by Don Miller
“We have had a good talk, son, and the Colonel has had some very interesting experiences.” Turning to Mr. Morgan, she said, “Hello, Daniel. It is good to see you again. You are looking handsome as ever. Have you found yourself a young woman yet?”
Mr. Morgan laughed, and answered, “It is good to see you again, and I thank you for your complement, and no, I have not yet found that special girl.” Turning to Col. Fitzwilliam, he said, “She has been trying to find me a wife for several years. Ever since my mother died, she has determined I need guidance in finding one.”
Col. Fitzwilliam and Mrs. McMillan stayed at the table to talk with the others as they ate dinner. The conversation eventually came around to Lydia, and after watching Mr. Morgan talk about her and what he was doing to help her, Mrs. McMillan said, “Daniel, I think you told an untruth.”
Surprised, he said, “I am not aware of saying anything that was not true.”
“You said you had not found a young woman yet. I think you have developed some feelings for this young woman you are treating.”
Embarrassed, Mr. Morgan’s face became very red. “I assure you, this is strictly a doctor-patient relationship. Besides, I just discovered that she is only seventeen years old.”
Col. Fitzwilliam observed Mr. Morgan closely as Mrs. McMillan said, “Ah yes, and you are an ancient man of twenty-four. You are correct. You are far too old for her.”
Mr. Morgan elected not to respond to that barb from Mrs. McMillan, but judging from his reaction, Col. Fitzwilliam could see what Mrs. McMillan had obviously seen. He clearly did not want to discuss Lydia, and Col. Fitzwilliam suspected it was because he did not want to give away his reaction to her. This would be interesting news for Darcy and Elizabeth. What an incredible outcome it would be of this unfortunate experience if Lydia were to become attached to a fine young man like Mr. Morgan.
“How about Wickham?” asked Col. Fitzwilliam. “Did you save his knee?”
“We will not know until later,” answered Dr. McMillan. “We amputated below the knee and cleaned everything and closed up the arteries, but he was too weak to do any more. It looked like it was successful, but it will be a several days before we know for sure. We will have to keep him here and sedated until I am sure. Daniel tells me you are going to visit Col. Loughton tomorrow to discuss what will happen to Mr. Wickham. Just make sure to tell him he cannot be moved for at least a week.”
The next morning Mr. Morgan and his driver had an early breakfast and left to return to Wells. Col. Fitzwilliam came down later to share breakfast with the McMillans and Mr. Thompson, Dr. McMillan’s assistant. After he greeted everyone, Mrs. McMillan said to him, “I thought I had recognized your name, Colonel. So I had to look through some of the newspaper articles I have saved over the years about the war in France. And there I found your name cited more than once for bravery or exemplary service. We are honored to have you as a guest.”
Col. Fitzwilliam always disliked being praised for his war record. As far as he was concerned, in all cases he felt he was merely doing what was his duty to do. It was the soldiers in the trenches who did most of the suffering and dying, and it was leaders like him who received all the praise. But he had learned it was best not to protest but to merely accept the praise and say little else. “I thank you, Mrs. McMillan, I have been lucky enough to serve with and command some very brave and loyal men. And it has been an honor for me to meet your son, who has done much to help the sons of England.”
They talked a little more before Col. Fitzwilliam left for the militia camp and were delighted to learn he was on his way to be married and was finally having the chance to put the war behind him after having served so long and loyally.
When Col. Fitzwilliam arrived at the militia camp, he was immediately shown to Col. Loughton’s office, where he was greeted enthusiastically by the Colonel. Col. Loughton knew of Col. Fitzwilliam and the high regard with which he was held by the upper echelons of the army. When asked why he was there, Col. Fitzwilliam wasted no time in telling him about Wickham, some of his history, and asking that Col. Loughton take responsibility for him and, if he recovered, return him to his own militia unit, where he could be given whatever punishment they deemed advisable.
