Page 37 of A Letter in the Wind (Mayhem and Scandal Collection #1)

Lydia jerked her head in Darcy’s direction. “Who are you? How do you know me?”

He took a slight step forward so she could see him in the light a little better. “I am Mr Darcy. Last autumn, I met you and your family in Hertfordshire while I visited my friend Mr Bingley.”

“Mr Darcy?” She stared hard at him. “I remember, you know.” She put her hands on her hips. “Well, you have not answered my other question. What do you want with us? We’re not cheap, and you will be replacing the door.”

“We have come to set you free,” Richard said. “You are all free to go anywhere you choose. If you come with us, we can provide you with doctors, safe housing, good food, and clean clothes.”

“How do we know they are honest men?” someone asked Lydia, who appeared to be their spokeswoman.

Lydia looked at the assembled girls. Some of them must have been older than her, but all of them were more timid. It did not surprise Darcy that she had become their leader.

“Mr Darcy was George Wickham’s enemy. If he is here, then that means Wickham must be in prison.”

“He is gone?” A petite girl with red hair asked.

“Yes,” Richard answered.

“They might let him go again,” the girl said. “He said he would find us if we dared run away.”

“He is in my personal control,” Richard continued. “He cannot escape his confines, and there is more than enough evidence to convict him. He will not be released and freed.” He took a blanket from the hands of a waiting soldier and stepped forward, draping it around Lydia’s torn dress. “Do you trust me?”

Lydia looked at him for a long moment. “I do not even know your name.”

“I am Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Darcy is my cousin, and your sister knows me quite well now.”

She gasped. “Which sister? How?”

Now, Darcy stepped forward. “Elizabeth is now my wife.”

“Impossible,” Lydia said, taking a small step away.

“It may seem incredible,” Darcy acknowledged, “but it is true. I know you must only remember how I gave offence in Hertfordshire. I understand that Elizabeth did not like me then. We met again when she visited Kent and fell in love. We married nearly two months ago.” He held out his hand. “If you come with me, you will be assured of seeing her. She has thought about you and missed you all this time. She never gave up hope of finding you.”

Lydia began shaking and sobbing, but she nodded. She reached for Darcy’s hand. When she took a step forward, she nearly collapsed, but Richard scooped her up. He murmured something into her ear. Once she had moved, the other girls surged forward. For the next several minutes, Darcy assisted in passing out blankets—many of the girls wore little more than a chemise and petticoat. Then, they were loaded into carriages and taken to a hospital. Boarding his coach, he was surprised to see Lydia crying into Richard’s shoulder. Darcy took the seat across from them.

“Darcy,” he said, looking pained. “I cannot stay—I am needed. I must secure the other girls.” His face darkened. “Then, I must visit our friend.”

“They need him alive,” Darcy cautioned.

Richard’s face darkened. “He is a monster! How can you stand it? He is not even the worst one. After all, my father was the mastermind.”

Lydia looked up sharply then. “That cannot be, sir. He was a man around your age.”

Richard shrugged. “My brother, then.”

“No. His name was Ingalls. I found a letter and heard them speaking. I even saw him on occasion.”

Richard and Darcy stared at one another.

“Let me take her to Elizabeth,” Darcy said. “After she has had some rest and food, you can question her further, if necessary.”

Richard nodded but seemed reluctant to let Lydia go. “You will be well,” he commanded.

“Yes,” she said with a nod. “Yes, I will. And you had better come visit.” She glanced at Darcy before returning her attention to Richard. “If I am to live with such a bore and my sister, then I will need better company.” She winked.

Darcy expected Richard to be alarmed at her blatant flirtation, but instead, he seemed intrigued. “Listen to Darcy, and I will visit as soon as possible.” Richard raised her hand to his lips before climbing down.

Darcy rubbed his eyes, amazed at what had transpired. He knocked on the carriage roof, alerting his coachman to pull forward. Once they were in motion, Lydia began trembling again.

“Are you well?” he asked her.

“I have not been in a carriage since…that night.”

“You are safe, at last.” He slid over in silent offering. “I have a sister your age,” he said. “I am glad to gain another.”

Lydia’s eyes focused on the space he had created on the bench.

“What do you think about having a brother? Or, I should say two. For Bingley and Jane will marry soon.”

“Really?” she asked and jumped to Darcy’s side of the coach. “So, he did love her all along? And I suppose you loved Lizzy even though all you did was stare at her?”

There was a bump on the road, and she grabbed his elbow, not letting go until they reached the house. Darcy did his best to distract her with stories about her family and Meryton gossip.

When he opened the carriage door, Elizabeth flew at him. “William! What has happened? We were only told that Richard had collected you for an important errand. What could it be?”

He kissed her on the cheek quickly, then reached his hand back into the carriage to let down her sister.

“Lydia?” Elizabeth asked.

Immediately, the sisters embraced.

That night, after Elizabeth had made sure Lydia was comfortable, she sat in Darcy’s embrace. “Thank you for helping with Lydia.”

“I did nothing. Richard discovered Wickham and did the rest.”

“Lydia told me how you greeted her and calmed her. Most of all, you prayed for her to be found safe. What will happen now?”

“I do not know,” Darcy confessed. “She is welcome to stay with us if you think that would be best for her. I do not think her going to Longbourn is a good idea.”

“That may be the correct solution. Alternatively, she could stay with our aunt and uncle. She never got to stay with them by herself, although she always wanted to do so.” Elizabeth yawned. “I know there will be much discussion in the coming days. We do not have to decide more tonight.”

“That is well because I can hardly keep my eyes open another second,” he admitted.

“It has been quite the day—but I am so grateful. God has been so good to us. He did the impossible.”

Before they went to bed, they offered a prayer of thanksgiving, knowing that the Lord restored Lydia to her family. God had been mindful of them every step of the way, proving His word that He worked all things for their good, bringing them peace and love.

*****

With Lydia’s evidence, they exposed Ingalls as the figurehead of the Ichabod Society and dismantled it once and for all. The other girls had all been taken in by various charitable organisations and were on a path to healing and a better future. Now that public interest was stirred, Parliament passed a law creating a committee to oversee their behaviour and hold themselves accountable.

In time, Lydia healed and recovered from her ordeal. Georgiana became a bosom friend, and the two were nearly inseparable. Lydia had lost some of her wildness but none of her tenacity and fearlessness.

After Jane and Bingley married, the married couples took turns hosting the unmarried Bennet daughters. Richard was made an earl by a special remainder, and despite many ladies wishing to become his countess, he remained a bachelor for several years. It was only after Lydia had three seasons that he agreed to marry her. However, it had been evident to everyone for quite some time that they were hopelessly in love with each other. He had feared he was too old for her, but her carefree ways invigorated him, and she gained from his steadiness.

Elizabeth maintained a vigorous and humorous correspondence with Aunt Silly and was able to have occasional visits with Patty in London. The Darcys remained devoted friends with the Gardiners, who finally had a little blessing of their own around the same time that Elizabeth delivered her first son. Mrs Bennet’s attitude gradually softened toward her second daughter. When she became ill while Elizabeth was pregnant with her second child, they were finally able to part as friends.

By their fifth wedding anniversary, Darcy marvelled at how much had altered and all the impossible brought into fruition due to the Lord’s kindness. Most of all, he thanked God for his wife. She had been his light in the darkness, a most precious gift to teach him how to love.

The End