“Please remember I have not been in England for ten years, and the first person I thought about was Mrs. Conway because her husband and Mr. Caxton had been political allies and had corresponded for years. She was so kind and offered to provide me with a room. When she asked if I had any friends, I mentioned that I knew you. She said that was fortunate as you and she were good friends, but she knew you to be in the country. Then I remembered your cousin was an earl. So I wrote to him, and he sent a hackney for me.”
“You met Lord Fitzwilliam? Good grief!”
“We spent a lovely afternoon together. I found him to be very amusing.”
“Oh, he keeps his family in stitches.”
“I can easily imagine him to be a thorn in the side of his relations, but he was quite gracious to me. He was very forward in the questions, and I confided in him that I had arrived in England with little more than my clothes and a promise of a draft from my bank, which I have not received. He said that he would help me in any way, except financially, as he was broke. I told him it was my intention to support myself as a dressmaker. My father was a tailor and my mother a seamstress, and basically, I served an apprenticeship under them. As a result, I can sew anything.
“It was then that he made the most incredible offer. He told me that all of his wife’s dresses were upstairs. He explained they were estranged, and he had written to her to come get them. Her answer was that she would not wear anything she had ever worn when she was with him. In an example of supreme understatement, he said, ‘She does not like me very much.’” Christina then stood up and took off her pelisse. “This is one of Lady Fitzwilliam’s gowns, which I have remade with some additional fabric from another. Her dresses were out of style, but the material is beautiful. Is it not?” And she turned around, so he could admire all of the dress.
“It is lovely. You could easily become a dressmaker to a duchess.”
“A couturier, William. A couturier can charge more than a dressmaker, and I already have a commission. Mrs. Conway gave my name to Lady Edgemont, which is why I was late.”
“My sincere congratulations to you, Christina, and now that I have seen your handiwork, I shall certainly recommend you to others. But until you are established, I hope you will accept my cheque as my contribution to the support of an emerging artiste.”
“Thank you, William. I wish I were in a position to refuse your offer, but I am not. As for yesterday, I must explain. Because I left everything familiar behind me, I was looking for a life raft to cling to until I could make my own way, and that is why I came here. But it was so obvious you were uncomfortable, possibly for many reasons, but I am quite sure of one. You are a man in love, but I do not think all is well there. I shall not pry. I will only say I hope that whatever keeps you apart will be quickly resolved. What we had in France remains a lovely memory for me, but it rightfully should stay a memory and I shall speak no more of it.”
At that point, Mercer came into the room to tell his master that the letter he was expecting had arrived, and he went so far as to place a letter on a tray.
“It is all right, Mercer. I can see to it later.”
“Excuse me, sir, but this is the one you have been waiting for,” and he held it up as proof that it really was a letter from George Bingley. Darcy was on his feet and gave a sigh of relief when he recognized Bingley’s handwriting.
“I shall detain you no longer as you have urgent business to see to,” Christina said. “I am just happy you really do need to leave, and it was not because you were trying to get rid of me.” Darcy smiled weakly. “Go on. Read your letter. Mercer can hail a cab for me,” and she held out her pelisse, so that Darcy might help her put it on. “I hope to see you about town,” and she allowed him to kiss her hand, and then she went downstairs with Mercer.
Darcy tore through Bingley’s seal, and there were the words he had been waiting for since he had arrived in London.
Mr. Darcy,
Wickham and Lydia Bennet have been found. They are not married. Despite their having shared a lodging room, it is my belief, based on testimony from the landlady, that she is as she was when she left Longbourn. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner have taken their niece home with them, and a post rider has been sent to Longbourn to advise them of our success. However, Mr. Wickham remains in my custody. I would ask that you come to my offices at your earliest convenience so that we might proceed in making arrangements that will benefit the young Miss Bennet.
Sincerely, George Bingley
By that time, Mercer had returned and poured Darcy a wine. “Lydia Bennet has been recovered and is in the care of her aunt and uncle. Her family will shortly have news that their daughter is safe. Hopefully, no matter what happens from this point on, the worst is behind us.”
“May I suggest a letter to Miss Elizabeth might be in order, sir?”
“Not yet. Not until I have all the information. But at least now the picture of her with tear-stained cheeks at the inn in Derbyshire will be replaced by that of her dancing circles in the gardens of Pemberley,” he said, smiling. “Mercer, please have a hackney out front in ten minutes. Too much time has already been lost,” and he took the stairs two at a time.
***
Lizzy lay quietly in the dark with her sister beside her in a deep sleep. They had talked well into the night, and she smiled at the memory of how they had laughed about Mr. Nesbitt and his inept courtship. It was a welcome respite from the tension that had descended upon the Bennet household. Surely, it was a sign of healing when one could laugh again. Now, with Mr. Nesbitt out of the picture, maybe it would be possible to remind Jane of Mr. Bingley’s many attributes. She would make no dramatic statements about true love and forgiveness, but rather talk about the times Jane and Mr. Bingley were together and their compatibility and shared memories.
