I Met Mr Darcy Via Luton

by Fredrica Edward

  Elizabeth could see that her friend wished to withdraw her arm. Between improper proposals and repulsive men, Lizzy thought she could live quite happily for the rest of her life as a spinster.

  The ladies climbed in, and the chaise was off. Lizzy watched as the grove she had frequented passed by and disappeared into the distance. Though the walks she had experienced in Kent were lovely, they were now forever tainted by the most humiliating episode of her life. She hoped that she might never see the place again.

  "Good gracious!" cried Mariah, after a few minutes' silence, "it seems but a day or two since we first came! And yet how many things have happened!"

  "A great many indeed," said her companion with a sigh.

  "We have dined five times at Rosings, besides drinking tea there twice! How much I shall have to tell!"

  Elizabeth added privately, And how much I shall have to conceal!

  Their journey was performed without much conversation or any incident; and within four hours of their leaving Hunsford, they reached the outskirts of London where they were to remain a few days at Mr Gardiner's house. Breaching the city limits, Elizabeth felt strangely liberated from the confined company of Kent and eagerly looked forward to seeing her sister again.

  Jane looked well, though Elizabeth had little opportunity of studying her spirits amidst the various engagements that the kindness of her aunt had reserved for them. But Jane was to go home with her, and at Longbourn there would be leisure enough for observation.

  Elizabeth had determined she would not tell her sister about Mr Darcy's proposal. Aside from the shame of it all, she knew her sister could not believe her. She would think it impossible that a friend of Mr Bingley's would do such a thing; would claim that Lizzy had misinterpreted his words somehow. So that was the big lie. But then there would be the little lie: Elizabeth would conceal her knowledge that Mr Bingley had not been in Vienna. After all, what good could come of her sister knowing of his deceit?

  It was the second week in May in which the three young ladies set out together from Gracechurch Street for the town of St Albans in Hertfordshire; and, as they drew near the appointed inn where Mr Bennet's carriage was to meet them, they quickly perceived, thanks to the coachman's punctuality, both Kitty and Lydia looking out of a dining-room upstairs. These two girls had been above an hour in the place, happily employed in visiting an opposite milliner, being applied to by various street vendors walking up and down, watching the sentinel on guard, and dressing a salad and cucumber.

  After welcoming their sisters, they triumphantly displayed a table set out with such cold meat as an inn larder usually affords, exclaiming, "Is not this nice? Is not this an agreeable surprise?"

  "And we mean to treat you all," added Lydia, "but you must lend us the money, for we have just spent ours."

  Lizzy now perceived that Lydia was carrying a basket.

  "Jane, Lizzy, I have bought the dearest thing!" she said as something fluffy stirred beneath the covers.

  "Lyddy, you know we are not allowed kittens. Papa says they kill the birds," said Jane, stretching out her hand to pat it nonetheless.

  "It is fine, Jane! It is not a kitten but a baby ferret."

  "Oh! They are savage things!" cried Jane, hastily retracting her hand.

  "No, they aren't!" retorted Lydia. "The vendor says if you cuddle and play with them, they grow up to be very affectionate like kittens! And their fur is longer and softer!"

  Lizzy gave the baby ferret a stroke and agreed the fur was very soft. She secretly thought that it would make an excellent muff.

  "I'm afraid you cannot keep him, Lydia," said Lizzy.

  Kitty made a moue and Lydia whined, "Oooohhh!"

  "Now, please put him down for a moment as I have something important to say."

  She nodded dismissal to the server who was hoping that she had forgotten about him. There was nothing he enjoyed more than girl talk.

  After the door was closed behind him, she began. "When I was in Kent I met someone who knows Mr Wickham intimately. They warned me that he is not a man to be trusted. He takes advantage of young girls."

  Lizzy now had Kitty and Lydia's undivided attention.

  "You must be very careful never to be alone with him. I love you both dearly and do not wish to ever see you hurt. So please be careful."

  They nodded in unison.

