To Conquer Mr. Darcy

Eleven

After the gentlemen disappeared into the study, Elizabeth and Georgiana retreated to the sitting room, which was somewhat chilly as a fire had not been lit yet. Her agitation could not be masked; she knew that her father was going to be made unhappy, and that it should be through her means, that she, his favorite child, should be distressing him through her behavior, should be filling him with fears and regrets, was a wretched reflection. Georgiana, unaware of Mr. Bennet’s ignorance of recent events, assumed that her sister’s disquiet sprang from concern over Lydia, and attempted to cheer her with conversation, but Elizabeth sat in quiet misery until Darcy appeared again.

His slight smile reassured her to some extent. “Come, my dear, your father wishes to speak with you before we depart,” he said. He followed her into the hall, where he caressed her cheek lightly. “He did not take it quite so badly as he might have; I think that we, or at least you, shall be forgiven, though perhaps not immediately.”

“Perhaps you should wait with Georgiana while I speak to him,” she said worriedly.

His eyes flashed for a moment. “Elizabeth, I am your husband, and if you think for a moment that I would allow you to go in there without me, you are quite mistaken.”

She smiled anxiously but with good humor. “You are right, of course; I fear that I am not yet accustomed to being wed. Perhaps I shall be used to it in a fortnight or two.”

“You shall have many years to become accustomed to it, my love.” He took her hand and squeezed it, and did not release it immediately when they went into the study; she found she was in fact quite grateful for his presence at her side. She saw that Mr. Gardiner had been engaging Mr. Bennet in earnest conversation that broke off at their arrival, and she looked at her father with that expression of mingled guilt and mischief that had attended her every transgression since she had been a small child, though unfortunately there could be little comparison made between a marriage just this side of elopement and hiding Kitty’s favorite doll in a tree.

She was relieved when he stood and approached her, taking her hands in his. “Well, Lizzy, I see that it still remains beyond you to manage your romantic life in a traditional manner,” he said.

“I must find some way in which to distinguish myself from Jane,” she said gravely.

“Yes, well, I am beginning to appreciate Jane far more than I have in the past!” said Mr. Bennet. “There is something to be said for tradition, after all. But you have my very best wishes, Lizzy, and I hope you will be very happy.”

She smiled up at Darcy with an unmistakable look of affection. “Of that I have no doubt, sir, and I hope that some day you will be equally happy about it.”

“Well, perhaps, but you will excuse me at the moment if I spend my time appreciating the predictable Mr. Bingley,” he said dryly. “But we can discuss this further at a later date; I know you must be tired after your long journey. Tomorrow I will be meeting again with… your husband to discuss further steps we might undertake to discover Lydia; perhaps I shall see you at some point as well?”

She glanced at Darcy before nodding her assent.

Elizabeth’s feelings on the journey to the Darcy townhouse were far more complex than she would have anticipated; it was not until the moment when she left her father and uncle behind to go to her husband’s home that she felt the true extent of how her marriage had changed her life—that she had left her old life and her family behind, and that Darcy’s views now must take precedence over her father’s. It would not, under normal circumstances, have been an unusual discovery, but since at Pemberley her marriage had entailed only a change of bedroom, it had not felt true to her until now.

They arrived at Brook Street just as darkness was falling. Though curious to behold the place where she could expect to spend a great deal of time in the future, Elizabeth nonetheless held back slightly as the butler met them at the door.

“Mr. Darcy!” Philips said in surprise. “We had not been expecting you, sir.”

“I apologize for failing to send notice, Philips; we left Pemberley rather unexpectedly,” said Darcy, handing over his hat and coat.

“I will have your rooms prepared immediately, sir. Would you like some refreshment?” Philips glanced toward Elizabeth, wondering about arrangements for this unknown guest.

“Yes, if Cook could put something together, I am sure we would all appreciate it.”

“Right away, sir. And, Mr. Darcy, I should mention that Colonel Fitzwilliam has been staying here; I hope that is not a problem, sir.”

“Not in the least,” said Darcy, wondering what would have brought his cousin to town again so shortly after his last visit, as the gentleman himself appeared in the hallway to check on the commotion.

“Darcy!” Colonel Fitzwilliam exclaimed. “What brings you here?” He kissed Georgiana’s cheek warmly, and then, noticing Elizabeth, started in surprise. “Miss Bennet, this is an unexpected pleasure,” he said, bowing over her hand.

“I fear that I shall have to introduce you again; you do not have her name correctly, Fitzwilliam,” Darcy said significantly.

A puzzled look crossed the colonel’s face as he looked back and forth between Darcy and Elizabeth, then, as light dawned, he glanced down at her hand. “Not Mrs. Darcy,” he drawled, shooting a pointed look at Darcy.

