“What on earth could he have to talk to me about?” said Lydia.
Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped in and said, “Miss Bennet, I am Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, Mr. Darcy and I wish to speak with you on behalf of your family.”
“Oh, a colonel,” said Lydia, “very well. I will go and get dressed and be back down in a moment.” With a giggle she disappeared back upstairs, only to return in a modest white gown. “Mrs. Younge, is the front parlor available?”
“Yes, Miss Bennet,” said the older woman, and then she led the three of them to a dusty parlor. Lydia flung herself on the sofa near the grimy window. “I am guessing my sisters are wildly jealous that I am soon to be married.”
“Miss Bennet,” said Darcy, “surely you must know that Mr. Wickham has no intention of marrying you. He is only interested in money. If you leave with us today we will find another soldier who is willing to marry you.”
Lydia snorted. “Oh, I could never leave my dearest Wickham. I love only him, and we are going to be married, as soon as he settles his debts and can afford the ring. Then all of my sisters shall have to be my bridesmaids!”
Darcy was dumbfounded by Lydia’s naiveté. How could she honestly believe that Wickham would ever marry her? “Miss Bennet, you cannot be serious about deserting your family and friends for Mr. Wickham.”
“I care not about my friends, and Mama will be pleased that I have found such a fine officer to marry. I am not going to leave him now, and there is nothing you can do to force me. If that is all you have to say then I suggest you leave now.”
“We will speak to Wickham now, Miss Bennet,” said the Colonel, as Darcy was currently trying to contain his temper.
“Fine then,” said Lydia, then she swept from the room only to be replaced by Wickham a few moments later.
Without preamble, Colonel Fitzwilliam asked, “What will it take for you to marry Miss Bennet?”
Wickham laughed aloud. “I have no intentions of marrying that little chit. She is nothing more than a distraction. I plan to leave London in the next few days, as soon as I can obtain a new commission.”
“Every man has his price,” growled Darcy, “name yours.”
A mercenary look flashed in Wickham’s flinty eyes. “Twelve thousand pounds.”
“Are you out of your mind?’ cried Darcy, “I could find an officer who would be willing to marry Miss Bennet for a fraction of that.”
“Perhaps, but then her reputation would be in tatters,” said Wickham, recognizing that he had the upper hand. “And a Darcy cannot afford to marry into a family with a ruined reputation. How would that look to the people in the ton?”
Darcy hardly cared about society’s opinion of his choice of bride, but he was not a fool. While he was fairly certain he could work around the difficulties that would come from his marrying Elizabeth, he knew that the difficulties would be substantial. However, nothing would separate him from his beloved Elizabeth, especially not George Wickham. “I am not giving you twelve thousand pounds,” said Darcy.
“Then I am not marrying Lydia,” countered Wickham, “You may as well kiss your pretty little fiancée goodbye.”
Darcy’s countenance turned stormy.
Wickham smirked and said, “Well, if that is all, I must bid you adieu. I have a meeting with Miss Sarah. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” Then he sauntered out of the room.
Darcy looked over at his cousin who said, “Darcy, do not give Wickham the satisfaction of bending to his will. Let us return to the Gardiner house and formulate a new plan. Twelve thousand pounds is an outrageous price to pay for one young lady’s reputation, especially when you would be buying her future grief. There are better alternatives.”
“Yes. I know. Let us leave this despicable establishment.”
***
“Twelve thousand pounds!” cried Mr. Bennet. “That is outrageous. I cannot afford that.”
Mr. Bennet, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Gardiner, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy were all gathered in the sitting room at the Gardiner house. Mrs. Gardiner was tending to the children in the nursery, the five of them having returned from Hertfordshire as Mrs. Gardiner did not want to be a burden on her sister-in-law who had suffered enough as of late.
“We are not giving George Wickham twelve thousand pounds,” said Darcy. “Colonel Fitzwilliam will find an officer to marry Lydia, at half that amount. It is not going to be easy, but we will be able to salvage your daughter’s reputation. Our next step is to convince Lydia to leave Mr. Wickham.”
“Lydia is heedless,” said Mr. Bennet, “I know this better than anyone else. It is her dream to marry an officer, and I suspect that she truly loves Mr. Wickham. She has always been a stubborn and silly child. Her mind will not be easily changed.”
