Darcy had already worked his way carefully along one wall of shelves by the time Mr. Phillips returned to the study. Knowing Mr. Bennet probably would not mind, Darcy had taken a few sheets of paper from the desk and made notes regarding the volumes he found that were of special value, with the reason, along with keeping a tally of the number of books on each shelf.

"Are you sure you wish to do this?" Mr. Phillips asked.

"I am a bibliophile, sir," Darcy said. "This collection is too good to pass up. While I am finding some duplicates of books I already own, many of them are different editions, or are more than made up for by some of the harder-to-find volumes on these shelves. I made the offer partly as a way to help out, but I will definitely be getting full value for my money. This just means I do not have any need to visit Hatchard's for a few years, although it may not stop me."

"Fair enough," said Mr. Phillips with a chuckle. "You will be lifting a great weight from Bennet's mind. He never was much for planning ahead and I doubt he ever resisted a book that called his name. While he also never would have parted with these earlier, death is now staring him in the face and he has suddenly realized how badly he has failed to provide for his family. Although, I will say that a good half of this, and most of what you saw below, came from his father."

"I suppose he knew that giving Miss Mary that exceptional dowry as good as obligated Bingley to look after her sisters and their mother. And he would have."

"Oh, yes, I am certain he was aware of that, although I suspect what you will offer for this will make that plan unnecessary. Of course, I think he just as equally wanted to keep the contents of that cellar away from Mr. Collins, who is a thoroughly unpleasant man, and from Tony."

"Is the stepson really that bad?" Darcy asked.

Mr. Phillips nodded. "I hate to say it of my wife's sister, but I suspect the boy takes mostly after her. Jamison was a good and responsible man, even if he barely had two shillings to rub together. I suppose you know Mary is his blood, even if legally she is Bennet's daughter."

Darcy said he was aware of that. Then a thought struck him. "Mr. Bennet's stepson is Anthony Jamison?" he asked with shock in his voice.

"You know him?"

"More than I would care to do so," Darcy said. "I now understand perfectly why Mr. Bennet would not want his stepson to get any of this. Jamison was a couple years behind me at school, but he became close friends with my father's godson, George Wickham. The two of them got into every kind of trouble they could without being expelled and they have continued to do so in the years following school."

Mr. Phillips grimaced. "Tony brought George Wickham here for a visit a few years ago. Between them they started a brawl that nearly destroyed the common room at the public house. Bennet put his foot down that time and told Tony he would lose his allowance and any other support he might expect if he ever brought Wickham to Longbourn again. That was before the effects of the cancer became obvious and Bennet still could be a force to be reckoned with. I doubt the prohibition would stand now."

"I shudder at the thought of any of those young women being exposed to Wickham. Does Jamison care about his sisters at all?"

"Not particularly. Of course, he and Lizzy have hated each other since the moment he was dumped in the nursery with her and Jane. He was never very nice to Jane, either. He either ignores or torments her, just as he does with Mary and Kitty, but he spoils and encourages Lydia. I think he enjoys seeing her behave like a little beast. I doubt he would lift a finger to save any of them from starving and I have overheard concerns from the older girls that he would be likely to sell them to a brothel for a few coins if he got half a chance. They lock their doors by habit around here and never allow themselves to be caught alone in his company or that of his friends."

"Well I have some business with Anthony Jamison and hope he will lead me to Wickham as well. It sounds like you may not mind if I make things uncomfortable for your nephew."

"Go to it, man," Mr. Phillips said gruffly. "If I had documentation enough of his activities, I would be making things uncomfortable for him myself."

"Good. I thank you for the information. I think I need to send an express to London. My cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam of the regulars, also wants some words with both Jamison and Wickham. If I write a note, could I possibly get someone to carry it to the express office right away?"

"Of course," Mr. Phillips said with a grin. "I will see to it myself."

Darcy sat at the desk and used some more of Mr. Bennet's supplies to write a brief note to his cousin. Once it was folded and sealed, he used his signet ring on the wax and then handed it to Mr. Phillips.

"Thank you, sir," Darcy said. "I think I had better get back to my task here, or I may be staying all night."

"I will have Mrs. Hill send in a little something to eat and drink while I have this delivered to the express office for you. It would not do to have you tempted to borrow a bit of sustenance from your friend's new collection."

Darcy grinned back in response to the tease. "It would not do at all, although I may persuade him to part with a few bottles of that brandy for a good price later on. By the way, with five young women in this house, I would have expected a little more noise. Are they around, or is this room just very well-insulated?"

Mr. Phillips laughed. "You mean with Lydia in the house, you would have expected more noise." He sobered a bit as he continued, "No, aside from Mary, all the girls are out and Mrs. Bennet has gone to visit with my wife, probably to avoid having to face you or Mr. Bingley. Lizzy managed to wheedle enough money from their father to go into the village to purchase all the necessary supplies to make a gown for Mary. They want to replace the one that tore. It was her only really nice one. Jane and Lizzy want her to have something pretty to wear for her wedding, even if they already knew it would have to be a rushed affair. Kitty volunteered to help and they dragged Lydia along with the promise of ribbons so they could keep her out of trouble and out of our way."