Elizabeth smiled and curtsied. “It is indeed a pleasure, Colonel Fitzwilliam.”

“Well!” he exclaimed with a broad smile. Turning his attention to his cousin, he said, “Darcy, you dog! And without even inviting me to the wedding! Does this mean that the pistols at dawn are off?”

Darcy looked pleased. “Yes; I have decided to wait until you challenge me instead—then I can choose rapiers and spoil your pretty looks for you, cousin. Now, may I sit down in my own house, or are you planning an inquisition before you let us past the door?”

Shaking his head in disbelief, Colonel Fitzwilliam allowed them pass. Darcy, spotting a stunned-looking Philips still hovering, took a moment to introduce him to Elizabeth properly before leading her to the large sitting room.

Once they were all settled, Darcy asked, “So, what are you doing here, Fitzwilliam?”

“Apart from drinking your port? Well, you know that I went back up to Newcastle, and no sooner had I arrived than his lordship sent me straight back here to indulge the Major General again, and then we repeated the whole cycle one more time, after which I told his Lordship that I thought it would be far more efficient for me to remain in London while he sent me instructions by post, rather than keeping the instructions in Newcastle and sending me back and forth by post. So, since you were away, and planning to shoot me at dawn as well, I imposed upon Edward—my elder brother, Mrs. Darcy—and stayed with him for two days, after which I thought it unlikely that I would survive long enough for you to shoot me, so I decamped and threw myself on the mercy of Philips, who took pity upon me and took me in. He has not allowed me to drink too much of your port, though, more’s the pity.”

“Fitzwilliam, you are welcome to every last drop of my port, and the rest of the wine cellar as well,” Darcy said meaningfully, with a glance at Elizabeth.

The colonel inclined his head. “Always happy to be of service. But I suspect that you have a more interesting saga to tell, Darcy. Have you come from Hertfordshire?

Darcy laughed. “I fear it is far more complex than that. We spent some weeks in Hertfordshire, where, after a certain amount of persuasion, I managed to convince this lovely lady to accept the offer of my hand,” he said, pausing to take Elizabeth’s hand and kiss it lightly. She looked at him with the tender smile that always made his heart beat faster, and their eyes locked for a moment.

“You will have to become accustomed to this, Richard,” interposed Georgiana. “I am afraid that they do it quite constantly.”

Elizabeth colored lightly. Darcy kissed her hand again, then held it in his own, staring at Colonel Fitzwilliam as if daring him to object. The latter merely raised an amused eyebrow. “That must have been a very short engagement, then, cousin.”

“Well, I confess that we had originally intended it to be somewhat longer, but, as it happened, Elizabeth was by great coincidence about to travel with some of her family to Derbyshire, and we convinced them to stay at Pemberley. And, of course, once I had Elizabeth at Pemberley, I was not about to let her leave again, so we imposed upon your old friend the bishop to remove the remaining obstacles to immediate matrimony. Your parents attended the wedding.”

Elizabeth was relieved that Colonel Fitzwilliam did not seem to find this tale in any way remarkable, and noted for future consideration what it might mean that, while the entire world saw Darcy as always behaving in a studied and careful manner, his relations all seemed to think it perfectly natural for him to be madly impulsive.

“And no one saw fit to so much as mention it to me?” Colonel Fitzwilliam said in mock indignation. “I will have to challenge you, Darcy. Not to mention coming up with some suitable punishment for my parents.”

“It was only two days ago, Colonel Fitzwilliam,” Elizabeth said amusedly.

“Two days? What in heaven’s name are you doing here, then?” He sounded mildly scandalized.

“Excuse me, please,” Georgiana said abruptly, and exited the room.

Colonel Fitzwilliam looked after her in concern. “Did I say something I should not have?”

Darcy looked at Elizabeth as if for permission. In response to her nod, he said, “I believe that she wished to avoid hearing the answer to your question, which touches on the unpleasant subject of George Wickham.”

Colonel Fitzwilliam’s face looked grim. “What has that blackguard done now? If he has so much as spoken a word to Georgiana, I swear that I will… pardon me, Mrs. Darcy, I am afraid that my temper has been known to get the best of me on this subject.”

“I understand completely,” said Elizabeth dryly.

“He has not attempted anything with Georgiana; I fear he is trying his hand at a new route to tormenting me,” Darcy said, tightening his hand around Elizabeth’s. “He somehow managed to convince Elizabeth’s youngest sister to elope with him—he does seem to repeat the same patterns again and again—and they have been traced as far as London, but apparently have gone no further, hence our arrival today.”

