Chapter 25 #3
The only person who seemed completely detached from the family's happiness was Lydia.
With each passing day, her behaviour became more unbearable.
Desperate to be the centre of attention, she resented the affection and admiration everyone lavished upon Jane.
The thought that her elder sister should marry before her—and to so handsome a gentleman—filled her with envy.
In her bitterness, she had resolved to ruin Jane's wedding.
“It is time for us to go to dinner,” Mrs Bennet announced. “In only two days, my dear Jane will become your wife, Mr Andrews de...”
“…de la Garza, Mrs Bennet,” James Andrews supplied with a good-natured smile, winking at his son.
"Oh, dear! I fear I will forever be hopeless with your name, good sir," fawned Mrs Bennet.
“Where is Lydia, Mama?” Kitty asked.
“My poor Lydia has not been feeling well all day. She will not be joining us for dinner,” Mrs Bennet explained.
The four Bennet sisters exchanged anxious glances. Only a few hours earlier, they had quarrelled with Lydia after she insisted upon wearing the gown Eleanor had given Kitty for Jane's wedding and had even tried to steal it, declaring that she intended to wear it on her own wedding day.
“I shall go and see whether she is feeling any better,” Elizabeth said.
She went upstairs, only to discover that Lydia was no longer in her room. Instead, she found a folded note lying upon the bed.
With growing alarm, Elizabeth unfolded it.
My dearest Mama,
Do not be worried about me. By the time you read this, I shall be on my way to becoming Mrs Wickham. You will soon have another married daughter, and I am certain everyone will envy me.
Please tell my sisters not to be jealous.
Your affectionate daughter,
Lydia
Elizabeth ran downstairs without a moment's delay and entered the dining room, where everyone was just taking their places.
“Father...” she said breathlessly, handing him the note.
Mr Bennet read it, let it fall carelessly to the floor, and said with obvious disgust, “Foolish Lydia.”
Then he calmly took his seat and motioned for everyone else to do the same.
Seeing Jane's stricken expression, Matthew, who had no idea what had happened, picked up the note and read it himself.
When he reached the end, his face darkened with anger.
“I beg your pardon, Mr Bennet,” he said firmly, “but I cannot sit down to dinner and pretend that nothing has happened.”
“If you are concerned about being associated with my foolish daughter, you need not be. She shall never set foot in this house again. From this day forward, she is no longer a member of this family,” Mr Bennet said with such coldness that Matthew was left speechless.
Everyone turned towards him in astonishment. Elizabeth quickly explained Lydia's disappearance to those who had not yet understood the situation.
Although they were all deeply distressed, none of the Bennet sisters appeared particularly surprised.
At that moment, Mrs Hill, having heard the commotion, entered the room.
“Sir,” she said, addressing Mr Bennet, “Miss Lydia left by the back door only a few minutes ago.”
“Mr Andrews,” Marcus said immediately, “please write a note to Colonel Foster and ask him to come here without delay. Tell him it is an order from General Sinclair. Matthew, come with me.”
“Yes, of course, General,” James replied at once.
The three gentlemen immediately set about resolving the matter, while Mr Bennet could not help feeling deeply humiliated, especially when he caught the look of disappointment on James Andrews's face. He had always admired the man's intelligence and judgement.
Elizabeth and Mary accompanied Marcus and Matthew, while Jane and Eleanor remained behind to comfort Mrs Bennet.
Nearly an hour later, the front door flew open, and Lydia burst into the house, sobbing uncontrollably.
“It is all your fault!” she cried, pointing accusingly at Mary and Elizabeth. “I hate both of you!”
“Lydia, what has happened?” Mrs Bennet asked, hurrying towards her youngest daughter.
“What has happened?” Lydia exclaimed indignantly. “Mary and Lizzy have ruined my life! If they had not meddled in my affairs, I would already be on my way to becoming Mrs Wickham. You have no right to interfere!” Lydia shouted. “You all envy me because Mr Wickham chose me.”
Elizabeth looked at her sister with sadness.
“No, Lydia,” she said quietly. “We only wanted to protect you.”
“I do not need your protection!” Lydia cried before running upstairs, still weeping loudly.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the room as everyone realised that Lydia had understood nothing of what had just taken place.
Marcus and Matthew dealt with Wickham, while Colonel Foster assured them that he would see the man severely punished. He was eager to earn the goodwill of the celebrated General Sinclair.
