AN: To Kayee, that curse of Anderson's was very much in my mind for George Darcy in this story. It does not mean there cannot be redemption, but as you say, he is losing everything he holds dear, bit by bit, of his own doing. To everyone else who is reviewing - I love some of the guesses you put forth for how the story will go. Please be assured I read every comment even if I do not incorporate the ideas right away. Since I am writing a few chapters ahead this time I have sometimes already incorporated some version of the idea and sometimes I just keep the idea tucked away for another story. Thank you all. And for the guest who wondered why Will didn't tell Lizzy about Tom not liking to be called Tommy - he did in the first draft of that chapter, but I had forgotten that and drafted a much better explanation in this chapter so I cut it out of that chapter in my final edit. I guess you could feel the hole. ;oD

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Although Will had thought very little about what his wedding would one day look like, he knew this was probably not what he would have expected. For someone of his family's wealth and consequence, the wedding would have involved a church full of people and an expensive and extravagant wedding breakfast afterwards. Instead, the church seemed over-large for the handful of guests, all of them family or very close friends, and there would be no wedding breakfast at all. Will did not mind in the least; he only hoped Lizzy would not be too disappointed.

The night before, Will had informed the Admiral of his full name when he found out his employer wanted to be at the wedding. In turn, the Admiral informed his wife. This meant no one present would be surprised when Miss Elizabeth Bennet married Fitzwilliam Alexander Darcy today. Because he still hoped to stay away from his father's notice and Ton gossip, they all agreed Lizzy would be addressed as Mrs. Alexander after the wedding and he would continue as William Alexander. No one outside the group, with the exception of his Fitzwilliam family members, the elder Mr. Bingley, Jane and Mrs. Gardiner, needed to know any different.

Mr. Phillips and the ladies arrived as Will finished introducing Charles, Mr. Gardiner and Tom to the Admiral and his wife. While the ladies hung back to remove their outerwear and take one last look at Lizzy's gown, hair and bonnet to make certain they were just right, Mr. Phillips approached Will and spoke to him quietly.

"Do you already have a ring?" he asked.

Will groaned slightly. "Oh, no. I forgot," he said.

With a bit of a smirk, Mr. Phillips replied, "I thought you might have. You had a great many things to arrange in the last several hours. Actually, I had not thought of it either, but my wife did. She wishes to make a gift to you of this ring," he pulled a ring from his smallest finger and offered it to Will. "It belonged to her grandmother and my Jane cannot think of a better place for it than gracing Lizzy's finger as a symbol of your pledge to protect her."

Will accepted the ring gratefully, looking at it with care. The silver band had a floral pattern carved into it, with a tiny chip of what he thought was probably amber set in the center of the largest flower, which was shaped like a daisy. It was a pretty piece and Will thought it would suit Lizzy well. "Thank you, Mr. Phillips, and please thank your wife for me. Although we are rushing due to the potential scandal and danger, I have been trying to make this as easy as possible for Lizzy. I am afraid she would have been both disappointed and embarrassed had I been unable to produce a ring when the vicar asked for it."

Clapping him lightly on the shoulder, Mr. Phillips replied, "We appreciate your care for our girl. It looks like they are about ready now. You should pass that off to your best man, if he can be trusted to handle it, and take your place at the front."

The two men headed over to where Tom stood talking with Charles and the Admiral. Mr. Phillips escorted his nephew to the back of the church, instructing him on his role, while Will passed the ring to Charles and they moved to take their places.

The look of illness seemed to fall from Tom as he proudly escorted his sister to the front and placed her hand in Will's. Perhaps it was that he had a purpose at this moment, something more important than just living long enough to break an entail. For a short time, he was Lizzy's protector and he took that very seriously.

Will offered a nod in thanks as he accepted the precious gift Tom symbolically offered in the form of Lizzy's hand. As the boy stepped back and took a seat between his uncles, Will and Lizzy faced the vicar, flanked by Mary and Charles. The wedding ceremony began.

~o~

Without a hitch or a hiccup, the ceremony followed its usual pattern and was soon complete. Will did have a feeling of both relief and chagrin when Mr. Hampton asked for the ring and Charles passed the Gardiner family heirloom to him. At the final blessing, Will listened carefully and he truly felt blessed that he would now have a partner by his side to share in whatever was ahead. This might have been a rushed affair and a marriage of necessity, but he trusted Lizzy to take their marriage as seriously as he intended to do.

Will and Lizzy signed the register, followed by their witnesses. The young couple were now officially and legally married. Mr. Hampton congratulated them first, and then the rest of the attendees gathered around. Lizzy received hugs from all her sisters while Will shook hands with the gentlemen. Soon, Mrs. Phillips invited them all back to her home to celebrate. It turned out she had set her servants to preparing some finger foods and procuring some other items from the local shops while the wedding took place. It might not be a big party, but she felt Lizzy needed at least some kind of wedding breakfast.

