Trapped in Scandal

Chapter Twenty-One

Darcy

D arcy was highly aware that his behaviour this moment was the height of impropriety, eavesdropping on private conversations was something that he did not condone. He knew he should leave his wife to discuss matters with her sister and allow her to make her own decisions in her relationship with Lydia.

And yet, the idea of leaving Elizabeth alone with Lydia filled him with a disquieting feeling that he could not stand. Yes, it was his natural prejudice towards women like Lydia, combined with the fact that she and a man Darcy had not yet identified had thrown Darcy and Elizabeth’s lives into turmoil that made him act thusly. He was attempting to convince himself that this was for Elizabeth’s safety and not just an act of surreptitiously listening in.

The sisters’ voices drifted out of the drawing room.

“I already asked you not to berate me so,” Lydia replied, exasperated.

“I do not berate you, I merely demand an answer to my question. Given you seek refuge here, or so I assume, it is more than reasonable to ascertain your reasons for being here. So might we dispense of the preamble and speak plainly?” Elizabeth asked sternly. There was a quiet moment, the sound of Lydia shifting in her seat making it obvious that she was uncomfortable with the situation she found herself in. For a moment Darcy thought she was refusing to speak when her voice came out, softer than it had been before.

“My husband is much displeased with me…” Lydia replied in barely more than a murmur.

“To such an extent that you fled your home to escape his ire? On your own?” Elizabeth asked in disbelief.

“Indeed. He does not even know I have gone,” Lydia said, her upset and distress becoming more evident.

“Well, I believe he will have noticed your departure by now as it will have taken you a day and a half to get to Pemberley from Newcastle, and that would be travelling with some haste,” Elizabeth said, still sounding shocked.

“Indeed. I imagine he noticed my absence at dinnertime,” Lydia sighed.

“Whatever could your husband have done to make you so distressed, Lydia?” Elizabeth chided softly.

“You do not know his anger Lizzy. There was a rumour circulating in Newcastle a short while before your wedding that I was unfaithful. It has recently been implied that the child I carry does not belong to him. Of course, I was never unfaithful. Pray, say you believe me?” Lydia said, her voice plaintive.

Darcy snorted. He, of course, did not believe that Lydia Wickham was a loyal woman.

“I would not know Lydia, as I know neither the specific content of these allegations nor your actions in the time leading up to it,” Elizabeth said, trying to be delicate in the matter with her sister.

“Oh, that is hardly fair Lizzy!” Lydia exclaimed.

“And neither is it fair for you to suddenly appear at my home without so much as a thought of propriety. Lydia, I will always love you as my sister, but your actions do often make you appear to be contrary and flighty,” Elizabeth responded. “Also, you did not believe my innocence when the scandal between Mr Darcy and I came out despite no scandal occurring and that also just being rumour.”

“Our situations are not the same Lizzy,” Lydia replied curtly.

“They are not. However, I am not obliged to offer you more belief than you have extended to me,” Elizabeth said. There was another silent moment and Darcy could feel the tension in the room even as he stood outside the door.

“I understand Lizzy. I have not always been the most gracious sister,” Lydia stated quietly. “I am telling you in earnest that I am being falsely accused, but my husband has taken it entirely to heart.”

Darcy was surprised at the similarity between the two sister’s situations. That did not mean that he had sympathy for the woman, not yet.

“I will extend an olive branch dear sister, if you would just explain to me why it is you are here,” Elizabeth explained.

“I understand. With my husband being so angry, he even went so far as to threaten an end to the marriage. George simply will not listen to reason and understand that the child is his. He has suggested he would be better off selling me at market—can you believe the humiliation he is willing to put me through even without any proof?” Lydia asked, sounding more and more distressed.

Her voice was shaking, and although Darcy could not see her face he was certain she was about to cry. He could understand that this would have been a degrading experience for anyone, and the idea of wife selling was something he found highly distasteful.

“So you fled to escape this anger?” Elizabeth asked calmly.

“Indeed. I know George would never come here willingly, and there is more room at Pemberley for a baby,” Lydia replied.

Darcy froze. Was Lydia implying what he thought she was?

“Lydia. What exactly are you suggesting right now? Pray, be succinct,” Elizabeth replied firmly.

“Well, Lizzy, you are my family still, I did not think it such an imposition that I could be here for the remainder of my confinement, until the child is born and perhaps—beyond,” Lydia explained.

It was as Darcy had feared. Lydia was expecting them to open their doors to her and allow her to give birth and raise a child in their home, all whilst Wickham was in somewhat of in a rage.

It would be a disaster for his reputation, yet another strain on his relationship with Elizabeth, and it could open them up to familial issues both with the Bennets and Darcy’s kin. Lady Catherine was angry as it was, if she heard that Lydia had abandoned her marriage and taken up residence at Pemberley, he would never have another peaceful moment in his life. He turned, ready to push open the door to loudly berate Lydia when Elizabeth spoke.

