Chapter 26
A few days ago...
"My dear Lydia, I know you will be immensely happy with that handsome and honorable man. He also is so in love with you!" said Mrs. Forster to her friend. Inwardly she was laughing at how stupid Lydia was to believe Wickham was honorable or in love with her.
"I know the wonderful man my future husband is, my dear Harriet. My mother will be happy when she finds out I am married, but my father and the rest of my sisters will criticize me because they have always envied me. Jane indeed was the first to marry, but her foolish husband cannot be compared to my beloved Wickham."
"Of course not. Colonel Smith has always been a mediocre officer, but now that he has received that title, he thinks he is the best gentleman in England. Never doubt that Wickham is much more handsome and more of a man than he is." Harriet was happy to poison the mind of her young friend. Deep down she knew that David was the best man she had ever known and that was why she had fallen in love with him.
"I think it's time for you to go, my dear. I wish you all the happiness," Harriet said and hugged her friend.
"Thank you, Harriet, for supporting me in everything," Lydia replied.
Then Harriet opened the door of the house, and Lydia ran out full of illusion, thinking that very soon she would be a married woman and would not have to obey her father or put up with her sisters lecturing her.
"Where's Lydia going, my dear?" Colonel Forster asked his wife. He had turned on one of the room lamps so his wife could see his face.
Harriet froze for a few seconds and didn't know what to say. "My dear, I swear I tried to convince Lydia, but she's so stubborn..."
"Harriet, please do not lie to me anymore because this time, I am unwilling to pretend that I do not know what is happening around me. With this, you have exceeded all limits; I gave my word to Mr. Bennet that I would take care of his daughter, and you helped her to run away with a scoundrel. Don't you realize that with your actions, you make me look ridiculous in front of everyone? How long do you intend to continue behaving in this shameless manner?"
"My dear, I..."
"Don't waste your time trying to justify yourself. Please, just go back to bed, and we'll talk tomorrow. Good night," Colonel Forster said, leaving his wife concerned.
A few days before, Colonel Forster had found out about Harriet and Wickham's plan. But he wanted to believe that it was not true. But, after seeing with his own eyes how brazen his wife behaved, he made a drastic decision and accepted the high command's proposal to assume a governorship in India. There he would make sure that his wife learned how to be a sensible woman, and if she did not start to behave as a Colonel's wife should do, he would never allow her to return to England.
The carriage was waiting at the corner, as Wickham told her, so Lydia ran towards it. When the footman opened the carriage door for her, she immediately climbed in, thinking she would begin the funniest adventure of her life. "I'm so happy to be with you, my dear Wickham. Lydia Wickham, how nice my new name sounds, don't you think?" Lydia asked. She had entered the carriage and did not stop talking as she settled in. When she finally sat down, she realized the man next to her was not the one she expected to see.
"Good evening, Lydia. Sit down because we are going to London immediately, even if we have to travel all night," David replied seriously. He had a lot of affection for all her sisters-in-law but not for Lydia.
"You have no right to interfere in my life, and I will not allow you to separate me from my future husband," Lydia said and tried to get up to leave the carriage.
But a deep, disturbing voice yelled at her loudly. "Sit down, Lydia, or I promise I will tie you up and gag you if I have to do it."
"Papa, what are you doing here?" Lydia asked, horrified.
"I am trying to save the honor of your sisters and our whole family," Mr. Bennet replied. Lydia had no choice but to obey. She had never seen her father so angry, and it scared her to defy his orders.
They traveled through the night, stopping only to rest and change horses. David tried to sleep but couldn't because Mr. Bennet lectured his daughter all the way while Lydia cried. Mr. Bennet revealed to his daughter Wickham's plans and how he was using her, and although Lydia refused to believe him, deep down, she wasn't foolish enough not to realize that what her father was telling her was probably true.
Wickham was impatiently waiting for Lydia at the other corner. He arrived ten minutes after Lydia left with her family for London, and he didn't know what was happening. He planned to make the Bennets suffer for a while but eventually marry Lydia if her wealthy brother-in-law was willing to pay at least ten thousand pounds and commit to a handsome monthly allowance.
