by Don Miller
“Do you want the whole story? Because if you do, you may want Kitty and Georgiana to leave. Some of it is not very appropriate for unmarried young women.”
“Why is it inappropriate for us?” asked Kitty. “If an unmarried young woman like you can tell it, why cannot I hear it? I am older than you are.”
“Because it would not be appropriate for me if it had not happened to me, and I hope nothing like it ever happens to any of you.”
“Can you tell all of us, Lydia, and just leave out any graphic descriptions?”
Lydia thought a moment. “Yes, I guess so.” And for the next half hour she explained what had happened to her over the 7 days she was with Wickham.
On the day that she had been seen walking with Wickham, for which she was punished by her father, she had told Wickham she felt like running away because her parents treated her like a little child and she did not think they really loved her anyway. Wickham asked her if she would rather live with him. He said he had come to love her and wondered if she would elope with him to Scotland. They could then come back to Meryton as husband and wife and her parents would no longer have any control over her. She asked how they could do that and he told her his plan.
On the night she left, she wrote her letter and put it in her drawer and then took the rope intended to be used in case of fire out from under the bed and tied one end to the bedpost and tied her valise with her clothes in it to the other end. She lowered the valise to the ground and then climbed down the rope, gathered her valise, and hurried to the road. Wickham had said he would hide a covered buggy in the copse of trees west of the house and would be there about 2 am, bringing a horse to hitch to the buggy. They would then leave for Gretna Green.
She arrived at the buggy early and sat in it waiting quite a long time for him, but he finally came, hitched the horse to the buggy, loaded their luggage, and they headed west on the road until they reached the main road going north. They travelled the rest of the night and all through the daylight hours, stopping only once to eat some food he had brought with him. That night they stayed in a small inn called the Sailor’s Choice and their room had only two chairs, a table, and one person hammocks slung from the rafters. They went to bed early, intending to leave very early in the morning.
The next day they ate breakfast and had the cook prepare them a bag of bread, cheese, and meat. They left before 7 am and travelled until 5 pm, when Wickham took a side road that went off of the main road to the east. The road went into woods and not far in, Wickham turned the horse onto an old set of wagon tracks which looked like they had not been used for months. He drove the horse up the track for a few hundred yards, then stopped the buggy and went back to brush the tracks with branches he had broken off a tree, to hide the fact that their buggy had gone that way. He then continued on the track for a long time, even after the sun had set. The track went in and out of the woods, but finally, probably about 9 pm, they came to a cabin in the woods. The cabin was padlocked shut, but he had a key for the padlock and said it was a cabin he owned and used to use quite often. It had three chairs, a table, two bunk beds, a fireplace, one medium-sized window in front with shutters that were locked, and four very small, narrow windows high on the walls along the side. He explained they would stay there for a few days, feeling they would be safe there from anyone who might be pursuing them. She thought it was odd, because she thought they should get to Scotland as fast as they could, but she decided he knew what he was doing, so she said nothing.
The first four days were quite pleasant. She had asked him how he expected them to sleep and told him her mother and sister had made her swear she would not have relations with a man before marriage and she would keep that promise. He seemed not to care, saying he could wait until they were married, so they each slept in a different cot and he made no attempt to lie with her.
Each morning he walked with her, showing her places in the forest where he had hunted and explored as a young man. The second day he took her to the top of the ridge where the cabin was so she could see the valley to the south of them, which was very pretty. The third and fourth days he left her in the afternoon and locked her in the cabin, saying that if someone came by and saw the cabin unlocked, they would know he was there. She did not like it, but did not complain.
Then on the fifth day, he again left in the afternoon, locking her in, but when he returned quite late he smelled of alcohol and was clearly drunk. He told her that would have sex with him that night whether she liked it or not. When she fought, he hit her several times and eventually put a knife to her throat and said if she did not undress and get on the bed, he would kill her. She had never seen him like this and, being very frightened, did as she was told her. He then undressed and got on top of her. At this point she just said they could imagine what he wanted to do, but he could not do it, and she did not mean because he felt it was wrong—he was just physically incapable of doing it. He became extremely angry at himself, got up, mumbling about how he had never had to force a girl before. He took out a bottle of liquor he had brought in the cabin with him and took several swigs and then climbed on top of her again. This time, when he had no success, he cursed and rolled off of her, retrieved his bottle, finished it, and sat at the table with his head in his hands. Soon his head drooped and then hit the table and he did not move. After several minutes she climbed out of the bed and checked to make sure he had passed out, then put on her clothes and coat, grabbed some bread, and went out the door, which he had failed to lock.
She knew she should not take the wagon track, because she was sure that was the first place he would look, so she found the North Star as Lizzie had taught her and headed east away from the cabin through the woods. It was very slow going, but every now and then she would find a place where she could see the North Star to ensure she was going the right direction and then just kept going. Finally she became so tired she could not walk anymore, so she found a big tree and leaned against it to rest. She fell asleep and did not wake until after the sun was up. She immediately started heading toward the sun and sometime later the forest ended. She came to a large meadow and could see wagon tracks below her. As she was walking down the hill a wagon came along the track from the east. She started running, yelling ‘Help’ as she ran, and fell down several times. The man in the wagon eventually saw her, stopped the wagon, and ran up the hill towards her. She collapsed in his arms.
