Lady Catherine confronts Elizabeth in chapter 51, in case you missed it.

Chapter 52

It was a few hours past, that he had sent the express. He knew now that it was hopeless, they had certainly not gone north, that left only south, towards London, exactly what Mr. Bennet had begun to fear for his youngest daughter. She was silly to be sure, had certainly made a foolish decision, but she did not deserve the price she would pay if abandoned unwed in London.

It had been so long since the family had visited Gracechurch Street together that he knew not if she could find her way to her Aunt and Uncles, perhaps she corresponded with her aunt, though he was doubtful. Maybe Wickham would leave her with enough coin to make her way there. His purse had been missing that morning, but he was no fool, he knew whose hands it was likely in now. He had always thought it fortunate that his daughters were too poor for fortune hunters but too highborn to meddle with, he now knew that was only a foolish excuse for indolence.

He decided that for once in his life to feel how much he had been to blame. He was not afraid of being overpowered by the impression, he knew that it would pass soon enough. Who should suffer but himself? It had been his own doing, and he ought to feel it, Lydia could not have been so ignorant if he had intervened. It was even his own fault, he reasoned, that he had not even realized how lost to decency she was, though Jane and Elizabeth had tried to warn him.

The day had started as almost every other, the silliest in his family always rose from bed later than the sensible ones. He had hardly noticed the absence of his youngest's chatter, having been lost in a book.

"And where is Lydia?" cried Mrs. Bennet. "How is she to have a dress in time if we don't see to our shopping? Oh, my poor nerves, whatever is she about, still a bed while she ought to be ready for the dressmaker?"

Mr. Bennet was about to snort, until he saw the look upon Kitty's face, it was enough to impress upon him her guilt, but of what? Kitty said nothing though, staring nervously at her breakfast.

"Kitty, has your sister absconded to the dressmaker on her own? Am I to find a much larger bill than expected?" he teased, senseless that it could be anything more serious than Lydia's usual mischief.

"A larger bill than expected? Mr. Bennet, your eldest is to marry and your youngest must look their best," she huffed. Had he no sense? Her nerves were excited, her patience at their wit's end, and she began to explain it to him yet again. "Do you not know that the wedding will be our best chance to throw the girls in the path of other rich men? Mr. Bennet, do you have no compassion for your poor girls? Oh, how you abuse them! They will not have another chance, I daresay, until their sister returns from her wedding tour. I must insist she take them to town for the season, for that is where all the rich men are, and if you only had a little compassion for my poor nerves, you would have taken them yourself and they would all have husbands by now."

"Be that as it may Mrs. Bennet, but Kitty has not yet answered my question," he said, giving her a pointed look. He had not failed to notice her relief at her mother's babbling. Her behavior was rather suspicious, but he still failed to imagine it was any worse than their usual foolishness. He would find them out and determine if it were even worth interfering, likely it was no worse than her absconding with Mary's pin money to pay for a new ribbon.

"I always get blamed for everything she does! It's not fair," cried Kitty.

"What on earth are you talking about, child? Whatever is a matter? Lydia, I daresay did nothing wrong, all day long I hear your complaining of her, though she is guilty of nothing more than having better looks."

"Mrs. Bennet, I will have it from Kitty." He turned from his wife to face his daughter, giving her a pointed look.

"It's not fair," Kitty insisted, "She always gets everything first. Now she shall have a husband first too, and I will be blamed because she has run off, but she threatened to burn my best bonnet and I daresay neither of you would punish her for it. She always gets away with it. Just last week she took my best dress, insisting she looked better in it and mama agreed, but why can't I have a pretty dress, though I'm not as pretty, just because Lydia is prettier?"

Mrs. and Mr. Bennet found themselves in accord, just this once, as they were both speechless.

"We are ruined, we are all ruined!" cried Mrs. Bennet as soon as she found her voice. Mr. Bennet saw her take a deep breath, certain she was about to wail again. He dismissed the servant quickly and brought his fist down on the table. None of them had ever seen him act as such before, but he knew the servants had better not have gossip to spread and his wife had better know not to spread it herself.

"We, all of us, will retreat to my study," he said, seeing his wife about to speak, he added, "Not one word, not one word from any of you, until we are behind closed doors, and Mrs. Bennet, if you do not keep your voice at a whisper it will be years, madam before you can reclaim your pin money."

Arriving in his study, he placed a third chair in front of his desk, gesturing for them to sit. His wife began to open her mouth but he preempted her. "Mrs. Bennet if you wish any of your daughters to ever marry this will not leave my study. There will be none of your lamentations, your vexations, your wailing, or your nerves. I will put you out of this house if you are the cause of gossip. You will not even see your sister if I am not there to monitor what is to be said. Do I make myself understood?"

