Chapter 18

It rained much of that week, so Elizabeth and Darcy had only a few opportunities to speak, and the girls remained confined to the house. One of the men hired by Darcy had slipped Elizabeth a note each morning, which she exchanged with one of her own, but for days, that was the most contact they had with each other. Through these notes, Darcy kept Elizabeth apprised of the search for Wickham and reassured her of his love for her.

The sun finally cleared on Saturday afternoon but it was too late for Elizabeth and Darcy to arrange a meeting. Therefore, the first time they had a chance to see each other was at church on Sunday. Darcy managed to slip Elizabeth a note, unobserved by everyone except Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was standing guard to ensure they would not be seen. After squeezing her hand, they separated, she to her carriage and he to his.

"Who was the man with Mr. Darcy?" Lydia asked as soon as she entered the carriage. "He was not as handsome as Mr. Wickham, but from his insignia, I believe he is a colonel in the Regulars. Is he the one that visited you Monday, Papa?"

"What!" that man demanded. "Were Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam at today's service? I did not see them and cannot imagine why they would be there or even still in Hertfordshire. None of you girls are to have anything to do with either of those men, do you understand me? I wish they would return to London permanently." This last was said in a near growl, surprising everyone with him in the carriage. He fixed his two youngest girls with a hard look before glaring at Elizabeth.

Kitty and Lydia looked taken aback, but nodded and chorused, "Yes, sir."

Undeterred, Elizabeth stubbornly glared back. Her father was the first to break eye contact.

"Mr. Wickham escaped from the gaol Monday," her mother exclaimed, oblivious to the undercurrents in the carriage and her husband's statement. "They say he had promised marriage to three different girls, all under sixteen, and already had acquired debts in nearly every shop in town. There are other girls he did ruin. He had scarcely been in town a month and was already nearly fifteen pounds in debt, far more than he would have made as a mere lieutenant in the militia, which is one of the reasons the militia members were denied any further credit. I am glad he did not attempt to engage himself to one of my daughters as they say he only promised marriage as a way to obtain favours from the girls. Girls, you must remember that not all members of the militia are good men, and if any promise marriage without first approaching your father, you are to refuse them. Eloping may sound like good fun, but truly, any man who will not approach your father to ask properly is a rake and a cad, and you should avoid such unsavoury men."

All five of her daughters looked at the matron in shock. Elizabeth and Jane because they had never heard such wisdom come from their mother, Mary because of the mention of "favours" and "elopement"—such scandalous ideas—and Kitty and Lydia because it went so much against what their mother usually said. Since the militia had arrived, their mama had only spoken of how wonderful it would be to be married to a man in uniform, but now she was advising them to be wary of the gentlemen.

"Surely Mr. Wickham could not have been so terrible," Lydia attempted to defend her favourite.

"He was, Lyddie," her mother responded. "I have not told you the worst of it, what is not for a maiden's ears. Suffice it to say, he is a most undeserving man, and you should be cautious. Mr. Bennet, Colonel Forster paid a call on you earlier this week, did he not? Did he tell you the news of Wickham's escape?"

"He did and suggested he may not have gone far. All my daughters should take care when leaving the house until he is caught. It seems unlikely that the man would not have gone as far away as he could, since only a fool would remain nearby where he would be much more easily caught," he insisted.

"Why did you not say something sooner, Papa?" Kitty asked.

"I did not see any point," he admitted. "I cannot fathom an escaped prisoner remaining nearby when people are looking for him. I admit I did not speak to this Mr. Wickham very often but cannot imagine him being so unintelligent as to stick around where he is being pursued."

"As many have said before me, ‘angry people are not always wise,'" Elizabeth stated. "The lieutenant was angered by his arrest and holds a grudge against Mr. Darcy and against me. I have been warned to take particular care until he is caught, and it was suggested that my sisters may also be in danger."

"Why does he hold a grudge against you?" Lydia asked.

"He attempted to take a liberty from me that I was not inclined to give. When he did so, I recalled what Mr. Lucas told me when we were children about protecting myself when a man sought to importune me. It was effective and occurred at nearly the same time Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived at Longbourn. They were able to pull him away from me and were the ones who took him to the gaol. Apparently, he was overheard speaking of his desire for revenge against me. You must not speak of this outside of this carriage, as it could ruin not only my reputation but all of yours. That is why nothing has been said before now, as the gentlemen have so far been able to keep it from being known."

"Papa, if Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy protected our sister from such an awful man, why have you not invited them to our home? Why have you not mentioned to the rest of us that Mr. Wickham is seeking revenge on Lizzy? This seems like something we need to know, and I cannot imagine why you felt it unimportant." It was Kitty who asked the question, but all five ladies, other than Elizabeth, turned questioning eyes on the gentleman.

"As I said, I doubted the veracity of the claim. And as far as not welcoming Mr. Darcy into my home, I have my reasons and do not need to explain those to any of you. Since Colonel Fitzwilliam is his cousin, he is likewise unwelcome."

"Is Mr. Darcy a rake, Papa?" Lydia asked.

"I believe he is," he replied at the same time Elizabeth cried, "Of course not!"

The same five pairs of eyes that had been staring at their father turned toward Elizabeth. Again, it was Kitty who asked the question they were all thinking. "I thought you did not like Mr. Darcy, Lizzy."

"Well, the fact that he pulled Mr. Wickham away from me when that man attempted to injure me did much to improve my opinion of him. Besides that, he apologised for the slight at the assembly, and if you did not notice, he danced with me at the Netherfield Ball. We met again in Kent and have become friends. In fact, I am convinced that he is truly the best of men."

