by J Dawn King
“Well,” Lydia huffed. “We shall see about that. I’ll write to my sisters and you will see. You just wait.”
“With what? What are you going to write with? Can you afford paper and pen? Can you afford the postage? Or did you think either one of us would carry such a tale to the women we hold dear to our hearts?”
“It’s all your fault, Will Darcy,” Lydia blurted, ignoring his questions. “Had you given George his share of Pemberley, I wouldn’t need to be here begging for help.”
“His share?” Darcy had heard it before—many times. He refused to raise his voice. “There never was a share for Wickham. Ever. He was a hired hand and nothing more. He was fired from Pemberley. He was fired from Netherfield as well. You, Mrs. Wickham, have tied yourself to a liar and a cheat; the most worthless man I know.”
“How can that be?” Lydia clutched her hands to her chest, and for the first time Darcy saw her age. “He gave me all the details of how you cheated him and how we would make you pay. He loves me. He wouldn’t lie to me!”
“And I would?” Darcy fought to keep the anger out of his voice. Deep down he felt sorry for Lydia, as he would for any female who encountered Wickham.
She dropped her eyes to her lap. “I don’t know.”
“What we will do for you and your husband is provide transportation back to Baltimore where you can join your parents. Once there, a sum of money will be available for you to access with the help of your uncle Gardiner.”
“How much?” Her head snapped up.
“Enough.” Darcy bit his tongue.
“I want a wedding ring. With a diamond.”
“Then you will need to discuss this with your uncle.”
“I want my money now.”
“You will only receive it when you arrive at Baltimore.”
“George isn’t going to like this.” Lydia pressed her lips together, her eyes focused on some far off spot. “But I can show him off to all my friends if we head east. They will be jealous and wish they were me.” She laughed. “It’s a good plan, Will. We accept.”
“I’ll make arrangements today.”
When Lydia stood, she held out her hand, her palm up, and her foot tapping on the floor.
“No. I meant what I said. You get nothing.”
“I don’t see what Lizzy sees in you, Will Darcy. You are a selfish old bear and I hate you,” Lydia whined. “But…I love your money and your plan, so I’ll return this afternoon to see when we need to be at the wharf.”
She walked to the door. “Don’t bother seeing me out and don’t bother giving my greetings to my sisters. They mean nothing to me now.”
She slammed the door behind her.
Silence filled the room, each man dumbfounded.
“And you mean nothing to me as well,” Darcy spoke into the air.
Two weeks after Darcy left Pemberley, he returned with Bingley at his side. Their horses trod through the rain and mud as the wind threatened to blow them off their mounts. Tree branches whipped back and forth on each side of them.
Darcy had one thought—get home to his Elizabeth.
The pounding raindrops muffled the sounds of their arrival so no one was on the porch to greet them. It was expected, though it felt like an abandonment all the same.
Elizabeth had received a note from Darcy the first week they were gone, briefly reporting how they had located Lydia. In the nine days since, there had been no word at all. She knew better than to believe that ‘no news was good news’. This was her youngest sister, after all.
The stomping of the men’s boots on the wooden steps at the front of the house was the first clue they were home. Pulling the skillet off the stove, she grabbed a towel to wipe her hands as she rushed to the door.
He was soaked to the skin and she didn’t care. Before he could hang his hat on the peg by the door, she had her arms tucked under his jacket and wrapped around him. In one smooth move, she was up on her toes to meet his mouth half way. She cared not for Bingley and Jane. Ignored were Mary, Kitty, and Georgiana. Her Will was home.
Without moving his lips from hers, Darcy shrugged out of his coat, leaving it in a pile behind him. He never wanted to let her go. She tasted of hope and dreams and of everything good. Feeling her hands run over the softness of his cotton shirt, she pressed between his shoulder blades, holding him to her as tightly as possible, and he felt how her need for comfort equaled his own.