“She should not be given a choice,” said Mr. Gardiner. “We should remove her immediately.”
“I do not think that is the best idea,” said Darcy, “if she believes herself to be in love, and she is forced away, then she will not consent to marry another. Gorge Wickham is an unfaithful scoundrel. He practically gloated about meeting with another young lady. If Lydia is made to realize that Wickham does not care for her, then she will willingly leave his side.”
“How do you suggest she be made to realize this?”
“Wickham said that he plans leave London as soon as he finds a new commission. If we could secure such a commission, then Mr. Wickham would be gone. Lydia would realize his lack of devotion when he does not ask her to accompany him, and then she will let go of any hopes she has of marrying him.”
“It appears that heartbreak is the only way,” said Mr. Bennet philosophically. “Very well, Mr. Darcy. I shall inquire upon Colonel Forster to see if he can find something for Mr. Wickham.”
“And I shall begin a search for a suitable officer to marry Miss Bennet. Some of the officers of my old regiment are here in London. I am sure at least one of them is in want of a wife,” offered Colonel Fitzwilliam.
“I shall return to Hertfordshire tomorrow, and alert the ladies of this new development,” offered Bingley, who, to be honest, was feeling de trop, and was desperate to be reunited with his dearest Jane. Darcy envied Bingley returning to Hertfordshire. Every day without Elizabeth at his side was agony, but all of his efforts were necessary. The sooner they could put this affair behind them, the sooner Darcy could call Elizabeth his wife.
Of course, there was another issue for Mr. Darcy to bring to Mr. Bennet’s attention. In their haste to depart, they had not written to Mr. Bennet about the predicament that had arisen in Derbyshire, not wishing to add further grief to an already distressing situation. The past two days had been spent in efforts to recover Lydia. Now that they had discovered her, Darcy knew that he needed to confess his sins to Mr. Bennet. Alas, he would have to face Mr. Bennet’s ire with only Mr. Gardiner for company.
As soon as Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam had left the Gardiner house, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Darcy were left alone. Nothing else could be done that evening towards recovering Lydia, so the gentlemen retired to Mr. Gardiner’s study for a much-needed glass of port.
Darcy remained silent for several long moments, knowing full well that the conversation with Mr. Bennet would not go as smoothly as the one with Mr. Gardiner. He was aware of Elizabeth’s deep affection for her father and of his for her, and therefore did not wish to lose his temper and say anything that might create a breach between father and daughter when he and Elizabeth were married, or worse yet, say something that would make Elizabeth resent him.
Mr. Gardiner flashed him a look of encouragement, and, after a healthy swallow of port, Darcy finally broke the silence. “Mr. Bennet, I fear I have another piece of news that will distress you further.”
Mr. Bennet smiled sardonically, “I highly doubt, Darcy, that you could give me any news that would distress me further.”
Darcy shook his head. “This concerns Elizabeth,”
Under normal circumstances Mr. Bennet
would have laughed at Darcy’s obvious discomfort, for how many times would he be able to see the Master of Pemberley humbled by unpleasant circumstances. Given the current predicament with his youngest, his humor was in short supply. With a severe expression, Mr. Bennet told Darcy that he best get on with it.
Darcy quickly glanced at Mr. Gardiner who nodded in support while obviously trying to keep his expression neutral. This exchange was not lost on Mr. Bennet, and he wondered what his brother-in-law knew that he did not.
“The situation with Miss Lydia has prevented me from saying something sooner, and it is regrettable,” said Darcy, twisting his signet ring, as if trying to relieve some of his tension. “As an honorable gentleman, however, I must make a confession of sorts. I love your daughter very much, as you very well know, and I want nothing more than to make her happy, which is why it pains me to do something which will decidedly make her unhappy. While I do not wish to force her down the aisle much sooner than originally planned, I do believe it is necessary.”
It did not take Mr. Bennet long to firmly grasp what Darcy was saying, and as soon as he did, his temper flared. “Am I to understand that you have taken advantage of a gentleman’s daughter? That you have made my Lizzy your mistress?”
“Elizabeth is my wife, Mr. Bennet,” said Darcy, trying to hold back his resentment at Mr. Bennet’s slight to his honor. “In every way but the sanction of the church. As soon as I have dealt with the situation with Mr. Wickham, I shall procure a special license so that we may be married immediately.