"Ha!" her father cried. "You believe that now because you do not know him well. Your first impression will prove correct, and I do not want to hear another word spoken about Wickham, Darcy, or Fitzwilliam again."

Elizabeth made to speak, but he cut her off with a stern look. Instead, she glared at him in return which she held long past the point when he looked away.

As soon as the carriage came to a stop at Longbourn, he hopped down first and strode straight into the house. The ladies slowly followed, leaving the footman to perform the office that typically fell to their father. None of them had spoken since his outburst, and they could hear his study door slam from where they remained outside. Their mother had exited the carriage second and began wailing for her salts immediately as she entered the house. The five girls stood huddled together outside.

"Lizzy," Mary said quietly, putting her hand on her sister's arm, "do we have cause to be worried?"

Elizabeth looked around at all her sisters. "Let us change into more comfortable attire and meet in my room to discuss matters. However, if you cannot or will not keep what I tell you in confidence"— she glared at Kitty and Lydia in turn—"then remain in your rooms. What I have to say is not to be shared outside the five of us."

All four of Elizabeth's sisters nodded and quietly hurried to their rooms to change into comfortable morning gowns. Since it was Sunday and they were not anticipating any visitors, they did not expect anyone else to come downstairs for the meal, especially considering that both their parents had retired to their rooms. Elizabeth and Jane briefly spoke to the housekeeper, requesting a large tray of tea and pastries to be brought to Elizabeth's room where the sisters gathered.

After everyone was settled into a seat with refreshments, Elizabeth looked around the room at her sisters and realised that, for the first time in years, they all seemed to be in sympathy with each other. She thought about how much she would miss them once she married William. Thinking about him made her smile, and that smile prompted Lydia to begin to tease.

"Lizzy Bennet, I never expected to see you grinning like a fool. No one smiles like that unless they are in love, and given what you said in the carriage, it certainly is not with Mr. Wickham. Who is it? The colonel?" Lydia demanded teasingly, the girl she was shining through for once, rather than the flirt.

Jane patted her sister's hand. "Quiet, Lydia, as nothing we say here can be overheard by our parents. I know who has inspired such sentiment, although I am surprised. Had you met Colonel Fitzwilliam before yesterday?" she teased.

Elizabeth laughed. "You have guessed wrong, and I must admit that I have kept certain matters a secret from all of you since I returned from Kent, in part because everything has happened so quickly. You may all be surprised to learn that Mr. Darcy has proposed to me, and I have accepted. However,"—she stopped as she raised a hand to quiet the exclamations her words inspired—"Papa has refused his consent. You heard him in the carriage earlier; he does not believe Mr. Darcy has honourable intentions. I know he is wrong, and I will marry Mr. Darcy with or without my father's permission."

Jane and Mary gasped in surprise while Kitty and Lydia giggled. "You will elope?" Lydia asked, wide-eyed.

"No, we will not elope. We have discussed several options including marrying from a church in London after I reach my majority. We could have the banns called, or Mr. Darcy could purchase a licence. My father wants me to stay close so I can continue running Longbourn for him. Very few know of this, but since I took the management of the estate, I began setting funds aside each year to provide dowries for all of us. It is not significant, but it is still more than you presently have. The longer you wait to marry"—she looked pointedly at her youngest two sisters—"the larger your dowry will be. The other day, after we discussed Mr. Darcy's proposal and my father's refusal, he asked me to give him those funds to enlarge his library. Fortunately, they are tied up so he cannot easily access them. Several years ago, without fully understanding what he was signing, he signed paperwork turning those funds over to our uncles' control. They are the only ones who can release the funds. I have already spoken to Uncle Phillips about it, and he wrote an express to Uncle Gardiner. I would not be surprised if he arrives soon. The rain likely has prevented his coming sooner."

"What will they do?" Kitty asked.

Elizabeth sighed. "I do not know what they can do or will do. It is my hope they will take the steps our father will not take to protect us all. Mr. Darcy has hired some men who will arrive later today to guard the house and us since our father will not."

"Is Mr. Wickham truly a threat to us?" Lydia asked.

"He was not happy at being arrested for his attempt to assault me, and I know Mr. Darcy holds a significant amount of his debt. Mr. Wickham has treated Mr. Darcy infamously. He is not a gentleman," Elizabeth replied. "Besides, you heard the stories about him in town."

"But he hadn't done anything horrible," Lydia protested.

"Yet," Elizabeth stated rather baldly. "Lydia, in addition to being the worst sort of rake, he is now an escaped prisoner and a deserter. If he is found, he will be punished, and his punishment will be far worse because of his escape."

Lydia seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Lizzy, how could the rest of us be ruined if word of Mr. Wickham's attack on you became known?"

"Because women are often blamed for what men do. If a woman is assaulted, it is assumed by society that she is somehow at fault, and not only is her reputation called into question, that of her sisters and the rest of her family are called into question. We might all be considered unmarriageable in such an instance. It is unfair, but that is society's way."

"Fordyce has much to say about feminine modesty, but it seems unfair that a woman is punished and blamed when she has no control over the circumstances," Mary said seriously.

The sisters continued to talk over the matters and discussed how to protect each other as long as Wickham was on the loose. If their uncles did come the next day as expected, they would also consult with them about what could be done. Lydia joked that they should all travel to Pemberley with their aunt and uncle for company. This suggestion led to quite a bit of merriment, and the girls spent the rest of the day enjoying each other's company.