Memory: Volume 3, How Far We Have Come, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (Memory: A Tale of Pride and Prejudice) (16 page)

“Thank you, Papa.” Darcy looked up to see her smile fade.  “I miss you as well.”  She walked away and went to stand by the window.

“Forgive me. There is enough tension in this house and I created more.”  He looked to Darcy.  “I meant no harm.”

Darcy leaned towards him and spoke quietly.  “I understand, sir.  I believe that Lydia is not the only daughter who is amazed at what you are willing to do for someone so unrelated to your family, considering the experience Elizabeth suffered in her childhood and since.” 

“Do not think for a moment that I am unaware of that, I hope to earn her respect as well as do some good.” 

Standing, Darcy walked over to Elizabeth and placed his hands on her shoulders.  “Are you well?”

“No, but I am trying.”  She whispered and dabbed her eyes.  “Oh Will, she was so pathetic.  She had already been chastised by Mrs. Hurst, but then when we confronted her with the letter to Lydia, she broke down and sobbed.  I asked why it took her so long to realize that what she had done was wrong, and she said that living in the boarding house, every man that she . . . took to her bed told her how beautiful she was.  She liked the attention, she liked them telling her what they wanted and seeing how pleased they were . . .” Darcy wrapped his arms around her.  “It never occurred to her that every moment that she was away, she was destroying her family a little more.  She thought that her actions affected only herself.”

“When did she realize what she had done?”  Darcy kissed her forehead.

“When the woman who ran the house called her a whore and threw her clothes out in the street in the mud, and the man she had been living with shrugged and turned away.  She saw some of the men she had laid with, and they laughed at her.  That was when she walked home.  She was filthy and hungry, and saw her sisters climbing down from a carriage, clean and dressed properly.  That was when it all became clear that she could not just walk in the door and resume her place.”  Darcy’s arms tightened around her.  “We told her of the possibilities for her future.  She was shocked but resigned.”  Elizabeth’s eyes closed.  “She said that I am not as Lydia described at all.”

There was a knock at the door, and the butler entered.  “Sir, the gentleman who came to speak to his daughter is demanding that his carriage be brought around.”

“They are leaving?” Hurst asked. “He only just arrived.”

“Not
they
, sir.”  The man said carefully.  “He never actually visited the young lady.”

“He did not speak to her?”  Darcy let go of Elizabeth and strode out of the door, down the stairs, and seeing Mr. Simkins in the foyer, picked up his pace.  “Sir.” 

The command in the one word stopped the distressed father’s movement.  “Mr. Darcy.”

“Where are you going?  Alone?”  Darcy came to a stop in front of him and fixed his cold eyes upon the man.  “Are you forgetting someone?”

“I have no need for a ruined child.  It would have been better for our family if she had died.”

“How can you make such a statement!”  Darcy cried.

“Because it is the truth.”  Mr. Bennet said from the top of the stairs.  “As horrible as it is to acknowledge Darcy, Elizabeth and Mrs. Hurst’s anger was entirely justified.  Miss Simkins’ ruin extends to her sisters and family.  You know that, you know the consequences of her actions.”

“Mr. Darcy, I know you are far richer than I and run in society that I can never achieve, but it does not give you the right to stick your nose in my business!”  Simkins pointed at Mr. Bennet.  “At least he understands why I feel this way.”

Mr. Bennet arrived at the bottom of the stairs.  “Yes, I understand, I also understand that my daughter,
your
daughter’s great admirer, was a hair’s breadth from following her.  So sir, may we agree that I do have the right to stick
my
nose in this?  We are both men who have failed our children.”  Seeing Simkins’ lack of response, he continued, “Tell me, do you truly wish that she had not been found?  Would you prefer that she had remained lost to you?  Never to know where she was?  You realize that had she not been removed from the house where she worked, at this moment she might be on her back servicing her new master?  I doubt that Robinson wasted any opportunity letting her know exactly what her duties would entail, even if he had not acted upon them yet.”

“Enough!”  Simkins looked away.

Mr. Bennet gestured to the stairs.  “You spent months searching for her; you knew that if she lived she would be in a state of ruin!  Surely you did not think that she would have simply gone on a tour of the countryside for her little adventure?” 

Darcy resisted the urge to throttle the man.  “You have abandoned your duty to her long enough, sir.  I will not permit you to walk away from it now.”

“I do not wish to abandon her.”  He stared down at his feet.  “I love my daughter.”  Defiant, he glared at Darcy and Mr. Bennet.  “Why would I have searched for her if I did not?”

