Bingley had Darcy help him draft the note to Mr. Bennet. Even with the poor opinion they knew the man had of his stepson, it was a touchy thing to explain that said stepson was badly injured while trespassing with intent to do harm and that even if he recovered, he would spend the rest of his life in debtor's prison. Darcy suggested they work on the wording but wait to write the final until they had the apothecary's report.

When it came, the report was not good from Jamison's standpoint. As Richard had guessed, Jamison had definitely lost the use of one eye due to a chunk of the stone that had flown into it. The other eye was damaged by glass. There was every chance he would lose the use of that one as well. Although he had done his best to clean the wounds, Mr. Jones declared it was extremely likely some of them would end up infected. In his professional opinion, Jamison was not likely to live for very long, even if he were not headed to prison. In his personal opinion, the young man had brought it on himself and even his own mother was not likely to mourn his loss very deeply.

While Darcy would not have intentionally caused such injuries, he felt a strong sense of satisfaction and justice. Jamison had hurt and frightened Anne de Bourgh in a manner from which she was likely never to fully recover. Even if Darcy and Richard had interrupted the attack before he could complete the assault, Jamison had meant to rape her and force her into an unwanted marriage, and he had meant to do the same to Caroline Bingley. Whatever pain he now suffered; he had brought it on himself just as Mr. Jones said.

Aside from having been able to stop the attack, the only otrher part of that incident at Rosings that pleased Darcy was that it was their attempt to track down Jamison after he had slithered away from them there that brought Darcy and Richard back to Ramsgate just in time to stop Wickham from enacting a similar design against Georgiana. Oh, it had felt good to finally slam his fist into Wickham's face after the attack on Miss Elizabeth earlier. Darcy had heard something crack and hoped he had broken Wickham's nose at the very least. His knuckles felt sore enough to make that likely. Even more important, though, was actually catching the man. He had to hope the innkeeper or his son would manage to detain Wickham before the night was through.

As Richard had suggested, Darcy prepared a letter to the agency in London that he had used to track down Wickham's debts while he and Richard had searched for the man himself. Darcy would set them to track down and buy up any notes of hand Denny had left behind him in Brighton as well as visiting his home town for the same purpose if Richard discovered where that was.

Judging by the grin he was wearing on his return, Richard's luck had been good. He joined Darcy and Bingley in the study, flipping one of the small, straight-back chairs around with the back to them and dropping down to straddle the seat, resting his arms on the crossbar of the chair back.

"Well?" Darcy asked.

"Oh, our friend Denny has been a very busy boy. He is certainly one of Wickham's spiritual brothers. He had not been here a day before he started building a collection of debts to local shopkeepers. I bought up any that were clearly his notes of hand while offering a bit of advice about the dangers of trusting the militia men too far."

"Enough to put him away?"

"Not here. He has not had time enough to build the debt," Richard replied to Darcy's query. "I did learn a few tidbits of interest from Captain Carter. First off, I have the name of Denny's home village. I am certain if we send someone there we will find a good bit of debt to use against him. More importantly, I heard of a little game he played while they were at Brighton. Carter said the merchants there were very careful when it came to extending credit. Denny and a few friends would ride out in civilian clothes every chance they got, in order to establish themselves as long-term visitors in a village a bit further down the coast. Eventually they were able to rack up a fair amount of debt for clothes and other goods which they resold. When the debts got too high, they just stopped visiting there and moved to a new location. I've got the name of both villages where he worked his games."

"Excellent work, Richard. I started a note that I planned to send off tomorrow. Once we add the information you learned today, they should have no trouble coming up with enough to settle Denny in a nice little cell with his good buddy, Wickham." Darcy said. He quickly brought Richard up to date on Jamison's condition.

"No great loss to anyone if he dies, although I hope he suffers for a few days so as not to interrupt the wedding."

"I sent off the note to Mr. Bennet," Bingley said. "I have had no reply from him, but given his condition, that is not too very unusual. I included one for Mary as well."

"I think the young women will appreciate the extra servants as guards," Darcy said, adding with a teasing grin, "Far be it from me to give more orders in your home, Bingley, but I would suggest having rooms readied just in case they do feel the need to escape here as you offered to Miss Mary in your note to her."

"Good idea. I can just imagine Caroline's complaints if I suddenly called on her to act as a proper hostess to provide them all with rooms."

"Your housekeeper would make quick work of the matter. She is very like my housekeeper at Pemberley. However, the women will feel more welcome if there is no fuss and the rooms are already prepared for them."

Bingley rang the bell. When a maid answered, he gave orders to have four guest rooms prepared.

"Are the mistress' chambers already prepared for your bride?" Darcy asked.

"Mrs. Nichols saw to it herself," Bingley replied. "Of course, it would not be proper for her to use them tonight."

"Of course, not," Darcy said. "I was just checking."

He returned to the letter he had been writing. With Richard's help and information, he added the appropriate directions to set the men to buying up enough of Denny's debt to put him away.

