Chapter 8 #2
“Lady Amelia is having a little party, and she gave me this invitation for you,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said. “She said it will be small, but her parties can never usually be described by such a word. Regardless, they are always entertaining.”
Jane glanced at Mr Bingley, and the colonel laughed. “Yes, Bingley will be there too, as well as Darcy — we all hope. With Darcy, one never knows, since parties are not his favourite way to spend time.”
“I shall be there,” Mr Darcy answered, with a brief look at Elizabeth.
Mrs Gardiner accepted on behalf of everyone, while Elizabeth was silenced by her surprise. Increasingly, she, her sister, and her uncle and aunt were being accepted inside a circle where they did not belong, and she was torn between being grateful and doubtful.
With the prospect of Lady Amelia’s party ahead, Mrs Gardiner proposed some shopping. It was to be the last engagement before their return to Longbourn, and an important one, since it exposed them to high society and the criticism of people with wealth and connections.
Elizabeth spent much time pondering how deeply their circumstances and her feelings had changed since returning from Kent.
She had arrived in London overwhelmed with guilt and regret for misjudging two men with such opposite characters, and she had been intent on comforting Jane, who was still heartbroken, neither lady holding out any hope of seeing either Mr Bingley or Mr Darcy again.
Yet less than a month later, Mr Bingley had resumed his courtship of Jane, and Mr Darcy had become a family friend.
Such a twist of fate was astounding as well as disconcerting.
Jane was now blooming as never before, her beauty enhanced by her joy, and that was enough for Elizabeth to be happy too.
If Mr Darcy was a resentful, proud, and arrogant man — as she had previously believed him to be — he could easily have deterred his friend from reuniting with Jane.
Instead, he had done just the opposite, making Elizabeth even more ashamed of herself.
On the day before Lady Amelia’s party, the ladies made one last shopping trip, this time taking the children with them.
They returned to Gracechurch Street happy and tired, ready for refreshment, but in front of the house, they paused, puzzled, glancing at each other and at the carriage stopped there.
“That is Papa’s carriage,” Jane said. “Is he here? Has he come to fetch us?”
As they entered with trepidation, a servant immediately appeared.
“Mr Bennet is here. He arrived half an hour ago. He is wounded. I have placed him in the guest room.”
“What? Please take the children to the nursery,” Mrs Gardiner said, while Elizabeth and Jane were already running to their father.
They found him in bed, pale, his right hand pressed against his left arm.
“Papa! What happened? Dear lord, are you bleeding?”
“It is a small wound, a silly accident,” he whispered.
“A silly accident? What happened, Papa?” Elizabeth cried desperately.
“The master was cut with a knife,” John, the Gardiners’ servant, supplied. “I think he needs to see a doctor.”
“I shall send for the apothecary in a moment,” Mrs Gardiner said. “But, Brother, what happened?”
“Lydia ran away last night. She left a silly letter for Kitty… Apparently, she has eloped with that officer Wickham. She said they would go to Gretna Green to marry… I followed them as soon as we discovered her disappearance, but they were a few hours ahead. It was soon apparent they had not gone to Scotland. I followed their trail to London instead… Where is my brother Gardiner? He must help me find them. We cannot wait another day.”
He spoke with great difficulty, and Elizabeth could barely breathe.
She heard the words, but her mind struggled to understand them.
How could Lydia elope from their home? Why would Mr Wickham wish to marry her?
She had no money, no connections, nothing to tempt him.
Lydia would be more of a burden than a gain for him.
Did he even have enough money to travel all the way to Gretna Green?
And if marriage over the anvil was their intention, why had they come to London instead?
What evil plans had that man conceived this time?
How could they be found in such a vast city before Lydia was ruined forever?
“I shall send for my husband and the apothecary this very instant,” Mrs Gardiner said. “While we wait for them, I shall bring you some herbal tea, Brother. Please try to stay calm. We shall resolve this.”
Mrs Gardiner left, and Elizabeth stayed frozen by the bed, gazing at her father. She had never seen him so pale, so shocked, so lost.
“We are ruined, girls… Our family will never recover after this shame. Our reputation is in tatters, and it is entirely my fault. I have been a worthless father. I did not take proper care of any of you. How could you ever forgive me for ruining your lives?”
“Papa, please do not say such things! They are not true! You are the best father one could hope for,” Jane whispered tearfully, sitting on the bed and taking his hand.
Elizabeth’s heart was racing, and her head was spinning.
The fault was hers; she was to blame. If she had shared with her father just a small part of what she knew about that horrible man, the tragedy could have been avoided.
Why did she not write to him, particularly after Mr Wickham had visited the Gardiners’ home?
But how could anyone even imagine the man would have any sort of interest in Lydia?
Elizabeth fought her tears while trying to show some composure for her father and sister’s sake.
Her heart and her mind had both lost all hope; she knew there could be no favourable conclusion to their situation.
How could they find the fugitives? And even if they found them, how could they conceal the shame of the elopement?
Would Mr Wickham truly marry Lydia? Even if he agreed to it, could they force a girl of fifteen to marry such a man?
A few moments later, Mrs Gardiner returned with more distressing news.
“Brother, my husband and the apothecary will be here soon. But Mr Darcy has just arrived. Apparently, he has news about Mr Wickham.”