A Wife for Mr. Darcy

will be lucky to get out of Brighton alive. Additionally, the colonel sent an aide around to the shops and public houses to find out how much Wickham owed them. His debts are significant, and the colonel is confident he will end up spending some time in debtors’ prison unless some benefactor comes forward, an unlikely scenario.”
    Turning his full attention to Lizzy, Mr. Bennet continued, “I believe the family owes you a debt of gratitude, my dear.” Lizzy’s heart started racing at the thought of what Mr. Darcy might have shared. “Mr. Darcy said that because you have been such a good friend to his sister, he felt obligated to do all he could to prevent Wickham from succeeding.”
    “Is that the only reason he gave?”
    “Yes, what other reason could there be?”
    “I can’t think of any,” and Lizzy felt her eyes filling up with tears.
    Her father came over and hugged her. “I know why you are crying. But no harm has been done, and in a week or two, I will have forgiven Lydia, as well as myself. And all will be as it was.”
    Lizzy nodded, “Yes, all will be as it was.”

    Despite her grief, Lydia’s appetite remained unaffected, and Mrs. Hill received word that a tray should be prepared for her and brought up to her room. When Lizzy saw how her sister’s inexcusable actions were being rewarded, instead of punished, she went to her room and shut the door. She did not want to speak to anyone—not even Jane.
    When Jane checked on her an hour later, she found Lizzy sitting in the window seat reading a novel. Jane knew that her sister could be brought low by events, but she always got up, dusted herself off, and moved forward.
    “While you were sleeping, an express rider came from London with a letter for you.” Because the expensive stationery had a D stamped into the seal, there was no doubt that the letter was from Mr. Darcy.
    After taking the post from Jane, Lizzy sat with it on her lap unopened. “If this is another letter from F. Darcy, I think I shall scream,” and she broke through the seal.
    When Lizzy had finished the letter, she started crying in big heartfelt sobs, and tears poured down her face. Jane had to think that Mr. Darcy had changed his mind, and his courtship with Miss Montford would go forward. But when Jane read the contents of the letter, she realized that Lizzy was crying as a means of releasing all the emotions she had kept in check for so long. Mr. Darcy had declared in simple, but elegant, language that he loved her, and because of that, everything that lay hidden had burst out into the open. Her tears flowed in happiness and relief. When she had composed herself, Lizzy read aloud the closing lines of Mr. Darcy’s letter:
The hours go slowly, but soon I shall be in Hertfordshire. Once we are together, it will require an act of God to separate us .
Love, Will
    “Jane, he loves me, and there is nothing to keep him from me.” After wiping her tears, she continued, “We are not anticipating any volcanic eruptions or earthquakes, are we?”
    Jane smiled at her sister. “No, Lizzy, there will be no acts of God to keep Mr. Darcy from you, and since Gaius and Lucius are in Scotland, there will be no local calamities, either.”

John Lucas came by early in the afternoon to say that the wedding of Charlotte and Mr. Collins would take place in the village church on Friday at 10:00.
    “I hope Charlotte knows what she is doing,” he said in a voice that showed how unhappy he was with his sister’s choice of husband. “Mr. Collins is driving everyone at Lucas Lodge to distraction. He is always going on about something that is of no interest to anyone but himself. At least I can get up and leave, but Charlotte can’t. And once she gets to Kent, she will not have any place to hide to get away from him.”
    “Charlotte will be fine,” Jane reassured him. “Since Mr. Collins rarely requires a response, she may choose to ignore him if she is so inclined.”
    “I hope you are right because, excuse me for being so blunt, he is a pompous arse,” and he took his leave.
    John Lucas’s departure was quickly followed by the arrival of Tom Smart, one of Mr. Bingley’s servants at Netherfield. “Miss Bennet, I’ve come to tell you that Mr. Bingley’s back, so I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of you at Netherfield ”
    “Most definitely,” she said, and she could not suppress a smile. “How do things go with Mr. Collins and Mrs. Crenshaw?”
    “I never seen anything