"But he [Darcy] found Lydia absolutely resolved on remaining where she was"
Chapter I
Lydia Bennet's amazement upon seeing the odious Mr Darcy at the lodgings taken by her dear George Wickham at - Street was great indeed. Curiosity was a chief characteristic of her mind and, had she been in possession of greater understanding or, indeed, of better judgment, could have enabled her to improve herself considerably by engaging in serious pursuits. As it was, she was a young woman of unchecked impulsiveness and frivolity- a fact which had led her father on more than one occasion to refer to her as 'the silliest girl in England'. Unfortunately for Lydia, censure seldom affected her. This was a consequence of being a favourite youngest child.
On this present occasion, Lydia's curiosity- often lamented by her two eldest sisters as the cause of her being a most shameless gossip- would serve her well. However, she would not receive the opportunity to exercise the same until after engaging in most vexing conversation with that hateful man from Derbyshire. No sooner did he appear at their lodgings did he demand to speak with her! What business was it of his whom she married? All of his estate and income could not prevent him from being the most dreadful bore!
Nevertheless, she could not well refuse to see him. Her dear George may be angry with her. But, she was resolved. Nothing should separate her from George! Her future husband! Mrs George Wickham! How well that sounded! And how exciting- that she, the youngest, should be married before her elder sisters! She anticipated, with great pleasure, showing her wedding ring to all her sisters and being addressed as Mrs George Wickham by them. They would be green with envy!
Thus fortified by her pleasant reflections, she prepared to meet Mr Darcy. As she entered the sitting room of the lodgings, she noted that Mr Darcy was white with anger. How dreadfully dull it must be to be so angry all the time. To be sure, no man could compare to George, whose charming address and pleasing manner were unparalleled. She had been piqued when he had seemed to show Lizzy preference but, of course, he did not admire her at all. It was her conviction that gentlemen wanted lively wives. It was what her Mama had always told her and she had observed it herself. Gentlemen always paid Kitty and her endless compliments and pretty attentions whereas they were not quite as friendly with her other sisters. How did Jane and Lizzy and even Mary hope to secure husbands if they did not flirt a little bit?
"Miss Lydia," began Mr Darcy, with great effort at composure, "Allow me to escort you as you return to Longbourn or, if you should wish it, to the protection of your Uncle and Aunt Gardiner in Gracechurch Street. It is of the foremost importance that you should quit your present circumstance at the earliest. Disgraceful as it may be, I believe that it may yet be possible that your reputation be salvaged and the scandal controlled."
Lydia laughed. Her bountiful good humour seldom allowed for any loss of temper and even her fits of anger were of short duration, usually terminating in having her wish fulfilled. In the rare occasion that Lydia did not have her way, a day or two of rigorous sulking often ensured that she be given some lesser treat by way of mitigating her disappointment. Eventually, her perpetual cheerfulness resurfaced. A direction issued by a disagreeable man was insufficient to rouse her temper.
"I have no intention of quitting my dear Mr Wickham! We are to be married, Mr Darcy."
Mr Darcy's countenance reflected incredulity and a measure of disgust. He had little regard for the younger Bennet girls but, for the sake of his beloved Elizabeth, would suffer the impudence of this maddening child. With a degree of discomfort, he recalled that it could have been Georgiana who found herself in this unfortunate predicament. Lydia Bennet was but a year younger than his own sister. He forced himself to speak with gentleness and convince Lydia of the folly of her own conduct.
"Miss Lydia, consider!" said he, "Consider the misery which is likely to result in your remaining with Lt. Wickham in this manner! You are condemning your family by your continued display of impropriety in living with a man outside wedlock! Surely you must see that Mr Wickham has no serious designs upon you. If it were indeed his intention that you should be wed, why has he not taken any steps to ensure that end? Mr Wickham must know that you are neither friendless nor unprotected. He must be aware that your family would make haste in discovering your whereabouts. Why has he been in London this past week and not taken you to Scotland immediately? All is not lost, Miss Lydia. I promise that I shall assist you to the best of my ability. I believe that your friends can be prevailed upon to receive you, despite your conduct and the dreadful situation that you find yourself in."
