Heiress to Longbourn by Renata McMann

Author:Renata McMann [McMann, Renata]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Goodreads: 22441147
Published: 2014-05-25T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Darcy was worried Elizabeth would change her mind, but at Bingley’s wedding, she gave him a reassuring smile. If she was beautiful in the woods with her hair down and tears brimming in her eyes, she was gorgeous with a smile on her face, dressed for her sister’s wedding. Bingley and Jane looked at each other with unrestrained love, but Darcy’s eyes were more often on Elizabeth. He was only able to exchange a few words with her. He spoke softly, so no one else could hear, “If it is all right with you, I’ll talk to your father after the wedding breakfast.”

“It is all right, but I haven’t had a chance to tell him yet.”

“Would you rather I wait and let you tell him?”

“No, but I’ll tell my mother.”

Darcy drifted away.

With the meal complete and the bride and groom headed for Netherfield, Fitzwilliam came up to Darcy and said, “Shouldn’t we be leaving?”

“I wanted a word with Mr. Bennet. We can wait a while.”

It turned out that Mrs. Bennet was going to continue the party at her sister’s in Meryton. Elizabeth, Mary, and Kitty walked, but the Phillips and Mrs. Bennet took the carriage. Darcy and Fitzwilliam were the only guests left.

“Sir, I would like a word with you, if I may,”

Before Darcy finished speaking, he heard hoof beats. Fitzwilliam was the first one to the window. The lathered horse and strange rider told them that someone sent an express. The rider asked for Mr. Bennet.

He paid the rider and broke the seal. He read the letter without sitting down with increasing signs of agitation. He yelled for his man to pack immediately and said to Darcy, “Could I trouble you to drive to Meryton and have them return my carriage? I need to go somewhere immediately.”

“I can drive you,” Darcy said.

“It’s to London.”

“That’s where we’re going. If speed is an issue, I keep fast horses on the road. I drive with four horses and you have two.”

“Very well.” He wrote a brief note to his wife and very quickly they were on the road to London.

Neither Darcy nor Fitzwilliam interrupted the silence. It was after they changed horses that Mr. Bennet spoke. “The letter was from Colonel Forster. My daughter Lydia was staying with his wife in Brighton. She ran off with Mr. Wickham. Wickham let his friends know they were going to London, not Scotland. I even have an address. I’m sure he means to extort money from me to marry her.”

“But you have to go,” Darcy said sympathetically.

“Yes, I do. Lydia is a fool, but she’s my daughter.”

“Wickham would make a poor husband,” Fitzwilliam said.

“I agree, but what choice do I have?”

“If we can extract your daughter, a lot. She didn’t run away with Wickham, she ran to her sister’s wedding. The trip didn’t go as planned and you went to her rescue,” Fitzwilliam suggested.

“Too many people know at Brighton,” Mr. Bennet said.

“You should decide if you want her to marry him. It might be better for her to come home in disgrace.

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