeth reached up and touched her head.

“Why do you have a headache, my dear?”

“I am unsure, Papa. I have not been sleeping well since we returned from Netherfield and hope I am not catching Jane’s cold.”

“It would make sense if you did, since you nursed her back to health. Retreat to your room. I will have Hill check on you later.”

“Thank you, Papa.”

XXXXX

“Lydia, Kitty, slow down!” Mary shouted after her younger sisters, who had waited only to reach the high street before bounding away from her like children. Luckily it wasn’t market day so they were not hard to miss, and even if it was, Mary need only search for a grouping of officers. Her sisters would always be in the midst of the men. Today was no exception, and as she crossed the road to make her way down towards the bakers, there were her sisters openly flirting and hanging on two officers whom they had had an acquaintance with for several days. The other man, who was not wearing regimentals, looked on with what Mary would characterize as a pleased expression.

“Kitty, Lydia. A lady does not run through town attaching herself to single men,” she whispered coming up to the girls. “Come, we must go to the post for Mama.”

“You go to the post. We are enjoying the company of the officers and our new friend. What was your name, Sir?”

“Mr. Wickham at your service, Miss Lydia.”

Lydia giggled at his knowing her name. “There, Mary. Now we are all acquainted and not one stranger among us, except you. Go get the post. We will wait here.”

The two youngest Bennets tittered while wrapping their fingers around an arm of each officer and Mary sniffed before walking away. She quickly retrieved the post as her mother asked, and while walking from the building stopped at the sound of approaching horses. Riding down the road came Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. They pulled up to the group of officers and Mr. Bingley began to enquire after the family in his jovial way, when Mary was arrested by the sight of Mr. Darcy and the newcomer. Mr. Darcy’s countenance turned red and the other white as no words were exchanged between them, before both men from Netherfield turned their horses towards Longbourn and departed.

XXXXX

“Oh, Mama. I just met the man I will marry!” Lydia said, charging into the room and stopping short when seeing visitors.

Darcy and Bingley stood waiting for the young girl and her sisters to take a seat before returning to their chairs.

“Lydia, what is this?  What are you talking about?  Has someone made you an offer?  I knew it would be so, as you are the liveliest of my daughters.”

“And the tallest.”

“Yes, dear girl, and the tallest. Now tell us about this young man. Who have you most recently met?”

“ Only the most handsome man ever to wear regimentals. His name is Wickham,” she said looking at Darcy, “and he is taking a commission in the militia.”

Darcy inhaled and turned his head to look out the opposite window.

“Oh, that is wonderful! And I am certain you will look so elegant on his arm at Mr. Bingley’s ball!”

“Mr. Bingley is to have a Ball? Then I must have a new dress, for I wouldn’t want my future intended to see me in the old rags I am forced to wear.”

“Yes, yes, my dear, as you should!” Mrs. Bennet fluttered, all but ignoring the guests.

Bingley stood. “We have stayed past our time, but are grateful to see you in improving health, Miss Bennet, and if I may be so bold as to claim the first two dances at the ball?” He smiled down at Jane.

“I would like that very much, Sir.” She demurred looking up to meet his gaze.

Mr. Darcy stood as well. “Mrs. Bennet, thank you for the hospitality, and if you would please give Miss Elizabeth our regards and extend our well wishes for her improved health.”

“Thank you, Sir. I will.”

“Come, Darcy,” Bingley said.

The men collected their hats from the servants, mounted their horses and departed.

“Lydia,” Jane said, turning to her sister. “We cannot pronounce we will marry someone after our first meeting. I am sure he is a nice young man, but you do not know anything about his character.”

“I know all I need to. He was a good friend to Mr. Darcy until that mean man stole his living from him.”

“What?” Jane gasped.

“It is true,” Kitty said, bounding into the room. Not to be outdone by her younger sister, she continued, “He began to tell us the story, but then Colonel Forster called for him and he departed with the other officers.”

“No matter,” Lydia said tossing her head and reaching for a small biscuit. “He is coming to Aunt Phillip’s tonight for supper and cards. He will tell me there.”

