Chapter 18
As the Bennets sat later than usual to eat the morning meal, the mood around the table was generally good, except that the youngest Bennet was missing from the table. Much to her mother’s chagrin, Lydia was securely locked in the nursery, but no one would tell her why.
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The day the rain stopped:
Lydia was determined to see the officers, she cared not that her father had forbidden it.
How dare he make her come out a year later, rather than allowing her to come out now as she deserved.
Did Mama not tell her she was the prettiest and liveliest of the Bennet daughters?
She would do what Mama taught her, catch a handsome officer and be the first of the Bennets to marry.
She had at first thought that being alone in a small chamber was the most unfair thing, but now it aided her in her plans, so it had become a boon to Lydia.
Thanks to Longbourn not being one of the large fancy houses, like Netherfield Park for example, the drawing rooms, parlours, Papa’s study, dining parlour and the like were on the ground level and the family chambers on the first floor.
The guest chambers were on the second floor, while the third floor had the nursery, school room, and small chambers for female servants.
Thanks to the thick ivy growing around the window of her chamber, and the fact that it was less than ten feet to the ground below, Lydia was sure she could climb down easily.
Once everyone else was asleep, she stuffed pillows and some of her gowns under the covers of her bed to fool anyone who happened to look into her bedchamber while she was out—she did not expect that to happen, but she needed to be prepared.
First, she dressed in warm clothing and her half boots.
After opening the window, Lydia climbed onto the windowsill and sat.
She had already identified the thickest of the woody stems near her window.
Lydia grabbed onto the stem and placed her feet on another which she had seen was also thick.
To climb down to the ground was quick work, just as she suspected it would be.
She stood and waited and heard nothing stirring except some grunting coming from the pigsty, which Lydia suspected was the noise the huge animals made when they slept.
She crept around the side of the house, past the windows in Papa’s study, and rather than her feet crunching on the gravel of the drive, Lydia walked on the dormant grass of the park until she reached the gateposts.
She ran past them and onto the lane which led to Meryton.
It took her about twenty minutes to cover the one mile to the market town. She was almost in the town when she was surprised by an officer. It was the handsome man, Mr Wickham, who had said that he would join the militia the day she and her sisters had met.
“Miss Lydia Bennet, is it not?” Wickham verified.
Lydia was exceedingly flattered that the very handsome officer remembered her name after meeting him but once. Mama had been right, she could not be so pretty and lively for no reason. “Yes, Lieutenant Wickham, it is me,” she responded as she batted her eyelashes at him.
“How is it you are out and about on your own at this time? I was about to end my duty and was just taking a walk around the town to make sure all is secure,” Wickham dissembled. He was, in fact, seeing what the easy targets for theft would be.
“My hateful father and sisters are jealous of me, so they will not allow me out. I am almost fourteen and refuse to wait until I am eighteen to come out like Papa demanded of me. This is the only way I can meet such a handsome man like you,” Lydia stated.
She put on her best coquettish look Mama had taught her.
‘Denny had the right of it about this one being a shameless flirt. Because of that, I am sure I can bed this chit this very night. No, I will wait a few days,’ Wickham thought.
“Miss Lydia, I began to fall in love with you the first time I saw you. I want nothing more than to be with you, but there are too many people about to interfere with us. I assume you will not be attending the ball at Netherfield Park on Tuesday?”
“No, I am not allowed to be there,” Lydia replied sourly. “Why?”
“Because Miss Lydia, thanks to that Mr Darcy who is so jealous of me, I have been disinvited to attend the ball, and the town will be rather empty as all the rest of the officers will be in attendance. Hence, it will be the ideal time for us to meet. I assume you will be able to slip away from your home?”
“Oh yes, that is easy. Where will we meet?” Lydia asked keenly.
“Do you know the old barn behind the stables?” Wickham enquired.
He watched as the silly chit nodded keenly.