  Then Lydia thought of a new pet retention strategy. "Could we not keep him, as a guard ferret?"

  "No!" rejoined Lizzy and Jane together.

  They then partook of the dressed salad, some ham, and a loaf of bread with freshly churned butter.

  After paying their shot, Lizzy became custodian of the basket and instructed Lydia to point out the vendor.

  Approaching this fellow, she held out the basket. "Sir, I must ask you to take this back!"

  "Sorry, ma'am, all sales is final. That is a werry good ferret. You won't be disappointed."

  After Lizzy explained she was not asking for a refund, the vendor took the basket with a shrug. After all, he did not often get the chance to sell the same ferret twice.

  The carriage was ordered, and after some contrivance, the whole party, with all their boxes, workbags, and parcels, and the unwelcome addition of Kitty's and Lydia's purchases, were seated in it.

  "It's not fair!" said Lydia, as they set off towards Longbourn. "I should have bought that ugly bonnet after all!"

  Chapter 30: Return to Longbourn

  Lizzy felt a lump form in her throat as Longbourn came into view. The urge to scurry straight to her bedchamber and hide like a whipped dog was strong, but she knew it would be several hours before she could indulge in that comfort.

  Their reception at home was most kind. Mrs Bennet rejoiced to see Jane in undiminished beauty; and more than once during dinner did Mr Bennet say voluntarily to Elizabeth: "I am glad you are come back, Lizzy."

  Their party in the dining-room was large, for almost all the Lucases came to meet Mariah and hear the news; and various were the subjects that occupied them: Lady Lucas was inquiring of Mariah, after the welfare of her eldest daughter, and Mariah in turn told of the wayward pigs and the carpet beating. Mr Bennet looked enquiringly at Lizzy throughout these stories expecting her to add her mite, but she kept her head down and moved the vegetables about her plate.

  Mrs Bennet was engaged collecting an account of the present fashions from Jane, when Lydia broke in:

  "It will not much signify what one wears this summer, after the militia have left Meryton, and they are going in a fortnight. They are going to be encamped near Brighton; and I do so want Papa to take us all there for the summer! It would be such a delicious scheme; and I dare say would hardly cost anything at all. Mamma would like to go too, of all things! Only think what a miserable summer else we shall have!"

  Yes, thought Elizabeth, that would be a delightful scheme, indeed, and completely do for us at once. Good Heaven! Brighton, and a whole campful of soldiers, to us, who have been overset already by one poor regiment of militia and the monthly balls of Meryton!

  Nonetheless, when she finally did reach her bedchamber, she found the company of her family had done her much good. She was able to put her head on the pillow in a more serene frame of mind, convincing herself that Mr Darcy would be soon forgotten.

  Elizabeth was now, on being settled at home, at leisure to observe the real state of her sister's spirits. Jane was not happy. She still cherished a very tender affection for Bingley. Having never even fancied herself in love before, her regard had all the warmth of first attachment and, from her age and disposition, greater steadiness than most first attachments often boast. So fervently did she value his remembrance, and prefer him to every other man, that all her good sense and all her attention to the feelings of her friends were requisite to check the indulgence of those regrets which must have been injurious to her own health and their tranquillity.

  "Well, Lizzy," said Mrs Bennet one day, "what is your opinion now of this sad business of Jane's? For
my part, I am determined never to speak of it again to anybody. I wrote my sister Philips so the other day. But I cannot find out that Jane saw anything of him in London. Well, he is a very undeserving young man—and I do not suppose there's the least chance in the world of her ever getting him now. There is no talk of his coming to Netherfield again in the summer; and I have inquired of everybody, too, who is likely to know."

  "I do not believe he will ever live at Netherfield any more," replied Lizzy.

  "Oh, well! it is just as he chooses. Nobody wants him to come. Though I shall always say he used my daughter extremely ill; and if I was her, I would not have put up with it. Well, my comfort is, I am sure Jane will die of a broken heart; and then he will be sorry for what he has done."

