“Which could also mean that, if his debts are paid and he finds a new living, he might be willing to marry.”
“So, he demands to be paid in order to marry Lydia?” Mr Bennet enquired with disgust.
“Very likely.”
“What a wretch! I would never agree to that! Even if I had the money to pay all his debts, which of course I do not, I would not do so! Tell me, how large are they? His debts, I mean.”
“Mr Bennet,” Mr Darcy spoke carefully, “you should not concern yourself with Wickham’s debts. They have been taken care of in their entirety. Your only concern should be choosing what is best for Miss Lydia and the rest of your family.”
“His debts are paid? Who paid them?” Mr Bennet enquired, and Elizabeth held her breath in anticipation.
“I do not feel comfortable speaking further on this subject,” Mr Darcy said. “However, I assure you they are properly paid. The question is, do you want to persuade Wickham to marry Miss Lydia? If you do, I believe it can be arranged.”
Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief, but he seemed reluctant to meet her eyes.
“What choice do I have, Mr Darcy?” Mr Bennet enquired. “Lydia is silly and unreasonable, and she would probably marry him in an instant. If she does, she will be condemned to a miserable life, tied to a scoundrel. But if she does not marry him, the scandal of the elopement will ruin the entire family’s reputation by association.”
Nobody answered, so Mr Bennet sipped more from his drink. “So how can I measure my youngest daughter’s happiness against that of the other four? What should I do, Mr Darcy? What would you do in my place?”
Mr Darcy seemed stunned by the question, and for a moment he looked at Elizabeth, catching her eye.
“I cannot express an opinion on this subject, Mr Bennet. Although the story of a young girl deceived and seduced by a scoundrel is not new, nor rare, each family should decide what is most acceptable for her. I trust you have your eldest daughters, as well as Mr and Mrs Gardiner, to help you decide. As for me…”
He paused and cast another brief look at Elizabeth, then continued, “Please know you may depend on my support, in any way you need it. I shall leave you now, but I shall return tomorrow morning to settle matters.”
He stood up and the others with him.
“So, let me understand you clearly. All Wickham’s debts are paid, and he would be willing to marry Lydia if we agree? You paid those debts? If so, and if Lydia does marry him, we must discuss repayment,” Mr Bennet insisted.
“As I said already, the subject of Wickham’s debts is already settled. There is nothing more to discuss.” His eyes flickered towards Elizabeth, his gaze holding a silent intensity that quickened her pulse.
Mr Bennet leant forwards, his wit tempered by gravity. “You have our eternal gratitude, sir. But now we must settle the matter of Lydia and this wretch. By tomorrow morning, we must decide between marriage or banishment, and I am lost as to how to proceed.”
“By doing what is best for Lydia, Papa,” Elizabeth whispered. “The scandal will eventually be forgotten, I hope. But having her tied to such a dreadful man when she is just a child yet? She must be saved, even against her will.”
She spoke with a heavy heart, knowing she had just agreed to abandon any hopes for herself and perhaps for Jane, too. She dared glance at Mr Darcy and met his eyes for another instant.
“Of course, we must consider there might be consequences that will not be apparent until later, perhaps not even for a few months, and which might cause further damage that cannot be mended,” Mr Bennet added, causing both Elizabeth and Jane to blush violently.
“Precisely,” Mr Darcy said. “This is why I suggested you discuss all these details carefully. And…I might sound bold and presumptuous, but…how should I say this…if Miss Lydia returns to Longbourn unmarried and, um, certain consequences of her recent actions become apparent in a few months, things will be difficult to manage. I own a small house here in town, inherited from an aunt. It has a few servants who take care of it, but nobody lives there. Perhaps Miss Lydia and her sisters might wish to stay there…I mean, to stay in London for a few months… Perhaps the people of Meryton might be persuaded that she only came to London to join her eldest sisters…? I hope you understand my meaning.”
He spoke with the embarrassment of a man not accustomed to lies, his countenance changed several times, and he looked from Mr Bennet to Mr and Mrs Gardiner, avoiding Elizabeth’s gaze.
With every word, his audience understood his suggestion more clearly, rendering them silenced in astonishment. Elizabeth held her breath, her heart pounding, fearing to believe what she had heard. That Mr Darcy had paid Mr Wickham’s debts was a generous gesture, but somehow expected. But to offer Lydia a house in town, where she could live for a few months, was extraordinary.
He was right, of course; Lydia might be with child after spending two nights with that rascal, and such an outcome would neither be concealed nor forgotten in Meryton. However, staying in London, far away from her acquaintances, might be an easier way to handle such a situation. In what way, Elizabeth could not even speculate; even with Mr Darcy’s support, they seemed to be falling down a dark hole, deeper and deeper, with no escape.
What impressed her the most, causing a gripping pain in her chest, was the notion that Mr Darcy, a man of truth and honour, who abhorred disguise of any sort, was willing to enter into such a scheme — and to actually lie for Lydia! Why would he do so? For the guilt of not exposing Wickham earlier? Because his own sister might have found herself in a similar situation? Could it be because he wished to help her, Elizabeth, the woman he had once loved and admired and who had rejected him so carelessly?
“I shall leave you now,” he said, walking towards the door. Mr Bennet and Mr Gardiner joined him, and he cast a last glance over his shoulder, towards Elizabeth. Tearful, she hoped that at least he could see the gratitude in her gaze.
From the door, he stopped again and asked, “Did you receive Bingley’s note? He said he would send one, but he is not very fond of writing, if he can avoid it.”
“Yes, we did. I hope Mr Bingley is in good health?” Mr Gardiner replied, while Jane’s hand slipped into Elizabeth’s, gripping it tightly.
“Yes, I asked him to undertake some business on my behalf, since I was out of town.”
“Oh…” Jane whispered with a sigh, and even Elizabeth’s heart lightened a little.
