* * *

On the night of Georgiana’s debut, Darcy had an inkling of what he would feel on such an occasion if Elizabeth and he had a daughter. He was flooded with memories of his little sister climbing on her first pony, walking through the maze with their mother, sitting next to her father on the phaeton holding the reins together, or running around a maypole with the village children. In the last five years, their lives had been so entwined that he could hardly believe he might have to part with her in a very short while. But it would happen, as the young men at the ball flew to her as moths to a flame.

He had hoped that it would have been possible for Elizabeth to return with him to London and to stay with the Gardiners, so that they might be together on this special evening. But her family’s reaction to the announcement that they were to be married had been coolly received. He understood it was his own doing as his behavior at the assembly was still discussed in the neighborhood, and, subsequently, his role in Bingley’s departure from Netherfield had been revealed. But because he had asked Elizabeth not to share with her parents his role in Lydia’s fiasco, neither knew how indebted they were to him.

Mrs. Bennet’s reaction to the news was one of shock. Now that Lydia and Jane were shortly to be married and Mary would eventually marry after Mr. Nesbitt had been called to the bar, she was feeling quite secure and mentioned to Lizzy that, unlike Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy was a disagreeable man and one who thought that he was above his company. Nevertheless, she should consent to become his wife.

“Think of the pin money and the dresses, the jewels, and the carriages. Nothing will be denied you, and then you can find a husband for Kitty by throwing her into the path of other rich gentlemen.”

Mr. Bennet’s reservations regarding the marriage were such that Darcy was concerned that he would withhold his blessing, which would have deeply hurt Elizabeth. It was obvious that she was her father’s favorite child, and it was only after her father had talked to his daughter behind closed doors and had been reassured that her intended had no improper pride, that he was perfectly amiable, and that she loved him dearly, that he had given his consent. But he did so reluctantly.

Darcy left his future bride with her family for the purpose of rehabilitating his reputation, but he again cautioned her about revealing his role in Lydia and Wickham’s upcoming marriage. After returning to London, he had called on the Gardiners in hopes of hearing that Lydia had reconsidered, but he was informed that she would not yield. Tired of listening to her aunt and uncle’s pleas, she had finally put an end to their efforts when she had made a confession: She had lied to them when she told them that she was still a maiden. Mrs. Gardiner did not believe her, but the desired result was achieved.

But thoughts such as these should be reflected upon only in the darkest hours of the night and not at his sister’s coming-out party. As he danced with Georgiana’s friends and watched as they huddled in the corners between dances, giggling as girls always do, he delighted in the thought that his lovely sister had formed a deep attachment for Elizabeth. It was as he had always hoped.

* * *

At a time when Darcy had the pleasure of escorting his sister to a series of breakfasts and balls, there was an unpleasant piece of unfinished business to deal with. On this day, Lydia Bennet was to marry George Wickham.

Darcy was standing on the church steps when Lydia came bounding out of the hackney with her aunt and uncle. She had taken forever to mount the steps of St. Clement’s as she wanted all of the people out and about to admire her wedding dress and bonnet. Passersby called out their good wishes, which was a good thing, because they were the only ones who did. When she entered the church, she looked around for her family. Why were they not here to share in the joy of her marriage? But the beaming bride shrugged off their absence as soon as she saw Wickham, who had arrived at the church in the uniform of his new regiment. If Darcy had cared one whit about him, he might have asked what accounted for the bruises on his face and the bandage on his hand, but he was confident he knew the answer. Wickham had had a rough reception in Brighton.

Darcy was surprised, but he should not have been, when he saw George and Hannah Bingley in the church. George always dotted his i’s and crossed his t’s, but once Lydia was married, his role would come to an end. The only humor in the situation was Lydia’s face when she saw George Bingley. She had nearly walked into a pew in her effort to give him a wide berth. After the ceremony, George approached Darcy to reassure him that Lydia would be looked after.

“I have written to Wickham’s colonel asking that he alert Mr. Stone if he thinks Lydia is being mistreated in any way. Even with that, she will face challenges once she reaches Newcastle. I grew up in the North, and its people are shaped by its harsh climate. We are coarser than our southern brethren, but more honest to my mind, and we have no tolerance for artifice and lies.