“I am very sorry to hear it, Mrs. Darcy,” he said, his voice concerned. “Do I take it, then, that he knows of your marriage?”

“Not that we are married, but we believe that Lydia was aware of our engagement, so we must assume he knew as well,” Elizabeth replied. “I cannot imagine otherwise why he would choose her; she has no dowry to speak of, and my family can offer him little.”

“I have a few ideas of how to discover him,” Darcy said. “Tomorrow I will meet with Mr. Bennet, who is also in London, to discuss how to resolve the situation.”

“Indeed. Perhaps I should join you, Darcy. I might have a bit to add myself,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Darcy frowned. “Although I appreciate your willingness to help, I fail to see what you might know that I do not.”

“Wickham is very skilled at playing on your emotions, Darcy. He knows that I would just as soon run him through as not,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam. “That puts me at a certain advantage in dealing with him.”

“It is my responsibility. Had I not felt it to be beneath my dignity to expose his behavior to the world, this could never have happened.” Darcy’s voice expressed his anger at himself.

Elizabeth said gently, “I could say the same—that it is my fault for failing to reveal what I knew about him. The truth, though, is that it is the fault of only one person, and that is Mr. Wickham. I would not refuse anyone’s help in this situation.”

“Wise as well as beautiful; you have done well for yourself, Darcy. Listen to your wife.”

“There speaks the perpetual bachelor!”

Colonel Fitzwilliam decided against pointing out that he had assisted his cousin in courting the most promising marital prospect he himself had seen in some time. “Had I your opportunities, old man, you would sing a different tune.”

Darcy eyed him suspiciously, but was interrupted in whatever he might have chosen to say by the appearance of Philips, who requested a brief conference with the master. On his return a few moments later, he found Elizabeth conversing happily with Colonel Fitzwilliam. Discovering to his chagrin that he did not at all care for seeing Elizabeth smile at any other man, even his own cousin, he approached her and spoke quietly in her ear. “It seems we have a household crisis of unprecedented magnitude, my love. Apparently even my admirable staff cannot ready within a matter of an hour rooms that have been out of use for many years, and thus the rooms due to you as the lady of the house will not be ready until tomorrow. They offer you instead the finest guest room.”

Her eyes sparkled up at him with amusement. “I assume that you accepted on my behalf, sir,” she said mockingly, unaware of how her playfulness was affecting him.

“Indeed not, madam. I proposed an entirely different solution,” he said suggestively.

Elizabeth glanced at Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was watching this interplay with interest, although he could not hear Darcy’s words. “Perhaps we could discuss this later, sir,” she said composedly.

“I think not, my lovely wife,” he replied, helping her to her feet before scooping her up in his arms. “Good night, Fitzwilliam,” he said, satisfaction evident in his voice.

“Good night, Darcy, Mrs. Darcy. I hope you sleep well.” Colonel Fitzwilliam smiled broadly, raising his glass to them.

Elizabeth, in deepest embarrassment, buried her face in Darcy’s shoulder. Once they were out of the room, she gazed up at him reproachfully. “And to think that I once believed that you valued propriety!”

He paused to kiss her, disregarding the servant in the hallway. “It is all a matter of priorities, my love.” He pushed open the door to an upstairs room. “Right now my priority is to acquaint you with my bed.” He placed her on that piece of furniture, exploring her mouth with an unhurried attentiveness to detail that roused Elizabeth into a state where she no longer felt the least interest in opposing his intentions. He stroked the soft skin of her neck, leaving trails of sensation wherever he touched, and then, sliding her gown off her shoulder, he slipped his hand under the neckline to caress her breast. She arched her back to encourage the pleasure he was giving her, and the intense shock of desire that rushed through her when he began to explore her nipple made her gasp under his lips. As he pulled away just far enough to look at her, she could see the flush of passion on his unsmiling face. “Do you still want to return downstairs, Elizabeth?” he asked, continuing to stimulate her with his skillful fingers.

Struck even through the waves of delightful sensation running through her by the oddness of his demeanor, she twined her arms around his neck. Just before she drew his face back to hers, she whispered, “I never did. I want to be with you, William.”

He nibbled at her lip, then released her just long enough to throw off his cravat and coats. He lowered himself onto her as if to claim her body with his and kissed her demandingly before moving to explore her face and neck with his lips. When he reached her ear, he murmured, “Elizabeth, if you do not find a way to remove your clothing very quickly indeed, I will take matters into my own hands, and I do not guarantee that they will be wearable when I am through.”

Her face lit with amusement. “It is quite unclear to me, sir, how you expect me to do anything of the sort when you persist in lying on top of me.”

