A Wife for Mr. Darcy

having you as her companion. I have only recently found the perfect companion, and I rely on her heavily as her advice is always sound and in my best interest.”
    When Georgiana reached the front door, she asked Mrs. Redford if she thought the guest list would be sufficient to solve their problem.
    “I do not know, Miss Darcy. All I can tell you is that Sir John will hear of it, and then the rest is up to him.”

Today was a day to rejoice and be glad for Charlotte Lucas was to wed Mr. Collins. While each member of the Bennet family made ready for the nuptials, they were all talking about which of the groom’s many annoying habits, his poor table manners, incessant talking about Rosings Park and all things de Bourgh, nightly readings of Fordyce’s Sermons , or his constant humming and whistling, that they would now be spared.
    Jane and Lizzy were discussing that very topic when they heard a loud cry from Mr. Collins, and Jane, who had finished dressing, hurried down to see if the parson had been injured. Instead, she found her cousin staring at a letter that had just been delivered by John Lucas.
    “What is the matter, Mr. Collins?” When he did not answer, Jane turned to Charlotte’s brother. “John, what is this about?”
    “My sister took ill this morning with a fever, and the wedding has to be postponed for a few days. My parents aren’t feeling all that well either, but no one is dying,” John said, while looking at a crying Mr. Collins.
    Jane took the letter from her cousin’s shaking hands, and it was just as John had said. Charlotte had to keep to her bed but anticipated a full recovery in a few days. In fact, she had written, “I wish to emphasize in the clearest possible terms that the wedding is only delayed, not canceled.” By that time, Lizzy had come downstairs, and after reading the letter, she understood that that particular sentence had been included because Charlotte was aware that Lizzy considered Mr. Collins to be one of the stupidest men in England.
    “Of course, this means Mr. Collins will be with us until Charlotte recovers,” Lizzy said when Jane and she were alone again.
    “I hope it does not snow as that will keep Charles in town,” Jane said, looking out the window at a gray December day, her statement indicating just how little interest she had in their annoying cousin. “Lizzy, come to the window. I do believe that an express rider has turned into the drive.”
    “Even better. That is Mr. Gregg, Lord Fitzwilliam’s man. Let us hope he is the bearer of good news.”

    Lizzy and Jane were not the only ones who had noticed the rider coming up the drive, and Mrs. Bennet, followed closely by Aunt Gardiner, practically grabbed the letter out of Gregg’s hand, and when Mrs. Bennet clutched it to her bosom and let out a sigh of relief, all knew that Wickham’s plan had failed.
    “Say nothing. We do not want Mr. Collins to know,” she cautioned her daughters. “Thank heaven, my dear Lydia is safe. That wicked man’s plans have come to nothing.”
    Leaving her mother to Jane and Aunt Gardiner, Lizzy directed Lord Fitzwilliam’s manservant to the kitchen. “I imagine you are in need of nourishment, Mr. Gregg.”
    “What I lack in height, I make up for in appetite, miss,” he said, laughing.
    When Gregg went into the kitchen, Mrs. Hill could see that this was a very hungry man, and in no time, he was diving into a plate full of eggs and bacon.
    “Mr. Gregg, I cannot thank you enough for the arduous journey you undertook on behalf of my family.”
    “Glad to do it,” he said, after swallowing a mouthful. “I used to ride for the senior Lord Fitzwilliam, but I got too rickety to do it every day and had to hang up my silks. But I like a bit of excitement now and then.”
    “So you must enjoy being in Lord Fitzwilliam’s service.”
    “That I do, miss. That I do. But if truth be known, because of his little girls, he’s been on his best behavior of late, so this was a nice change.” Gregg then recounted the long journey from Pemberley to Brighton and the look on Colonel Forster’s face when he read Mr. Darcy’s letter. “He went from having no color at all to being as red as those uniforms you see everywhere in Brighton. He was fit to be tied.” But then Gregg stood up, and reaching into his jacket, he said, “I almost forget, miss. I’ve got a letter for you from Mr. Darcy.”
    When taking the letter from Gregg, Lizzy tried not to look overly eager, but