Jane smiled and rose from the bed, leaning to kiss Elizabeth’s forehead. “Perhaps it is, Lizzy. Mr. Darcy may yet surprise you, but I shall not offer any prediction. For now, I believe it is time for me to retire.”
After the door closed behind her sister, Elizabeth extinguished the candle, but remained sitting in the dark for some time after. It was not Mr. Wickham or the situation they might find in Meryton the following morning that kept her attention, but thoughts of Mr. Darcy and Jane’s comment about the gentleman. Since he had shocked her so thoroughly, Elizabeth could not say she had judged his actions with any accuracy. So it was possible that he would confound her again and return to Hertfordshire.
The question, then, was what she should do if hedidreturn. Mrs. Bennet, she knew, would push the match with the fervor of a matchmaking mother, heedless of how it would appear to a gentleman who had proven his adherence to propriety. Would Mrs. Bennet’s behavior deter him? Elizabeth was forced to conclude that since Mr. Darcy had pushed all concerns about her family to the side, it was possible he would ignore it. That would not make it any easier for Elizabeth to endure, for her mother had the power to embarrass her, and she did so often.
In the end, Elizabeth lay down, determined to give over any further consideration of Mr. Darcy’s return. If he appeared, she would respond to his overtures as honestly as she could. Concerning herself about it enough to make herself unhappy was foolish, and she decided to have nothing to do with that.
Chapter IX
Only a few hours later, the sound of raised voices woke the family from their slumber. Elizabeth had wondered if she would find sleep at all that night, only to wake bleary and disoriented. When she gained the use of her senses, she could hear two voices, but what snapped her to full consciousness was that one of them belonged to Lydia.
Rising from her bed, Elizabeth took the robe she had draped over her chair the previous night and shrugged it on, tying it at her waist. Then she opened the door and stepped into the hall, where a surprising sight met her eyes.
Down the hall toward her youngest sisters’ rooms, she could see two struggling figures, the voices identifying them as Kitty and Lydia.
“No, Lydia, I shall not allow it! This is madness!”
“Kitty!” insisted Lydia, though she kept her voice low in a vain attempt to avoid drawing attention. “Let me go.”
By this time, other doors opened, Elizabeth’s sisters and mother looking on the scene with expressions ranging from shock to horror. Elizabeth did not stand still—she stepped into the quarrel and forced her youngest and foolish sister to face her.
“Lydia! What are you doing?”
“Be silent, Lizzy!” screeched Lydia, all pretense of restraint now gone. “If you had not betrayed him, I would not need to warn him of the danger.”
“That is enough, all of you,” came the voice of her father.
It was just in time, for Elizabeth was moments away from striking her sister.
“Mrs. Bennet, get a candle, please.”
Mrs. Bennet darted into her chambers as Mr. Bennet stepped forward, his eyes finding his youngest daughter in the dim hall. Though there was little light, Elizabeth saw enough to notice her father’s eyes narrowing. Lydia would not meet his gaze.
“Lydia,” said he, as Mrs. Bennet hurried up behind him holding a candle, “were you leaving for an assignation with Mr. Wickham?”
The girl’s eyes widened, and she stammered denials. “N-No, Papa!” It was little more than a squeak. “Mr. Wickham has no notion that I will go to Meryton.”
“You willnotgo to Meryton,” replied Mr. Bennet, allowing for no contradiction. “What I wish to know is what you were thinking.”
Lydia turned sullen and would not meet his eyes. Mr. Bennet watched her critically, observing her state.
“You are dressed to be out of doors, but I do not see a bag or a trunk.”
“There is no assignation,” repeated Lydia, this time a little stronger.
“Then what were you doing?” demanded Mr. Bennet.
Lydia squirmed, but she could not refuse the direct question. “Mr. Wickham needssomeoneon his side—I merely meant to go to Meryton and warn him of the danger.”
“You foolish girl!” snapped Elizabeth in an explosion of temper. “Walk to Meryton in the middle of the night to warn a libertine against consequences he deserves? I have never heard of anything more foolish.”
“If you had not attacked him, I would not need to take such drastic measures!” hissed Lydia. “I do not accept that he is a libertine—Mr. Darcy has always hated him.”
“Then why did you not wait for the morrow, see if Papa could discover any improper debts?” demanded Elizabeth. “Because you are silly and stupid!”
Lydia growled, but Elizabeth would not allow her to speak. “If you had succeeded, it would be difficult to gain entrance to Mr. Wickham, and even if you had, would you protect him against his own actions?”
“He is innocent!”
