Under the Harvest Moon: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Sophie Lynbrook

Author:Sophie Lynbrook [Lynbrook, Sophie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Not in Amazon Library, Alternate Universe, Humour
Amazon: B07KK6CFPG
Goodreads: 42816198
Published: 2018-11-14T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

While Mr. Darcy had been outdoors, Mr. Wickham had not seen him either, but he had seen Colonel Fitzwilliam to his great shock and disgust. Earlier, his duties had kept him in the town since the others had more experience at setting up a camp. He had heard of this officer from headquarters, but nobody had specified a name, and their paths had not crossed.

His first thought was to slink away from this party, but he was already engaged to dance. As a compromise, he had taken his partner to the further end of the lawn, where there was also the benefit of dimmer light, and he was thinking it would be best to slip away after the dance was over. If the colonel became aware of his presence, then he might feel compelled to say some unpleasant things to the other officers, and perhaps to Colonel Forster in particular. Unlike his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam was never held back by reserve, so he was quite likely to express the unfavourable opinion in which Mr. Wickham knew himself to be held.

He inwardly cursed his bad luck in coming across one of the two people who knew too much about him. The evening had begun with such promise, and by all accounts, the supper was not a thing to be missed. Perhaps he might remain long enough for the feast while carefully evading the colonel. After that, he could volunteer to take the place of one of those officers who had drawn a short straw and would be returning to the camp halfway through the evening to relieve the officers who had taken the first duty of supervision. That would earn him some good will.

This speculative plan came to an end when Colonel Fitzwilliam went to talk with a different group. Mr. Wickham looked up to see the enemy’s eyes upon him, and decided that he might as well brazen it out now. There would be no purpose to sacrificing his evening, and it would be better to know if the colonel was disparaging him.

It then occurred to him that he might discredit his detractor in order to salvage his own reputation. Colonel Fitzwilliam would soon be gone, and afterwards, Mr. Wickham could explain things away. He could make a great deal about his own sufferings at the hands of the colonel’s disagreeable cousin, who had been jealous of his father’s godson, and had set himself up to be the enemy of a poor young man who was trying to make his way in the world. The pride and arrogance of the Fitzwilliams and the Darcys could be mentioned. Mr. Wickham felt confident that he could tell the tale well and evoke the sympathy of his fellow officers.

It was unfortunate that Colonel Fitzwilliam seemed to making friends with everybody, but there was an answer to that as well. It need only be represented that he was indeed agreeable, but that he had been sadly misled by his cousin, in whom he had an unjustified trust.

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