Nearly a month after Lydia's invitation to Brighton, Jane Bennet received two letters from her sister, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, in the same post, the other Bennet sisters in residence at Longbourn, received the sad news that their trip to the Lake District was delayed until the month of July.
Mary and Kitty Bennet held back their disappointment, until Jane began reading the letters out loud.
Tuesday, May 26, 1812
Dearest Jane,
I should hope this letter reaches you before our sisters leave North with the Gardiners, and I believe it has a very good chance of doing so. The militia travels at such a slow rate, my word, I could have walked home at the end of the first day!
The entire outfit moves only eight to ten miles per day, as the whole endeavor is a slow process. We rise early as they prepare food for the soldiers, then break camp. Fastidious records are kept for the attendance and supplies, with roster calls made throughout the day. The enlisted men are rather unruly and great military discipline is maintained to keep them in the line. We do not stop until mid-afternoon, for camp to be set up once more and the evening meal prepared.
We stopped for a night near Watford, and thankfully, Lydia and I did not have to sleep in a tent! The George Inn provided ample rooms for the officer wives and even a few of the men, other than those serving on duty. In the morning, we elected to attend church services at St. Mary's, while the chaplain held services at camp. Lydia began to grow tired of the slow travel, and she believed that we were to parade gallantly down the streets of London. I intimated to her that in all of my visits to London, apart from holidays, we had never seen a militia troop down the city proper.
In fact, we did not cross through London, and Lydia's displeasure was acute. I enjoyed traveling west around Town, affording an opportunity to spy villages I had never visited before. Of course, we rarely stopped in one for any period of time, apart from Longford. The crossing of Mad Bridge over the River Colne did little to distract Lydia, but fascinated me. Fuzzy moss covered the stone bridge, and I was told a bridge existed in that very location since Roman times. Barges of supplies and provisions met our camp there, and I am shocked to say I grossly underestimated the planning and logistics necessary to send the militia to a new station.
We heard news of two men attempting to desert, and a third who managed to swim downriver beyond the chase of the search party after him. The two caught were flogged and the whole camp was forced to watch. I asked Mrs. Forster if we were absolved of that particular duty, but our sister, always enjoying a spectacle, wished otherwise. I do not have any difficulty in confessing to you that I closed my eyes tightly, but the sounds were so dreadful on their own, I soon forced myself to watch to ease my discomfort. For two nights, I suffered nightmares for the men who were whipped, and I prayed that they recovered from their injuries, even though their actions were cowardly and disgraceful.
I find most days I am comforted by the routine and regular drum beat that signals each major maneuver and keeps time for the men. Mrs. Forster at times, suffers from an aching head, but I cannot say if it is travel she finds so disagreeable or the company. Our carriage feels quite small after we have been inside for more than an hour, barely rolling along the road to keep pace with the soldiers.
I shall write more once we reach Merstham, as I am to understand that is when we shall turn south.
Your Loving Sister,
Elizabeth Grace Bennet
Jane finished the first letter, grateful that her sister had marked the outside of the fold so that she could read them in sequence. With one more in her hand, she was interrupted by her sister's protest.
Kitty begged not to hear any more. "It is not that I do not love Lizzy, or wish her well on her trip. It's just I cannot stand that our plans are delayed and Lydia is meeting new officers!"
Jane shook her head. "I don't believe they have met any new officers yet," Jane said, frowning, as she scanned the letter again for what Kitty fretted over.
"Lizzy won't pen such information, she does not care to meet new people. But they've visited so many other villages. They are bound to have made new acquaintances!"
Jane opened her mouth in surprise, understanding that Kitty imagined Lydia having a grand time on the journey. From what she had read thus far, there was not much pleasure to be had, traveling at militia speed.
"Girls!" Mrs. Bennet shouted, interrupting their interlude in the parlor. She had spent the morning visiting her sister Philips, and ceased yelling when they all conveniently waited in the parlor. "Jane! Oh Jane, I've heard the best news!"
Jane smiled, and held up the letters from Lizzy. "Mama, we have news from Brighton."
Mrs. Bennet wrinkled her nose. "Who can think about Brighton? When your Aunt Philips was in Meryton, seeing to her order from Mr. Phair, would you guess what other order he was preparing? Hmm?" she asked, giddy with excitement as her maid, Lucy, tried to take her bonnet and gloves.
"Who Mama? The Longs? The Lucases?" Kitty asked, always loving a guessing game.
"Mr. Bingley!" Mrs. Bennet said, making a face of complete pride towards her eldest daughter. "He's coming back, though my sister said Mr. Phair was unsure exactly when. But the staff are preparing the house for reopening as we speak!" she exclaimed, taking Jane by the elbow and pretending to dance with her a step or two while Jane froze in fear.
Mary saw an opportunity to begin playing at the piano forte, but her mother stopped dancing and placed a hand to her head.
"Oh please, not now, Mary."
