"Oh Lizzie, you must invite her. I would so like to meet her, and what better occasion?" Jane asked. Elizabeth smiled at her sister, happy to see her favorite in such fine spirits. Their mother was, for the moment, distracted from meddling in Jane's wedding plans by ordering new gowns for herself and her youngest daughters, and in her absence the planning was advancing quickly. A large pile of finished invitations now awaited the afternoon mail.
"I would like to see Mrs. Romney again," Elizabeth admitted, toying with a fresh invitation. "And I long to introduce you to her. But it is such a journey, Jane, and I worry that Mr. Darcy does not like her and will not be civil."
"I do not think he will do anything to incur your displeasure," Jane noted pertly. Lizzie blushed. "My husband is, as has been noted, a man of strong opinions. I do not think he will consent to be overruled."
"My aunt Gardiner said that a wife triumphs over her husband by leading him to believe that the very thing that she wants is his idea," Jane said, addressing another envelope.
Elizabeth toyed with her pen for another few moments before quickly writing the invitation to Mrs. Romney.
"I will invite her, but I think that I will not convince Mr. Darcy that this is his idea," she said, smiling.
Mrs. Annesley walked a step behind her charge as they entered the gaming room. Darcy, cue in hand, was racking up a new game. The sound of their entrance caught his attention and he turned, set down the cue and bowed to his sister.
"Brother," she cried softly, seizing his hands.
"Good morning, Georgiana," he replied, affection softening his eyes.
"You're looking well. I think that being married agrees with you. Couldn't Mrs. Darcy stay here with us? There will be plenty of room if Caroline and Louise are going to town, and even if they come back," she said all in a rush.
A shadow of pain passed over his face. "I think that Mrs. Darcy is needed by her sister. A month is not a very long time to arrange a wedding, and we wouldn't want Miss Bennet to do less than well by Bingley, would we?"
Georgiana looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry, I was only thinking it would be nice to have her here. I would not want to deprive her sister of her help."
"It was a good and kind thought. I would be happier to have her here. But her sister needs her and it may help still wagging tongues if she and I live apart for some little time."
She looked up at her brother, and spoke after some silent trepidation.
"People are talking," she admitted. "When I was buying a present for her, I saw some ladies speaking, and stop when they saw me look. I am sure that they were speaking of your elopement. Now I truly see why you did not want me to elope, even if it were with a man better than Wickham." Her breath hitched slightly as she spoke the name of her former lover. She had believed that all her feelings were gone with the years, but seeing him in his degraded state had roused great feelings of pity for the man. She drew breath and continued.
"But I do not understand why the two of you could not wait for a proper marriage. Did you really think that Aunt Catherine would not let you marry her?"
Darcy sighed. He knew that his sister would have questions, but had hoped to evade them for longer. He drew her down to sit beside him on some of the chairs that lined the room.
"Even I can be foolish, Georgiana," he admitted. "I was afraid that Aunt Catherine would oppose me. And I was afraid of what Bingley's sisters might do. There are many who would not approve and might have been moved to obstruct our marriage. At the time, eloping seemed like the most sensible thing to do. I see now that it was not really fair to Elizabeth, nor her family. But at the time —" he broke off, then steadied himself.
"There is a lesson in this. When what seems like the only course of action is something that will hurt someone, or is opposed to your own character, perhaps one needs to take more time and think more thoroughly. Perhaps if I had been willing to take longer in our courtship, if I had done — certain things — with better judgment, perhaps things would have turned out better. But now I, and everyone else, will have to live with the consequences of my hasty actions."
Georgiana nodded, a small frown still on her face.
"May we go to visit her now?"
Darcy smiled. "Of course, we are expected. We shall take Bingley as well, if he hasn't beaten us there."
The Netherfield party arrived at Longbourn in the mid-morning. As they left, a servant confirmed that the Hursts and Miss Bingley had left for town. Georgiana alone was shocked that her friends had departed without taking their leave.
Elizabeth was pleased to introduce Miss Darcy to Jane, if somewhat less than pleased by her mother and sisters' manners. Georgiana presented Elizabeth with a large package of writing paper embossed with her new initials. Lizzie accepted the gift with pleasure, heartened by her sister-in-law's foresight. This paper would make certain upcoming correspondences much easier to negotiate, and she would have found it difficult to order it, herself.
