Chapter Forty-One

Gracechurch Street

M y dear nieces ,

I may share this most excellent news with every expectation that Elizabeth has returned from Kent and that the three of you share the responsibility for the household and your mama's care. Mr. Bennet and Mary have arrived in town, having had a good deal of upheaval on the way. They travelled as far north as Grantham and received word there that Lydia had escaped Mr. Wickham and had begun her own journey toward London.

In short, my dears, Lydia is quite safe, and the same day your father and Mary appeared at Gracechurch Street, she had preceded them by mere hours. Even now, after seeing Lydia and holding her in my own arms, it seems impossible that she should have come so far alone. The tale she tells is hard to hear; in truth, Lydia's experiences these last days have greatly affected her. Physically, she is wearier than she has ever been and her feet are in a bad way — the miles she walked, Lizzy, would amaze even you. She is whole and she is well, facts that I rejoice over with exceeding gladness. Although I know her to have always possessed a hearty appetite, it seems as though her appreciation for every meal provided her is greater than ever before. Mary sat beside her and supplied Lydia with over half of her own food, I am sure of it.

I encourage you to treat your youngest sister kindly when you receive her back at Longbourn. Mary has hardly left her side. It was most gratifying to see them — your papa was overcome, I believe, by the embrace the two shared when they first saw one another again. It was perhaps half an hour before he could collect himself sufficiently to speak a sentence. I feared he might faint from the relief but happily the offer of smelling salts seemed to revive him.

It is natural, I suppose, that there should be scoldings and consequences for Lydia, despite the alleviation of all our anxieties at her safe return unharmed. Mr. Bennet has said that her pocket allowance should be stopped for the coming quarter, and that furthermore she will be obliged to remain at home indefinitely rather than attend any social engagements. It was Mary, to your father's amusement, who advocated that Lydia should at least attend Jane's nuptials. There was little to be gained, she said, in punishing dearest Jane by withholding a sister from so significant a day — the last day, she argued, in which all five of them would have opportunity to stand together as Miss Bennets .

Your father did not necessarily relent with grace, but he acceded to Mary's demands, and demands they were — how strict she sounded as she stood as advocate. Lydia appears to have discovered the value of silence. She sat unmoving and unspeaking whilst the exchange was taking place. Only once the matter had been settled did she utter quiet thanks before quitting the room. I might have been desperately worried at so great a change wrought in her had I not followed to hear the squeal she produced once out of your father’s earshot. Lydia, you will be relieved to know, is unchanged in essentials .

It has been decided among us all that the best course of action to take is to continue with the tale that Lydia has been ill in bed, tucked up at Longbourn for the duration of her absence. She has offered no resistance to this scheme, and in fact, offered to endure the discomfort of sitting on the carriage floor as soon as they reach Hertfordshire before rather cleverly suggesting that it might be better for her to conceal herself as maid to Mary and thus smuggle herself unnoticed back into the house with greater ease.

I hoped, perhaps selfishly, that I might keep my unexpected visitors a little longer, but I see the good sense in their return to Longbourn as soon as may be, before anything out of the ordinary may be noticed by the local populace. Thus, they will depart in the morning and I trust will be safely returned to you by the time luncheon is finished tomorrow .

Your uncle and I will see you all, bedecked in both finery and joy, at Jane's wedding .

M. Gardiner .

“She is found, she is found !” exclaimed Jane, having, with uncharacteristic haste, torn the seal from the express. “Father returns tomorrow afternoon with her.” Jane's eyes scanned the page rapidly. Kitty abandoned her place at the table and walked around it to stand behind her eldest sister, reading as best she could over Miss Bennet's shoulder .

“I cannot read it, Jane, you are trembling so. Here, put it flat on the table and then we may all see what our aunt has to say.”

Elizabeth, leaning in her chair beside Jane, finished it first and clutched at Kitty's hand .

“ Well !” Then she sat back where she was and said again, “Well. I hardly know what to say, it is all we had hoped for — more than we dared believe could happen. Can it be possible?”

“I am so thankful, Lizzy! If we maintain the ruse that Lydia's cold is indeed very bad,” whispered Jane, “there need be no loss to her reputation, nor any of ours. As you say, it is more than we dared hope for.”

