Mr. Bingley was not the only visitor to Darcy House in London that anticipated the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Lady Matlock arrived no less than an hour after Charles Bingley and found her son and Miss Bennet enjoying each other's company in the front parlor.
"Mother!" Richard Fitzwilliam could never shrug the childhood reaction to his mother's presence. Even if he was not engaged in any sort of improper conduct, he always felt guilty under her watchful gaze.
"You found the girl?" Lady Matlock did not bother with platitudes or social niceties as she entered the room and took a seat near Jane. "Your sister, the note said you found your sister."
"Yes, my ladyship, they had her locked away and it does not appear they fed her very much. She was weak and rests above stairs."
"And what has she said? Hmm? Where can we find the scoundrel who started this entire mess. Richard?" Lady Matlock's sharp questions made both Jane and Richard red with embarrassment. After the disastrous call of Mr. Bingley, Richard found himself distracted from his aim of leaving to help the search for Wickham. He had worried more about Jane's feelings and then became captivated by her genteel nature and kind company.
"Now that you are here, I feel comfortable leaving the household. I did not wish to leave the ladies unprotected since we rescued Miss Lydia." Richard gave a lame excuse even to his ears as he bowed to his mother and Miss Bennet.
"For whatever the logic is this? How would I protect these girls?" Lady Matlock tilted her head to one side, well aware of why her most steadfast soldierly son was suddenly behaving so peculiar. Daft, practically, if she had to put a label on it.
"You brought your footman, did you not?"
"And my nephew does not employ any footmen? No, no Richard, your explanation is preposterous. We all know you do not wish to leave Miss Bennet."
Jane's mouth opened in surprise and she covered it with her hands when Richard scowled at his mother.
"Mother, Miss Bennet does not deserve your rudeness." Richard stepped forward and pecked his mother on the cheek before bowing low and taking his leave.
As soon as Richard quit the room, Lady Matlock leaned over and patted Jane's leg as the young woman still sat in a state of shock. "I was half teasing my son, and have giving him a warning. I shall not go so far as to say he could never have a future with you, but as his mother I would not delight in a decision to align himself with the Bennet family."
Jane looked down and murmured that she understood. And she did, Lady Matlock was not being unkind but realistic. She had one sister who attempted to elope and another who managed to actually do so. Mr. Darcy's wealth and status would go a long way to absolving Elizabeth of any scandal, but not completely. And though there was a plan to obscure Lydia's disgrace, no matter how carefully they executed their plants, at any time in the future the truth might be revealed.
After all, it was career and social protection of one colonel in the militia there was even such effort to find and rescue her sister. But Jane's thoughts did not continue in this vein as Lady Matlock did come for business purposes.
"Have you interviewed the girl?"
Jane did not answer right away. She could not assess the aims of Lady Matlock with her question.
"I do not understand, I spoke to her briefly this morning and Colonel Fitzwilliam scolded the girls about an hour ago."
"Scolded them for what? Is your sister a bad influence on Georgiana?" Lady Matlock became quite put out as she had assumed the child ran off in a momentary lapse of judgment. She had not considered there might be a disastrous flaw of character and the youngest sister of a woman she had taken a great measure and found quite impressive.
"No, your ladyship, at least there was nothing dangerous. Lydia and Miss Darcy enjoy a similar age and I believe they have found comfort in each other's company. But the giggling was heard by Mr. Bingley –"
"That mopey man was here? Lacious, that man lacks a spine and will allow my nephew to direct his affairs all the way to the grave."
Jane began to cough when she nearly laughed out loud at Lady Matlock's assessment of Mr. Bingley. She could not argue with the great woman, similar sentiments very lately became her same opinion that Mr. Bingley lack the backbone that she could trust his word.
Rising from her chair, Lady Matlock glided halfway to the door before she turned around to frantically wave for Jane to get up. "Well come along, we have much to discuss."
Startled, Jane stood to follow Lady Matlock and nearly ran into the back of the woman when she stopped suddenly at the door.
"Forgive me, I am too hasty. Perhaps we ought to call for your aunt, no? Should she not be present when we ask your sister to speak for her actions?"
A quiet anger smoldered in Jane's heart as mention of her Aunt Gardiner reminded her of the letter they received that morning from Mr. Darcy. Her aunt had not only abandoned Elizabeth in Scotland, but Elizabeth had been grievously injured. If she had not found Mr. Darcy, her favorite sister might be dead. Recollection of such disloyalty did not lend consideration for her aunt or any of her elders in her family that botched the search and rescue for either of her sisters in Jane's opinion.
"No, we should not bother her. She has been unwell and she will not be in a position to help support our plans for concealment."
"As you wish." Lady Matlock accepted Jane's answer with no further questioning and led the way up the stairs to take Miss Lydia to task for the first time the young woman's life.
I did tell The Janeside on Facebook this, but since literally 18,000 people have visited my stories here on FF this month . . . .*thud* . . . okay, sorry, back now, someone passed me Mrs. Bennet's smelling salts . . . the release of The Whisky Wedding will be December 31, 2016. Annnnd, if all goes to plan (5:30 AM writing sessions M-F), I will be moving to a book always on preorder and a new release on the last day of the month always. It will be like Loot Crate, there will always be a new story on the last day of the month in all of the stores from me. Might be a new boxed set if I get in the weeds or a surprise short story, but I want to try to make it a habit of if we're starting a new month, then my readers have a new story. :)
I know, I am crazy. But it's a good kind of crazy. :) And remember, Janeside is always open to anyone who applies.