Pride and Prejudice — Chapter Fifty-One (Abridged)

The day of Lydia's wedding visit finally arrived. Jane and Elizabeth felt more nervous about it than Lydia probably did herself. The family gathered to welcome the newlyweds — Mrs. Bennet smiling brightly, Mr. Bennet looking serious, and the sisters anxious and uneasy.

Lydia burst into the room loudly, completely unashamed. Her mother rushed forward with joy, hugging her warmly and welcoming Wickham with equal enthusiasm. Mr. Bennet, however, greeted them coldly, barely speaking a word. Lydia, unaffected by the tension, cheerfully looked around the room, laughing about how long it had been since her last visit.

Wickham seemed just as relaxed and confident as Lydia, smiling easily and chatting as though nothing scandalous had happened at all. Elizabeth was surprised at his boldness, deciding privately that nothing could embarrass him anymore. Both she and Jane blushed with embarrassment, though neither Lydia nor Wickham showed any sign of shame.

Lydia talked constantly, recalling her wedding excitedly and mentioning happily how she couldn't believe three months had already passed. She joked about not even planning to get married when she originally left home. Elizabeth grew increasingly uncomfortable as Lydia carelessly bragged about showing off her wedding ring to people in town, clearly enjoying the attention.

Unable to bear it any longer, Elizabeth quickly left the room, returning only when dinner was about to start. She overheard Lydia proudly announcing to Jane that she now outranked her at the table because she was a married woman.

As the days passed, Lydia grew even more comfortable, eager to visit friends and neighbors to be called "Mrs. Wickham." She proudly showed off her ring to the household servants and boasted about her marriage constantly.

Lydia even encouraged her mother to send her unmarried sisters to Brighton, insisting it was the perfect place to find husbands. Elizabeth firmly disagreed, unwilling to follow her sister's example.

The couple's visit was short, lasting only ten days before Wickham had to join his new regiment. Mrs. Bennet was the only one sad to see them leave so soon, spending the visit constantly hosting parties and visiting friends with her daughter.

Watching them together, Elizabeth realized Wickham's feelings for Lydia weren't nearly as strong as Lydia's feelings for him. She guessed correctly that their sudden elopement had been driven mainly by Lydia's intense affection, combined with Wickham's own financial troubles rather than true love.

One morning, Lydia casually mentioned details from her wedding day to Elizabeth, revealing that if her uncle had been delayed, Mr. Darcy himself would have taken his place at the ceremony.

Elizabeth was shocked. "Mr. Darcy?" she repeated, stunned.

Realizing her mistake, Lydia begged her sisters to keep it secret, fearing Wickham would be upset if he found out she had told them. Elizabeth promised not to ask further questions, though inside she was bursting with curiosity.

Unable to let it go, Elizabeth wrote urgently to her aunt, Mrs. Gardiner, begging for an explanation about why Mr. Darcy would have been involved in such a private family event.