“It is a clever thought to disguise as a maid,” Kitty said, admiringly, “but I do think our aunt has been very sparing with the details — we do not know what occurred with Mr. Wickham. She is not married , do you suppose?”

Elizabeth blanched and seized the letter once again.

“She cannot be, Kitty,” said Jane, who recalled her aunt's wording perfectly. “Note that Mrs. Gardiner says most particularly that we will be the five Miss Bennets at the wedding.”

“No.” Kitty accepted the soundness of this. “I suppose she would not have said that if Lydia were married. If only we had a little more knowledge of where she has been, though. I do not like being in ignorance.”

“Perhaps,” said Elizabeth, “we might assist as best we can. It is better than going quietly mad in waiting. Kitty, would you walk out to Meryton this afternoon?”

“I can, of course, Lizzy. What would you have me do?”

“I wonder if,” Jane suggested, “you might confide in Maria Lucas, or even ask Lady Lucas for advice in how best to help Lydia recover. One does not like to deceive one’s friends, but perhaps it is not so very bad if it will avoid undue gossip.”

“Of course,” Kitty replied eagerly, her eyes shining at the thought that she might have a part to play. “I will do what I can to help.”

“It would be better,” Elizabeth mused, “if Kitty could complain to the Miss Gouldings that she must share a room with me , on account of Lydia being so restless all night. The Goulding daughters are as bad as their mama for gossiping, so you may be as petulant as you please, Kitty dear.”

“Lizzy!” Jane attempted to frown in reproof, but Kitty's giggle undermined the attempt and her lips turned up .

“If only we knew where Mr. Darcy is,” Lizzy said suddenly, looking out to the garden through the window, “but we have no way of informing him that Lydia is safe. It is a pity that he searches needlessly.”

“Perhaps Charles will write and leave a direction or indicate what direction they mean to take. I should like to have word from them. I do not like to think of the gentlemen on the roads to aid us. ”

“Yes.” Lizzy's tone was distracted. “Perhaps it is as you say and Mr. Bingley will write.” She turned away from the window. “What ought we to arrange to keep the servants from the front of the house when Lydia returns? There must be something we may do but it cannot be obvious. ”

“Perhaps we should ask Mama,” suggested Kitty, hopefully. “She seemed a little calmer the last time she woke. ”

Jane and Elizabeth exchanged a look and it was Jane who answered, “Perhaps it will be kinder to keep Mama as she is, just for now. We will tell her that Lydia is safe, of course, but she has been very upset, Kitty.”

“I do not like that she has been…” Kitty hesitated. “It seems wrong that she has not been permitted to wake properly.”

“Hill has been with her nearly thirty years, Kitty. We must trust that she knows what is best for Mama. I do not think that there can be a more devoted servant than she.”

“We ought to ask Hill, then,” said Lizzy decisively.

Gratified to be asked, it was Mrs. Hill's opinion that the best distraction to keep the front of the house clear of servants would be to let the pigs into the garden at the back of the property. “It may be that Mrs. Bennet would not like it, ma'am, but that sow is a terror to get back in her sty once she is out — it took five of us last time and that was when we had John to give aid. She does so like to root in the flowerbeds. I am sorry to say the hollyhocks did not recover well.”

A laugh bubbled forth and was checked. “I suppose in the scheme of things, Hill, Mama's bulbs must be sacrificed. Do you think that just one sow getting out will suffice, or ought we perhaps consider that the boar should be given temporary freedom also?”

Mrs. Hill shook her head in sympathetic regret for the gardener. “It'd cause a mighty enough rumpus, that, Miss Elizabeth, but aye, I should say that to let the both of them out would do well. It will be easy to accomplish.” Mrs. Hill was practically minded. “They have been in the orchard sty over winter, just near the gate to the garden. ”

“I do trust that we will not be required to write references for departing servants should they all leave this house in outrage, Hill.”

Mrs. Hill smiled. “If you would part with a guinea for each, Miss Lizzy, I can coax them to stay, and if you'll permit, miss — I cannot quite contain my happiness that young Miss Lydia is well.”

