Chapter 11

A s soon as he entered the house, Bennet was accosted by his daughters who wanted to know what had occurred in Colonel Forster’s office.

“If you will be so good as to first allow me some time to greet your mother and seat myself, I will be pleased to tell you all,” Bennet declared. He bussed his wife’s cheek and then took a seat next to her.

“I for one do not believe that such a handsome officer could do the things of which you have accused Mr Wickham,” Lydia insisted. She and Kitty had been allowed to join the family from the nursery to see if a few days in that room had caused any amendments to their behaviour yet. Kitty was much subdued; Lydia was as brash as she ever was.

“Your lack of judgement, immaturity, and inability to see past the colour of a man’s coat is the reason you are back in, and your stay in the nursery will be of long duration,” Bennet bit back. “I was present when the former Lieutenant admitted all we had heard of from Lambton was true, and not only that, he attempted to cast aspersions on a gentlelady which when faced with the possibility of one of her relatives taking retribution on him, he also owned was a pack of lies.”

All Lydia heard in her father’s speech was ‘ former lieutenant ’ and nothing of all the proof her father had of the man’s terrible character. “I would never have allowed Wicky to even kiss me had I known he would not be an officer…” Lydia stopped speaking when she saw the thunderous looks directed at her by all except Kitty, who would not look at anyone.

“You will return to the nursery forthwith, and until you begin to learn how to behave as a gentlelady and not some lightskirt, there you will remain!” Bennet thundered.

As brash as she was, Lydia, who was normally not scared of anything, was afraid. She looked around the drawing room for support and found none.

“Wait! Before you go, did you surrender your virtue to that man?” Bennet demanded.

“B-but he t-told m-me m-my v-virtue w-was i-intact because w-we w-were n-n-not m-m-m-married,” Lydia stammered. She collapsed back onto the armchair where she had been seated as the tears fell, and she sobbed loudly. No one made a move to comfort her.

“When you asked me to allow you time with Mr Wickham, you said you needed to speak to him!” Kitty exclaimed. She turned to the rest of her shocked family. “Had I known what she planned to do, I would have stopped her. She was jealous that Mr Wickham was attracted to Lizzy, so she did all she could to pull his attention from Lizzy onto herself.” She turned back to her shocked younger sister. “How could you Lydia? Do you not know that the loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable? One false step involves you in endless ruin; your, all our reputations, are no less brittle than they are beautiful! You are aware that you cannot be too much guarded in being alone with a member of the other sex. What have you done? If what you have done becomes known, we are all ruined, not just you, you stupid, selfish girl!”

As furious as he was with Lydia, Bennet was greatly impressed by the words uttered by his second to youngest daughter. It seemed that as much as she and Lydia used to deride Mary’s moralising, Kitty had been listening and had absorbed some of the lessons. One look at the proud glow on his middle daughter told Bennet that she had come to the same conclusion.

“As much as I hate to say it, Kitty is right. What are we to do, Thomas? All of our girls will be ruined, especially if there are consequences from Lydia’s indiscretion,” Fanny wailed. She too was incensed by what Lydia had done, but her worry must be for her other daughters now.

“There is only one thing for it. Lydia will have to go to a convent, one which is also a school for misbehaving young ladies. Our neighbours will be told we have decided to send her to school, which in a certain light is not a prevarication. If she is with child, she will not increase here for all to see. If there is a child and Lydia survives childbirth, she will never be allowed to return to Longbourn,” Bennet stated firmly.

“B-but h-he swore o-only a m-married l-lady is able to become with child,” Lydia managed weakly.

“You have nothing but fluff between your ears!” Fanny screeched at her youngest. “It is why you cannot surrender your virtue before you are married. From when one has her courses for the first time, she is able to fall in the family way if she does what you have outside of the bounds of matrimony. What part of ‘that man is a liar and manipulator, seducer of young ladies’ did you not understand?”

“In part I blame myself for not taking charge of my family many years ago. That being said, I will write to the Sisters of the Eternal Hope in Westmorland, and as soon as they accept Lydia, I will take her thither.” Bennet turned to his youngest who had lost all of her colour. “Until then, you are in the nursery. You will see no one outside of our family.” He turned back to face his wife and other four daughters. “I should not need to say this, but not one word is to be mentioned to anyone, not even our servants.” He turned to face his second youngest. “I can see you are a good girl at heart. You are still not out, but you will no longer join Lydia in the nursery. I will be requesting that your Aunt Maddie assist me with finding a companion who will be able to teach you the lessons you need as soon as may be.”

Kitty glowed with pleasure that her father did not see her as an extension of Lydia like she had once been. “I look forward to learning, Papa,” she responded enthusiastically.

Bennet rang for the Hills and gave explicit instructions that Miss Lydia was to be returned to the nursery until she was to depart for a school. He further ordered that until said departure, other than Mrs Hill, only his wife, himself, or his other four daughters were allowed to enter the nursery.

