“We stand little chance of a catch today, Mr. Bennet,” declared Mr. Gardiner, gesturing toward his boisterous children.“Unless we can both be satisfied with ensnaring a paper ship! Hush children! You will have Mr. Darcy’s fish scared out of their wits.” To his companion he observed,“They can have their fun and games outdoors this morning and when they are all four exhilarated by the air and the excitement I shall return them to their mother’s care by which time they will be as skittish as horses on a windy day!”
“Quite so,” said Mr. Bennet. “They have a mother and an aunt to see to them, between two grown women the office of taking charge of four children cannot be so impossible, it amounts to exactly two dreadful little creatures each!”
Mr. Gardiner was ready with a smile and in between moments when he was compelled to call out, “No, no, Alice, let your brother have a turn,” or, “Come along, Henry, you cannot spend your life on all fours, your mother will faint when she sees your knees,” he immersed himself with enthusiasm and contentment in Mr. Bennet’s company. The subject of Mrs. Bennet inspired similar sentiments in both, Mr. Bennet sighed and alluded to his wife.
“Our visit here heralds the death of any alternative talking points you know, Mr. Gardiner, for we shall hear of nothing but Pemberley for the rest of our lives.”
Mr. Gardiner, who knew well enough his sister’s nature, nodded in agreement and observed,“She is bound to be ebullient, but I am sure you are better able to tolerate her nerves when they are the result of high spirits rather than low.”
Mr. Bennet smiled.“My wife’s seizures, whether glad or morose are amusing to me in equal measure and usually short-lived enough to be forgot quite easily.Their effect and regularity dictate much of what goes on at Longbourn.”
“Your tolerance is admirable, sir,” said Mr. Gardiner.
“Well, I flatter myself that though I have no control whatsoever—‘Oh careful, Francis, don’t lean over the water like that, dear. Oh heavens, where was I?’—Ah yes, though I have no control whatsoever over my wife’s fluctuations, I have made an art of entertaining myself with them and that has been my solace these twenty years or more.”
Thus their discourse continued; they spoke only of light matters for neither had a propensity for gravity and the distraction of four high-spirited youngsters steered them very clearly away from serious subjects. Both, being affable in nature, found the bond between them to be further secured. At last Mr. Gardiner, once more disappointed to have reeled in an empty hook, turned to Mr. Bennet. “With the perch taking the bait and the children the attention we are unlikely to see a good specimen of trout today, I shall have a word with Darcy, he can do little about the rowdiness of the children but he might have the perch population reduced!”
Adopting an elegant stance, as was her usual air, Caroline Bingley stayed by the pianoforte where Georgiana was engaged in practice. Nearby sat Kitty who, without Lydia beside her, appeared less confident and more demure than was customary. Miss Bingley addressed the girl coolly.“Your accomplishments, Catherine Bennet, do they include music?” She did not see fit to await a reply but went on to reflect, “Your sister Eliza plays and sings tolerably well, and of course Mary derives her own pleasure from the activity, are we to assume that everyone in your whole dear family is so masterful?”
“Not everyone is comfortable with performing, Caroline,” said Georgiana, whose timidity was not so extreme as to prevent her attempting to protect Kitty.
“I concede,” said Caroline, “but in my honest opinion, the Bennets seem to be people who are quite at ease with exhibiting, whether it be their abilities or their shortcomings they display. I daresay their rather natural airs make it difficult for them to know the difference between the two.”
“I like to dance,” said Kitty, quietly relieved that Georgiana struck up once more on her instrument so the conversation and the uneasy atmosphere it created was, thankfully, halted.
Darcy and Bingley, their tour of the grounds now complete, were returning to the house but were still some yards from it when they heard a horseman arrive whose expediency indicated some urgency. Both gentleman added speed to their pace.
“To the house!” cried Darcy.
On return their hats and canes were given to a manservant awaiting them in the hall, by which time they were under no misapprehensions that news of a disastrous nature had arrived by express. Had there been any reason to doubt the gravity of the situation Mrs. Bennet’s shrill tones provided ample confirmation of a crisis. “Oh, where is Mr. Bennet? I must see my husband!” she cried, fleeing the breakfast room in great haste and making a hurried arrival into the hall. Her handkerchief was taken up as a fan and the efforts made to cool her agitation seemed only to exhaust her further. She came face to face with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. Darcy sent his man to fetch the housekeeper, he spoke with urgency.“Fetch Mrs. Reynolds, have her bring a tonic. Mrs. Bennet is unwell.”
Mrs. Bennet’s nervous state was, as ever, heightened by attention and she reeled and swayed dramatically before settling herself on the lower treads of the great staircase. She looked desperately at Mr. Bingley.
“Oh sir, it is alarming news. Lydia is gone from Newcastle to Longbourn in my absence. I have had the account not moments ago in an express from Mr. Collins.” Saying no more she indulged in a fit of noisy crying which went on long enough for all relevant parties to be present before she continued to relay all she knew. Her audience was obliged to stay in the hall. Despite Mr. Darcy’s suggestion that she would better maintain her dignity and appease her distress by taking a chair in the drawing room, she pleaded that moving her from her present position may prove fatal. Her nerves, she insisted, had seized her bones and made them so rigid that she feared at the very best she would be confined to her bed for an eternity.
