"Never," Mary said bluntly. "She never takes care to practice prudence, and this time she may come to harm because of it."
"Indeed, she may," Elizabeth agreed. "I do not mean to detract from the harm that may come to her, but I am also extremely worried about the harm that may come to the relationships we have with three very worthy men."
"I have been thinking along those same lines, Lizzy," Mary said.
"Hopefully, things will turn out better than they appear to be at present," Jane said encouragingly.
Elizabeth wished she could be more hopeful of the situation, but to her way of thinking, potential scandal was not the only problem here. Even if they were fortunate enough to avoid scandal, Fitzwilliam, his cousin, and Mr. Hadley must naturally be alarmed by the defects of their family. Their very respectability was called into question by Lydia's wild behavior. Genteel families observed propriety, and they did not allow a rebellious daughter to undermine the dignity of the family or threaten their standing in society. Yet, that was exactly what had been allowed in the Bennet family, and now they were all paying the price for it. Elizabeth had been so embarrassed to learn of Lydia's latest act of recklessness with Fitzwilliam sitting right beside her. She had not even had the chance to tell him the full extent of Lydia's recent behavior, but given the fact that he witnessed her interactions with the butcher's nephew at the assembly, Elizabeth doubted Fitzwilliam would be surprised once he did learn the whole story.
A few hours later, their father arrived, staying just long enough to inquire if there was any news and to inform them of his movements. He had checked at various coaching inns between Meryton and London, just in case Lydia had made it that far. Hethen went out again with the intention of checking other inns on the outskirts of London.
Eventually, both Mr. Hadley and Mr. Fitzwilliam came to call. Elizabeth felt sorry that her sisters each had to take their turn in being humiliated just as she had been. When the gentlemen were informed of the circumstances surrounding Lydia, they both expressed their regret of the situation but were supportive.
During their visit, Elizabeth excused herself and retired early. Throughout the day she had been speculating on the many ways this situation with Lydia might resolve, for good or for ill, so much so that her head ached. Feeling mentally and emotionally drained as well, she just wanted to lie down and not think.
Sunday evening, Elizabeth, Jane, and Mary were sitting together in the parlor. It was quiet except for the crackle of the fire. Instead of attempting to read, Elizabeth had followed Jane's example and was bent over an embroidery hoop. She found the activity better suited to worrying and distracted thoughts.
When they had sat down to breakfast the previous day, Aunt Madeleine had suggested they go out to visit some shops. She said it would do them all good to get out of the house for a while, herself included.
"Until Lydia is found, the not knowing what has become of her will consume us if we let it. I think an outing will not only give us something else to focus our minds on, but it will also help to pass the time."
Elizabeth and her sisters expressed their agreement. That afternoon, they accompanied their aunt to several establishments and also to Gunter's for tea. It turned out that a few of Aunt Madeleine's friends were also having tea at Gunter's, so they enjoyed a brief visit with them as well.
The outing had indeed proved a welcome distraction. The worry, of course, had still been there, but it was a relief to Elizabeth for it to not be center stage in her mind for a few hours at least. However, it was not long after they had returned home that it was back in full force. Now, twenty-four hours later, the worry was still with her. In fact, it was even amplified by the quiet of the evening. Was Lydia well? She had now been missing for two days. If Uncle Edward and Fitzwilliam had not yet found her, was it unlikely they would at this point?
Mary closed her book and sighed. "I wonder how long they will keep looking for Lydia? At some point they will have to give up the search if they can find no trace of her."
"I confess I have been wondering the same," Jane admitted.
"I have as well," Elizabeth said. "It is such a conundrum! They cannot keep searching indefinitely if they have nothing to go on. And the longer it takes to locate Lydia, the less likely we will be able to keep this whole affair quiet."
"I hope they will find her soon. At the same time, I worry in what condition she will be found," Jane said.
"And what if news of this does get out?" Mary asked with sadness in her tone. "Mr. Hadley, Mr. Fitzwilliam, and Mr. Darcy have been supportive of the situation thus far, but if all of this becomes public, would it be right of us to expect their continued support? Will we not all be ruined?"
They looked at each other, knowing the answer, but neither Elizabeth nor her sisters could bring themselves to say it aloud.
At this point, the best they could hope for was that Lydia was in a predicament that could be handled quietly.
Elizabeth turned her gaze to the fire. As she stared into the flames, Elizabeth thought of Fitzwilliam and the life she had dreamed of having with him. She loved him. So much happiness was within her grasp, and now it may all be ripped away from her! It was an impossible situation. They were worried for Lydia,but they were also worried for themselves. If she was ruined, so were they.
Chapter 29
Darcy was on his way back to the inn after a long day of driving through Kent. Once again, he had found no sign of Miss Lydia. Darcy hoped she would be found soon and unharmed. He had to wonder what would be done about her going forward. Would this experience teach her a lesson? Gardiner had told him of the behavior that led to her being sent to this school. No doubt her father had thought these measures were the answer to dealing with such a rebellious daughter. Yet, here they were, searching throughout this corner of Kent, looking for Miss Lydia. Clearly, more would be required to keep her from ruining herself and her family.
Later, he was sitting in a private dining room, gazing out the window at the lantern light outside when Gardiner entered and took the seat across from him. They discussed the areas they had covered today and the inquiries they had each made. They also planned a strategy for the next day.
During the meal, Gardiner shared some details regarding his business and the connections he had made with merchants andsuppliers in different countries. Darcy found it all fascinating and asked him about various opportunities for investing.
After the serving maid had taken their plates, Darcy raised the topic that had been on his mind today. "I do not mean to overstep, but do you have any idea what Mr. Bennet will do about Miss Lydia after she is recovered?"
Gardiner sighed. "You do not overstep, Darcy. You are intimately connected with this family, and therefore have a right to ask. To answer your question, I do not know what Bennet will do. I believe he will have to at least consider the possibility of finding her a husband. I do not think it is what is best for Lydia, but we may be past that now. If she is not willing to comply with discipline and learn obedience and propriety, then she may leave her father no choice but to marry her off. She certainly cannot be allowed to ruin her sisters' lives simply because she is content to ruin her own."
"I agree. It is a shame things did not work out with the Ragland School as he hoped," Darcy said with a slight frown.
"As we had all hoped!" Gardiner clarified.
As Gardiner spoke about the constant efforts on the part of his eldest nieces to keep Lydia in line, Darcy glanced up and noticed an older couple walking past the door and a young lady following behind them.