With a small groan of dissatisfaction, Mary closed the instrument, but sat for a moment on the piano bench and sulked.
"I'm sure there are many reasons Mr. Bingley might return to the neighborhood, Mama. We-" Jane gulped, as she felt overcome in her senses with too many emotions. Frantically, her mind tried to think of why Mr. Bingley never called on her in London. If he was returning, then perhaps Lizzy had been right and his sister had interfered all along.
Mrs. Bennet dismissed Jane's thoughts as she had already decided on the only reason Mr. Bingley would have to come back to his leased estate. Surely, it was to propose to Jane.
"I shall tell your father," she announced, distracted by her own thoughts about the development.
The parlor in the Bennet household fell quiet once more, and Jane politely excused herself upstairs.
She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, trying desperately to regain her measured breathing. But just the idea of Mr. Bingley coming back to the neighborhood filled her with such dread, and eager anticipation. It felt cruel that no one had a concrete notion of his arrival date, and Jane paced back and forth until her mind settled.
When Mr. Bingley came, she would be indifferent. She would ensure that they were friends, but nothing more. As she fanned herself with the letters in her hand, she remembered about the other letter from Lizzy she had yet to read and laughed at herself.
Finding a comfortable place on the bed she usually shared with her sister, Jane opened the letter marked as the second missive. She enjoyed her sister's description of the seashore, and felt as though she could hear the gulls flying overhead.
It wasn't until she reached nearly the end of the letter, with the last part written in a rushed manner at the bottom, that she spied a name that completely surprised her.
…While looking for Colonel Fitzwilliam, as Colonel Forster said he was to be the new commander for the ancillary division stationed nearby, I ran into none other than his cousin, Mr. Darcy.
I am pleased to report we harbor no animosity towards each other. I danced two sets with him, the second due to interference from one of our chaperones, Mrs. Warrender.
Sadly, our sister did the same with Mr. Wickham. I fear that I am too late to stop Lydia from whatever misguided aims she developed in securing a husband. Father has encouraged her, or at least, he bestowed permission for Colonel Forster to grant his consent for her to marry any of the officers in his stead. This is why I do not write to him, because I do not believe he will allow me to remove her from this place.
Further complicating this mess I am in, Mr. Darcy's sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy, also came to Brighton with him, along with her companion, Mrs. Annesley. Miss Darcy is very amiable, though shy, like her brother, and I would dearly love to be fast friends.
Unfortunately, I dread her reaction when Mr. Wickham visits to call on Lydia at the same time. I cannot imagine subjecting her to pain of any sort! Thus far, we have avoided any difficulties by keeping to a schedule. Mr. Darcy and his sister call on me in the morning hours and I take a constitutional with them around the Old Steine Gardens. In the afternoon, Mr. Wickham and Mr. Denny come to visit and my guests have long said farewell.
I struggle to keep peace with Lydia, and she flies into tantrums of rage with greater speed than I have ever observed. I try to keep my patience, reminding myself that this is her first time away from Longbourn and perhaps that is adding undue stress. More than once I believe Colonel Forster had considered sending us home, and I work diligently to make sure if that happens, we are both sent back instead of separated.
I wish you were here as I would ask your advice on so many things. I would ask what I should do about Lydia? What if I cannot keep her from ruining herself with Mr. Wickham? Each day Mr. Darcy's company is more pleasing than the last, and I am finding he is a changed man. You would scarcely recognize the man who offers to dance with women he does not know well, and the courtesy he offers to those around him. I am certain if he had performed similarly in Meryton, we may have had a different outcome altogether.
But I should not worry you more. Brighton is lovely and in so many ways, you would have been a much better candidate to deal with Lydia. No matter what happens with our sister, I am grateful to repair my acquaintance with Mr. Darcy. I am resolved that at the end of this ordeal, as it will likely go poorly for Lydia, that I will have to give up any hope of a future acquaintance with Mr. Darcy.
Your Loving Sister,
Elizabeth Grace Bennet
Jane felt tears prick the sides of her eyes as she could feel the pain and dismay that bled between the lines her sister penned. Lizzy was never one to wax poetically about her emotions, and it was clear to Jane that her sister was more in love with Mr. Darcy than she ever had before. She reread the lines warning about Lydia and began to feel her danger, along with Elizabeth's. If Lydia destroyed her reputation with Mr. Wickham, not only would Elizabeth have to give up Mr. Darcy, but there would be no hope for Mr. Bingley's return to the neighborhood. All of the Bennet girls would be ruined!
Sadly, she agreed that their father would not listen to a word of warning, though she felt a modicum of relief that Mr. Bennet had deputized Colonel Forster to consent in his stead. Perhaps if Elizabeth could find an ally in Colonel Forster, there might be some way in which to incentivize Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia.
Taking a seat at the small writing desk below the window, Jane pulled out paper to write back to her sister what advice and words of comfort she could without delay.