Lydia was dismissive. "I am resolved in remaining where I am, Mr Darcy," she said, stoutly. "What do I care for any of my friends when I am to be married to the most wonderful gentleman on God's Earth? I shall not be cheated of my triumph! I care nothing for you and I do not wish for your help. Lt Wickham loves me and we shall be married as soon as the proper arrangements can be made. It does not much signify when. So, Mr Darcy, I shall thank you if you were to leave us be."
Mr Darcy reined both his temper and his despair. It was no light thing for a gentleman of considerable means, especially one whose counsel was much sought after and deferred to, to find himself helpless in the face of a child who was bent upon her own ruin. Darcy could not forget Elizabeth's tears at their last meeting. There was nothing he would not do to ensure her happiness and well-being. He also felt the burden of guilt. To think that he, who knew Wickham character and habits better than anyone else, could have acted to prevent many young women from falling prey to his charms, but did not do so on account of his infernal pride! But he could be of no service to Lydia, who continually refused to heed her betters. Nothing could be done at this juncture, except to secure and expedite this marriage.
"Very well, Miss Lydia; I cannot force you to accompany me. If you should be kind enough to let Lt. Wickham know that I wished to speak with him, I should be much obliged to you."
Lydia left the room in a glow of conscious satisfaction. Mr Darcy had certainly tried but he could not separate them. To think that he believed that a small delay in a wedding should be enough to persuade her to leave the man she loved best in the world! But, she was glad that Mr Darcy had come. She was becoming impatient with George. Of course, now, Mr Darcy would direct him properly and they would be married soon; perhaps, within a day or two.
She was loath to leave Mr Wickham and Mr Darcy to their private conversation. Although she had no doubt of Wickham's affection towards herself, she longed to hear him declare his feelings before a third person. Whereas his passionate words and amorous feelings were always generously expressed, especially during their physical intimacies, her romantic girl-heart would not be satisfied until she heard his avowal of his love when he believed her to be ignorant. She could not but regard his handsome form, his passionate gaze and his officer-status with acute thrill. Could there be a more romantic picture!
She was momentarily defeated by the practical difficulty of listening to the conversation without having her presence known. But, happily, she remembered that the room next to the sitting room was unoccupied and the walls in the lodging house were exceptionally thin. Years of sly observation of her sisters and, even on occasion, her parents had rendered her skilled in the art of espionage. She procured a glass and placed it against the wall of the room and positioned her ear against it. It was with immense satisfaction that she noted that she could hear everything clearly.
Mr Darcy's words were distinct. "Why have you not married her yet, Wickham? It has been a week since the date of your elopement. I should have thought it prudent to marry her at once. You gain nothing by this delay. On the contrary, you risk the vengeance of her family and friends, to say nothing of the wrath of the army when they realise that they have a deserter to discipline. Say you will marry the girl and I will have a word with my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and make it seem that it was never your intention to desert His Majesty's army but only wished to elope and marry Miss Lydia against the wishes of her family."
"It was never my intention to marry the silly chit, as you well know, Darcy," said Wickham, in reply. His voice and its expression had lost all its charm and was a mere shell of its former self. He seemed both impatient and long-suffering. Lydia's heart stilled in her breast.
"Then, why did you deceive her thus? Is her life and those of her family mere sport to you?"
"Darcy, if Lydia and her family are ill-effected by her elopement and her subsequent cohabitation with a man to whom she is not married then the fault lies with her alone!" cried he, impatiently. "I found myself obliged to leave the regiment due to some pressing debts of honour."
"I am well aware, Wickham, of what your meaning is. You have not discharged your gambling debts. Have you also made sport of seducing the wives of your brother-officers?"
"If the ladies in question wished for a hard knock [1] from a man having considerably more expertise in the art than their callow husbands, who am I to deny them the pleasure? I assure you, Darcy, the ladies were both appreciative and grateful for the attentions I was generous enough to bestow on them. 'Tis merely a matter of misfortune for me that they chose to advertise their indiscretions thus"
"You disgust me," said Darcy, coldly. "I confess that I am not surprised that your character has remained unchanged since our days at University. You still lay the blame for your misfortunes at all doors but your own."
"And, what, Sir, do you understand of misfortune? You, with an income exceeding ten thousand pounds annually and the master of a fine estate in Derbyshire, the envy of many a Peer! What right have you to expound on a subject of which you know nothing?"
Darcy deigned to reply. "As you are not inclined to marry Miss Lydia, may I enquire as to how you intend to manage your future?"