Mrs Hill bobbed a curtsy while her husband bowed before they led Miss Lydia and her tear stained cheeks up to the nursery.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Caroline Bingley was about to jump up and attach herself to Mr Darcy’s arm, but she froze in her place. Both men looked furious. She had no clue as to what had occurred to cause their angry looks, but they were enough to force her to be more circumspect than normal.

“Louisa, did Caroline tell you that she had written a letter to Miss Bennet?” Bingley asked curtly.

When Miss Bingley noted the paper in her brother’s hand, until she saw it was not her own stationary, she almost panicked. It would not do for either her brother, or Mr Darcy to know what she had written to Jane Bennet, especially not the man she intended to marry. She consoled herself with the thought that no letter had arrived from Hertfordshire at her brother’s house, and she was sure none of those mushrooms would have the temerity to send a letter directly to Mr Darcy, who was so far above them.

“Yes, she did mention that she wrote a letter,” Mrs Hurst replied, not understanding to what her brother’s questions tended. “She assured me that she wrote a nice letter telling Miss Bennet we were joining you in London.”

Miss Bingley relaxed. Louisa’s words would reassure her brother. As he would never see her words, he would not be able to contradict her. “Come, Charles, you are wasting the time we have to spend with our good friend,” she cooed as she batted her eyes in a coquettish fashion at Mr Darcy.

“What did you say in this letter of yours to Miss Bennet?” Bingley asked as calmly as he was able.

“I do not remember the words precisely, but I informed her of our going away, of my friendship, and my opinion we would remain in Town until the end of the season,” Miss Bingley dissembled.

“Did you mention if we would return to Netherfield Park to celebrate Christmastide? And how did you explain my going away for so long without taking my leave, when I had related to her I would return in a few days?” Bingley pressed. He had always known that his sister would bend the truth for her own purposes, but he had never suspected she would be so completely dishonest. “You did not say anything about your hope I would attach myself to a society lady, did you? Say one like Miss Darcy?”

Suddenly Miss Bingley no longer felt so confident. Was he guessing and coincidently making a conjecture which was close to what she wrote, or did he know something? She stared at the pages in his hand again. No, it was definitely not hers; it was common, cheap paper, a poor quality she would never use for a letter.

“As much as I like dear Georgiana, I would never say that. My dear friend is not out in society yet, and I believe,” Miss Bingley looked at Mr Darcy with an inviting smile, “her excellent brother has said it will be two or perhaps three years before the dear girl is launched in society. I, of course, will be there to assist her at every turn.”

Darcy had remained silent while lie after lie fell from Miss Bingley’s lips as easily as most people breathe. He could no longer do so. “Miss Bingley, when have you ever gained permission from my sister or her guardians to address her with such informality?” he barked.

Although she was taken aback by his tone, Miss Bingley maintained her outward look of calm. “I always considered dear G…Miss Darcy a close friend, I am sure she granted me leave to address her by her informal name when I granted the same to her,” she prevaricated.

“I remember that time, and my sister never responded. She has since that day, when she is unwillingly forced to address you, done so only as Miss Bingley. Any person of sense would have been able to tell by how they were being addressed that the offer of informality had not been accepted. Even had she desired such, and she did not, I would not have allowed it. And while we are on the subject, what do you think the daughter of a tradesman could do to assist my sister in her coming into society? She is the granddaughter and niece to earls, what could you do for her? Especially as you are at the opposite end of the societal ladder from us.”

Miss Bingley was reeling. Mr Darcy was not just speaking with asperity, but his words dripped with disdain. He had referred to her hated roots! How could this be? She had been so close to attaining her goal, if only she had discovered the keys to his suite at Netherfield Park, she would already be engaged to Mr Darcy. The man had always held a distance between them, but that was just his way. This was different, if she did not know better Caroline would think he hated the very sight of her.

He had paused to allow his words to sink in. However Darcy could see how she was still calculating a way to turn things around. It was time to kill her delusions forever. “Perhaps you thought you would assist me as Mrs Darcy, an office you will never have, because you wrote…” Darcy looked to his friend. “The letter please, Bingley.” As soon as it was in his hand, Darcy found the passage he was looking for. “Ah yes, you wrote: ‘ Mr Darcy and I have an informal understanding, but he has promised to invite all of his family—including the Earl and Countess of Matlock and other noble relations—to Derbyshire for the festive season where he will announce our official engagement. ’ Tell me, Miss Bingley, where was I when this so-called informal understanding was formed? Additionally, as my noble relatives have pointedly refused to be introduced to you, how is it you think they would approve of an abhorrent alliance were I to make it, or if I was addlepated enough to offer for you?”

