Andrew had relayed the contents of the conversation to both Marie, who was increasing again, and his mother. And just as it was when Will spoke to his parents, there was no surprise. The writing had been on the wall for a long, long time. For Elaine’s part, it was true that she would miss Elizabeth not living in the same home, but with such an easy distance between their various homes, her baby would never be that far away.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Charles Bingley was the happiest of men as he was waiting at the front of St Alfred’s in Meryton; his friend Darcy was standing up for him. His niece Mary walked down the aisle, dropping rose petals, and then almost ran to sit next to her mother once her task was finished. Next, his soon-to-be sister-in-law Cara walked down the aisle to take her place opposite Darcy.
The vestibule doors opened, and Mr Pierce indicated that the congregation should stand. Then she was walking toward him, Mandy Long, on her father’s arm. He was about to marry the woman that he loved above all others.
He had delayed the wedding until they had passed the two-year marking of his father’s death. Mrs Bingley was out of mourning and, with Louisa and her mother, had planned a wedding breakfast that would be remembered in the area for a long time. Martha, wearing light colours for the first time in public, was sitting in the front pew on the side where her son was standing waiting for his bride. The Hursts, Martha Bingley, and the other family that had come from Yorkshire were with her and in the next two rows of pews.
Cheryl Long was sitting in the front pew across the aisle, waiting for her husband to join her after he handed Mandy over to her groom. The girls had come to be theirs because of tragedy, but their life had been much better because of their daughters. As Cara stood waiting for her sister to reach the altar, she was sure that their mama and papa were smiling on her from heaven as Mandy walked up the aisle on her father’s arm.
Soon after, the new Mr and Mrs Charles Bingley were being announced by Nichols as they walked into the ballroom at Netherfield with all their family and friends clapping for them. Martha was no longer mistress of the estate Oscar had bought for her and his family, but she did not feel she was being pushed aside. Charles and Mandy had repeatedly stated that they would not hear of her moving to the small dower house and that she was wanted.
The Bennets, Rhys-Davies, Fitzwilliams, and Darcys had made the trip from Town to witness the wedding. It was at the wedding breakfast that Franklin Lucas asked leave to introduce his fiancée, Miss Cassandra Howell, whose father had a small estate in neighbouring Essex. It was obvious that the two had a love match, and they received well wishes from all.
Two hours later, the new Mr and Mrs Bingley departed for Ramsgate, and those that had made the trip from London departed not long after to arrive at their various homes as dusk descended on the city.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
A few days after their return to Town, Elizabeth, Georgiana, Amy, and Retta were on their way to Bond Street when the coachman had to pull the carriage up short due to an obstacle in the road. Two lads who thought that they had an easy, soft target advanced until Biggs and Johns stepped around from their place at the rear of the conveyance. The two stopped dead in their tracks, and then they noticed the four men on horseback, all pointing pistols at them.
“I tol’ya it were not a good idea,” one said as he slapped his mate on the back of the head.
“‘Ow wus I s’posed ta know about all them men,” the second said as he rubbed the spot which was smarting.
“Why do you think that you can rob money from good people?” Elizabeth asked as she stood between her footmen, who were not happy that she had exited the carriage. They did not know if there was more danger lurking, so they were hypervigilant and signalled the outriders to take up station on either side of Lady Elizabeth.
“We‘ad no choice, mi’lady,” the first one said.
“There is always a choice; you could work to earn money rather than try and steal it,” Elizabeth said with her hands on her hips. The other three ladies decided to stay in the carriage with Mrs Annesley.
“Our ma is sick an’we don‘ave money for medicine, mi’lady,” the second lad said.“She needs it now, an’we need to work weeks ta earn enuf ta pay fir it, and in meanwhile our brother an’sister go‘ungry.”
“Where does your mother live?” Elizabeth asked.
“Seven dials,” the older-looking lad, who could not have been more than ten, answered.
“I will send two of the guards on horses, each of you can sit behind one of them. They will see if what you say is true, and if it be so, I will help you. But if you have lied, they will take you to the runners. Do you understand?” Elizabeth asked the lads. When both boys nodded, Elizabeth handed a ten-pound banknote to one of the outriders with the instruction to verify the story. Each man lifted a boy up behind him.
Biggs suggested that a third rider accompany the other two, just in case.“If what you say is true, then one of our men will give you directions to come to my house on the morrow, and we will see what we can do for you. I hope for your sake what you told us was not a lie,” Elizabeth stated before the guards urged their horses forward.
Johns quickly removed the obstacle with the minimum of effort, and they were soon underway again.“You were so brave to go outside and talk to those two, Lizzy,” Georgiana stated with admiration.
“In hindsight, Gigi, I should not have exited the carriage until Biggs and Johns indicated that it was safe to do so; I was impetuous. Besides with Biggs and Johns, not to mention four outriders and the driver being armed, it was not so very brave, Gigi. They were but lads, and although I do not agree with the way that they were trying to help, if what they said is true, and I suspect that it is, then they were trying to save their mother and siblings,” Elizabeth explained.
“What will you do if they come to Matlock House on the morrow?” Amy asked.
“That will depend on what the guards report back to me,” Elizabeth replied.
“I would have never got out of the carriage, either,” Retta stated.
“Without all of the protection I had, neither would I,” Elizabeth told her friend with a smile.
“In my opinion,” Mrs Annesley stated, having listened to the four up to now without interjecting,“What you did, as you pointed out to Miss Darcy, Lady Elizabeth, was impulsive and an unnecessary risk. You did not know if more men were hidden, so the correct course of action would have been to stay in the carriage with us,” she told her charge, with mild rebuke.
“I acted without looking at all possibilities like I do when I play chess. Thank you for pointing that out to me, Mrs Annesley,” Elizabeth replied contritely.
The rest of the trip to modiste and then Gunter’s was uneventful, and after dropping Amy and Retta off at their homes, the Matlock coach returned to Grosvenor Square.