Mr. Hampton thanked her for the invitation but declined because he had parish work to do. The Admiral, however, gladly accepted. He and his wife followed the party as they walked back to the Phillips home together.

Lizzy took her husband's arm for the short walk, watching with amusement as her brother chatted happily with Charles. "What did you do to Tommy?" she asked. "He seems so much more confident today than I have ever seen him before."

"Actually, he said he hates to be called Tommy. It makes him feel like a child. I have been calling him Tom as he requested and treating him like an adult. It seems to be what he needed."

"I had no idea he disliked the nickname, although I can certainly understand it. If he wants to be called Tom, I will do my best, although I am certain I will forget from time to time. I think part of it is not just being treated as an adult but having you and Charles accept him as a companion."

"He is lonely for additional company, I think. You and I will have to make certain he is not too isolated at Longbourn. At fourteen, he is old enough to start making decisions for himself. He has already begun rebelling against your mother's form of protection. Perhaps we can find ways to help him rebel effectively, so he gains the freedom he wants without doing something stupid or dangerous just to prove he can."

Nodding, Lizzy said, "I remember those years. When I was 13 and 14, Jane had just come out and Mama was already pushing me to be ready to find a husband. She insisted I stop going out for walks and wanted me to stop reading or doing much of anything else I enjoyed. Papa did not agree with her but, as usual, he did nothing to stop her rants either. I wanted to run away, find a way to send Mama away or, as you say, do something dangerous just to prove I could."

"What did you do?"

"I talked to Aunt Gardiner about it. She told me my frustration was a natural part of growing up, although my mother's excessive focus on ridding her home of daughters was certainly exacerbating the problem. She helped me see where I was justified in rebelling, like continuing to read and educate myself or taking walks to ease my frustrations so long as I remained safe. She walked me through the logical conclusions to some of my more drastic ideas, like finding a group of gypsies and running away with them. Most of all, though, she listened without judging me. That helped more than anything else."

"I am perfectly willing to do the same for Tom if he needs it. I am certain Charles will feel the same. Timing is the major difficulty. I still need to spend most of each day with Howard and Benny. You and I are unlikely to visit Longbourn and Charles will be returning to London. That reminds me, do you suppose your father's reaction to our marriage will cause problems for your sister and Charles? Do you think he might refuse to give Jane away?"

Lizzy looked out at the street ahead thoughtfully. "Hmm, he just might refuse." She brightened a second later and turned back to look at Will. "Even if he does, Tommy, I mean Tom, has proven himself perfectly capable to give her away in Papa's place. We cannot control my father's decisions and I shall not worry about trying. I will tell Jane what has happened, but she must negotiate with Papa if she is determined to have him at her wedding."

Will agreed that was best just as they arrived at the Phillips home. The entire group crowded into the parlor after handing their outerwear to the maid. The servants had been busy while the ceremony was going on. A long narrow table was now set up against one wall and covered with a tempting selection of foods. Small plates sat to the side.

The gentlemen fixed plates for the ladies and then served themselves. Will and Charles provided hints for Tom, suggesting he look after Kitty as they served Lizzy and Mary. Mr. Gardiner looked after the needs of his youngest niece while offering his approval of Tom's efforts to be a proper gentleman. The Admiral offered his own compliments on the confident way the young man had delivered his sister to her new husband. He had clearly seen enough of the family to guess that Mr. Bennet had refused to perform that duty.

"I appreciated your presence today, Tom. It meant a great deal to have your support," Lizzy told her brother.

"Wait! You called me Tom!" he said in surprise.

"Will just told me you prefer that name. I would have started using it sooner if you had let me know that being called Tommy make you feel like too much of a child. I cannot promise I will not slip sometimes, but I will try to remember. You certainly acted like an adult today and deserve a more adult name."

Tom could not think of what to say, so he just smiled as his other sisters spoke up and pledged to do their best to remember his chosen name as well. The adults all agreed with Lizzy's comments, expressing their appreciation of his actions that day. It was more positive attention that the boy was used to having at any time and it was clear he was not certain how to react.

Mr. Gardiner saved Tom from an attack of embarrassment by asking if he could have a few moments of Will's time. Mr. Phillips joined the two men as they stepped over to the attorney's study.

"I was wondering if I might take a quick look at the final provisions of the settlement, since I administer the accounts for the girls' dowries, and I wanted to see if you had any questions for me," Mr. Gardiner stated.

