A Wife for Mr. Darcy

colonel had no doubt that Captain Wilcox would find the bastard, and once he had him, he would be confined to quarters with a guard posted at his door. In his note, Darcy had instructed the captain that no one was to say anything to Wickham. “I shall be doing all the talking in the morning,” the colonel mumbled.
    There was nothing more to be done at such an hour, so the old campaigner took a blanket from the bedroom chest, placed a chair in front of Lydia’s door, and went to sleep dreaming of his life before he had married his nineteen-year-old bride.

Despite it being a very cold morning, as soon as the carriage turned down the drive to Longbourn, Jane came out onto the porch to meet the travelers. After an exchange of greetings, she got right to the heart of the matter. “The express rider came early this morning, and Papa is prepared to leave immediately and is relying on Uncle Gardiner for the use of his carriage as far as London.”
    “Of course,” Uncle Gardiner said immediately, “but I shall go with him as he will be in need of a sympathetic ear. This matter must be weighing heavily upon him.”
    Jane thanked her uncle for his not unexpected kindness.
    “We are eager to hear whatever news you have from Pemberley,” Jane said to Lizzy.
    “And I will be glad to share it, but why are we standing outside in the cold?”
    “Because Mr. Collins is here,” Jane said in a voice that indicated this visit was just as welcome as the last. “He arrived in Hertfordshire four days ago in preparation for the wedding and had been staying with the Lucases. Although he claims that he is not a superstitious man, he thought it best not to see the bride the day before the wedding, so he has come this morning to Longbourn.”
    “I thought you were not supposed to see the bride the day of the wedding?”
    “Mama told him that, but he insisted he was right and she wrong. But never mind Mr. Collins, Papa is in the library waiting for you.”
    When Lizzy went into the room where her father sought refuge from his family, she saw a man who had aged in her absence. She had no doubt he was blaming himself for their current circumstances, and she could provide no comfort on that subject because it was true.
    “My dear, I am pleased to see you, but as you know, I must leave immediately. Do you have anything to share that might assist me in this unpleasant task?”
    Lizzy explained that Gregg had left during the night and was to go straight through to Brighton, while Mr. Darcy was to follow in the carriage. “Mr. Darcy feels it important for him to be there to impress upon the colonel the seriousness of the situation as only he can provide information about Wickham’s past offenses.”
    “So Mr. Darcy is certain that a seduction was planned?”
    “He did not say it outright, but I suspect this feigned elopement would not be Wickham’s first.”
    “Well, that settles it, and I am off. I leave you to care for your mother and, unfortunately, to amuse Mr. Collins.”
    After seeing Uncle Gardiner and her father off on their journey, Lizzy went to look for her mother, fully expecting to find her in her room suffering from a case of nerves. Instead, she was in the front parlor speaking with Mr. Collins, and when Lizzy joined them, she immediately jumped up, kissed her daughter on the cheek, and whispered in her ear, “Mum’s the word.”
    Despite the drama swirling all around her, Mrs. Bennet’s composure in dealing with a difficult guest confirmed what Jane and Lizzy already knew. Her attacks of “nerves” and the onset of the “flutters” were merely theatrics for the purpose of gaining attention from her family. This scene proved that she was quite capable of remaining calm, especially when the marriage prospects of her daughters might be in jeopardy.
    During dinner, little was said by anyone other than Mr. Collins. Because Lizzy had spurned his attentions, most of the conversation was directed at her, and when he talked about Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her generosity in making the parsonage comfortable for his “beloved Charlotte,” Kitty let out a groan.
    “Mr. Collins, why don’t you tell Lizzy and Aunt Gardiner all about your esteemed patroness,” Kitty said. “You would not wish to deny them your detailed descriptions of the fireplace at Rosings or the extensive gardens or its paths, and don’t leave out your own view of Rosings from your study or how you have mastered the proper amount of