37. Chapter 37

July 4, 2014 – Time to marry off the chit. Happy Independence Day, America!

Chapter 37

Lydia arrived in the carriage at her Uncle's house in Gracechurch Street. She swept into the foyer without a care in the world. No remorse could be seen over the difficult situation in which she had placed her family. Lydia did not see she had done anything terribly wrong. She would be married soon enough to her beloved George. She had no cause to repine. Her Aunt took one look at her and knew any attempts at impressing upon Lydia the gravity of her impropriety would be fruitless. Mrs. Gardiner also knew that she would not have to deal with her wayward niece for long. By dinnertime tomorrow she should be married and making plans to relocate across the Atlantic.

"Aunt Gardiner, it is good to see you. I am to be married! La, I am the youngest and I shall be the first of all my sisters! Mr. Darcy sent me to you as soon as could be. He said we would be going shopping. Let me just see to my things in my room and I will be ready shortly."

Mrs. Gardiner had nary a chance to speak a word before Lydia bounded up the stairs to her room. 'So much for a lecture!' she sighed.

Lydia was back downstairs before long, eager to begin her shopping. While waiting for her Aunt, she noticed that Jane and Elizabeth were in the drawing room. "Jane, Lizzy, what are you doing here?"

"If you recall, we are to be married next month. We came to town to shop for our wedding clothes, or did you not bother to read my letter," came Elizabeth's curt reply.

"Oh yes, now I do recall you mentioning that. I have just been so busy with my dear Wickham that I forgot. Aunt Gardiner and I are going shopping… did you know that I am to be wed?"

"Yes, Lydia, we are well informed about your situation," was all Elizabeth trusted herself to say.

Fortunately, Mrs. Gardiner chose that moment to appear. She came not a moment too soon. Elizabeth was seriously contemplating strangling her foolish youngest sister. She was sure that the only reason she had been able to refrain so far was Jane's calming influence beside her.

When Lydia and their Aunt had departed, Elizabeth turned to her sister. "Jane, I am thinking some very ungenerous thoughts at the moment."

"For once, Elizabeth, I do not blame you in the slightest."

After seeing Colonel Williams back to his lodgings, Darcy headed back to Darcy House. He could think of nothing but a bath to wash away the filth of the morning's dealings. Properly cleaned and attired, he made his way to Gracechurch Street and Elizabeth.

"I see that neither of you ladies is occupied by shopping today," Darcy said as he was shown into the drawing room.

"Our Aunt is otherwise engaged with Lydia at present," Elizabeth replied as Darcy leaned over her hand to bestow a kiss.

"Have either your father or your uncle returned?"

"No, but they told us not to expect them until later in the afternoon. Please tell us about finding Lydia," Elizabeth urged.

"Suffice it to say that they were found and if all goes well they will be married tomorrow and on their way to Mr. Wickham's new post within the next two weeks. Only your sister's shopping is delaying their departure."

Elizabeth noted his evasive answer to her question. Clearly he did not wish to speak of the events of the morning. Whether he found the whole experience loathsome or he was trying to protect her she did not know, but she was inclined to let him have his way, for now.

Darcy stayed until Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner returned. Bingley sent word that the license had been procured and the other gentlemen confirmed that the parson had been engaged. Lydia and Wickham would be safely married tomorrow morning. All were relieved at the news. Darcy felt guilty about bringing up the next subject.

"I was forced to make a promise to Miss Lydia to guarantee her removal to Gracechurch Street." All eyes were on Darcy now. "When she expressed her desire to stay with Wickham, I was forced to promise that he would visit her here this evening. I am very sorry to impose so on you, Mr. Gardiner, but I saw no other option to ensure her cooperation."

"I am not distressed, Mr. Darcy. After all that you have done for our family, I think I can tolerate his presence in my home for one evening," Mr. Gardiner offered graciously.

"You will further understand that I believe it imprudent for me to be here this evening."

"We understand completely," Mr. Gardiner answered

Jane, who knew little of the gentlemen's plans, petitioned for an overview of them.

