When the letter was delivered to Darcy House, Elizabeth rolled her eyes and stuffed the letter into a drawer in her writing desk, on top of the other letters she had received from Longbourn. I must write to Mama soon, she thought, and then promptly forgot the matter.
***
The Countess’ dinner was a great success. Elizabeth congratulated both Caroline and Georgiana on winning the Marriage Game. When the Countess raised her eyebrows questioningly, Georgiana gleefully explained it.
The Countess raised her eyebrows and said, “Well, then, you both won it; but I would say that Richard and Lord Fane here have won it as well.”
Lord Fane agreed at once. “I am delighted to know that I will have a marriage of love, not of convenience! If I have to tolerate one more simpering young lady…”
Mr. Darcy found himself smiling. “I felt much the same,” he said. “I am still grateful, every day of my life, for my beautiful Elizabeth.” The two smiled at one another in that private, intimate way that had once made Caroline so uneasy.
But she no longer felt uneasy. ‘I shall have that as well,’ she thought, and she felt again how very much she missed Richard!
‘I have someone who looks at me the way Brother looks at Lizzy,’ Georgiana thought, and she hugged herself in dizzying joy.
“When shall you two wed?” the Countess asked Lord Fane.
“I am at Georgiana’s disposal, of course,” he replied, smiling fondly at the young lady at his side. “But for me, the sooner, the better!”
“Perhaps the end of June?” Georgiana asked.
“Perfect,” the Countess said. “You will have your choice of blooms. You will wed at St. George’s, of course, in Hanover Square.”
“I thought…Pemberly,” Georgiana replied.
“It is rather out of the way for the Westmoreland family,” the Countess said, brow wrinkled as she looked over at Lady Amelia.
“Not at all,” Lord Fane said at once. “We should be delighted to see Pemberley, should we not, Mother?”
“Delighted, indeed!” Lady Amelia said. “We have heard much of the beauties of the estate, and if that is what the bride wishes, then that is what she should have.”
Agatha added, “Derbyshire in June must be absolutely lovely!”
Elizabeth, seeing the woebegone expression on Caroline’s face, whispered to her husband, who raised his eyebrows and then nodded. Elizabeth said, “Caroline, should you like to be married from Pemberley as well?”
“Oh, say you will!” Georgiana cried at once. “A double wedding, Caroline! What could be better?”
Caroline stammered, “But – I would not want to presume –“
Elizabeth said, “Caroline, say yes! It would be absolutely perfect!”
What could Caroline Bingley do but to agree, with her whole heart?!
***
When the Colonel’s first message from Newcastle finally arrived at Darcy House with the morning mail, Mr. Darcy read it in silence, and then passed it to Elizabeth. Elizabeth read it and then glanced at Georgiana, whose blond head was bent over her morning pastry and then looked back at her husband with raised eyebrows. His answer was a brief shake of the head. Elizabeth gave a slight nod in agreement; Georgiana would be told what she needed to know and no more.
“Georgiana, I have news from Richard,” Mr. Darcy began, sliding the message under his plate.
“Richard? I know he is on a mission of some sort, is he not?”
“Not exactly,” Elizabeth said.
“What am I not being told?” Georgiana demanded.
“Richard went to Newcastle to convince Mr. Wickham not to take action against you.”
“But – but – then I need not have told Lord Fane about the elopement!”
