Page 152 of Mr. Darcy Comes to Town

“The two young lieutenants leaving Mrs. Phillip’s house did not look to have reached their eighteenth year. I suspect they will return without any trouble. But will Wickham?”

“If he does not return, I will put him under a charge of desertion,” Douglas said grimly, “and insubordination.”

“He could be court-martialed,” Darcy mused. He raised an eyebrow. “Though, perhaps the best course of action would be to convince him to resign his commission in the militia and purchase a commission in the regulars. The advantage to us is that he would be removed from this vicinity.”

“It will cost him £700 to purchase a lieutenancy in a line regiment,” Douglas informed him. “The money he receives from selling out will be sufficient for him to have money leftover from purchasing the new commission. That must be seen as an advantage to Wickham.” He nodded decisively. “I will look after the lieutenants. You can count on me.”

“Thank you,” Darcy murmured, approaching him and patting him on the back. “And, thank you for suggesting Mrs. Inwood. I was impressed by her poise. Did Miss Bingley like her?”

“Though she has not spoken to me directly about it, I believe she did.” He tipped his head to one side. “May I borrow your gig? I will find these lieutenants and send them on their way. I want them on a coach to London this evening, if one is to be had. From London they can catch another coach to Brighton easily enough.”

“Certainly,” Darcy said, nodding.

*

Lizzy cautiously watched Mary throughout their evening meal. Though no one had remarked upon it, Lizzy thought her sister looked pale. Chicken fricassee was one of Mary’s favorite dishes, but she ate only a drumstick. She passed the mashed potatoes along the table without taking any, choosing instead to have buttered roasted pumpkin.

Is she worried that Papa will refuse Oscar? I wish I had seen her when she came out of Papa’s bookroom. Then, I could have spoken with her before we changed for dinner. Papa looks perfectly sanguine. I cannot tell how he is secretly feeling either. Lizzy glanced toward her mother. Mama suspects nothing. If she knew anything about the potential engagement of another daughter, she would be talking about that, too. Instead, all her attention is on Jane.

“You will have your very own maid, dearest Jane,” Mama was saying, pulling Lizzy out of her reveries. “No more sharing. And your very own footman, I daresay.”

“What would I do with my own footman?” Jane asked, a frown marring her lovely features.

Mama cut a piece of chicken and swathed it in potatoes while she answered. “He will stand outside your bedchamber until you leave it, and then follow you around the house in case you need him to run an errand for you.”

“Follow me around the house?” Jane asked, incredulous. “Surely you jest.”

“She is not jesting,” Papa said, bouncing his eyebrows once. He reached for his glass of wine. “However, you are unlikely to have your own footman. If you need one, you can ask the butler, and he will arrange everything with one of the household footmen. Bingley is wealthy, but not so wealthy or consequential to assign a footman to his wife.”

“I did not realize how much there is for me to learn,” Jane confessed.

“Mr. Bingley will show you how to go on,” Lizzy assured her.

“My advice, Jane,” Papa said before their mother finished her mouthful of chicken, “is to make friends with the housekeeper.”

“I am certain I will like her exceedingly,” Jane said.

“You like everyone, and everyone likes you,” Kitty interjected. Both she and Lydia had been almost as quiet as Mary. “I hope I find a husband with a large fortune. It would be so nice to have as many gowns as I liked.”

Jane smiled widely. “I will confess, that I am looking forward to having my first silk gown. I hope I can have a Pomona green one.”

Lizzy glanced Mary’s way. If she chose to marry Oscar, silk gowns would be an unlikely part of her future. However, Mary did not seem to mind.

“You will be able to choose whichever color you wish,” Mama told her, gushing with pleasure at her eldest daughter’s good fortune. “And a carriage for your own particular use.”

Jane blinked in bewilderment. “I do not wish to be a charge on my husband’s purse, Mama. I am sure one of the carriages Mr. Bingley currently owns will be sufficient for my needs.”

“You will see,” Mama said knowingly. She eagerly cut more chicken. Her shoulders scrunched up, and she gave herself a little shake. “I am enraptured by your betrothal, dear Jane. I cannot remember the last time I felt this way.”

“I am pleased to make you happy, Mama,” Jane said, smiling at her, and then meeting Lizzy’s gaze. The corner of Lizzy’s mouth twitched in amusement.

Mama said nothing in response to Jane’s remark. Instead, she continued her joy-filled gushing. “And, you will be able to help your sisters meet eligible men!”

“When will you marry, Jane?” Lydia asked as she reached for the bowl of braised cabbage.

“In early May,” Jane responded. “I wish to carry bluebells.”

Lizzy watched her mother count out the months on her fingers. Her eyes got wider and wider as she came to the end of her simple calculations.