“Then why do you run now?”  Darcy demanded.  “She is alive, she is battered and confused.  Why would you add to that?”

“Because it is easier to do nothing, Darcy.”  Mr. Bennet said quietly.  “It is easier to close your eyes and pretend that nothing is wrong.  It is easier to sit in your chair and let others clean up the messes that your negligence created, and to live in the world of complacency.”

“What am I to do?  How can I face her?” Mr. Simkins broke down and sobbed.  “My baby, my dear girl.”

“You cry for her now, but you leave her with strangers who feel more compassion than you.”  Darcy said softly, and looking away, waited for Simkins to compose himself.  “Sir, I have a daughter, and were I in your position, I . . . I am sure that I would feel the same despair but, I could never abandon her, no matter what she had done, no matter how she had disappointed me, I would help her.  Somehow I would help her.” 

Mr. Bennet nodded.  “She may never live in your home again, the dreams you had for her are shattered, but she lives.  And she is waiting for you.”  Placing his hand on Simkins’ shoulder he stared him in the eye.  “Go, be the father that she needs.  Be the father that you and I have failed to be for our daughters.”

Simkins wiped his eyes and drew a long breath.  “You are the first men to call me on my behaviour since my father died.”  He shook his head.  “Excuse me.”  He set off up the stairs and Darcy closed his eyes, remaining in the foyer until he felt Elizabeth’s hand slip into his. 

“He is with her now.”  Elizabeth smiled and stroked back the hair from his brow.  “Come.”

“I need to return home.  Soon.”  He said quietly, and fought the pain that was beginning to bloom.

“Soon.”  She promised and looking to her father, she held out her other hand.  “I am proud of you, Papa.”

“Thank you, Elizabeth.”  He looked at her hand and squeezed it before letting go.  “I will endeavour to continue making you proud.” The three made their way up the stairs to join the others, and waited.

Some half hour later, there was a knock at the door and Mr. Simkins entered with Jessica.  The party stood and he bowed to them.  Jessica’s eyes were red and her face bore the mottled look of one who had been crying hard for a very long time.  Her father’s arm was around her waist and he held her tightly against his side. 

“It seems that the reunion was successful?”  Darcy asked softly.

“Mr. Darcy . . . All of you . . .” Mr. Simkins paused.  “We had given up hope.”  He drew a deep breath.  “We had searched for her, not finding a trace anywhere. I hired men to comb London and every place we could.  She had vanished.  The possibilities that occurred to us were horrible, but . . . Even knowing precisely where she has been and what she has done, I can only be grateful that she is found.”  He looked to his daughter and kissed her cheek.  “It strikes my heart cold to know that she stood outside of her home and did not have the courage to return.  It breaks me to know that she had taken a position as a servant,” he choked, “at a home within view of hers.”

“Thank you all for your part in reuniting me with my family.”  Jessica whispered.  “I am deeply ashamed.  Mr. Bennet, I . . . I wish to beg you to tell Lydia that . . . I am grateful for her still thinking enough of me to summon help.  I know that I treated her terribly and I encouraged her.  I am so sorry, sir.  Mrs. Darcy, I . . . I heard every word of your chastisement, and every word of your compassion and care, and I wish so much that I had listened to my sisters when they attempted to do the same.  I thought that I was better than they.”  She looked at the floor.  “Now I know how insignificant I am.”  She looked back up to her and smiled a little.  “Thank you, madam.  Thank you, Mrs. Hurst, for bringing me here.”

“What will you do?”  Elizabeth came forward and embraced her.  “My husband and his friends have considered some options, if you have none in mind.”

Simkins looked to his daughter.  “Although we have maintained that she is away at school and all is well, we are aware that the news of her disappearance has made its way about our circle.  To protect her sisters from her ruin, we . . . We know that she must leave us.” 

“Have you relatives she might join?”  Darcy offered.

“Yes.”  He sighed.  “I have family in the north.  There she may live and start again.  Hopefully she will marry a good man one day when she is older.  Much older.”  He kissed her cheek and bowed.  “We have intruded on your company long enough.  We are grateful.  Thank you.” 

“I will see you to the door.”  Mrs. Hurst offered and left the room. 

Darcy walked to Elizabeth and slipped his arm around her waist. “She is fortunate.”

“So are we.”  She looked up to him and he kissed her. 

From across the room, Mr. Bennet nodded his head.  “Fortunate indeed.”

