Elizabeth frowned. “How can that be, sir?”
“Two of the girls are from wealthy families. They were friendless until Lydia took them in, and now they supply her with whatever she desires during their weekly visits to the village. The headmistress reports that Lydia refuses all discipline and will not abide by the rules.”
Elizabeth was silent.
He shook his head. “This child may yet bring ruin upon herself and upon Kitty.”
“Ought I to tell Mr. Darcy? Georgiana is still unwed. It may affect her.”
Mr. Bennet glanced toward his son-in-law, who sat across the room, conversing with his friend. “Yes, Lizzy, it is best. Edward speaks well of the school in Nottinghamshire. It has a reputation for producing respectable young women, regardless of their origins. But he has an unmarried sister and he should be informed.”
“I shall tell him this evening, though it pains me to do so. He once thought me a liability. What will he think of me now?”
Mr. Bennet placed his hand over hers. “Elizabeth, any man may see how much he loves you. When he looks at you, my dear, his heart is in his eyes. Lydia will not come between you. Tell him, so that he is not taken unawares if matters worsen.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes, when Elizabeth ventured to ask, “Papa, what of Mrs. Tolbert? Do you intend to marry her?”
He looked at his daughter, and then his gaze fell to the book resting in his lap. “I think not, Elizabeth. We are well as we are. She invites me to dine with her and Mary, and they dine with me in return. We speak with one another in the courtyard after church, and she has taken to walking with me to Oakham Mount each morning.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Is that why you appear so neat and trim?”
He chuckled. “I have had to order new clothes. My coats and trousers no longer fit, so I sent them to the parish for the poorhouse. They were pleased to receive them and observed that they had been but lightly worn.”
“That is because you spent all your days in your study.”
“That is true, my girl, but I walk now. Hettie and I see one another often enough to enjoy our time together. Lizzy, I fear that if we were to marry, we might soon fall into discord, as it was with your mother and me. I was married for many years, and I find I value my independence. I enjoy the quiet of the house. I may spend as many hours as I please in my study, and if I choose to skip a meal, I may do so. I have even found a measure of peace in my own thoughts.”
Elizabeth placed her hand over his. “I understand. I no longer hear mother’s reproaches echoing in my thoughts either.” She leafed through the book on her lap, then said, “Papa, do not fail me. Come with the Gardiners. Mr. Darcy says you will be delighted with his library.”
Mr. Bennet smiled. “Very well, my girl. I shall come, and if his library is as fine as he claims, you may never be rid of me.”
Elizabeth laughed and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.
That night, when Mr. Darcy drew Elizabeth into his arms, he said, “What is it, Elizabeth? You are very somber this evening.”
She turned to face him. In the moonlight, she traced the lines of his face. “Fitzwilliam, I am troubled about my sister Lydia.”
“You speak of the youngest, who is at school?”
“Yes. My uncle Gardiner is removing her from the school on the Isle of Wight and sending her to one in Nottinghamshire. Instead of improving, she has grown more spoiled this past year and has learned nothing of proper deportment.”
She related what her father had told her. Darcy listened without interruption.
When she had finished, he said, “She has not attempted to run away or formed any improper connection with a young man?”
“No, sir. They have no contact with men, but Papa says she conducts herself as though she were a queen.”
He smiled with some amusement. “Elizabeth, if she is to be placed at Mrs. Barrymore’s Academy in Nottinghamshire, you need not be uneasy. The headmistress has years of experience in reforming young ladies. The instructors are firm, and each student must earn her privileges. There is no opportunity for such behavior there. Your sister will learn what is required of her.”
“Fitzwilliam, I feared this would lower me in your esteem.”
He drew nearer and kissed her. “I promised for better or for worse, my dear. You must not keep anything from me. We shall meet every difficulty together.”
He looked at her more closely. “You are weeping.”
“I did not fully understand, until now, that you meant what you said when you recited your marriage vows.”
“Elizabeth, neither of us stands alone any longer. We have one another.”
