The day of the Matlock Ball to honor the union Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet met everyone with heavy responsibilities. Darcy and Richard took the former's carriage to Cheapside as most of the Bennet daughters already arrived at Darcy House for the day's preparations for the evening festivities. It was by design the two men left this business for the day before the wedding to permit no outside influences to their plans.

Once admitted into the Gardiner town home in Cheapside, the two men found Mr. Bennet nursing a brandy and reading a book while Mr. Gardiner Saturday's desk furiously writing out letter after letter. It was the younger man who greeted Mr. Darcy and the Colonel.

Edward Gardiner reached out a hand to shake Mr. Darcy's and Richard's in congratulations.

"Forgive us, we did not mean to interrupt your business." Mr. Darcy said after thanking the man for his good tidings.

Edward Gardiner looked over his shoulder at his desk covered in parchment. He laughed. "Most of this is your fault. I don't know what you said at your club, but suddenly my client list has doubled!"

Mr. Darcy shrugged. "I shared nothing more than the truth, you run a fine business. If I had known that the main suppliers of my household directly benefited from your warehouses earlier, I would have shared that with my friends and acquaintances long before I married Elizabeth."

The cheerful conversation between the three men became interrupted as Mr. Bennet fell into a coughing fit and all three turned to look at the man.

"Ignore me, I have plans to finish this book and sleep in my own bed tomorrow," Mr. Bennet dismissed the concern.

"It is you, sir, that we have come to see." Richard put himself forward as a primary speaker of their plans. "I have asked for your daughter's hand in marriage and I am happy to report that she has accepted. I procured a special license from His Grace and it is our intention to marry tomorrow with Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth."

Mr. Bennet released an exasperated sigh and closed his book. Interlacing his fingers, he set his elbows on the arms of the chair and considered the military man who turned suitor before him.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific. I have four unmarried daughters, your cousin claiming the fifth, exactly which one did you propose to?" Mr. Bennet asked sardonically.

Richard's eyes widened that he had made such an oversight and that Mr. Bennet would not have guessed it was the loveliest Jane he had offered marriage. But no matter, Richard quickly fixed his mistake and blurted out Jane's name to Mr. Bennet.

"The men in your family must never worry of being disappointed," Mr. Bennet started. "No, no, do not seek to defend your position. I know mine, there is no use in pretending yours."

"I believe I do not catch your meaning, sir." Mr. Darcy began to lose this patience with the ever exasperating Mr. Bennet.

"You come here the day before the wedding to ask my blessing? Were you afraid I might decline and cause a problem for the nuptials? Perhaps I might take my daughter home, keep the claws of the Fitzwilliam family from digging into the skin of another Bennet."

Richard and Darcy looked at one another in complete confusion. They expected Mr. Bennet to be unhappy anything more was required of him, but not unhappy to see another daughter so well-settled. The intention of keeping the plan a secret had nothing to do with obstruction on the Bennet side. No other father in London would throw disdain on a daughter marrying the son of an earl, but Mr. Bennet fiercely possessed a uniqueness none would ever believe if they shared the story at the club.

"It was the express wish of your daughter, Jane, that she not detract from her sister Elizabeth and thus the secrecy. There was apprehension if we came sooner, your wife might learn of the intrigue and subject Miss Bennet to a fuss she neither required nor sought," Mr. Darcy explained.

"Jane never did like the spotlight," Mr. Gardiner offered, finding the explanation entirely valid.

"And Jane is also more than one and twenty. She does not need my blessing nor my attendance," Mr. Bennet said pretending to return to his reading before Mr. Gardiner's anger got the best of him. The youngest brother Mr. Bennet's wife stormed forward and yanked the book out of his brother-in-law's hands.

"While you always were quick to play a misanthrope, this time you shall not. Your eldest daughters have done nothing to deserve your censure, other than imposing the inconvenience upon you of living their future lives!" Edward yelled.

Mr. Bennet leaned back and shivered in shock at his brother-in-law's admonishment. "And what else shall I do, Edward? I'm certain you have more on your chest you wish to release."

Edward Gardiner did not shy at Mr. Bennet's dismissal. He did in fact have a great deal more on his chest to share and the absent father of his favorite nieces was going to hear it. That Mr. Darcy and Richard were present mattered not to Mr. Gardiner, he already knew of the plans for all involved and heartily agreed with his niece Elizabeth's decisions.

"After the weddings, which you will walk your daughters down the aisle, Mary and Kitty are to go to Pemberley. You will take Lydia home the Longbourn and lock her up if need be. But under no circumstances will you shower her with attention and fripperies she neither deserves nor appreciates. It is time for you to get your house in order Bennet, because the time has passed for inaction in regards to the girls. They have nothing to rely upon after your death and I know you are not so cruel as to sentence them to a life of poverty."

"But why should they live in poverty? Mr. Darcy here is now their brother, and clearly up to the task of taking on the role of father since I am to be relieved of two of my daughters without my consent," Mr. Bennet started, but Mr. Gardiner was not finished.

"Your wife has been apprised of the plan already, I dare say none of us have room for consent or changes. If Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are willing to take Catherine and Mary under their wing, we should be grateful. And your youngest is not in the clear as to her reputation. There still could very well be grave consequences of her lark," Mr. Gardiner looked to Mr. Darcy to see if he had covered the majority of the plan and Darcy nodded.

"I know where he will live with Lizzie, but what about you? After you marry my Jane, where shall you support your wife? I was not aware of any houses in your name." Mr. Bennet asked in the interest of his daughter's welfare more than the embarrassment of the colonel.

Richard inhaled deeply and set his shoulders in a perfect square, a habit of standing so often at attention. "I have accepted a post, a command in fact, in Spain. We shall be provided lodgings in the town and God willing, maintain the position until peace is reached."

"And when the war concludes? For surely it must, what will a man of your skills do to support a family?"

Richard swallowed and bowed to his elder. "My grandfather has left me a small inheritance aside from the estate of Matlock and I shall sell my commission. Jane will not suffer a want that is in my power to grant."

Mr. Bennet sniffed as he could not find any other argument, not that he expected anything he might say would matter much. "I hear you possess a very well stocked library, Mr. Darcy. Do you have a copy of The Rosicrucian?"

"Two. One at Pemberley and one here in London."

Mr. Bennet took a sip of his brandy. "Ah, I have wished to read that. I believe when I travel with my daughters to drop them off at Pemberley and retrieve them later I might stay a month or more."

Richard laughed at his cousin's bad luck but Darcy only bowed. "Our home is always open to Elizabeth's family." Inwardly, Darcy decided they would install a private library in the family wing for him and his bride to enjoy without the meddling of family. And he would send the letter today for his staff to begin refreshing both the suites for Georgiana and Elizabeth's sisters and to begin the conversion of his old room for the library. Plato had been correct that necessity was the mother of all invention.