“Fanny,” Eleanor said gently, as Mrs Bennet wept inconsolably, “I believe the wisest course is to send Lydia to a school where she can learn discipline, refine her manners, and acquire the accomplishments expected of a young lady. She is an intelligent girl, but it is painfully clear that she does not yet know how to make sensible decisions.”
While Marcus was speaking with Colonel Foster, Matthew, assisted by his father, persuaded Mr Bennet that Lydia should be sent to a boarding school for young ladies as soon as possible.
“I am sorry, Bennet,” James Andrews said firmly, “but I cannot allow your daughter's reckless behaviour to cast a shadow over Jane. She is now part of my family, and I have a duty to protect my Jane just as I protect my own children.”
“Do not concern yourself,” Mr Bennet replied with evident embarrassment. “I shall do whatever is necessary to preserve my family's good name.”
Determined to avoid further conflict, Mr Bennet accepted James Andrews's assistance.
For the first time in many years, he and Mrs Bennet found themselves entirely in agreement.
When Lydia learned that she was to be sent away to school, she was terrified and did everything she could to behave properly in an attempt to prevent being sent. But that was all to no avail.
Two days after Jane's wedding, Lydia left for a boarding school for young ladies, where she would spend the next two years of her life.
◆◆◆
Despite all the trouble Lydia had caused, Jane and Matthew's wedding was everything they had hoped for.
The wedding breakfast, arranged jointly by Mrs Bennet and Eleanor, was equally delightful.
Although only a small number of guests had been invited, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the celebration, and no one could fail to notice how radiantly happy the bride and groom were.
After spending several hours with their guests, Matthew and Jane set off on their honeymoon at the Sinclair family's house in Ramsgate.
“My love, you cannot imagine how happy I am that we are finally alone—that I no longer have to share you with anyone,” Matthew said before drawing his wife into a passionate kiss. “I love you, Jane. Never doubt that.”
“I love you, too, Matthew.”
They were to spend the night at an inn before continuing their journey the following morning.
“Matthew, I have no words to tell you how happy I am,” Jane whispered.
"There are... other ways to communicate our affection, my dearest Jane," he suggested playfully as they finished yet another long lingering kiss. They both began to reach for whatever ties and buttons were in their way.
His kisses overwhelmed her so completely that tears of joy filled her eyes.
Matthew stopped to gently brush a tear from Jane's cheek before looking into her eyes and kissing her once more.
“There is nowhere in the world I would rather be than here with you,” he whispered as he gazed upon her with awe. “I can not believe that you are mine.”
“I am,’ she said. “And I am so happy to be yours,” she smiled, looking up at him. Jane rested her head against his shoulder. No further words could have expressed the happiness she felt at that moment.
As the evening wore on, their whispered affections gave way to more tender embraces and deeply passionate kisses, until, surrounded by the quiet peace of their little room, they at last sealed the vows they had exchanged that morning.
Afterwards, the newlyweds lay quietly in each other's arms, grateful that, after so many months of waiting, they finally belonged to one another as husband and wife. Matthew was so happy—and so utterly exhausted—that he had scarcely closed his eyes before sleep claimed him.
Jane was in the midst of a beautiful dream when she was awakened suddenly by Matthew's anguished cry.
“No! Please... no!”
“Matthew?” she called anxiously into the darkness. “What has happened?”
Unable to see him clearly, she reached out for him.
Matthew's heart pounded. For one brief moment, he almost confessed everything. But fear overcame him.
He forced a nervous laugh.
“I am sorry, my love. I believe I was only having a nightmare.”
“Are you quite sure you are well?” Jane asked gently, sensing that there was far more behind the nightmare than he wished to admit.
“Of course, my love.”
Matthew gathered her into his arms and kissed her tenderly until she gradually forgot what had happened.
Once Jane had fallen asleep again, however, Matthew remained awake, wondering how—and, above all, when—he should finally tell his wife the truth about his mother's family.
◆◆◆
Mr Darcy was eager to see Elizabeth again. So when Georgiana told him that she intended to visit her friend Kitty, who had recently returned to London, he immediately realised that it provided the perfect excuse to call at the Sinclairs' house.
“Mr Darcy, Georgiana, thank you both for coming to visit us,” Eleanor said warmly.
Although she smiled graciously, Mr Darcy immediately noticed that something was amiss. Lady Campbell looked pale, and there were dark circles beneath her eyes, as though she had not slept properly for several nights.
Meanwhile, Georgiana and Kitty quickly fell into animated conversation while tea was served.