"I overheard you telling Uncle," Lydia replied.
"You mean you eavesdropped," Aunt Madeleine said bluntly.
Lydia's face confirmed the truth of her aunt's words.
Papa shook his head as he looked at her. "You have put your family and others to a great deal of worry, trouble, and expense! Do you have anything else to say for yourself, Lydia?"
"Only that I do not wish to go back to that school!" she said stubbornly. "I am sorry anyone was worried, but truly I was not in danger."
Papa stood, and so did Uncle Edward.
"Madeleine, when it is time for luncheon, Bennet and I will take trays in the study."
"I shall see to it, darling," Aunt Madeleine said.
"Thank you," Uncle Edward said, kissing her on the cheek.
As soon as Papa and Uncle Edward left the room, Lydia began insisting again that she was never in any danger.
"Where did you go when you left the school?" Aunt Madeleine asked her.
"I made my way back to the inn where we stayed when Papa brought us to Kent. It is not that far from the school."
"And then what did you do?"
"I attempted to secure a seat on the mail coach to London, but I did not have enough money. I tried to tell the innkeeper it was important that I get to town right away, but he said he could not help me. Fortunately, an older couple overheard our conversation and offered to help me. I explained that I had left that school and wanted to go to my uncle's home in London. At first, they tried to convince me to go back to the school, but I said I was not going back! They finally agreed to see me to London on their way home, and they took a room for me. The night beforewe were to leave, Mr. Darcy and Uncle found me after we had just finished dinner."
"Lydia, it is important you understand that just because things turned out well for you does not mean you were never in any danger. The outcome was purely happenstance. You left a place of security and went out into the world on your own without protection and without money. If that couple had not chosen to take pity on you, what do you think would have happened? The innkeeper had already refused you a seat on the mail coach due to insufficient funds. Do you think he would have allowed you to have food or a room for however many nights you were in need?" Aunt Madeleine asked.
"No," Lydia said reluctantly.
"No. You would have been out in the cold. And I assure you, young lady, there is no shortage of unscrupulous men out there who would have taken advantage of your situation as soon as they were aware of it. You are very fortunate you did not meet with one of them. If you had, you might never have seen your family again."
Aunt Madeleine gave Lydia a hard look, then left the room.
Irritated with Lydia's selfish and careless attitude, Elizabeth, Jane, and Mary left the room as well.
The next afternoon, Elizabeth was sitting in the parlor, curled up on the window seat, looking out at the garden. Her aunt and sisters were in the drawing room with Lydia, but she could not stand the sight of her youngest sister right now. Nor could she stand Lydia's complaining about not being able to go to any balls or parties. Elizabeth wondered if Lydia learned anything from what Aunt Madeleine had tried to impress upon her. To put herself at such great risk all so she could come and convince heraunt to allow her out in society! She had put all their reputations in jeopardy for something that would not even come to pass! One thing was certain—Lydia only grew bolder by the moment. In the last several months, her every audacious act seemed to surpass the one before. Where would it end?
Elizabeth wondered if Papa and Uncle Edward had determined what to do with Lydia. There was a long history of their mother spoiling and indulging her while their father failed to insist she learn obedience and decorum. Now, those chickens had come home to roost. The fact that she had defied Papa and left the school in which he had placed her proved that more would be required to bring her under control. If Papa and Uncle Edward had come up with a course of action, they had not indicated as much.
Elizabeth turned at the sound of footsteps entering the room.
"How are you, Elizabeth?" Aunt Madeleine asked, sitting on the window seat.
"Almost certainly better than you, Jane, and Mary are, with Lydia going on and on about how ill-treated she is," Elizabeth said with a roll of her eyes.
Her aunt sighed. "When I go back in there, I will be informing her that she can either change the subject or go to her room and remain there until dinner."
"Do you know what Papa has decided to do about her?"
"I believe he has come to a decision, but has delayed the announcement of it so that he may also delay the caterwauling," she replied with an arched brow.
Elizabeth shook her head. "I see."
"What are you thinking, Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth took a deep breath, then looked at her aunt. "Even if Lydia has not quite ruined us all yet, it is still to be determined what damage she has inflicted on our courtships. While she was staying at an inn being cared for by a thoughtful couple,her sisters were being made to bear her shame in front of the gentlemen courting them. Our family must appear barely respectable to all three gentlemen now."