When he asked who she was, she said that her name was Lydia Bennet, that she was the sister of Miss Elizabeth Bennet who was supposed to marry Mr. Darcy of Pemberley and wondered if the man could help her get to that estate. When he asked what she was doing there, she told him she had been kidnapped by a man named George Wickham and had escaped from the cabin in the woods where he had been holding her. The man who found her, Tom Shafter, a tenant of Pemberley, carried her to his wagon, and took her to his house so that his wife could care for her while Tom rode his horse to Pemberley to tell Mr. Wilson, the Darcy’s steward, what had happened. Mr. Wilson immediately sent a carriage for Lydia and informed Mr. Carson and Mrs. Reynolds.
“When I arrived at Pemberley,” Lydia continued, “everyone was very kind to me and I was put in the most beautiful bedroom I have ever seen. I have been treated like a princess since I have been here and Doctor Stewart came to look at me just to see I was alright, even though I told them I was. It was very embarrassing, but he also confirmed I was still a maiden. I am very sorry for all I have put you through and for how wrong I was about George. He was so gentlemanly and pleasant in Meryton. I hope Mama and Papa can forgive me. Is that why they did not come with you?”
Jane went over to sit beside Lydia and took her hands. “No, Lydia. That is not why they did not come. The reason they did not come and we did not see your letter is that the night you left, there was a fire at Longbourn and the house burned to the ground, all except some of the outside walls. Mama and Papa are not here because they died in the fire.”
Lydia looked at Jane, shock and di
sbelief showing on her face. “No. They cannot be dead. They cannot be.” She turned to Jane, who took her in her arms and she sobbed, continually saying, “They cannot be dead. They cannot be.”
After several minutes, she settled down and leaned back. “What are we going to do without them? Where are we going to live?” She then squeezed Jane’s hand very hard. “You do not think I had anything to do with the fire do you? I swear. I snuffed out all of the candles before I left and there was no fire in the fireplace.”
“You are going to live at Netherfield with me and Mr. Bingley after we are married. Until then you are going to stay here with Lizzie, Kitty and me. Mary will be staying with Aunt and Uncle Phillips. As for the fire, we do not think you would start a fire Lydia, but we are not sure about Mr. Wickham. Could he have started it?”
Lydia thought for a moment. “I suppose he could have started it before we left. I did not notice which direction he came from. All he said was that he was a little late because getting the horse took him longer than he thought it would. Once he came to the buggy and hooked up the horse, we left immediately and did not stop for hours. We drove the opposite direction from Longbourn, so I do not know if it was on fire. But why would he set our house on fire?”
“We do not know he did, but he was probably very upset at Papa for suggesting to the merchants they not accept credit from him and warning some of the fathers to keep their daughters away from him.”
“He told me all those things Mr. Darcy said about him were not true. That Mr. Darcy had just made them up to make him look bad. He swore he had never compromised any young girls.”
“He was lying, something at which he is very good. Mr. Darcy has proof all Wickham said is untrue. Because he seems to have no integrity, we suspect he might have started the fire, probably not intending to kill anyone, but just to get revenge.”
“I have a sudden thought about that,” said Darcy. “What if his demeanor on that fifth day changed so radically because when he was gone he somehow learned Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had died in the fire? Realizing he was now a killer, he might have decided he would have to kill Lydia in case he had said something to her that would make her realize he had started the fire. Therefore, he decided to have his way with her before he killed her, but he had never raped and killed a woman before, so he needed liquor to give him the courage to do it. That was why he came home drunk, but he still had some semblance of conscience left in him and it would not let him rape and kill an innocent young girl. Realizing that, he just drank himself into a stupor, not thinking about the fact she could escape.”
“But he did not say anything to me that I can remember,” responded Lydia.
“He may not have been sure. It is just speculation of course. We have no proof and probably never will, but we will certainly be hiring investigators to try to find him. Lydia, did anybody say anything to you about sending someone out to look for Wickham?”
“Mrs. Reynolds told me I was safe here and that they were out looking for Mr. Wickham. She was sure he would never show his face near here again.”
Darcy rang for Carson and when he appeared, Darcy asked him what had been done.
“Mr. Wilson thought he knew the cabin in which Miss Lydia had been kept, but when they reached it, it was still locked and did not look like it had been used. He knows there are others out there, but he did not know where they are, so he sent to Lambton for Mr. Styveston, who everyone says knows all these woods around here, and he showed him on a map where all the cabins were. The second one they looked into was the one Lydia and Wickham had used and Wickham was gone. He was clearly upset when he left because there was broken furniture and pots and pans strewn all over the cabin. It was about 14 miles from where Tom found Miss Lydia. The buggy, which had ‘Property of Palmer Stables, Meryton, Hertfordshire’ engraved on the side, was still there, but, of course, the horse was gone.”
After Carson had gone, Bingley asked, “Do you think Wickham will stay around these forests he knows or will he try to get out of the country. I guess what I am really asking is, do you think he may try harming you or someone close to you in the coming weeks? If so, maybe we should take everyone to London.”