After Col. Loughton readily agreed to his request, Col. Fitzwilliam did come somewhat to Wickham’s defense by pointing out that Wickham could not have reported back to his militia unit, or indeed, to any militia unit when his 10 days leave were up, because he was very sick and in a coma. Whether he had intended to return or not could only be answered by Wickham when he recovered. As Col. Fitzwilliam saw it, the only probable charges they could make against him was that he lied to a superior officer and made off with a young woman without her parent’s consent, which would be considered ungentlemanly conduct. Given he had lost part of his leg, Col. Fitzwilliam suggested being stripped of his commission and discharged from the militia might be sufficient punishment. But that, of course, was up to Col. Forster.
Once that unpleasant business was settled, Col. Loughton asked Col. Fitzwilliam if he would join him in a drink and give him some information about France and what was going on in the War Office. Col. Fitzwilliam obliged him and left about an hour later.
He stopped by Dr. McMillan’s house to pick up a lunch Mrs. McMillan insisted he should have to bolster him on his return trip to Wells. He talked briefly with Dr. McMillan to tell him about his visit with Col. Loughton, and that it had been agreed that as soon as he felt Wickham was recovered enough, the doctor should inform the Col. Loughton and the colonel would have Wickham taken to the militia infirmary for his convalescence. As he was leaving, Mrs. McMillan stopped him at the door and asked him to convey a personal message to Dr. Morgan. “Just remind him of what I said about God’s wishes and tell him my intuition tells me it has happened.”
Chapter 24: Lydia Renewed
On Friday, when Col. Fitzwilliam and Darcy returned from their early afternoon ride, they saw a carriage in the drive Darcy recognized as the Bennets’ carriage. Wanting to change clothes before confronting the Bennets, they put their horses up and went up the back stairs to their rooms. When Darcy asked Morris when the Bennets had arrived, he told him Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had arrived about two hours earlier. Although both Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam looked forward to seeing Mr. and Mrs. Bennet again, they thought it best to first get the travel dust off of themselves. Darcy asked Morris to draw each of them a bath, and about a half an hour later they went downstairs to meet the new arrivals.
Hearing voices in the sitting room, they entered and were greeted by Elizabeth and the Bennets. After both men had greeted the Bennets, Col. Fitzwilliam said, “We are a little surprised to see you here already. You must have had good roads and the wind at your back,” said Col. Fitzwilliam
“Good afternoon, Col. Fitzwilliam,” said Mr. Bennet. “As you can expect, once we received the letter, we left as soon as we could. Luckily the weather was good for the entire trip and we were able to make good time. We did force ourselves to travel more hours in the day than we would usually, but I am sure you can understand why. We were just telling Lizzie how much we appreciate all you and the Morgans have done for Lydia. She is in far better shape physically than we had thought she might be. We hope her amnesia will eventually clear itself up. And how about Mr. Wickham? How is he doing?”
“He does not fare as well as Lydia. The infected cut on his leg was so bad the doctor had to amputate just below the knee immediately upon our arrival. He was still unconscious when I left and will have several weeks of convalescence, most of it in the military infirmary in Bridgewater. The doctor who did the amputation believes he has a good chance of recovering, except, of course, he will be missing part of his leg. When he is recovered, he will probably be sent back to his own Regiment for disciplinary action.”
“Do you think he will be accused of desertion and possibly hung?”
“I cannot say for sure, but I believe not. At the time of his accident, he was on leave, and t
he injury would be sufficient reason for extending that leave. He will, however, have to face charges for lying to his commanding officer and for running off with a minor woman without her parent’s consent. The latter would be considered ungentlemanly conduct and also carries a penalty, but neither of these charges would lead to hanging. In my opinion, he should just be relieved of his commission and discharged from the militia. I believe living the rest of his life with a peg leg will probably be sufficient punishment for what he has done, particularly given he did not do the ultimate compromise to your daughter.”
“I cannot feel sorry for him,” said Mrs. Bennet. “It was a terrible thing he did, romancing a vulnerable young girl and convincing her to run off from her parents.” And then she sighed and continued, “But he did seem like such a friendly and honest gentleman. He was very good at lying. I hope we have seen the last of him.”
