Mary Simonsen - The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy

“How did they pay for the room?”

“With sovereigns to start, and then he give me a clasp from his cloak. I can get a nice price for it, so I told him that would take them to the end of the week. But I was almost hoping they couldn’t pay so they would leave. I was getting complaints from the other lodgers.”

“Have they had any visitors?”

“No, he ain’t been out that door. He comes down every morning to read the newspaper after Mr. Epping finishes with it, but since he drinks wine all day long, he falls asleep right after their evening meal. While he’s snoring away, Miss Augusta comes down and talks to me. She says he’s got a friend who’s bringing him the money to buy her wedding clothes. And I asks her why he don’t go and get the money himself, and she says it’s complicated. His father is an important man what lives in Derbyshire, and since the money has to come so far, that’s what’s taking so long.”

Mr. Rhys gave Mrs. Epping another five pounds and an address and told her to send a messenger if there was any change in the routine of Mr. and Mrs. Royale.

* * *

While Mrs. Epping was talking to Mr. Rhys, Wickham was staring at a sleeping Lydia and counting the hours until he would be rid of her. Just another day or two, and it would be safe to leave the lodging house.

Before they even left Brighton, Lieutenant Fuller had followed through on his threat to go directly to Captain Wilcox because of Wickham’s insistence on taking a sixteen-year-old girl with him. Fuller knew it would be Wilcox who would feel the brunt of Colonel Forster’s wrath because it was he who had recommended Wickham for his wife’s card parties. Wilcox would have his liver if he ever got his hands on him.

But a colonel in the militia has limited resources, and a search could not go on indefinitely. Colonel Forster would have to accept that the couple had disappeared into the recesses of the largest city in Christendom and could remain hidden indefinitely, and since the Bennets certainly didn’t have the wherewithal to conduct a search, Wickham would be able to leave without fear of discovery. But in the meantime, he would have to endure the little brat’s company. It was hard to believe it was little more than two weeks since they had left Brighton. It seemed like months.

By the time Wickham and Lydia had changed from the chaise to the hackney in Clapham, he was ready to roll his handkerchief into a ball and stuff it in her mouth. Her incessant chatter would have been annoying enough, but all she cared to talk about were her wedding clothes and where they would set up housekeeping. He knew her to be gullible, but it was turning out she was stupid as well. She believed everything he told her, and she took his lies and built castles in the air with them.

Once they arrived at the Epping lodging house, he was ready to claim his reward for all the frustrating clandestine meetings they had had under the pier. But when he pressed her, she turned on him, telling him he would not get her in bed until she knew for a fact that they were to be married. The only way he could prove that would happen was to buy her the goddamned wedding clothes, and so the standoff began.

He wrote a letter to every person he knew asking for money, explaining his bride was ill, and he needed help with the doctor bills. But he had heard from no one. All he had left was some jewelry he had taken from his paramour. He was trying to figure out what his next step would be when Mr. Rhys arrived at his door. A woman, who identified herself as Mrs. George Bingley, insisted Lydia come with her. Once a hysterical Lydia was reassured that the lady was acting on behalf of the Bennet family and that she and Wickham would be reunited, she agreed to go to the Bingley home in Cheapside. Wickham, who was sandwiched between two strong men, was told by Mr. Rhys to leave the lodging house as quietly as possible, and once out onto the street, he was thrown into a waiting hackney. Not knowing where he was going or what would happen to him, Wickham was terrified. But when he emerged from the carriage, he saw George Bingley’s name painted above the door of a warehouse, and he was reassured. If the Bingleys were involved, it was likely Darcy was as well, and from his own personal experience, he knew that Darcy was willing to pay good money to get rid of a bad penny.

At first light, Darcy went to the stables where his carriage was waiting. He realized he was leaving his sister to make the best of a bad situation, but with Anne and Richard there, he was confident she could deal with any problems that might arise. The three cousins agreed to meet before everyone came down to breakfast, and as they huddled in the study, they discussed how best to proceed.

“As the mistress of Pemberley, I feel I must apologize to Miss Bingley for the remarks Antony made last night,” Georgiana began. “What he said was so offensive, I absolutely cringed. There’s no excuse, not even for an earl.”

“I agree,” Richard said. “Only my brother could make Caroline Bingley a sympathetic character, but leave her to me. I shall do my best to divert her attention as well as the Hursts’.

“Even with that, Caroline remains our biggest problem,” Anne said, “but one can hope that with Will gone for who knows how long, she will want to cut short her visit. As for Antony, I shall talk to him.”

It was agreed that Georgiana would speak to Charles while they were out riding. “I suspect he already knows something is amiss. The atmosphere in the drawing room last night was hardly convivial, and with Will pacing the floor, it was obvious his thoughts were elsewhere.”

* * *

At breakfast, Richard did not give Caroline any time to dwell on Darcy’s absence. “Because of the rain, I understand you were denied a picnic, so I have arranged for one today. It will be in the gardens, so we need not even get into a carriage.” Although the Hursts were included, the colonel had made it seem as if it was a personal invitation, and Caroline quickly forgot about Mr. Darcy’s departure.