It was a slightly poorer Elizabeth who looked eagerly out from the window the next afternoon. Kitty had persuaded her to spend the previous night in Lydia's bed. Hill, who had taken upon herself the lighting of Miss Lydia's fire on previous days, would send in Sarah to light the morning fire for Miss Lydia, who seemed, in the housekeeper's opinion, a little better. It was decided that with the covers pulled up high, Sarah would surely assume the dark-haired occupant of the bed to be Miss Lydia. Should she approach too close to the sickbed, Elizabeth was to emit a horrifying and wracking cough that would, they hoped, discourage Sarah from any further investigation. Elizabeth had done so, retiring there for the evening after whispering the good news to Mrs. Bennet when Mama had woken .

Lizzy's smile was broad as she bent over the bed. “All is well, Mama; we have had a letter. Lydia is safe and will come home tomorrow with Papa. You need not fret any longer. She is safe.”

“Can it be true?” Mrs. Bennet gasped, her hands reaching out to Jane. “Can it indeed be real? She is not lost somewhere or hurt and destitute in a hedgerow? She is not dead? '

“No indeed, Mama,” said Jane, her voice trembling. “Lydia is coming home. We have had a letter from Aunt Gardiner. Rest now, dearest mother, and sleep.”

“I do not think I will sleep until my dearest Lydia comes home and I see her with my own two eyes,” Mrs. Bennet sobbed, quite adamant, but her eyelids drifted closed after half an hour passed, and to her daughters it seemed as though her slumber was more peaceful.

It was Kitty, of course, who remarked upon the carriage when it arrived, and Jane's sharp eyes noted the crest on the side of the door.

“It seems,” Elizabeth shrugged, in response to their confused exclamations, “that Aunt Gardiner's letter leaves much to be desired in terms of actual information.”

They watched from the door as Mr. Bennet handed down Miss Mary in the rain and a dark-clad maid in a veiled bonnet held the umbrella aloft with some inexperience, narrowly avoiding Mr. Bennet's eye.

The returning members of the family stepped into the empty hall and Elizabeth stepped forward quickly .

“Come now — Hill has most of the servants on the other side of the garden chasing the pigs, but we must hasten upstairs in case they have swifter success than we anticipated. Let us go into Kitty and Lydia's room. Mama is sleeping at present so we must not wake her again just yet. ”

As quietly as they could, they ascended the stairs and made their way into the bedroom that Kitty and Lydia had shared since leaving the nursery together .

“Lydia!” Kitty's voice was hoarse and tearful, “I was so afraid that you would not come home — how could you do it, Lydia?” She threw herself at her sister. “How could you even think to do it?”

Locked as she was in a smothering embrace from three directions, Lydia squeezed Kitty's hand as best she could. “I do not know that I thought much at all, Kitty, but I did not mean to make you afraid — not in the least. Forgive me! ”

“You are a poor, foolish child,” said Elizabeth, kissing her enthusiastically on both cheeks, “and we are so thankful that you are home.”

“Lizzy does not mean that you are foolish, Lydia — it is just that we have been so very worried. Poor Mama has not left her room since we found you gone. Not even a note, dearest? What can you have meant by leaving in the middle of the night — and with Wickham too , after a warning.”

“Confess now, it was with Wickham, was it not?” Kitty sniffed. “It must have been — how else could you have got to London?”

“I left with Wickham, certainly,” said Lydia, sinking down to sit on her bed. Kitty and Jane sat beside her, each of them unwilling to release her. Elizabeth took her father's hand and led him to a chair before seating herself on Kitty's bed beside Mary. She turned in astonishment at her youngest sister's next words. “But he is a dreadful cad, you know — I got away from him in Grantham and made my own way to London. It was no thanks to him that I reached Gracechurch Street. I am afraid it took me some time as I had not much money with me and the stagecoach could take me only so far. I have discovered also,” she added feelingly, “that my geography is abysmal. I passed through St. Albans not even knowing it was in my own dear Hertfordshire.”

“Grantham!” cried Jane, “that is many miles north!”

“And on the stage ? You are jesting, Lydia,” reproved Kitty. “You ought not, you know — we have all been so distraught.”

Mary issued a quiet, unladylike snort. “She is not funning about any of it. Lydia, it seems, is far more resourceful than we had given her any credit for. She has already told most of it at Gracechurch Street.”

Lydia, far from crowing unchecked at her own cleverness as she might have done a week ago, lifted a shoulder and waved her hand expansively. “Well, I do think I was sometimes resourceful but I can tell you I should not like to repeat that journey in the same way. No, and nor do I mean to walk so many miles ever again in my life. A carriage is much to be preferred — I had not ever thought of it before, but I do not mean to take it for granted again.”