He rolled off her obligingly, but did not free her until his impatient hands had the opportunity to reacquaint themselves thoroughly with the curves of her body. Seeing his eagerness, she turned to allow him to unfasten her dress. He struggled with the tiny buttons manfully for several long moments until he gave in to his threatened impulse and pulled the sides apart by force.

“William!” she exclaimed, startled by his action. “I do not have that many dresses with me on this trip!”

He nibbled on the nape of her neck as he undid the ties of her corset. “Buy more,” he instructed succinctly.

Afterwards, she lay in his arms, breathing hard, and overwhelmed once again by the pleasure he could give her. An upwelling of tenderness for him filled her, a sense of gratitude for their having discovered each other against all odds, and she gently smoothed back his hair. She was aware that something had been troubling him earlier; she did not know what it had been, but the lines of concern were erased from his forehead now. “I love you so,” she whispered impulsively, and his arms tightened around her.

“My beloved Elizabeth,” he replied. “You never cease to amaze me.”

A smile curved her lips. “Oddly enough, I believe that I could say the same about you.”

He kissed her forehead gently, thinking back on his earlier feelings. The pensive look on his face caught Elizabeth’s attention, and she asked, “Is anything the matter, William my love?”

He twisted a lock of her disheveled hair around his finger thoughtfully. With a sigh, he admitted, “There are times at which I need you so much that it worries me.”

“That is a sentiment that I can certainly understand,” said Elizabeth feelingly, “since it is one that I share.”

“Do you?”

She raised herself on one elbow to see him better. “Yes, I do,” she said slowly.

He cupped her cheek with his hand. “I did not know,” he said, kissing her tenderly. “I cannot say that I am sorry to hear it.”

“Misery loves company?” she asked with a smile.

“Your company is all I want.” He paused for a moment, then added, “If only we could go back to Pemberley, just the two of us, I would be quite content. I wish that everyone would leave us alone—your father, my cousin, your sister, Wickham, even the staff here.”

Elizabeth muffled a laugh in his shoulder. “Especially the staff here—what will they think of me, appearing out of nowhere and leaving a trail of torn clothing behind me?”

“They will adore you, just as I do. Well, perhaps a little differently. They will think you a great improvement over the mood that I was in during the spring—I doubt they would care if you shredded every item of clothing and drapery in the house.”

“Pardon me, sir; I do not believe that I was the one doing the aforementioned shredding!”

“You drove me to it,” he said, kissing her lingeringly. “Besides, it will provide you and Georgiana with something to do tomorrow. There is nothing that Georgiana loves so well as shopping—she will be delighted to help you choose a new wardrobe.”

“Oh, dear,” said Elizabeth with amusement.

“I suggest that you choose gowns that are easy to remove,” he said. “It may promote their longevity.”

She stopped his mouth in his favorite manner.

After breakfast Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam departed for Gracechurch Street. Georgiana, as Darcy had predicted, was enthusiastic about a trip to the modiste, and although it hardly seemed a priority to Elizabeth, she was willing to admit that remaining in the unfamiliar town house all day while awaiting news was likely to be unpleasant. The stores that Georgiana patronized were of a higher quality than those Elizabeth had visited with her aunt in the past, and she became concerned over the expense as the number of items Georgiana insisted she needed continued to mount. Marrying her was already likely to cost Darcy a considerable sum to settle the affair of Lydia, and she was disinclined to spend more of his money than was needed. Georgiana did not know how to comprehend Elizabeth’s reluctance, and eventually decided to leave it to her brother to explain what would be necessary to her in her role as Mrs. Darcy.

When they finally arrived back at Brook Street in the late afternoon, the gentlemen were still not returned. This delay caused Elizabeth some anxiety, and she proposed a walk in Hyde Park to distract herself, but Georgiana was tired after their day on the town and preferred to remain quietly at home. Elizabeth tried to quell her restlessness, but was relieved when Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam finally appeared, both showing evidence of having had a fatiguing day indeed.

Darcy’s face brightened when he saw Elizabeth, and he took a moment to take her hand in his and to whisper a private greeting. Sensing her impatience, he suggested that they confer immediately, for which he received a grateful glance.

“I am happy to be able to report that we believe that we have located Wickham, and presumably Lydia with him.” Darcy seated himself beside Elizabeth. “I believe the intelligence we received today to be reliable, and had it not been so late in the day already, I would have tried to meet with them today.”

“He fails to mention, Mrs. Darcy, that it was the general consensus that it would not be for the best for him to meet with Wickham personally,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam, handing Darcy a glass of port. “I must compliment you for your influence on him. He took the decision relatively graciously.”

“Fitzwilliam, is this really necessary?” said Darcy tiredly.