“And leave my daughter’s good name in danger of being ruined. Did it ever occur to you that your actions might have consequences? I have half a mind to send for Elizabeth so that you may marry before we deal with Lydia’s predicament.”
“That is where I must disagree,” said Darcy, “If Mr. Wickham learns that I have married Elizabeth so quickly after meeting with him, I will be playing into his hands. He will no doubt find some way to further harm Lydia’s reputation.”
Mr. Bennet shook his head. “This is pointless speculation. The truth of the matter is that we must find another match for Lydia. Her chances will only increase when it is known that she is the sister of the new Mrs. Darcy. We will find a commission that will take Wickham far away and the matter will be settled. On this I will brook no argument. I shall write to Lizzy and summon her to London. Tomorrow you will procure a special license so that the two of you shall be married on Friday.”
“I shall send one of my carriages for her,” said Darcy, who was frankly relieved by Mr. Bennet’s decision. “I would rather that she would not travel alone by post.”
Mr. Bennet eyed him severely, “Mr. Darcy, in case you have forgotten, Elizabeth is still my responsibility, and I shall decide what is best for her.”
“With all due respect, sir, the responsibility will soon be changing hands, and I would rather that the future Mrs. Darcy arrive here as swiftly and safely as possible. I shall send one of my carriages, two of my most trusted footmen, and a maid from Darcy House as a chaperone. I hope you will accept this offer now, lest I be forced to argue the point until you give in.”
Mr. Bennet leveled a serious gaze at his future son-in-law, resentfully admiring his immovability. He would need this kind of strength when dealing with Lizzy, and despite himself, Mr. Bennet’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “Very well, Darcy, do what you will.”
Darcy realized that Mr. Bennet was none too pleased with the entire situation, and thus he attempted to hide his relief. “Then I shall not protest, Mr. Bennet. I will say only that I love and respect your daughter more than anyone in the world and I shall spend every day for the rest of my life trying to please her.”
“I am sure you will,” said Mr. Bennet, with more than a little bitterness. “Now if you would please leave. I wish to write to my daughter in peace and privacy.”
***
Bingley left Darcy House on horseback at first light with two letters to Elizabeth in hand. The first was from Mr. Bennet, revealing that he had conversed with Darcy about her time in Derbyshire and requesting her immediate presence at the Gardiner House, and a second brief missive from Darcy expressing his regret that they would be joined in matrimony much sooner than anticipated and fervently reassuring her of his deep love and expressing a hope that she would find some way to forgive him.
Mr. Bingley was well received at Longbourn, its inhabitants eager for an update on Lydia’s dire situation. Mrs. Bennet chose to remain above-stairs and Mary, Kitty and Georgiana had walked to Meryton, hoping do distract themselves from the misery of the past days, leaving the elder Miss Bennets alone to discuss the situation with Bingley.
Upon arriving, Bingley immediately put the letters into Elizabeth’s hand and bade her to read them immediately. Elizabeth wondered at this request, but when she saw that one was from her father, and one from Mr. Darcy, she suspected what they must be about and she could not avoid thinking that her wedding day would come in a few days’ time, despite Lydia’s predicament.
Elizabeth read the letters confirming her suspicions. Mr. Bennet wrote that Darcy carriage would arrive in Hertfordshire shortly past noontime and would bring her from Longbourn directly to the Gardiner house in Gracechurch Street. Upon finishing the short missive, she rang for Hill to have her trunks packed immediately as it was already ten o’clock.
Then she carefully opened Darcy’s letter, after gently running her fingers over the Darcy seal, which would very soon be her own. Darcy’s letter read as follows:
My Dearest Elizabeth,
I have missed you so. You are in my thoughts constantly and it is the memories of our time together that have fortified me in my dealings with Wickham. Unfortunately, I cannot say that we have had much success in ameliorating Lydia’s situation. We located them, and Wickham made his initial offer that he would only marry Lydia if he were paid twelve thousand pounds. Of course, I refused. Currently we are in the process of finding other means to extricate Lydia from her predicament. She believes herself to be in love with Wickham and will not be persuaded to leave him. So it was settled that Colonel Fitzwilliam might find a new position for Wickham that will take him far away from London, and perhaps even to the continent. When he is gone, Lydia will be made to see that Mr. Wickham is not so much in love with her as she believes him to be and then she might be persuaded to marry another. In regards to that, we will set out to find an officer who will be willing to marry Lydia despite her past. Again, my cousin believes that he will be able to find such a man. However, the resolution to Lydia’s situation remains to be seen.