  But as Elizabeth could not receive comfort from any such expectation, she made no answer.

  "Well, Lizzy," continued her mother, soon afterwards, "and so the Collinses live very comfortable, do they? Well, well, I only hope it will last. And what sort of table do they keep? Charlotte is an excellent manager, I dare say. If she is half as sharp as her mother, she is saving enough. There is nothing extravagant in their housekeeping, I dare say."

  "No, nothing at all."

  "A great deal of good management, depend upon it. Yes, yes, they will take care not to outrun their income. They will never be distressed for money. Well, much good may it do them! And so, I suppose, they often talk of having Longbourn when your father is dead. They look upon it as quite their own, I dare say, whenever that happens."

  "It was a subject which they could not mention before me."

  "No, it would have been strange if they had; but I make no doubt they often talk of it between themselves. Well, if they can be easy with an estate that is not lawfully their own, so much the better. I should be ashamed of having one that was only entailed on me."

  A welcome distraction from Jane's woes came in the form of Mr Jones, who arrived on the doorstep of Longbourn several days later with a bunch of flowers, ostensibly for Mrs Bennet, who had left her customary piece of plum pudding for him on Boxing Day. Lydia excitedly dragged him out to the garden to show him the snake hole she had discovered, and they were able to determine that several juveniles lay within.

  Lizzy had followed them outside, allowing Mr Jones to get to the real object of his visit.

  "We have missed you greatly at the infirmary, Miss Elizabeth," he said as they walked through the rose garden. "There is not a day that goes by when Dr Gregory does not make some comment regretting your absence, whether it is a problem with the ledgers or the lack of properly cleaned equipment."

  "How goes the hospital?" Lizzy enquired politely.

  "It has been operating for several weeks now. Dr Gregory is run off his feet, keeping it all going. He was married a fortnight ago at Meryton, though I'm sure his wife hardly sees him, he is so busy."

  "Yes, he is always very busy," she replied noncommittally.

  "I find that I, too, am rather stretched. The demands for surgery have increased greatly. If I had known that a shop front would have made such a difference, I would have set one up years ago; but I do not have such a head for business as Dr Gregory. I can only be glad that he decided to come into the district and chose to approach me."

  She nodded her agreement.

  "I've greatly missed your help in compounding medicines and was hoping I might be able to request your assistance again."

  "Is there not a problem with my returning to the infirmary?"

  Mr Jones coughed uncomfortably. "Well, yes, there is still that problem, but I was hoping I might be able to bring the ingredients here and pick the medicines up later in the day."

  "Well, I must admit, I have been wondering what to do with my time," replied Lizzy, "especially now Charlotte is gone."

  "Longbourn does have an added advantage for my purposes, you know. Can you guess what it is?"

  Lizzy did not need to think too hard, "The stillroom?"

  "Indeed, you know it is superior to the meagre space I have in my own house."

  "But not in such good order," she replied.

  They went off to the stillroom to investigate. Lizzy had appropriated a small part of it for her own preparations, but the major part of the apparatus had not been used since her grandmother's time. She, apparently, had been a great maker of ale, ginger beer, medicines and other useful things for the household. Most of these items were now simply purchased.

  Mr Jones advised her of the most useful things to set up first and promised to return on the morrow with ingredients and glassware. After his departure, Elizabeth enlisted Jane's help, and together they began to put things in order.

  After attending to the less urgent matters of business which had built up in London during his sojourn at Rosings, Darcy wrote to his sister that he would be returning to Pemberley. Thus, a fortnight after his departure from Kent, Darcy's carriage, laden with his valet and his effects, set out for Derbyshire; whereupon Darcy mounted his horse to follow. Behind him, a footman took the knocker off the door of the townhouse, indicating the master was no longer home to London visitors.

  Georgie was overjoyed to see him when he finally arrived at the estate, running down the front steps to throw herself into his arms. As much as she liked her Aunt Evelina, Matlock was not Pemberley. She was glad to be home, and even gladder to have the company of her brother who always seemed to fill up the house with his presence.

