His Choice of a Wife

by Heather Moll

  I know your damnable sense of integrity will protect Miss Elizabeth’s credit and feelings, and therefore I expect you to write to me indicating your compliance.

  G. Wickham

  Darcy was fixed in astonishment, feeling ill to his stomach and dizzy with shock. This was a letter of which every line was an insult, and it proclaimed its writer to be deep in hardened villainy. I will not be coerced by this blackguard! No honorable man would allow himself to be extorted even if he had the thirty thousand pounds to pay off Wickham.

  He cursed the mischance that prevented him from receiving this letter the day after it was sent. Over a week had been lost! He would have gone straight to Brighton and brought Lydia Bennet home himself had he read this in time. He rang for a servant to saddle his horse. The sunlight was fading fast into the horizon as Darcy left for Longbourn, his fatigue replaced by heightened anxiety as he rode as fast as he could to Elizabeth.

  Chapter 16

  Darcy rode into the paddock, jumped from his horse, carelessly tossed the reins towards the servant, and strode into the house. He had to know whether Lydia had eloped. It was likely Wickham had already left his regiment, but perhaps Lydia had not been convinced to leave with him. It is my own fault that Wickham’s worthlessness was not known here as to make it impossible for any young woman of character to love him! He was too gentlemanly to question aloud whether Lydia Bennet was such a woman, but she was to be his sister, and it was his duty to step forward.

  He approached the drawing room door and saw the curious glances of Hill and the footman. Something was amiss, and the servants were aware of it. Whatever unhappy truth he was to learn, he did not know how long it could be concealed. He was about to enter when Bingley came from the room and nearly collided with him.

  “Darcy! I did not expect you, but I am thankful you are here!” Bingley cast his eye around the hall and, seeing the servants attempting to look busy, drew Darcy to the empty and unlit breakfast room. In whispered tones, he informed Darcy of the situation he had already feared: Lydia had eloped with Wickham, and Colonel Forster had traced them along the London road but not beyond.

  “Lieutenant Denny expressed a belief to Colonel Forster that Mr. Wickham never intended to go to Gretna Green or marry Lydia at all. Jane believes they might marry privately in town, and I dare not upset her, but I do not believe he could form such a design on a woman as poor as Lydia.”

  “What is widely known?”

  “The militia knows Mr. Wickham deserted to escape his debts and that Lydia is returned home. Colonel Forster ordered his wife to convince everyone that Lydia was suddenly called home and was already on her way before Mr. Wickham fled. Mrs. Forster purposefully left them alone whenever Mr. Wickham visited Lydia at Colonel Forster’s home! It seems Mr. Wickham began calling on Lydia the very day she arrived at Brighton. The servants here know nothing yet, but they are suspicious.” Bingley looked fatigued after a day of dealing with this crisis. “I am glad you are returned.”

  Darcy’s mind spun with possibilities. Wickham might yet be worked on to marry Lydia for less than thirty thousand pounds, but if she was not known to have eloped, her reputation might yet be saved. He need not pay Wickham a shilling if Lydia could be persuaded to return to her friends. It would be best for her happiness if she did not marry that scoundrel. He might be able to discover where Wickham was hiding in London before he purposefully ruined Lydia’s reputation, and if she could be recovered before the truth came out, her virtue and that of her sisters might remain unquestioned.

  “Darcy, stop pacing! I know that you are thinking, but stand still.”

  “What has been attempted to recover her?”

  “Jane wrote to her uncle Gardiner for his advice and assistance, but other than the colonel’s attempt to track their progress, nothing has been done. Mrs. Bennet keeps to her rooms, tended only by her daughters, which—given her propensity for senseless talking—is a blessing.” Darcy knew, and he was glad to see that Bingley agreed, Mrs. Bennet had too little prudence to hold her tongue before the servants.

  Bingley spoke hurriedly as his agitation grew. “Mr. Bennet is affected, but he believes the worst and has given her up for lost. He is determined not to go to London because he does not believe she could be recovered before it is too late.”

  “We must be decided and without the loss of another minute. Every minute is valuable. Someone must resolve on being off for London to find Lydia!”

  Mr. Bennet’s indolence was no secret, and perhaps Wickham counted on that fact to aid his objective. Darcy was shocked and grieved that the man took no action to recover his child.

  “Return to Netherfield and make arrangements for us to go to town at the earliest possible hour.”

  Bingley was relieved to be given a purpose, and Darcy went into the drawing room. He found Jane and Elizabeth seated together on the couch, their eyes red-rimmed. His betrothed looked so miserably ill that he gave no thought to the presence of Jane and crossed the room to pull her into his arms. Elizabeth burst into tears as she placed her head on his shoulder. Over her head, Darcy saw Jane rise and quietly leave the room. At length, Elizabeth’s tears subsided, and she finally spoke.

  “I suppose Bingley has told you the dreadful news.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “You know him too well to doubt the rest. She has no money, no connections—nothing that can tempt him to marry her. She is lost forever.”

  “We are not without hope. The unhappy truth might be contained, and we can be assured of Colonel Forster’s secrecy.”