"I have no objection to having you look over the settlement," Will replied. Before he could pull his copy from the inside pocket of his coat, Mr. Phillips was already handing over the copy he had kept after Mr. Bennet signed the documents.

It was a relatively short and simple document. All the same, Mr. Gardiner gave each provision detailed attention.

"Yes, this will do nicely," he finally said, folding and handing the document back to Mr. Phillips. "How did Bennet react to the amount of Lizzy's jointure?"

Will started to chuckle at the memory while Mr. Phillips described Mr. Bennet's surprised objections to the amount. Mr. Gardiner was both amused and disgusted.

"That is about what I expected," he said. "I told him what I planned to do with the funds when I first set up the account for Jane. He paid no attention. I know he has always resented that we both insisted he put aside even the paltry fifty pounds for each of them. He could easily have done twice as much without even missing the funds, and if he did not allow Fanny to fritter away so much, they could all five have very respectable dowries by now."

"I am glad Lizzy has something to depend on no matter what may happen to me," Will said. "I hope I may request your assistance if I have funds to invest later."

"Of course. Will you be notifying Lord Ashby of your marriage?" Both Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Phillips looked at him intently.

"I plan to write to him this afternoon. I am still in regular contact with my uncle, my cousin, my grandfather and all of my aunts. My sister as well, although all my communication with her goes through my uncle. It is only my father I have broken with."

"He has been acting strangely these last few years. You know he pulled everything he could out of our investments?"

"Yes, my cousin told me a few months ago. We know George Wickham was stealing from Pemberley's accounts and we suspect my father had to cover unexpected costs because of it."

"I heard your uncle's complaints for years about how your father's devotion to his godson was robbing you of your rightful place in life. I also heard your father complain because he loved you but did not understand you. I stayed out of the matter although I was inclined towards your uncle's view, which matched Bingley's based on his son's reports. Lord Ashby told me about the probable murder of the elder Mr. Wickham and the transportation of the younger one. What contact I have had with your father since, and it has been very little, gave me the impression of a man whose beliefs have been shattered, leaving him a confused husk of a man."

"My cousin had the same impression. I am doing my best to bear no grudge against my father, but I do not wish to open the old wounds by contacting him or giving him any power over my life. He is aware my cousin knows where I am and how to contact me, but the only question he had was whether I was safe. He ended the conversation after my cousin's one-word answer and has not asked any of my family about me since."

"That is a hard thing to deal with. It seems like you have been making good choices since you decided to go out on your own. I am very grateful that you were not willing to allow Lizzy to be ruined by her mother's foolishness." Mr. Phillips indicated his agreement.

"I know Mary is to go with you for now at the Admiral's invitation," Mr. Gardiner continued. "If there comes a time you cannot keep her with you, please contact me. I will recommend Jane stay with us until her wedding. After that we can take Mary if need be."

"Or us," Mr. Phillips added. "It would be tight, but we would never turn away one of our girls."

"Nor would we. Or Tom if he needed us." Gardiner said.

"I think all will be well for the time being. You have met the Admiral. He is a good man and treats me well. I think his wife will truly appreciate the company of Lizzy and Mary. With Kitty and Lydia here and Jane with you until she and Charles marry they are all safe."

"Just remember us if you need help," Mr. Gardiner told Will. "Shall we return to the party? I would like a little more time with my nieces and nephew before Charles and I head back to London."

"Are you going back this afternoon?" Will asked.

"We came prepared to spend a night or two if need be, but I would truly prefer to get back to my wife and children. The weather is good today as well, so we can make good time."

They rejoined the company, spending a little more time together. When it seemed like time for the party to break up, the Admiral offered to take Lizzy and Mary back to Netherfield in his carriage since Will had only his horse. They bid farewell to the others, with Lizzy and Mary giving Charles several messages to pass on to Jane.

Will rode ahead of the others, with Tom riding behind him. He quickly delivered the boy to Longbourn's front door, then cut across the fields so he could take his horse to the stable and come back to the door to meet the carriage as it arrived. He walked around the corner of the house just in time to help the ladies down.

"I will show Mary to her room and see that she is properly settled," Mrs. Blackwood said to Will after they had all disembarked. "Perhaps you should take Mrs. Alexander to your quarters?"

Will agreed, and they all went inside together. In the entry, the Admiral bid the ladies a good afternoon and headed off to his study. Mary walked up the main stairs with Mrs. Blackwood while Will and Lizzy followed behind.

"It seems strange it was only a day ago that we were here for a ball," Lizzy said quietly to Will as they climbed the stairs. "Now we are here to live."

"I am glad you are," he replied. "This may not be an ideal way to start a life together, but I have faith in both of us. All will be well." Lizzy squeezed his arm gently in what he hoped was agreement.

