by Lilian, Lory
“Thank you for your care, my dearest Mr. Darcy. And for your wisdom and for your tenderness and…”
“I believe you should stop, Miss Bennet, or I shall be lead to believe that I truly am a man without fault.” He laughed, caressing her hair.
“It pains me to admit it, but I am afraid Miss Bingley might have been right. I shall acknowledge my error to her the first time we meet again,” she said, and he laughed again, accusing her of being mean and vicious while she sighed in delight as she found a perfect spot near his heart to rest her head.
“William?”
“Yes, my love?” he replied, surprised that she was not yet asleep.
“I love Lydia, and I would do anything to help her. I wish nothing but the best for her.”
“I know… I never doubted that…”
“Then how is possible that she is in such a dreadful situation and I can think of little else except how happy I am to be in your arms? How can that be?”
He kissed her hair and pulled her even closer to him. “I will bring Lydia to speak to you and Mrs. Gardiner tomorrow. Anything you decide—anything she wants and it will be accomplished. That I promise you.”
He felt her place a kiss on the spot where his heart was as she whispered, “Thank you.”
She soon fell asleep, sighing from time to time, tightly cuddled in his arms. As she moved in her sleep, her nightgown shifted, and for a moment, the splendour of her soft, silky breasts was revealed to him. He pulled the gown back to her shoulders and arranged it carefully while he covered her with the sheets.
He watched her sleeping, rejoicing in the greatest success of his life; soon, they would be bound together in all ways and for all time, and they would have nothing else to worry about. If only the next day would pass as he planned…
Darcy did not sleep at all; his mind was fully preoccupied with the next day’s events while trying to command his tortured body to resist the painful, delicious torture of having her so close.
It was finally morning.
Chapter 21
Mrs. Gardiner was stunned when the servant announced that Lord Matlock was calling. It was so early that she had barely left her bed, a terrible headache troubling her after the long discussion with Mr. Bennet.
She could not possibly send the earl away, even more so as she suspected something of great importance must have happened. But what could he possibly need to drop in unannounced at that hour? As if guessing her thoughts, the servant explained that the earl had asked to see Mr. Bennet, a fact that immediately made Mrs. Gardiner suspect the reason for his call.
She sent the servant to fetch her brother Bennet while she prepared herself as quickly as possible. Her hands were slightly trembling as she arranged her hair; she could not decide whether she felt composed enough to meet him alone, so she intentionally delayed her appearance in the parlour as long as possible.
When she finally appeared, the earl greeted her then hastily apologised for barging in so unexpectedly. She assured him no apologies were necessary and asked whether something had happened. A short glance was enough to prove to her that the earl was equally uneasy and distressed by their meeting. Before the earl had time to respond, Mr. Bennet entered.
“Lord Matlock—what a surprise!”
“Mr. Bennet—I am very pleased to see you again, sir, though I suspect your sudden arrival in Town does not have a pleasant cause.”
“Unfortunately, you are correct, sir, but I am happy to see you again nevertheless.”
“Forgive me if I presume too much, but…I had an argument with my son last night, and he briefly mentioned you were in town; dare I presume this has something to do with George Wickham? Forgive my intrusion, but if it is so, I believe I might be of some help.”
“I see no reason to conceal the facts from you, your lordship, or to doubt your secrecy; Mr. Wickham… He eloped with my youngest daughter a couple of days ago.”
The earl’s surprise, as well as his disbelief, was clear. He immediately asked for more details, and Mr. Bennet related to him everything that had happened in the last two days.
“I cannot imagine what might have occurred to make him do such a thing. I have known Wickham for many years, and I know he is sometimes reckless and impulsive, but he is not as bad as he might appear. I am certain I can reason with him.”
“Forgive me, but I doubt that very much. Mr. Darcy suspects that Wickham planned this scheme when he knew of Elizabeth’s engagement, and after our discussion yesterday, I am convinced he is correct. Wickham almost forced us to accept his demands, and he seemed to know what to ask for and how. We are certain he intentionally hid Lydia, so we could not speak to her until he had the chance to negotiate his requests.”
“That is quite extraordinary, sir; I do not doubt your words, and I know Darcy might have reason to suspect the worst, but I still hope there is some kind of misunderstanding.”
“Well, you are more than welcome to join us, sir, and see for yourself. I must confess I am deeply ashamed; my family put Mr. Darcy in this horrible situation. Wickham actually forced him to pay all his expenses, to assure him an occupation and to accept him as a future brother. In truth, I would not be surprised if Mr. Darcy should break his engagement and run as far as he can, if only to escape Wickham’s plans.”
“Please do not think so tragically; I thank you for your trust, sir. I shall leave you now, but we will meet again very soon. Mrs. Gardiner, I apologise again for my intrusion.”
Lord Matlock’s dark countenance and troubled expression worried them. Despite the earl’s confident words, his expression was disturbing.
However, there was little they could do for the moment except wait and hope.
***
Darcy poured himself a second cup of coffee while listening to the colonel’s complaints. His cousin had arrived earlier, and a short glance was enough for Darcy to see that the colonel also had not slept much the previous night. Troubled and angry, the colonel confessed the argument he had with his father, and Darcy chose to listen in silence.
