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~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

“It is time to depart; I have the missive from Collins,” Fitzwilliam told his brother and cousin. “He asks that we have Wicky be very candid.”

“Will the miscreant know that he will have an audience?” Hilldale asked.

“No. He will be unaware and think this is all for his benefit. We will make sure he knows which prison he is to go to will depend on his being absolutely honest,” Fitzwilliam responded. As he had notified the stables they would need three horses ready, they rang for the butler. “Mr Nichols, have the grooms bring our horses to the drive in front of the house.”

The butler bowed and left to execute the colonel’s orders.

A few minutes later, the three were galloping towards Meryton.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The Fitzwilliam brothers and their cousin were seated in Colonel Forster’s office when the prisoner was led in. Wickham looked nothing like the suave, self-assured man who manipulated others at will. He was dirty, still had the stench of urine about him, and thanks to his brush with Fitzwilliam, he had missing teeth, some of which used to form that winning smile of his.

“Have you come to gloat?” Wickham demanded. He was in irons, so there was no hope of escape, even without the men in the room.

“Well, I cannot be honest and say it is not good to see you finally having to pay the piper, but that is not why we are here today,” Fitzwilliam taunted the wastrel. “You have one chance to help yourself.” There was no missing how Wickham’s face lit up. “No, Wicky, you are not escaping your responsibilities. What I am about to propose will mean the difference between King’s Bench[5] and Marshalsea.”

“You would not send me to King’s Bench, would you?” Wickham cried. “I have heard that it makes Marshalsea seem like a paradise.”

“And that is true,” Fitzwilliam agreed. “All it will take to be placed in the latter prison and not the former is for you to do something you almost never do—tell the truth. We will ask you questions. As long as you are as detailed as possible and do not lie, even in the smallest measure, then to Marshalsea you will go. Do you understand me?”

Wickham nodded. He would do anything not to be thrown into King’s Bench.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Bennet looked at his cousin quizzically when his carriage halted at the entrance to Colonel Forster’s rented house that abutted his regiment’s offices. Collins looked annoyingly stoic.

As perturbed as she had been to be taken somewhere without being told where, Lydia was delighted with where they had stopped. Perhaps Mamma had done this so she would be able to see Wicky and ask why he had not met her as he had promised he would.

Fanny and Kitty were flummoxed as to why they had been dragged out of bed and why they were now in the middle of Meryton.

William and Bennet assisted the three females to alight from the carriage.

Colonel Forster was waiting just outside of his door. “Welcome Mr Collins, Mr and Mrs Bennet, Miss Kitty, and Miss Lydia. Please follow me into the house; you are expected,” Forster stated. He turned and walked back into the abode.

The four Bennets were led into a sitting room. Inside were the two huge men, one officer and one sergeant-major, whom the Bennets had seen at the ball the previous evening. The four took seats, while surprisingly their cousin did not sit but rather turned towards them. The two enormous men stood behind him.

“All of us are about to hear a conversation between some men. The men are Viscount Hilldale, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Mr Darcy on one side and former Lieutenant Wickham on the other…” Collins stopped when the expected words erupted from Cousin Lydia’s mouth.”

“My Wicky! What do those men have to do with him…? Wait, did you say former lieutenant?” Lydia demanded.

“Indeed, his rank was stripped, and he was expelled from the militia,” Forster stated. “I would not have such a dishonourable man in my regiment. Now he is plain Mr Wickham.”

“Noooo! I wanted to marry an officer. How will I be the first to marry now?” Lydia lamented.

“Did you really believe that he was going to marry you when you snuck off to that old hunting lodge this morning?” William asked. “How about when you allowed him liberties on previous occasions?”

“Where did you go? And you did what?” Bennet thundered.

For once, the brash and fearless Lydia Bennet was afraid. How on earth did the parson know that she had been to the hunting lodge? Also, how did he know that she had allowed Mr Wickham more than just kissing?

“Cousin Bennet, there will be time for all of those questions afterward,” William said. “There are some rules, which, if needed, will be vigorously enforced. No matter what you hear, you may not speak or allow those speaking to know we are here. For now, these men and four others work for me. If they even suspect one of you is about to break the rule I laid out, they will gag you first and then bind you. Do you all understand? I do not want anyone to claim ignorance after the fact.”

“I agree, as do my wife and daughters, do you not?” Bennet insisted.

Fanny was about to complain, but her husband’s look silenced her. She nodded, as did her two youngest girls.