  “How Lydia could ever have attached herself to him is incomprehensible!” Elizabeth shook her head and sank back into the sofa. “Although her understanding would not preserve her from falling prey.”

  Darcy walked the room in solemn meditation. I know exactly how it happened! Thoughtless as she might be, Lydia had been targeted as a means by which Wickham could exact revenge on him. What would Elizabeth say if she knew her sister’s disgrace was due to his mistaken pride? If I had made Wickham’s true character known, then Lydia might never have been taken in!

  “Of what are you thinking, Fitzwilliam?” She looked at him sadly, and he stopped pacing.

  “Of what might be done to recover her,” he answered, not wishing to divulge the contents of Wickham’s horrible letter. “Lydia is by no means friendless or unprotected, no matter your father’s apathy.” Elizabeth winced but nodded. “Mr. Wickham will never marry a woman without some money. He cannot afford it. But it is not too late to persuade her to return to her family before her elopement is known.”

  Elizabeth looked hopeful. “Thanks to Bingley’s management of my mother and the servants, we and the Forsters are the only ones who know the whole story.”

  “Bingley and I shall depart tomorrow. Wickham always intended to leave Brighton for London on Thursday, and I am confident I can ascertain where they went when they arrived. The sooner I get to London, the more likely I am to find them before Mr. Wickham leaves Lydia behind to her ruin.”

  “You think you can find them and persuade her to leave him? How is such a—” Elizabeth broke off and tilted her head. “Fitzwilliam,” she said slowly as her words followed the thoughts that had just entered her mind, “how did you know he intended to leave Brighton on Thursday?”

  Darcy was caught off guard by his mistake. He did not wish to lie—he doubted that he could lie to her—but he also could not hurt her by telling her of Wickham’s plans. If Elizabeth learned, before Lydia was safe, that his silence on the matter had led to her sister’s being seduced and that his own admiration for Elizabeth had turned Wickham to this desperate plan of extortion, she might not ever forgive him. He would spend the rest of his life paying for his insufferable pride. Before he could placate her, she spoke again, this time faster and with more confidence.

  “And what makes you certain Wickham would soon leave her
to her ruin? Do you not think he would remain with her until her money ran out? It could last weeks. If Lydia believes herself to be married soon, she would have no reason to wish him gone, and Wickham would keep her close for the sake of her money if nothing else.”

  Had he allowed Elizabeth to expose Wickham, this wretched attempt at revenge may not have happened. It had been in Darcy’s power to prevent Wickham being well received in Hertfordshire, but he had chosen not to sacrifice his privacy. I will tell her of Wickham’s letter after I return with Lydia.

  “Elizabeth, we do not have the time to debate this,” he spoke sharply. “It falls to me to remedy this distressing situation. I refuse to wait and allow my reputation to be ruined.” He saw her flinch at his harsh words, but he had to leave before she drew the truth of the letter from him. “I must recover Lydia from Wickham before the world knows what he has done.”

  “Yes, of course, Mr. Darcy.” Elizabeth colored as she avoided his gaze. “I am grateful you do not leave us exposed, given the humiliation, the misery that Lydia has brought on my family.” She angled her body away from him and pressed her lips into a thin line.

  He expected to find her affected by his sternness, but she crumpled a handkerchief in her hands and her breath came in and out in rapid puffs. She cannot believe I would cease to love her! He had only wished to withhold the contents of Wickham’s letter until Lydia had been restored to her friends. When he spoke of ruined reputations, he included himself in that group, for there was never any doubt in his mind that he would marry Elizabeth, scandal or not. His pacing brought him back to Elizabeth’s side, and his irritation crumbled under the sight of her so miserable. Her eyes were expressionless, her arms wrapped around herself, and she was nearly trembling.

  ***

  To lose Fitzwilliam now filled Elizabeth with unspeakable dread. Should Lydia be lost to them forever, then must Fitzwilliam be so to her? Elizabeth thought back to the morning in the cottage and wondered whether there was any difference between herself and Lydia in his mind. They both gave themselves to men they loved without the protection of marriage. It had felt perfectly right and natural at the time, but Fitzwilliam’s grave looks made her fear he might now think upon their actions with shame. She was sorry to focus on her own private cares in the face of the public ruination of all her family, but she could not help it.

  And if everyone in Meryton learned that I had given myself to Fitzwilliam, would it at all matter in their minds that I am engaged and Lydia is not? Would anyone see her choices and actions as acceptable as she did because Fitzwilliam loved her and promised to marry her? Or if anyone found out, would she be condemned the same as Lydia would be?

  She covered her face with her handkerchief and wept.

  She was recalled to the present when Darcy sat by her. “Elizabeth, your sorrow over Lydia has clouded your judgment, and you have mistaken my frustration at this situation for vexation or disappointment with you. Nothing would prevent me from marrying you. In my heart, you are my wife. I will not let you believe that I would give you up over this or anything.”

  She knew better than to assume him capable of only the most severe judgments, and she ought to have learned by now not to judge hastily. She released a shuddering sigh of relief.

  “Forgive me, dearest, for adding to your anguish. I intended to spare your feelings, but instead I have hurt you even further.”