“THANK HEAVENS.”  Jane sighed and read again Elizabeth’s letter telling every detail of Jessica’s rescue.  “I know that Lydia would have run away.”

“Truly?”  Lucas leaned over her shoulder to read.  “What held her back, do you think?”

“I think that it was the general fury that erupted around the school when Jessica disappeared.  She thought then that it was a great adventure, but surely seeing the upset of every other person in that school, and listening to the girls discussing her fate, had to give her pause.”  She sighed.  “I will have to talk to her about it before she returns to school.”

“She has come to visit you daily since your talk.”  He kissed her cheek and took a seat next to her.  “I see a bit of hero worship in her eyes.”

“That will have to stop eventually.  She admired Miss Simkins and look what it bought her.  She will have to learn to stand on her own.”

“I hardly see you as one to run off with a soldier, or to be a bad influence.”  Lucas glanced out of the parlour door and ducking his head, kissed her lips.  “Jane . . .”  He started to draw her into his arms when they were startled by the sound of Mrs. Lucas scolding a servant, then the sound of running feet and Maria screeching.  She ran into the room and sat down across from them.  Lucas immediately let go of Jane.  “Do you know how to knock?”  He glared.

“The door was open.”

“Well then look before you come in!”  Lucas heard his brothers again.  “What are they doing?”

“They were chasing me with a dead mouse.”  Maria shuddered.  “John had a handful of black beetles that he said he was going to put in my bed.”

“Mother would have had his hide if he did.”  Lucas closed his eyes.  “When do you go to visit Charlotte?”

“In a fortnight.”  She tilted her head.  “You are invited, too.  Then Papa could stay home.  Wouldn’t that be wonderful, all of us in the parish house?”

“How did Elizabeth describe Hunsford?”  Lucas asked Jane.

“Snug.”  Jane smiled and he groaned.  “Robert, she does invite us to London in her letter.” 

“To Darcy House?”  He sat up.  “When?”

“Well, there is the ball at Matlock House, which I remember was wonderful, and Mary will be quietly coming out there.  That is this coming Tuesday.  We are welcome to attend.”  She looked at him hopefully.  “We could dance.”

“We could sleep in peace.”  He said under his breath. 

“It is an enormous home.”  Jane glanced at Maria.  “She said that Papa was invited to stay, but he said that he must speak to Lydia about Jessica and then return her to school.  He will regret the library that he is at last allowed to enjoy, but he will return tomorrow.”

“It would just be Darcy, Elizabeth, Mary . . . and us?”  He swallowed and gripped her hand.

“Yes.”  Jane squeezed back.  “Fitzwilliam will send his carriage.”

“Really?”  Lucas glanced at his sister’s curious stare.  “Have you accepted?

“I was waiting for you!”  Jane laughed when he jumped up and went to the writing desk.  “I think that your answer is clear!”

“I never thought that London would appeal to me, Jane.”  He heard the sound of his brothers’ voices mixed with those of his parents, “But it sounds like heaven to me now!”

“THERE YOU GO SWEETHEART.”  Elizabeth smiled and watched Rosalie toddle away.  “She is doing so well, and it was only a week ago that she stood.” 

“Soon she will be climbing trees like you.”  Mr. Bennet looked around the small garden and smiled, watching as Rosalie picked up a block and immediately putting it to her mouth and grinning, wobbled over to give to Elizabeth.   “Mamamamama!”

“Thank you!”  Elizabeth smiled and gingerly took the wet wood.  “What a nice block!”  Rosalie beamed and accepted a kiss to her cheek, then toddled away to find a new treasure for her mother. 

“You have quite a collection there.” 

“It is growing.”  Elizabeth looked around the blanket and then up to her father seated on a bench in their small garden.  “She will not get near a tree if Fitzwilliam has anything to say about it.” 

“Will he?”  He chuckled to see his daughter arch her brow then smiled as a toy duck was delivered with a crow of delight.

“Yes!  Duck!”  Elizabeth quacked and tickled Rosalie’s belly and she giggled, off to find another gift. 

Mr. Bennet picked up a small rag doll.  “Rosalie.”  He said softly and held it out.  “For Mama.”  Rosalie stood stock still and stared at him.  He smiled and did not move.  She started to whimper and looked at Elizabeth who was smiling at her father.   Cautiously the baby took a step and held out her hand, then snatched the doll away and fell on her bottom.  Mr. Bennet laughed and Elizabeth joined him.  Rosalie looked between them and began giggling then climbed to her feet, and picking up the doll gave it to her grandfather before wandering away.