Lizzy did not consider herself to be a romantic, certainly not like the ladies in a novel or a Shakespearean play, as she was much too practical for that. However, she did believe that two souls could come together, so that the one would know if something had happened to the other despite distance or war. With all of her being, she believed she had touched Mr. Darcy’s heart, and if he had stopped loving her, surely she would be able to sense that. But she had no such feeling.
The more she thought about their last time together at the inn at Lambton, the more convinced she was that he had not stepped away from her in disgust. Instead, he had already formed a plan to help find Lydia, thus explaining his hasty departure.
Again, she returned to the time they were together in the stables at Pemberley. If it had not been for Colonel Fitzwilliam’s untimely arrival, he would have kissed her, and she would have looked into his beautiful gray-green eyes and told him that she loved him.
Wherever Mr. Darcy was, she believed he was still thinking of her as she could almost feel his presence. That would not be possible if he had put her out of his mind. No, she had reason to hope, and she would cling to that until proved wrong.
Chapter 48
Even though Hannah Bingley had seven children, and was raising two of her grandchildren, she had never met anyone like Lydia Bennet. Without embarrassment, the girl had explained that she had done nothing more serious than to give her parents a fright, and nothing Hannah had said had changed her mind. Before turning her over to the care of her aunt and uncle, Mrs. Bingley thought it would be helpful if Mr. Bingley talked with her.
When Mrs. Bingley brought her to her husband’s study, Lydia wanted to chat about how much he looked like his younger brother, Charles, but without the spectacles, and, of course, Charles was too young to have so much gray hair. While Lydia chattered on and on, George said nothing. In the past, he found that silence tended to disconcert the other party, and once Lydia finally stopped talking, he could see she was growing uncomfortable.
When Mrs. Bingley returned with a tray with tea and biscuits, her husband had sent her away. “Thank
you, my dear, but this is not a social call. Serious business is being conducted here.” That scene had been worked out in advance, and Hannah had not even bothered to put tea in the teapot.
“Where is Mr. Wickham and when will I see him?” Lydia asked. She did not like this at all. He reminded her too much of her finger-wagging Aunt Susan, who was unhappy with everything Lydia had ever done.
“Wickham left his regiment without the permission of his senior officer, and there are matters in that regard that needed to be sorted. Additionally, he left Brighton with a young lady, who was not his wife, but who was a guest in the home of his colonel. It was a gross violation of the military code of ethics as well as common decency.”
“But that was only because Wickham is so in love with me. Surely, Colonel Forster will understand that as he also is in love with a young woman.”
“I can assure you Colonel Forster does not understand how one of his officers, whom he trusted to come into his home, could initiate secret meetings with a young lady under his protection, which has resulted in great damage to her reputation.”
“But I have done nothing wrong. I know what people might think, but once I explain that Wickham and I never did anything, they will understand.”
“If you believe that to be the case, Miss Lydia, then you have a higher opinion of mankind than I do. My experience is that most people are quite willing to believe the very worst about others. You will have a hard time convincing your acquaintances and relations that although you were gone for more than two weeks and had lived in a boardinghouse with a man without being married, you remain a maiden.”
“But I am,” Lydia said, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. “It was because we were waiting for Wickham to get the money to buy my wedding clothes. That was what was taking so long.”
“My wife tells me you have placed a great deal of importance on your wedding clothes. For the sake of argument, let us say you are accoutered from head to toe to your satisfaction. You go to the church and are married, and when you walk down the church steps and get into a hackney, where do you tell the driver to take you?”
Lydia was practically squirming. She had not thought about anything past the wedding ceremony. Where would they go?
“First, we should go to my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner’s. They are excessively fond of me.”
“Still?”
“Of course, Uncle Gardiner is my mother’s brother.”
“As you say, Mr. Gardiner is your mother’s brother, and as such, you have caused his sister great anxiety. In addition to that, he has neglected his family and business in his efforts to find you. I cannot imagine him welcoming with open arms the man who was responsible for wreaking havoc with the emotions of the Bennet and Gardiner families.”
“Well, it will only be for a few days before we go to Longbourn.”
“If you imagine a warm welcome there, I think you will be disappointed. Your father spent many days in London looking for you. He returned home in despair, fearing he would never see his youngest daughter again and that he had lost you to a man who violated every law of decency.”
“But I will explain it was only because we are so in love that we did these things. In time, all will be forgiven.”
“One can hope. However, you cannot expect your father to allow such a man to stay in his home for any length of time as he would be a constant reminder of the disruption he has caused his family. And you have another problem. Since Wickham, at Colonel Forster’s insistence, must leave the militia, I am curious as to what you will live on.”
“We have more resources than you think, Mr. Bingley,” Lydia said, smiling weakly. “Mr. Wickham is the natural son of a very wealthy man, and it is his intention to claim his share of the inheritance.”
“Really? And who told him that natural sons are entitled to a share of an inheritance? There is nothing in the law that requires it.”
“But his son is such a man that he will do what is right.”
“May I ask who this gentleman is?”
“If you promise it will not leave this room, as Wickham would be very unhappy with me if he knew I had told anyone.” Bingley gave her no assurances, but she decided to tell him anyway. “It is Mr. Darcy of Pemberley.”
George Bingley leaned forward in his chair, so that he might get closer to a young woman whose ignorance of how the world worked was staggering. “My dear, do you know what the term ‘slander’ means?”
“It is when someone tells a lie.”
“Yes, it is a lie, but one told to others to the point where it damages another’s reputation. You have just repeated a slander against Mr. Darcy. We know who Wickham’s father was, and he was not Mr. Darcy. So if you or Wickham should repeat this, you will be sued by the Darcy family, and when you are found guilty, you will go to prison.”
For the first time since she came into the room, Lydia truly looked frightened. Wickham had assured her that the elder Mr. Darcy was his father, and that the younger Mr. Darcy would see them right. What would they do now?
“In light of all of this, I would suggest you return to your parents and hope for a new beginning. Wickham is a man completely without principle, and he will cause you great heartache if you should marry.”
“But you don’t know the real George Wickham. He is very kind and attentive, and he loves me so much that he was willing to risk everything to be with me.”
Mr. Bingley laughed, which sent a chill down Lydia’s spine. “He risked very little, my dear. It was you who risked everything. I shall say no more as your uncle will be here shortly to bring you to their home. I hope they can talk sense into you as the man you call ‘my dear Wickham’ is a seducer, a gamester, a liar, and a profligate, among other things. A leopard cannot change its spots, Miss Lydia, not even for you.”
***
When Darcy went to George Bingley’s office, he expected to discuss his old enemy’s demands, but Bingley made it clear that Wickham was not in a position to demand anything.
“If for no other reason, Wickham must cooperate with us, or he will be before a magistrate with regards to his outstanding debts quicker than he can say ‘Jack Frost.’ Marshalsea Prison is an unpleasant place on the best of days, and there are very few of those.”
“Have you received instructions from Mr. Bennet?” Darcy asked. “Is he insisting that Lydia marry?”
“It is my understanding that it is her father’s hope that she will return to her family unmarried. However, Mr. Bennet has signed a power of attorney giving Mr. Gardiner complete discretion in this matter.”
“Please advise Mr. Gardiner that I shall do whatever is necessary to assist Miss Lydia if she foregoes marriage. I own a small estate in Hampshire where she might live until the storm passes. Money is not an issue; all her needs will be met.”
“That is very generous of you, Mr. Darcy, but from the conversation I had with the young lady, I believe a marriage will take place.”
“Where is Wickham?”
“In Brighton, where he had unfinished business. As discussed, Wickham will go into the regular army. A commission has been purchased in a regiment quartered in the north of England, and the colonel is a childhood friend of mine and is known for his discipline. Wickham will find life in the army to be very different from the militia. We are in a time of war, so if he thinks he can up and leave his regiment as he did in the militia, he will quickly come to realize his error. Deserters are hunted down and punished. All of this will be made clear to Wickham.”
Darcy was then shown a document drafted by George Bingley and the Darcy family solicitor in which a trust was to be established for Lydia Bennet with funds provided by Mr. Darcy. The conditions for any withdrawal in excess of a designated monthly allowance were stringent, and anything out of the norm required the approval of Mr. Stone, the executor of the trust.
“We have left Wickham with no wiggle
room, Mr. Darcy. These funds are to be made available only at certain banks, all of which I have a financial interest in. Every line of this document has been written with Miss Lydia’s interests in mind, and emergency funds are available if she needs to return to Longbourn. If they are frugal, the funds are sufficient to meet their needs.
“In addition, Mr. Stone has drafted a second document, which Wickham must sign, in which he acknowledges the facts of his birth, and if he should make additional statements that can be construed in any way that he is the natural son of David Darcy of Pemberley, he will be prosecuted. After the document is signed, you will leave, so that Wickham will think the only reason you were in attendance was to protect the interests of the Darcy family.”
Darcy stood up and thanked Mr. Bingley for all of his efforts and asked for an invoice to be sent to him at his earliest opportunity.
“There will be no charge, Mr. Darcy, not only because you are a friend and a business associate, but because I am the father of four daughters. Wickham’s actions are a violation of everything I hold sacred.”
“When will Wickham be coming to London?”
“In the next few days. By that time, Captain Wilcox and Lieutenant Fuller will have had sufficient time to deal with Wickham, and I understand a Mr. Egger of Meryton was also interested in meeting with him. When he left Meryton and Brighton, he burned his bridges and is friendless, which I imagine will become a permanent condition.”
After leaving Bingley’s office, Darcy recalled the time he had seen Lydia at Lucas Lodge. She had brazenly declared it was her intention to meet every officer in the regiment, and shortly thereafter, she had proceeded to chase after a young lieutenant. Jane and Elizabeth were aghast, but her parents ignored what he considered to be grossly inappropriate behavior. What you sow, so shall you reap. Harvest time had come.
***
The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy Page 25
