“Good grief, Elizabeth, what is wrong?” and he directed her to a sofa in the study. “Mercer, stay close.”
“Mr. Darcy, I have had a letter from Jane concerning my youngest sister, Lydia, who has been visiting with Colonel Forster and his family in Brighton. Apparently, she has met Mr. Wickham there, and it appears that for the last couple of weeks he has been paying her quite a bit of attention. I remembered your warning to me about him, and after being in his company on a number of occasions, I had the impression that he is not to be believed or trusted. But I am hoping he is not a bad man, merely an exaggerator and a flirt. May I ask you to read Jane’s letter, so that you might reassure me that he has no designs on my sister?”
Darcy took the letter, and it was as expected. To him, Wickham’s intent was clear: the seduction of Elizabeth’s youngest sister.
“But why?” Lizzy asked, unable to hide the anguish in her voice.
Darcy placed his hand on her cheek and, looking into her tear-filled eyes, explained the ugly truth. “It is because you believed me and not his lies, and this is his way of punishing you.” When Lizzy began to cry, he pulled her into his arms and rested his head upon hers. She fit perfectly, as he knew she would. He ran his fingers through her long dark curls and kissed the top of her head, trying to give her some comfort, but there was little else he could do at that moment.
Taking her by the hand, he led her to the chair closest to the fireplace, and he thought how beautiful she was, and despite her sadness, the pleasure he felt when holding her in his arms. But there was business to be done, and after handing her a glass of wine to calm her, he went into the foyer where Mercer waited.
“Bring His Lordship’s man to the study immediately. After you have done that, prepare for our departure to Brighton, and we shall be moving with all possible speed.”
Returning to Elizabeth, he found her standing in front of the fireplace staring into the fire, and although she was no longer crying, the pain she was feeling was clearly visible on her face.
“Please come and sit down. I want to tell you of my plans,” and with her hands between his, he began, “First, I am reasonably confident we have some time. Because Wickham intends a seduction and not an elopement, he will be unable to return to his regiment. Thus, he must plan his every move to avoid risk of discovery. I have sent for His Lordship’s man, who is an expert horseman, and he will ride to Brighton with a letter from me alerting the colonel as to Wickham’s intentions.”
“But it is the middle of the night.”
“Please remember he is Lord Fitzwilliam’s man, and he is used to being summoned at such times and moving expeditiously.”
Lizzy nodded that she understood.
“Mercer and I will leave at first light and go straight through to Brighton, and I will act as a representative for your family until such time as your father can determine the course of action he wishes to pursue. I would ask that you write a letter to your father tonight, stating in the clearest possible terms that Lydia is in danger and that I can testify to that fact. You and the Gardiners will return to Longbourn as planned, but your letter will go by express rider.” He then took her hand and kissed it. “We must move quickly, Elizabeth, so please go write your letter, and I will do the same. Bring it to me as soon as you have finished.”
When Darcy opened the door to the study, Gregg was waiting for instructions, and he was already dressed ready to ride. After being informed of the particulars, he left to go to the stables, and Darcy thought that no matter what Antony was paying him, it was not enough.
Darcy sat down at the desk in the study to pen his letter to the colonel. He gave no particular examples of Wickham’s unscrupulous behavior, but instead asked the colonel to rely on his reputation as surety until he could talk to him in person. As soon as the ink had dried and he had sealed it, he handed it to Mercer to deliver to Gregg.
Darcy waited at the bottom of the stairs for Lizzy, and as she descended, she practically took them two at a time and was waving the letter in the air, trying to get the ink to dry faster.
“One of the grooms will take this into Lambton early tomorrow morning and hire an express rider. It will be placed in your father’s hands long before you arrive at Longbourn. By the time you get home, Mr. Bennet will have made his plans. I think that is all we can do tonight to assist Lydia, but I need to speak to you before I leave. Will you join me in the study?” And he gestured for her to go in ahead of him.
As soon as they were seated on the sofa, he began, “Before I leave for Brighton, I would like to share some things with you that may explain some of my actions. Allow me to begin by saying that only a male can inherit Pemberley. This stipulation means that I must have a son. However, because I was comfortable with the designated heir to Pemberley, I was in no hurry to marry. David Ashton is a good man, forty-five years of age, fond of Georgiana, and one who gave every indication of being a lifelong bachelor. However, shortly before the start of the season, he informed me that he was to marry a niece and ward of the Duke of Rutland, who owns property that abuts Pemberley. Consolidating our two estates has been a wish of the duke for as long as I can remember.
“As soon as I learned of the engagement, I knew I had to find a wife. If I have learned anything from Antony’s marriage, it was that the woman I married must, at the very least, be kind. It ranked higher in importance to me than beauty or accomplishments. So after reviewing all of my options, I settled on Miss Letitia Montford.
“I will admit that I was not the best suitor. After returning to London following the Netherfield ball, I realized that I was comparing everyone to you—and not just Miss Montford. No lady was as witty, intelligent, or pretty as you were. No one could make me smile or laugh the way you did,” and taking Lizzy’s hand, he said, “You have ruined me for every other woman.”
“If you are looking for an apology, you will have to look elsewhere,” Lizzy said, as she ran her fingers along the back of his hand.
“Even though I did not love Miss Montford, I continued with the courtship for fear she might be humiliated if I withdrew my attentions, and she had done nothing to deserve that. Fortunately, I have meddling relations who would not let me jump off that cliff. Richard, Georgiana, and Anne did things behind my back, including making arrangements for you to come to Pemberley, with me to follow. Another person who helped considerably was Miss Montford herself. I know you were surprised to find me at Pemberley, but I had been encouraged to come here by Miss Montford.”
“I do not understand. She wanted you to leave her?”
“Yes. She wished me to be anywhere but in London. I think I actually frightened her.”
“I can understand that.”
Darcy laughed out loud. “Even in the present circumstances, your wit does not desert you. But do not expect me to believe for one minute that you are afraid of me. You have had me on my heels since I sat across from you in the parlor at Longbourn.”
“If you have adopted a more humble posture because of me, Mr. Darcy, I am glad to have been of service.”
“Elizabeth, when the dust settles, I will have to ask myself why I am deliberately seeking the companionship of someone who will always get the better of me. But as to Letitia Montford, I do believe she would release me immediately, but I am unsure if her father would be willing to do the same. But I no longer care what Sir John thinks. I have decided that this courtship must end as Miss Montford would be perfectly miserable with me, and she could never make me happy. There is only one person who can do that, and I am looking at her.”
Taking his cue from the look in her eyes, he did what he had wanted to do ever since that afternoon at Longbourn, and he took her in his arms and he kissed her and kissed her again, and after parting her lips with his tongue, he felt the response of her warm lips tasting his. She moved her hands to his face and traced his lips with her fingers, and then she put her arms around his neck and kissed him again before resting her head on his chest. For many more minutes, they sat there quietly in each other’s embrace, but Darcy knew that there were so many things that needed to be done before he could leave in the morning. And so he stood and brought her to her feet and kissed her in one long kiss because he did not know when he would feel her lips again.