Page 171 of The Long Road Back to Yesterday

Mary finally reached the top of the mount, breathing hard. She looked from Lydia's furious face to Wickham's retreating figure.

“Mr. Wickham stalked past me, looking dreadful. Did you have words?”

“We did. I told him what I thought of a grown man arranging a secret meeting with our fifteen-year-old sister.”

Mary's eyes widened before she moved to Lydia's other side and took her arm.

“Come, Lydia. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“I hate both of you!”

“You may hate us all the way home,” Elizabeth said. “But home is where you are going.”

Between them, Elizabeth and Mary led Lydia down the hill.

* * *

By the time they reached Longbourn, Lydia had ceased trying to wrench herself free, but her anger had not diminished. Tears streaked her face, and she complained bitterly of Elizabeth's cruelty all the way to the house.

Elizabeth paid no attention.

“Let us take her to Papa,” she said to Mary as they entered. “Perhaps now he will understand why I have been so afraid.”

Lydia renewed her struggles. “I will not go to Papa. I am going to Mamma. She will tell you what a hateful creature you are.”

Mary tightened her hold on Lydia's arm. “You are going to Papa.”

They crossed the hall and entered Mr. Bennet's study without knocking.

He looked up from his book, his irritation at the intrusion giving way to astonishment at the sight of three of his daughters crowded into the room. Lydia was weeping noisily between Elizabeth and Mary, her face flushed and one hand pressed against the cheek Elizabeth had struck.

“What in heaven's name has happened?”

“Lydia arranged to meet Mr. Wickham alone on Oakham Mount.”

Lydia cried out. “I did not! Lizzy followed me and made a dreadful scene. She insulted Mr. Wickham and struck me!”

Mr. Bennet stared at his youngest daughter.

Elizabeth raised her voice enough to be heard. “I saw Lydia leave the house alone and followed her. Mr. Wickham was waiting beneath the trees on the mount. He tried to persuade me that his presence there was a coincidence, but Lydia herself admitted to the assignation.”

Lydia tried to shrug off Elizabeth’s hand and turned toward the door.

“Papa, what does a thirty-year-old man want with a fifteen-year-old girl? Answer me that.”

A movement at the study door caught Elizabeth’s attention.

Mrs. Bennet stood there with one hand against the frame, her mouth open in shock. Jane slipped quietly into the room beside her.

Elizabeth continued. “Had Mary not gone with me, Lydia would have left with him. She refused to return to the house, and it was all Mary and I could do to bring her home.” She looked directly at her father. “Papa, understand me. If Lydia had gone with him, she would have brought ruin upon herself and every one of her sisters.”

“Oh, Lydia,” Mrs. Bennet whispered.

Lydia twisted toward her. “Mamma, I only wanted to see him! There is nothing wrong with that. He likes me, and Lizzy is jealous because no officer has ever admired her.”

Mrs. Bennet said nothing.

Her silence seemed finally to penetrate Lydia's anger.