P&P Behind the Scenes: Lydia’s Wedding

 

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In this last of the three-part story about Lydia and Wickham, Lydia is brought to her wedding, but not to reason, by Mrs. Gardiner.

Lydias wedding

It was after breakfast that Mr. Gardiner was called away to consult with his man of business, Mr. Stone, and Lydia was wild with fear that he would take so long, that they would not reach St. Clement’s by eleven o’clock, when the wedding was to take place.

Wait, they were forced to do, however; and Lydia in her agitation was changing her finery and tossing things into her satchel with such abandon that her tumbled undergarments were spilling out.

“Oh! Aunt. I declare I wanted to be married in blue, you know they say marry in blue your love’s so true, but my blue muslin has that horrid nasty stain on it, one of the officers spilled something white…eggnog I believe, all over me and I could not stop to have it washed, though it was so sticky. This muslin gown is so limp it is positively insipid. I want to look beautiful for my dear Wickham, and I shan’t. It is a shame.”

“Lydia, I must talk to you,” began her aunt with energy. “How can you think of your finery, rather than the wickedness of what you have done!”

“Oh Aunt, don’t start that again,” Lydia pleaded. “What have I done that thousands of girls have not. I’m getting married, any way, and I’m sure that is nothing to be ashamed of. Oh, if only I had some coral beads for this white thing. You wouldn’t think white could fade, but this is absolutely dingy. Can’t I borrow your corals?”

“The gown would remain white if you ever washed it Lydia,” said Mrs. Gardiner with tight lips. “And I think I would never see my corals again if I lent them, for you are going home to Meryton from the church door.”

“Yes, won’t it be fun? I can’t wait to show myself to my sisters, and Mama, and all the servants, as a married woman! Only think, me being married first, though I’m only sixteen, and the youngest. This makes old maids of all of them. Oh! What a joke.”

“But Lydia, you must be brought to a sense of the shame you have given your whole family. Do you not know that it is wrong, it is wicked, to – to live with a man before you are wed? It makes you a fallen woman, and if Mr. Darcy and your uncle had not taken matters in hand, you would have remained one, for Mr. Wickham was in no hurry to marry you.”

“What difference does it make?” Lydia shrugged carelessly. “I could wear my darling little red spencer jacket that I had made up at one of the shops in Brighton. I had no money for it, but Mrs. Forster lent me some. Just see what a compliment to the military it is! All corded, with braids, and frogging just like Wickham’s, and see the gold tassels? I do think I ought to shake some gold tassels on my wedding-day, don’t you?”

Mrs. Gardiner crossed the bedroom, took the spencer out of Lydia’s hands, and put it firmly into Lydia’s carpet-bag. “Certainly no gold tassels,” she said with emphasis.

Lydia tossed her head. “Well, it isn’t the colours of Wickham’s new regiment anyhow,” she said pertly. “I’m sorry he should lose his red uniform; that is why I always would have little touches of red about me, though it is too mean of you not to lend me your corals. But now he is to wear blue. To tell the truth, he will look handsomer than ever in blue.” She thought a moment. “You do have jasper earrings, aunt; couldn’t I borrow those.”

“You may not,” snapped Mrs. Gardiner. “Lydia, once and for all, I want you to understand that if Wickham had continued to refuse to marry you – and I believe he never intended such a thing – you would be, to speak plainly, ruined. Not only would you be ruined, but all your sisters! Do you not realize that? No one would ever marry Jane, or Elizabeth, or Mary, or Kitty. No decent gentleman would attach himself to the family, one of whose daughters was – “

“Never mind, Aunt, I will be married in half an hour, and then I will be quite as respectable as you,” Lydia said pertly. “Hark! Do I not hear the gentlemen leaving the study?” She ran to the door. “It is them, uncle and the other gentlemen. Now we can go to the carriage. Do hurry, Aunt. If I can’t have the jaspers, how about your blue silk handkerchief? Then I would have something blue. Oh! Wickham will look so handsome in blue. I cannot wait to see him! And only think, he will be waiting at the church, with Mr. Darcy, for me, his bride!”

“Lydia! Before we leave – do you, do you understand that you have broken God’s commandments, and must repent? Even if you are to be married, if you are not penitent, you still carry the sin. Surely you regret the trouble and misery you have brought on your family. Mr. Darcy, a stranger, is having to pay for it all – “

“Well, and why should he not? He is very rich, and like a brother to Wickham, they say. Besides, you know, I think he likes Lizzy. When I asked which he thought prettiest, he got quite red. I said, I am sure you think Jane the best looking, and I teased him until he would answer, and he said, ‘No, your next sister.’ So there’s for you, Aunt – unless Lizzy is a fool she will marry him and be rich. Though I don’t think she will have as much fun as me. Mr. Darcy is such a stick, and not half as handsome as my dear Wickham.”