  However, it did not take her long to tell that something was amiss. He was not his confident and imperturbable self. He might be able to fool Mrs Reynolds and the servants with his usual commands and directives, but she could tell they all sounded a little hollow. Still nursing a wounded heart herself, she thought she detected a fellow sufferer. So one day as they sat together near the lake at sunset, she found the courage to ask.

  "Fitzwilliam, did you meet someone?"

  "Yes, my dear," he said, drawing her closer and kissing the top of her head. "I met someone, and just like you, I discovered them to be someone I cannot have, so I must learn to live without her."

  "Is she inappropriate?" asked Georgie and then added in a whisper, "like George?"

  He dwelt for a moment on how his answer to her question had changed so radically over the last month before replying, "No, my dear, just… unattainable."

  Georgiana was puzzled by this, thinking his love might be a duke's daughter or a member of the royal family.

  "Did you ask her to marry you?"

  He was not quite sure how to answer this question to his little sister without lying. So he said simply, "She refused."

  Chapter 31: Lydia's revenge

  Kitty and Lydia continued to make the most of the short time the militia had left in Meryton. Lydia was now fast friends with Mrs Forster and would visit with her when Kitty expressed a wish to go off to see Mariah Lucas. Her friendship with Mrs Forster was largely driven by her wish to see more of Mr Wickham. Her curiosity regarding their tryst at the Netherfield Ball had increased her need to be once more alone with him, but opportunities had been few: he was more frequently involved with errands for Colonel Forster. These extra duties, however, did not seem to include the other officers, who still had plenty of time for leisure when they were not employed in drills.

  Arriving home in time for afternoon tea one day, she related the following tale of her morning spent with Mrs Forster, which curled the toes of her elder sisters:

  "We dressed up Chamberlayne in woman's clothes on purpose to pass for a lady, only think what fun! Not a soul knew of it, but Colonel and Mrs Forster, and Kitty and me, except for Mrs Long, for we were forced to borrow one of her gowns; and you cannot imagine how well he looked! When Denny and Wickham and Pratt and two or three more of the men came in, they did not know him in the least. Lord! how I laughed! and so did Mrs Forster. I thought I should have died. And that made the men suspect something, and then they soon found out what was the matter. Denny and Pratt thought it was hilarious, but Wickham didn't think it was funn
y at all. He doesn't seem to have much of a sense of humour."

  Lizzy was glad to see that Lydia had begun to see flaws in Mr Wickham's character. She had been worried that her advice had not been heeded, but perhaps Lydia was just taking her time to digest it.

  The following day, Kitty and Lydia were employed in looking at new ribbons in the haberdasher's window when Mariah Lucas hurried up to them.

  "Lydia, Kitty, you cannot imagine what has happened! Oh, such a scandal! Mary King has been caught with an officer in a very compromising situation! She is ruined for sure! Her uncle has sent her to Yorkshire to try to quell the gossip!"

  Kitty burst into a coughing fit.

  Along the street, Lady Lucas summoned Mariah, who left with a little chirp of excitement.

  Lydia suddenly thought of all the time Wickham had devoted to errands for Colonel Forster. Looking about, she spotted Denny and Sanderson returning from the parade ground and hastened to meet them.

  "Where is Wickham, Denny?" asked Lydia nonchalantly.

  Denny blushed deeply. "He's ridden to London with a communiqué."

  "Mariah Lucas has just told me the most diverting tale about Mary King. It was him, wasn't it?"

  Both of the young officers started and looked at each other before Denny replied:

  "Colonel Forster has sworn us to secrecy. Sanderson and I will be boiled in oil if it gets out."

  Secretly thinking these two wouldn't last long under interrogation by French agents, Lydia nodded her understanding. She was suddenly glad she had refused to nip into the library with Lieutenant Wickham at the Netherfield Ball.