“Thank you again, William,” said Georgiana, her manner everything sincere, “for agreeing to become my guardian. I feel easier knowing that Lady Catherine cannot demand my compliance should she wish to take me away to Rosings.”
“Not at all, Georgiana,” said Darcy. “I was happy to do it. Should your aunt present herself demanding you leave with her, we have an official document to wave in her face.”
“That will not convince her to desist!” cried Georgiana amid her laughter. “However, itwillbe most amusing to see.”
“With that, I cannot disagree.” Darcy turned to Elizabeth and his mother. “Of more immediate and particular interest, the earl wrote of two other matters; the first was his intention to join us here for our wedding and show his support, and the second was the countess’s desire to meet Elizabeth and provide her guidance in society.”
“Thatiscurious, William,” said his mother, “for I did not suppose a man of his rank would wish to go to so much trouble to support a man who is not a relation.”
“Nor had I expected it,” agreed Darcy. “I suspect part of his reason is this business with Georgiana’s guardianship. By attending our nuptials, he sends a clear message, not only to Lady Catherine but to society at large, that he considers us appropriate guardians for his sister’s daughter.
“Of course,” continued Darcy with a grin, “his letter requesting leave to attend our nuptials is a little late, given the events of the past days.”
Georgiana giggled at his jest, and Bingley barked an amused laugh. Elizabeth, however, offered nothing more than a serene smile.
“I suspect the earl will congratulate us for our ingenuity. As we are still to have our ball and the wedding breakfast, perhaps you should write to him, explain the situation, and offer it as an alternative.”
“I agree, Elizabeth. I shall attend to it at once.”
“As for the countess’s offer,” said Elizabeth, “I shall accept in the spirit of friendship and support. Further, I shall do whatever I can to prove to her ladyship that you have not been taken in by some adventuress who will embarrass her at every turn.”
“Aunt Susan will not think that of you!” exclaimed Georgiana as Darcy caught Elizabeth’s hand in his and kissed it. “I have written to her many times extolling your virtue; I cannot imagine she will greet you with anything other than welcome.”
“Thank you, Georgiana,” said Elizabeth, giving the girl a warm smile. “Your support means everything to me.”
THE PREVAILING SENTIMENTamong those of the neighborhood was that it was about time that William and Elizabeth married, though neither was surprised to be the subject of a few words questioning the timing. As in all other things, they were determined not to listen to the naysayers and so ignored any such comments as beneath the need to respond. There was little enough time for them to visit all four and twenty families in the district, so the newlywed Darcys contented themselves with visiting a few dear friends and allowed the rest of their neighbors to offer their sentiments at the wedding ball.
The day before the event, Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived in the company of his parents. As Darcy, Elizabeth, and Mrs. Darcy had made the earl’s acquaintance already, meeting the countess was not as intimidating, and they soon found her to be lovely and amiable. Even Mr. Bingley, who had yet remained unacquainted, and of a much lower social standing than anyoneelse in the room, acquitted himself well. That evening, they sat down to discuss certain topics of interest.
“You have heard nothing further from Catherine?” asked the earl, turning to the primary source of interest at once.
“I have not,” agreed William. “In truth, I suspected her of biding her time and waiting until our wedding ceremony, hoping to disrupt it. That was a factor in our decision to marry at once and without fanfare.”
The earl shook his head in disgust. “You are correct, I will warrant.”
“Catherine is of such supreme confidence,” added the countess, confirming she was no more enamored with her sister by marriage than her husband, “that she might have expected to carry her point on the strength of her objection.”
“Throwing her from the church would have carried its own benefits,” said William, “but I would prefer not to endure such a disruption. Elizabeth and I both felt the reality of our union far exceeded the trappings of the event.”
“If anything, I suspect we have gained much,” said Elizabeth, taking no trouble to conceal her mirth. “When we are old with grandchildren, we can regale them with tales of how we married on a whim.”
“What whim do you call it, Mrs. Darcy?” asked William, feigning astonishment. “By my account, our wedding was delayed by two months!”
“Now do you see?” chuckled Colonel Fitzwilliam. “Did I not tell you they belonged together?”
“That you did, Anthony,” said the countess. “For once, your perception appears to match reality.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam pouted, but no one paid attention to him.
“I shall be interested to see the results of your gambit, Darcy,” said the earl. “If she does not expire from apoplexy, I am certain she will not quite know what to make of it.”
“I have no intention of making her aware of it. By the time of our scheduled wedding day, Elizabeth and I will be enjoying a brief wedding tour.”
The earl eyed him and nodded, though with considerable reluctance. “Perhaps you have the right of it. Before you go, you had best take care to warn your parson about the potential for trouble, for as you have suggested, I suspect Catherine will go to the church expecting to stop the wedding.
“Now, what of Mr. Bennet and this business of the entail?”
“I have requested that my solicitor investigate,” said Darcy. “He returned my letter with a request for more information, which I have passed on to Mr. Bennet. There is, I suspect, an excellent chance of success should Mr. Bennet pursue legal action, but I understand his need to weigh his options before deciding.”