"The wedding will take place tomorrow at eleven o'clock and I assume that Miss Lydia will ask one of you to be her bridesmaid." Elizabeth looked at Jane, knowing Lydia would ask her oldest sister. "After the wedding, Mr. Bingley will host a wedding breakfast. He wished to have some role to play and knew that I would not allow the groom into my home. I have arranged suitable lodgings for the Wickhams until their ship leaves next week."

"Ship?" Jane interrupted Darcy.

"As part of the arrangements for the wedding, Mr. Wickham was purchased a commission in the Army and has been assigned to Fort York in Canada." Jane gasped at the news. "They will spend the next five years there."

"Does Lydia know of this?" Elizabeth asked.

"She will tonight. Mrs. Gardiner knows and will see that she purchases the appropriate clothing for her new home." Darcy replied. "Mr. Wickham will be required to report to duty here in town Wednesday. His new commission carries with it harsh penalties if he does not." No one in the room missed the import of these words. "However, he will be allowed to travel to Hertfordshire for three days before their ship leaves. Mr. Bennet has agreed that they should go to Longbourn for Mrs. Bennet's sake. Five years is a long time, and they may choose not to return to England at the end of them."

Right then, Elizabeth was not sure if she was saddened or relieved to hear her sister would be an ocean away. She believed she would be content if she never saw Wickham again. That man had caused too much pain to the people she held most dear. Any relief from him would always be most welcome.

Darcy continued, "I will take my leave now and come first thing in the morning with the final settlement papers. Elizabeth, would you accompany me to my carriage?" Mr. Bennet nodded his ascent.

Before she knew what he was about, Darcy pulled Elizabeth into an alcove and kissed her thoroughly. "That was to fortify me for the day ahead. I do not wish to face the next 24 hours without first tasting the pleasure you bestow on me."

Lydia Bennet made a beautiful bride. Despite a decided lack of decorum and common sense, she was a beautiful young woman. How the years in the wilds of Canada would treat her was anyone's guess. Elizabeth was correct in assuming Jane would be the bridesmaid. She was relieved to have been passed over for the honor. Darcy himself stood up with Wickham. He wanted to make sure nothing would go wrong at this late stage. He would put nothing past his boyhood playmate. After the wedding was over, and the bride and groom had signed the registry, Darcy saw to it that Wickham signed the settlement papers before they left the church. Thus, when Mr. & Mrs. George Wickham first stepped out into the sunshine as man and wife, their fates had been sealed. In ten days time they would sail away from England, possibly forever.

At the wedding breakfast, Darcy approached Elizabeth and Jane as they stood away from the rest of the party.

"You have not had much chance to shop these past two days. I have spoken to your father and he agrees with me that you should prolong your stay in London for a few more days. Georgiana and Mrs. Hurst are still willing to escort you around to the various shops when Mrs. Gardiner is occupied with Mrs. Wickham." Darcy had a difficult time speaking Lydia's new name without disdain. "I, of course, will remain in London as long as you do and will personally escort you back to Longbourn."

"It appears as though you have the situation well in hand, Fitzwilliam," Elizabeth teased.

"I look forward to many years of arranging for you comfort and safety, my dear." Turning to address Jane directly, Darcy said, "How do you like your future home, Miss Bennet?"

"It is a lovely home, and not too far from yours, Mr. Darcy."

"For my horses' sakes, I am grateful. I believe the future Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Bingley will spend much time traveling between the two residences."

"While their husbands are traveling in the opposite direction?" Jane asked.

It took Darcy a moment to realize that he was being teased by Jane. As comprehension dawned he could not resist responding. "Elizabeth, I believe you are more like your sister than I ever realized. Bingley truly will be a fortunate man!"

"Did you think me lacking, sir?" Jane continued.

"A gentleman would never admit to believing a lady lacking in anything, Miss Bennet. It is hazardous to their well-being!" Elizabeth was delighted in the exchange between Darcy and Jane. Darcy still had much to learn about her family. Perhaps when he knew them better, he would understand her even more.