Darcy swelled with pride, warmed by the sight of his wife's initials and his sister's thoughtfulness. He gazed with misty eyes at the scene of felicity, finding it easy to ignore his mother- and sisters-in-law and their noisy exclamations.
Elizabeth though that Miss Darcy seemed a bit overwhelmed by her siblings' enthusiasm and suggested a walk about the grounds. All the young people but Mary soon walked out, Mrs. Annesley making sure of her charge's bonnet before allowing her to venture forth. In no time Lydia was regaling the party with her tale of her aborted elopement with Wickham, ignoring both Jane's attempts to quiet her and Georgiana's shocked and distressed looks.
"But Mama tells me that I shan't regret Wickham long, that we shall go to town and I will have suitors aplenty." Lydia finally caught sight of Elizabeth and Darcy's attempts to soothe Georgiana, who had found herself surprisingly hurt by her former favorite's attentions to another. The sight of Miss Darcy brought another though bubbling forth.
"Miss Darcy, why have you not married? Your dowry must be better than even your brother is giving us. Or do you plan to be a rich old maid?"
Georgiana's face fell and her steps faltered. Lydia, oblivious, continued, "So, tell us of your rich suitors."
Georgiana fell to the ground, slipping through Mrs. Annesley's helping hands, sobbing Wickham's name helplessly.
"What?" Lydia asked as the rest of the party rushed to Miss Darcy's side. "What's wrong with her?"
"Mother, this is simply too much. How are we to focus on Jane's wedding if Lydia is causing hysteria at every turn?" Elizabeth snapped, pacing in her mother's room.
"I'm sure you make too much of it," her mother said indulgently, admiring her reflection while adjusting her new lace cap. "Miss Darcy seems like a delicate girl. It was probably as much the strain of the walk as anything else. You should have left her behind," she declared, adding another pin to her hair.
Elizabeth snorted in disgust, but unsurprised by her mother's tolerance for her youngest, pressed on.
"Mother, what if Lydia's behavior frightens Mr. Bingley away? What will everyone think if he abandons Jane because of her sister's terrible behavior? What chance will your daughters have for good matches then?"
Mrs. Bennet frowned slightly, and Elizabeth pressed her point.
"Would it be so terrible to send Lydia to school, to give her the polish that Meryton cannot offer her? She may not be there long, as I am sure someone nearby must offer for her soon. But she could have more helpful attention at school in London, and leave you more time to help with the wedding." Jane had insisted that Lizzie make that point, though the fulfillment of that inducement would bring much pain to both of the girls. Jane had felt it was too good a point not to make.
"I will have to speak to your father. I'm sure he will not wish to send Lydia away —"
"He has already consented, and said he thinks it will be best for her," Elizabeth hastened to point out. Her mother suddenly seemed on the point of tears.
"Send Lydia away? But you know how I will miss her. How we will all miss her. Send her away to some horrible school where no one cares about her? How could we do that to her?"
"It need not be for long," Elizabeth said steadily. "And I am sure she will enjoy the opportunity to make friends with young women of good breeding. Young women with wealthy brothers, who would be at liberty to move into the neighborhood if they happened to fall in love with Lydia."
Mrs. Bennet suddenly looked on the proposal with new eyes.
"That would be a fine thing for her," she said, considering. "I do not think any of the gentlemen of Hertfordshire are quite good enough for her. I would take her to town myself, but you know how London disagrees with my health."
Elizabeth leapt into the breech.
"Of course, Mama, you must not strain yourself. And, as I said, we would be happy to take care of all the arrangements, as you will be so busy with the wedding, not to mention handling the suitors for Kitty and Mary. You know that you must prepare for those." This importuning pained Elizabeth no small measure, but she could see no other way to convince her mother to give up Lydia for any time.
"Well, I suppose it would be for the best," Mrs. Bennet said slowly.
Elizabeth jumped up and headed to the door swiftly, before her mother could amend her assent.
"Thank you, Mama. And I'm sure Lydia will thank you as well," she said. "In time," she added after she closed the door.