“It is no longer used except to store hay and straw for the horses. Make sure to express your outrage at being left alone when those in your family attending the ball depart. Wait an hour after and claim that your upset at being so unfairly treated has fatigued you. Make sure to instruct you are to be left alone. When you can get away, I will be waiting for you in the barn.” Wickham leaned forward and kissed the chit.
He mistakenly grazed her breasts with his hand, and she did not seem to mind.
Wickham almost gave into his desire to join with her there and then, but he sent her on her way, admonishing her to hurry home so she would not be discovered. Because if she was, they would not be able to meet, and that, he told her, would break his heart.
Lydia found it was as easy to climb up and slip into her bedchamber as it had been to escape.
Sleep did not come easily as she imagined what would happen when she next met the handsome officer.
Everything Mama told her had been correct.
Mama had said a kiss is acceptable but had not spoken of allowing a man to graze his hand over her bosom.
Lydia was sure Mama would agree it was permissible as it was in service of catching a husband.
Finally she slipped into a state of sleep and dreamed about handsome officers.
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The day of the ball:
Mr Nichols summoned Biggs and Johns to his office in the early afternoon and handed an express for them to Biggs.
The huge man broke the seal and saw it was from the mistress, and it was to him and Johns. He held it so they could both read her words.
26 November 1811
23 Gracechurch Street
London
John and Brian:
A very dangerous man, a threat to merchants and young ladies alike, has joined the Derbyshire Militia. His name is George Wickham. I will say no more than to tell you he is dishonourable in the extreme, a libertine, profligate, wastrel, and a seducer.
His preferred targets are young and impressionable women—no more than girls—who are in the 13 to 15-year-old range.
Mr Gardiner and I will arrive on the morrow, but in the meanwhile, we want you and some of the other footmen to not only keep an eye on the officer but on Longbourn as well.
Without going into detail, my youngest niece is silly enough to fall for the lies which will drip from his honeyed tongue, and I do not want any of my nieces to suffer the consequences of his machinations, regardless of their being taken in by this lying snake.
Mrs M Gardiner
The two men excused themselves and took two of the other former soldiers into their confidence. All four men changed into clothing of labourers. Biggs and one man made for Longbourn while Johns and the other man walked into Meryton.
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Biggs watched the one side of the house and Peters the other. A little more than an hour after the carriage bearing those attending the ball departed, Biggs saw a window on the first floor open. A few minutes later, a young lady climbed out and used the ivy to reach the ground.
He made a call like an owl to summon Peters. Soon, the two men were following the miss. Biggs decided they needed to know more before apprehending her.
At the same time, Johns and Billington followed the Lieutenant they had been watching since arriving in the town as he sauntered towards an old barn behind the stables.
He looked supremely confident and did not think to look behind him.
Both men were already disgusted with him from what they had seen and heard over and above what the mistress had written.
An hour or so before the rest of the officers departed for Netherfield Park, they heard the one they were watching boast to another officer that while that man was at some boring ball, the Wickham man would be claiming some chit’s virtue.
The talk infuriated Johns who not only had sisters but a daughter as well.
Peters found the two men watching the barn. When Johns related what he and Billington had heard, Peters returned to Biggs.
As soon as Biggs was made aware of what the despicable man planned, he helped Peters capture the girl. Before she could screech, Biggs gagged her mouth. He told Peters to keep her secure and wait for the rest of them. Then they would make for Longbourn
Knowing that the master and mistress were coming to deal with the miscreant, the men needed a plan where the libertine would not suspect the reason the young lady had not arrived for the planned assignation.
To that end, Billington crept up behind the Lieutenant and coshed him.
He relieved the man of his purse so when the seducer woke all he would know was he had been the victim of a robber.
Billington remained in the town to keep an eye on the Lieutenant when he came to.
At Longbourn, when Mr Hill answered the door, to say he was shocked was a gross understatement. Before him were three large men, two of them huge, and one of them with a kicking and flailing Miss Lydia in his arms.