Page 65 of Such Low Connections

Kitty and Mary were also busily rushing about with Mrs Bennet’s instructions to the servants. Jane was standing at the library door, watching quietly but intently as Mr Bennet wrote the required missive to Mr Gardiner.

No one paid any heed to Elizabeth rushing to her room and writing frantically at her desk for some minutes. There was no time to consider form or politeness in what she wrote, and she stuck to the most essential facts and recommendations.

Dear Georgiana,

Your instinct to write was correct. I fear you are presently in great danger and pray that you will follow my instructions exactly, both for your own sake and your brother’s.

You must leave Pemberley immediately for Rosings in Kent and take refuge there with your aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I have no doubt that she can and will protect you. A maid and coachman should accompany you on this journey; both must be trustworthy and sworn to absolute secrecy. It is imperative that your departure is accomplished without alerting your cousin, Lord Hexham.

Elizabeth underlined this last sentence for emphasis and then paused to deliberate. Georgiana was a shy girl and might easily lose her courage. Unlike Lydia, stealing from her house under cover of darkness would not be some grand adventure, but an episode of terror.

In the absence of others around you wiser than myself, I take it upon myself to act in your brother’s stead and speak for him. I believe that this course of action is the one he would wish. Your wellbeing and happiness are Mr Darcy’s priorities.

Hopefully, that would be enough to spur Georgiana into action. Mr Darcy might not wish to have his name used like this, but he was welcome to harangue Elizabeth for that later once Georgiana was safe. She felt able to argue her case, and leaving the poor girl in her present perilous situation was unthinkable.

Folding and sealing the letter, Elizabeth dashed off two more urgent notes. One was to Mr Darcy at his London address, enclosing his sister’s letters and explaining how she had replied so that he might judge matters for himself.

The final letter was a very short message to Charlotte Collins in Hunsford, warning her that there was likely to be an unexpected visit by Georgiana Darcy in great distress. Elizabeth hoped that Mr and Mrs Collins would do their best to welcome and help the young woman, since her companion had been detained elsewhere. She dared say nothing more.

Hurrying downstairs with her three letters, Elizabeth walked through to the kitchens.

“Mr Hill, I have three express messages to send. Can you get them out within the hour?”

“Of course, Miss Elizabeth,” nodded the manservant, who had just carried a large pile of laundry indoors for the maids. “I’ve already been told to take the master’s letter to the post any moment, so I’ll take them all together.”

There was no further comment from either Mr or Mrs Hill, presently consulting with Cook as she vigorously stirred a pan over the stove. Elizabeth supposed that with all the other messages going back and forth from London and Brighton recently, the servants would think nothing of a few more.

Her duties discharged, Elizabeth relaxed her shoulders and went to join Jane at the study door. Mr Bennet was now applying the wax seal to his letter, and Jane too seemed more at ease.

“Where have you been, Lizzy? Everyone has been rushing around as though we’re in a madhouse, but you vanished. Was your letter anything interesting?”

Elizabeth smiled a little and considered her words carefully.

“I suppose it was. There is presently nothing I can do to help Lydia, but I found I could do something small to help someone else avoid an almost equally unfortunate fate. I cannot say more at this time.”

Jane nodded with puzzlement in her eyes. To Elizabeth’s relief, she asked nothing further.

Chapter 20

Wednesday morning arrived swiftly, largely because the preceding days were so full of planning and negotiation with Lydia Bennet’s relations. Aside from sleeping, Darcy had scarcely spent five minutes in Darcy House since arriving back in London.

Both Darcy and Mr Gardiner knew well enough that Lydia’s father could not afford to meet George Wickham’s financial demands. Her uncle, however, believed initially that the responsibility should fall to him next, even though such an outlay would be a burden on his shoulders. It took considerable effort to convince Mr Gardiner that moral responsibility for making the marriage lay with Darcy.

He argued it was he who had not warned the world at large about Mr Wickham’s character, largely from pride and a wish for privacy for his own family affairs. While Mr Gardiner could not be entirely convinced of Darcy’s culpability, nor could he overcome his determination.

It was only when Mrs Gardiner added her voice, telling her husband that he must let Darcy follow his heart and conscience, that the case was made. Darcy’s confidential role in the proceedings was therefore agreed, and Mr Bennet’s authorisation sought for all that must come to pass.

Now, it was time to pin down the semi-willing bridegroom. Not without trepidation, Darcy put on his gloves and hat and prepared to leave Darcy House for his next meeting at Wickham’s unfortunate lodgings.

Darcy was reasonably sure that Wickham would be there, given the money at stake and his financially parlous situation. He was equally sure that Wickham would bring the letters, or at least a large part of them. It would be in character for him to hold something back in hope of further payment in the future. What worried Darcy more was the question of the buyer’s name.

Whoever had purchased that particular selection of old Mr Darcy’s letters from Wickham was either behind the campaign against Darcy or in league with its instigator. Who could it be? And what should Darcy do once the name was given to him? Both questions troubled him greatly.

Deep in thought on this subject, Darcy barely noticed the butler answering the door to a messenger and then passing him two express messages. Neither looked to be from Pemberley, both being written in an unfamiliar hand, one in writing so spidery that Darcy imagined the shaking fingers of an old man crossing the page.

He slipped both letters into his pocket for later reading once his dealings with Wickham were done. Even if either message concerned Colonel Fitzwilliam – God forbid! – they must wait a little longer.

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