Mrs. Gardiner blushed angrily in spite of herself. “Lydia, Lydia, you must not talk of such things. On your way to church to be married, you ought to think of sacred subjects, repent your sins, and vow that you will reform and lead a pure, quiet, useful, holy life.”

“But I shan’t,” said Lydia with an impish grin. “How can you think it? Me and Wickham are going to have as much fun as possible. Indeed, we already have. He is so passionate!” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I don’t suppose you know anything about passion, Aunt Gardiner, but I assure you it didn’t take long for me to learn. And I think Lizzy knows, because she had quite a fancy for Wickham you know. Too bad! It’s I who have him now!”

As Mr. Gardiner came to fetch them and the coachman picked up Lydia’s satchel, Lydia put on her red gloves with complacency, and walked out to the carriage singing a camp song, which despite all Mrs. Gardener’s efforts to get her to hush, she did not stop humming all the way to her wedding.

“O ne’er shall I forget that night,
The stars were bright above me,
And gently lent their silvery light
When first she vowed to love me.
But now I’m bound to Brighton camp –
Kind heaven then pray guide me,
And send me safely back again,
To the girl I left behind me…”

 

 

 

 

36 comments

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  1. Oh wow! The unrepentant Lydia! That girl would be the death of her family if they were to still have to live with her! Thank goodness she is Wickham’s “problem,” I mean wife now!

    Thanks for the three part story. It was a hoot!

      • Diana Birchall on March 4, 2016 at 1:13 am
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      I’m so glad you liked it, Patty! I agree the family can bless their stars they’ve gotten rid of Lydia!

    • Carol on March 4, 2016 at 12:47 am
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    The girl should be slapped across her face every time she opens her mouth with a disgusting remark. By the time she gets to church, she wouldn’t worry about Wickham’s red coat, her face would serve the purpose for the need of red.

      • Diana Birchall on March 4, 2016 at 1:14 am
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      LOL, that’s what Lydia deserves, all right! But we may be sure that as Wickham’s wife, she won’t have an easy life…

    • Glynis on March 4, 2016 at 4:09 am
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    Talk about being blind and deaf!! She doesn’t hear anything Aunt Gardiner is saying, she just carries on living in her own dreams. And just how she can think that Wickham is more handsome than Darcy – well! That just proves it! Thanks Diana for this 3 part story. I think that it fits perfectly into the original 😊

      • Diana Birchall on March 5, 2016 at 2:00 am
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      Thank you very, very much, Glynis, that is the best compliment I could ever receive, and I’m grateful!

  2. It’s been such fun to read all three of these, Diana! Thank you for these vividly imagined scenes. I love all the colours in this one. “I’m getting married, any way, and I’m sure that is nothing to be ashamed of” — great line!

    1. Really delighted and honored that you enjoyed it, Sarah. Thanks for commenting.

  3. The other day I had a small amount of sympathy for Lydia. Gone. The bed she will be sleeping in will be delightful at first, but it won’t remain so.

      • Diana Birchall on March 5, 2016 at 2:00 am
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      The bed of roses will turn very rapidly into a bed of thorns, June.

  4. Did you write the poem Diana?

  5. Goodness. This is a faithful portrait of Lydia on her wedding day…and it’s a frightening one. Does not that girl have one thought in her head but officers, Wickham in particular, and finery?

    Good riddance, and have fun with Wickham, Lydia!

    Thanks for a wonderful, albeit frustrating, portrayal of Lydia on her wedding day. Thoughtless, stupid girl!

    Warmly,
    Susanne 🙂

      • Diana Birchall on March 5, 2016 at 1:53 am
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      So happy you enjoyed it, Susanne. Nothing is much more fun than writing about Lydia!

    • Carole in Canada on March 4, 2016 at 12:11 pm
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    Lydia, like Wickham, will always find a way around things and blame others for her problems or fix them. I just picture her as a modern day spoiled brat putting their hands over their ears and saying…’blah, blah, blah’ when someone tries to make them see reason. Well she had made her bed and now she has to sleep in it! Thank you for these posts!

      • Diana Birchall on March 5, 2016 at 1:54 am
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      Thanks for reading, Carole – and isn’t she the quintessential spoiled brat? I could keep on going. 🙂

      • Ann Garland on March 11, 2016 at 4:37 am
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      I could also see Lydia as a modern day “mean girl” especially if she would make Kitty a follower of hers.