"They plan to make the gown themselves? Not order it from the dressmaker?"

"They older girls make all their own clothes. They are quick and, I suspect, far more skilled at the work than they let on. It would not surprise me if they had intended to support themselves as seamstresses when Bennet was gone." He looked around at the books. "This will make sure they do not have to. I will leave you to it. Once I complete my two small errands, I am heading back to my office to get to work on the final copies of the settlement. I will also draw up a bill of sale and the documents needed to create the trust accounts. If you will send me the total quantity of books and any other pertinent details along with your offer, I will have it ready for payment and signature at the same time as the settlement."

"Thank you, Mr. Phillips. This will be far more than I have on hand in cash, but I can write a draft on my bank or simply have the funds transferred directly into the trust accounts if that works more easily."

"I will consider which is best and we can agree on the details when we complete the sale. Mrs. Hill will be along soon with your refreshments."

With a polite bow, Mr. Phillips took his leave. Darcy returned to his task even as he considered how best to transport everything away and whether it should go to London first or direct on to Pemberley.

Even doing a bare-bones inventory took a few more hours and Darcy was glad for the light meal and tea Mrs. Hill brought in to him. He took a great many notes and had to resist the temptation to sit down and read several times. As he worked on the piles on the floor and desk, he did some reorganizing that would make them easier to pack, but otherwise left things as he found them.

As Mr. Phillips had suggested, it was easy to tell when Miss Lydia returned, although he heard no noise from the other young women. The youngest Bennet sister chattered loudly about something, although fortunately he could not hear the actual words. Even better, the voice soon faded with a clatter of feet on the stairs and silence reigned again. He continued with his work.

By the time he had finished, Darcy was both pleased and awed by what he had found. Many of the volumes were first editions or valuable for other reasons. Some were books he had specifically been seeking for years. Offering fair value for the collection would be expensive, but he had the funds to spare. The purchase would not have a long-term impact on any of his accounts.

In addition to gaining something he would value a great deal, he had the satisfaction of knowing all the women of the family would be safe even if he never was able to find a way to court Miss Elizabeth. Including Mrs. Bennet in the division might be seen as rewarding her in some way, although Darcy's transaction was entirely separate from Bingley's situation aside from the dowry discussion providing an opportunity for the purchase offer to happen. It really was not a reward of any kind. Darcy's insistence on the division was simply to force Mr. Bennet to do what he should have done all along by providing for all them. If Mrs. Bennet received her proper share, she was less likely to be a drain on Bingley and his wife or any of the other daughters. After all, she still needed a means to live. What she had done was despicable, but it was also an act born in fear that her husband should never have allowed to grow in the first place. Her fear was no excuse, but it was an explanation.

Once done with the brief inventory, he finished up the task by gathering his notes and writing out all the details Mr. Phillips had requested for the bill of sale on a clean page. Mrs. Phillips and her unmarried daughters would be able to live in reasonable comfort whether they chose to do so individually or together, even if they just had the interest to keep them. The principle would provide good dowries for the younger women and security for the widow.

Darcy folded and sealed the note for Mr. Phillips. Then he tidied up the desk and put all the writing supplies away. After taking another satisfied look around the room, he headed down the hall.

As he passed, he glanced into the open doors of each of the public rooms. None of them had any occupants. Mrs. Bennet must have still been gone and the sisters were apparently doing their sewing task upstairs.

By the time he reached the entry, the housekeeper had noticed his presence outside the study. While she handed him his greatcoat, she told him his horse was waiting in the stables."

"Your man from Netherfield was not sure if he should stay or go, so he and his horse are there as well," she told Darcy.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hill. I should have left instructions. As it is, that is exactly what I needed."

Darcy was glad the groom had stayed. The man could take the note to Mr. Phillips and make inquiries in the village for a good carter. They would probably move the wine first and hide it away somewhere at Netherfield under lock and key,. For the rest, Darcy had decided to send the books straight on to Pemberley. That meant he needed a trustworthy carter willing to make the longer trip, as well as a large number of boxes to contain his new collection for the journey. He hoped the groom who brought his horse was a local man who would know where to look for what Darcy needed.

On his return to Netherfield, he found Bingley resting in the most well-cushioned armchair in the room that passed for a library in that house. The room itself was probably three times larger than Mr. Bennet's study but Darcy knew for certain that it contained far less than ten percent of the number of books. Darcy suddenly smiled at the thought that he now had a perfectly good excuse to open up the annex to the Pemberley library that he had been wanting to add for some time.

"That took you a good long while, Darcy," Bingley said, looking up a little blearily as his friend entered the room. He had just woken from a nap.

"There were a lot of books to count and consider." Darcy told him the total number and the price he would pay.

Bingley whistled. "So, my Mary will not be the only one with a good dowry, although she will probably still have the best one. I expect that is little comfort for her cracked ribs."

"Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth may have more she does based on what Mr. Bennet said. It is interesting his first wife's brother has not shared the actual amount with him, and it seems to have been kept completely secret from anyone else. There would have been no stopping the gossip if the locals knew. In fact, I expect Sir William would have used the information to drive even more of a wedge between Mrs. Bennet and the two older daughters."

"I wonder if Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth even know the amount. I have been thinking and I realized it was very clear neither of them was doing anything at all to attract either of us. Miss Bennet was polite about her dance with me but now I realize Sir William made it very difficult for her to have refused me if she had wished to."

"Well, you were not really in love with her anyway, were you? Just attracted by her beauty as you have been with many other women you have flirted with in the past."

"True enough. Do not worry. I will not be pining after my wife's sister. Mary will have my full attention and loyalty."

"Good. That is what your wife deserves. I hope you do not mind, but I have requested Richard to come here. I expect he will also be entranced by Miss Bennet and I would not want that to make waves between you."

"I always welcome the Colonel's company and we certainly have plenty of room. The young woman is free to like whoever she chooses and I am no longer on the market. You just have to hope he is not entranced with Miss Elizabeth instead. What is the occasion for summoning him?"

"I learned the full name of Mrs. Bennet's son. Do you remember Anthony Jamison from Cambridge?"

"My God! Jamison is Mary's brother? Of course I remember the name and all the trouble he caused, although I was lucky enough not to spend any time with him."

"Well, he is an associate of Wickham. Richard and I have a few bones to pick with both of them. I expect my cousin here some time tomorrow if he can arrange the leave."

"Why...oh, that is right, Mr. Bennet said something about his stepson likely showing up in the next few days."

"Exactly. Richard and I will be ready for him when he arrives. Oh, right, I nearly forgot...I sent the groom who brought my horse to find a carter who can bring your new wine collection here tomorrow after you sign the settlement."

"Oh? I thought I might just get someone from the staff here to do it."

Darcy smiled. "Best to have a professional and disguise it as an ordinary delivery so that Hurst doesn't know what you are up to. Or Richard, for that matter. He may not be a drunkard, but he would not be above sneaking a few of those bottles away. Besides, I will also need the carter to take my new collection off to Pemberley as soon as the purchase is finalized."

"And how much of the brandy do you intend to offer me a fair price for?" Bingley asked with a smirk.

"As much as you will let me buy." Darcy replied.

"After purchasing all those books, do you have any money left?"

"Of course. Do you not remember I have an income of ten thousand a year and maybe more?" Darcy said, ending in a falsetto voice reminiscent of so many of the matrons who bandied gossip of his income around whenever he entered a room.

"How could I forget?" Bingley said, starting to make a gesture like he was going to smack his forehead, then wincing and dropping his hand. "I am amazed at how much a simple twisted back affects every other movement," he added in frustration. "It seems I cannot move a finger without causing it to ache." He stretched a bit, wincing again as he did.

"Maybe you can trip up your new Mama on your way out of the church this Sunday and give back some of the joy you are experiencing," Darcy suggested wickedly.

"That is certainly something to consider. I sent a messenger off to the bishop earlier with my request for the common license, the note from her father and a nice donation for the church. The messenger said the license would be issued and delivered sometime tomorrow and I can marry any morning after that."

"Your bride's sisters are making her a new gown to replace the one that was torn, which was apparently her best. I do not know how long it will take them, but it would be unkind to rush them any more than you must. Still, I know professional dressmakers can complete a gown in only a day or two. Perhaps you can ask about the timing when you go over to sign the settlement tomorrow."

"You really think Mr. Bennet will not survive the year?" Bingley asked.

"I doubt he will see the end of November, let alone the end of the year. No, you will need to marry quickly so there is no delay for a mourning period. It may be harsh, especially given the physical condition you are both in, but it is the safest way."

"I suppose. Caroline is furious about the whole situation. Of course, you heard her on the way home last night. She started in on me when I got back from Longbourn – saying I was a spineless worm for having 'played into the Bennet trap' as she called it. In my opinion, a spineless worm would have been the man to simply leave poor Mary to her fate. Anyway, I told Caroline that if she wanted to continue living in my home she had better be kind to my wife. Unfortunately, I do not think Caroline actually understands the meaning of the word. Once things settle down here, I may just send her and the Hursts back off to London or even to Scarborough. Mary can be my hostess for as long as we decide to stay here. We will have to see how the neighborhood treats her once she is the mistress of Netherfield."

"I hope you stick to it. Your sister could find all kinds of nasty little ways to make Miss Mary uncomfortable in this house."

"She certainly manages to do that for me. Yes. Both of my sisters will be in London before Christmas. I just hope Caroline finally gets herself together and starts accepting calls from men who are not you."

"I will second that. Do you need any help getting out of that chair? I think the gong is about to ring for dinner."

Bingley groaned. "I think I will take a tray in my room if you will help me get there."

"Now that sounds like an excellent idea," Darcy said. "Thank you for the suggestion." He grinned as he offered Bingley a hand up.


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AN: Yes, I borrowed the descriptive term from WadeH and Rules of Etiquette. Spineless worm just seemed to fit that spot. :oD