Georgiana sat slumped on the couch in the Netherfield parlor. Her brother paced anxiously nearby, casting glances her way as Mrs. Annesley comforted her. She had not spoken since their hasty departure from Longbourn. Darcy cast his mind back to the hurried conference with his wife as they waited for the carriage, when Elizabeth insisted that her sister be sent away as soon as possible. She demanded his consent to her scheme at once, and Darcy had been startled by his immediate willingness to comply, though he did not in general approve of sending such a bad influence into the company of gently bred girls. Lydia had proved herself thoughtless, heedless and careless of the feelings of others. Darcy could hardly believe her sprung from the same parents as his love or her older sister, and wondered what chance in circumstance had led the younger girls to have such different characters than the elder.
Mrs. Annesley interrupted his musings. "I believe, sir, that we must return to more familiar surroundings, to London or to Pemberly, as soon as can be arranged. Miss Darcy has been violently upset."
Darcy thought upon the situation, and told the woman that he would make no decision without consulting his wife and Fitzwilliam, who was expected to return from a visit in two or three days. A trace of a smile visited Darcy's lips as he recalled how his cousin had suddenly remembered a long-obliged visit when he discovered how unpleasantly Bingley's sisters were behaving. He agreed to write Fitzwilliam to hasten his return, then urged Mrs. Annesley back to his sister, who seemed inconsolable.
Darcy was glad to sit down to the letter. He felt at loose ends here without Bingley, who had taken his chance to head off for a walk with his fiancee once the disquiet after Georgiana's collapse had quieted. The two would get few enough opportunities to be alone until their honeymoon, he reflected, wishing that he would have a chance to be with his wife. It seemed ages since their walk yesterday afternoon. As he handed the letter to a servant for immediate dispatch, Elizabeth burst through the doors. She gave him a fiercely triumphant smile, then turned her attention to his sister.
"My dear Miss Darcy, you must allow me to apologize for my sister's behavior," she said. "Her words must have seemed cruel, but she knew nothing of your prior attachment to that man."
Georgiana roused herself from her sunken state and addressed her sister-in-law dully.
"Of course, she would not have known, there is nothing to apologize for."
"Oh, she has plenty to apologize for," Elizabeth said, seating herself by the woeful girl. "And I promise you that she will learn to tender apologies. My parents have finally agreed to send her to school. We will make sure that she learns some sort of tact, however long it takes. She has run wild for far too long, and you are not the only victim of her ill speech."
Georgiana summoned a wan smile. "I did like school. I hope that she does well there."
"Oh Miss Darcy, she will have quite an experience. Now, let us forget her. Shall we have our walk that was so rudely interrupted? I assure you that Netherfield's grounds are much nicer than Longbourn's."
"And she would know," said Darcy, glad to be able to contribute something to the conversation. Elizabeth spared her husband a smile, and he felt his anxiety for his sister melt no small amount under the influence of that smile's warmth.
"It is good to have you here," Georgiana said, her words bringing the pair's attention back to the room. She slowly got to her feet and began to prepare to go out. As the four walked into the sunshine, she continued her thought.
"It seems so strange to me when you are not here. I am so sorry that your sister cannot spare you. It would be so wonderful to have you here at Netherfield with us."
Elizabeth looked at Darcy for a moment, then down toward her feet. Darcy came swiftly to her rescue.
"We must not be greedy," he chided his sister softly, patting her arm where he held it, then looking back toward his wife and catching her eyes. "No matter how we would like to have Mrs. Darcy with us."
Elizabeth blushed suddenly and found herself watching her feet once again. Georgiana observed her reaction wonderingly. They walked on. Miss Darcy confided to Mrs. Darcy that Mrs. Annesley wanted her to return to London or to Derbyshire.
"But you will miss so much," Elizabeth exclaimed. "And you only just arrived. And I just invited a wonderful woman to come to the wedding and to visit before. That is Mrs. Romney, who helped me before I married your brother."
Darcy did not let any expression show on his face, and knew that there was no way he would win this battle. Or any, he thought, in a combination of amusement and despair.
Mrs. Annesley was persuaded that Hertfordshire would suit Georgiana as well as anywhere. It was not so hard, as she did not want to face the rigors of the road again so soon.
