Defending Elizabeth

Chapter 18

"Lizzy! You received a letter from Jane," Kitty called into Elizabeth's room.

Elizabeth was startled. She just received a letter from Jane two days prior. It was Jane's habit to compose a letter a week. Two in such a short period made her nervous. She took the envelope from Kitty and tore it open with much less grace than usual. As she scanned the letter, her eyes got wider. After a moment, tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"What is it?" Kitty said, wringing her hands. "Is it Father? Is someone unwell?"

"We are all unwell, but Lydia the most of us all. She has eloped with Mr. Wickham!"

After relaying the distressing news, Elizabeth fell into tears of shock, which turned to tears of grief and then of anger. She was not entirely surprised her impetuous younger sister would agree to such a plan, but to be thrown over by the man she thought about to propose to her--for her sister? Elizabeth could not decide which of them she was the most angry with. Either way, it was a dark stain on the name of Bennet, and would undoubtedly affect the sisters' marriage prospects.

Well, this resolved the issue of whether Mr. Wickham is a scoundrel, she thought, and laughed ruefully through her tears. It sounded as if Mr. Wickham was engaging in the same plot with Lydia that he had with Georgiana Darcy.

"I must return home at once. Mr. Collins must arrange for my immediate travel home. I shall find him this minute and ask him to do so."

Before Kitty had a chance to respond, Elizabeth was out the front door calling for her brother-in-law.

She heard no response from Mr. Collins, but Elizabeth was startled to see Mr. Darcy emerge from the lawn of Rosings.

"Miss Elizabeth, are you unwell? I believe I saw Mr. Collins headed for the church a quarter of an hour ago. Is there something with which I can assist you?"

He strode to her side quickly and seemed on guard to catch her if she swooned.

Elizabeth looked at him for a moment. Ought she to share what happened with him? Her first inclination was to hide the shame of the elopement from him, but who else in the world had also been a victim of Mr. Wickham's plots? Mr. Darcy might know, better than anyone, where Mr. Wickham and Lydia might have gone.

Before she knew the decision was made, the story came tumbling out of her, and the tears began anew. Elizabeth hid her face, embarrassed at both her outburst of emotion and of the behavior of her sister.

"My apologies, Mr. Darcy, for burdening you with this."

"I am not unduly burdened, Miss Elizabeth," he said, handing her a handkerchief.

Elizabeth took it and did her best to comport herself. By that time, Kitty was outside, carrying a cloak for Elizabeth.

"You shall catch your death of the cold, and then we shall have two tragedies." She reddened as she saw Mr. Darcy standing next to Elizabeth. Kitty curtsied clumsily. "Good day, Mr. Darcy."

"It appears it is not, Mrs. Collins." Then, to Elizabeth, "I will leave you to the capable care of your sister. There is something to which I must attend." With a bow, he turned and returned to Rosings.

Kitty escorted Elizabeth back to the parsonage.

"You did not tell him, did you, Lizzy?" asked Kitty.

"I did," Elizabeth said, weakly. "I told him all."

Kitty's eyes widened, but she refrained from chastising her sister. "A cup of tea is what you need." She entered the house with a call for tea to be brought to them.