“Yes — that carriage, what does it mean?” asked Elizabeth, impatient now for answers. “There is a coat of arms on it. Where is our family carriage, Papa?”

Mary shifted uncomfortably beside her as Mr. Bennet nodded in his daughter's direction, “You had best ask my lady Mary how that part of the tale came about.”

“Papa!” It was to be noted that Mary looked annoyed, but she reddened when her sisters turned their eyes to her in curiosity. “Papa's carriage met mishap at the hands of five foolish young men — one of them…”

“The Viscount Langley,” supplied Mr. Bennet, helpfully.

“Yes, him . He was persuaded as to the silliness of making ill-considered wagers…”

“Mary led the boy to me by the ear,” interrupted Mr. Bennet again, his amusement apparent to at least two of his daughters.

“ Yes , thank you, sir — in short, His Lordship offered his carriage to us for the journey home but will likely send a replacement for Papa's forthwith.”

Lydia's smile was wide. “It is a splendid carriage — do you think he will buy one so large and grand? If he does, it will not be so bad that ours is damaged after all.”

“I rather suspect,” said Mr. Bennet, “that it will be quite obscenely luxurious and painted the colour of Mary's eyes, but then…I may be quite out there.”

Miss Mary did not like to be teased and pursed her lips .

Jane looked between them all with wide eyes. “Such a carriage would cost a great deal of money — do…does he mean to call on you, Mary?”

Mary, far from blushing with pleasure at her sister's amazement, looked a little impatient. “Those young men lack wit , Jane, not funds. I care not what the carriage looks like, only that justice be served to Papa for what was lost to him. If Lord Langley calls or does not call, it is nothing to me. You have not heard the whole of Lydia's adventure yet — but I suppose you will want to eat, sister, before the others hear of what has happened to you. ”

“Oh, thank you, Mary,” Lydia responded, with a smile of unprecedented affection. “I am excessively hungry.”

Mary stood. “I will fetch a tray. You begin your story — I have heard that part, after all. Do not get so carried away with irrelevant detail this time, Lydia — it quite distracts from the narrative. ”

She left the room and was shortly heard descending the stairs.

Kitty gave in to another bout of tears. “I feel as though all is different but I cannot say how or why. Tell us, Lydia — and then we must hear more of this lord that Mary will have none of. Only think! Mary and a viscount — it is impossible.”

Jane opened her mouth to object but Lydia got there first. “I will tell you this for nothing, Kitty. Mary would make a very fine lady if you ask me; any of my sisters would. Do stop sniffling, Kitty — I am safe and glad to be home. I will tell you what happened and I will not even spare myself the beginning of it, though you will think me the silliest girl who ever lived.”

“Yes, tell us, Lydia,” encouraged Elizabeth. “It seems that a thousand things have happened since we left for London and it is hard to fathom so much.”

“Well, forty thousand things happened when you were in London,” Lydia laughed. “I will enjoy having a fortune, you know, for all that Papa says I may not touch a penny for many months, not even to replace my favourite shawl.”

“You may desist from pouting, Lydia — it is a light punishment if you ask me, but Mrs. Gardiner seemed to believe you have learned your lessons well, and perhaps when I saw your feet I was more inclined toward lenience.”

With her peculiar brand of honesty, Lydia nodded, a little more subdued, “Yes, I see that. I was not complaining, not even about having to stay at home for an age. I swore that I would be positively angelic if I returned home safely and that I would bear as many scoldings as were given me without a murmur, and I have not argued, have I, Papa?”

“I will own you have been unusually compliant, and as restrained as you are capable of being. but go on, child. I find that the prospect of listening once again to your extraordinary account of the journey from Grantham to Gracechurch Street to be a good one. It will, I trust, aid me in making more sense of it than the first telling. My nerves” said Mr. Bennet, gloomily, “were strained beyond anything when you poured it all out to Mary and myself at your aunt's. ”

Lizzy rose from her place on the bed. “Shall I,” asked she with wide, innocent eyes, “step into my mother's room, sir, and retrieve the hartshorn for you before Lydia begins? I assure you, Father, that — having the highest respect for your nerves — I would not in any way begrudge the trouble.”

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