After much screaming and it was settled that her youngest daughter would leave the day after next for an illustrious school for young women of status near London, Mrs. Bennet could not bear to have her favorite from her for a moment.
"Oh Lydia, how I shall I miss you. How will I ever do without you?"
"If I must go away, why cannot I go to Brighton with the regiment?" Lydia pouted, slumped on a settee in the sitting room, picking apart a bonnet that only yesterday she had declared perfection.
"You know this is all for the good," her mother declared airily. "You will make many new friends with fabulously wealthy brothers who will all fall in love with you in a moment. They will be much more eligible than any of the officers at Brighton.
"If it is so good, why aren't you sending Kitty and Mary away?" she asked, crushing a silk ribbon in her fingers.
"There are fine enough suitors for them here in the country, but where would we find a good enough gentleman for my Lydia but in town?" Mrs. Bennet asked, excitement lighting her eyes.
Lydia sighed elaborately and flung the hat onto the table.
"I know it's because Lizzie is afraid I'm going to offend Mr. Darcy. Why should she worry now that she's married him? Why did he have to bring that shrinking violet of a sister here anyway? And why haven't we got to meet his cousin, the colonel?"
Mrs. Bennet sighed.
After dinner Bingley returned to Netherfield and Elizabeth to Longbourn. Her mother was still sitting up and inclined to be peevish.
"Why bother coming back when it is too late to help your sister? You have might as well stay at Netherfield. Goodness knows there is room enough there, and we could use your room better. Things are a crush here with with your aunt and uncle Gardiner, and it will only get worse as the wedding draws nearer."
Lizzie felt nearly frantic.
"I cannot leave Jane now. And you cannot say I'm not helping her. We spent all yesterday morning writing invitations."
"Oh, I suppose," her mother said. "But you could help her just as well from Netherfield. And how strange it must look, living three miles from your newly wedded husband. Everyone will think you don't like him. Or he doesn't like you."
Elizabeth blushed and hastened to her room, where she found Jane waiting up for her.
"Are you truly sending Lydia off to school?" she asked.
"We must. We have to do something to moderate her behavior. I thought that she would have been humiliated by what happened with Wickham, but her headstrong nature seems unquenchable. I have long thought that such a desperate measure might be necessary, but it was never possible. Now we can and, I think, must send her away." Elizabeth shook off the unpleasant necessity. "Tell me, Jane, how is your Mr. Bingley?"
Jane blushed slightly. "Oh Lizzie, he is so wonderful. He makes me so happy. It is all like a dream. Though I do admit it would be more dream-like without Lydia making a scene of every quiet moment."
"Indeed," agreed her sister grimly. "And without our mother—" she cut herself off.
"What has mother been doing?" Jane asked with some concern. "Has she been bothering you about Mr. Darcy?"
Elizabeth looked at her with some surprise.
"Has she said anything to you?" Jane seemed to hesitate to reply until Lizzie encouraged her.
"She has hinted that she needs more room here and that you should go live with your husband," she said. "I understand why you might not care to do so, given what he did. But you do seem to care for him, Lizzie, and I can see that he adores you."
"I do care for him," she admitted slowly. "It began in Kent, I believe. He was... attentive. He began to show regard for my opinions and to solicit my society. At first I believed that it was merely from boredom, to avoid his aunt or to better show his disdain. If I had not believed as I did about Wickham..." she trailed off, consumed by her thoughts. After a few moments, she turned her gaze back toward her sister.
"Do you think I should go to Netherfield?" she asked solemnly.
Jane considered. "I would miss you, Lizzie. But I can see that you miss him, and I would not deprive you of your husband's company for my own selfish needs."
Elizabeth smiled. "You are the least selfish creature I know, Jane. Perhaps I will move to Netherfield. Good night, dear sister."
The next day brought a flurry of packing and arrangements for Lydia's removal to the school. Servants galloped with messages between the two households, for Elizabeth had decided to remain at Longbourn that day and Darcy did not want to leave his sister alone, nor bring her within range of Lydia. That young woman was doing her best to make her last day at home memorable with temper tantrums, outrageous demands and a combination of vicious attacks and declarations of lasting affection, these mostly aimed at Kitty or her mother, but sometimes at Jane or Lizzie in the hopes of soliciting some treat. Mary and her father she ignored.
