“My closest friend is already married to your sister.That is coincidence enough.”
Elizabeth looked thoughtful for a moment.“Do you really think it a coincidence?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you not think it possible that you were drawn to Bingley because your soulmates were sisters?”
He furrowed his brow.“I do not know, I’ve never thought about it like that before.”
“It would not be the strangest thing to happen to a Bennet’s mark.”
Two days later, Elizabeth signed the name Bennet for the last time.Kitty stood up with her at the church, and everything went according to plan, which of course meant some disaster must befall the breakfast at Netherfield.
The ballroom was packed to the brim.Darcy’s family had come from all over the country.He was the only marked member of his generation—well, except for Georgiana, but that was not public knowledge yet—and the only male member on the Darcy side.Cousins he had not seen in years came out to see the mysterious woman Fate had marked for him.
Elizabeth’s family traveled from London, both the Gardiners and the remainder of Claude’s family.And of course the entire town of Meryton came to celebrate with the Bennets.Three daughters married!One to the heir of Longbourn and two to their soulmates.This was something worth seeing.
“How soon can we leave?”asked Darcy.
Elizabeth could not contain her laughter.“I shall take that as a compliment that you wish to be alone with me and not as an insult to my family.”
Darcy huffed.“Of course I wish to be alone with you!There are entirely too many people in this room.”
“Another half an hour and we may go,” said Elizabeth.She had a feeling she would say this to him at many balls and parties in the future.
“Lizzy, may I speak with you,” asked Claude.
She nodded and let him lead her off to a small sitting room at the back of the house.
“What is it?”
He paced across the room, his hand running through his hair in agitation.Claude was never agitated.
“What is going on?”
“Look,” he said, rolling up the sleeve on his left arm.His soul mark had been coming in more fully lately, and the image of two birds flying was almost perfectly clear.One of the birds had a ribbon in its mouth, and on that ribbon were the initials GAD.
“I see the initials more clearly.Is that what has upset you?”
He looked at her expectantly.“Can you not think of anyone with the initials GD?Someone in the family you have just married into, perhaps?”
Elizabeth paled.“Georgiana.”
Claude nodded.“Her mark has just come in!I cannot believe I have been matched with a thirteen-year-old girl.”He ran his hand through his hair again.
“But she is not thirteen.”
“What?”
“She wished to receive a mark but did not, so she only recently had the ceremony.She will be sixteen next month.”
“Sixteen.”
Elizabeth nodded.
“Well, that is certainly better than thirteen.”
“Claude,” Elizabeth asked carefully, “are you certain it is Georgiana?The letters are not particularly rare.”