When he felt someone was opening the carriage door, he immediately smiled in the honeyed way he used to charm women. "You don't know the pleasure it gives me to see you, my..."
"Are you really so glad to see me, Wickham?" Colonel Fitzwilliam asked sarcastically.
Wickham tried to run away, but Richard pointed a gun right at his head. "I don't think there is a judge in this country who would dare to prosecute an Earl's son for killing a deserter, so I advise you, Wickham, not to push your luck."
"What are you doing here, Fitzwilliam?" asked Wickham, desperate.
"Just because I am a gentleman without excellent manners, I will answer your question." Richard told Wickham that as soon as he heard that Mr. Bennet had permitted Lydia to travel to Brighton, he had some men watch over her. That way, he discovered that Wickham spent much time with his foolish sister-in-law, helped by Mrs. Forster. "And, of course, knowing that you were involved in the matter, my friend knew that trouble was coming."
"And what do you have to do with all this?" Wickham asked in disgust.
"Excellent question, Wickham, and so I'm going to answer it directly. As soon as I knew I might have a chance to get back at you for trying to ruin my dear cousin, I personally offered to take care of you."
David had been working directly with Colonel Fitzwilliam at the war office for several months, and when he had to hire some men to keep an eye on Lydia, Richard helped him. So he told his friend a bit more about how spoiled his sister-in-law was and his past dealings with Mrs. Forster and Wickham. Richard offered to help him because Wickham also owed him something.
"Stop the carriage and let me go. I don't think being the son of an Earl gives you the right to kidnap me," Wickham said petulantly.
"You know, Wickham, your main problem is that you think you're smarter than all of us, and you're not. If you've managed to fool Darcy, it's not because you're smarter than him but just more immoral. All your dirty tricks work with him because Darcy is a loyal man, and he would always respect Uncle George's last wishes. But Sir David and I have no reason to protect you, so we have planned what to do with you very well."
"Really? And kidnapping me is your brilliant plan?" Wickham asked angrily.
"No, Wickham, I have arrested you, not kidnapped you," Richard replied with a triumphant smile.
"What are you talking about? Let me go, Fitzwilliam, if you don't want me to report you."
"This afternoon, you received orders from Colonel Forster to safeguard the new arsenal of weapons that will be shipped to defend the West Indies. And yet you are here in a carriage bound for London," explained Richard.
"That's a lie; I haven't received such orders," protested Wickham.
"That's weird because Colonel Forster told me he gave you your orders in front of Denny and Logan," Richard said sarcastically.
"That's a lie, I asked Colonel Forster's permission for a few days, and he authorized me," retorted Wickham, exasperated. He was losing patience, but he didn't dare to do anything.
"Wickham, I think there's something you've never been able to understand. No man likes that another man has secret encounters with his wife. And another thing men don't like is when another man doesn't pay their debts of honour. In short, you have a lot of enemies who are willing to testify against you, and there's nothing you can do about it. So I recommend you try to sleep and don't do anything stupid, or my men and I will have to tie you hand and foot," Richard concluded with a triumphant smile.
Wickham, at that moment, knew that he was in big trouble, but he still thought that he could find a solution, so he tried to stay calm. But he was very wrong because, this time, no one would be willing to lend him a hand and get him out of that giant problem he was in.
P&P
Caroline was outraged at her brother, everything that had happened recently, and life in general. After Mr. Darcy and stupid Eliza Bennet and her vulgar family left for London, they only stayed two more days in Derbyshire. There was no point in staying another minute in that place to see and appreciate what would never be hers. But if she thought that was the worst thing that had happened to her, she would soon find out how wrong she was. Her foolish brother left Scarborough without saying anything to anyone, and they hadn't heard from him in several days.
Caroline couldn't stand another day at Aunt Henrieta's. She lived in a big mansion full of servants, but she constantly criticized her for everything she did because she had no idea how a high society lady should behave.
"Caroline, we have to talk about something very important," Louisa said, entering the music room. She knew her sister would be there hiding from their aunt.
