Chapter 13 #2
Lydia, normally so certain she was right about anything she believed, experienced doubt, a new experience she did not enjoy.
As she looked at the girl opposite her, she saw only sincerity in her mien.
Lydia looked at her older sister. “Everything I was told about George was the truth, was it not?” she asked softly.
It was hard for Lydia to look at her own actions critically, but it seemed she had no choice.
“Yes, Lyddie, every word of it. As we speak, Wickham is either in Newgate Prison or on his way to Van Diemen’s land where he has twenty years of hard labour waiting for him.
He was caught with stolen property from his fellow officers, and it was a choice between hanging and Australia.
He chose the latter,” Kitty informed her sister gently.
“There is only one person in the known world George Wickham loves,” Georgiana stated.
“Himself,” Lydia realised, wincing as both Kitty and Miss Darcy nodded. “I have been a big ninny, have I not, Miss Darcy?”
“Please call me Georgiana or Gigi as my family and friends do. You are in good company; both Lizzy and I were almost taken in by his lies.” Georgiana revealed all to Lydia.
“If your brother had not arrived in Ramsgate early, you would have eloped with him?” an incredulous Lydia asked at the end of the telling. “And Lizzy, our witty Lizzy, fell for his lies?”
“She did before Charlotte saw through him and started making Lizzy question her beliefs about both men. As you know, Wickham blackened Mr. Darcy’s name to Lizzy,” Kitty added.
“None of it was true, was it?” Lydia realised.
“William,” seeing Lydia’s confused look Georgiana explained, “that is the name by which we all call my brother. William did refuse the living; the second time the scoundrel tried to claim it. That was after he gave up rights to it and received three thousand pounds in return!” Seeing the look on Lydia’s face, Georgiana clarified further.
“It is the way he manipulated people. He would take a shred of truth and build a story around it full of prevarication.”
“You were educated in the ways of being a lady as I have not been, and you still agreed to an elopement?” Lydia wanted to know.
“I agreed despite my education. I knew it was wrong, but I was in love with being in love, so I ignored my lessons. It did not help that Mrs. Younge, who was supposed to protect me, and Wickham were both manipulating me,” Georgiana elucidated.
Lydia started crying, not crocodile tears, but tears born of genuine anguish.
It finally hit her that all the talk of her ruining herself and her sisters was the truth, not jealousy, which was the way she had tried to rationalise it.
“I have much to make amends for, do I not?” Lydia asked once her tears subsided. Kitty and Georgiana nodded.
“Will you remain with me and keep me company until you go to bed?” Lydia requested almost timidly.
“Mariah is here as well. If you can be pleasant to her, we will; otherwise, we will join her below stairs,” Kitty stated firmly.
“I have much for which to beg Mariah’s pardon, so please ask her to join us,” Lydia stated with sincerity.
Kitty asked Edward to summon Miss Mariah and have their supper sent up with Lydia’s.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Bennet and Lucas carriages pulled up to Netherfield Park. The house was glowing with the light of hundreds of candles and the drive had been illuminated with torches. Bennet helped his three eldest daughters out and then walked to the Lucas conveyance to perform the office for his betrothed.
Together, the two families entered the receiving line.
Miss Bingley was already upset at Mr. Darcy not requesting her to dance with him at all, and now, after she had loudly predicted the Bennets would be the first to arrive and last to leave, they arrived right in the middle of the arriving guests.
“My Eliza, where did you find such a plain dress for a ball?” Miss Bingley asked rudely.
“Caroline!” Both her siblings admonished.
“Why, Caro, wherever did you find broken feathers in that colour? What sort of bird did they come from? Not even a peacock has so hideous a colour in its splendour.” Elizabeth knew she was not being polite, but she had enough of the witless woman’s snide comments.
Miss Bingley spluttered and was unable to rebuff the statement before the hated Eliza moved on. Charlotte considered adding to Eliza’s remarks but decided the woman had been put in her place sufficiently.
“Well, I never! Who is that country mushroom to speak to me thusly?” Miss Bingley hissed.
“You deserved it, Caroline. It is the height of rudeness to insult a guest the way you did,” Mrs. Hurst stated. Bingley remained silent, and his lack of reaction was noted by Jane Bennet as she watched one of his sisters insulting one of hers.
Darcy had been standing with his relations when the Bennets and Lucases entered the ballroom.