    • Roxey on March 4, 2016 at 12:22 pm
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    Oh! GOOD GRIEF!!
    And it will be! They deserve each other!

      • Diana Birchall on March 5, 2016 at 1:55 am
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      They do, they do! Thanks for reading, Roxey.

    • Deborah on March 4, 2016 at 1:59 pm
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    Give me a break! How utterly unrepentant and uncaring Lydia is! She reminds me of a simpleton. I wonder if she will rue the day. It would serve her right. And what a selfish attitude. I can just picture her…….

      • Diana Birchall on March 5, 2016 at 1:56 am
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      We know she will rue the day, Deborah! But will she ever learn her lesson?

      • Ann Garland on March 11, 2016 at 4:39 am
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      I would feel sorry for any children they may have (though I hope they are both sterile).

    • Anji on March 4, 2016 at 3:45 pm
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    Oh myyy! I rather like Carol’s suggestion above, about having her face slapped, so she has something red to wear. And that red Spencer; she ‘borrowed’ the money to buy it but does she have any intention of paying it back? Almost certainly not – just like her soon-to-be husband. They make a well-matched pair. Does she still have no idea what Wickham’s plans for her were?

    She’s about to come back to earth with a very large bump, once they get to Newcastl, I suspect.

      • Diana Birchall on March 5, 2016 at 1:57 am
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      Yes, great line of Carol’s, something red to wear. In one way Lydia and Wickham are perfectly matched – their moral scruples, i.e., none!

    • Jan S. on March 4, 2016 at 8:15 pm
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    Oh! Thoughtless, thoughtless Lydia! I predict that she will have half a dozen children in as many years and will raise them with even less sense than she was raised by her own foolish mother. What a heritage! Mr. and Mrs. Bennet did not do their youngest any favors by indulging her every whim for so many years.

    1. Thanks for commenting, Jan. Yes, the combination of Mrs. Bennet’s spoiling and Mr. Bennet’s neglect, was lethal for Lydia, I agree!

    2. Thanks for commenting, Jan. Oh, yes, Lydia will surely have a big batch of children, and have a very hard life. I’m getting sorrier and sorrier for her!

    • junewilliams7 on March 5, 2016 at 2:23 am
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    As much as I would dislike Lydia in real life, I would love to see YOU act as Lydia in a skit. You channel her so well in your writing; I suspect you would make her come alive on a stage. Do you think she will ever, ever, ever realize her folly? And what of Wickham….. what did it take for him to realize that he would never be able to catch a rich heiress bride, that Lydia was the best he could do? More from your pen, please – you know we always want more of your writing!

    1. Oh June, how sweet of you to say that, and how I would LOVE to play Lydia! I think I did have a (slight) streak of her when I was a bouncy 15-year-old, and I sort of relate. However, I’m too old for the part now, to put it mildly. 🙂 That said, I’d LOVE to write a Lydia play! You tempt me – and thank you so very, very much for your kind words!

    • Joy on March 5, 2016 at 2:35 am
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    I love the line, “But I shan’t,” said Lydia with an impish grin.

    1. Tee hee! Thank you, Joy!

    • Marcy Dryden-West on March 5, 2016 at 2:27 pm
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    Loved it, Diana, as I do all your writing – must search out the first two installments.

    1. Aw, thank you so much, Marcy! There are three here, one after the other, and in the intro to the first one, where it says “preface,” that’s the link to the earlier story, which was published on Aug. 24, 2015, which is another way to find it. Thanks for reading them!

    • Wendy on March 5, 2016 at 4:29 pm
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    I just read all three of these (and the prologue posted earlier). Thanks for sharing. I especially liked this last one. We’ve always known that Aunt Gardiner tried to talk some sense into Lydia, but she would have none of it. This was a perfect imagining of one of their conversations!

    1. Wendy, thank you so much for that. A “perfect imagining” is a better compliment than I deserve, but you sure make me feel like a million bucks and make my day! Thanks again!

    • Sheila L. M. on March 5, 2016 at 4:55 pm
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    I do believe Lydia needs more than her face slapped…take her across one’s know and apply the branch of knowledge to the seat of learning! But we know of no one who is able to make any impression on her, she sees, hears and does what she wants to and damn the consequence. Perfectly written as it fits what I imagine happened. But, then she is now Wickham’s problem…oh, I mean wife.

  6. Seat of learning, LOL, Sheila! I’m afraid Lydia thinks too much with her seat of learning. But we know she is going to learn a hard lesson. Thanks for commenting!

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