“Lydia!” Mama screeched. And then in a terrible stage whisper that carried everywhere. “You can’t say that to Mr. Darcy, he is ten times Wickham’s consequence, and he is your sister’s husband. Apologize.”
“I would not care if he was a hundred times Mr. Wickham’s consequence! Wrong is wrong.”
“What if,” Mr. Bennet asked in an amused tone, “he was a thousand times? Or a million times. Is there a limit to your unconcern?”
“If you do not give him his inheritance,” Lydia said, “I will not speak to you again.”
Elizabeth saw to her relief that Darcy did not look enraged, only thoughtful, while Georgiana looked at Lydia with what Elizabeth saw was deep concern.
After consideration, Darcy said, “He is not an honest man. Nor a good one. I think you have been too influenced by him. He received his inheritance in full, one thousand pounds as a direct bequest, and a sum of three thousand pounds in exchange for giving up his rights to the living at Kympton.”
“You are lying,” Lydia said, but Elizabeth knew her sister well enough to see that she was rattled by what Darcy had said. “You didn’t give him anything.”
“I can send for the papers in which Wickham signed the agreement that said this was sufficient compensation. They are at Pemberley, but I would be happy to go to the expense of sending a man to retrieve them, if that would satisfy you.”
Lydia stared at him, her lips trembling.
“He is not a good man,” Georgiana squeaked out. “You must not believe what he tells you.”
“I do! And I do not forget my true friends.” Lydia whirled away from them and stalked to the drawing room door. “I shall go out to the carriage, as I do not like the air in here.”
Papa sighed, bowed to everyone, and said, “I think I ought to keep an eye, or even both, on my daughter. I apologize for her.”
“Well, well.” Bingley coughed as Papa left. “Uh… I have always admired Miss Lydia’s ability to make a social gathering more interesting.”
Elizabeth felt deeply anxious looking at her husband. They had been in Hertfordshire for less than an hour, and already her family had made a terrible display of themselves. She knew that he wasdeterminedto show them respect, but she hated to see him exposed to that portion of her relations that often did not deserve it.
Darcy smiled warmly at her, and he stepped over and took her hand warmly and caressed it. “You ought to tell her as much as is necessary, so she understands who Wickham is.”
“No, no. It will make no difference if what you said does not — thank you. That… I thank you, on behalf of Lydia and my family, for explaining your business. I know that is difficult for you.”
“Much as I may respect them,” he said in a voice that made her nearly melt into the floor, “I believe I thought mainly of you.”
This moment of connection ended when Mama approached them and floridly apologized to Mr. Darcy. “She does not mean it, she does not. Just a silly girl.Iknow how great you are. And everyone prefers you to Wickham. I never believed anything he said about you.”
“What precisely has Mr. Wickham said about me?” Darcy asked in a tone of actual curiosity.
“Lies, lies,” Mama replied. “We all know they are lies. You married my daughter and are a hundred times his consequence.”
“Yes,” Darcy replied, a little coldly. “I thank you. And I now perceive how you reason upon this matter.”
Georgiana said, “But she loves him. Did you not see? That poor girl. Lizzy, you must convince your father to take her away from here.”
“We will come up with a scheme of that sort,” Elizabeth said.
Lydia had no fortune to tempt a man such as Wickham, but between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, she had wealthy enough connections that Mr. Wickham might try to marry her in hopes they would offer enough to make it worth his while. “I will speak to Papa about the matter. If nothing else, we can have her come with us when we leave for London after the wedding.”
“She would not like that,” Darcy replied, frowning. “I am seriously concerned about the matter.”
Elizabeth could easily imagine Lydia eloping, and unlike Georgiana,shewould not tell the plan to her wiser relations if she settled upon it. If Wickham could gain revenge on Darcy in a small way, he might very well accept that as a recompense for his failure to harm her husband in any serious way.
The next day it was the turn of the Netherfield party to attend the residents of Longbourn.
When they arrived at Elizabeth’s girlhood home, Lydia retreated to her rooms, refusing to speak to anyone.
About a half hour after they had arrived, Papa retreated to his study. He had looked at Elizabeth in a significant way before he went, in a way that told her clearly that he hoped for them to now have a chance to talk, the two of them together.
It made Elizabeth feel queer to her stomach.