“Lydia, you cannot assume that Mr Darcy and I would open our doors to you in such a situation without discussing it with us first!” Elizabeth said, her voice firm but shaking from controlling her anger.

“Lizzy, pray, listen. I do not mean to impose—” Lydia started.

“That is what you would be doing whether it was intended or not!” Elizabeth snapped back.

“Lizzy, please, I would have asked sooner, but there was no such time for me to be able to do that!” Lydia retorted.

“Then you cannot expect Mr Darcy nor I to be so merciful,” Elizabeth replied.

“I expected you to take care of your sister, who is in a more than difficult situation,” Lydia sounded like a petulant child. While Darcy had some sympathy for her plight, she was the mistress of her own destiny.

“You are a grown woman making decisions that affect yourself and your child, as well as myself and my husband!” Elizabeth replied. “Do you understand how much hard work I have had to put into this marriage to make it even remotely positive?”

There was a moment of silence. Darcy felt his heart swelling with pride with how his wife had dealt with her sister. He did not see this as her protecting her self-serving interests, but also defending him and the life that they had built at Pemberley.

“I did not consider such things,” Lydia admitted quietly.

“That much is evident,” Elizabeth said, Darcy heard a noise and supposed that she had sat back down. “I cannot guarantee that you will be allowed to stay here. I need to have this discussion with my husband.”

“Lizzy—”

“The rumour began when I was invited to Abigail’s celebration with you. As you know, I was at Longbourn for a visit and then left for Brighton with the Forsters. Thus, when I received the invitation, I sent a letter stating I could not attend, however it seems that my letter did not reach her. I did not go to her celebration. Earlier in the day, I had been seen in Meryton with Captain Forster at the milliners—he wished to buy a new hat for his wife and I assisted him. We were seen together and that gave way to rumours.”

Darcy listened carefully, not wanting to miss anything.

“Anyhow, some members of the militia saw us and somehow word spread to my husband that I was seen with another man which started some strain between us. However, it was overcome soon. Alas, when we returned home, the rumour had already taken hold and now the same people have spread the tale that I had an affair and the child isn’t his.”

“When exactly were you seen with Captain Forster,” Elizabeth asked, and Darcy was pleased she was following this line of question.

“The morning before we left, of course. You saw me off, do you not remember? Yet, rumour has it that I was somehow unfaithful. It is true I was with Captain Forster most of that day, but Mrs Forster was with us the whole time. Do you know, before it was established that you and Mr Darcy were at the inn, there was a whisper that it was me, can you imagine? Me and Captain Forster! Ridiculous.”

Darcy listened in and his jaw grew slack for he realised one thing—his certainty about the female half of the duo that had caused the scandal had just been smashed to dust.

Through the crack in the door, Darcy could see that Elizabeth was having the same series of thoughts. They, like many people had done to them in the past, had made an assumption and they had not made sure they were correct.

But then, who was the woman who had been involved in the scandal?

Darcy took a step back and then rushed up the stairs to his study where he had all of his notes and the letters he had received from people who had been at the party. Searching through the letters he felt like a man possessed as he tried to understand what it was that had happened. How had he missed such a glaring inconsistency? Who was it that had forced him and Elizabeth into this marriage? Did he have enough evidence to even be certain on who it was?

Reading back through letters he found the one that Mrs Collins had written to him when he had been first investigating the scandal.

Dear Mr Darcy,

May I begin by saying that I am most glad that you have taken Elizabeth as your wife despite the unhappy situation surrounding your marriage. I know that this is not how Elizabeth had hoped her marriage to come about, and I am sure it is not what you wanted either. As for your question regarding the birthday celebration—I did not see anything out of the ordinary and I most certainly did not see Elizabeth leaving nor did she tell me she had plans to depart early. I wish I could guarantee that she did not but I am unable to, for I myself did not remain until the end of the festivities. I had come to Meryton to see Abigail, as well as my family, but due to prior commitments, I was unable to remain until the end and can therefore not confirm if Elizabeth did as well.

However, she is an honourable young woman and I am certain she did nothing to risk her family’s reputation.

I hope this assists you in your investigation.

Mrs Charlotte Collins.

Darcy’s jaw dropped, the answer had been in front of him the entire time. Not only that, Elizabeth had even attested to the most damning piece of evidence previously when she had told him that Charlotte Collins had left halfway through to prepare to travel to Kent the next day.

Charlotte had not been at the event the entire night, so she could have very easily made her excuse and run over to the inn where she was then caught. They had assumed Lydia was responsible due to her unhappy marriage to Wickham, but wasn’t Mrs Collins in a rather unhappy union also? And hadn’t she left without her husband? What was this prior commitment of which she spoke?

Darcy fell back into his chair and ran a hand through his hair. If he was correct, this was a shocking revelation that entirely changed how he and Elizabeth could continue investigating.

But Charlotte was married to a clergyman. Was it possible that she could have done something so shameful?