  He tugged the handkerchief away from her face, and Elizabeth felt the warm pressure of his lips against hers, and the familiar sense of belonging when he pulled her into his arms. For a long time, he looked at her intently. He sighed resignedly and pulled a letter from his pocket, turning it over in his hands as he looked on it in distaste.

  “This was waiting for me when I returned to Netherfield this evening. It is not for the eyes of a lady, but I am unable to deceive you, and now I must let you read it and suffer your anger at having disappointed you.”

  Elizabeth was, for a brief moment, transported back to an April morning in Kent when he handed her a letter with a look of haughty composure. She took the letter and read, and her pulse raced as her stomach sank to the floor. She bounded from her seat to pace, overcome with nervous energy as she read. Her astonishment was beyond expression. Wickham seduced Lydia as revenge on her and Fitzwilliam! He demanded monetary recompense to preserve Lydia’s reputation!

  “I did not know such villainy persisted in this world!”

  “I ought to have learned by now not to be surprised at the lengths to which Wickham will go to achieve his desired end, which in most instances is enough funds available to him to gamble as much as he chooses.”

  “Why did you not tell me this immediately? It shows a want of confidence in me.” Her voice shook as she held up the letter. “After everything we have said, everything we have done, why would you keep such a thing a secret?”

  Fitzwilliam sighed and leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees. When he spoke, he looked at his hands. “The whole of this sad affair may be imputed to my mistaken pride. Had I lain bare what I knew of his character, he would not have been well received, and Lydia might not have been so easy a target. When we discussed informing the neighborhood, I thought he would soon be gone, and it did not signify whether people knew what he was.”

  “That is why you feel responsible, Mr. Darcy, but it does not explain why you have kept his disgraceful attempt at coercion to yourself.” Had they not spoken of his irritating tendency to control every situation and arrange the business of everyone to his own liking? Had he not promised to involve her as an equal?

  “Do you not see, Miss Bennet?” He stressed her name in response to her own detached style of addressing him. He rose and stood before her. “You have already accused me of being devoid of every proper feeling, of being too prideful. How could I bear to lose your affection when my selfishness is the reason Wickham has targeted your sister?”

  The tumult of her mind was now painfully great. She knew not how to support herself and, from actual weakness, fell back to her seat. Fitzwilliam was equally as frightened of losing her regard as she had been of losing his.

  “I hope to recover Lydia before the world knows that she eloped,” he spoke quietly and carefully. “I have no intention of paying him thirty thousand pounds, especially if I can convince her to return to Longbourn. If she refuses to part from him, I shall do what I can in order for them to marry and support themselves in tolerable independence. I wished to spare your feelings, but I now see that, in trying to keep this from you, I have done more harm than good. I am exceedingly sorry.”

  He knelt and grasped her hands as he had tried to do in the tea room at the assembly. This time she did not pull away; rather, she raised an unsteady hand and ran her fingers through his hair. With a sigh that released the burdens of the world, Fitzwilliam closed his eyes, and Elizabeth watched the tension drain from his face. She was surprised he took such comfort in her touch—that it was in her power to make him happy.

  “Elizabeth, I did not think you could forgive me for not making Wickham’s character known.” His eyes were still closed.

  “I cannot blame you for Wickham’s misdeeds any more than you might blame me for Lydia’s thoughtlessness.”

  He opened his eyes and rose to sit next to her, holding her hands within his own. “I could not leave you to think my affections were changeable, even if it meant you would hate me for what Wickham had done.”

  “I do not think that your reserve, or anybody’s reserve, can be answerable for the event,” she said sadly. “They have only themselves to blame though we all must bear the consequences.” Elizabeth hesitated to ask her next question, but she would speak her mind. “Fitzwilliam, if Lydia refuses to leave him and he is compelled to marry her, how could you endure it?”

  “What do you mean?” He raised his arm and pulled her to rest her head on his shoulder.

&
nbsp; “How could you stand to be brother-in-law to Wickham? And Georgiana—what would she suffer?”

  “I would not receive him at Pemberley,” he answered quickly, “should it become necessary that he marry your sister, but Lydia and the rest of your family will be welcomed in our home. As for Georgiana,” he said, pausing to deliberate, “I think she and I are of a similar mind: she has the highest opinion in the world of you and would not give you up for anything.”

  They sat together in silence and drew from one another the strength to face the following days. Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder until sleep finally found her, and Jane discovered her in the morning lying on the sofa, tucked beneath a blanket with Wickham’s letter folded in her hand.

  ***

  “I shall do whatever is required to ensure the honor and respectability of the Bennets,” Darcy told Bingley as his carriage carried them into town.

  “Darcy, this calamity will reflect poorly on the Bennet family should we not find her in time.”

  Darcy stared out the side glass and absently nodded. He was preoccupied with trying to remember who among his servants had been well acquainted with Mrs. Younge.

  “The more time that passes before we recover Lydia, the more likely the scandal will break.”

  Darcy finally caught the tone of Bingley’s voice. “Speak plainly, Bingley. It is what you are best at.”