All of the colour drained out of Miss Bingley’s face. No, no, no, they could not have her letter. It was not the one she wrote; of that she was certain. “It seems someone is attempting to put words which are not mine into my mouth,” she claimed.

“Caroline, how can you prevaricate with a straight face? Nothing coming out of your mouth is the truth,” Bingley thundered.

“That is not a letter I wrote, it is not on my paper, nor I am willing to bet, is it in my hand. Why would you accept the word, I am sure, of one of those impecunious Bennets who are trying to gain your sympathies so they can sink their hooks into your fortune? Charles, you are so simple at times,” Miss Bingley insisted as she waved dismissively at her brother.

“The only true thing you have said is that this,” Bingley held up the missive, “is not in your hand nor on your paper.” He stopped when he saw the triumphant look on his sister’s face. When she had a smug look on her countenance, he continued. “It is, however a copy of the letter you wrote to Miss Bennet, and it was sent to Mr Darcy.” Bingley lifted the papers and began to read aloud.

Mrs Hurst’s face turned ashen as she heard the horrendous things her sister had written. There was only one purpose in the letter, and that was to wound Miss Bennet as much as possible, and to make Charles out to be a rake to do so. She watched Mr Darcy from the corner of her eye while her brother read what Caroline had written about Charles and Miss Darcy. She was sure had her sister been a man, Mr Darcy would call her out. Either way, Caroline had ruined herself.

During the reading, which was word for word her letter, Miss Bingley fought tooth and nail to maintain her equanimity. Thank goodness, the nobodies had not sent the original. That left the door open for her to claim it was nothing but a fraud written by a grasping family. As Charles read, she went over in her head her response, it had to sound believable, and mayhap some tears would not go amiss.

“What a work of fiction, if this letter existed in my hand, they would have sent it,” Miss Bingley blustered as soon as she heard her brother complete his reading.

“In his cover letter to me, Mr Bennet stated he has the original in his safe, and if Bingley and I choose to hie to Longbourn, he will be more than willing to allow us to see it. Like anyone of good sense, he did not want to chance the original being lost in the post,” Darcy interjected. He turned to his friend. “Bingley, did I forget to mention that in a misguided attempt to compromise me, Miss Bingley attempted to gain access to my suite after the ball?”

Bingley shook his head.

“As you have been told, not even a compromise before all in society would induce me to marry a shrew like you.” Darcy paused and allowed his disapproving look to bore into the harridan. “If I were you, Miss Bingley, I would get as far away from London society as you are able. You used not only my name, but that of my sister, and for that you will never be forgiven. From here I am for Matlock House, and I guarantee you once my aunt, the Countess of Matlock, is allowed to read your letter, she will ruin you in a way from which you will never recover.”

“Charles, Louisa, you must help me,” Miss Bingley wailed as the enormity of the faux pas she had made hit her.

“Caroline, you have made your bed, and now you must lie in it,” Mrs Hurst shook her head sadly. Unfortunately, with the naked ambition to rise in society her sister had, she was not overly surprised she had attempted to fly far too high and like Icarus, she had come crashing back to earth.

“If you think I will allow you to be taken into my household, you are more delusional than Darcy said you were,” Hurst, who had been quiet until now, stated firmly.

“I will release what is left of your dowry to you, and I suggest you find a small town, far from London, where you can set up an establishment for yourself,” Bingley said with steel in his voice. “Just as I planned to do, I will be returning to Meryton, and I will throw myself on Miss Bennet’s mercy. If she will still have me after what you have done, I will be the luckiest of men.” Seeing his younger sister was about to protest, Bingley held up his hand. “Even before this, I would have acted to secure my own felicity, but now your opinions hold even less sway over me than they did before.”

“Miss Bingley, from this moment forward you are barred from any of my homes, and if you ever approach me or one in my family, you will be given the cut direct,” Darcy promised.

All of her dreams of reaching the pinnacle of society were gone like wisps of smoke on a strong wind. Caroline Bingley was not sorry for what she had done, only that it had been discovered. If only the damned Bennets had posted her original letter, and it had got lost in the post!

Leaving a faint Miss Bingley in her chair, a vacant look on her face, Darcy took his leave of the Hursts. Bingley accompanied him to the entrance hall where he retrieved his outerwear from the butler.

“Thank you for your support. I am only sorry my sister…” Bingley began and stopped when Darcy placed a hand on one of his shoulders.

“Bingley, what your sister did is not for you to apologise for. You have never hidden my negative feelings for her from her, and it is not your fault, she chose to ignore your words. There is none to blame but Miss Bingley herself. It is still hard to fathom the thought process which would allow one to write the tripe she wrote. To me it is obvious she is a person without a conscience,” Darcy said firmly. “I will send a note soon; I too have much to ponder.”

With that, the two men shook hands and Darcy entered his town coach after telling his coachman to make for Matlock House.