Chapter 10
Mr Bennet sat in his study, engrossed in his books, when an unwelcome intrusion disrupted his solitude. The discontent on his face was palpable as his brothers-in-law barged in, ready to express their dissatisfaction with his handling of the threat to the family. Mr Bennet was visibly perturbed by the invasion of his sanctuary and looked up from his book with a frown.
"When did you arrive from London, Gardiner? And why are you here?" he asked, surprised to see this brother barging into his study. He cast a scowl in the direction of his other brother and realised the two had likely spoken — which meant Elizabeth had likely spoken to him. Quickly, he realised that this interview was likely to be unpleasant.
"Phillips sent me a message about what is going on here. For the last several, you have allowed Lizzy to run the estate while you sat in your study and read books. Before that, you were barely bothered to take an interest and allowed the estate to be managed by your steward, and your income declined as a result. Now, you are attempting to deny her an opportunity to marry extraordinarily well, and for what, so you can continue to rely on her managing the estate. You have been indolent and neglectful, but this is unconscionable," Gardiner demanded.
"That rude and disdainful man only wants to toy with my daughter. He will not marry her. You were here, Phillips, when he was hear before. You heard him say my daughter was merely tolerable." Bennet snorted.
Both of the other gentlemen scowled at him, but it was Gardiner who answered first. "What manner of foolishness is this? The kind of man you suggest he is would not have spoken to you of his intentions. He would have met with her in secret and attempted to steal her virtue privately, not engage himself to her in a public manner. Mr Darcy is well known in society as an understanding sort of man. Had you bothered to investigate the matter, I could have told you what I knew of his reputation."
Phillips snarled his own response. "You allow your youngest daughters to flirt with any man they come across, but you deny a respectable man who seeks her hand in an honourable way. How is he any different than Bingley? Will you deny his suit as well?"
"It is different with Jane. Jane will do well on the arm of a wealthy man. No man wants a woman like Lizzy except to warm his bed for a time. I have educated her well beyond what a woman is expected to know, ensuring no man will want her. That Darcy fellow can only want to take what he can from her and will leave her ruined," Bennet said, sounding remarkably like Lydia when in a snit.
"Again, Bennet, you have proven yourself a fool. Lizzy is not only an attractive woman, but some men want to marry a woman they can actually speak to. Mr Darcy is clearly one of those men. He is serious about marrying your second daughter, in fact, I have the wedding settlement here."
Bennet merely scoffed at his brother Phillips. "How do you know anything he said to you is legitimate?"
Both men shook their heads in disgust. "Bennet, I am through with this conversation. You will sign these papers giving guardianship of the younger girls to Gardiner and myself. We will all be departing Hertfordshire within the next few days to remove the girls from the danger here in Hertfordshire and ensure they are cared for beyond what you seem capable of."
Several documents were placed in front of Bennet, and he grudgingly signed where he was instructed, not bothering to read any of the papers. This done, he instructed his brothers to leave his study, granting them the freedom to do as they pleased.
Seemingly indifferent to their exit, as soon as the door was closed, Mr. Bennet returned to his book. The weight of the decisions he had not made hung in the air, but he buried himself in literature, attempting to escape the reality of what was happening in his own home.
"Gather your sisters into the parlour just as soon as you can. Your mother is still above stairs?" Uncle Gardiner asked Elizabeth when they exited the study. She had been standing just outside, waiting for the conference to end. Though she had desperately wanted to, Elizabeth had restrained the impulse to utilise a glass from the kitchens to listen at the door.
Elizabeth nodded in reply to her uncle's question. "Yes, and our trunks are all packed. They are in the servant's hall waiting to be loaded onto carriages tomorrow, and we only wait for our aunt to arrive to be ready to depart."
"How did you convince your mother to stay in her room?" Gardiner asked.
"She is terrified of the idea of a scoundrel who might ruin her daughters. Mrs Hill gave her tea with a large measure of brandy in it — she will sleep for somet time."
"Would you like to send a note to your intended with the news that all is arranged?" Uncle Phillips teased her
She turned and grinned at her Uncle Phillips. "My father would not like that at all. Can I also inform him that you have permitted me to travel with him and the colonel in the morning, with a sister or two along for company?"
Both her uncles turned their best glare on her. "Fetch your sisters, Lizzy, and cease your impertinence. I am glad Mr Darcy has returned and agreed to take my most difficult niece off our hands," Gardiner retorted. "Never mind sending your letter now; I will send a message to your intended to ask if he really wants an impertinent girl like you."
"Uncle!" With a beseeching look, she nearly ran up the steps as she sought her sisters.
In just a few minutes, all five Bennet daughters were seated in the drawing room with their uncles. Gardiner began with a warning. "We will depart for Derbyshire tomorrow. Ultimately, your father did not make much of a fuss over signing the papers granting your guardianship to us. No one is to step foot from this house without one of the guards standing outside the kitchen door, and I do not know why, but I think you girls should sleep in pairs tonight. Well, three of you will have to share one room since there are an uneven number of you. Do not go anywhere by yourself, even within the house. There is evidence that Mr Wickham has been near the garden as late as this morning."
Several moments of silence followed before a question from Lydia broke it. "How do they know it was Mr Wickham?"