"My plans are indefinite as of yet. All that I can venture to say with any degree of certainty is that I intend to resign my commission at the earliest. As to my future situation, I see no purpose of conjecture."
Mr Darcy said nothing for a long time. The uncomfortable silence was broken when Wickham forced a laugh that was perhaps, meant to sound careless but was, in reality, merely feeble.
"I see that concealment is of little use. Very well; I plan on leaving England for the continent. There is still a possibility that I may make an advantageous marriage abroad, to a woman of fortune. I am afraid that Miss Lydia Bennet, for all her attractions, is insufficient to tempt me." He paused. "Unless, Darcy, you make me a generous offer for her sake, which may convince me that my present plans had much better be altered. What say you?"
"You shall hear from me before long, Wickham" said Darcy, more coldly still. He had found the interview intolerable and had to exercise great restraint from landing a blow on Mr Wickham's person. He was of the opinion that it would not be wise to make promises in haste. He left the premises, intending to make an accurate assessment of the situation before he could proceed.
Lydia's devastation upon witnessing the conversation could scarcely be exaggerated. She was far less inclined towards feelings of shame and mortification than eldest two sisters and she cared very little for the good opinion of respectable society but she was so not wholly dead to all considerations of pride that she could view Wickham's betrayal with equanimity. It is no pleasant feeling to realise that one has been made a fool of. It is even less pleasant to face that one has been duped in love. But, Lydia was still a child of some fifteen summers. An indulged life thus far had left her poorly prepared to grapple with the consequences of her thoughtless actions. No sooner did her tears dry that she began to convince herself that Wickham was not being truthful in what he spoke to Mr Darcy. His dislike of Mr Darcy was well known. It must have been his purpose to anger Mr Darcy. Perhaps, George simply needed money and saw in Mr Darcy an opportunity? It must be mentioned that this defence of Wickham's character was not wholly devoid of occasional bursts of anger against him.
It is fortunate for Lydia that Lt Wickham was to receive another visitor before some half-hour had passed. It was the woman whom they had met upon first arriving to Town- Mrs Younge. Lydia once again took up her position behind the wall.
"George, what did that great man, Mr Darcy, want with you again?" Lydia was both infuriated by her use of his Christian name and confused as to Mr Darcy's dealings with them in the past.
"I believe that it was his purpose to convince me to marry Lydia and prevent her ruin."
On hearing this, Lydia could no longer pretend that George did intend to marry her. She repressed her desire to cry and forced herself to pay attention to the conversation taking place. She intended to exasperate herself against Mr Wickham. After Mrs Younge left, she would announce to George her desire of leaving him immediately. Her youthful mind entertained hopes of him grovelling before her not to leave him. Perhaps, when confronted with the real possibility of her being lost to him forever, he would realise that he did cherish her and they would be married.
"You are much too clever, George, to refuse Mr Darcy should he make you a generous offer to marry the girl. However, I must ask, what if he does not?"
"Should Mr Darcy come to the conclusion that the girl is not worth his effort and expense, I shall proceed with my plans of leaving England for the continent immediately."
"What is to become of the girl, George?"
"Come, come Louisa! This coyness will not do! A youthful, fetching creature like Lydia should make you a tidy profit. You can sell her to a bawdy house [2] or, better still, you can let the front room in your house on Edward Street and have her lie on her back in one of the upper bedrooms."
For the first time since her elopement from Brighton, Lydia was conscious of a feeling of fear, being more familiar than she ought of military slang. It is not to be supposed that Lydia treated her elopement with Lt Wickham as anything but a great lark and an opportunity to triumph over her sisters. She had also believed herself to be in love, being unable to distinguish between feelings of mere infatuation from any real affection or genuine regard. The idea that a marriage might not take place had certainly occurred to her should her Papa or Uncle reach them before the actual ceremony and spoil the fun; but of Wickham's attachment, she had not a doubt. Be as that may, she was uncommonly ignorant of evil and tragedy and hence, heedless of sense and propriety; but she had never thought herself in any real danger.
"I should have made more if you had brought her a maiden," cried Mrs Younge. "You know that men will pay more for a woman untouched!"
