13. Friends are Friends Forever
Caroline had taken a sleeping tablet when she got home from the Town precinct with Charles, she felt as if her soul had been sucked right out of her body.
She woke later than usual because of this but decided to take a Me Day. She had her PA move all her appointments to clear her schedule. She sat down and had a proper breakfast, for once, she was not going to do this day hungry like she did every other day, she was sure that one day of good eating and no purging would not ruin her figure for all perpetuity.
After realising that her friend was wearing the exact same ring as Mrs Darcy, she was pretty sure that George Wickham had somehow stolen the ring, either William knew it was stolen but did not know by whom; or he had not realised it had been stolen. Caroline seriously doubted that someone like George Wickham had gone to all the trouble to have one recreated perfectly. But then again, it could also be a very clever replica.
Regardless, her friend was heading down a road of great heart break and despite being an intrinsically selfish person, Caroline had a few real friends and Anne de Bourgh was one of those. Caroline had sat with this information for a week, rolling it around trying to find a solution that would cause her friend the least amount of pain, Caroline had no doubt that the only outcome for her friend was heartache.
The only thing was she did not think Anne would just take her word for it, nor did she think William would take her seriously. Leaving Elizabeth as her only course of action, she did not mind that idea, she thought Elizabeth could be trusted and her sister Jane just seemed to bring out the best in her, but she did not really know them. Trust was not Caroline's strongest suit.
Caroline did not realise she had hit the nail on the head where it came to Jane. Because Jane always saw the best in everyone, most people, Caroline included, responded accordingly. It was a new experience for Caroline, she always expects people to see her and treat her the way her mother had, and eventually they always did, unless she got there first. Jane however had only seen the good in Caroline; Caroline liked the way that felt.
She phoned Elizabeth, arranging to meet her, and if possible, her sister, at The Assembly again for a late lunch. True to form she arranged a small but equally well-situated table. This was one conversation she could not risk anyone else overhearing.
Elizabeth and Jane arrived as planned, Caroline was pleased that Elizabeth managed to get her sister to join them.
"Caroline, how lovely to see you! "Jane greeted, "You are looking positively lovely!" Jane was not just being polite, Caroline did look better, she was still stylish, but it did not look forced or overdone, like it had in the past. Even her make-up was subtle and enhanced her features rather that show how fashion forward she was.
After greetings had been exchanged, orders placed with the waitress, they discussed Charles's arrest and mistaken identity the previous evening, each one felt there were less answers and more questions.
Elizabeth suddenly remembered, "I met a Mary King, yesterday at William Lucas's office, she is his secretary! I wonder if it is the same person."
"That would be awfully coincidental." Caroline said, casting an alarmed glance at Elizabeth, who returned the look. Jane was watching for their waitress to order some water so missed the look between her sister and friend.
"We also saw William there, with his cousin Richard, they were in a rush, so we did not get to ask what they were doing there." Elizabeth looked at Caroline. "William Lucas runs a private security company"
"That would make sense, William is very security conscious, with his business being so successful he is a bit of a public figure and his company a target for hacking." That was the only reason Caroline could think of why William would have been meeting with a private security company.
Their food and drinks arrived, after taking a few bites Caroline started "My friend Anne is involved with the self-same George Wickham, and unfortunately, she has fallen for him in a big way. They are engaged." Caroline paused to take in their reactions to this bombshell.
Both looked very worried, and alarmed.
"Oh no, Poor Anne!" Jane was immediately sympathetic towards this poor girl.
"But wait there is more! I think Wickham stole Williams mothers ring and Anne is now wearing it. If they go forward and get married, this will send ructions through that family like nobody business." Caroline was not sure if the Bennet sisters would understand the dynamics this would introduce into their so-called social sphere, but she was also thinking of William and Georgiana, having already lost both parents, and now a treasured family item was in the hands of someone like Wickham.
"Have you mentioned this to William?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, due to past behaviour on my side, William does not really take me seriously." Caroline admitted, looking a little bit sheepish. "I was thinking that if one of you perhaps told him…well he might be more receptive."