Elizabeth attended her mother, observing that Darcy kept a noticeable distance from the furor. Jane was at her side; Mrs. Bennet mainly addressed her elder daughters, only occasionally glancing at Kitty.
“We are forced to end this happy gathering, my dears,” she said tearfully, “for Mr. Collins writes that your poor dear sister is in so dreadful a state that he can make no sense of her ramblings at all. This is sorrow indeed, my strength deserts me. Oh! My dizzy spells shall return now you know, girls, it is certain.”
Elizabeth, who was all too aware of the certainty, spoke with caution, “Mama, try to calm yourself, I am sure Wick... ” she broke off, avoidance of his name was imperative, once checked she continued in a lowered voice, “I am sure that Lydia’s husband can be prevailed upon to explain her illness as she is not disposed to.”
Mrs. Bennet glared at Lizzy.“If that were the case do you think I would get myself so heated up? No indeed, but that is the point! My poor Lydia arrived unaccompanied. Wickham,” she spoke his name very distinctly, “is not in sight, heaven knows what has happened. I have a very definite prediction of doom in my being and you should know I am not the sort to think the worst but I fear he may even be dead.Why else would he not accompany her?”
Mr. Bennet interjected calmly, “Let us not bury the fellow before it is certain, Mrs. Bennet. I am sure no great tragedy can have befallen him. Mr.Wickham is a man who is naturally adept at eluding crisis. I advise you to comfort yourself, Mrs. Bennet, with that notion. I daresay this will all blow over and prove to be nothing more than a puffed up little disagreement between lovers.”
Mrs. Bennet gasped and although her nerves and the sudden bout of ill health she claimed had overtaken her would have debilitated a weaker soul she went on energetically, “Little disagreement?” she cried. “You take a dim view of our poor Lydia if you think her so variable that she would come from Newcastle over a simple disagreement.As if she has such silly tendencies!”
Jane, who had been engaged in solemn conversation with her husband, addressed her father. “We should arrange to go back to Hertfordshire this afternoon, papa.”
Bingley agreed. “I shall order that the carriages be made re
ady directly, Mr. Bennet. Leave it to me to have all our belongings prepared, it will be a later hour than advisable for travel, but the roads are good, we will spend one night on the road I am afraid, but we shall reach Longbourn before the next draws in.”
All matters concerning this sudden departure were decided upon in moments. Mrs. Bennet, indisposed to endure further exertion, would answer no more questions but insisted on remaining where she was. She sobbed loudly while those whose departure was imminent went about their preparations.
At last, when Mr. Darcy could take no more hysterics he instructed his man.“Have that woman removed from the stairs,” he said. His voice was cold and his expression aloof.
Jane and Elizabeth studied the correspondence from Mr. Collins. It was dated the sixteenth day of March 1813, addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and read:Dear Sir and Madam,
I urge you to return to Longbourn posthaste.Your daughter Lydia arrived here alone today and is so indisposed I fear none can deal with her but her mother. Hill has her in her old bed with a tonic. I must take this opportunity to say that I shall, as a member of the clergy, attempt, in your absence, to impart a little of the good Lord’s influence to the dear child while your arrival is awaited.
William Collins
All that Elizabeth could do now was wait.
CHAPTER 9
“There is something a little stately in him to be sure,” replied her aunt,“but it is confined to his air, and is not unbecoming. I can now say with the housekeeper, that though some people may call him proud, I have seen nothing of it.”
There are some, being so accustomed to travel as to view it as commonplace and even natural, who would not consider the journey from Derbyshire to Hertfordshire to be arduous in itself. The distance between the two counties is judged to be nominal and indeed there is plenty to support the argument. Miles of good road, the degree of comfort to be found in carriages and reliable horses have all served to ease the situation to such an extent that half the world has been encouraged to stray, with little more reason than a whim, from one end of England to the other as if doing so represented nothing at all. So long as adequate refreshment, rest, and air can be taken there is no reason why people should not enjoy being carted about the world on wheels, there is even an air of grandeur attached to being hauled hither and thither and it seems that, for the most part, the activity is enjoyed rather than endured.To be thus conveyed, on their outward journey to Hertfordshire from Derbyshire would, in reality, have been no more ominous an endeavor for the party than the incoming journey had been, but Mrs. Bennet’s frequent outbursts along the way proved trying for Mr. Bennet’s even temper. Kitty showed signs of mortification.
“I do not see why I have to go home, I could have stayed behind with Lizzy,” she moaned, adding, “Lydia always ruins everything for me.”
Her father forgave his daughter her sulks, for each of them was, in their own way, very troubled by the news.
When they finally arrived at Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet went straight to Lydia’s side and for a while it was hard to see who was suffering the most. Lydia looked pale and her mother’s distress and rapid questioning only served to make the girl withdraw and sink lower in spirits.
“Oh Lydia, what has become of your dear Wickham?” cried Mrs. Bennet. “No dear, pray hold your tongue and keep the truth from me a while longer for I cannot bear to imagine what tragedy has befallen my favorite son.”