"Of course, Louisa. Please tell me we'll be out of here soon," Caroline said.
"Well, yes, Henry and I are leaving next week, but we will visit his family in Kent, so we are not returning to London," Louisa said a little nervously.
"You know very well I can't stand your mother-in-law, Louisa. So why don't we go to London? Then, when Charles returns to town, you and your husband can go to Kent," Caroline said exasperatedly. She didn't like her sister making decisions without consulting her.
"Caroline, there is another matter I must discuss with you," Louisa tried to explain.
"Not now, Louisa; I'm very nervous and unsettled because we haven't heard from Charles. Anything you wish to discuss with me, please do so later."
"Caroline, I want to talk about Charles. He sent Henry a letter telling him where he is and what he's doing." When Louisa noticed that Caroline was listening carefully, she told her everything. She informed her that Charles was living in Liverpool, where he had opened a new branch of the family company, and that he was also in charge of it.
"It can't be, Louisa. We have to leave for Liverpool tomorrow to prevent our brother from ruining us all," Caroline said exasperatedly.
"I'm sorry, Caroline, but Henry and I will stay out of all this," Louisa said fearfully but emphatically. Mr. Bingley gave his brother-in-law a generous monthly allowance and told him that he would give him more money if he allowed Louisa to try to interfere in his life again. The Hursts did not want to have to lower their living standard, so they decided to move to Kent for a while because they preferred to stay out of that matter.
"And you're not going to do anything? Will you allow Charles to make a fool of us in front of all our friends?" Caroline asked in disgust.
"They are not my friends, Caroline. Most of them only put up with us because we have money. I just want to be in peace, and with my husband, we want to spend some time with his family. If you want to return to London, you can live in our house, but you must pay the house's expenses and the servants."
"You can't be serious, Louisa."
"I am serious, Caroline. My husband and I intend to save money, and we can't afford to have the house open in London if we're in Kent. Besides, you can't come with us because my mother-in-law hasn't invited you, and she doesn't want to receive you in her house."
"And what am I going to do?" Caroline asked desperately.
"You can travel to Liverpool and live with Charles. He told Henry he needed a hostess to entertain his new business partners and would welcome you."
"And you think I want to be the hostess of social gatherings full of merchants and their families?"
"I don't know, Caroline, that's for you to decide. But, in any case, I talked to Aunt Henrieta, and she said you could live with her for as you want or need."
"Louisa, I can't believe you and Charles are doing this to me."
"I'm not doing anything to you, Caroline. I'm just living my life as best I can under the circumstances," Louisa said and left the room.
Caroline sat dejectedly in one of the armchairs in the luxurious room. Then, she began to cry because her life had turned into an absolute nightmare, and she just wanted to wake up. Her dreams of being Mrs. Darcy and belonging to the most exclusive social circles had vanished forever, and she couldn't bear it.
For his part, Mr. Bingley was thoroughly enjoying his new life. In a few years of work, he managed to earn a lot of money and increase the fortune of the Bingleys, becoming one of the wealthiest and most respected businessmen in all of England.
P&P
When Lydia heard Elizabeth's voice, she ran to tell her everything she thought of her. Mr. Wickham had told her many lies that she had believed, so she was convinced that her sister was her worst enemy.
"Lydia, it's nice to see you well. You don't know how worried I was about you," Elizabeth replied sincerely.
"You're not fooling me, Lizzy. I know very well that you want Wickham for yourself, and that's why you've made up all those lies about him," Lydia replied, yelling.
Jane tried to calm her down, but when Lydia was in the middle of a tantrum, she usually heard nothing but her own screams. "I hate you, Lizzy; you are the worst sister!"
"Enough, Lydia, not one more word, spoiled girl. How dare you talk that way to your sister, who has probably traveled the last few days to ensure you're well." Mr. Bennet continued to scold his daughter for several minutes as she cried like a five-year-old who had had her favorite toy taken away.
Jane hugged Lydia and comforted her very lovingly until she managed to calm her down. Then she took her to her room to talk with her and make her understand that she was wrong.
