A/N – Super secret chapter posted at a super secret time for my true followers to find first. OK, now that the dramatics are over, enjoy!
"Splendid fishing, good company. What a capital fellow" Uncle raved as we arrived back at the inn at the end of the day.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Darcy" Auntie said gratefully.
"A letter for you, madam" a tired maid told me, handing me the small piece of paper.
"Oh, it's from Jane" I smiled happily.
But, once I read the contents if the letter, all joy left my being.
I came into the empty room where my aunt and uncle were sitting, and Darcy was pacing, but I was crying so hard I couldn't speak. I collapsed onto a chair.
I tried again, this time a bit more composed. I waited a moment, too a deep breath and explained, "It's the most dreadful news. Lydia has run away with Mr. Wickham" Auntie and uncle stood in surprise. "They are gone from Brighton to Lord knows where. She has no money, no connections. I fear she is lost forever" I cried.
"This is my fault" Darcy said quietly, stepping closer. "If only I had exposed Wickham when I should."
"No" I stopped him. "No, this is my fault. I might have prevented all this merely by being open with my sisters."
"Has anything been done to recover her?" Auntie wondered.
"My father has gone to London. But I know very well that nothing can be done. We have not the smallest hope." I told her. Wickham's wickedness combined with Lydia's ridiculousness meant I would most likely not see my sister again.
"Would I could help you" Darcy whispered. My whole being wanted his comfort, to be wrapped in his warmth, but it wasn't proper, and he wasn't mine.
"Sir, I think it is too late" I murmured despairingly.
"This is grave indeed" he agreed. "I will leave you. Goodbye."
"I'm afraid we must go at once" Uncle decided at Mr. Darcy left. "I will join Mr. Bennet and find Lydia before she ruins the family forever."
And so Auntie and I went back home to Longbourn as Uncle joined Father in London. Mother had bedridden herself, more upset than I had ever seen her.
"Oh, why did the Forsters let her out of their sight?' Mother wondered miserably. "I always said they were unfit to take charge of her."
"And now she's ruined" Mary said unsympathetically.
"You are all ruined" Mother said. "Who will take you now, with a fallen sister? Poor Mr. Bennet will now have to fight the perfidious Wickham and then be killed."
"He hasn't found him yet, Mama" Lizzie said harshly.
"And then Mr. Collins will turn us out before he's cold in his grave" Mother sobbed.
"Do not be so alarmed, Mama" Jane said gently, ever the nurturer. "Our uncle has gone to London and is helping in the search."
"Lydia must know what this must be doing to my nerves. Such flutterings and spasms all over me. My baby Lydia" Mother did look unwell. "My baby. How could she do such a thing to her poor mama?"
We left Mother to rest. I found Mary snatching a letter from Kitty, who had been about to open it. Kitty snatched it back. "Kitty, give it to me" Mary insisted.
"No!" Kitty refused.
"Who is it for?" Jane took the letter from Kitty, who made no grabs for it. No one fought with Jane. "It's addressed to Papa" Jane read.
I grabbed the letter. "It's in Uncle's writing" I noticed.
With perfect timing, we heard the carriage. We all raced out to meet Father.
"Papa, there's a letter!" Kitty cried, first in the race.
"Let me catch my breath" Father begged.
"It's in Uncle's writing" Lizzie told him, handing the letter to him.
Father climbed out and immediately opened the letter. "He had found them."
"Are they married?" Kitty asked.
"Wait, I can't make out his script" Father struggled.
"Oh, give it to me" Lizzie snatched the letter back.
"Are they married?" Kitty asked again, trying to read over Lizzie's shoulder.
"They will be, if Father will send £100 a year on her" Lizzie read. "That is Wickham's condition."
"£100?" Kitty asked, surprised. I was as well.
"You will agree to this, Father?" I asked.
"Of course I'll agree" Father told us. "God knows how much your uncle must have laid on that wretched man."
"What do you mean, Father?" Kitty asked, snatching the letter.
"No man in his sense would marry Lydia under so slight a temptation as £100 a year. Your uncle must have been very generous" father explained.
"Do you think it a large sum?" Jane asked Lizzie and I.
"Wickham's a fool if he accepts less than £10,000" Lizzie told her.
"£10,000? Heaven forbid" Jane gasped.
Mother, of course, was very happy. Not only was Lydia found, we were not ruined, and Lydia was married.
Lydia returned, looking very smug, with Wickham. I kept close to Father, who seemed to notice my fear of being anywhere near Wickham.
"Lydia!" Mother cried happily when the carriage arrived.
"We passed Sarah Sims in her carriage" Lydia gossiped once out of the carriage. "So I took off my glove and let my hand just rest so she might see the ring."
Kitty looked very put out with Lydia, and I was a little glad she was away from Lydia's influence now.
"You must all go to Brighton" Lydia was saying over dinner. "For that is the place to get husbands" she wouldn't stop talking as if she had all the knowledge in the world. I clenched my hands tightly, keeping myself from smacking Lydia.
"I want to hear every little detail, Lydia dear" Mother cooed as if Lydia hadn't almost ruined the family.
"Well, Monday morning came and I was in such a fuss" I heard Lydia say. "There was my aunt, preaching and talking away as if she was reading a sermon. She was horrid unpleasant."
"Can't you understand why?" I snapped at Lydia.
"But I didn't hear a word because I was thinking of my dear Wickham" Lydia continued as if she couldn't hear me.
I switched Lydia's wine glass with my water, hoping to keep her sober and stop her holier-than-thou act.
"I longed to know whether he'd be married in his blue coat." Lydia was acting so superficial it was driving me mad.