A little to Will's surprise, Mrs. Blackwood led Mary to the suite directly across the hall from Will and Lizzy. "My husband was merely joking about placing her in the attic, you know," she said when she saw Will's expression. "She is safest here and the sisters will be happier for being close together. Now, I will show Mary her room. You take care of Lizzy." She smiled at him as she opened the door of Mary's suite.

Will stared after them for a few seconds until Lizzy nudged him. "Oh, yes. Well, we are just here," he said, turning to face their room. He opened the door and allowed Lizzy to go in first.

"Oh, this is lovely," she said, walking slowly around the room. "And so much larger than I was expecting. This is one of the family guest rooms, is it not?"

"Yes, the Admiral said they had so much room and so little family to fill it that he saw no point placing me in the attic or servant's quarters. The staircase just beyond this room goes directly up to the nursery on the next floor, which means I am closer to the boys than I would have been otherwise. They are still young enough to need a nursery maid, so she has the quarters adjoining the nursery and schoolroom."

"That is convenient, as is this. It is very kind of the Admiral, as well. I am still surprised they were both so insistent that Mary and I stay here with you. It is certainly not the usual way a tutor, or his family if he has one, is treated."

"I agree with you completely. This is most unusual. I think if the Admiral had been a landowner all his life he would have handled the situation much differently. His time aboard ship gave him a more liberal perspective on rank and position. He told me last night, after I informed him about my full name and the problems with my father, that he had learned to respect men who were willing to work and act to improve themselves no matter what background they came from. He said that by helping us along, he was, after a fashion, also paying back those who had helped him. In addition, he made the valid point that by treating me well, and by extension you and Mary, he knew I would be even more loyal and willing to do my best by his sons. That is true, of course, although I would still have done so even if he had not given you both a place in the house."

"While you were talking with my uncles, he said something similar to me. Mrs. Blackwood also told me that by acting as unofficial companions Mary and I could consider ourselves as earning our room and board. Our duties will not be very onerous, she said. We will spend the morning in her company, talking, reading or doing our needlework. She also asked me to help her visit the tenants and look after their needs. I do not think either of us will mind."

"The most awkward part of it I have found is dealing with the other servants and I expect you will find the same. We do not have the same standing at Netherfield that we had in our childhood homes, and the other servants know it. I have been very careful to create as little extra work for the staff as I can. I also make certain they know I appreciate their efforts on my behalf. When I first came here, the housekeeper and I discussed guidelines on requests like ordering bathwater or coal for the fires, extra cleaning in the room and how the laundry is handled. So far, I have managed to stay on good terms with most of the other staff members."

"I will speak with Mrs. Nicholls as well. The housekeeper at Longbourn, Mrs. Hill, is her cousin, so I have known Mrs. Nicholls all my life. Mary and I will make sure we cause no trouble in the household."

She ran her hands along the spines of the books on the bookshelves as her slow circuit of the room took her by them. Will saw her smile as she paused at some of the titles. "You have a nice collection here, Will," she finally said. "They seem to be arranged a little tightly for the space, though. Were you planning to add some more?"

"Actually, I thought you might be adding some," he said, grinning. "You mentioned enjoying trips to Hatchard's, so I suspected you might bring a personal collection with you. I made space on the shelves just in case, and I also tried to make space enough for your other belongings. We have a large chamber and attached dressing room through here." He opened the door to the bedchamber. "I see they have delivered your trunks."

Lizzy joined him in the room a little hesitantly, then she laughed at herself. "I have to remember we are married now. It does not break with propriety for us to be in this room together."

"No, not anymore. It stills feels a little strange, I admit. Would you feel more comfortable unpacking and getting settled if I return to the sitting room? I do have letters to write to my family to announce our wedding."

"I would not want to push you out of the room, but if you do have letters to write, I will be perfectly happy working in here on my own. What will you tell your family about our wedding?"

"The truth. I always try to tell the truth when I can, and they deserve to know. None of them will be upset or hold the situation against you. In fact, I think my sister will be delighted to know she is not the only girl in the family now."

"I hope I can meet her sometime."

"You will. Now, the dressing room is just through the door. Use all the space you need, and feel free to rearrange anything in the rooms if it makes more sense to you. I want you to feel comfortable here, after all. Come get me if you need help moving anything."

"Thank you, Will, for everything." She stepped close to him. Rising up on her toes, she softly kissed his cheek. Before she could turn away, he reached for her hand. He cradled her cheek with his other hand.

"I think we can do a little better than that," he said. He leaned down and gave her a gentle, sweet kiss on the lips. As they parted, he smiled at her slight blush, knowing he was blushing as well "I will be in the other room if you need me," he said. He left her standing there and headed back to the sitting room to begin drafting his letters.