Seeing Miss Elizabeth took his breath away.
She was wearing a simple yellow ball gown with very little embellishment, but, in his opinion, it needed none.
She was a vision of beauty. How he loved this woman!
He reminded himself they had just begun again after their initial misunderstandings, so he had to take things slowly.
He was sure he was looking at the only woman in the realm who would refuse him if he did not first engage her affections.
He prayed he would be able to control his thoughts and not put his foot in his mouth, or worse, insult her and her family when he finally proposed to her.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Collins arrived home after sundown. As much as he wanted to see his patroness as soon as he arrived at the parsonage, he knew she would not countenance his arriving at Rosings at this time of the night without a specific invitation.
He had crafted what he believed to be a plausible story to explain his return without a bride or fiancée. It was one he was sure would only increase the righteous indignation she would feel against the Bennets after reading his letter.
He had arrived at Bromley in the mid-afternoon.
Rather than hire a gig he had waited, hoping in vain that a Rosings vehicle would stop at the coaching inn and allow him to ride to his home without further expense.
In the end, as the sun was approaching the western horizon, he had broken down and rented a gig.
His servants were not expecting him, as he had not thought it worthwhile to write to ones so far below him, so no food had been prepared. After berating his cook for not knowing he would be home, he made do with some stale bread and hard cheese.
He retired as soon as he could, trying to ignore the fact he should have been at a ball dancing with his betrothed had she not withdrawn from the betrothal. The Bennets and Miss Lucas had much for which to answer!
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As the receiving line wound down, Mrs. Hurst left to find her husband.
Miss Bingley kept on inventing reasons for her brother to remain with her waiting for, in her words, the last few guests.
Although she never cared for any in the neighbourhood before, she suddenly seemed worried their guests would think them rude if they were not present to greet them all.
The truth was Caroline Bingley knew full well all the guests had arrived. She was delaying her brother until she was sure the first set had begun. If she was not to dance the first with Mr. Darcy, she felt she was punishing Eliza by proxy by having her dearest sister miss dancing the first.
Elizabeth had relayed Kitty’s apologies to the three men. None of them were upset but lauded her unselfish decision to remain with Gigi. The same sentiments were expressed to the Lucases about Mariah.
As the first set was called, Darcy led Miss Elizabeth out.
He was followed by his aunt and uncle, Richard and Miss Mary, and Miss Lucas and Bennet.
The Viscount could not dance the first with Miss Kitty, as she was unable to attend, but he saw Miss Bennet was looking around for her partner, who was nowhere to be seen.
“Miss Bennet, are you bereft of a partner?” he asked hopefully.
“It seems Mr. Bingley has been held up by his hosting duties. I will sit this set out,” Jane stated. Both had a strong suspicion of what, or more likely who, was delaying Mr Bingley.
“As I have no partner for the first, may I have the honour?” Andrew requested. He held out his hand to Miss Bennet as the first few bars were played. She hesitated for only a second, then took the proffered hand and allowed the debonaire Viscount to lead her to the floor.
Once Miss Bingley was sure the first set was well underway, she turned to her brother. “I am sorry, Charles; it seems the last people have decided not to join us.” With no further explanation, Miss Bingley flounced into the ballroom.
She felt her bile rise at scene which greeted her.
Not only was the hated Eliza dancing the first with her Mr. Darcy, but rather than sitting on the side like a wallflower, Miss Bennet was dancing with Viscount Hilldale!
Even the plain Bennet daughter was dancing with Colonel Fitzwilliam while she, sophisticated and educated Caroline Bingley, was the wallflower! It was not to be borne!
At the end of the first set, Bingley approached Miss Bennet and apologised for missing the set he reserved.
She excused him and offered him the second, as her partner for that set had danced the first with her.
When Bingley asked for another set, ignoring his sisters’ wishes as they were not near him, Miss Bennet informed him her dance card was full.
The residents of the area were beyond shocked when they saw Mr. Bennet take to the floor for the first, with none other than Miss Charlotte Lucas. Speculation was rife as to what this could mean.
Miss Bingley was stalking around the edges of the dance floor.
This was supposed to be her triumph, to prove what a good match she would be for Mr. Darcy, yet she had not a single request to dance, and Mr. Darcy had not so much as looked at her to compliment her fashionable outfit.
She reminded herself it mattered not; for she would have her heart’s desire after the ball tonight.