Chapter Forty-Three
I t is from Charles!” Jane eagerly broke the seal on the letter. “Perhaps there will be a forwarding address within and we may write to tell the gentlemen that Lydia is found. They will be as relieved as we were, I am sure of it.”
Two young ladies promptly rose from their chairs at the cry and stood behind Miss Bennet, shamelessly reading over her shoulder, breakfast all but forgotten. Lydia gave up first and sat down, raising her feet onto a footstool .
“It may as well be written in Chinese. How on earth can you make it out, Jane? You had better not let him go away on business when you are married or you will never know what he is doing.”
Elizabeth tilted her head to decipher Mr. Bingley's scrawl and laid a finger on a word. “This might be 'return' perhaps or is it 'renewed'? No, I am sure it cannot be 'renewed' for that would make little sense. It seems Mr. Darcy is still with him — that name I can make out.” She straightened. “No, I cry defeat. You and your Mr. Bingley must have your secrets — you are quite safe from me.”
Kitty gently squeezed Jane's shoulder. “Will you not read it to us? Mr. Bingley has written many letters to you since you accepted him, so you must be better able to read them by now.”
Miss Mary Bennet, too proper in her ways to attempt to pry into her sister's correspondence, spoke without raising her head from the roll she was carefully buttering. “I daresay Jane will read aloud the parts pertinent to us in due course. We must acknowledge that now we know Lydia is safe, we can have little right to know what our future brother-in-law might have to say. ”
Mrs. Bennet, seated in her proper place at the table, as she had made an almost miraculous recovery upon the return of her youngest daughter, ignored this .
“But what does Mr. Bingley say? Will he have returned to Hertfordshire in time for the wedding ? He will not leave you standing at the altar — only think of what Lady Lucas would say. I am sure she would be quite triumphant that Mr. Collins arrived in such a timely fashion to her daughter's ceremony.”
“To be sure,” said Lydia, pertly, “it was Charlotte who looked as though she might flee.”
Mary paused in her perusal of the table, knife in hand. “Did you wish to discuss the subject of fleeing , Lydia?”
This mild rebuke was interrupted by Kitty. “Poor Charlotte! But Lizzy did say that she seems to be content enough with her lot, did you not, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth passed a jam pot to Mary and softly sighed. “You had better take the blackberry, dearest, I fear the strawberry has very little left. I think Mrs. Collins, having made her choice, has every determination to be content. He, of course, rightly says that he is the most fortunate man in England.” She smiled and laid her hand on Jane's. “Though perhaps Mr. Bingley may shortly rival him on that score.”
Miss Bennet, distracted from deciphering her future husband's hasty scrawl, returned the gesture warmly. “I believe I have it — it is not so difficult to work out. I have discovered that if I cannot decide upon a word it is easiest to attempt to determine it according to the frequency of letters used in our language. It is a rather enjoyable exercise — the letter 'e' occurs often and 't' only a little less so. ”
Mary, unable to indulge in her preferred choice of jam, indulged in sarcasm instead. “Not so difficult at all, as you say. ”
Lydia laughed. “It is well that you are marrying him, Jane, and not any of us. Will you read it now, if you please? I do not think it can be a love letter, for you have not blushed once.”
“It is Jane who makes Mr. Bingley blush in letters, I am sure,” said Elizabeth, disinclined to resist a tease .
“It is remarkable to me,” said Mr. Bennet, “that only a few days ago I found myself longing for such a breakfast as this. How fickle is the human heart! Shall we permit Jane to read the thing or would you like to continue to amuse us all with your wit?”
His lively daughters were temporarily silenced, and Jane, ever obliging, began to read.
The Blue Bell Inn,
Grantham
Dearest Jane ,
We located Wickham today, and in questioning him discovered that your sister had left his company at their first stop. It seems she realised she was being taken to Gretna Green rather than to London, which Darcy now believes to have been her object. Mr. Wickham had no notion that she had not already returned safely to Longbourn. If only that were so, for all your sakes.
W. has been persuaded to write a statement documenting his whereabouts since the day he left the militia, and no mention of Miss Lydia is made therein. I well know that your tender heart cannot be pleased by the depravity of that fellow; indeed, it pains me likewise that a man can hide wicked plans beneath a goodly countenance. The statement Wickham has signed is to be handed over to his commanding officer in Meryton and he will stand for court martial on the grounds of desertion. It is likely that for a first offence he will be branded as a deserter. There was some doubt for a while as to whether Wickham would admit in his own writing that cowardice was the motivating factor in his flight from duty, but happily for your family, Darcy's will prevailed over his .