"I'm sorry, Lizzy, but I think I know better than anyone how silly your sister is," said Mr. Bennet more calmly. Only then did he become aware of Mr. Darcy's presence and try to regain his composure.
"Don't worry, father. I know very well what Lydia is like and why she behaves the way she does. You always say she's a silly girl, but you've never done anything to help her be a better person. And now you blame her for everything that had happened. If you had listened to all of us, Lydia would never have been exposed to that horrible man and woman," Elizabeth said emphatically.
"Lizzy, I think you shouldn't talk about these things in front of people who aren't part of our family," Mr. Bennet said thoughtfully, looking at Mr. Darcy.
"Mr. Darcy is my betrothed, and he has spent the last three days traveling with me and planning how to help me with Lydia. You and my mother created this problem because you never taught Lydia to behave properly."
"You betrothed? Lizzy, I want to remind you that you are not yet of legal age to settle these matters without my permission. I would like to know with whose permission this man has dared to court you?"
"With my permission, Bennet. I have seen Mr. Darcy's unconditional love for my niece, and I will not allow you to interfere or come to question their relationship. Lizzy turns twenty-one in two months and is welcome at my house until she can get married. So instead of being strict with Lizzy, you should figure out what you will do with your youngest daughter." Mr. Gardiner couldn't believe how his brother-in-law tried to reprimand Elizabeth and immediately put him in his place.
Mr. Darcy had a few private words with Elizabeth, explaining that he had better go and they could see each other the next day. But before he left, he spoke very solemnly to the father of his future wife. "Mr. Bennet, I wish I could speak to you before you return to Longbourn."
"Of course, I want to talk to you, too," replied Mr. Bennet flatly.
Finally, Mr. Darcy said goodbye to everyone and left. Elizabeth went to the room where Lydia was with Jane and finally managed to talk to her. Without giving names, she told her younger sister that Wickham hated her because she had saved an innocent girl from falling into the clutches of that evil man.
"That girl was only fifteen years old, and he wanted to marry her for her money."
"So he wanted to take advantage of me, too?" Lydia asked through tears.
"Yes, Lydia. Besides, he intended to force David to give him ten thousand pounds to marry you," Jane added. "Furthermore, Mrs. Forster and Wickham were lovers and colluded to deceive you and take advantage of your innocence."
"Lydia, don't you think you should try to learn new things instead of always thinking about getting married? You're still too young for that," Elizabeth explained as she wiped away her sister's tears.
"I don't know; maybe I can live with you here in London, Jane."
"Yes, but first, you must attend a seminar for young ladies. Then, when you show us that you can make good decisions, I will help you with everything you need."
"You are a pretty, friendly, and cheerful girl, Lydia. If you learn to behave and make better decisions, I am sure that many honorable men will want to marry you. Besides, our father will never be able to say that you are a silly girl again," Elizabeth concluded with a smile.
"I would like to learn many new things to prove to papa that I'm not a silly girl. I hate it when he calls me that. I'm sorry, Lizzy," Lydia said and continued to cry in Jane's arms.
The next day Mr. Darcy came to the Smiths' house and had a private interview with Mr. Bennet. He gave his authorization to Mr. Darcy to marry Elizabeth and thanked him for all he had done to help his daughters in the last few days.
The family agreed that Lydia would stay with Jane for a few weeks. Her patience and infinite kindness made her understand that she should attend the school for girls because it was the only way to redeem herself before her family. Aunt Alice, Mrs. Gardiner, and Elizabeth also helped, and Mr. Bennet ensured that Mrs. Bennet did not travel to London to ruin everything Jane achieved.
After several days, Mr. Darcy met with David and handed over all of Wickham's debts, amounting to over a thousand pounds. The military judge sentenced him to five years in prison for leaving his military post. Still, David told Wickham that he could get his sentence exchanged for exile and that if he dared to return to England, he would send him straight to Marshalsea.
Two months after trying to elope with Lydia, Mr. Wickham left for Australia in search of a better life, but shortly after arriving there, he became involved with the wife of a rather jealous man who challenged him to a duel, and he killed him.