“I cannot be absolutely sure, but I think he will try to leave the country or go somewhere in country where he is not known and change his appearance and name. As soon as we tell the militia where he was last seen, they could send troops up here to look for him and if he is caught, he will be hanged, so I think he will make himself scarce. I do not think we have to be worried for months or years, but if he is not found, we may have to deal with him sometime in the future.”
Carson knocked and stuck his head in the door. “Dinner will be served in half an hour, Mr. Darcy.”
“Thank you, Carson. Alright, everyone, let us all go get ready for dinner and then start talking about pleasanter things, such as weddings.”
Chapter 26: Lydia and Mary
The search for Wickham continued, but with no success. On the day Lydia was discovered, several single riders had been observed on the roads in the area, but no particular notice was taken of them and none had recognized one of them as being Wickham. For the next week, teams of men from the local area, including a company of the local militia, searched the woods and peaks for Wickham, but no trace of him could be found. Therefore after the week was over, the search was discontinued and Darcy decided to hire private investigators to look in areas beyond that part of Derbyshire in which Pemberley was located.
The eighth day after Lydia was discovered, it was necessary for Darcy and Elizabeth to leave Pemberley for London so Darcy could take part in the events related to the knighting of Col. Fitzwilliam. Elizabeth could not take part in the social activities because she was in full mourning, but she and Darcy had no desire to be apart for so long. It had been decided during the week before Lydia appeared that Kitty and Georgiana would go with them, but, of course, as with Elizabeth, Kitty could also not participate in the social activities. However, Kitty and Georgiana had become such fast friends in the short time they had spent together on the trip to Pemberley and during their time together at Pemberley, Georgiana wanted Kitty in London with her even if Kitty could not participate in the social activities. It had been decided they would have their coming out together the next Season in London and the party being hosted by Lord and Lady Matlock to celebrate their son’s elevation to knighthood would give Georgiana a chance to dance with relatives and get an idea of what it was like to be at a ball of the ton. She would then share all she learned immediately with Kitty. Jane and Bingley were going to return to Netherfield while Elizabeth and Darcy were in London.
The day before they left, Lydia, at Elizabeth’s request, arose rather early for her, and went with Elizabeth on a walk down by Pemberley’s lake. As they were walking, Elizabeth said, “Lydia, as I told you yesterday, we are leaving for London tomorrow and we need to know what you want to do. You have three choices—you can stay here, you can go to Hertfordshire to stay with Aunt and Uncle Phillips and Mary, or you can come to London with us and stay with me at the Gardiners. Kitty will be staying with Georgiana at Darcy House. Have you given any thought to what you would like to do?”
Tears formed in Lydia’s eyes as she answered, “I have thought about it and I do not want to do any of them, but I cannot think of anything else I can do. If I stay here, there will be no one here with me. If I go to Hertfordshire, each day I will have to deal with the disapproval of Mary and Uncle and Aunt Phillips and all of my friends for my stupidity in running off with Wickham, and I suspect there are those who will believe I had something to do with the fire. If I go to London, I will have to face the disapproval of anyone who knows about what I did. I know you will be kind to me and Aunt and Uncle Gardiner will probably say nothing, but I will feel very self-conscious in their presence. And unlike you and Jane, I do not enjoy being with their children.”
They walked a little further in silence and then Lydia stopped, turned to Elizabeth, and put her arm
s around her, crying as she put her head on Elizabeth breast. “Lizzie, the last days I was with Wickham and the days I have been here, I have been thinking about how I have been acting and treating Kitty and others and I feel terrible. I drove everyone away and now that Mama is dead, I do not have anyone that loves me like Papa loved you, or you and Jane love each other. Even Kitty and Georgiana seem to love each other. I know all of you will say you love me, but it is not the same. I think part of the reason I ran off with Wickham was I had hoped we could develop the type of closeness you seem to have with Mr. Darcy, but it soon became clear he did not truly love me either, and now I feel as if I do not have anyone. I do not know what to do.”
After Lydia had stopped crying, Elizabeth pushed her to arm’s length, but kept her hands on Lydia’s shoulders. “Lydia, you were right when you said we all love you, but you were also right when you said you have pushed us away. We have tried to help you, but to put it mildly, you have resisted taking our advice. Would you like my advice about what you should do while we are gone?”
When Lydia nodded her head, Elizabeth took her arm and started walking again. “First, wherever you are, I think you should spend some time considering the Golden Rule: ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ Think of how you have been treating your sisters and others over the past few years and consider what you would think if they had treated you as you treated them. You have been very self-centered over these years and it is difficult to develop a close personal relationship with anyone who has such an attitude. And when I say think about it, I do not mean spend a few minutes here and there, I mean spend a lot of quiet time, maybe when you go to bed, thinking about it.”
“I have already been thinking about that, Lizzie. All the time Wickham left me alone in the cabin and when I was on the run, I was asking myself why this had happened to me, and that naturally led me to thinking about how I had been acting and treating people. Seeing how close Kitty and Georgiana have become in such a short time has also made me think about it, wondering why I cannot find a friendship like they are developing.”