Lydia did not join the party for dinner, nor did she join them for breakfast the next morning. No, Mrs. Wickham did not wish to see Lizzy. Although she was not showing, she did not wish to see her sister and Mr. Darcy experiencing such joy. She had been the first to marry; she should have been the first to be with child. The Lord had given Lizzy a rich husband, a grand home with an income of at least ten thousand a year, and a child. Sure, she had to deal with the disagreeable Mr. Darcy, but Pemberley was more than enough compensation. She and George were not nearly as rich as the Darcy's or the Bingleys, and George was called about on business so often. She deserved a child to be her constant companion, a child in her exact likeness to give her the attention and admiration she rightly deserved.
Mrs. Wickham was perfectly content to stay in her chambers and pout, at least until she realized she had not been in company for over four and twenty hours! Her chambers were lovely, even if they were to a rather antique taste and they were comfortable, but she had hoped for a ball on her visit to Pemberley. At the very least, she expected there to be constant forms of entertainment, not the books of the Pemberley library to keep her occupied. She resolved to join the party for luncheon, even if that meant seeing Lizzy.
When she arrived in the dining room for luncheon, she observed that the exquisite and large dining room was empty. She thought it was empty, until she saw Miss. Bingley seated alone at the other end.
"Miss. Bingley, where is the rest of the party?"
"Oh, hello Mrs. Wickham, I did not hear you enter. Mr. Darcy and my brother went out to hunt or fish, or whatever gentlemen do for sport."
"And my sisters?"
"Mrs. Darcy suddenly took ill and Jane and Georgiana are looking after her. It did not appear to me a serious illness and they said they would be down for luncheon. I fear they must have lost track of time while they fretted over Mrs. Darcy because they are quite a bit late."
"I shall wait with you then. I am so hungry, I think I may die." Miss. Bingley remained silent. "If we are to keep each other company, we should talk of something. We are sisters after all."
A look of horror flashed across Miss. Bingley's face, "you are not my sister."
"If you insist. La! I know you're just as miserable at Pemberley as I am."
"Miserable, why would you suggest such a thing?"
"However dim you may think me to be Miss Bingley, I'm not blind. Everyone could see that you so desperately wished to marry Mr. Darcy and be the mistress of Pemberley."
"W-what?" she stammered for a moment before recovering, "that is a wild, unfounded accusation."
"If you insist Miss. Bingley."
"Tell me, Mrs. Wickham, why are so you miserable to visit your sister's home of Pemberley?"
"It is not Pemberley that I am displeased with, it is Lizzy. And that I have to be parted from my dear Wickham."
"You do not like Mrs. Darcy?"
"Lizzy and I have never been the closest of sisters. She had Jane and I had Kitty, but we are still sisters. It is not Lizzy per say, but it is simply not fair."
"What is not fair?"
"Lizzy is the mistress of all this, AND is with child so soon in her marriage. I know of how Lizzy and the rather severe Mr. Darcy must go about their marital duties and it angers me even more so. Now Miss. Bingley, I know that you are not a married lady so what I am about to say will surely shock you," she said with a slight giggle, "but my dear Wickham and I most certainly do not do things in the same manner as the Darcy's, so imagine my shock when Mrs. Darcy is will child before me. I was the first to be married after all."
Caroline was horrified at the intimate details of the Wickham marriage. She knew it was a patch-job and therefore was not truly shocked at this revelation. It took her a moment for her to recall that she had her own intimate details of the Darcy's marital affairs. "Mrs. Wickham," she said, "I feel as though I must correct you on at least on point."
"And what would that be Miss. Bingley?"
"You are wrong about the intimae details of the Darcy marriage."
"And how would you know?" she asked defiantly.
"My maid tells me of the gossip from below stairs. The servants were speaking of your sister's chambers. They chambermaids said they have not made up your sister's bed, not once."
The revelation hit Lydia, "that does not sound like the Mr. Darcy I knew in Hertfordshire."
"Nor the Mr. Darcy I have known for many years, but I know it to be the truth."
"That is shocking. You don't think – not it is impossible, it must be."
"Think what?" Caroline asked.
"Think that perhaps the reason Lizzy married Darcy so suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, with not prior signs of affection from either party was because they succumbed to lust. Now I know you are not a married lady like I, but surely you must know something about lust. I know Mr. Darcy to find himself morally superior. Had he taken Lizzy's maidenhood, he would surely make her his wife."
Although Caroline knew this for be false (Darcy had shown sighs signs of attachment when he was first in Hertfordshire and there had been signs of mutual affection when they two had been at Pemberley prior to their marriage), she said, "Mrs. Wickham, I believe you to be correct. That would explain everything."
"La! Lizzy thinks I am dim, but I am too clever for my own good."
"Yes, indeed. Now Mrs. Wickham, I feel as though we are to be good friends on this visit."
Lydia flashed a wicked grin, "I believe Miss. Bingley, that we shall make this visit tolerable for one another. And that we shall put Lizzy in her place. Who is she to judge my marriage when I know the truth of hers?"
"I could not agree more."