Thank you for all of the reviews up to this point. I really appreciate all of the support. Nothing brightens my day like a review! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I have enjoyed writing scheming Lydia and Caroline.
While everyone went off to bed, Lydia and Caroline lingered in the parlor.
"Mrs. Wickham," Caroline scolded, "you cannot be so open with your sister. I fear that she will realize we are up to something."
"Perhaps I wish for the great Mrs. Darcy to know that I know that all is not how she has claimed it to be."
"While that is understandable, I fear that it will be harder to get the truth, the whole story, if she knows that if we are trying to expose her."
Lydia sighed, "I do not know how we are to find out the truth of the situation. It is clear that she will not tell us herself. Perhaps she confided in Jane."
"Even if Jane was her confidant, we will likely get nothing from our dear sister. Jane is too good to betray anyone's confidence, especially a secret as large as preceding vows."
"Miss. Bingley," Lydia said, sudden excitement in her voice, "what if the secret were larger than just preceding vows?"
"What are you implying?"
"What is my sister is more dastardly than we originally believed?"
"I am terribly sorry, but I do not follow."
"Ugh," groaned Lydia, "must I spell it out for you? Perhaps there was another man involved, not Mr. Darcy."
Caroline sat for a moment in quiet contemplation, "I do not wish to discredit your theory, but what other man was she acquainted with?"
"Oh, I do not know. Why is this so terribly hard to figure out? If Jane knows anything, she will not tell us. And we know that Mr. and Mrs. Darcy will not tell us. I cannot imagine that Miss. Darcy would know anything, particularly something of a scandalous nature."
"In truth, Mr. Darcy is a very private man. In spite of our long acquaintance, I must confess I know very little about him."
"How disappointing. Alas, I am very tired. We shall reconvene in the morning."
"Very well, Mrs. Wickham. How shall we find each other and where shall we meet?"
"Hmm. We shall rise early, though I detest it so. I shall knock on the door of your bedchambers and we shall walk the grounds before we break our fast."
"What an excellent solution. Now we shall retire for the evening. Goodnight Mrs. Wickham," she said as she left the parlor and headed up the stairs to her bedchamber.
Lydia remained for a moment before following her up the stairs so as not to raise suspicions. Elizabeth could not be as good and as pure as people believed her to be. She had always been the favorite of their father. It was understandable – Lizzy shared their father's taste in books, and at times, his love of solitude. It was no matter because she had been the favorite of their mother.
As she got in her bed, her mind raced with all the possibilities. Lizzy, despite her reputation as a pure woman, had always been flirtatious and dearly loved to laugh. She had flirted with the officers nearly as much as she and Kitty.
Despite what Elizabeth believed, she was not a thoughtless girl. As she drifted to sleep, she began to formulate a reasonable explanation for her sister's situation.
When she awoke the next morning, she dressed on her own and knocked on Miss. Bingley's door. She found her dressed and read and the two ladies embarked on their walk.
Lydia began relaying her theory to Miss. Bingley, "My theory is based on one detail – that Mr. Darcy was present at my wedding."
Caroline let out a small noise to reveal her surprise at the detail. She had not known Darcy's involvement in the patched up marriage of the Wickhams.
Despite the interruption, Lydia went on, "it was Mr. Darcy who discovered us on our way to Scotland to elope. He arranged our entire wedding and bought my husband his commission. It was the least he could do, but it was very strange that he knew we had gone to elope."
"He disappeared from Pemberley shortly after your sister, but I had no idea where he went."
"He swore me to secrecy."
"Are you implying that I am the only one who knows?"
"No, I accidentally let it slip to Lizzy and she knows of his involvement. I am relaying this information because you were here at Pemberley with the two of them. What I mean to ask is, was there a time at Pemberley where he could have compromised my sister?"
Caroline thought for a moment, "There was certainly something going on between them. She and Mr. Darcy were alone at Pemberley for a short period. And once our party arrived, she visited us at Pemberley. I believe, at least I am nearly certain, he visited her at the inn."
"Surely that must have been when he compromised her. Now I know Lizzy may not appear to be a seductress, but I am certain she must have seduced him."
"I must agree. Though he has never showed much interest in any lady, I do believe he was attracted to your sister. I do not believe he would ever plan to compromise a lady, but I believe he would if he were seduced and got caught up in the passion of a single moment."
"No other possibility seems as likely."
"While Mr. Darcy may have given in to his more animalistic instincts, he remains a gentleman and would have felt an obligation to correct his mistakes. That would also explain why he was at your wedding. Either they had an agreement when she left Pemberley or he knew that they would soon be engaged. He also felt obligated to help you as his future sister."
"Yes, yes, that must be it. The only question now is what we will do with our newfound knowledge."