thinks his pride will stop him She is also angry at Lydia s foolishness The happy moments she had with Darcy at Pemberley now feel far away Her heart feels heavy Elizabeth s Pain and Fear About Darcy Elizabeth is worried Before the scandal Elizabeth had started to admire Darcy But she had not spoken her heart Now she realises she loves him She believes Darcy will stay away because of family shame This makes the shame even harder She knows Darcy values honour and respect She fears the Bennets bad name will stop his love This pain makes her realise she truly cares for him She feels sad not only for Lydia but also for herself Darcy s Secret Help Darcy hears about the scandal from Elizabeth He acts without telling anyone He searches for Lydia and Wickham in London Wickham has no plan to marry Lydia Darcy persuades him He pays Wickham s debts He gives him money for the marriage Mrs Gardiner later says He had done all this for a girl whom he could neither regard nor esteem Darcy s help is not for Lydia It is for Elizabeth He wants to protect her family from disgrace This is a quiet selfless act It shows that his love is stronger than pride Elizabeth Learns the Truth Elizabeth does not know about Darcy s secret help at first Later Mrs Gardiner writes to her She tells how Darcy found Wickham and arranged the marriage Elizabeth is shocked She says He had done it for her This truth changes her heart She sees Darcy s real character He is not just a proud rich man He is a man of action kindness and honour His help is done in secret without seeking praise Elizabeth feels deep gratitude She now respects him more than ever A New Respect and Love The Wickham Lydia affair could have ended their love But it does the opposite It shows Elizabeth that Darcy s love is real It shows Darcy that Elizabeth s family s honour matters to him Elizabeth s respect grows into deep love Darcy s pride turns into humility Elizabeth says Owe you You taught me a lesson The scandal becomes a turning point It removes the last barrier between them Darcy proposes again This time Elizabeth says yes The Wickham Lydia affair is a turning point in Pride and Prejudice At first it brings shame fear and sadness Elizabeth thinks Darcy will leave her But Darcy s secret help changes everything Elizabeth sees his true heart This scandal which seemed like an end becomes the beginning of trust and love between them