“So, you think the earl guessed what happened?” Darcy inquired.
“Probably but that is not what bothers me. I know my father to be a man of his word, and I do not doubt his discretion. But his blindness, his partiality to Wickham—”
“That is something we cannot change, and you should not argue with the earl about it. Let us finish our breakfast; I want this situation solved today.”
“It will cost you a great deal; I hope you are aware of that.”
“I am aware, but what worries me more is to find a solution that avoids further trouble in the future. Wickham will never change. Should we allow that girl to marry him?”
“First we should talk to her and see what she wishes. Do you think your men could find her in time? It would be helpful to have her before we negotiate with him.”
“I will send Miles to collect the reports, but I doubt there is much news; if she were found, I would already have been informed.”
“If nothing else works out, we can make her a widow at any time. For a hundred pounds, I can have someone take care of Wickham.”
“Surely you are joking, Robert!”
The earl’s voice startled them both, and they had no time to respond before Lord Matlock closed the door behind him and took a seat at the table. The earl watched them closely; the colonel rose and moved to the window.
“No, I am not joking!” he said coldly.
“Good morning, Uncle, how are you? Would you like to have breakfast with us?”
“I need to speak to you both; I went to visit Mr. Bennet in Gracechurch Street.”
“What is it you wish to discuss, Father? Darcy will pay off Wickham—as he always has—and then we will hope that Wickham changes for the better—as we always do—and nothing will change. He will always be the same worthless man; everybody can see that except you. And do not worry, I will not murder your favourite,” he said bitterly.
“Robert, why are you
so angry with me? I imagine you believe it is my fault, but—”
“Of course it is, Father; it was always your fault! You allowed him to take advantage of you for years—as he did with Darcy—but at least Darcy was never deceived by his shameless hypocrisy. You spent your life finding excuses for Wickham’s wild behaviour, even when he asked Darcy for compensation for the living and then shamelessly returned to demand his inheritance, even when he attacked that servant girl, even when he was almost thrown in jail because of his gaming debts. You always refused to see the truth, and the scoundrel is so confident in your blindness that he dared to harm your own family!”
“Robert, let us all calm; there is no use to start this argument now…” Darcy intervened, but the colonel, furiously pacing the room, did not hear him.
“What do you mean, Robert? How did George harm my family?”
“Surely you cannot believe his eloping with that Bennet girl was his first attempt! He always did everything in his power to be admitted into our family! He first tried to seduce Selina, but my sister was too smart for him; then he did the same with Georgiana, and only Darcy’s intervention prevented a tragedy. Now, as soon as he discovers Darcy’s engagement, he elopes with Elizabeth’s sister! Even you must see it was a well-prepared plan! What excuses will you find for your protégée, your lifetime favourite now? What a joke—your favourite! Do you believe us all fools? We have known for many years that he is your son; why the hell did you not acknowledge him from the very beginning and be done with it? You obviously love him more than your other children, so why not do it openly?”
The colonel filled his glass again, emptied it in one gulp then threw it in the fireplace.
The earl, now pale, looked at his son in complete shock, immovable in the middle of the room. He tried to find something to support himself, and with great difficulty, he found a chair. Darcy hurried to help his uncle; the colonel glanced briefly at his father but did not move towards him.
Darcy offered the earl a glass of cold water; he took it with trembling hands, and for some time it seemed that he struggled to breathe. Eventually, he broke the heavy silence.
“You believe George is my son? And you believe I love him more than I love you? My dear boy, you could not possibly be more wrong. There is nothing more important in the world than you three are; I do care deeply for George, but I am surely not his father.”
His words fell like intense darkness over the room, and only their breathing was heard. The colonel stared at his father in disbelief, and the earl held his distrustful gaze. Darcy stood near his uncle, lost and troubled, wondering what he should do while a thousand thoughts spun in his tired mind.
The door opened, and Miles entered, handing a note to his master; the next moment he disappeared, closing the door in silence.
“I must leave now,” the earl said suddenly, rising from his seat.
“Uncle, let us talk to clear this misunderstanding,” Darcy said gently.
“I cannot talk now; I must leave. I have something to do. I must go,” the earl repeated and hurried away. Darcy tried to follow him, but the colonel’s voice stopped him.
“Darcy, let him leave.”
“Robert, you had no right to judge the earl as you did, nor to hurt him so. His care for you has always been beyond reproach, though you know very well that it was not easy for him. I cannot believe you truly doubt his love for you or that you are jealous of his affection for Wickham.”
“I do not doubt his love for us, and perhaps you are right; I undeservedly hurt him. And I was a complete idiot to tell him about Selina and Georgiana in such a careless way; forgive me. But I could not hold back my anger. It is best that he left; I cannot possibly talk to him now.”
When the hour was reasonable enough for a visit to the solicitor’s office, Darcy and Robert Fitzwilliam still had not succeeded in finding a reasonable explanation for the extraordinary argument. The consequences of the colonel’s lack of sleep and the early morning brandy had almost vanished—after two cups of coffee and a repeated refreshing of his face with cold water—so he could reasonably see the errors in his conduct of the discussion with his father. Neither he nor Darcy could believe that what they had suspected for a long time—that Wickham was the earl’s son—proved to be wrong. However, neither of them had the smallest doubt that the earl told them the truth.
