“One would think,” Darcy agreed. “But I have seen it before.”
“Then we must investigate thoroughly,” said Bingley.
“The trick will be to ensure Wickham does not see what we are about,” said Darcy. “If he has any notion of it, he will flee at the first opportunity.”
Hurst eyed him. “Perhaps that may be for the best. Desertion may bring about a severe punishment such as a transfer to the fighting in Spain.”
“I should think the consequences will already be severe,” said Bingley. “If he flees, the hunt for him will be a bother—better he does not escape.”
Though Hurst nodded, he said nothing further. For the rest of the journey, they spoke of how they would go about their business, Darcy insisting he would take on the expense himself. Neither of his companions gainsaid him, both knowing of his implacable nature when he set his course, and understanding it was, in part, because he had not seen fit to warn the community against Wickham before.
Once they arrived in Meryton, Darcy looked about, and seeing no sign of Wickham, nodded with satisfaction. Then he turned to his companions.
“It is possible that Wickham is far too focused on his activities to notice us, but his sense of impending danger is almost occult.”
“Then I suggest we conclude this business as expeditiously as possible,” said Hurst with a curt nod. “There is no need to learn the extent of his debts at once.”
“That would be for the best,” said Darcy. “If we confirm he has existing debts at a few merchants I suspect are most likely to hold them, we can take our findings to the colonel. Then he can investigate the true scope of Wickham’s activities.”
“Very well,” said Bingley. “Perhaps we should split up the most likely merchants between us.”
Darcy agreed and they separated. Darcy’s first stop was the linen-draper, a shop that had a prominent place on Meryton’s wide thoroughfare. The proprietor was a bluff, pleasant man, perhaps five and forty, with kind eyes and an efficient manner. As Darcy had never frequented the shops, the man did not recognize him, which was perfect for Darcy’s purposes. When Darcy spoke of his errand, the man frowned, not liking what he was hearing.
“Mr. Wickham, you say?” The man nodded, reaching for a metal box under the counter. “He visits my shop often, sir. I’ve given him some credit, but he paid me some of it just last week.”
Not wanting to alarm the man without reason, and above all to prevent him from doing something that would alert Wickham to the danger, Darcy nodded, allowing him to open the box and rummage through the papers it contained. For several moments the man separated the papers into several piles, muttering to himself, his expression going darker the longer he worked. Several moments later, he looked up.
“What have you to do with Wickham?”
“Can I assume you have found more than you expected?”
Grimacing, the man spread out a stack of more than ten papers. “I had no notion it was so much. There may be as much as two or three pounds in total.”
Darcy offered a grim nod. “That is Wickham, to be certain. He is skilled, building trust by paying a few markers here and there, but always accumulating more.”
A shrewd glance was the man’s reply. “You are here to expose him.”
It was not a question, and Darcy did not treat it as one. “I am,” said Darcy. “Wickham has long been a millstone around my neck—I mean to remove it once and for all. To that end, I should like to purchase his debts.”
The merchant brightened. “Of course, sir. Let me tally them and give you a total, then we may settle his accounts.”
“Very well. Please say nothing to anyone—I have friends speaking with the other merchants. When we have enough, we will take the receipts to the colonel.”
After Darcy left the establishment with the merchant’s assurances, his last glimpse of the man was his frown as he inspected the other papers. Darcy had no notion if they were from other members of the regiment or the townsfolk, but he suspected that giving credit would become less attractive in the near future. That was likely for the best, especially as there was an entire company of men all but unknown to the merchants in the district for the next several months at least.
From there, Darcy visited two other shops and found the same result—Wickham did not owe as much at either, but any debts at all were troubling. It was nothing less than Darcy expected, of course, as he had seen the same pattern before. Being proven correct gave him no satisfaction. It did, however, fill him with a greater resolve to make certain Wickham did not prey on any more unsuspecting victims.
“This friend of yours has been busy,” said Hurst when they met again by the carriage.
“What astonishes me is that none of the merchants confer with each other,” said Bingley, shaking his head. “If myancestors ran their business this way, I could not even consider the purchase of an estate.”
“They are too trusting, to be certain,” agreed Darcy. “What have you found?”
The amount when totaled was less than Wickham had owed at Lambton, but more than Cambridge, ruinous by any reasonable standard, and they had only canvassed the most likely shops. When all the merchants had added their receipts to the total, it would be a prodigious amount, indeed. Darcy could only shake his head in disgust.
“Wickham has become even more proficient. This is beyond anything I might have expected.”
“And he has done it in only two months,” said Bingley. “What sort of man is he?”