Unmindful of their guests, he bent and, in a motion as old as time, scooped behind her knees until she was nestled in his arms. He felt her breath on his neck and it weakened his knees. Without looking back, he climbed the stairs and kicked the master bedroom door shut behind them.
“We are terrible hosts,” Elizabeth giggled softly. That same spot on the bottom of her foot itched so she rubbed it against his leg. Kissing the edge of his jaw, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When he did the same, she knew it was time to talk.
“Would you tell me about Lydia?” She softly stroked the side of his face, running her hand into his hair and then pulling it back down to gently tug on his earlobe. She kissed his jaw again. “Please?”
Will captured her left hand in his own and brought it to his mouth to plant a kiss on the inside of her wrist, before entwining his large fingers with hers. He cleared his throat to speak.
“When your sister came to Fitzwilliam’s house in town, she appeared to be unaffected by how her marriage put her in harm’s way. She was bold and demanding.”
“What did she want?”
“Money,” he huffed. “And a wedding ring.”
“Of all the foolish things,” Elizabeth whispered to herself.
“In advance, I had decided to pay for travel for the two of them back to Baltimore and settle some funds with your uncle so they would need to go through him to gain access.”
“A good plan.”
“Yes, so it seemed.” Darcy paused and she felt his hand tighten on hers. “Lizzy, I thank the heavens that Richard was there through the whole of Lydia’s time in that room.”
Elizabeth leaned up on her elbow so she could look him in the face. “Why?” Her hesitation to ask, and his hesitation to continue, worried her.
“He recognized certain tells while your sister was speaking that both Charles and I failed to see.”
“What do you mean? Lydia is and always has been pretty straight-forward.”
“Yes, but this was different.” Darcy again kissed her hand. “Richard was able to read her like a book. He noticed how she refused to make eye-contact with any of us. He caught a tremor in her hands and how her fingernails dug into the arm of the chair each time she spoke. He even caught how, at one point, she stared off like she was trying to recall the exact words she was supposed to say.”
“What does this mean?” He was right. This didn’t sound like Lydia.
“He believes Wickham spent the first days after their marriage filling her head with lies. Then he coached her with what to say and how to act. Once Rich told me this, I went back over the conversation and I could hear Wickham in each and every word she uttered.”
“Do you think she was afraid of him?”
“Yes!” Darcy shuddered. “And we were right to be concerned.”
“Oh, no!” Elizabeth sat up, facing him. “Tell me.”
“Lydia had no money so she walked back to the tavern where they were staying. The three of us followed at a distance and were easily able to hear the argument that followed.” Darcy sighed. “Wickham called your sister names a female should never hear when she returned empty-handed. He told her she would have to go downstairs and offer to work for the owner of the facility in any capacity available so he could have money to pay for their rooms. When she told him she would not, he… he slapped her.”
“No!”
“Yes, Lizzy.” Darcy scooted up so he leaned against the headboard. “When we came to her aid, Wickham… he became even more aggressive in his words to her, blaming first me and then his wife
for being in reduced circumstances. She looked so lost and hurt, every one of her young years. I didn’t know what else to do, so I stepped between them and turned my back to Wickham. I pulled her to me and covered her ears with my hands. Lizzy, she shook so badly I had a hard time standing still.”
Elizabeth could no longer hold in her tears. She cried for the pain her sister had suffered and for the ignorant loss of her innocent youth. Her heart ached at what her husband endured at the hands of two foolish souls.
“Tell me. What has been done?” Elizabeth had been aware enough to realize her sister had not entered Pemberley with the two men. She had no idea where Lydia was.
“There’s only one thing that will move Wickham and that’s the opportunity for seemingly easy money. Richard had heard of a gold strike on the Fraser River area of Canada and when he shared it with Wickham, it was quickly decided that Bingley and I would buy passage for him as well as give him a stake for his supplies. I’m sure you wouldn’t be surprised that he wanted more, but the promise of gold made him much more malleable than we had hoped.”
