Page 48 of Bitterness of Spirit

Darcy readily caught the true meaning of the question. “Bingley has been out of Town for several months, but I expect him to return soon.” Darcy hesitated a moment then continued, looking at his guest. “I hope he will return before Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth depart for Hertfordshire. He would be pleased to meet them again, I am sure.”

“I also hope he returns. I invited them to stay in Town for the rest of the season. Mr. Bennet will join us too.”

Distress wrapped Darcy one more time. Would Elizabeth stay in Town for another month? Only a street away from him? He planned to return to Pemberley as soon as possible, but how could he embrace such a plan under the circumstances?

Wilson set down his coffee cup. “I should leave now; it is quite late. I trust we shall see each other often from now on. There is one more issue I need to clarify while I am here. About your father’s will and your decision to ignore it: I am, of course, in no position to demand an explanation or to judge you without knowing all the details. But I was quite disturbed by the news that George Darcy’s wish remained unfulfilled after his death.”

Wilson pretended it was not a demand or a judgement, but Darcy felt both of them harshly. The man in front of him was assuming his fault and unfairness. He should have called him out without delay.

Instead, he breathed deeply and poured himself another cup of coffee. “I know not what falsehoods Wickham has spread about me, but I am not ignorant of the fact that people in Meryton believed him—including Miss Elizabeth. To her, I hope things are clearer now she has read my letter. I would never disregard my father’s will, and I never did.”

Wilson said nothing, only poured himself another cup of coffee while Darcy continued to speak until his entire history with Wickham was revealed to a man he had only known a few hours. With each word, he felt more and relieved and at ease, as though a heavy burden was rising from his chest.

“Last year, I crossed paths with him again when he attempted to deceive and hurt someone in my family. The matter is too painful and private to be discussed, but the harm he did, despite my timely intervention, will be hard to overcome. I told him that, if he dared to trouble me ever again, he would have to bear the most severe consequences. So he disappeared for several months—until I discovered him in Meryton, enrolled in the militia. The rest of the story you know.”

When he finished, he felt more heart-lighted than he had in a long while. He filled his glass again then offered to do the same for his guest. But Wilson’s face was dark, his eyes blurred with unrestrained ire.

“So, this pathetic wretch betrayed George’s affection and trust. He deceived his godfather and took advantage of his generosity. Then he demanded a compensation that he received, returned to ask for more, and when you refused it, he attempted to take revenge against you by slandering your name and character. Do I understand you correctly?”

Darcy smiled bitterly. “Yes, that is an accurate summary, indeed. I confess I would have given him more if I had proof he wished to change his life and to study a profession. I wanted him to be successful in memory of my father’s affection. But his behaviour proved the otherwise.”

“But, Darcy, why did you not say anything before now?”

“I believed I had no business sharing something so private with the public. I thought his conduct would speak for itself. Besides, I could not risk a disagreement that could have jeopardised my family and my name.”

“So you granted him the freedom to ruin your reputation!” Wilson concluded furiously.

“Perhaps, I should have warned people in Meryton about his character, but it is too late now. Besides, who would have believed me over him? Everybody liked Wickham, and—as you said—the general opinion of me was so low that my word was little valued,” Darcy admitted.

“That was your fault! You should have fought more to expose Wickham,” Wilson said with increasing rage.

“You may be right, but it is all in the past now. I am not certain I shall ever return to Meryton.”

“And you intend to peacefully allow Wickham to continue his scams?”

“Not quite. I shall think on this matter further. I was disturbed to see how easily even a bright young woman such as Miss Elizabeth can fall for his lies. So I must do something to avoid that ever happening again.”

“Yes...we should discuss this more, but not now. It is very late; I shall leave now. I thank you for trusting me with this private information. I can imagine how difficult it must have been for you, and I suspect that tomorrow, when you wake up rested without brandy influencing your mind, you will be outraged by our conversation. But know that there is nobody you can trust more than me. All the loyalty I owed to your father I shall bestow on you.”

“This has been a strange night—a most astonishing one, for certain. I wonder what will happen tomorrow. For now, I realise that I told you everything and you, sir, told me nothing. You succeeded in discovering all my secrets and betrayed none of yours. You possess dangerous skills to make me speak so openly, Mr. Wilson.”

“Darcy, I apologize if you feel this way. It was not my intention, but we needed to settle the things that induced me to barge into your house against every rule of decorum. I shall gladly tell you everything you need to know about me whenever you desire.”

“Will you not tell me anything now—at least enough to remove some of my doubts about you?”

“What would you like to know?”

“Where have you been all this time? And why did you keep your life so secretive from my father whom you pretended was your best friend?”

“I left as I had no choice. Only your father knew my reason, and I cannot share it with you—or any other living soul. I wandered around for a few years; I found a job on a ship, and I travelled on the sea until I forgot the taste of dry land. I sailed around Europe, and then I crossed the ocean to America for the first time.”

“First time?”

“Yes. It happened twice more in the following years. Everywhere I went, I struggled to earn as much money as possible. That was my only goal.”

“My father told me you sent him a significant amount of money several years after your departure.”

“Yes. Some was for my family to help them improve their lives. George delivered it right away, and they moved to Town. The rest was for your grandfather. Since I could not find another way to show my gratitude for his generosity to me, I thought I should at least repay some of his expenses for my education.”