P&P
"You look great, Lizzy, in that dress Alice gave you," Mrs. Bennet said as Jane and Aunt Alice helped her with the final details of her wedding dress. "What a clever girl, my daughter. She caught a man with ten thousand pounds a year and connections to the nobility," Mrs. Bennet repeated over and over again proudly.
"Aunt, thank you very much for this beautiful dress. Ever since I met you, you have always given me so much, and despite the distance, you never forgot about me. You don't know how happy I am that you are at my wedding," said Elizabeth, very excited.
"I don't want you to cry," Aunt Alice replied. "You will always be the niece, and no matter how far or close we are, you will always be in my heart and thoughts." Aunt Alice hugged Elizabeth for several seconds. She was excited to see her beloved niece so happy and to know that her future husband loved and respected her.
"Lizzy, that dress is so beautiful. Oh, you look like the princess of my favorite tale. Can I have a dress like this one day? Of course, without my mother knowing because she doesn't like me wearing nice clothes. So today, I guess I'm not going to call you Lizzy but Princess Lizzy," Anne said as she played with a bow.
"In less than an hour, I will be Mrs. Darcy, Anne, and we will be cousins."
"Yes, Richard told me. I want to go to Pemberley and play with you. We can run and swim."
"You will always be welcome at Pemberley, my dear Anne."
"Thank you, cousin Lizzy," replied Anne happily.
"Although I must say that I still find it hard to believe that you will marry Mr. Darcy if you are happy, I am very happy for you." Mary said. The months she had spent with the Smiths in Manchester helped her overcome her shyness and relate to people much more relaxedly. David's parents had already talked to Mr. Bennet and asked him to allow Mary to live permanently with them because they wanted to sponsor her.
"Lizzy, you look beautiful. I love the color of this dress," said Kitty. "Do you like it, Rebecca?"
"I love it, Kitty. But I think you already knew that because we have very similar tastes. I think it's time we all went to church," Rebecca said. Elizabeth's room was full of women, and she sensed she needed a few more minutes to get ready.
"We'll wait for you at the church, Lizzy," said Kitty. She was happy living with Lord and Lady Atkinson and did not want to return to Longbourn despite her mother asking her to because she was lonely without Lydia.
"My dear Lizzy, I know you will be as happy as I am with my husband, and you don't know how happy I am to know that you have found love in a good man who loves you so much," Jane said, unable to help but cry. She was almost six months pregnant and more sensitive than ever.
"Thank you, my dear Jane. Now, my nephews and nieces won't have to put up with their old spinster aunt repeating the same old stories about how their mother met their father." Elizabeth replied, smiling.
"Lizzy, I never thought you'd be an old maid," Jane replied, arranging Elizabeth's bouquet.
"In less than an hour, we'll be sisters," Georgiana added sheepishly.
"That's right, I'll have six sisters, and you only have one. That makes me feel very special," Elizabeth said warmly.
Georgiana approached Elizabeth because she wanted to tell her something before she left for church. "Lizzy, I want you to know that I think I am as happy as my brother to know that you are now part of our family. You are the best sister I could have wished for." Georgiana hugged Elizabeth tightly, crying with happiness.
"My dear Georgiana, since I met you, I knew that you were an exceptional person, and I promise you that I will be the best big sister that I can be."
Lydia was the only one of all the women present who did not congratulate Elizabeth effusively. Although she would have liked to do so, she was not yet ready to publicly show that she was sorry for what she had done. But internally, she had managed to understand that life was giving her a second chance. After the wedding, she would return to school, where she would remain for at least a year. Then, if she could demonstrate that she had matured, she would live with Jane and David until she married. Otherwise, she would have to stay at school until she was eighteen and then marry or live with her parents.
"It's time to go to church," said Mrs. Bennet excitedly.
All the women left Elizabeth's room and walked to the chapel a block from Longbourn. Mrs. Bennet walked happily, chatting with Anne and Georgiana. They were the only ones who tolerated her flippant comments and enjoyed her effusive affection, perhaps because none had enjoyed a mother's love.