“Did Lydia go with him then?” Elizabeth hoped not.
“No, she did not.” Darcy gave a gentle tug on her hand so she leaned into him. “Wickham clearly stated that he had no intentions of taking her along. He told her he regretted marrying her as he did the others he’d wed.”
“What?”
“Yes, apparently he’s been married before and has made it his habit to do so and then walk away when something new comes along.”
“Then their marriage isn’t legally binding, is it?”
“Richard doubted it, though there would need to be proof.”
“Oh, good heavens!” Elizabeth shook her head. Of all the stupid things to have happen. “Then where is Lydia?”
When he rolled his eyes and looked to the ceiling, Elizabeth knew she wouldn’t like what was to come.
“It seems your sister was more in love with the idea of being married than actually having a husband. After a few day’s search, Rich found a family traveling back east who were willing to escort your sister to Baltimore. They are an older couple who are deeply religious. Your sister will be well looked after. I wired funds to your uncle to see a small home purchased for her. She agreed to take in your parents.”
“At great cost to you.”
“To us, my dear.” He kissed her at her temple. “But she was happy at the decision. She was perfectly willing to keep Wickham’s name despite the fact that she would most likely never see him again. Should there be a child, the pretense of being wed will give it legitimacy.”
“Is that all?” Elizabeth hated to ask as Will had already done so much.
“She had one demand only that I found confusing, but easy enough to fulfill.”
“I cannot imagine.”
“She wanted a diamond on a wedding band so she could show it off to all her friends.” Darcy chuckled. “To my surprise, Lydia chose a modest ring and was so pleased with it that she couldn’t take her eyes off it. Of course, this meant she kept walking into things before we jumped into a carriage to return to the Fitzwilliams. By the time Bingley and I went back to the saloon to pack up the few items she’d brought with her, Wickham was gone. Charles and I stayed to see Lydia off with the Wilson family, and then we came home.”
“I love you, Will.” She put her head on his shoulder and held him tight. “I love you so much for so many reasons.”
Again, he was reminded of the differences between the sisters. And, again, he was so relieved it was Elizabeth who was his wife.
“I love you as well.”
The next morning, Darcy and Elizabeth didn’t stir until the smell of coffee and frying bacon wafted upstairs into their room.
“Lizzy?” Darcy mumbled into her hair.
“Mmm?”
“Who’s cooking breakfast?” His empty stomach rumbled while he spoke.
She giggled.
“Are you hoping it isn’t Maggie?” she murmured into his ear. “Much has changed in the two weeks you were gone. When Mr. Thornton came to call on Mary, she decided to learn as much as possible from Maggie and me so she would be able to keep a good home should he ask her to be his bride. Georgiana and Kitty decided it was time to learn as well.”
“What a great idea.” His smile was delighted.
“Yes, I’m very proud of the girls.” Elizabeth was pleased with each of them. “At first, their attempts were a challenge for them to cook and for Jane and I to eat. Nonetheless, they kept after it and have proved to be good in the kitchen.”
“Which young lady is cooking this morning?” He worried he would not be able to pretend the chef was Georgiana and the meal wasn’t palatable.
“They all are.”
She threw back the covers and jumped from the bed. “I’m hungry too.”
“Where are Charles and Jane?” Elizabeth asked Mary, who was carefully placing the plates and forks in their proper position.
When her younger sister looked up and lifted her brow without reply, a blush started up Elizabeth’s neck. She looked over to see the same brilliant red creeping up Darcy’s cheeks in almost a mirror image of what she supposed hers would be.
Before either could speak, Kitty stepped to the table to place a bowl of fried potatoes and onions next to the scrambled eggs.
“I can’t imagine why you didn’t realize you were sleeping in the bedroom Jane had been staying in. In spite of her tidiness, surely you figured out you had displaced her at some hour of the night.”
Georgiana moved alongside Kitty with a platter of biscuits. All three girls were struggling to contain their mirth.
