Hmm, an abduction or an elopement (from Lydia's POV)? Whose assertion is correct?
"Lydia is found", not "They have been found"... and no word about an eventual marriage.
And then the duke says that he will find the man responsible. In other words: Wickham is on the run...
It seems to me that the duke has the right of it, and this was more than Wickham just 'trrying for some fun' with Lydia. His strange commentary in the previous chapter and Elizabeth's letter re: Darcy's proposal which - suspected by all readers but not by our heroine - went 'missing' all point to Wickham being in the know.
I do find myself hoping, however, that the duke will not hold a grudge to the Bennets forever. It would seem quite heartless to suddenly forbid contact between them and Elizabeth, even when his worries about his granddaughter's safety are, of course, very understandable.
And Elizabeth! She has not yet had the chance to go over the reeling revelations re: Darcy as her grandfather's godson (and Georgiana as his goddaughter?) and the identities of 'Eddy and Bea' ( I quite suspected all along that they were Darcy's uncle and his wife ;-) )
I look forward to read the description of her head reeling with all that information!
I also wonder how the story will be affected now that Darcy is not be the one who rescues Lydia. Although, he can now still be the one to discover Wickham's whereabouts, of course, thereby helping both his godfather and Elizabeth.