Mrs. Gardiner had talked to Elizabeth earlier because she and Mrs. Smith were at the church receiving the guests. The family decided to keep Mrs. Bennet busy with other things. Many influential people would attend the wedding, including two Earls and two Countesses, and Mrs. Bennet's nerves could collapse under such pressure.
Lady Catherine was the only one who refused to attend the wedding and openly expressed how displeased she was. At least, that was what she wanted everyone to think because she could not publicly accept a woman as socially inferior as Elizabeth in her family. But deep down, she didn't dislike the idea as much as she pretended. She had always feared that Mr. Darcy's wife would reject Anne for being different.
In the weeks Elizabeth spent with the Collinses, Lady Catherine knew that she had become friends and that she had been very affectionate and considerate with her. That's why she authorized Richard to take Anne to her cousin Darcy's wedding. Lady Catherine had always feared for Anne's future. Now she was more relaxed, knowing that the Darcys would never leave her alone.
"Darcy, calm down," Richard said, laughing heartily.
"Your cousin is right, Darcy. If you keep like this, I'm afraid you might faint," Mr. Bingley added in the same tone as Richard. He was happy to accompany his friend on his special day. He was pleased with his new life, and although his two sisters hardly spoke to him, he knew they would sooner or later reconcile.
"How brave you are, two single men making fun of the bridegroom. I want to see you in the future when you get married if you will be so calm," said David trying to encourage Mr. Darcy. "Don't worry, Darcy; once the ceremony is over, you will relax and forget about these minutes of nervousness and these two clowns who are laughing at you."
"Thanks, Smith. I want this to be over soon." Mr. Darcy and David had established a reasonably close relationship in the last three months and felt they would become good brothers.
After about ten more minutes of waiting, Elizabeth finally arrived at the church. Mr. Darcy felt he could not breathe when he saw his future wife so beautiful. The ceremony was short but emotional, and Mr. Darcy never forgot when he walked out with Elizabeth on his arm and as his wife.
They stayed two hours at the wedding breakfast and left for London, where they stayed for two weeks. Elizabeth wanted to say farewell to Aunt Alice at the port.
The parting was very emotional because they both knew they would probably never see each other again. Aunt Alice finally returned to Canada with her family but with her heart full of love and experiences of the family she had left behind when she emigrated with her husband so many years ago.
P&P
"What are you thinking, my love?" Mr. Darcy asked his absent wife. They had been in Ramsgate for a week, and he felt that he had never been happier in his life.
"In Aunt Alice, she was the one who invited me to visit this beautiful place."
"I know, and I will always be grateful because thanks to her, Georgiana and I met you, and you rescued both of us."
"I rescued both of you?"
"Yes, you rescued Georgiana from a life of misery with a scoundrel like Wickham and me from an empty and lonely life."
"You are the best man I have ever known, William, and that is why I love you so much. Although I must say that if you had not been so stubborn, we could have come to an understanding much sooner."
"Mrs. Darcy, let me remind you that you, too, can be quite stubborn," Mr. Darcy replied playfully. Then he looked in all directions, and realizing there was no one, he kissed his beautiful wife passionately. "I love you, my dearest loveliest, Elizabeth."
"And I love you, William," Elizabeth replied excitedly.
The lovers continued walking along the beach, planning for the future and enjoying every moment together.
FIN
P&P
Infinite thanks to everyone who followed this story enthusiastically and always left supportive comments. This story has only twenty-six chapters and has received a thousand comments, making me think you liked it.
Now that I have finished this story, I will continue writing "Extraviado" and then "El desvío," both in Spanish. Unfortunately, I have little time to read because I am more dedicated to writing. But, two days I checked the main page of this site and noticed that there are many new stories in English and very few in Spanish.
It's time to write more in the language that I feel most comfortable with. If you dare, you can follow me through the translator; if not, I hope you enjoy the immense variety of English stories you can access here.
Once again, thank you for your time and unconditional support.
Until the next adventure in Spanish or English!
Saludos afectuosos a mis seguidores de habla hispana, nos vemos muy pronto en "Extraviado."
Nos vemos,
Yo