Her thoughts on Jane and Mr. Bingley’s argument, Elizabeth asked, “You do not have any dark, hidden secrets in your past that I should know of before we marry, do you?”
“You mean aside from those you already know?”
She smiled slightly. “I suppose I do.”
“If I do, they are so dark and so deeply hidden that I do not know them myself.”
“I imagine I will be content with that.”
This time, he brought both of her hands to his lips. “Thank you.”
“Elizabeth,” Lydia called, singsong, from the front stoop. “Mama says it is time to come in.”
“Good night, Mr. Darcy,” Kitty added.
With another smile and a final caress, Fitzwilliam released her hands. Elizabeth stepped back as he mounted, then turnedhis horse down the drive. A happy sigh leaving her, she watched him ride away. Soft warmth unfurled inside her.
Her sisters came out, halting on her left and right.
“You know, at first I thought even one Mr. Darcy was one Darcy too many,” Lydia said. “Then he said so many rotten things about everyone, and I decided he was fun.”
“I agree,” Kitty replied, to Elizabeth’s surprise. Kitty and Lydia never agreed. “And then we got another Mr. Darcy, and he did not say entertaining things. He was far too serious and boring.”
Lydia nodded. “We decided we did not like him as well as the first one, but that was before he decided he likes you.”
“And now?” Elizabeth asked, her gaze on the end of the drive, where Fitzwilliam had waved once more before turning onto the lane and disappearing into the darkness of the roadway.
“Now I like this Mr. Darcy,” Lydia said. “He is not so stiff or brooding as he seemed, and he lets us write to Georgiana.”
“And he undoubtedly has some very wealthy friends.”
“Yes, and he is not going to marry Miss Bingley.”
Kitty nodded. “Even wealthy friends cannot be worth enduring her.”
“We think you picked the right Mr. Darcy,” Lydia concluded.
Elizabeth chuckled. “Thank you. I am happy you think so.”
Epilogue
Richard grinned down at his new bride, then swept her up into a kiss that had the congregation fidgeting. Caroline did not fidget, however. She kissed him back with all the fervor he’d hoped for. Enough so, in fact, that it wasn’t until the priest cleared his throat and tapped Richard on the shoulder that he remembered they were in church, before half of London and all of his relations. Grin undimmed, he turned her to the congregation, raising their clasped hands high before escorting her from the church.
Outside, bright winter sunlight and loud cheers, emanating from the half of London not afforded room inside, washed over them. Above, the bells rang, adding to the clamor. Men in the Earl of Matlock’s livery moved through the throng, handing out coins to any who appeared as if they needed them. Peers enjoyed being generous when they celebrated a wedding. Sighting their waiting carriage, cheerfully afforded space on the curb at the base of the church steps, Richard escorted Caroline down and handed her in.
As soon as they were ensconced in their conveyance, his father’s second best, and rolling off to Matlock House for their wedding breakfast, Caroline’s demure blush transformed into a wide smile. “That was perfect. Now no one will question why you married me.”
“Would they have?” Richard asked, amused.
“Or rather, why I married you,” she amended. “I will still be looked down upon by the uppermost echelons, but in a tolerant, indulgent way. More the way they view a lady’s spoiled pug and less in the cutting, bitter way they eye a young lady intent on social climbing.” She squeezed Richard’s hand where it rested on her knee. “And you, well, everyone will assume you are smitten to the core and simply could not be made to care about mylack of connections. You will be an indulged, fortunate second son, who can wed where his heart takes him, freed of harsher expectations by a hale older brother who already has a wife and two sons.”
“Is that not what I am?”
“It does not matter what you are, my love. It matters how they see you, and that kiss will have them viewing both of us with tolerance rather than contempt, and will permit us to begin the work of seeing you in parliament.”
Richard smoothed a perfect, glossy curl back from her face. “I love your conniving mind.”
“I do hope so, as I have no intention of stifling my ambitions and becoming some sort of docile mother figure now that we are wed.”
