Their evening's reunion had rendered everyone so agreeably disposed to one another that on the following morning, Darcy's guests arrived so bright and early to the house for the wedding that even he could not fault Mr Fitzwilliam's wisdom. He was relieved not to have had the task of hosting a dinner the evening before the wedding, so that he could come to the day clear-headed and alert, for it was not without some trepidation he heard Mrs Bennet's loud exclamations over the size of the property, its elegant interior, its location. "Why, it might even be more appropriate than Pemberley, for how pleasant it has been to all be here together!" Darcy exchanged a glance with his cousin, as both men waited patiently for the wedding party to arrive.
"You seem remarkably calm, cousin," Richard said, taking his place beside Darcy in a reflection of his own wedding, which had so recently taken place.
"Compared to you, you mean?" Darcy quipped. "And what reason do I have not to be calm?"
"You do not expect Aunt Catherine to come thundering in, demanding the wedding be stopped with all urgency?"
"Not unless you received a different communication than I did?" Darcy tapped his breast-pocket, which held two letters which had arrived the previous day. One was from Georgiana, scolding him for not having the patience to wait until reaching Pemberley to marry, and in the same breath rejoicing at his good fortune and declaring her delight at the news and her eagerness to meet her new sister. The second was penned in Anne's careful hand, politely refusing the invitation he had extended to both she and Lady Catherine to attend the wedding. She explained that her mother was, unfortunately, suffering from the effects of the season and had taken to her bed, but that she, Anne, would be most delighted to visit the new Mr and Mrs Darcy at their first available opportunity, if he might only write by return to advise her of the date. He had already dashed off a brief note inviting her to come as soon as she wished, for Elizabeth's family would return to Hertfordshire the very next day, taking their relatives the Gardiners with them for an extended winter holiday, and he feared for Elizabeth's spirits, being so suddenly alone. Mary and Richard would stay, he knew, and he felt sure that Jane, too, might be pressed into accompanying her sister, but he was certain that Anne's company would be a most welcome addition to the party.
"I feel sure we are safe, Richard, for she could not separate us at Rosings, and here I have the advantage." He grinned. "It is my house, after all."
"And what a fine house it is too!" Richard remarked, affecting a tone of voice not unlike Mrs Bennet's, which could still be heard, echoing down the corridor.
"You have been married so short a time and already you seek to undermine your mother-in-law?" Darcy shook his head. "Such shocking behaviour, and from a colonel in the regiment."
"Former colonel," Richard reminded him. "Which position is not unlike another of our acquaintances, albeit a rather less happy one."
Darcy scowled. He had mentioned Wickham's change in status to Richard the previous evening, if only to warn the man to be on the lookout for their friend's attempt at ingratiating himself into their circle. Darcy doubted even Wickham would be fool enough to seek acknowledgement from either cousin, but he so despaired at the reason for Wickham's returning to London at all that he was determined not to consider anything beyond possibility for such a man.
The doors flew open and the noisy crowd bustled in, followed by a short pause during which time Darcy felt his bravado falter just a little, and was forced to acknowledge, if only within the confines of his own mind, that he was indeed a little nervous. At last, he beheld Elizabeth entering, and his eyes would not move from her for the duration of the short ceremony. She looked beautiful, and yet so perfectly herself that he realised again that their decision to wed in London was quite the best. It was a simple wedding, not the grand occasion he had half imagined being foisted upon him when he did decide to marry, and he could nought but own he was glad of its simplicity. But a few moments more and the vows were said, and the new Mr and Mrs Darcy turned to be welcomed by their grouped family and friends.
Sitting down to the wedding breakfast, Darcy, at last, was able to tear his eyes away from his new bride, certain by the light pressure of her hand in his that she remained by his side. He ceded the right to make a speech to Richard, and to Mr Bennet, who, after rather more brandy than was entirely polite at so early an hour, found himself overcome with the desire to share his thoughts on this "most surprising match", and was met with several peals of laughter and much rejoicing from everyone present. When Richard stood to speak, he began by lifting a pile of notes from where they had been deposited on a tray by a servant.
"Many of your acquaintances despaired over the speed with which you have married," he began, clearing his throat. "And so I wager you will have an interminably long tour of the country in order to visit them all in the new year."
Everybody laughed, for Darcy's intention to retire to Pemberley and remain there, in comfortable solitude, was fast becoming a running joke within the crowd. Even he found Richard's teasing amusing, and the scowl that usually darkened his features was nowhere to be seen.
"And here is something mysterious!" Richard said, lifting another note to his eyes. "This arrived without a postmark and was, I believe, slipped into the very hand of your housekeeper in person this morning." His eyes scanned the gathered group, as if seeking out the mischief-maker from among them. "I do not doubt them especially offended not to have warranted an invitation, if they were in London themselves and might otherwise have been amongst us. Anyway, let us hear what words of joy they have for the bride and groom." He cleared his throat. "To the inimitable Mr Darcy and his new bride, I must offer you my most hearty congratulations on your new state and only pray that wedded bliss finds you as contented a man as you deserve, certainly I have been denied the experience myself and thus can offer no suggestions as to the maintenance of a happy home." He paused, frowning at the strange sentiment. "And yet, as you excel in all that you do I can only imagine you will find marriage all you deserve, William. Your friend, G." Richard turned the letter over, in case there was a further clue as to the note's author, and finding nothing, he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, the fellow must remain nameless, unless you are aware of a mythical G who would seek to advise you when he acknowledges his own lack of experience!" He laughed, though the sound was somewhat forced, and dropped the note to the table-top, hurriedly reaching for the next in the pile. Darcy's eyes strayed to the mystery letter, and his heart sank. He had recognised the tone, read the identity of its author in the few, mysterious words. The handwriting merely confirmed his suspicions. So, George Wickham does not seek entirely to avoid me, he thought, his lips turning down in a grimace. He seeks to bait me, even now.
The slight pressure on his hand increased, and he turned to meet Elizabeth's unspoken question with a vague smile. Her dark eyes were dimmed in concern, and he sought to silently reassure her, though this time his smile, which had until that moment felt more natural to him than any such expression had in the past, took effort, and he felt sure that she noticed. Her fingers withdrew the merest fraction from his, and he turned his attention back to Richard, feeling a wave of anger that even in his absence, Wickham still possessed the power to undermine his happiness.