“Yes,” she replied, “although, I fear if I move much I shall begin again.”
“Then here we shall remain until you are feeling completely recovered.” He shifted his weight so they were both a bit more comfortable. Darcy bestowed a kiss upon her head and closed his eyes. They remained thus until well after supper had been announced, and then only to remove to Netherfield so they might spend the rest of the evening in quiet solitude, away from the tiresome ranting of Mrs. Bennet and her favorite daughter.
Kitty made her way to the breakfast parlor the next morning with a small, secretive smirk upon her lips. Her father dismissed it as foolishness, which he had long known to run rampant under his roof, but then a quarter of an hour passed without any sign of Lydia. Mrs. Bennet seemed to be the only one willing to remark upon her favorite daughter’s absence. “Kitty,” she said, “you must go upstairs at once and tell your sister to hurry herself along. There is much to be done today. When Lizzy arrives, I will go into Meryton to sit with my sister Phillips, and you girls shall accompany me.”
Mr. Bennet, without raising his eyes from his newspaper, said firmly, “You will do nothing of the sort, Mrs. Bennet. I will not have anyone in this house speak so much as one word about your youngest daughter’s behavior. Since she has not the sense nor the humility to recognize the disgrace she has brought upon herself or her family, she will no longer be permitted into society until she can prove to me she has spent the day in a productive manner, which, I suspect, will not be for some time. The same will apply to you, as well, Kitty.”
Kitty pouted and protested, and even went so far as to cry, but to no avail. Her father would not be swayed. Darcy, Elizabeth, and Bingley’s arrival was announced, and with a few further words of admonishment, accompanied by a stern look or two from Mr. Bennet, the subject was soon dropped.
Another half hour passed by rather awkwardly, and still, Lydia did not appear. “Oh, where is that child?” cried Mrs. Bennet. “Kitty, run upstairs and fetch your sister. I must speak to her at once.”
At this, Kitty’s pouting mouth slowly transformed itself into a flicker of a smug smile. Blotting the corners of her lips with her napkin, she replied, “I am afraid I cannot, Mama.”
Her mother gaped at her, and Mr. Bennet raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean you will not?” cried Mrs. Bennet. “I demand you fetch her at once, and do not venture to speak to me so, insolent girl!”
To this, Kitty replied, “I did not say I would not, Mama—only that I cannot, for Lydia is not to be found in her room this morning.”
This statement caught Mr. Bennet’s full attention, as well as that of every other person in the room, and his wife exclaimed, “What do you mean she is not in her room?! Where else would she possibly be found at such an hour?”
Kitty remained silent until her father’s patience had reached its limits. “Katherine! Explain yourself! Do you know where your sister is?”
She nodded, but any trace of amusement was now erased from her face. “Yes, sir.”
With some hesitation and downcast eyes, she surrendered to her father a folded missive written in Lydia’s flowing hand. Mr. Bennet read it and paled. “Good God,” he whispered as he handed the note to Darcy with a shaking hand. His son-in-law read it and, with a sound of disgust, thrust the missive toward his wife.
“Whatever does it say?” demanded Mrs. Bennet. “Is it from my dearest girl? Do not keep me in suspense! What does she have to say?”
Darcy glanced at Mr. Bennet, who sat stock still, holding his head between his hands. “Pray, enlighten your mother, Elizabeth, and read aloud what your sister had to say,” Darcy said with barely concealed contempt as he rose and strode to the window. She cleared her throat and, in an unsteady voice, complied.
Dear Kitty,
You will laugh when you awaken in the morning and find me gone, and if you cannot guess with whom, you are a simpleton, indeed, for there is but one man whom I love.
My dear Wickham asks that you conceal my absence as long as you can, and I confess, I am in complete agreement with him, for it will be such a good joke, will it not, when Lizzy and her droll Mr. Darcy hear that he has come for me at last, just as I knew he would, and in the dead of night, too? Is it not the most romantic thing you have ever heard? You must tell me how they both looked when next you see me, for Wickham and I would dearly love a good laugh at their expense. Tell Mama I will write if I can—though I am certain, as a married woman, that my husband shall engage me in far more pleasurable activities—and that she has my leave to inform the neighborhood of my impending marriage. I remain your loving sister,
L. B.
Mrs. Bennet’s shrieks easily overshadowed Jane’s and Mary’s horrified gasps. Mr. Bennet removed to his library, Darcy and Bingley hard on his heels. Elizabeth made to follow, but Darcy caught her hand and stopped her, his eyes communicating that her presence would not be allowed for this particular meeting. The door to the library closed upon her, and she found herself quite alone.
Mrs. Bennet, overcome with distress, retired to her room with the assistance of her faithful housekeeper. Kitty was left to her own devices, worrying over the blame she would shoulder for Lydia’s rash elopement. Since Elizabeth had taken up an agitated vigil outside her father’s library, it was left to Jane and Mary to attend their mother.
To Elizabeth, half the day seemed to pass before the gentlemen emerged, but in fact, it had been no more than three-quarters of an hour. When the door finally opened, she sprang from her chair and looked in expectation from her father’s grave face to that of her husband’s. With a nod from Mr. Bennet, Darcy led her by the hand to a small parlor and closed the door. Elizabeth gripped his hands and waited in silence for him to begin.
In a low voice he said, “Surely you must realize Wickham has not taken your sister to Scotland, Elizabeth. It is my belief they are most likely gone to London, and I have told your father as much. It may still be within our power to recover her, but we must act quickly. Colonel Fitzwilliam has many contacts there whom I believe can greatly benefit us in our search.” He scowled. “Having grown up with Wickham, I have knowledge of his habits and tendencies. From what I have witnessed in Hertfordshire, he has altered little, but much for the worse. With any luck, we will be able to locate them within a matter of a few days, though I would not hold out hope for your sister’s virtue, if it is, indeed, still intact.”
Elizabeth looked away; she had no hope on that score. Darcy began to draw circles upon her palms with his thumbs. “Bingley has agreed to stay behind and look after you and your family while your father and I search for them in London. We shall depart within the hour.”
Elizabeth could hardly credit these last words. “You mean to say you are leaving me here?” she asked.
“I see very few options before us, Elizabeth. I had rather thought you would prefer to remain with your family at this time. Certainly, your mother and sisters will be in need of you.”
“And you will not?” she asked.
Darcy averted his eyes. “That is not what I meant; you know it is not, but London is not safe. There is nothing you could possibly do there to aid your sister. You would do better to stay here with your family.”
Elizabeth stared at him. “And is this what you truly wish?” she asked, her voice strained.
“Of course not,” he answered quickly, “but I cannot see my way to bringing you with me. There is nothing for you to do in London that would not put you at risk. You know Wickham is not to be underestimated.”