Colonel Fitzwilliam attended the wedding of Lydia Bennet and George Wickham. He had to see for himself the cur getting married. Revenge had been long in coming, but it had been sweet. As soon has the happy couple were officially wed, the Colonel hastened back to his parents' home.

"It is done." Colonel Fitzwilliam announced to his parents. They had been informed of the circumstances of the wedding. Darcy felt his Uncle needed to know the truth in the event things did not go as planned. Lord Matlock was impressed by the rapidity and thoroughness of Darcy's preparations. But this was not surprising; Lord and Lady Matlock knew Darcy to be a man of action rather than words. Once he decided on a course, he worked to its conclusion with a single-mindedness that was, at times, startling. This was one of the reasons they so highly approved of Miss Bennet. She would not back down to Darcy when she knew she was in the right and she had the perfect personality to pull him out of despair whenever things would not go as planned.

"I told you one day he would make a mistake. He thought he had found a gold mine in Lydia Bennet. That she is not. Perhaps a coal mine, though. She will be the means of making sure they have enough to live on comfortably, as long as he behaves himself and they do not live extravagantly." Lord Matlock said smugly.

"Where they are going, so long as he keeps away from debts of honor, they should finish his five years with money in the bank. There is not much to spend money on there," the Colonel answered.

"Never underestimate the power of a woman to overspend her allowance, son."

"Hugh!"

"You are one of the exceptions, my dear. A more economical wife I could not wish for!"

Their son smiled at his parents' loving banter. He could never remember a time when they did not tease each other. He knew he was privileged to grow up in such an affectionate home.

"Richard, Anne is in Town," Lady Matlock said suddenly changing the subject.

"What?"

"My dear sister-in-law decided to bring Anne to Town to go shopping. She is planning on throwing Anne into society after she returns from visiting us at Matlock. She has vowed to Anne that she will be engaged to at least an Earl before the year is out."

The Colonel felt as though he had been punched. It was apparent, by his Aunt's actions, that he would never be accepted as an eligible suitor for Anne. Lord Matlock looked upon his son sympathetically. It was time to make his offer.

"Richard, do not despair. You and Anne will be wed. Do you still wish to follow through with the plans to marry in Hertfordshire? You could marry at Matlock, or even here in town."

"No father, we will marry in Hertfordshire if it is still agreeable with the others. If Anne cannot be married from her home, she should at least be able to marry in front of the rest of her family. If we do not marry with Darcy, we will have to wait too long before another wedding can be quietly arranged and the family gathered. Should we tell my sisters and brother?"

"Yes, son," Lady Matlock answered. "Let them share in your joy and not be shocked when they see you standing up in the front of the church. They would be hurt if they felt you could not trust them."

"You are correct, as usual, Mother. Very well, we will tell them before you leave for Matlock. I will need to stay in London for now. First to keep an eye on Wickham, second, to arrange selling my commission. With the terms of Uncle Lewis' new will, Anne does not need to be married to a soldier. I will remain in the Army until after the wedding. I do not wish to raise any undue suspicions beforehand."

"Richard," Lord Matlock began, "I have another offer for you to consider. You and Anne will have the house in town, but that will not prepare you for running Rosings once Catherine is gone. My steward at Greenebrooke has written to inform me that he is ready to retire. He has offered to stay for the remainder of the year to train someone to take his place. If you wish it, you may take possession of Greenebrooke after you are married. Mr. Phelps is a competent man who will teach you well. The house there is not large, but it is comfortable and in no need of repairs. It would be a wonderful place for you to begin your life with Anne. Lancashire is far away from Kent. At an income of £2,000 per anum, Greenebrooke is large enough for you to be indoctrinated, but small enough to not overwhelm. You do not need to give me your answer today. Think about it. Anne will come next Monday and we will not depart until Wednesday. That should give the two of you a chance to discuss it between yourselves."

"I do not know what to say Father, I am speechless."

