Mrs Darcy (Complete)

Chapter 7

After having missed dinner, my mother told me it would be delivered to my room when I wanted it while she lead me through the mansion to the north drawing room where she said a gentleman wished to meet Annabelle and I. My sister was already waiting outside in the anti chamber with Fitzwilliam and I was a little flushed when my eyes first gazed upon him in that moment. "Right, here we are" My mother said with an excited sigh. "Mr Darcy, Eve, Annabelle" She started. She always addressed our names when she knew something serious was about to happen. "The gentleman in this room is a close friend of the elder Mr Darcy so you must be kind and cheerful when speaking to him" She said.

"Who is it?" Fitzwilliam asked my mother, standing with his hands behind his back.

The door opened up behind him from the drawing room and a gentleman stepped into the anti chamber. He had dark slicked back hair and a clean shaved face. He looked to be around the same age and Fitzwilliam and I, but he could have been mistaken to be my sister's age. "Good evening" The stranger said as Darcy turned to face him and almost immediately embraced the man.

I was confused and Annabelle came over to stand by me. "Who is he?" My little sister asked me.

I shook my head and held her hand. "I don't know" I replied in a soft voice.

Fitzwilliam turned and approached my sister and I with his friend. "Wickham, please let me introduce Miss Annabelle Baasch and Miss Eve Baasch. You are already aquatinted with Mr and Mrs Baasch, I presume" Fitzwilliam said. My sister and I both smiled kindly at the stranger.

"Yes I'm afraid to say that I am" Wickham replied with an adoring smile on his face as he looked past us to my mother. Then his eyes suddenly met mine as he reached for my hand. "George Wickham, Miss" His voice was sharp and corse and his grip has harsher than Fitzwilliam's. He did the same to Annabelle who became smitten until I nudged her.

I felt a pair of eyes burning a whole in me until I looked up and met them. I wished for nothing more than to be near him all the time and for his arms to be around me. I felt naked and vulnerable without him. "Excuse me, I have neglected a previous engagement" I said aloud to the room.

"Of course, Miss Baasch" Wickham said. "I do hope we can speak soon about a few things for business purposes?" He suggested.

I didn't know how to respond so I just smiled and turned on my heel to leave.

"Please allow me to escort you to your room, Miss Baasch" Wickham spoke just as I turned my back. I rolled my eyes as he creeped me out a little. I turned back to face him and forced a smile. "If that is alright with you, madam?" He said to my mother who was looking very impressed by him being so forward.

"Of course, sir. I'll tell you this now, my eldest daughter is a prize yet to be won, Mr Wickham. Careful what you say to her" Mother replied to the gentleman.

Mr Wickham smiled at me as he approached me and offered his arm to loop my hand through as I sent a regretful expression in Fitzwilliam's direction. "I am pleased to say, Miss Baasch, that you are the most beautiful woman my eyes have ever had the pleasure to fall upon such a woman as yourself" He told me as we walked along the hallway toward the foot of the stairs before we started climbing them.

"Thank you, Mr Wickham" I replied, smiling from the sudden flattery.

"George"

"Thank you, George" I said. "May I ask, how is it that you know Mr Darcy so well? Were you both chums in school?" I asked, curious to know of his history before I said anything that would make him think of advancing to anything more serious.

"Well, Miss Baasch, my father was the elder Mr. Darcey's steward for many years so I have known the family so a good many years. Fitzwilliam is just like a brother to me as his father raised me after mine died" Wickham said, his face becoming a frown as we reached the top of the first flight of stairs and started walking up the second.

"Oh, I am sorry about having lost your father, Mr Wickham" I said, feeling pity for the man I barely knew. "I know nothing about having lost a family member"

"Yes, quite. Your family is very kind, Miss Baasch. Especially your mother" He told me which I knew to be all too true. "I fear she may propose to me soon" He joked but I didn't laugh.

We reached the top of the second stair case and I separated my arm from his to start leading the way toward my bedroom here at Pemberly which I wasn't afraid to say I shared with my sister. I stopped outside the anti chamber to the room and turned to face Mr Wickham. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr Wickham" I said as I offered my hand for him to kiss.

He took it. "George", then he kissed it.

"Goodnight, George" I said and kindly smiled to him as he released my hand and I entered my bedroom.