~o~

The women from Longbourn did not show up, but very early the next morning a messenger arrived from the Green Sow with a note for Darcy. The innkeeper reported that George Wickham had returned late the previous night with a broken nose and black eye along with a suspicious story about having fallen from his horse after a bit too much to drink. The innkeeper went on to say that he had very helpfully escorted Wickham to a windowless room, locked the door and placed a guard on it before the injured man worked out what was happening. He assured Darcy that Wickham would not escape and could be collected at Darcy's leisure. The messenger carried back a note with Darcy's thanks and assurance he would be by or would send some of his men to collect Wickham later that day.

Richard cheered when they told him the news at breakfast, much to Miss Bingley's disgust. As Bingley had predicted, she and her sister had spent the previous afternoon huddled together complaining that their brother had not sent them to London before danger threatened Miss Bingley. Although actually, she had not really believed she had been in any danger at the time. Even the capture of Jamison she explained away as a theft gone wrong. After the Colonel's outburst, she protested.

"Really, Colonel, this is not a military barracks! I see nothing about Mr. Darcy's news to cause such an uproar."

"Do you not realize who close you came to disaster, yesterday?" Richard asked. "Jamison intended to force himself on you and Wickham would have had no qualms about doing the same given any chance after his friend failed. Had Miss Mary not sent your brother such a timely warning we might be discussing how to recover from your ruin this morning instead of celebrating the capture of two scoundrels. After the wedding you should thank your new sister for her care of you."

"Sister?" Miss Bingley scoffed. "Is she not also sister to the very scoundrel you claim she wanted to protect me from? Mark my words, she was in on whatever his plan was from the first. I am certain she is just as much of a schemer as that mother of hers."

"Remember what I told you about your allowance, Caroline," Bingley warned.

His sister glared. "Oh, I will not denounce her to the Ton," she said angrily, "but do not expect me to like her or feel any misplaced gratitude. Now, if you will excuse me, I will see to the last of my packing. I cannot wait until this wedding is over and I can be on my way back to London. Thank heavens you are not hosting a celebration afterwards."

"Perhaps we should have," Richard said, smirking. "We could, at least, serve the pheasant we shot yesterday, Bingley."

"No, no," Bingley replied. "We will let Caroline and Louisa have an early start to town. The rest of us will be having the pheasant for our dinner, or that is what Mrs. Nichols assured me."

"Fine," said his sister, rising from her seat. "I want to leave as soon as the ceremony is over."

"So long as all your luggage is on Darcy's carriage ready to go when we need to leave for the church, then we will have the servants transfer it to my carriage during the wedding so you can leave from there. I have no intention of being late, however. If you are not ready when I choose to leave, then you will have to return here for your luggage afterwards."

Miss Bingley walked out of the room with her nose in the air. Her sour expression showed that she had understood the warning.

Mrs. Hurst stood up as well. "My husband and I will be ready to leave on time, Charles. Thank you for allowing us to continue to stay at the townhouse. I wish you all the best with your new bride." She curtsied to Darcy and Richard before following her sister out.

"I think Richard and I will both go to the church on horseback. We can avoid your sister's company on the way there and give you and your bride a little privacy on the way back," Darcy said.

"Coward," Bingley said with a chuckle.

"And proud of it," Richard replied.

~o~

Miss Bingley took the warning seriously. She and her luggage were ready to leave in plenty of time and were loaded on Darcy's carriage for the short trip to the church before any of the others made it outside.

Darcy was impressed. As he and Richard began the ride into Meryton, he told his cousin how much trouble he had experienced trying to get her moving the day they left town, and about his annoyance when he arrived to find that Bingley had already committed them to an evening out. Under Richard's questioning, he explained about arriving at the Assembly in a bad mood and with a terrible headache. He described being dragged around and introduced by Sir William to any passer-by, Bingley's insistence that he dance and Miss Elizabeth's kind gift of sympathy and a headache powder. Richard laughed over Bingley's teasing of Miss Lydia.

"I really do not understand Mrs. Bennet's shortsightedness," he said when his amusement had run its course. "Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth are fine young women and very lovely. Their stepmother must have known from the time they first came out that they would be likely to gain the attention of a good man. Why would she discourage that? With even a little kindness on her part they would have felt obligated to help her and her daughters if they married well enough to have the means."

"I do not understand it either," Darcy said. "All I can guess is that she took a dislike to them from the first, just as her son apparently did, and was never flexible enough to change her mind. Somehow, they became the enemy and Sir William's pushing just intensified that feeling."

"How did they turn out so well, growing up with such a poor example? Miss Bennet is intelligent, caring, well-mannered – in essence, everything a proper lady should be."

"I understand they have relatives in London who have educated and supported them. No one seems to know much about their mother's family. Miss Bingley somehow learned their uncle is in trade, but that is all I know about him."

Richard smiled. "Well, I suppose we will meet him some time if we both succeed in wooing our chosen Bennet sister."

"Does that mean you will finally retire and take over running Oakbrook?"

"I am certainly not going to ask a fine creature like Miss Bennet to follow the drum. However, I will not let you give the estate to me. We will work out a payment plan and I will put in the labor to make it profitable instead of merely self-sufficient so that I can pay you back."