“I…I…” Was all Will could add as a reply.
His discomfort was all the catalyst they needed to burst into merry laughter. Finally, both Darcy and Elizabeth joined in. The relief this expression of emotions provided was immense.
Once seated around the table, Kitty inquired about Lydia. Elizabeth thought it the path of wisdom to allow her husband to address the subject.
“Your sister was given a choice as to what her future would be. She was happy to return to Baltimore with a family traveling that direction. She will be able to provide a home for your parents.”
“But her husband. What about Mr. Wickham?” Kitty was relentless, which was understandable due to their familial closeness.
“Wickham left for the gold fields of Canada. I sincerely doubt she will ever see him again.”
The girls looked at one another, confusion on their faces.
“Sisters,” his manner of address pleased Elizabeth. It was the first time in her hearing he had done so. “Once Lydia realized the caliber of man she had married, she decided distance was the best choice for her. In the future, should she decide to seek another husband, steps will be taken to dissolve the marriage. For her, four days of being Wickham’s bride convinced her beyond measure that being a wife to an immoral man was the worst sort of life. She has vowed to both Charles and me that she will never marry. Whether or not she continues on that path remains to be seen.”
“Was it that bad?” asked Kitty, hesitantly.
“I’ll be honest. It was worse than bad.” Darcy shook his head as his eyes met each of his sisters. “So allow this to be a lesson to all three of you. Once you tie yourself to a man, you could either be the happiest woman on earth or the most miserable. I’d advise you to get to know him well before accepting any offer to wed.”
“Like you and Lizzy?” Georgiana’s smile was mischievous. “Let’s see, you knew each other fewer than twenty-four hours when you married, didn’t you?”
Again, Darcy blushed. Elizabeth reached over and laid her hand on his arm.
“You are both right and wrong, Georgie.” Elizabeth’s smile softened her words. “Despite the fact that I’d only set eyes on him the day before, I loved your brother for months. Each heartfelt letter he wrote revealed a kind, gentle man who had the same appreciation for his surroundings as I did. I knew that with eac
h word, he was telling me he would care for me and eventually love me.”
“But Lizzy said she hated you when you first married,” Mary blurted, ever forthright.
“She is correct.” Darcy draped his fingers over where Elizabeth’s hand rested on his arm. She felt his gentle squeeze. “We had a rough start, but Lizzy’s right. The letters she wrote in reply captured me to such an extent that I wanted the author by my side, and no other.”
“The problem was when we realized it wasn’t Charles and Jane who had written the letters, but ourselves. By then, your brother had offended me and I’d responded with a sharp tongue.” Elizabeth was grateful they could both smile at the memory. “However, while the letters attracted us, it was the day-to-day working together for the same goal that finally united us. We were forced to come to discern both the good and bad in each other, and we learned to love each other deeply in spite of our flaws.”
Darcy injected. “Our love has been tested and is now something I value higher than gold.”
“Well,” Kitty said with a snort, “apparently Mr. Wickham decided gold was more valuable than Lydia.”
“Yes, which means they both lose, doesn’t it?” Darcy answered.
“I guess.” Kitty shrugged, as did Mary and Georgiana.
“Then I suggest we enjoy this meal you worked so hard to prepare.” Darcy handed the platter to his wife. “Someday you will meet the man of your dreams. When you do, you will be proud to bear his name. There will be no one else you will want to spend forever with.”
All three girls sighed.
“I don’t think I’d want to be a mail-order bride,” Kitty proclaimed. The others nodded their agreement.
“Smart girls,” Darcy mumbled. Elizabeth heard. She smacked his arm and then chuckled. How she loved this man.
The rain had slowed to a heavy mist, blanketing the property and hiding the river from their view. Elizabeth shrugged into one of Darcy’s old jackets and joined him as he leaned against the porch railing. As she had done before, she wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her head between his shoulder blades. She felt the tension leaving him as she squeezed him tightly.
