A/N: My first story please be nice
When Lydia was six years old she accidentally smashed a vase that had belonged to Mrs Bennet's mother. Her mother, for the first time ever was furious with her youngest child causing Lydia to receive her first ever scolding, and was sent to her room by her father without supper. Instead she fled the house in tears among rumbles of thunder as the heavens opened and rain came lashing down.
Lydia had never explored the woods surrounding Longbourn and quickly became lost. Though shivering from the rain and fear of the thunder she stubbornly refused to turn around and continued on into the woods until the ground became so muddy and treacherous she slipped and twisted her ankle, now soaked, cold and hurt Lydia began to wail and cry out hoping someone would come and save her. Fortunately for her a soldier happened to be passing the woods on his way through and heard Lydia (who taking after her mother could be heard even above the weather). He quickly found her, scooped her up and hastily made his way towards Longbourn.
Meanwhile back at Longbourn panic reigned as, Mrs Bennet unwilling to let her youngest starve ordered Hill to take Lydia dinner, only for her to come rushing back down as girl was not in her room. Immediately Mrs Bennet started wailing while everyone frantically searched the house. After ten minutes frantic searching it became clear that she was not to be found in the house and the men where hastily making there way outside to search when suddenly up the path came the soldier bearing Lydia. She was quickly rushed inside and upstairs to be dried and changed while a servant was sent for Mr. Jones. The soldier was immediately offered a towel and a warm drink that he gratefully accepted before leaving to continue his journey.
For the next week Lydia suffered from a dangerous fever that at one point looked like it would claim her life, fortunately she was strong and the fever calmed after five fear filled days had passed.
As Lydia's health began to return she began to recall what had happened, though some of the details where still fuzzy one thing she could recall quite clearly was the red coat of the soldier who had saved her.
That day had far reaching consequences which would affect the lives of the Bennet family in years to come.
Mr and Mrs Bennet blamed themselves for their daughters suffering and both were unable to punish Lydia from them on. Mrs Bennet, having almost lost Lydia doted on her, spoiling her rotten. Lydia could no longer do wrong in her mother's eyes and was allowed to do as she pleased. Mr Bennet hid away in his library and took very little hand in raising his children as he believed if he could not check Lydia's behaviour then he could not fairly punish his other daughters as well. Mrs Bennet however did not share this sentiment. Elizabeth having been in the room at the time of the breaking of the vase was blamed for not stopping her youngest sister. Her mother also believed that if Elizabeth was not always outside exploring the woods surrounding Longbourn than Lydia would never have gotten it into her head to enter them herself that day. As Lydia could do no wrong from that day on, Elizabeth could do no right in her mother's eyes. Since Mr Bennet spent all his time in his library and Mrs Bennet spent all her time either spoiling Lydia, doting on Jane's beauty or scolding Elizabeth, Mary and Kitty were all but ignored by their parents and suffered as a result.
It was also because of this day that Lydia, when the militia came to Meryton became an uncontrollable flirt. It is also why when Wickham asked her to run away with him she did not hesitate, why Mr Darcy could not convince her to leave him and why she never saw her husband for what he was.
For Lydia her knight in shining armour had and always would, wear a red coat.