Mr. Darcy's Diary

I felt a moment of compunction for abandoning my sister to such ill-natured company, but reflected that she would have her music and sketching to occupy her, and would have Bingley to amuse her, as well as Mrs Annesley, so that she would not be too sorely tried. Besides, I had no choice. I must find Wickham and repair the damage he had done.

I wanted to leave straight away, but various preparations had to be made, and I resolved to leave first thing in the morning.

Saturday 9th August

I arrived in London today and I knew where to start my search: with Mrs Younge. It was fortunate that I had turned her off without giving her a chance to pack her bags, because it meant that she had had to leave an address to which they could be sent. I found it soon enough, a large house in Edward Street.

‘Mr Darcy!’ she said in astonishment when she opened the door. Then she became wary. ‘What are you doing here? If it is to accuse me of taking the silver serving-spoons when I left Ramsgate, then it is a lie. I never touched them. I had my suspicions of Watkins –’

‘My visit has nothing to do with serving-spoons,’ I said, grateful that this was one domestic trouble I had been spared. ‘may I come in?’

‘No, you may not,’ she said, drawing herself up and pulling her shawl about her shoulders. ‘It’s lucky I have a roof over my head after you turned me off so cruelly, without even a reference. I had nowhere to go –’

‘But you seem to have done well for yourself,’ I remarked. ‘Tell me, Mrs Younge, how did you afford to take a house like this?’

She licked her lips. ‘I was left a legacy,’ she said. ‘And a good thing I was, after –’

‘I am looking for George Wickham,’ I said, not wanting to waste any more time on listening to her lies and deciding it would be useless to try and persuade her to let me in.

She looked surprised. ‘Mr Wickham?’

‘Yes. George Wickham.’

She became tight-lipped. ‘I haven’t seen him,’ she said.

It was obvious she was lying, but I knew I would get no more from her for the present.

‘Tell him I am looking for him. I will call back later.

Good day.’

I knew that, eventually, greed would compel her to seek me out. And with that I returned to Darcy House.

Monday 11th August

Mrs Younge came to see me this morning, as I knew she would.

‘You said you were looking for Mr Wickham?’ she asked, as my butler showed her in.

‘I am.’

‘I know where he is. I happened to meet him by chance in the park yesterday,’ she said. ‘I mentioned that you were in town, and he said he would be delighted if you would call on him.’

He thinks he can extract money from me, no doubt.

‘Very good. What is his address?’

‘Well, now, let me think. It was a funny name,’ she said, holding out her hand.

I put a sovereign into it.

‘If I can just remember it.’

It took me five sovereigns, but at last I found out what I wanted to know.

I went immediately to the address she had given me, and found that Wickham was expecting me.

‘My dear Darcy,’ he said, looking up at my entrance.

‘How good of you to find time to visit me.’

I looked around his lodgings. They were small and mean, and told me his situation must be desperate. I was pleased, as I knew it would make him more compliant.

‘Do sit down,’ he said.

‘I prefer to stand.’

‘As you wish.’

He himself sat down and lolled in his chair, resting his legs over the arm.

‘What brings you here?’ he asked, smiling up at me.

‘You know what brings me.’

‘I confess I am at a loss. You have decided to give me a living, perhaps, and have come to tell me the good news?’

His insolence angered me, but I kept my temper.

‘I have come to tell you what your own conscience should have told you, that you should never have abducted Miss Bennet.’

‘Miss Bennet?’ he asked, feigning astonishment. ‘But I have not seen Miss Bennet. I have been in Brighton, and she remained at Longbourn.’

‘Miss Lydia Bennet.’

‘Ah, Lydia. I did not abduct Lydia. She came with me of her own free will. I was leaving Brighton as my creditors were becoming rather vocal, and Lydia suggested she came with me. I tried to put her off. To be truthful, Darcy, she bores me. She is too easy a conquest. She convinced herself I was the handsomest man in the regiment, and the thing was done. I told her I had no money but she did not care. “I am sure you will have some one day,” she said. “Lord, what a lark!” I grew so tired of her pleading that it was easier to let her come with me than it was to make her stay behind. Besides, she has her uses,’ he said impudently.

At that moment the door opened, and Lydia herself came in.

‘Lord, what a surprise! Mr Darcy!’ she said, going over to Wickham. She stood beside his chair and rested one hand on his shoulder.

‘Mr Darcy has come to reprimand me for abducting you,’ said Wickham, covering her hand with his own.

She laughed at me.

‘My dear Wickham did not abduct me! Why should he? I was eager to see London. I told him he must take me with him. What fun it has been!’