Brighton Rescue by Kendig Laraba

Author:Kendig, Laraba
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Mr. Bennet sighed deeply as Colonel Forster, militia commander, stepped into the parlor at Hartford House. It had already been a thoroughly exhausting day, and he did not look forward to a painful conversation with the man who had been hosting his dunderhead of a daughter.

“Mr. Bennet,” Colonel Forster said, bowing formally. “I am overjoyed to see you here in Brighton, though I confess to feelings of humiliation as well. I apologize, most abjectly, for my failure to protect Miss Lydia while she was living under my very roof.”

Bennet gestured to a nearby chair. “Please, do sit down, Colonel. It has been a wearing day for all of us, and you most of all. I assure you that I do not fault you in the least for my daughter’s foolish behavior; it is I who bear the blame for permitting her to journey here when I should have known she would behave irresponsibly.”

Forster took the offered seat, but his bushy eyebrows were lowered in disapproval. “It is hardly Miss Lydia’s fault that a man under my command attempted to abduct her, sir.”

Bennet poured a glass of brandy for his guest and then refilled his own. “Colonel, without a shadow of a doubt, Wickham is a scoundrel. The fact remains that Lydia crept away from the safety of your home this morning to enjoy a secret assignation with the man. I can only thank God that my daughter Elizabeth and my brother and sister by marriage chose to come here to Brighton to watch over Lydia when I should have taken steps to remove her from danger.”

“May I inquire as to why Miss Elizabeth believed Miss Lydia was in jeopardy?”

“Lizzy intercepted a letter from Lydia to my fourth daughter, Kitty, in which Lydia spoke of possibly eloping with Wickham. My second daughter knew that Wickham was not an honorable man, and sounded the alarm. Regrettably, I was too lazy to intervene, which left my relations to do what I should have done.”

“So Miss Lydia did agree to elope with him?” Forster asked in confusion. “Wickham claims that she did and thus it was an elopement, not an abduction.”

“Do wait a moment, Colonel,” Bennet requested, rising to his feet and walking hastily out of the room. Three minutes later, he returned with Lydia on his arm, and Forster rose to his feet, swallowing convulsively at the sight of the girl’s heavily bruised face and greatly swollen eye.

“As you can see, Colonel, Lydia changed her mind and did not go willingly. Wickham did snatch her, and struck her, and deserves severe punishment for his deeds.”

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