Georgiana was aware that Mr. Bingley knew nothing about her connection to George Wickham. In order for Charles to understand the gravity of the situation confronting Lydia and the Bennet family, she needed to acquaint him with what had happened in Ramsgate. Because of those events, Georgiana knew that Wickham’s elopement with Lydia was no romance, and for reasons she could not fathom, he was willing to destroy the reputation of a sixteen-year-old girl.

“When Darcy and I encountered Wickham in Meryton,” Charles said, “it was obvious they disliked each other, but for understandable reasons, your brother chose not to share the details of their history. You tell me that my brother, George, is presently looking for Lydia. Well, I can assure you that he will find her. He has what he calls his ‘eyes’ throughout London, and England for that matter.

“Under the circumstances, I feel my sisters and I should leave Pemberley,” Charles continued. “I only learned last night that Caroline and Louisa had received an invitation to go to Scarborough to visit friends, and it should be a simple matter to leave a few days earlier. As for me, before returning to London, I shall stop in Hertfordshire to offer my services to the Bennet family. However, I would be less than truthful if I did not tell you I have selfish reasons for calling at Longbourn. I am in love with Miss Jane Bennet, and it is my intention to make her an offer of marriage.”

“My brother has told me of your interest in Miss Bennet, and I am very happy for you. I am sure it will be a source of joy to a family sorely lacking in it. May I be the first to offer my congratulations?”

“I would accept them gladly, but I am unsure of how my offer will be received. Miss Bennet has reason to be angry with me. But she is a kind person, and I have hope I shall be forgiven.”

“Mr. Bingley, I have a picnic to arrange for this afternoon, and our cook, Mrs. Bradshaw, will want as much time to prepare as possible, so I must return to the house.” Before turning her horse toward Pemberley, Georgiana added, “I am very glad you will not hold Lydia’s behavior against Miss Bennet. She is innocent of all blame and should not suffer because of her sister’s indiscretions.” She only hoped her brother would agree with that statement.

* * *

Anne sent Jackson to talk to Lord Fitzwilliam’s man, and after waiting thirty minutes, Gregg appeared, but only to say that Lord Fitzwilliam would not be dining at all today as he had a terrific headache.

“I did not ask him to dine. Gregg, tell your master he should be prepared to receive his cousin in one half hour.”

When Anne went into Lord Fitzwilliam’s apartment, she found him with a wet cloth over his eyes. She believed him when he said he had a pounding headache. Except for a glass or two of diluted port, he had little to drink since his arrival, and he was experiencing the unpleasant side effects of a quick withdrawal from alcohol.

Pointing to a letter on the table, he said, “I have already dictated a letter of apology to Miss Bingley. I find her incredibly irritating, but I was rude to a guest of my host. Fortunately, Darcy did not hear or he would have shown me the door.”

“She is still here. Would you not want to tell her in person?”

“I can’t, Anne. I truly can’t. My nerves are stretched to the breaking point. I am greatly in need of a glass of wine, but I will not have it. Seeing Georgiana reminded me that I have two daughters who will come out into society in a few short years. I do not want to embarrass them. So I will remain at Pemberley until I am sober, and, hopefully, that will become a permanent condition.”

“I want you to come to Rosings with me.” Silence. “You haven’t been to Rosings in years.”

“There is a reason for that. Your mother lives there.”

“You will not see as much of her as you think. She retires early. You get up late. If you took up riding again, you would be out of doors for most of the day. Besides, everyone is leaving, and you will not want to stay here by yourself.”

“Everyone is leaving? Surely my behavior was not so objectionable that the guests are running for the nearest exit.”

“Will had to return to London and left at dawn. Georgiana needs to prepare for her debut, and, frankly, I am tired and in need of a rest.” Anne was in need of more than a rest. She was exhausted, and Mrs. Jenkinson was urging her to return to Rosings, especially since her mistress was taking drafts of laudanum to help her sleep.

“I actually would prefer to be in Kent,” Antony said after thinking it over for a few moments. “My daughters are with my mother in Ashford, and I could go visit them.”

Through all of this, Antony kept the cloth across his eyes, but Anne lifted it, so she might kiss his forehead, and her cousin took her hand and gently squeezed it. He loved this fragile woman more than he could say.

“You tell me Darcy is already gone? Damn! I had a message for him. An old friend of his from his time in France, the former Christina Caxton, is in London and wanted to visit with him.”

“Where is she staying?”

“With Mrs. Conway. Apparently, the late Mr. Caxton was a supporter of Whig causes, and since Darcy is of a like mind, I am sure that is how they met.”

“I do not know Mrs. Caxton, and at the moment, he has a lot to think about. But I shall break my journey in London, and I shall tell him. Visiting with an old friend might be exactly what he needs.”

The picnic went much better than expected largely due to the presence of Colonel Fitzwilliam and the absence of Lord Fitzwilliam. Richard was so successful in diverting Caroline’s attention that Georgiana was beginning to wonder if there was more to it than just amusing a difficult guest. He had recently discussed with Will the possibility of selling his commission. But the only way he could leave the army was if he found a rich wife, and Caroline Bingley was very rich.

With Richard and Caroline engrossed in conversation, she turned her attention to the Hursts. But as soon as they had finished their lunch, Mr. Hurst found a comfortable spot under a tree and quickly fell asleep. As this was nothing out of the norm, Mrs. Hurst joined Caroline in conversing with the colonel. Compared to her calculating sister, Louisa was the most uncomplicated woman Georgiana had ever met.