He stood abruptly, his brain trying to reconcile what his eyes just saw.
He looked back at Gardiner. "I believe I just saw your niece!"
Darcy then darted from the room with Gardiner following closely behind. He rounded the corner in time to see them walking towards the stairs.
"Miss Lydia!"
She and the couple with her turned around.
"Mr. Darcy! Uncle!"
"Lydia!" Gardiner exclaimed, hugging her. "Are you well?"
"Yes, Uncle, I am perfectly well," she replied blithely.
She then introduced the couple to her uncle. The older gentleman explained how they came to find Miss Lydia and their plans to bring her to London tomorrow on their way home. Gardiner thanked them for their care of his niece.
Gardiner turned to him and sighed. "Darcy, thank goodness you are so observant! We were very fortunate to find her here."
"Indeed, we were!"
Gardiner put a hand to Darcy's shoulder. "I truly appreciate everything you have done to assist in her recovery."
"I am glad I could help. I am also relieved to see her unharmed."
"As am I. I think I will go to the school in the morning before we leave. I want to speak with the headmistress and get a full accounting of what has taken place since Bennet enrolled her."
Darcy nodded. "Shall we meet for breakfast at seven?"
"Yes, that sounds good."
He then left Gardiner to deal with his niece. Darcy was glad she appeared to be well. Taking off on her own the way she did, things could have turned out very differently for her. The couple who had taken her under their protection did not appear the type who would spread gossip, so that was good. Now, it remained for her family to handle the situation, particularly her father. Darcy would try to give them a bit of space to do that, but after a day or so, he would need to intrude upon them. He did not want to be parted from Elizabeth for longer than necessary, and since he had a vested interest in this family, Darcy would insist on knowing where things stood with Miss Lydia.
Elizabeth was sitting in the drawing room with her aunt and sisters when suddenly Uncle Edward walked in with Lydia!Words of shock and relief echoed through the room at her sudden appearance. As they took turns embracing her, Papa, who had obviously heard the exclamations, came into the room as well. He looked at his youngest daughter with an unreadable expression.
"Are you well?"
"Yes, Papa," she said warily.
"Why do we not all sit?" Aunt Madeleine suggested.
They all sat down and looked at Lydia.
"So, you say you are well," Papa began. "Were you not well at the school? Was the headmistress beating you? Were they starving you?"
"No, Papa, I—"
"No? Then pray tell me what possessed you to run away from that school and put yourself in such danger?" His voice increased in volume and anger with every word.
"I was never in any danger!"
"Lydia, answer the question," Papa said impatiently.
"I did not like it there! I could not suffer it! If you did not do all your studies and all your chores, you had to get up early in the morning and do even more studying and more chores! I do not need to learn science or history or music! None of those things will help me catch a husband! I knew I would do much better going to balls and parties! Since Aunt Madeleine was planning to attend some events with my sisters, I wanted to be here so that I could go! Uncle told Mama I was too young, but I thought if I could prove to Aunt I was not too young, then she would convince Uncle to allow me to attend. And if I was already here, they may as well bring me along."
Lydia's words brought expressions of incredulity to everyone's faces.
Aunt Madeleine looked at Lydia with suspicion. "Lydia, how did you even know I was taking your sisters to some events? I never told you that."
