Wild Goose Chase Read online

  “I like it,” Miss Bingley said. “That would send him rushing home at once, and it would also serve as a reminder to Charles of the family’s unsuitability. Unless –” She looked at her sister with a gleeful expression. “It would be even better if something disgraceful happened to the Bennets. That would give Charles and Mr. Darcy a disgust of the family, which will make them very happy to never return to Hertfordshire.”

  “But Miss Eliza would not tell them if there was something disgraceful in her letter.”

  “We can find some way of ensuring that they see it for themselves. It will not be so difficult to get the letter out of her hand while she is distraught. We just need to think of something to write.”

  “They are already a disgraceful family.”

  “We need something truly dreadful. What is the worst thing that could happen to anybody?”

  “Losing all their money,” Mrs. Hurst said decisively.

  “The Bennets do not have much money in the first place.”

  “Losing their reputation.”

  “Yes, but how?” Miss Bingley thought for a moment and then she clapped her hands with glee. “What about an elopement? That would certainly be disgraceful.”

  “It would indeed. That is a very good idea. I would not put it past either of the younger girls to elope.”

  “Especially Miss Lydia, and she has conveniently gone to Brighton with the regiment. We can write that she has eloped with one of those officers.”

  “Perfect. It is just like something she would do, but do you think it will be enough to send Miss Eliza packing. She might prefer to ignore the letter rather than letting it interfere with her devious plans.”

  “Not if I make it sound as though Jane is dreadfully upset. They are very close. You recall how she came to Netherfield just because her sister had a cold. She will go home if she believes that Jane is desperately in need of comfort.”

  She jumped up and looked in a case for the letter. “Here it is. I can copy her handwriting, and if it does not look quite right that can easily be attributed to her distress over such shocking news.”

  She sat at a table in the corner of the room, picked up a piece of paper, and started copying words from the letter. After the sheet was filled with them, she said, “I do believe that is very like Jane’s writing.”

  Tossing the practice one away, she took a fresh sheet. “How shall I begin? Dear Eliza?”

  “Lizzy,” Mrs. Hurst said. “That is what her family calls her.”

  “How common. Dear Lizzy, then.”

  “My dearest Lizzy, I think. They are very close.”

  “You are very perceptive, Louisa.” Miss Bingley’s pen scratched at the paper. “What next? Perhaps something about having the most distressing news to report.”

  She wrote slowly, continually looking at the other letter for reference and then concentrating on carefully forming her words. After a couple of minutes, she paused.

  “I think it would be best to give a name. Miss Bennet would not write that their sister had gone off with an officer. She would say Lydia has eloped with Mr. So and So. Can you remember any of the officer’s names?”

  “Not a one. They were all insignificant men.”

  “I quite agree. Wait, though. Was there not a Mr. Dennis or something like it?”

  “That sounds vaguely familiar, but I think it might have been Mr. Daniels. You had better write it very untidily just in case.”

  Miss Bingley dipped the pen again, and then she started laughing. “I have an even better idea. Who was that man Miss Eliza liked so much? The one Mr. Darcy dislikes for some reason. Miss Bennet asked us about him at our ball. What was his name?”

  “We never met him.”

  “No, but Charles and Mr. Darcy were talking about him the week before the ball. I think his name began with a W.”

  “I believe you are correct. It was something like Whitaker. Whitcombe? Warwick?”

  “Wickham! That was it. Lydia has eloped with Mr. Wickham. They are on their way to Gretna Green.”

  CHAPTER 5

  The letter had been written and embellished with details that were certain to distress Miss Bennet and shock anybody else who read it. It was then moistened with a few drops of water which puckered on the paper, giving that appearance of tears.

  “How very clever of you, Caroline,” Mrs. Hurst had said.

  Once dry, it had then been given to Miss Bingley’s maid along with a generous quantity of coins. She had instructions to make her way into Lambton first thing in the morning and pay somebody to bring it to Pemberley under the disguise of delivering an express letter.