I was ignoring Lydia, holding in my rage, until I heard her say Mr. Darcy's name.
"Mr. Darcy?" I asked her, surprised.
Lydia gasped exaggeratedly. "Oh, I forgot. But I shouldn't have said a word." She giggled.
"Mr. Darcy was at your wedding?" I pressed.
"He was the once that discovered us" Lydia told me. "He paid for the wedding, Wickham's commission. Everything. But don't tell anyone. He told me not to tell."
"Mr. Darcy?" I said to myself. I knew he was a good man, knew better now than ever, but to find my sister, and pay all that money to keep my family from shame?
I didn't bother to say goodbye to Lydia or Wickham. I couldn't stomach it. I did go with Mary, Jane, and Mother to Meryton.
"I can't imagine what your father does will all that ink" Mother grumbled.
"Mrs. Bennet!"
The Milliner, Mrs. Jacobs, a rather well-dressed man with a proper-looking cane, caught us outside. "Did you hear the news, madam?" he asked. "Mr. Bingley is returning to Nethefield."
"Mr. Bingley?" Mother repeated in wonder.
"Mrs. Nichols is ordering a haunch of pork. She expects him tomorrow" Mr. Jacobs told us.
"Tomorrow?" Mother repeated again. I glanced at Jane is worry, but she looked more curiously stunned. "Not that I care about him. Mr. Bingley's nothing to us" Mother said firmly. I wasn't sure if she was angry at him breaking Jane's heart, or insulted that he didn't marry her.
"I'm sure I never want to see him again. No" Mother continued. "We shan't mention a word about it." Mother turned o walk away, but asked one more question. "Is it quite certain he's coming?"
"Yes, madam. I believe he is alone. His sister remains in town." Mr. Jacobs gossiped.
'So" Mother squeaked. "Why he thinks we should be interested, I've no idea." Mother pretended to be indifferent again. "Come along, girls."
"Let's go home at once, Mary and tell Mr. Bennet the impudence of the man" Mother directed. I wonder he dare show his face!"
I linked arms with Jane, worried for her reaction at the news.
"It's all right, Victoria" Jane snapped. "I'm just… I'm just glad he comes alone, because then we shall see less of him. Not that I'm afraid of myself. But I dread other people's remark" Jane insisted.
I knew she was lying. Lying to herself just like I was lying to myself. It was because of this similarity that I allowed her to be.
We were all relaxing in the drawing room. Mother was stretched out on the couch, Lizzie was reading by the fire, and I'm not quite sure what the other girls were doing, but we were relaxing.
That is, until Kitty comes running in, shouting "He's here! He's here. He's at the door!" She ran to the window to look out. "Mr. Bingley."
Jane's eyes lit up with hope. Mother sat up in alarm. "Mr. Bingley? Oh my goodness! Everybody behave naturally" she ordered as we all got up. The goal was to make the room look less of a mess, and make Jane look dressed up.
Jane wrapped a ribbon Lizzie handed her around her waist after removing a thin robe.
"There's someone with him" Kitty cried out. "Mr. What's-his-name. The pompous one from before" Kitty sneered.
"Mr. Darcy?" Mother cried. "The very insolence of it. What does he think of, coming here?"
Kitty had stepped away from the window, so I looked out. My eyes quickly found Mr. Darcy, looking as handsome as ever.
I hid, away from the window, before they could catch me watching. Then, they knocked on the door. "Oh, my Lord! I shall have a seizure, I'm sure I shall" Mother whined as we organized ourselves to look more proper.
By the time Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy were shown in, we were all sitting properly, reading or embroidering.
"Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, Ma'am" Mrs. Hill announced.
We all stood. My eyes went to Darcy without hesitation.
"How very glad we are to see you, Mr. Bingley" Mother greeted, interrupting the poor man. "There's been a great many changes since you went away. Miss Lucas I married and settled. And one of my own daughters, too. You will have seen it in the papers though it was not put in as it ought to have been. Very short, nothing about her family."
"Yes. Yes, I did hear of it. I offer my congratulations" Bingley said.
"But it is very hard to have my Lydia taken away from me" Mother continued speaking. "Mr. Wickham has been transferred to Newcastle, wherever that is."
Bingley couldn't take his eyes off Jane, even as Mother was speaking, and Jane stared at him. "Do you hope to stay long in the country, Mr. Bingley?" I admit, my tone was rather snappish. After all, Bingley left thinking the very think I had explained could not be true.
"Just a few weeks. For the shooting" Bingley admitted.
"When you have killed all your own birds, Mr. Bingley, I beg you will come here and shoot as many as you please" Mother told him.
"Thank you"
"Mr. Bennet will be vastly happy to oblige you and will save all the best of the coveys for you" Mother said.
"Excellent" Bingley looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't.
"Are you well, Mr. Darcy?" I couldn't stop myself from wondering.
"Quite well, thank you" he answered simply.
"I hope that the weather stays fine for your sport" I offered.
"I return to town tomorrow" Darcy explained.
"So soon?" I asked, wishing he would stay longer, so I could be near him.
"My Jane looks well, does she not?" Mrs. Bennet asked calmly.
"She does indeed" Bingley agreed wholeheartedly.
"Well, we must be going, I think" Bingley said after another failed attempt for words. "Darcy? It's been very pleasant to see you all again. Miss Victoria" he smiled slightly as me. 'Miss Bennet"
"You must come again" Mother demanded warmly. "For when you were in town last winter, you promised to have a family dinner with us. I've not forgotten you see. At least three courses."
Without a word, Bingley ducked out of the room. Darcy stayed for a monet before excusing himself and following after his friend.