"I am fine with whatever terms you want. You know I do not need Oakbrook and it takes more of my attention sometimes than I feel it is worth. My goal is to keep you away from the war and here in England where you can help me protect and guide Georgiana."

"Oh, have no fear. Our wives can do that, if we are able to woo and win them. On to the church and the joy of their company once again."

The two men arrived shortly before Bingley and the rest of the party from Netherfield. They stabled their horses in the public stable near the church and then headed inside. A few people from the neighborhood were already there, not because they had been invited, just because they were curious to see the event. Darcy and Richard passed them with nods, but did not stop to talk.

When Bingley arrived, he and Darcy received some final instructions from the vicar. Darcy was acting as best man for his friend. Richard would be watching from the side - guarding their flank, he called it.

Darcy noticed Mrs. Phillips arrive, but saw no sign of Mrs. Bennet or any of Miss Mary's sisters. He was surprised when the vicar told Bingley the bride was ready for the ceremony to start.

He was even more surprised, not to mention very disappointed, when the woman who came forward as the bride's attendant was not one of her sisters but was, instead, Mrs. Carlson. The former Miss Lucas took her place alone as the matron of honor.

Then, Miss Mary entered on the arm of Mr. Phillips. Darcy thought she made a lovely sight. When she was not standing next to her truly gorgeous older sisters, it was easier to see that she was a pretty young woman in her own right. In addition, the gown they had made for her was both elegant and flattering. He had seen the beautiful color of the main portion of the gown as they had worked on it. He had not been expecting to see the impressively embroidered over-skirt. The work was vaguely familiar. It was also absolutely stunning.

A very audible gasp from Miss Bingley reminded him of where he had seen something similar. The unusual gown Bingley's sister had worn to the Assembly a few weeks ago had looked atrocious on her, but only because of the clash between her coloring and the colors of the gown. He remembered her going on and on about her joy at having been able to purchase one of the rare specialty items from her modiste. Yet, here was Miss Mary wearing a gown that was even more special while done in much the same style.

He put his thoughts and questions aside as the wedding ceremony began. The ceremony was the standard one and was completed without any problems despite the lack of most of the bride's family, including her father and mother. Mr. Phillips gave the bride away. The wedding party signed the register and Mr. and Mrs. Bingley received the congratulations of those who had attended, starting with Darcy's own and those of Mrs. Carlson.

As others stepped up, Darcy turned and offered his congratulations to Mrs. Carlson on her own recent marriage. Her husband approached and Darcy accepted an introduction so he could congratulate Mr. Carlson as well.

"You look confused by my presence in the wedding party, Mr. Darcy," Mrs. Carlson said. "I daresay you were expecting Jane, Lizzy, Kitty, Lydia or any combination of them rather than me."

"I admit, I did expect one or more of them," he said. "Although, I am certain Mrs. Bingley was glad of your friendly support."

"I am standing in for Jane and Lizzy. They left suddenly for London yesterday afternoon, along with Kitty. Mary sent over a note asking me if I would be here for her today. Of course, I was glad to."

Darcy nodded understandingly. Of course, he was disappointed not to see Miss Elizabeth - devastated to have missed her, if he was being honest with himself. He realized her father must have decided the other daughters were safest with their London relatives and sent them there immediately instead of waiting until after the wedding. He was about to ask if Mrs. Carlson knew their direction when he heard Miss Bingley offering her new sister a very insincere welcome to the family. He and the Carlsons both turned to watch the interaction.

"...and, of course, I wish you and my brother all joy," she was saying. "What I should like to know, however, is how you managed to procure a gown from the London modiste, Madam Gaillard. After all, she caters to a most exclusive list of customers. I was fortunate to get my gown from her quickly, but most people have to wait weeks if they can manage to get one at all."

Darcy wondered how Mrs. Bingley would respond since he knew the gown was made by her and her sisters, not the famous modiste. She appeared briefly confused, but then she drew herself up straight and tall, calmly retorting, "Are you certain her list of clients is so exclusive? After all, you were allowed to purchase one of her gowns despite your lack of social status. I expect all it takes is money enough."

She was clever, Darcy thought. She had responded with a set down that told the truth without ever saying a word about the origins of her own gown. He had to stifle a groan when Bingley entered the conversation.

"She has you there, Caroline. Besides, my wife shows better money sense and good taste than you. Mary and her sisters made this gown. It is lovelier and suits her far better than that terribly expensive gown you recently bought suits you."

Darcy heard Mrs. Carlson snicker slightly. He wondered if she already knew what he had just realized – somehow, Miss Elizabeth had done the embroidery on both of those gowns, although he could not quite work out the logistics of how. As he expected, Miss Bingley's look of shock at her new sister's previous comment turned into a sneer.

"Oh, I see. It is not one of Madame Gaillard's creations at all. I do not know how I made such a silly mistake as to assume it was. It certainly mimics one well enough from a distance, but the difference is clear up close."

Darcy thought Mrs. