Chapter 10
Elizabeth and Janestrolled through the back garden of Longbourn, the Bennet family home. The sun dappled the ground through the leaves, casting a pleasant warmth on their faces. They chatted amiably about Kitty’s frustration at her father’s overbearing scrutiny, enjoying a brief respite from the chaos that had engulfed their family in recent weeks.
Suddenly, Mrs. Hill, the housekeeper, approached them with hurried steps. “Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth,” she called out, panting. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Jane and Elizabeth exchanged a glance, expecting to be summoned by their mother, Mrs. Bennet. However, Mrs. Hill’s next words caught them by surprise.
“Your father has received an express letter from Mr. Gardiner. He wishes to see you both immediately.”
Elizabeth’s heart quickened, a sense urgency and curiosity washing over her. “Thank you, Mrs. Hill. We’ll go to him at once.”
The sisters hastened back to the house, their skirts swishing against the grass. They checked the breakfast room and library, but Mr. Bennet was nowhere to be found. The butler informed them that their father had been seen walking towards the copse of trees at the edge of the property.
Elizabeth, always the more agile of the two, set off for the opposite side of the grounds at a brisk pace, her previously injured leg slowing her down. Jane followed close behind, her graceful movements no match for Elizabeth’s eagerness.
As they neared the trees, Elizabeth spotted her father’s figure. “Papa!” she called out, closing the distance between them.
Mr. Bennet turned, his expression unreadable. Breathless, Elizabeth reached his side. “Mrs. Hill said you received an express from Uncle Gardiner. What news does he bring?”
Mr. Bennet hesitated, his eyes flickering between his two eldest daughters. Without a word, he handed the letter to Elizabeth. “Read it aloud, Lizzy. I’m not quite sure what to make of it myself.”
Elizabeth took the letter, her hands shaking as she unfolded the paper. She glanced at Jane, who nodded encouragingly, before clearing her throat and beginning to read.
“‘Gracechurch-street,Monday, August 2.
My Dear Brother,
At last, I am able to send you some tidings of my niece, and such as, upon the whole, I hope will give you satisfaction. Soon after you left me on Saturday, I was fortunate enough to find out in what part of London they were. The particulars I reserve till we meet. It is enough to know they are discovered; I have seen them both—’”
“Then it is as I always hoped,” cried Jane. “They are married!”
Elizabeth read on:
“‘I have seen them both. They are not married, nor can I find there was any intention of being so; but if you are willing to perform the engagements which I have ventured to make on your side, I hope it will not be long before they are. All that is required of you is to assure to your daughter, by settlement, her equal share of the five thousand pounds secured among your children after the decease of yourself and my sister; and, moreover, to enter into an engagement of allowing her, during your life, one hundred pounds per annum. These are conditions which, considering everything, I had no hesitation in complying with, as far as I thought myself privileged, for you. I shall send this by express, that no time may be lost in bringing me your answer. You will easily comprehend, from these particulars, that Mr. Wickham’s circumstances are not so hopeless as they are generally believed to be...’”
In quiet disbelief, Elizabeth finished reading the letter out loud. It enumerated the particulars of Mr. Gardiner acting as Mr. Bennet’s agent and the lack of need for anyone to travel to London.
Elizabeth’s heart raced as she finished reading the letter, her mind swirling with the implications of her uncle’s words. She glanced at Jane, whose hopeful expression had faded into a mixture of confusion and concern.
Mr. Bennet shook his head, a wry smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Only a fool would agree to marry a gentleman’s daughter for less than 10,000 pounds.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “But the letter only asks for 100 pounds per year.”
“Precisely,” Mr. Bennet said, his voice bitter. “Your uncle must have agreed to pay the difference himself. There’s no way for me to repay him.”
The realization hit Elizabeth like a punch to the gut. The taste of bile rose in her throat as she considered the enormity of her uncle’s sacrifice. Jane’s hand found hers, and they exchanged a look of shared shock and gratitude.
Despite his evident distaste for the situation, Mr. Bennet sighed. “We must respond promptly and prepare a settlement for Lydia and Wickham.”
As they made their way back to the house, Elizabeth’s mind raced with questions. How had her uncle managed to locate Wickham so quickly? And what had transpired between them to secure this arrangement?
Jane’s gentle voice interrupted her thoughts. “Should we tell Mama?”
Elizabeth hesitated, weighing the potential impact on her mother’s nerves. “I suppose we must,” she said at last. “She’ll find out soon enough.”
Mrs. Bennet’s reaction was as overwhelming as Elizabeth had feared. From her bed, she launched into a flurry of plans for Lydia’s wedding and future, her voice shrill with excitement.
“Mama, please,” Elizabeth interjected, her patience wearing thin. “The wedding will take place without us. The Gardiners will have to make the necessary arrangements.”
As they left their mother to her raptures, Jane turned to Elizabeth. “How do you think Uncle Gardiner can afford such generosity?”
Elizabeth shook her head, her stomach churning with a mixture of gratitude and guilt. “I don’t know, Jane. But I fear the cost to our family may be greater than we can imagine.”