By nightfall, her belongings — and some not hers — waited for the morning carriage and the family dined hastily and quietly before retiring.
Darcy had persuaded Bingley to stay to provide his sister with additional amusements. The afternoon found Bingley returned from the hunt and regaling the young lady with far-fetched plans for the estate's re-landscaping.
"And here will be the fountain with a granite sculpture of the prince regent," he said to her restrained giggles. As they began to walk again, Georgiana asked him, "Do you think it would be — would you mind if Mrs. Darcy came here?"
Bingley smiled at her. "Mrs. Darcy has been here near every day for a week."
"No, I mean, if she stayed here with us, with Darcy."
Bingley's eyebrows rose. "Of course I wouldn't mind. But she has not asked to stay here."
"Why hasn't she? When Darcy came back, why did she not move in here with them. They are married."
Bingley shifted uncomfortably. "Have you asked your brother this?"
"I did, and he said she must help Miss Bennet get ready to marry you."
"Well, there you go. I did insist of having the wedding awfully soon. It is less than a month now, you know."
"Yes, but does she need to stay there to help her? And is that all?"
Bingley again fidgeted and began to walk toward the house. "I cannot know what you mean, Georgiana." She gripped his arm to stay him and turn him toward her.
"I mean that everyone is hiding something from me. I can tell. It's like when father was dying and brother couldn't bring himself to tell me. But I'm not a child anymore. Charles, tell me."
Bingley wiggled his toes desperately inside his shoes, trying to see a way out of telling her the whole truth. He feared that the knowledge would taint her affection for her brother, and perhaps worse.
"I think that Darcy fears that if he and Mrs. Darcy live together here, people will say that they could not even wait until they moved properly to town or to Pemberly. I think that the way they started, their elopement, is making them even more cautious about propriety, and he wishes to make up for his recklessness."
"Yes, that is what he told me. But that's not the whole story. He pushed Wickam into the mud and made sure he was sent to debtor's prison, which is harsher than when Wickham tried to elope with me. He would not do so unless there was something very wrong, if he was very upset."
Bingley's nerve broke and he bolted toward the house, leaving Georgiana behind with a stricken look on her face.
"My God," she said. "I thought there was something. Brother, what have you done?"
"Mama? Mama! Lydia is taking all of my best frocks," Kitty cried, running into her mother's sitting room. Hill was helping Mrs. Bennet dress and looked reproachfully at the young woman who stood impatiently before her mother.
"Oh Kitty, you will be getting three new frocks next week. Let her have them. They are old things anyway."
"Mama, the blue frock is less than a year old and is my favorite. You know Mr. Sanderson said I was particularly handsome in it and I want to wear it to Jane's wedding. Make her give it back to me."
Mrs. Bennet collapsed into a chair and told Hill to remove the blue from Lydia's things before she left. "Now, please, have a care for my nerves."
Kitty ran before Hill, who frowned at leaving her mistress half-dressed but departed on her mission. Kitty nearly collided with Jane, who had emerged from her room late and showed signs of having stayed up much too late, straining her eyes by candlelight. Elizabeth stood at the base of the stairs and allowed Kitty to run by before turning her face toward her elder sister.
"Dear Jane," she said as her sister neared her. "If you insist on staying up so late, you won't be fit to be seen at your wedding. Do let me help more."
"Oh Lizzie," she said. "You are doing enough and more than enough. I cannot let you do more."
"We shall see. For now, shall we see Lydia off?" Jane smiled.
The carriage from the had arrived and Lydia was quickly packed into it. The coachman was deferential, yet implacable, and before Mrs. Bennet had gotten herself properly worked up, the carriage was pulling away.
"What shall we do without Lydia?" she cried, dabbing at tears and looking after her departing daughter.
"What will I wear until next week?" Kitty asked tearfully.
"I daresay we will all manage, one way or the other," said Mr. Bennet.
Mary said that she envied Lydia the opportunities for advanced learning, and on that note, the family went in to breakfast.