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“We were not halfway to London when one of the carriage wheels cracked. We were traveling at such a slow speed that no one was hurt, but it was obvious repairs were necessary before we could continue. While we were waiting, Lydia arrived in a gig with Lieutenant Wickham.”

Catherine and Mary gasped aloud. Both had hoped that their mother’s nerves had driven her to exaggerate the situation.

Elizabeth thought quickly about what to tell and what details were better forgot.

“Lydia did not know of Mr. Wickham’s wicked nature; she believed that they were eloping to Gretna Green.

Fortunately, we discovered her before anything…

scandalous could happen.” She stressed the word and looked carefully at her mother to make sure that lady understood.

Taking Mrs. Bennet’s widened eyes as confirmation, Elizabeth continued, “It turned out that the Lieutenant had absented himself from the regiment without asking permission, which is considered treason. He was arrested and, during the investigation that followed, other crimes were discovered. In addition to leaving behind a great many unpaid debts in Brighton, Derbyshire, and elsewhere, there was evidence that Mr. Wickham had been blackmailing a number of people, some for years . In several instances, he seduced a young lady and then forced her family to pay him to keep the secret.”

Her mother and sisters all gasped in horror. “And to think… we all thought him so charming,” exclaimed Kitty, her eyes wide. Mary was too shocked to even think of an appropriately pious quote.

Lizzy nodded, reminded for a moment of her own mistaken opinion of Wickham’s character.

“He is a very practiced deceiver. However, the volume of evidence brought against him in the court martial left no way for him to wriggle out. He was found guilty after only a few hours and sentenced to the penal colonies in Australia. Mr. Darcy saw his transport ship off this very morning; we do not need to worry about seeing Mr. Wickham ever again.”

Jane gave Elizabeth a curious look, having not yet heard this last bit of information.

Mrs. Bennet reached out a hand to her second daughter and Lizzy stepped forward to take it, perching on the chair’s arm beside her mother.

“Oh, thank God… I was so afraid….” Fanny looked up with teary eyes at the daughter she least understood and showed a level of intuition not expected by her family.

“It was Mr. Darcy, was not it? Dear Lizzy, he arranged it all, didn’t he? How can we ever thank him enough?”

It vaguely bothered Elizabeth that her mother never even considered that Mr. Bennet might have been the one to settle the matter, but she answered as neutrally she could.

“Mr. Darcy helped, but I don’t think he would like to be fussed over, Mama.

Once Mr. Wickham was turned over to the authorities, the adjutant general was in charge of gathering evidence and bringing the charges—apparently he was very thorough. ”

All were quiet for a time until Elizabeth cleared her throat.

She glanced over to her younger sisters to make sure that she had their attention as well before speaking.

“Mama, Mary, Catherine… though Lydia was saved, her reputation, and by connection our family’s reputation, would still be badly damaged if these details were to get out.

That is why we did not speak of it in our letters from London.

” She glanced at Jane, who managed a wan smile.

“Ask whatever questions you have now, but for anyone outside of this room, including the servants, we must all adhere to the story that Lydia accompanied us to London.”

After a moment, Kitty whispered, “What if someone saw her get into the carriage with Mr. Wickham?”

“If they had, I believe we would have heard of it by now. Has anyone mentioned such a thing to you?” Despite the confidence she displayed before her family, Elizabeth was very relieved when both of her sisters shook their heads.

“Well then, if it were to happen, I will not tell you to lie, but I would suggest that you attempt to give out as little information as possible. Lydia was upset to be left behind while Jane and I were going shopping in London, so she convinced an officer to take her in an open carriage and catch up with us on the road, far enough along that she could not be sent home. Does that not sound like something Lydia would do?”

Catherine exchanged a look with Mary and both nodded soberly; Lizzy was left with the distinct impression that the pair had bonded while dealing with Mrs. Bennet’s nerves over the past fortnight.

Mr. Bennet cleared his throat and his family looked in surprise to where he stood, having largely forgotten his presence.

Elizabeth was swept with a wave of guilt—it was not her place to speak so to her family—but that emotion was quickly followed by a sort of weary exasperation—she would not have taken charge had her father done his duty as head of the family.