“I know that you would much prefer to do it all yourself, so yes, I believe it is necessary. In any case, the plan in fact calls for me to meet with Wickham, hopefully tomorrow morning, and…”

“I still do not like this part,” Darcy interrupted with irritation. “I conceded to it this morning, but it is against my better judgment, and I still may not permit it, especially now that I know the area of London concerned!”

“And you say there was consensus, Colonel?” asked Elizabeth lightly. “It sounds rather more like a battlefield!” Recognizing that they were on sensitive ground, she slipped her hand into her husband’s for a moment, but when she tried to draw away, he tightened his grip and would not release her.

“It had its moments,” Colonel Fitzwilliam conceded. “We took the liberty of bringing you into the plans, the suggestion being that you accompany me in hopes of convincing your sister to quit her current position. Since she is not acquainted with me, I could hardly ask her to leave with me, and it was your father’s opinion that she would be more likely to listen to you than to him or Mr. Gardiner.”

“That is a slight distortion, Fitzwilliam,” said Darcy. “In fact, Mr. Bennet was threatening to remove her bodily if she did not agree, and since this did not seem conducive to a successful resolution of the situation, your involvement was proposed. I think, though, under the circumstances, it would be wiser to send Mr. Gardiner.”

Elizabeth said slowly, “Obviously, I am not aware of all of the ramifications of this business, but if there were to be a way in which I could be of assistance, I would be appreciative of the opportunity.” She turned to look at Darcy with anticipation.

“Elizabeth, your sentiment is much appreciated, but this is a very disreputable part of town that we are speaking of, and I am concerned for your safety,” said Darcy, plainly having to force himself not to completely forbid it.

“Given that I am expected to be able to face Napoleon himself, not to mention those mad Americans, I believe that I can manage to keep your wife safe in the middle of London, Darcy,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam mildly.

“You are only one man, Fitzwilliam. It is hardly the same thing.”

“What, then, if you send someone with us?”

Darcy shook his head. “I do not wish to have anyone more than necessary aware of this.”

“Why not send Wilkins, then? Certainly you can trust his discretion, and he no doubt already has a good idea of the matter. He always seems to know everything that happens. I should not be surprised to discover that he could tell us what the Prince Regent ate for breakfast this morning.”

Darcy looked stormy. “I will consider it. Enough of this for now.”

Darcy was eventually brought to agree to abide by the original plan, although it took a great deal of persuasion on the part of his cousin. En route to Wickham’s lodgings the following morning, Colonel Fitzwilliam took the opportunity to explain his strategy to Elizabeth. “You may hear me say some things that surprise you, but if you can bring yourself to make the appearance of agreement, it would be helpful. It is important that we convince Wickham that this matter is not as urgent to us as he would like to believe, and that may involve a little, ummm, bending of the truth on my part.”

Elizabeth paused to digest this concept. She was certain that Darcy would not approve of this sort of negotiation, and she questioned whether it was appropriate for her to participate under the circumstances. “What, precisely, do you mean by ‘bending the truth?’”

“Well, I might, for example, point out that we could buy your sister a husband who was honest and hardworking for less than Wickham is asking, despite her ruined reputation. It is true enough, after all, though perhaps not a consideration for us. It would be helpful, however, for Wickham to think we have alternatives.”

She took this opportunity to ask the question that had been disturbing her. “How much do you think he will be asking?”

Colonel Fitzwilliam grimaced. “He is a fool if he takes her for less than ten thousand pounds. If your conscience is troubled by my suggestion, keep in mind that he has a long history of trying to blackmail your husband, and is perfectly willing to destroy your sister’s life as a by-product.”

Elizabeth glanced at Wilkins, whose normally imperturbable mien suggested that he had no objection to lying to, cheating, and quite likely even poisoning Wickham in defense of Mr. Darcy. “I will do my best,” she said finally.

“Also, I do not know how well Wickham knows you, but if he were to believe that your motives in marrying Darcy were mercenary, he might be less likely to believe that you would agree to spending large amounts of your husband’s money on this matter.”

She raised an eyebrow dubiously. “That may be beyond my capability, sir.”

“Well, I will not encourage you to deception, but will only point out that the reason I refused to let Darcy meet with Wickham is that he is so honest that Wickham can cheat him in a minute, which only encourages him to come back with another scheme in another year or two. I am trying to convince him that it is not worth the trouble.” There was a steely look in the amiable Colonel’s eyes that Elizabeth had never seen before. He said nothing further on the matter, however, before they arrived at their destination.