Miles was sent to bring the list of Wickham’s debts; a quick calculation showed that the amount was as large as the colonel feared. It was then discussed what kind of living Wickham could be provided, assuming Lydia was determined to marry him.
With news to share, Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam went to meet Mr. Bennet. It was already noon, and Darcy considered whether he should see Elizabeth and Georgiana. Besides being slightly worried for them, he had not spoken to Elizabeth at all that day, and he missed her. He also remembered that he promised Elizabeth she would have the chance to speak to Lydia before any final decision was made, and he intended to keep his promise.
They arrived at Mrs. Gardiner’s house and asked to see Mr. Bennet. Before the servant had time to make the announcement, a din of voices startled the silence of the house; without hesitation, they headed to the library where they found the most astonishing gathering: Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Gardiner, Lord Matlock and Miss Lydia Bennet in the midst of a most animated and not quite civilised debate.
“Papa, you cannot forbid me to marry Wickham, no matter what you say! I love him dearly, and I wish for nothing but to marry him! I care for nothing but him!”
“Miss Lydia, be reasonable; surely you can see that we want what is best for you.”
“Oh, I do not wish to talk to you anymore, Lord Matlock! I will not let myself be deceived again! You tricked me to come with you, and you promised to take me to see George. Just wait until I tell him you lied to me! George said you are his friend and said you will help us, but it looks like you lied to him, too. You are mean and dishonest!”
Mr. Bennet took a step forward and slapped Lydia with such force that her cheeks reddened instantly. She looked at her father in shock; never in her life had she been punished by her father; he never even raised his voice to them. The angry expression on his face made her step back in disbelief.
“One single disrespectful word to Lord Matlock and I will send you away with no hesitation. I will easily find a place across the sea to have you locked up for the next five years—without revealing your location to anyone. You must see I am not joking, girl. I shall not even demand that you apologise to the earl, as not even your excuses are worth hearing. Now—you wish to marry Wickham? Be it as you like. You will write me a note this very moment, asking my permission to marry him. That way, every time you complain about how unhappy you are with no means to support yourselves, I will remind you of this note. You are very young, it is true, and your reckless behaviour is entirely my fault; I shall not deny that. This is why I am willing to take you home and bear the shame of your elopement if only to protect you from a lifetime of suffering. But if you refuse to see reason and reject any advice coming from me, as well as from your aunt and from the man who generously took the trouble of finding you, then you deserve no concern and no care. Write me the note, and marry Wickham.”
As Mr. Bennet spoke, his voice turned more cold and severe; his attempt to conceal his anger, disappointment, and self-reproach defeated his strength. He needed to sit; only then did he notice Darcy and the colonel entering the room.
“Lord Matlock, I beg your forgiveness, I do not mean to upset you or Papa, but you cannot convince me to leave Wickham! Papa, I want to marry him; I love him so much, and he makes me so happy! Please, Papa! You cannot send me away or lock me up only because I want to marry the man I love. Lizzy and Jane are marrying two wealthy men, but I am sure they do not love their betrotheds half as much I love my Wickham. Please, Papa,” Lydia pleaded in an entirely different voice, which Mr. Bennet easily recognised. It was what she always did when she wished to have her way—first ask, then demand, t
hen beg and cry. And she always succeeded. Mrs. Gardiner took her arm.
“Lydia, let us go upstairs and find you something to change into. We will discuss more of this later. Excuse us, gentlemen,” Mrs. Gardiner said with a glance at the earl.
They left the room, and Mr. Bennet covered his face with trembling hands.
“She is right; I cannot lock her away to forbid her marrying him. What should I do?”
“She seems determined to have him,” the earl said. “She seems even to be in love with him. We can keep her away from him by force if you wish, but…I believe none of us would dare to offer you any advice in such a delicate situation. The decision must belong to you, Mr. Bennet, and we will do what needs to be done to accomplish it.”
“She is not sixteen yet,” Mr. Bennet said in a pained, low voice. “I never took proper care of her before, so I am lost as to what is best to be done now. I do not know… I would like to speak to Madeleine…and to Elizabeth, too.”
“I believe that is best,” Darcy intervened. “Since Miss Lydia is here, we have no reason to rush a meeting with Wickham. Elizabeth is with my sister; I have not spoken to either of them today, but I will bring her to speak to you.”
“Very well; we must decide what is best, not only for Lydia but for our entire family. I thank you, gentlemen. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for everything you have done. I would have been lost without your help.”
“Unfortunately, it seems there is not much we can do either, sir; we will see you again later and do what you have decided” said the earl, while all three of them left the house.
“May I ask where you found the girl?” the colonel asked once they were out on the street.
“There are few places George could afford to leave her. Except for Mrs. Younge, there is another house where he usually stays. The…lady who owns the house is a close friend of his. I had met her before, so she did not hesitate to allow Miss Lydia to come with me.”