Lord Matlock walked over and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "When we advised you children to look to your heart to marry, Greenebrooke was always in the back of our minds. Let us do this for you, if it is what you want. Your brother knows of this offer. I am sorry to have shared your news without your knowledge, but it was necessary that he be in agreement in the event that something unfortunate happened to me. He is in complete support of this course of action, Richard."

"Thank you, Father, I would never have dreamed you would offer me such an opportunity. I must first speak with Anne. If she is in agreement, we will go to Greenebrooke. It is a lovely estate, Father; I always wondered why you kept it. Now I know."

It had been a quiet morning in Mrs. Blackwell's home. Her niece had taken to spending the morning pouring over the latest newspapers from London. She vividly recalled her response to the letter from Bingley announcing his engagement. Caroline had grown red with anger upon hearing the news and had stormed out of the house. Her mood had only slightly recovered when she returned hours later. When Mrs. Blackwell had inquired after where she had been, Caroline responded with a sullen look and retired to her room for the night.

All of the sudden, Mrs. Blackwell heard a, "This cannot be!" shouted out by her niece. With a sense of foreboding, Mrs. Blackwell followed the source of the outburst and found Caroline pacing, her lips pursed in a straight line, her anger obvious. When Caroline realized she was no longer alone, she threw the paper at her Aunt.

"Do you see that? That notice in the middle of the page! That little… country… chit has stolen my man! My Mr. Darcy! How dare she! I am of a mind to leave here at once and… and go directly to Darcy to show him what a mistake he is making. Or, should I say, to see how that… Eliza Bennet has entrapped him!"

"Caroline Bingley, you will do no such thing! You are a fool to have thought Darcy would ever have offered to you. Charles has told me how for years you have chased after Darcy and how, for years, he has rebuffed all of your allusions. You must face the facts, Caroline. Darcy will marry Miss Elizabeth Bennet and there is nothing you can do to stop it. I suggest you get used to the idea. For your own good!"

Caroline stared at her Aunt, horrified at the truth before her. Without a word she stormed out of the room, left the house and she did not return until it was nearly dark, her anger only slightly abated. For two days she did not leave her room. Finally, on the third day she re-appeared.

"Are you now reconciled to the situation, Caroline?"

"I do not wish to speak of it, Aunt."

"Very well, Caroline. But sooner or later you will need to stand up to the facts and behave like a lady."

"I resent the fact that you do not believe me capable of proper behavior, Aunt."

"Until you show me otherwise, Caroline, I shall maintain my doubts."

On Saturday, Mr. Bennet escorted the newly married couple back to Hertfordshire. He had rather preferred to stay in London; Mr. Darcy had proven to be in possession of a most excellent Library. (He had accompanied Elizabeth on a visit to her future home on Thursday.) Mr. Bennet was loath to leave his wife alone with Lydia and her husband. He was sure she would give her favorite all of the money in the house if he did not go to Longbourn. Lydia had not changed. When they arrived home and Mrs. Bennet, Mary and Catherine greeted them, Lydia could not help saying how proud she was to bring home such a handsome husband. As they began walking into the house and Mary and Catherine fell in behind their parents, Lydia stopped her two sisters and reminded them that she now went before them, for she was a married woman. Mary and Catherine were mortified at such offensive treatment. Lydia was correct, but she could have used more tact in claiming her rights. Silently Mary thanked the Lord that they would be at Longbourn but three days!

At dinner, Lydia continued her insensitivity by failing to notice the amendment of her sister's name. Mary and Mr. Bennet called Catherine by her Christian name but Lydia took no heed. Even Wickham had the good manners to address his new sister as Miss Catherine. Lydia was Lydia still.

Mrs. Bennet took great pride in introducing her new son-in-law that next morning in church. Miraculously, no word of the circumstances of Lydia's marriage had leaked out. All that was known was that Lydia had eloped with the handsome young officer. No one suspected the length of time between the elopement and marriage. At least they had escaped that portion of the scandal. Lydia had been threatened with the loss of her inheritance if she breathed a single word of it to anyone. By some miracle, she actually was able to comprehend the magnitude of the threat and kept this sordid detail to herself.