She stared, not recognizing the man she had been married to for nearly a quarter of a century. He did not wait on her response, turning squarely to Kitty, he said, "I will hear about your sister, I will not hear your complaints." She merely looked at him, not knowing what to make of him, her father never wished to hear about their doings, she and Lydia were always dismissed as silly.

"Out with it," said Mr. Bennet, impatient to learn how serious the situation was.

Kitty sputtered, but finally found the words, "She woke me up last night, I told her so, but she threatened to burn my best bonnet if I didn't go back to sleep. I turned away from her, for I didn't want my bonnet burned, but I also couldn't face her, she always gets away with everything! She slipped out of the room but I thought she was just going to take mama's pastries. She always cheats the rest of us. Sometime later I fell asleep, and when I woke up there was a note."

"And where is this note?," asked Mr. Bennet, wondering why she would not start with such pressing information.

Kitty huffed, and removed it from her pocket, Lydia always had to be the center of attention, even when she was not present.

Mr. Bennet took it, shocked at how lost to sense and reason his youngest daughters were.

My Dear Kitty,

You will laugh when you know where I am gone, and I cannot help laughing myself at your surprise to-morrow morning, as soon as I am missed. I am going to Scotland, and if you cannot guess with who, I shall think you a simpleton, for there is but one man in the world I love, and he is an angel. I should never be happy without him, so I think it no harm to be off. What a lark it will be!

Me, the youngest, married first of all. Mama will be so proud, she always said I was the prettiest of all, next to Jane. If you were not the plainest, next to Mary, I daresay you would have had a husband by now too, for you are almost as lively as I. I am sure my sisters all envy me. I only hope they may have half my good luck, though I daresay my husband will be the most handsome of all! They must all be more lively, like me, mama was right, a lively spirit, a pretty face, and some careful flirting is the best way to catch a husband.

You need not tell mamma and papa of my going, until they ask, I daresay they will not notice, until they want me for something, for it will make the surprise the greater, when I write to them and sign my name 'Lydia Wickham.' I shall send an express, perhaps before they even know I am gone. What a good joke it will be! I can hardly write for laughing.

Pray make my excuses to officers for not keeping my engagements to dance. Tell them that I hope they will excuse me when everyone knows all; and tell them I will dance with them as much as when I was unmarried at the next ball that we meet, with great pleasure, for my Wickham need not be jealous, he is the most handsome and he is happy to see me with other partners, so long as I enjoy it. I shall send for my clothes when I get to Scotland; we will honeymoon in the highlands, it's ever so exciting.

Good-bye. Give my love to mama. I know very well that I shall give her great joy but do not let her choose my wedding clothes, until I am back, for she does not know what I would wish for as a married woman, I daresay my husband would enjoy it if I lowered my neckline. Do tell her not to worry, I will teach all my sisters how to catch a husband when I am back. I will be able to chaperone you all. Ha! Me, and the youngest of us all. What a lark it will be.

Your affectionate sister,

Lydia

Mr. Bennet handed it to his wife, who shared it with Mary as they read silently. He need not explain it to them, Mr. Bingley could break the engagement, all of his daughters could remain unwed and with nothing to live on. For the first time in his life, he reflected on his errors.

Kitty, on the other hand, was as ignorant as Lydia. Finally, she spoke, "I can't imagine why everyone is acting as though she died, or that it is some great secret. She told me to tell the officers myself. I don't see how what she has done, is really so very bad, she will be the first to have a husband."

"Think that if you will Kitty, but your sister's means of getting a husband may very well be the reason you and your sisters may never have one of your own." Mary could explain it to her, he thought, he could not be sitting about. The must be caught up to, she must marry him and she must marry him soon.

He issued orders to the servants, there would be no gossip or they would be released without reference, nor would there be callers as the family was ill. He ordered his horse saddled, as there was no time to waste in catching them, and went for his purse, only to find it missing.

Hours north, with no one having spotted them, he began to realize it was likely Lydia had been persuaded to go south. It would take nothing more than the offer of a shopping trip, he now knew, after reading her letter. Her silliness, he now realized, was not entertainment, it was a very real threat to the survival of his more sensible daughters. He started to feel the true depth to which he had failed them all.

He stopped to post an express to Lizzy, he knew not his brother's warehouse address and time was of the essence, his letter could not sit there, someone had to pursue them in London. She was a sensible girl, she would seek aid from her aunt and uncle without causing further scandal, her good sense would ensure her discretion.

That was hours ago, he had been able to discover not the smallest hint that they had been on the great north road. It was time to turn around, it would take near a miracle, but he would do everything he could to find her, he owed her that much, after abdicating the role of father and leaving her only with her mother to guide her.

He was feeling every bit of his age, having spent the morning in a saddle. While sending an express, he made arrangements to reserve a carriage, though knowing it would slow his trip to London, he also knew he must be in a condition to search for them when he arrived.

The next chapter is Darcy and Lady Catherine. Can't wait to share it with you. Hopefully, I'll have it up soon.