Elizabeth was appalled to see the disreputable neighborhood in which Wickham and Lydia had their lodgings. Upon finding the house, the colonel rapped with his cane on the door, and announced to the woman who answered the door that they were seeking Mr. Wickham. She looked him up and down, noting the quality of his clothing, and laughed. “Well, you’re welcome to see him, and if you can pay his rent, so much the better!”

A disheveled Wickham appeared a few minutes later, clearly amused to see Colonel Fitzwilliam. On noticing Elizabeth, he assumed his old pleasing manner, and bowed to her, saying, “Miss Bennet, what a delightful surprise! I had not thought to see an old friend so soon.”

“It is Mrs. Darcy now, Mr. Wickham,” said Elizabeth pleasantly.

“Indeed! Well, that was fast work! You have done well for yourself.”

“Mr. Darcy did not wish to wait, and it is not my business to argue with him,” she said with a deceptive appearance of calm.

“He can be overbearing, can he not?” Wickham said with an air of sympathy.

Elizabeth, trying to hide her revulsion, said with a shrug, “I think it better that he and I get along well than not, and I had no particular objection. Although it is pleasant to have the chance to share our news, Mr. Wickham, I must admit that I was hoping to see my sister.”

“She is just up the stairs and to the left, though I doubt she is dressed to receive visitors.” His good-humored ease was unchanged from his days in Hertfordshire, as if he expected his former favorite to overlook the small matter of his having seduced her sister.

She inclined her head. “Thank you, sir. Colonel Fitzwilliam,” she acknowledged before heading for their room. Wilkins followed her as closely as her shadow, clearly not at all comfortable that Mr. Darcy’s wife was in such quarters.

The interview with Lydia, who was indeed far from being ready to receive visitors, was even more unsatisfactory than Elizabeth had imagined. Her sister was in no wise prepared to leave her situation with Wickham. She was sure that they would marry some time or other, and it did not much signify when. She did not care for any of her friends or her family, and refused to see that her behavior had materially affected anyone in her family, nor that it was even a cause for concern. She laughed as she spoke of what good fun it all had been, and attributed Elizabeth’s dour expression to jealousy that her dear Wickham had chosen Lydia over her. When she reached the point of congratulating herself on being married before all of her elder sisters, Elizabeth’s patience was at an end, but she denied herself the satisfaction of correcting Lydia’s view for fear that it would reinforce such foolish thinking.

Elizabeth was apparently not the only one who found the situation difficult to bear, as Wilkins, who had been standing quietly with his eyes on the floor up until this time, cleared his throat and said pointedly, “Mrs. Darcy, I believe that it is time that we returned below.”

Not trusting herself to say a word, Elizabeth swept out of the room, leaving behind her a confused Lydia, who after a moment shrugged at what obviously must have been a mistake on the part of the servant.

The tumult of Elizabeth’s mind after this interview was great, and she paused for a moment on the stairs, feeling unequal to encountering Wickham while in such an agitated state. A few deep breaths were enough to restore her composure, though not without a resolution, having seen the circumstances, to support Colonel Fitzwilliam in whatever stratagem he might devise.

She entered the tiny sitting room to find Colonel Fitzwilliam.

“So, together with paying your debts, and the amount settled on Miss Bennet, that would bring the total to over twelve thousand pounds. That is preposterous, Wickham! I begin to think that this is a waste of my time. I could purchase the lady a respectable husband for half that amount,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam with scorn.

Wickham turned his most amiable countenance on Elizabeth, clearly anticipating that she would do whatever necessary to procure her sister’s marriage to him. “Mrs. Darcy, we are having some difficulty reaching an understanding here. Perhaps your gentle influence might be of assistance,” he said with a charming smile.

Elizabeth felt herself growing more angry by the moment as she approached the colonel. “She is completely unrepentant,” she said in a low voice. “I would rather spend a few thousand pounds to dower Mary and Kitty to counteract the effects of this scandal on their chances of marrying, and leave Lydia to her own devices.”

Colonel Fitzwilliam turned to her. “You cannot seriously be proposing that we leave your sister in these straits? Wickham will abandon her, you know, and more likely sooner than later.”

Elizabeth leveled on him the kind of withering stare she had seen Darcy use with great effect. “While I would prefer not to do so, there is a limit to how much of my children’s inheritance I am willing to waste to rescue Lydia from her own folly!”

Looking unperturbed, Colonel Fitzwilliam suggested that she might be more comfortable waiting in the coach. Elizabeth accepted the opportunity to take her leave. No sooner was she safely ensconced in the privacy of the coach, however, than she gave in to distress over her sister’s hopeless predicament. Clearly Wickham would be willing to marry her once the proper price was negotiated, but what kind of life could Lydia ever expect to have with him? She would not have thought it possible for her opinion of Wickham to fall, but she was forced to admit that she had not expected such assurance from him, and she resolved within herself to draw no limits in future to the impudence of an impudent man.