We return immediately, with Wickham under our watchful eye. Darcy sent to Pemberley for a few of his best men, and thus we hope to return to Netherfield by tomorrow evening. I think that by the time our business has been conducted with the regiment, it will be too late to call. We will give ourselves the privilege of waiting upon you the following morning. It is our fervent prayer that, having avoided a dreadful fate with Wickham, your sister has not met with worse in these days outside of her family's care.
Your own ,
Charles.
“Oh, Mr. Bennet, all is saved! There can be no risk of scandal now! ”
Mr. Bennet, a little grim about the mouth, nodded once after giving himself a moment to digest what he had heard. “It would seem so, Mrs. Bennet; it would seem so.” He reached for his teacup. “I profess myself to be quite relieved, in such a way that my heart is not quite steady. No , Elizabeth, I do not require access to your mother's smelling salts, I thank you.”
“How remarkable,” commented Mary, “that the gentlemen have done us and our reputation such a service, not even knowing that Lydia is safe. The last concern, that of reputation, has been alleviated. We are, as you say, Mama, safer than we were thanks to Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy.”
“I do hope Mr. Darcy will forgive me for having disliked him so much in the autumn. He must be a great gentleman to have done so much on behalf of his friend.”
Jane noticed with amusement the tinge of colour in Elizabeth's cheeks. “He has already done us a service by returning Lizzy to Longbourn so swiftly.”
Lizzy's response was quietly sincere. “Mr. Darcy is indeed a very great gentleman, Mama. We are indebted to him.”
“Speaking of debts, Papa,” chirruped Lydia, “I had hoped to speak to you about something later on.”
“I am at leisure now,” replied Mr. Bennet. “I have only a few letters this morning and I am sure I am in no hurry to open them.” He sent a wry glance in Elizabeth and Mary's direction. “I daresay they will wait at least a week before they become pressing.”
A little while later, Lydia entered her father's library and sat with him. He did not sit behind his desk, as he had done when she had been called before him for disobedience as a child, but instead beckoned her to the pair of chairs placed in front of the window .
“Well now, Lydia, what is it you wish to speak of?”
“I was wondering, Papa, what is the purpose behind stopping my pin money? ”
His brows lifted and Mr. Bennet responded with a hard edge to his voice, “I had thought your meek acceptance unlikely to last. The purpose , Lydia, is twofold. It is both punitive and reparatory.”
Her head was quickly shaken and the bright ribbons she had tied in her hair that morning waved even after she had stilled. “No, I did not mean that. I understand that there are consequences and…and after walking around London alone at night, I saw things…” Lydia hesitated to continue when she saw her father pass a hand over his eyes, “that is, I understand that things might have been so much worse for me.”
“Well, what did you mean then?” Mr. Bennet's eyes were fixed on her face but his tone was a little gentler now .
“I suppose I mean…that is, do you wish the money to simply not be in my pocket? Would it be punishment enough, do you think, if I were to still use what Uncle Gardiner sends at the next quarter day, only not for myself.”
Mr. Bennet sat still. “Go on.”
“When…” Lydia drew a long breath and composed herself. “There were people who helped me, sir. They did not need to, and I daresay if I had been them I would not have. They were not necessarily wealthy people, either. There was a maid who helped me climb out of the window at the horrid place Wickham brought me to and, nearer London…a boy. He drove a cart for miles, Papa, on his own and his primary hope was that the new baby his mama had would not die. I was so…I was so grateful. It was not only them, of course — there was a severe-looking woman who protected me from a group of men on the stagecoach. She was headed to Stilton, I think. I do not know if it would even be possible to find her again, but if I could do so, I think it might please me to know that some good would come from my not being able to buy ribbons or lace.”
Her father was obliged to rise from his chair and pretend to examine the books on the shelf opposite them. Lydia waited, watching the back of his head as though it might give her some clue as to his thoughts. She remained silent until he had blown his nose and returned his kerchief to a roomy pocket .
“If it is not agreeable to you,” Lydia tried, in her most reasonable manner, “I will wait until I am of age. Only,” she added doubtfully, “if I wait so long, I think it would be harder to find the people who helped me so.”
Mr. Bennet coughed and managed to turn to face his daughter. “No, you need not wait, Lydia. It is a just cause you have fashioned for yourself. In fact, I might almost be ashamed of myself.”
“Thank you, Papa,” Lydia replied, with very real relief, then, “but I had not meant to shame you — I never did, you know.”
“I am beginning to see that it has not been the design of your life, yes.” Papa cleared his throat, finding his voice a little hoarse. “Run along now, my dear, and leave your poor aged father to his letters. If you will see to your duties I suppose I must see to mine. The boon you ask,” he waved an expressive hand, “is granted. If you will wait until Jane's wedding is done, I will ensure you have all that is needed to repay your debts of kindness.”
“One more thing,” Lydia said, as she rose from her seat .
“What is it now ? Can you not see I am on the cusp of taking a sedative to calm my nerves?”
