Chapter 18
As Mary had not spoken to her sisters before seating herself at the table to break her fast, Elizabeth could not understand why Cousin Collins, who never seemed to miss a meal, was absent. She looked from one parent to the other, and for some reason both looked dissatisfied, especially her mother. Jane and Mary looked as they ever did, but Kitty and Lydia seemed to be giggling more than usual.
“Are we to wait for our cousin before we eat?” Elizabeth enquired.
“My cousin has cut his visit short,” Bennet averred peevishly.
“Because Mary refused him,” Fanny added. There was so much more she wanted to say, but hanging on by a thread, she managed to hold her peace. Instead, she sniffed and shot a disapproving look at her middle daughter, but did not say a word.
It was neither the time nor the place, but Elizabeth was sure there was a story there. She would wait until after the meal to interrogate Mary. The news explained why Mama was peeved, but why was Papa piqued? Surely her father did not prefer that Mr Collins remain for his own personal amusement while, she guessed, it would have made Mary decidedly uncomfortable. Was his amusement so much more important than the feelings and wellbeing of his daughters? What about the way he treated his wife, and had taught herself to tease her mother? What of his refusal to check the youngest two Bennets before they were ruined, which would involve theirsisters in their ruin?
The questions she asked herself were uncomfortable ones. She also owned there was much more to discover, and it would not be easy. Elizabeth was aware the time to defer cogitating on the family dynamics, and her role in them, was well passed.
Thanks to Elizabeth being deep in thought, and her parents’ bad moods, other than the noise Kitty and Lydia generated, the morning meal was one of the calmest any of them could remember. Due to the fact the latter two had not a thought in their heads about anything other than their own gratification, they did not notice the sombre mood in the dining parlour.
Jane understood why her parents were in their own worlds, but she could not understand why Lizzy, who was not built for sadness, was so quiet and seemed to be deep in thought. She was sure Lizzy would speak to her before they went to sleep that night, if not before.
For her part, Mary was gratified that it seemed—at least so far—her mother had kept to her resolution not to harangue her for her refusal, of what she believed was the worst proposal in the history of proposals. Why Lizzy seemed so far away, Mary could not fathom. Based on their conversation when they had discussed whether she would have been open to knowing Mr Collins, with an eye to being courted by him, Mary was certain Lizzy’s mood had nought to do with her refusal of their cousin’s proposal. It was not like Lizzy to be so quiet, but Mary was sure if, or when, her next older sister chose to share what was causing her quietude, she would do so.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
A little after the meal, Lieutenants Denny and Wickham came to call. It was earlier than calls were usually made, but Mr Wickham explained they wanted to see their friends before they had to be on duty. The two greeted the ladies, whowere seated in the drawing room, warmly. Once again, after greeting Miss Elizabeth, Mr Wickham concentrated on the two youngest Bennets.
“Miss Lydia and Miss Kitty, as it is not too cold today, would you take a turn around the park with Denny and me?” Wickham suggested charmingly, smiling widely at Miss Lydia.
“We would love to take a turn with you fine men,” Lydia averred as she batted her eyelashes at Mr Wickham.
Lydia had responded before Kitty could, although the latter knew even had she not wanted to walk outside with the two officers, Lydia would have cajoled her until she changed her mind. With Lydia’s forceful character, most of the time, Kitty was unable to stand against her and it counted nothing if she voiced her opinion.
After donning their warm outerwear, the two youngest Bennets were escorted into the park by the lieutenants. Lydia, much to her pleasure, was on Mr Wickham’s arm while Kitty walked with Mr Denny. By prior arrangement, the latter led Kitty away from the other couple who were headed for the wilderness. Even though the foliage was long fallen, it still offered some blocking of the view from the house, or even to anyone else walking in the park.
Wickham led the lightskirt—he was sure it would be easy to lift her skirt—to the corner of the wilderness away from any prying eyes in the house. Denny was working to convince Miss Kitty to surrender her virtue. Wickham cared not that they each took one first, that way no one won, but no one lost the wager. Ten pounds would be nice to have, but he knew he needed to allow Denny to succeed as well, so he would keep following where Wickham led, without question.
He had considered attempting to have Miss Elizabeth lift her skirt for him, but much to Wickham’s chagrin, not a word of the tale of woe he had spun for her had been repeated to anyone. This had led to the coldness towards the woman. Hehad been so sure Miss Elizabeth would spread what he told her far and wide, but her failure to do what he had wanted, was one of the reasons Wickham had decided to ruin the Bennet chits as soon as possible.
“Miss Lydia, or may I call you Lydia?” Wickham asked as he pulled her to him seductively.
As she was sure the handsome man was about to kiss her, something to which she had no objection, it caused a warm feeling in a certain area that all Lydia could do was nod her head.
“Lydia, you must know that from the first time I saw you I knew I had found the woman I would spend the rest of my life with. Do you perchance, feel that way about me?” Wickham asked close to Lydia’s ear. Feeling his warm breath caressing her earlobe almost made her weak at the knees.
“Yes, Wicky, I love you,” Lydia managed to aver.
He forced himself to school his features. Wickham hated that particular shortening of his name as it had always been used to mock him, especially by that damned Richard Fitzwilliam. It would not do to show Lydia his anger when he was so close to achieving his aim of taking her maidenhood.
“My darling girl, you know not how much that pleases me to hear,” Wickham dissembled. He lowered his head and kissed the silly girl on her lips. She was putty in his hands, and he knew there was not anything he asked of her she would not do.
“I want to marry you, but I have to wait some months to receive some funds due me so I will be able to afford a wife,” Wickham spun his fiction.
“But Wicky, if we are together, I care not if you need to wait for your money.”
“Dear girl, I love you more for your saying that. However, how will I purchase you the dresses you deserve? Will you be willing to go without. Also, until I receive what I am owed, wewill not be able to afford a comfortable home or any servants. Would you be willing to cook, clean, and act as a servant until we can afford them?”
Lydia was horrified at the thought of having to work and not being able to order gowns as she desired them. “Of course we must wait, but come, let us go speak to Papa. What a lark, I, the youngest will be the first to marry.”
“Until I receive my due, this must remain a secret between us. Your father would deny a poor officer with no prospects, and then we would be sundered one from the other, as I would not be permitted to make my request again.” Wickham placed his hand over his heart dramatically. “I would not want to have to wait so many years until your majority if your father refuses us now. How would I live without you?”
“Of course you have the right of it. May I at least tell Kitty? We tell each other all of our secrets.”