  At breakfast, Miss Bingley had high hopes of hearing the door knocker at any moment, but they finished the meal without any interruptions. The gentlemen then went fishing which at first she thought a great pity. She would have liked them to be on the spot at the vital moment, but then it occurred to her that it might have been awkward to procure and read the letter with Mr. Darcy looking on.

  Miss Darcy and Mrs. Annesley would suffice as witnesses to its arrival, and when the gentlemen returned she could tell them the story of the Bennet’s disgrace without any need to explain how she came by her information.

  They would be too shocked to ask any questions, and her purpose would be easily achieved. Neither her brother nor Mr. Darcy would want to have anything to do with the family again, and there would be no more question of returning to Netherfield.

  The ladies retired to the morning room, where she whiled away the time perusing the latest fashion magazines with her sister. Some time went by, and Miss Bingley began to worry that something had gone wrong with her plan, but at last she heard the expected knock at the front door. As they waited for a second one on the morning room door, Louisa gave her a look of excitement which ought to be concealed.

  “Look at this dress,” she said, holding the magazine up to hide her sister’s face. “I think it would suit you very well.”

  “Oh, it would indeed!”

  Mrs. Hurst’s excitement was successfully diverted to the picture which they studied together. Miss Bingley kept the magazine raised, and when a maid brought the letter, she quickly whispered, “Do keep calm and pretend to be disinterested.”

  Her sister nodded, and Miss Bingley relaxed. Louisa was very fond of a cunning plan and was sometimes carried away by enthusiasm, but she could generally be counted on to play her part well.

  Miss Bingley lowered the magazine down and turned the page. From the corner of her eye, she could see the letter being opened. Miss Bennet began reading.

  In a moment, her eyes opened wide, and her mouth dropped. As she continued reading, her face turned pale, and her hand trembled slightly, but her lips were resolutely pressed together. Neither did she cry out in distress nor collapse upon the sofa with the letter conveniently falling from a limp hand onto the floor. Her restraint was exasperating

  She came to the end, drew a deep breath, and folded the letter into a small square which she gripped tightly. Miss Bingley looked at the clutched fist with vexation.

  “Is there anything amiss?” she asked, in an effort to provoke a response.

  Miss Bennet did not reply.

  Miss Bingley persisted. “For your letter to have been sent express, there must have been some dire circumstances, and you do look terribly distressed. I am sure that something dreadful must have happened.”

  The answer was infuriatingly calm. “I am quite well, thank you. It happens that I am needed at home, but it is nothing dire.”

  Mrs. Gardiner had been talking with Mrs. Annesley, but on hearing these words, she now attended to her niece.

  “What is it Lizzy?” she asked.

  Miss Bingley perched on the edge of her seat, waiting hopefully.

  “I shall explain later,” Elizabeth said. “It is complicated, but I must go home.”

  Mrs. Gardiner was equally infuriating. She made no further enquiry. Miss Bingley did not know how anybody could be so uninquisitiv
e.

  “We had better have your uncle summoned,” was all she said.

  Miss Darcy offered to have a servant sent for him, and that was done.

  Miss Bingley made another effort. “You poor girl,” she said making an effort to sound compassionate. We do long to be of assistance to you. There must be something we can do.”

  She reached out and put her hand on Miss Bennet’s other one in a gesture of sympathy, while eying the tightly-clutched letter and thinking how to get it into her possession.

  “Here,” Mrs. Hurst said, “You must take my smelling salts.”

  She thrust a bottle at Miss Bennet. Miss Bingley smiled gratefully at her sister and waited to seize upon the letter as soon as it was released, but the smelling salts were refused, and the hand was drawn away.

  Their quarry turned to her aunt and said, “Perhaps we ought to go upstairs and start packing.”

  Mrs. Gardiner agreed that it would be practical. Mrs. Annesley offered to help, and so did Miss Darcy. All four of them got up to leave the room, but Miss Bingley seized upon Miss Bennet’s arm.