"No, I don't think so, on all two occasion I have interacted with him, he has walked off three times!" Elizabeth said, her displeasure at this thought very evident on her face.
"William is a typical introvert; he does not deal well with strangers or situations where he is not in control. I think its because he has basically raised his sister on his own since his father died, and probably even before that because his mother died shortly after Georgiana was born. He has just always been in charge and responsible." Caroline felt she had to defend William, especially when she thought back on all her shenanigans over the last decade or so. "But he did listen when you told us about your sister, and it affected him deeply. I think it's because his sister is a similar age to your sister."
"Oh, how tragic for poor William, and his sister, that is full young to be left in charge of a young girl, and to lose both parents." Janes natural empathy vindicated William of all wrongdoing.
Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone.
"It's mine!" said Jane reaching into her bag, "Its my mother, please excuse me."
"Hello Mom," Jane stood up and walked a short way from the table. "WHAT? Really, that is wonderful news Mother, Lizzy and I will come home immediately!"
"Lydia has returned home, William Lucas dropped her off half an hour ago. She is asking for us." Jane was smiling and crying all at the same time.
"What? How?" Elizabeth could not believe her ears; she had started believing they would never see Lydia again. Even after talking to William Lucas yesterday, she felt that Lydia had been missing too long.
"Caroline, please excuse us, we will phone you later and we can decide what to about Anne." Jane pleaded with their friend, placing some money on the table for their half-eaten meals. "Please we said the next one was on me!"
Caroline was pleasantly surprised, most of her 'friends' were quite happy to always let her pay, and that Jane even remembered.
Jane and Elizabeth hugged Caroline goodbye and rush to Elizabeth's car.
Caroline sat for a while longer, it was great news that the youngest Bennet had returned home, but despite her flash of optimism when she initially heard the news, part of her felt that this was the only good news coming out of this situation.
0-0
Elizabeth had to focus as she drove them to her parent's house, it would be so stupid to get a speeding ticket just because Lydia was back, besides she needed to think.
They had seen William Lucas the day before, there was no ways he could have found her in such a short time, did William Darcy and his cousin have anything to do with this? Did he really go and see Uncle William about his business, or had they already started a search? And how much did that cost? Then again why on earth would William Darcy worry himself about her sister, he had only just met her and had never met Lydia. Yes, Caroline did say Darcy's sister was the same age as Lydia but is that enough to engage a private security company to look for a total stranger?
Or was Uncle William involved in another operation that just happened to dovetail with Lydia? Elizabeth had a lot of questions.
'Lizzy, do you think Lydia is alright?" Jane asked, her voice quite anxious. "She was missing for at least two weeks," there was a brief silence. "Why did Uncle William bring her home? How is he involved?"
"Charlotte and I went to see him yesterday, Maria suggested it and I was so desperate to find Lydia, I thought it was worth a try. It seems that Uncle Williams little security company is not so little after all." Elizabeth had not told Jane because she did not want her to get her hopes up.
"Oh and something strange happened as we left Uncle Williams offices." Elizabeth suddenly remembered the strange little man. "Some man ran up to me and said he was our second cousin, he knew who I was, about my sisters, it was totally creepy, and I want to talk to Uncle William about him, because he said he worked the company."
"Second cousin? On which side of the family?" Jane was curious.
"I am guessing dads' side, we have met mothers' entire family and then some, but only grandma and grandpa from dads' side, which now that I think about it is a bit weird. I know dads brother died before we were born but surely there were other uncles or aunts, cousins somewhere out there?" Elizabeth sudden realized that she had just taken it for granted that there weren't any extended family.
"Well, it would be good to have more family, perhaps he is just socially awkward and is actually really great once you get to know him." Janes eternal optimism just had no end.
"Yes maybe." Elizabeth did not believe that one bit, she got the weirdest creepiest vibe from that little man, and she did not see him improving on greater acquaintance.
They spent the rest of the trip in quiet contemplation, Jane moving between being worried about how Lydia was and happy to have a new family member. Elizabeth was wondering how William fitted into Lydia being found and if they owed him money if he was indeed involved.