“Lydia,” Jane repeated. “A new acquaintance should not be divulging such personal information. You barely know him.”

“Oh, but I will know him better soon. As I told you. I am going to marry him, Jane. Just you wait and see.”

XXXXX

He was here. Here in Hertfordshire. Wickham! Darcy rode hard away from Longbourn, grateful to have exercise to purge himself of the man who had almost ruined his most beloved sister. Dear Georgiana! How could a man whom I grew up with and thought of as a brother for more than half my life have attempted to elope with her for her dowry alone? “Because he is selfish and wished to avenge himself upon me,” he whispered as he slowed to a canter and waited for Bingley to catch up.

When he chose to take the three thousand pounds instead of the living my father had bequeathed him, it was wise for me to have had him sign the document renouncing claim on any further appointments of a living. That Mr. Medford should die within the year, was unfortunate. However, that Wickham had come back knocking on my door was not unexpected. According to my cousin he had become even more entrenched in the gambling halls of London than I imagined.

“Darcy!  Slow down, old man!  What has gotten into you? It is as if you were riding to beat the devil himself.”

Darcy smirked inwardly at the comparison, and schooled his features as his friend pulled up along side him. “Forgive me, Bingley. Ulysses had pent up energy.”

He laughed in reply. “No need to apologize. I am just grateful I brought my racer with me this morning, otherwise we would never have caught up to you.” After a few more minutes of riding aimlessly towards Netherfield, Bingley said, “How odd to see Wickham after so many years. It appears he has fallen further since University days.”

“Yes.”

“And it also appears he did not study the law as he told all and sundry was his plan after your father’s death.”

“So it seems.”

“I wonder why he has joined the militia? At seven and twenty he should be leading those officers, not imbibing with them in the pubs of Meryton.”

“I agree. But, a leopard never loses its spots. He is what he will always be.”

“Are you certain?”

“Most decidedly!”

Bingley was quiet as the men continued towards Netherfield. “Well, then we must speak up before he has an opportunity to ruin ladies and run up debts.” Darcy turned to Bingley with a raised brow, a silent question on his features.

“It is the gentlemanly thing to do. I am certain you would agree you would not want him to impose upon your sister. As we know what he is, we need to protect those who do not. I believe there is too often a code among men to not divulge another’s unseemly behavior for fear it will come back to haunt them. Yet, I am sure Frederick Medford wished someone had spoken up before he had to send his sister to Ireland to have Wickham’s child.”

“What?”

“You did not know?” Bingley asked as their horses grazed in to lower pasture on the outskirts of the property. “No, I am sure you did not. No one did. I found Freddy deep in his cups outside my room one night barely able to walk. I brought him in to make him a coffee and he confessed all. He felt he’d failed his father who had been dead only eight months, and his sister was not yet out.

“Wickham had come home with him two months previous to ‘help with estate business’ since his father was your father’s steward.” Bingley glanced at Darcy before allowing his eyes to roam back to the field in front of them. “Freddy had received an express hours before I found him, from his mother. He had searched for Wickham, but he had left for Pemberley to see your father. Freddy sobered up and I put him in the carriage a few hours later. When next I saw him, he told me of his sister and we swore not to speak of it again.”

The question in Darcy’s eyes gave Bingley the freedom to continue. “Young Miss Medford, who never had a London season, is now the wife of Lord Donneley, a sixty-something year old childless man, in County Cork, Ireland.”

Darcy’s jaw clenched, attempting to betray none of the emotions as Bingley’s story hit so close to the mark.

“You are right, Bingley.”

“Shall we turn back and ask to speak with Mr. Bennet?”

“No. We will return to Longbourn tomorrow after our ride with your Steward. Wickham has been in town for less than forty-eight hours. There has been no time for him to ruin any lady as of yet.”

And there you have it, dear readers!  Chapter 3 of “The Consequence of Courage.” What do you think will happen since they didn’t turn around?  How will that decision affect the Ladies of Longbourn? One in particular. Please tell me what you think about this chapter in the comments below. Have a wonderful day!