Monday, after lunch, Mr. Bennet escorted the couple back to London. He was in no mood to take any unnecessary risks. He need not have worried. Wickham preferred a respectable life to a life constantly on the run, worrying every day about just staying alive. Now, if there was a way he could make his wife behave more quietly, life would be bearable, he hoped.

After depositing the couple at their lodgings, Mr. Bennet joined his other daughters at his brother's home. He was not surprised to find Bingley and Darcy there. That evening, Darcy asked Mr. Bennet to join with him and Bingley in a private conference. The men settled into Mr. Gardiner's study with their glasses of port.

"I see that you have a preference for port, Mr. Bennet," Darcy remarked. "I do not believe I have ever seen you with any other drink in your hand away from the dinner table."

"A fine glass of port is one of life's treasures. While other men have their variety of drinks, I prefer to stay with my first love." Darcy could not help but smile at the older gentleman. "What would you speak to me and Mr. Bingley of, sir?"

"I have further news from my cousins. My Aunt Catherine has decreed a new wardrobe for my cousin Anne in order to secure an earl for a husband. Richard and Anne would like to marry with us in Hertfordshire."

"Jane and I still are firm in our acceptance of this Darcy. We are willing to share a wedding day if you still are."

"The final decision is yours, Mr. Bennet. Bingley and I will abide by whatever it is," Darcy finished.

Mr. Bennet looked at the two men before him. Their selflessness shamed him. He had been a selfish creature all of his life. He was raised with good principles but when left alone to follow them, he did not. He neglected those put under his care. Only by the grace of God did four of his daughters escape ruin from such an under-supervised upbringing.

"I am amazed at the course of action you have chosen and the honor and respect you show Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss de Bourgh. If you choose such a wedding, then such a wedding it shall be. I must say, my wife shall go distracted at the memory of it."

"Thank you, Mr. Bennet. I have conferred with Lord Matlock and Colonel Fitzwilliam and we are all in agreement that no one other than those who are already aware of the secret should know. Lady Catherine cannot stop the wedding, but she could disrupt it." Darcy hesitated to add, "This means that Mrs. Bennet should not be told."

Mr. Bennet considered feigning outrage but decided that it would not be in good taste. "I am in full agreement, Mr. Darcy. But I do not think Longbourn will be big enough to host such a wedding breakfast. Mr. Bingley, I anticipate my wife asking that it be held at Netherfield. Would that be agreeable to you?"

"I had thought much in the same way. Jane and I have discussed this as well and we both agree that this is a sensible course of action." Bingley replied.

"Good, good. That is one more item that my wife will be made busy with instead of bothering me in my study. I only hope you know what you are getting yourself into, Mr. Bingley." Mr. Bennet gave him as wry smile.

Thursday saw the whole family that was in London bid farewell to the Wickhams as they boarded the coach that would take them to Southampton where the ship that would take them to Canada awaited. Colonel Fitzwilliam rode his horse along side the coach. It was too near the end to grow careless. Once Wickham and Lydia were on the ship, everyone would finally breathe easier.

That afternoon, Jane and Elizabeth attended their final fittings. There was little left to do the next day, but for them to shop for a special gift for their fiancés. Jane found a lovely stickpin but Elizabeth had another type of gift in mind. She had asked her Uncle Gardiner to make some inquiries for her. When the particular item was found, she had asked for it to be put aside for her. They stopped and collected it on the way home.

"Are you going to tell me what you bought, Lizzy?" Jane asked after they were home.

"No, this is between Fitzwilliam and me."

"But you helped me pick out Charles' gift," Elizabeth laughed at her sister's whiny tone.

"You have not tried that tone of voice for many years, Jane. I suggest you save it for someone who will be influenced by it!"

"Very well, though you take great delight in vexing me!" Jane said in her best imitation of her mother.

Monday morning, the party returned to Hertfordshire. Jane, Elizabeth, Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley shared one carriage, the gentleman another. It had been an interesting time in London and the wedding was just over a month away.

An elopement was still scandalous in its own right. Ah well.