  “And we can help you,” she cried enthusiastically.

  Her eagerness was partly due to feeling gleeful that she would soon be rid of her rival, but she also had a new idea for completing her other objective. The letter was bound to be dropped and forgotten in the haste. She could secure it and then afterwards drop it on the sofa to be found later. It was a pity that Miss Eliza would not be there to suffer the mortification of her disgrace, but that was a small sacrifice. Once the letter had been read, Charles would not be wanting to go back to Netherfield, and Mr. Darcy would never again think of Miss Eliza’s fine eyes.

  The offer was rebuffed, however. Miss Bennet pulled her arm away in what Miss Bingley thought was the rudest fashion.

  “I shall not need any additional help,” she said, quite ungratefully in Miss Bingley’s opinion. “It is very kind of you to offer, but my packing will hardly take any time at all.”

  “We can still keep you company,” Mrs. Hurst said.

  “Thank-you, but no.”

  Now she was looking suspiciously at them, which made it difficult to think what else could be said. She turned and left. Miss Bingley was tempted to follow anyway, but then another sudden thought made her stop. Mrs. Hurst looked puzzled, but she waited on her sister.

  Once the door was closed, Miss Bingley said, “It has just occurred to me that we need not bother getting that letter. I can simply write another one and pretend to find it after they have left. That will achieve the same purpose and with less effort.”

  “Perfect,” Mrs. Hurst said. “I would really rather not help with anybody’s packing. Such a demeaning task.”

  “We had better write it in my room again.”

  They went to the door, but hearing voices in the hall, Miss Bingley waved her sister away from opening it. She put her ear to the crack. Mrs. Hurst bent down to do the same, and they listened intently.

  CHAPTER 6

  Mr. Darcy had taken a break from the fishing in order to find out how Miss Bingley was behaving. On returning to the house, he had passed the servant whom his sister had dispatched and learned of his errand.

  Feeling a great concern for Elizabeth, he rushed inside, arriving in the hall just in time to run into her as she came out of the morning room. His sister, Mrs. Gardiner, and Mrs. Annesley were just going upstairs.

  “Has something happened?” he asked. “I understand that you are in urgent need of your uncle.”

  “I am sorry to say that we must leave as soon as possible. I have received a letter requesting my presence at home.”

  He heard a tremble in her voice.

  “Is somebody ill? Or worse?”

  “No, nothing like that. My family are all well.”

  “Thank goodness for that,” he said, feeling relieved on her account. Yet what other reason could there be for suddenly rushing home? Something disastrous must have happened.

  “Has there been a fire or something of that sort?” he asked.

  “No.” She did not supply any other information, but she looked down at the crumpled paper in her hand with obvious distress upon her face. He admired her fortitude in not giving way to her emotions, but he saw the blinking back of tears, which stirred in him the greatest desire to be able to offer comfort.

  That was not possible, but at least he could be of use to her.

  “I shall give directions for my horses to be harnessed to your uncle’s carriage in preparation for your departure,” he said. “I hope it will be of some comfort for you to be on your way as quickly as possible.”

  She thanked him, but he still wished to be doing more.

  “If there is anything else I can do, you need only ask,” he added. “I wish that I could be of more use. It pains me to see your distress. I do hope that whatever troubles you can soon be remedied.”

  “I am afraid it cannot.” The business that troubles me is a dreadful one, from which the effect will be long lasting.” She looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, “I might as well tell you. It will all be known before long anyway, and I would rather tell you myself than have you learn this from the inevitable gossip. My letter contained the information that my youngest sister has eloped.”

  He heard this with shock. It had never occurred to him that her news might be something of this nature. The inferiority of her family, to which he had once objected, was nothing compared with this.

  “From Brighton?” he asked, recalling Miss Lydia Bennet’s tendency to flirt disgracefully with the officers, as well as their casual acceptance of her behaviour.

  “Yes.”