She laughed in surprise. “Are you really, Papa? ”
He glanced at the decanter and then the clock. “Something like a sedative, at any rate. Get on with it, child.”
“I suppose you mean the brandy.” Lydia was ever a little too direct. “I was wondering if you might have a map of England I could see.”
“A map?”
“Yes. They show things like roads and counties.”
“I am aware.” Mr. Bennet's tone was now crisp. “For what purpose can you want one, given that you are not setting foot out of the gates for some considerable time?”
Simply, Lydia replied with a slight shrug, “Ignorance was of little help to me. I did not know that St. Albans was in Hertfordshire — I went straight through it to London when I might have made it home far sooner and with less danger. I do not precisely regret it, but I felt, quite strongly in fact, that I ought to learn a little by way of geography when I had the opportunity.”
Mr. Bennet, silenced, selected from his shelves four maps and two travel guides. He hesitated before the atlas before saying, “You may have these to begin with. When you are perhaps thirty years old and I am inclined to let you out of my sight again, I will present you with the means to gallivant about the continent at will. When you are forty I will consider a globe.”
Once Lydia had quit the room, he sank into his chair and sat for half an hour unmoving .
Elizabeth found him there when she brought in a tray of tea. “I decided that a good Indian tea might be in order, sir. Lydia was a little afraid that you had turned to drink so early in the morning. I am pleased to see that is not the case.”
“I might as well be drunk, my Lizzy, for I feel the weight of remorse upon me just as though I had finished three bottles. Do you know what your sister wanted?”
“She told Mary and me when she came upstairs. It is a good idea, I think. There could be little better for her to than to aid others.” Elizabeth poured her father a cup and placed two ginger biscuits on his plate. “She has altered.”
“Yes,” said Mr. Bennet quietly. He regarded the biscuits. “But I begin to see that she was not a bad-natured girl to begin with.”
“No, she was never malicious.” Elizabeth saw the direction of her father's gaze and selected a third for him before setting the plate down beside him. The teacup was put directly into his hand .
“Thank you, my dear. I suppose you will like to add to your kindness by opening those letters on my desk and reading them aloud to me.”
Lizzy did so. The first was a letter of business regarding a tenant farmer. His lease was due to expire and he expressed his concern that Mr. Bennet had not responded to his previous request to renew it. “Shall I write an affirmative reply, sir?”
“Certainly, Lizzy. Finch is a good tenant, after all. A man may go a long way looking for better.”
“I shall do so now.”
“In a moment, my love. Read the other first, if you will.”
Elizabeth set down the pen back into its holder and spread open the thick paper of the second letter. “It is from Viscount Langley.”
A quiet groan was heard from Mr. Bennet's chair and she glanced up to see him take another biscuit.
“What does the young fool want? Mary? I must say I do not particularly hold with her way of getting husbands.”
“He means to come tomorrow and desires that you will accept from him and his friends a replacement for the carriage you lost according to their…their youthful exuberance. It appears that he would also like to present his mother to you and your family.”
“What with Bingley and Mr. Darcy calling also, we shall be quite a full household, do you not think? If many more come we shall be obliged to make use of the garden, and it is yet a little chilly, I believe.”
“I thought, when I walked out this morning, that the weather looked to turn warmer now. Do not suggest to Mama that Longbourn cannot host dozens more, sir — she will take offence.” Elizabeth turned her attention back to the letter. “He writes well; it is a good letter. Can he indeed be so foolish as you and Mary have indicated?”
“I will allow that he and his fellows had been drinking the night before, which may not have given us the best impression. I will even go so far as to say I comprehend the misguided sense of honour that prompted them to carry out a silly wager.”
“And do you sincerely believe he wishes to marry Mary?”
“I do. You should have seen the boy, Lizzy. Had I not been so fraught with anxiety, I should have been most amused. She scolded him like my old nurse when taking me to task and he put me in mind of a devoted dog gazing up at his mistress.”
“I cannot imagine it.”
“If he comes, you will not need to imagine it, I daresay. The question is…”
“Will Mary have him?”
“No, the question is, will I have recovered sufficiently to find amusement in the spectacle of his attempt to court her.”
“Do you mean to allow it if he does ask? Even after he took her off in broad daylight?”
“If I am to have a moment's peace from your mother, Elizabeth, I must undoubtedly allow it. Viscounts, even silly ones, do not come begging after our daughters every day of the week. Depend upon it, once Mrs. Bennet gets wind of this, she will have you lined up for a duke at the least.”
“I do not want a duke, so I will thank you to discourage my mother on that score,” Elizabeth said quickly, looking unusually shy. “I am sure Mary will send Langley about his business if he begins to irritate her. He must be sincere to be bringing his mama.” She laughed, her eyes brimming with good humour. “What an extraordinary situation!”