Lydia sniffed.“When you learn what has happened you will not favor him, mama, he has treated me very ill.”
“Then he is not dead?” cried her mother clapping her hands. “Oh, I am so relieved, my dear, for I could not bear to see such a young bright girl as you made drab by mourning, I know I should break my heart.”
Lydia sighed.“I should be glad to lose him, mama, I hate him.” And true it was that at that moment, Lydia, poor, thoughtless, rash child that she was, craved the station of widowhood.
“There, there, my dear,” her mother cooed,“things cannot be so bad as you say, what has he done that his wife cannot forgive? Oh stop whimpering, girl, I can make no sense of you at all.”
Lydia seemed once again to lose sight of herself and failed to say anything more to her mother who quickly tired of other people’s hysteria. She retired to her room with an attack of the palpitations. Later, in a calmer frame of mind, Lydia revealed all her misgivings to Jane who had insisted that her own husband return to Netherfield while she stay and do her share of the comforting at Longbourn. It was later again that evening that Jane spoke of Lydia’s story to her parents.
Her expression was grave. Her disinclination to convey the unpleasantness that had befallen her younger sister governed her and it was not without due aforethought that she spoke.
“It is distressing news indeed, for Lydia has found Wickham out in a severe indiscretion,” she paused before going on, “with a servant girl.”
“I knew it,” spat Mrs. Bennet bitterly, “he never fooled me, there was always that look about him.” She glared at Mr. Bennet. “You should never have let him have her hand, Mr. Bennet, now look what has happened because you would not fight him.”
Mr. Bennet gave a resigned sigh. “I will not argue the point with you on this occasion, Mrs. Bennet, blame me if you must, there are graver issues to concern us.” He turned to Jane. “Is Lydia absolutely certain of this liaison?”
“Yes, sir, and she has spoken to Wickham, but he reacted badly to the confrontation. He was very angry and said a great many terrible things, I barely know how to speak of them myself but I must relieve you of this anxiety,” she said and, more than a full hour later, when she had finished her sad account they knew some, if not all, of the situation. To deceive was never in Jane’s nature but to protect was, her concealment of certain aspects of Lydia’s dilemma was therefore meritorious in origin. She sat alone in her old room and wrote the facts that she had revealed and those that she had not, on two full sheets of paper in a long letter to Lizzy.
Longbourn, Hertfordshire
Dear Lizzy,
I will waste no time with formal pleasantries to begin this letter, for you will have guessed that Lydia’s news is grave indeed. I scarcely know where to begin, the pain this will give you causes my hesitation, forgive me that I am not there to comfort you.
We arrived here at Longbourn to find that Lydia was indeed in a most fatigued state. She was pale and distressed and as we had learned from Mr. Collins’s letter, she did arrive alone. Mr. Collins had been called from Lucas Lodge by Hill. It is unfortunate that he has been involved at all, but there it is, Hill could think of no one else to summon, our Aunt and Uncle Phillips being otherwise detained.You will agree that Charlotte would be all that is sincere and loyal, she is very concerned, but neither of them stayed at Longbourn for any notable duration.We must be grateful at least that they were able to send the express; the rest has been left to poor old Hill.
Many hours passed before Lydia’s full grievance could be extracted but finally I had the whole story. I must tell you that no terrible fate has befallen Wickham; he is, it is revealed, as vigorous as ever in health.Yes, he is as alive as ever he was, but I fear, Lizzy, when you hear of his wrongdoings, you will wish him otherwise. How can I reveal this, knowing that the consequences are so far reaching? Alas, I shall give it to you as it is. Lydia had lately discovered her husband’s indiscretion with a local maid.There is no doubt of the truth, she told me the shocking nature of her discovery and from the details of it there can be no mistake that a seduction has taken place. But Lizzy, I am grieved at myself for concealing what I knew of Wickham’s character in the past.You see now that it is not such good fortune that I rarely think ill of people, when I think that I knew of his wickedness last May, but did nothing about it. Ah, but it is done and what benefit can be gained from self-reproach? I must therefore continue with this worsening narrative. On Lydia’s finding out her husband’s infidelity a vicious quarrel ensued,Wickham was demented with rage. Her poor heart, of cour
se, was broken, how could she comprehend this behavior, this unfaithful act so destructive and inconsistent with their love? When she expressed as much to him he viciously denied that his love was true or that it had ever been.
Yes Lizzy, I know it will distress you to hear this.Wickham told Lydia that from the very first his attention to her was not the result of any particular regard on his part. He revealed that his actions were all design and no feeling whatsoever. It is hard to believe is it not? Wickham says that he did not choose to pursue Lydia, but claims the choice was made by someone in whose power he lies, and that this unknown party issued the instructions that resulted in his luring her into the elopement. Could there have been an easier victim than Lydia, Lizzy? But I fear I ponder too much because I dread the scandal I must write as this sad tale intensifies.Wickham told Lydia that his instruction did not include him marrying her, his payment, yes payment, was made in lieu of him scandalizing our family’s name.That was the intention.
Mr. Darcy's Decision: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Page 7