“I am sure you have, Mrs. Bennet,” said Darcy. “Mr. Wickham has always been exceedingly proud of his good looks and charming manner. I believe the loss of his leg will have a major impact on his personality and his outlook on life. I suspect he will either find it so unacceptable he will take his own life, or he will go somewhere where he is totally unknown and try to reinvent himself.”
After a moment’s silence, Col. Fitzwilliam asked, “How is Miss Lydia today? Did she recognize you?”
With a big sigh, Mrs. Bennet answered, “No, she did not recognize us at all, but I believe she was happy to see us because she knows we are family and she is not alone. She is certainly not the same exuberant young woman we knew when she left. It will be very hard for her, I think, to adjust to life at Longbourn if she does not recover her memory.”
“We were just discussing what they should do, when you arrived, Richard,” said Elizabeth. “Dr. Morgan assured them they could stay as long as they wished, but they did not bring enough clothes for an extended stay. They had thought they might be able to take her home immediately, but they were told Lydia would not be able to travel for a few weeks. He said she could convalesce here as long as needed. He was willing to put her in one of the guest bedrooms once she is able to walk with crutches, but he did not want her to feel alone. We, of course, must leave in a few days so you can get married. “
As she was speaking, Dr. and Mr. Morgan walked into the room. After greeting everyone, Mr. Morgan said, “Mrs. Darcy, Miss Lydia asked if you could come and see her before I gave her any pain medication.”
Elizabeth arose to leave the room and Mrs. Bennet, also arising, said, “I will go along with you, Lizzie.”
They stopped when Dr. Morgan said, “Mrs. Bennet, I believe Miss Lydia is feeling somewhat overwhelmed at the moment and wants to speak with Mrs. Darcy privately. I believe she needs the comfort, at the moment, I suspect only Mrs. Darcy can provide her. I hope you will not mind, but I think it best she go alone.”
When Mrs. Bennet started to protest, Mr. Bennet intervened. “Frances, let Lizzie go by herself. I cannot imagine what Lydia is going through, but she probably needs time alone with Lizzie. Remember, we are like strangers to her at this point and we have to gain her trust before she will feel comfortable with us. Just give it time,”
“I suppose you are right. Just make sure that she knows we love her, Lizzie.”
When Elizabeth arrived at Lydia’s room, she found Lydia sitting up against a wall of pillows, reading a book, and not just any book, but a book of sonnets by Shakespeare, something the old Lydia would never have even considered reading. She thought to herself, “This is definitely not the Lydia that I knew.”
Lydia put down the book and said, “Thank you for coming, Lizzie. I truly need to talk to you about my parents and how I feel. I do not know what to do.”
“Whatever do you mean, Lydia? You do not know what to do about what?”
Lydia closed her eyes a moment, thinking about what she should say, and finally just said, “I do not think I want to go home.”
Elizabeth looked at Lydia, not knowing what to say. She knew, when she had been sitting with Lydia when her parents had first arrived, Lydia was very uncomfortable, but she had no idea Lydia was so uncomfortable with her parents she would not want to go with them. “Do not you think you should give yourself some time to get to know them better? I am sure after you spend some time with them and get to know them and how much they love you, you will feel differently.”
“Maybe you are right, but the thought of going back to the people in Meryton who knew me as I was terrifies me. I do not want to be the girl you have told me I was. I cannot imagine being that kind of girl and I do not want to be that kind of girl. I am afraid, if I go home, my memory will come back and I will become that kind of girl again—one who is silly enough to run off with someone like Wickham.”
“Lydia, I think, even if you do remember, you will never be that girl again. This whole experience has changed you, I believe, for the better. And you are an intelligent young lady. You will understand what you were and what you want to be and you will be better. If you do not ever remember, then you will just teach the people there you are a different person, and they will eventually come to understand and accept you.”