It was not long until Colonel Fitzwilliam joined her, and they lost no time in quitting the disreputable quarter in which they found themselves. No sooner had they pulled away than Colonel Fitzwilliam said with admiration in his voice, “Madam, I must recall never to be on the wrong side of a dispute with you! For someone who was concerned about misrepresenting herself, that was rather brilliant improvisation, if I may say so.”

She smiled ruefully. “You give me too much credit, sir. I fear that when I am angered beyond reason I tend to make comments that I would not otherwise, and in this case I simply gave myself free rein to do so.” She thought with some amusement that Darcy would have recognized her performance from the Hunsford parsonage; she had said some equally egregious and intemperate things that day. She wondered what report Wilkins would give to his master on the events of the day.

“Well, it may have turned the trick. He was much more reasonable in his demands at the end, and I expect that once we have let him worry over it for a day, it might improve still more,” he said with satisfaction.

When they returned, it was obvious that Darcy had been waiting impatiently for them. That he had been worried about her was apparent from the fact that he took her in his arms in front of the colonel and held her tightly, his cheek resting against her hair. Although the impropriety of the situation made Elizabeth uncomfortable, she was beginning to learn that it was best to let Darcy have the reassurance he needed, however unreasonable it might seem.

“How did it go?” Darcy inquired of Colonel Fitzwilliam when he finally released Elizabeth.

“Well enough, I would say. He was surprised to see me instead of you, but was willing enough to state his price, which naturally was ridiculously high. Fortunately for us, he is apparently in severe financial straits, and not likely to refuse immediate relief. I did not have a great deal of luck in arguing him down until your lovely wife was rather forthright in her opinions of the matter. By the end, he was down to demanding payment of his debts, which he claims to amount to nearly a thousand pounds—though I will personally be surprised if it is that low—his commission purchased, and three thousand pounds for him. I counter offered to pay the debts up to a total of two thousand pounds, the commission, and to settle another thousand pounds on Miss Bennet in addition to her own, and said I would return tomorrow for his answer.”

Elizabeth could not help but be shocked by the sums involved; they would have ruined the Bennets, and even for Darcy, would take up a substantial amount of his yearly income. She cast her eyes down in humiliation over what her foolish sister was going to cost him.

“He must be fairly desperate. It could certainly have been a great deal worse,” said Darcy, not seeming in the least dismayed.

“I thought so as well,” replied his cousin. “I would suggest that we begin some investigation as to the true extent of the debts in Brighton—could we contact the colonel there?—and the town in Hertfordshire.”

“A good plan; I will ask Mr. Bennet tonight if he will handle that. I believe that he will be happier if he has some role to play in this,” Darcy said, causing Elizabeth to look up at him with a question in her eyes. “I invited him to dine with us,” he said by way of response.

She knew he had made the invitation for her sake; Mr. Bennet had been anything but gracious to him since their arrival, despite all that Darcy offered to do. She smiled her thanks to him, then looked away again, thinking that her family had become even more of a liability to him than either of them could have imagined.

After Colonel Fitzwilliam had left, Darcy took both her hands in his. “What is it, my love?”

She looked up to see concern in his eyes. With a sigh, she said, “My sister is a thoughtless fool who does not care who is injured by her actions, my father is behaving badly towards you when you are doing everything in your power to save our family, I myself was once taken in by a scoundrel of boundless impudence, and this is all going to cost you a great deal of money. You are being graciousness itself about it, but I cannot help being quite ashamed of my family.”

“Elizabeth, we have been through all this before, have we not? You have done nothing wrong except to have been misled by a man who is an expert at it. Your father—well, I certainly have not done anything that would make him trust me.” He paused, and regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, then said in a gentler voice, “I would imagine seeing your sister this morning must have been upsetting.”

As soon as he had spoken the words, she knew that he was correct about what was truly troubling her. Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned her head against his shoulder, accepting the comfort and feelings of security that she felt in his embrace. “You are right, of course,” she said. “She was so unrepentant, and did not even seem to notice her surroundings, while below Wickham was freely admitting he had no intention of marrying her unless his price was met. And speaking with him was even worse.” She shuddered as she thought back on it.

She could feel him stiffen slightly at her last words. “What did he say to you?” he asked, trying to keep his voice level.

“Oh, nothing directly offensive; it was more what he assumed, that I would understand his motivations, since he thought my reasons for marrying you to be equally mercenary—that I was no better than he—and that I would continue to be friendly with him, and support him against you.”

He kissed her forehead. “He never understood you at all. My dearest love, do not give him a second thought; he is not worth it.”