When Mr. Bennet finally did speak, his voice was gruff and he avoided his daughters’ eyes. “Well, then. Now you know the story—girls, run along and see to your trunks. Mary, Kitty—I’m sure that your sisters would appreciate your help. ”

As the sisters stood obediently, Mr. Bennet offered his arm to their mother. “Mrs. Bennet, please join me in my study.”

Fanny allowed her husband to help her from the chair and they passed silently from the room.

Their daughters would never know what exactly was said during the hour that the couple spent together, but when the family sat down that evening for dinner, Mrs. Bennet was calmer than even Jane could remember, and Mr. Bennet treated his wife with a sort of sheepish consideration.

Lydia nearly dissolved into tears several times over the course of the meal as her mother presented her former favorite with such consistent disapproval to which the youngest Miss Bennet was completely unaccustomed.

The entire family retired early and Elizabeth was unsurprised when Jane tapped on her bedchamber door, seeking entrance.

“Oh Lizzy, I feel horrible… Mama was so worried!” Jane sat atop the quilt and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees and rocking slightly in her agitation.

Elizabeth sighed and set her brush down on the vanity. “I was no better, Janie. It never even occurred to me that…” she trailed off.

“That Papa would not let her know all was well?”

The sisters shared a long look and Elizabeth turned to lean her chin in her hand. “I should have known better… he is a poor correspondent at best.”

Jane’s compassion for her sister overcame her own feelings of guilt. “Lizzy, it is not your fault.”

Elizabeth moved to sit by her sister, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Nor is it yours, my dear Jane. Although I think that even agreeing on that, we will both still feel that we should have done more.” The sisters sat silently for some minutes, comforting and being comforted.

When Jane next spoke, she kept her face pressed against her knees and her soft voice was muffled.

“I still feel that I am a terrible daughter. So self-centered… I didn’t want to even think about Longbourn—I was so angry at Lydia for nearly ruining everything…

all I wanted to think about was my future with Charles.

My new clothes… my new house… I’ve spent hours considering what color to redecorate the drawing room at Waverly Street and even more time on Madame Lavoisier’s designs for my new gowns.

I should have known that Mama would be upset, but I didn’t want to be bothered with it. ”

Somehow, her sister’s anguish helped Elizabeth find a way to balance her own emotions.

“Jane, listen to me; we must consider this logically. We may be the eldest, but we are still the daughters . Would we consider it to be Maria Lucas’ fault if Sir William neglected to inform his wife of some matter related to Charlotte’s situation at Hunsford?

That is a poor example—too vague for an analogy, but you understand what I mean? ”

Jane’s head tilted so that her tear-streaked cheeks were visible and she nodded slightly.

“You mean to say that it was Papa’s responsibility, as head of the family.

” Her dark blue eyes studied her younger sister for some moments.

“You are worried about what will happen at Longbourn when we leave, aren’t you, Lizzy? ”

Now it was Elizabeth who hid her face. “I’ve been doing the accounts for nearly six years now… and neither Mary nor Kitty have any aptitude for it, and Lydia shall be away at school. I feel I should offer to continue somehow… but I’ll be in Derbyshire, and…” she trailed off.

“And your duty is to your husband and his household,” finished Jane. “Just as mine is to Charles and our own.”

Elizabeth looked at her elder sister gratefully. “Fitzwilliam has offered to employ a steward to assist at Longbourn. The salary would not be a problem for him, but I refused because I feared it would hurt Papa’s pride too much.”

The pair sat for some minutes, contemplating their situation. Finally, Jane leaned back against the headboard, crossing her arms before her. “I remember, when I came out… feeling very confused… on one hand I felt very grown up but on the other, still very, very young.”

Elizabeth nodded with a crooked smile. “I was still growing… ‘twas difficult to feel comfortable when I was several inches taller than several of the boys my age.”

Jane gave her a sympathetic look but remained focused on the point she wished to make.

“What I mean to say is that it was a transition in our lives… much like we are going through now. We are still expected to respect and obey our parents, yet in not so many days we will be required to take responsibility for our own households… our own families.” Jane eyed her younger sister contemplatively.

“And in many ways, you’ve been doing that for some time. ”