I do not doubt that you have already read your father’s missive. I regret the necessity of moving up our wedding day, as I know how you hate to be coerced. However, I saw no other way around it. Of course, I had to tell your father that we had anticipated our wedding vows, and once all was known, he insisted that you be brought to London straight away. I can only hope that you will find some way to forgive me for these necessary actions. Know that I love you with all my heart, and I shall spend every day of the rest of our lives together trying to make you happy and being a man worthy of your love. Until I can hold you in my arms once more, a piece of my heart is missing.
I shall only add that I am forever yours,
Fitzwilliam Darcy
Elizabeth folded up the missive and placed it in her pocket, and then went to join Jane and Bingley in the sitting room. By that time, Bingley had revealed their progress in mitigating Lydia’s predicament. However, if Bingley knew anything of Elizabeth’s circumstances, he had apparently said nothing to Jane on the subject. Jane looked to her sister and asked, “What have Papa and Mr. Darcy to say, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth hesitated, and then after looking to Bingley, who appeared to be fascinated with some sight out the window, went to Jane and took her to the corner of the room. “Oh Jane, I am afraid I have some unpleasant news. Mr. Darcy has sent his carriage for me, as Papa has demanded my immediate presence in London.”
Jan
e’s face fell at the news, “Why are you needed in town Lizzy?”
“I am afraid I have been dishonest with you. You see, Mr. Darcy and I have behaved very poorly,” then she dropped her voice to just above a whisper, “Mr. Darcy and I have anticipated our wedding vows, and papa demands that we be married this Friday.”
Jane gasped at the revelation. “Oh, Lizzy, why did you not tell me?”
“With everything that has happened with Lydia, I thought it best to keep it to myself. I did not want to add to your grief. Oh Jane, what must you think of me?”
“Nothing could ever diminish my high estimation and deep affection for you, my dearest sister,” said Jane quietly, “but I am a bit stunned, surely Papa would not wish for you to marry in London, not with Wickham still at large.”
“He and our uncle seem to think that if I marry Mr. Darcy right away, it will accomplish two things; my reputation will be protected and it will be easier to find an officer who will marry Lydia despite her past, given that she is the sister of the new Mrs. Darcy,” said Elizabeth. “I cannot but agree with them, and I hope they are correct in their thinking. However, it grieves me deeply that I will not have you at my wedding.” Jane took her sister’s hand. “Oh Lizzy, surely you must have more reservations on getting married so soon. While I would not dare to questions Papa’s decision, it seems to me that you are not prepared for this abrupt change in situation.”
“I know that it is a necessary step,” said Elizabeth, “and while I can regret my careless and unguarded behavior with Mr. Darcy, I cannot regret what we have shared together. I love and trust him so completely, but in light of recent events, I wish that I would not have to be married from Gracechurch Street, and without most of my family. I can only hope you can forgive me for preempting our plans of a double ceremony.”
To her surprise, Jane laughed at her sister’s last statement. “I can forgive you anything, and if you shall be happy with Mr. Darcy sooner than expected then I am glad for you. The circumstances are regrettable, but it is not all that bad Lizzy. I expect Mr. Darcy will be glad to have you by his side as he continues to deal with Wickham. I can only imagine what the poor man must be suffering. I imagine he will be in a great need of any comfort you can offer him.” Jane’s teasing smile succeeded in making Elizabeth laugh, and then she and Jane went back to the sofa and sat with Mr. Bingley until they heard the sound of a carriage driving up the lane. Hill had packed two trunks for Elizabeth, and the rest of her belongings would be sent along later to Darcy house. Once the trunks were loaded into the carriage, Elizabeth bid her mother and sisters adieu. Mrs. Bennet was currently unaware of the change in wedding plans; Mr. Bennet would write to her after the ceremony on Friday morning informing her of recent developments. Elizabeth did not envy Jane the task of suffering through her mother’s endless raptures on the subject.
Mr Darcy's Kiss Page 21