“You are so very good to me, William.”

“That is because I enjoy being good to you, my love,” he responded lightly, trying to think of what might cheer her. “Come, there is still enough time before dinner for a walk, and you have not yet seen Hyde Park. Will you allow me to show you?”

She smiled at him gratefully.

Dinner that day began as a rather tense affair. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam had met with Mr. Bennet beforehand to inform him of the progress that had been made with Wickham, a discussion that had turned somewhat irate when it became clear to Mr. Bennet that Darcy did not plan to allow him to participate in any way in the financial arrangements.

Elizabeth attempted to improve matters by introducing conversation about her journey with the Gardiners, which led to relating the tale of her wedding. With the blatant encouragement of Colonel Fitzwilliam, she dwelt on her interactions with Lord and Lady Derby with amusement. Darcy clearly enjoyed watching her lively rendition, and embarrassed his cousin into relating the boyhood episode that had landed him permanently on the wrong side of the bishop.

“You have yet to meet my beloved brother and his wife, though, Mrs. Darcy,” said the colonel. “A true appreciation of the extent of character in the Fitzwilliam family would be seriously lacking without that reference.”

“Oh, dear,” said Elizabeth gaily. “This sounds somewhat dangerous.”

“It is,” he assured her solemnly. “There is a reason I do not stay at my family home when I am in London!”

The most surprising contribution to the discussion came from Georgiana, who evidenced a gift for mimicry that came as a surprise to Elizabeth, giving an impression of Lady Catherine de Bourgh that would not have disgraced any actress on the London stage.

It was a new view of Darcy for Mr. Bennet, who had not before seen him in comfortable company. That his new son-in-law could laugh and tease was a significant surprise, and the obvious nature of Darcy’s affection for Elizabeth could not but improve his standing with Mr. Bennet. He considered for the first time the possibility that he might someday be able to enjoy Darcy’s company, a cheering thought since visits to Elizabeth seemed unlikely to be pleasant if he and Darcy persisted in sparring at every meeting. There was a good deal he was willing to suffer for Lizzy’s sake, and he determined to make a greater effort with Mr. Darcy.

It was the first test of his resolve when Elizabeth and Georgiana withdrew after dinner. Colonel Fitzwilliam, all too clearly attempting to disguise the discomfort between the other two men, began to tell amusing stories of his army escapades, but when he finally stopped to enjoy a little of his port, Mr. Bennet took the opportunity to offer an olive branch. “So, Mr. Darcy, have you and Lizzy considered how you plan to inform Mrs. Bennet of your marriage?”

Darcy replied courteously, “I must confess, sir, that the subject has not come up for discussion in these last few days, as we have been preoccupied with these other matters. Obviously, it is something we should attend to as soon as possible.”

“If you like,” Mr. Bennet offered, “I will be sending word to Longbourn tomorrow that Lydia has been found, and I can include your news as well, but if you and Lizzy prefer to inform her yourselves, I will not mention it.”

Feeling somewhat suspicious of this sudden civility and cooperativeness on the part of Mr. Bennet, Darcy asked guardedly, “Do you have a recommendation, Mr. Bennet? I have not thought ahead to when we might be able to travel to Longbourn, as this agreement with Wickham will need to be finalized before I could depart.”

Mr. Bennet raised his glass in Darcy’s direction. “Mr. Darcy, the day that I have any useful advice on how to manage my wife, I promise to share it with you. Unfortunately, to this day I have yet to discover any.”

Darcy was at a loss as to how best to respond; certainly his relationship thus far with Mr. Bennet did not allow latitude for humor about members of his family. He grasped about for what to say, wishing for Bingley’s fluency of speech.

Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped in to the rescue. “Mr. Bennet, have you any plans for when you will return home?”

“There seems to be little keeping me here at the moment, since I am not to be allowed to be of any use to my daughter,” he responded dryly. “All the same, I would prefer to be certain that an agreement has been reached before I return to Longbourn, so if it appears that it may happen soon, I shall wait until then.”

“I would not be surprised if we reached an agreement tomorrow,” said the colonel. “We are definitely within acceptable negotiating range, if there are no surprises.”

“I shall be meeting with my solicitor tomorrow,” Darcy said. “I need to arrange a settlement on Elizabeth, and I can discuss the payments to Wickham at the same time.”

“So, in theory, you could both be free to depart London within the next few days, if all goes well,” Colonel Fitzwilliam remarked, “especially as I can hold the line here.”

Darcy raised an eyebrow. “Will not the Major General expect to see your face from time to time?”

“Hang the Major General! At least dealing with Wickham makes him seem more tolerable, and I can ask no more than that.”