"I suppose it is not certain, but how many vagrants could there be sleeping in the woods around Longbourn?" Elizabeth retorted.
Lydia's face fell, having never considered the matter. She still admired Mr Wickham and struggled to believe he was as bad as indicated. Not only that, but she had discovered a note from him just that morning proclaiming his innocence and asking her to meet him in the garden that evening. His note begged her to keep the meeting a secret and claimed she was the only one who had ever understood him and could help in this situation.
Immediately after finding the note, she decided to do as the note bid. However, the more she thought about all her sisters had said to her over the last few days about how one sister's ruin could affect the rest and the reputation of Mr Wickham, the more she questioned the wisdom of such a plan.
"What if Mr Wickham is innocent?" she asked quietly.
Mary scoffed and retorted: "Why would an innocent man run? If he were innocent, he would remain and defend himself."
"Lydia, you heard how he attempted to importune me," Elizabeth interjected. "I know you want to think him good because he paid you some attention, but truly, Lydia, he is not a good man."
For a moment, Lydia looked as though she intended to object. "I suppose you are right," she finally conceded, her voice petulant.
Elizabeth eyed her warily, as did both of her uncles. When her eyes dropped to her lap, Elizabeth looked between her uncles and saw the warning in their eyes. "Lydia, you and I will room together tonight. Do you prefer to stay in my room or for me to stay in yours?"
Lydia started. "I had planned to stay with Kitty."
"Fine, all three of us can sleep in Kitty's room. I suppose we can ask Mr. Hill to find a cot or something, as Kitty's bed is too small for the three of us."
"And Mary and I will sleep in Mary's room," Jane added.
Their uncles looked between the five girls and were glad Elizabeth and Jane were there to assist with the younger three. They also meant to have a word with the militiamen guarding the house and the former soldiers employed by Darcy. All doors into the house would be monitored that evening by more than one set of eyes.
Midnight, Tuesday, December 10, 1811
Elizabeth lay awake on her cot as she heard the clock strike twelve. Just as she had decided that all their concern was in vain, she heard Lydia stirring and, in the shadows, saw her rising from her bed. "Oh, Lydia," she thought, only waiting long enough for Lydia to leave the room before following.
Unbeknownst to Lydia, Elizabeth was not the only one who followed her through the house. Both of her uncles were downstairs, waiting not far from the exit to the gardens to wait.
The gardens at Longbourn were well-guarded as well. Several sets of eyes saw the man who opened the garden gate and slunk inside. He was obviously slightly in his cups, and it was not hard to track his progress as he was unable to keep quiet. These same eyes saw the light indicating the door from the house opening as Lydia's shadow stepped out.
"Miss Lydia?" a voice whispered.
"Yes!"
"I am so glad you could come. I hope you know I have been most greviously abused; Darcy and Fitzwilliam were always jealous of me. They have set me up as a reprobate when they are the real villains."
A laugh sounded from the shadows. "Exactly why would Darcy or I be jealous of you?"
"Fitzwilliam?" Wickham's voice was startled and more than a little afraid.
"That is Colonel Fitzwilliam to you, and you are under arrest."
Wickham lunged toward Lydia in an attempt to catch her to him. However, the door behind her opened again, and she was yanked inside before Wickham could reach her.
"Damnation," he shouted at the near-miss. "What do you want, Colonel Fitzwilliam?"
"As I said, you are under arrest. This time, you will not escape, and you will receive a far worse punishment than the Marshalsea. I would expect the firing squad or the hangman's noose. You will likely not even have the chance to plead your case as, by escaping, you have proclaimed your guilt."
"Darcy will not let me hang; I hold too much over him. I can ruin both his sister and his intended," Wickham claimed.
Fitzwilliam laughed. "You always were a fool and certainly short-sighted in this case. No one will listen to a thing you say. In fact," he paused and whistled, "you are under arrest. Men, gag him first and then place him in shackles."
Several men appeared from the shadows and captured Wickham. His cravat was roughly untied and then re-tied to cover his mouth, bringing his vociferous protests to a halt. His arms and feet were locked in iron shackles, and he was marched toward a carriage that had been prepared for the events of that night. Two militia members were already present in the carriage, and Colonel Forster had ensured both men were those to whom Wickham owed money. He had agreed with Darcy's suggestion as these men would be far less likely to allow him to escape.
Once Wickham was unceremoniously hoisted inside the conveyance, one of the men who had placed him in shackles boarded the carriage while the other jumped on the back. At Fitzwilliam's call, the carriage departed toward the militia camp, several outriders provided by Colonel Forster accompanying it.
Mr. Gardiner stepped outside, followed closely by Mr. Phillips. "Is all well inside?" the colonel asked.
"Yes, Lizzy has Lydia settled after a sound scolding. We gave my sister laudanum to ensure she slept through the night's events, and Mr Bennet has not bothered to stir from his room despite its overlooking the gardens," Gardiner replied.
"Good, then I will return to Netherfield to update Darcy on what has transpired here tonight. It should be surprising how stupid Wickham is, but he is too lazy to think any scheme all the way through."
The three men spoke for another moment or two before separating. Phillips and Fitzwilliam headed for the stables to mount the horses that would take them toward their own beds, and Gardiner went back inside and to the guest room. His wife would arrive on the morrow, and there would be much to do once she arrived.