She stared at the door after him but did not make a move to get up for several minutes.
Darcy came across from where he had been speaking to Mary and Georgiana about how he’d selected Georgiana’s piano master. “You ought to go to him.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I know.”
They were quiet.
“But I also want to speak to him.”
“I know,” Darcy said again. He gave her a small hug.
Elizabeth laughed, feeling lighter. “You are very good at knowing things.”
“Many of the things I know are even true.”
She took his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”
Papa’s study was familiar.
Wholly unchanged, except there were somewhat more books piled on the tables where there was not sufficient room on the shelves, and the volume numbers on Papa’s periodicals were different.
It had been her favorite room in the house for so many years.
And it also was the room where Papa had called her a wanton mercenary creature he was ashamed to have raised.
Even the scent was the same.
A warm room due to the Franklin stove in the corner. It made it cozier than the big fireplaces in Darcy’s library.
Papa rose and smiled at her. “Lizzy.”
“Papa.”
She went over to her accustomed seat. In a nervous tone she began to speak about a different matter than the one chief on both their minds. “We must make some plan about Lydia — Mr. Wickham would like to hurt Mr. Darcy, and if he can find no other scheme, either ruining or marrying depending on how much he is offered, the sister of Darcy’s wife may satisfy him.”
“I have told her that she cannot go out into the village or to Meryton unaccompanied, not after her display yesterday.”
Elizabeth nodded. “We think it would be best if she is sent away, to London, or even further.”
“Are you inviting her to Pemberley?”
With a slight grimace, Elizabeth nodded. “Though she would despise the invitation.”
“Need to lock her in chains. If you just stick her in a careening carriage, more than half likely she’d jump and take her chances.” Papa pulled his glasses off and rubbed at his forehead. “Do you have any advice? I am determined to not fail as I have before, but in truth I do not know what to do — when I announced to the girls upon our return to Longbourn that we would not entertain Wickham again, I simply had not known how deep her attachment already went.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “She would probably be happier with the Gardiners. We do not need to keep her away from Longbourn forever. The regiment will leave soon enough.”
“On a blessed day in summer. Still, it is likely to be nearly half a year, and Mrs. Gardiner does not need another, wholly ungovernable, child. I do not wish to impose upon you — but if you are willing to take her, you and Mr. Darcy are likely to be the best solution.”
“You and Mama might travel somewhere — I recall that Mama several times mentioned how much she would like to see a beach. In such a case Lydia would not see the travel as a punishment.”
“Oh, Lydia might still decide it was a punishment.” Papa grimaced. “Travel?”
Elizabeth frowned at him.
“Yes, yes. I did not make the effort to help you, so if I can help Lydia, I must. I must, even if I dislike the case. Though not to a beach. We should go very soon, and it would be absurd to visit a beach in March. Somewhere to the north, so that I might visit you at Pemberley, and see the library which I contributed to.”