“In that same letter, I again warned Colonel Davenport of Wickham’s proclivity for walking away from unpleasant situations. The colonel assured me that no such thing would happen, as his soldiers were going to be put through a rigorous regimen as he was anticipating that the regiment would shortly be receiving orders to go to the Peninsula to fight Napoleon’s forces in Spain.”

“The Peninsula? I had not thought. Were you aware of this when you helped secure Wickham’s commission?”

“Wickham signed the requisite papers for a commission as an officer in an infantry regiment. His days of parading about the village in his well-tailored uniform so that the ladies might admire him are over. His shoulder will be put to the wheel. As for Wickham’s possible deployment to Spain, he is an officer in His Majesty’s Army, and as such, he will go where he is sent.” After watching the young Lydia enter the carriage with Wickham, he added, “I am a man of faith, Mr. Darcy. As such, I believe good deeds are rewarded, and bad deeds are punished,” and he said no more.

With the newlyweds traveling to Longbourn in three days’ time, it would be impossible for Darcy to go to Hertfordshire to see Elizabeth. However, Elizabeth had written to say that Jane and she were coming to London so that her sister might purchase material for her wedding dress. This was the silver lining to the marriage he had just witnessed, and so there was something to celebrate after all.

Chapter 53

Kitty was a faithful reader of The Insider, and since her sisters were now engaged to men who occasionally appeared in the magazine, she began to read past issues looking for any instance when the names of Bingley, Darcy, or Fitzwilliam appeared.

“Jane, Mr. Bingley’s name was once mentioned in connection with Miss Alice Winthorp, who married Sir Arthur Kentwell. It says here that he made his money in herring. Does that mean he fished for herring or sold herring?”

“If you are asking if Sir Arthur made his money as a fisherman or fishmonger, I am confident in saying ‘no,’” Lizzy answered. “It is more likely he owned the ships or bought the entire catch.”

“Lizzy, in this issue, it says Mr. Darcy was seen to be coming out of Mrs. Conway’s house in Bedford Square near dawn. I wonder what he was doing there at such an hour?”

“Mrs. Conway is a prominent Whig hostess, and there is nothing suspect in a person with similar interests visiting her salon. And you must remember that half of those things are made up. It may very well be that Mr. Darcy was there, but left at 1:00 in the morning and the reporter decided that was close enough to dawn for him.”

“Well, if what you say is true and half of it is made up, I wonder how much of what is written about Lord Fitzwilliam is the truth as he is in every issue. But the ladies he calls on must be from elite families because their names are hinted at, but not mentioned. In a recent issue, the earl’s name does appear one time with Mr. Darcy’s. It said there is a new courtier in town, a Madame Aumont. The two men provided her with the financial support she needed to open her own shop after she had fled France, and now she has a clientele that includes Lady Edgemont and a Polish countess.”

“She must be the lady who made all of Miss Darcy’s dresses for her debut,” Lizzy said. “I remember she had a French name.”

“Lizzy, since I must choose a dressmaker,” Jane said, “why should she not be a friend of Mr. Darcy’s, especially since she was approved by his sister and he has chosen to support her efforts to start a business?”

“Yes, I agree. I think it will make a nice surprise for Mr. Darcy,” Lizzy added.

* * *

On Lizzy’s first night in London, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, and his sister dined at the Gardiners’ home. Darcy was pleased to see how happy Bingley and Miss Bennet were together. Another pleasure was to witness the friendship that was developing between Georgiana and Elizabeth. When he had heard Elizabeth ask his sister about the progress of her story, he knew Georgie would have an ally supporting her desire to write novels, and he felt the first crack in his resolve that his sister should do no such thing.

All of this was well and good, but it was nothing compared to his enjoyment at seeing Elizabeth. She need not say or do anything as her presence was enough to make him happy, and although he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her, he understood they probably would not have a moment alone until they were married. Lizzy gave him a slight smile, and he wondered if she was thinking the same thing, too.