Chapter 1

1

E lizabeth ground her teeth, enraged. Why had Papa given in and permitted Lydia and her new husband to come to Longbourn? She had never been so tempted to leave her own home before now. But why should she? She had done nothing wrong.

She dropped her head. Nothing except spurn the proposals of an honourable man, due mostly to the lies and smooth talking of Mr. Wickham.

Mr. Wickham, who was now her brother-in-law. She felt sick.

She took up her needlework with new determination not to allow her youngest sister to raise her anger again.

Mr. Darcy had been kind to her when she had met him at Pemberley this summer; and she had hoped that her vicious words after his proposals had been forgiven.

Then she had heard of Lydia's elopement, and Mr. Darcy had turned away from her. He must be disgusted that Mr. Wickham was now her brother. No, she would never see him again; and it was entirely due to her spoiled and heedless sister — and her husband , Wickham!

She shivered; she had been embroidering a handkerchief as a parting gift for Lydia, but last night she had ripped away the words she had stitched

Best wishes for your new life, sister

Now she had started new words —

Goodbye, Good Riddance

She smiled slightly at her stitching. Mr. and Mrs. Wickham ought to have left Longbourn three days ago, and she could not understand why Papa did not exert himself to send them on their way.

"Newcastle is such a lively city, Mama. My dear Wickie says there are balls and parties nearly every night. I will need a lot more ribbons to take with me, so I can make over my new gowns." Lydia pouted over at her mother, hanging on her husband's arm.

Elizabeth felt sick as Mama replied.

"Well, of course you shall have new ribbons, my dear! I must have my beautiful daughter looking as if she comes from a wealthy home!"

A red mist seemed to descend over Elizabeth. She clenched her fists, but nothing seemed to help. Her other sisters were still — too still — staring at their own needlework, and Elizabeth snapped.

"Stop this Endless. Selfish. Talk, Lyddie!"

She jumped to her feet, took two steps and dealt Lydia a ringing slap, the sound echoing loudly through the room.

Elizabeth carried on, although soon almost drowned out by her sister's shrieks of shock and rage. "You are determined to remain a stupid, brainless little flirt all your life, and I am ashamed to call you my sister!"

As Lydia took another breath, Elizabeth heard Mr. Wickham's quiet voice. "Well done, sister Elizabeth!"

She turned and dealt him a stinging slap, too.

"So why did you leave me to do your dirty work, sir?" she spat. "Do you want to be known as the man with the most vulgar, ill-behaved whore-wife in the whole regiment?" She stood there, her bosom heaving, as she fended off Lydia's blows.

"And why are you still here, anyway? Do you want to be posted as a deserter and hanged — not that I would blame you wishing for that with the prospect of life with her for a wife!"

"Enough!" Papa's voice bellowed from the door, and Elizabeth realised that both Lydia and Mama were in full voice.

It was a pity, they probably had not heard what Elizabeth had so wanted to say.

She looked at Lydia with contempt. Satisfyingly, there was a bright red handprint across her left cheek. That would not fade quickly — she hoped.

"Papa, Lizzy slapped me," Lydia immediately started pouring out a tale of woe. "And she slapped dear Wickie, too. An officer! How dare she hit an officer, and her youngest sister, too? I wasn't doing anything!"

Papa's eyebrow rose. "I strongly doubt that, Lydia. You have been impossible ever since you learned to open your mouth. If it was Elizabeth who struck you — then she must have been goaded past all endurance, because she — unlike you — is a gentlewoman." He glared at his youngest daughter and then at Mr. Wickham.

"I believe you have outstayed your welcome. My coach will take you to the post stop in the morning. You had better walk into Meryton later today and book your seats."

He turned and slammed the door behind him.

It was wrong of her to do so, but Elizabeth grinned at Lydia. "I am glad. Less than twenty-four more hours to endure." She turned to tidy away her sewing. "I believe I will take a long walk — away from Meryton."

Mary jumped to her feet. "May I join you, Lizzy? I believe the fresh air will be a nicer atmosphere than in here."

"May I come, too?" Kitty jumped to her feet.

"And I." Jane was not even looking at Lydia.

"Of course; all my sisters who bear the name Bennet are very welcome." Elizabeth cast a wary glance at Mama out of the corner of her eye.

Her mother was looking rather shocked, and pale. Doubtless, Papa had interrupted what was going to be a relentless tirade against Elizabeth for so assaulting her poor, poor, Lydia.

Outside Longbourn, they were surprised to see Mr. Bingley waiting by the door. Elizabeth was glad Jane was with them, but her sister grasped her arm. "Lizzy! Don't leave me!"

Elizabeth drew a deep breath. Her temper had cooled somewhat, and her equilibrium was being rapidly restored at the prospect of the Wickhams being gone immediately after breakfast the next day.

"Good morning, Mr. Bingley. We had heard you might be returning to Netherfield Park, and we are very glad to see you."

Mr. Bingley looked exceedingly embarrassed.

"Would you like to join us on our walk, sir?" Elizabeth had to keep the conversation going, hoping Jane might exert herself to be polite. "We are not going too far, as my sisters do not walk as fast as I do!"

Mr. Bingley looked very eager. "I would like that very much indeed." He looked a little anxious. "That is … if Miss Bennet agrees."

Elizabeth nudged Jane, and whispered. "Do help him, Jane. He looks very uncomfortable."

Jane smiled cautiously at Mr. Bingley. "You are very welcome, sir. It is always a good thing to have an escort."

He bowed, looking relieved, and replaced his hat upon his head. Offering Jane his arm, he then drew closer to Elizabeth and spoke quietly.

"I am sorry for what has happened; you, of all people, must have been driven beyond all reason."

She looked up at him, startled. He had heard what she had done. How mortifying! She knew a blush was colouring her cheeks.

He shook his head. "Do not be disturbed. I believe Darcy was quite impressed, and he at once discovered an urgent errand needed to be undertaken."

Mr. Darcy had been here? He had heard her behaving like … like a fishwife?

Elizabeth dropped back to walk with Mary and Kitty, as Jane bore her escort slightly ahead.

Mr. Darcy had been here . Elizabeth bit her lip. It seemed he might have been willing to see her again after … after all this. And now, by losing her temper, he had found an urgent excuse to avoid her.

Mary squeezed her arm. "Don't be upset, Lizzy. You did what none of us dared to do, but needed doing all the same."

Elizabeth looked at her. "You are not going to berate me for failing to turn the other cheek?" She recalled the handprint on Lydia's face, and tried to hide her smile.

"No, Lizzy. You must know that we only wish Lydia had a matching mark on her other cheek." Kitty seemed quite excited about it all. "She has needed the shock for a long time." She hesitated. "I do hope they will go and Papa does not change his mind and let them stay."

Elizabeth shrugged. "I hope so, too." She was surprised, but pleased, that her sisters had unobtrusively sided with her by walking out together; but another part of her wished she was alone, striding briskly out for the long circuit up Oakham Mount, out by Shenley, and then back by the eastern lanes.

Mr. Darcy. Now she would definitely never see him again, if he had heard her assault on her sister through the open window.

At least Mr. Bingley was here, walking with Jane. She hoped very much he would not break her heart anew. If the two men had arrived together, though, it must mean that he had told Bingley that Jane had missed him. Her heart beat a little faster. Perhaps he would not separate them again?