"Come, now, Louisa! Why should I deny myself the pleasure of her inexperience and enthusiasm? But, having sampled her myself, I can assure you of her superior quality! You must have noticed, as did I, that she is certainly a little Miss Van-Dyke [3], in addition to being very youthful- she is but fifteen. My word, had she not been the daughter of a gentleman, you could be sure of her becoming quite the little harlot!"
"But, that is what I do not understand, George! Why should Mr Darcy trouble himself with such a foolish girl and of such easy virtue, no matter who her father is? Why should he care if she is ruined?"
"Ah, but this is mere conjecture, Louisa. I believe that Darcy is rather in love with one of her sisters- a Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I have it on good authority that he has been observed admiring her. How can he, who is ate up with pride and so very mindful of his consequence and of his place in the world, hope to offer for a woman whose sister is ruined and has, consequently, ruined her whole family?"
"Is that your design in encouraging Lydia to elope with you- so that you may take your revenge against Mr Darcy? I know that you were none too happy when Mr Darcy foiled your plan to elope with Georgiana. "
"I do not deny that considerations of both fortune and revenge weighed upon me when I sought Georgiana. But this is not so for Lydia. I do declare that the only temptations that Lydia can possibly offer any man are her large dugs [4]! I have not a doubt that half the regiment at Brighton took turns circling her, hoping to catch sight of her kettledrums [5]! I should never have dreamt of eloping with Lydia and knocking her had she not presented such a slatternly picture"
"I do not believe a man like Mr Darcy could possibly admire a woman who is sister to such a girl!"
"Ah, but Miss Elizabeth is quite unlike her sister." This statement was a followed by a long pause and a sudden crash of ceramic shattering.
"Why is it that Darcy is so favoured by fortune?" Wickham was shouting. "By Jove, if I had half so much money as he, I would marry Miss Elizabeth myself! Now, she is a woman any man would be proud to call wife! Such fine eyes! Such sweetness! Such wit! Such easy laughter! But, alas, no fortune!"
"I have no interest in Miss Elizabeth, George. I am interested in any proposition that Mr Darcy might make you, of which it is only right that I receive a share."
"So you shall" said Wickham, impatiently.
"And you agree, George, that if this does not happen, I am allowed to put Lydia to work as a cat [6] in a Drury Lane Vessel [7]?"
"Certainly, provided that her first earning is used to purchase my way to the New World. However, I am still of the opinion that your interests would be better served if you kept her at Edward Street and allowed gentlemen to occupy her there [8]. You would be paid handsomely for a decade, at the very least. Selling her to a bawdy house will only ensure a substantial sum for one time. But, of course, it is safer if you do sell her for you do not risk her running away."
"I shall think on it, George. I wish you good night."
"Good night, Louisa. I shall tell Lydia that I am going out."
With the exchange thus concluded, the principal parties to the transaction parted with feelings of mutual satisfaction. Not so the object. Lydia was overcome with shame quite greater than any emotion which she had experienced before. The thought of being sold and 'put to work' by pleasuring gentlemen while they paid her captor would have shaken a stouter heart than hers. Hearing Wickham- whom she believed loved her and whom she believed herself to love- conspire thusly broke her heart. But above fear and hurt, she was sharply aware of shame, of being regarded as cheap and disposable. In her mind, she could only hear the words: "I do declare that the only temptations that Lydia can possibly offer any man are her large dugs; I have not a doubt that half the regiment at Brighton took turns circling her, hoping to catch sight of her kettledrums; Why should Mr Darcy trouble himself with such a foolish girl and of such easy virtue, no matter who her father is? I should never have dreamt of eloping with Lydia and knocking her had she not presented such a slatternly picture; My word, had she not been the daughter of a gentleman, you could be sure of her becoming quite the little harlot!; but Miss Elizabeth is quite unlike her sister" No matter how she shook her head and covered her ears, she could not rid herself of the memory. It was etched into her very being.
She was resolved to throw herself on Mr Darcy's mercy on the following morning. She spent the night in acute discomfort, alternating fear, discomfort and shame by turns.
Notes:
[1] Knock- To copulate
[2] Bawdy House- A brothel
[3] Miss Van Dyke- A woman with large breasts
[4] & [5] 'Dugs' and 'Kettledrums'- A woman's breasts
[6] Cat- A prostitute
[7] Drury Lane Vessel- a brothel
[8] Occupy- To copulate
