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And now she didn't want to live without him.

She couldn't breathe when he wasn't there. All she wanted was his safe return. And to be able to tell him this very important piece of information.

A tear welled in her eye and she blinked it away.

But Georgiana, quite as observant as her brother, had noticed.

"Oh, don't cry, Elizabeth. All will be well, I'm sure. I believe in Fitzwilliam, and that has never steered me wrong."

Elizabeth nodded. She would believe in him, too. And then, when he was home, she would tell him she loved him.

◆◆◆

It was a very quiet wedding.

Mrs Bennet's written permission for Lydia to marry, given her age, had arrived just in the nick of time. The licence had been procured, and Darcy, along with Colonel Fitzwilliam – who happened to be in London, and whom Darcy had asked to attend as another witness and to make sure the groom didn't try and make a run for it – were the only guests in the church, along with, of course, the happy couple and the vicar who was to wed them.

In spite of the circumstances, Lydia never stopped smiling.

And Darcy hoped that her marriage was all she wished it to be, for he rather worried what she was tying herself to. He doubted Wickham would be faithful or stop gambling.

But then...

People could change. He knew that he had changed since he had met Elizabeth, so maybe they could have a happy ending.

He hoped so anyway, for as a man in love, he did not wish his sister-in-law to have a bad marriage.

Wickham, on the other hand, well, his change of heart didn't quite stretch to him.

But being that he was married to Lydia and was brother-in-law to Darcy, he had to wish him well.

Darcy stood up with Wickham as Mr Bingley had stood up with him, although this was more to ensure the marriage went through than it was for moral support.

Lydia walked down the aisle on the Colonel's arm and was passed to Wickham.

The vows were said, the marriage blessed, and that was it.

Done.

Lydia Wickham, made respectable, all scandal absolved. Well, minimised at least. People would certainly gossip.

But they were married. And there wasn't much anyone could do about it.

"Thank you for everything, Mr Darcy," Lydia said with that girlish grin on her face. "Shall we go and celebrate our marriage? I'm famished."

Darcy looked at Wickham, who did not look in the mood to celebrate.

"You start your commission in Newcastle next month, Wickham. Make sure you are present," he said. "And make sure you take care of Lydia. I mean it."

He gave Wickham a pointed look. But Lydia simply laughed and said, "Of course he will. Won't you, darling? But I must visit my mother and sisters before we go to Newcastle, to collect my belongings, of course, but also because they will want to see me now I have married. Perhaps I will tell them all to go to Brighton, for that is where you find good husbands." She giggled, and Darcy tried not to let his irritation show.

"Very well. Good luck. I must return to Pemberley. I have already been gone far too long."

He hadn't wanted to write until he knew the wedding had gone ahead, and now he thought there was little point. He might as well ride home with the news himself.

"Colonel," he said with a nod to his cousin, "you must visit us soon. Elizabeth will be pleased to see you."

His cousin grinned. "And I shall be keen to see what Darcy looks like living in wedded bliss," he said with a chuckle. "Go, get home. Give my love to Elizabeth and Georgiana. I'll make sure these two get on their way without a problem."