Lydia thought about what Elizabeth said. She knew she was afraid of the unknown and how she could associate with those people who knew her as she had been. But she also knew there was another reason she did not want to leave there. “Lizzie, I have to tell someone and there is no one I trust like I do you.” She thought about Daniel and the feelings which had been growing in her for him. She could remember every touch and every conversation. She felt wonderful when he was there and missed him when he was not there. Was that not love?
“I think I am in love with Daniel, and I think he likes me. And I do not want to leave here without knowing if I have a chance with him. I know I am only seventeen, but is it not possible for girls to get married that young. Am I being foolish? I know you will say it is just because he has been taking care of me and he is young and good looking and smart, so it is just a crush. But I so much want it to be more. How can I go away forever and never know?”
This declaration did not catch Elizabeth completely off guard. She had wondered if Lydia might not develop some feeling for Mr. Morgan. Lydia was right, he certainly was young and good looking and smart and personable. As she looked at Lydia, trying to look at her objectively, as she was now, she realized Lydia was an extremely attractive, mature-looking young lady for her age. And she recalled how attentive Mr. Morgan had been to Lydia, every time she saw him with Lydia. Had she missed obvious signs of a mutual attachment?
“Why do you think he has affection for you? Has he said anything to you?”
“No, he is very much the gentleman, and he tries very hard to act like the disinterested doctor, but I see the way he looks at me sometimes, and when we talk, it just seems to me I can hear his regard in his voice. And every time he touches me, it feels wonderful and I want him to touch me more, and I think he feels it too. Maybe I am being silly, but I truly think he likes me a great deal. What can I do to find out how much he likes me?”
Elizabeth was not sure how to answer the question. She did not consider herself to have any special knowledge about male/female relationships. She had managed to connect with one of the best of men, but not because of any particular expertise on her part. If William had not been so persistent, she likely would have never known the love of her life.
“I am not sure I can give you any particular insight. It certainly took me a long time to recognize the feelings William had for me. If I were you, I would just keep doing what you are doing: observe him; talk to him; give him hints of your regard for him. But I must tell you I do indeed worry it is just your reaction to his kindness and the care he has given you and not truly love. I guess I need to pay more attention to how the two of you act when you are together.”
She paused, considering the implications of all Lydia had said to her and realized she could not imagine a better outcome for Lydia than to have this appare
ntly unfortunate affair with Wickham become an event that let her find the love of her life. “I will admit, now that I think of it, Lydia, it would be a wonderful thing if it were true. Do you mind if I talk to my husband and Col. Fitzwilliam about this? I want to know if they have noticed Mr. Morgan holds you in particular regard.”
“No, I do not mind, as long as you are sure no one will tell my parents before I am ready to tell them.”
Promising Lydia that she would keep her confidence, Elizabeth returned to the sitting room to join the others. She was relieved to learn her parents had decided to go to their rooms to rest before dinner and that Mr. Morgan had left to check on the other patients. Only the doctor, her husband, and her cousin remained. As she entered, the doctor said, “Ah, Mrs. Darcy, I am glad you have returned before I have to leave. I have something I need to discuss with you privately regarding your sister. Would you mind joining me in my library?”
When she answered in the affirmative, he addressed Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam. “I hope you will excuse us gentleman, but I am afraid what I have to say can only be discussed with Mrs. Darcy.” When both said that they understood, Dr. Morgan led Elizabeth into the library.
“Mrs. Darcy,” said the doctor, as soon as he had closed the door and Elizabeth had taken a seat, “I believe we have a somewhat delicate situation. My son tells me he feels he cannot treat Miss Lydia anymore. Apparently he has developed strong feelings for her and feels he cannot maintain an appropriate disinterested doctor/patient relationship with her. He had been trying to suppress his feelings when he thought she was Mrs. Wickham. But now he is sure, in his mind, she is not married, he felt he needed to confide in me about it. I thought I had noticed she was becoming somewhat attached to him, which often happens in such a situation, but I had not realized he had begun to reciprocate that attachment. I asked to speak with you because I knew I would feel much more comfortable talking to you about it than her parents, hoping maybe you could give me some insight into her feelings.”