  She was right that the story would soon be known. Everybody in the regiment would already be talking of the scandal with eager enthusiasm to know all the details. It would soon find its way back to Meryton.

  There was a large encampment at Brighton as well. People who had never heard of the Bennets of Longbourn would be bandying their name about with great amusement. The tale would be told to friends and relatives, probably with many invented embellishments. It would not surprise him to hear it in London this winter. He could not think of anything more degrading to have happened to her family.

  “There is something worse,” she added. “The gentleman with whom Lydia has eloped is Mr. Wickham.”

  “Mr. Wickham?” he echoed in great surprise. “I find it hard to believe that he would elope without the temptation of fortune. Are you quite certain of this information?”

  “Jane is, and her source of information was Colonel Forster, who rode to Longbourn with the news. Apparently Lydia left a note saying that she and Mr. Wickham were going to Gretna Green. The colonel confirmed this information by making some enquiries on his way to Hertfordshire. He learned that a couple matching their description hired a carriage, and they named Gretna Green as their destination before setting out on the northern road.”

  Mr. Darcy was still dubious. Wickham could gain nothing by marrying Lydia Bennet, and gaining a fortune had always been his goal. It now occurred to him that there was something much worse than an elopement. The utter ruination caused by one which did not come to fulfillment.

  “Was anything done to recover her?” he asked.

  “I do not know. It is strange, but Jane said nothing about that. She is not usually so imprecise, but then the entire tone of her letter was out of the ordinary. I suppose she was too distracted to give her attention to all the details.”

  “Then perhaps your father has gone in pursuit, or Colonel Forster.”

  “Perhaps, but it is surprising that Jane did not mention it.”

  “Maybe it was considered that they had too great a head start.”

  She looked thoughtful. “I do not believe they did. Jane said that the Colonel set out from Brighton immediately after Lydia’s absence was discovered.”

  “If the distance was so little, he really should have gone after them instead. And he even knew which way they had gone. It is incom
prehensible that he did not. They could have been caught within the day.”

  “It is rather surprising,” Elizabeth agreed. “I know he was on horseback, but he could have hired a carriage to convey Lydia home, or even sent word to Longbourn that he was in pursuit and requesting my father to follow.”

  “I suppose they might have set out together afterwards. I am sure that your father would have made very effort to find your sister as quickly as possible.”

  “It does seem likely that he would have done,” she agreed. “I just wish Jane had been more informative on that point.”

  “You must hope for the best,” he advised. “It is quite possible that Lydia was found and is already back at home. Hopefully without them spending a night on the road, which will save her from absolute ruin. I expect the story of her escapade will still get out, but if they got to her in time, then she will mainly be thought willful and foolish.” These things were bad enough, but better than the worst that could happen.

  “That is exactly what she is,” Elizabeth said with emphatic agreement. “But I cannot share your confidence. Now that I think of it, Jane wrote with certainty that we were all ruined. That suggests she did not have any expectation of Lydia being brought home. And she said that my father had retired to his study in a bleak mood. But why would he not have gone after them, especially as there was apparently a good chance of catching up?” And why was Jane’s letter sent express? Is it possible that they were thinking we could chase after Lydia and take her home? If so, she failed to explain it properly. And even if we did, what would be the purpose? With so much time gone by, the disgrace is irreparable. Preventing their marriage now will only serve to make things worse. Oh, I do wish I understood what was wanted! Why did Jane not explain things more thoroughly?”

  “You must not distress yourself,” he said. “There are a great many unanswered questions, but either she was brought home, or Mr. Wickham will marry her in Scotland, which will be unfortunate, but better than utter ruin.”

  He could not convince himself, however. It really was doubtful that Wickham would throw away his chance of yet making a better marriage. He had no motive to give Lydia his name, and he was quite capable of casting her aside. This was a dreadful business indeed, and there was little to be done about it. At best, the lady that he loved was very likely about to become even less eligible than she had been when he had offered for her. At worst, she would be completely beyond the pale. Inwardly, his own distress was increasing.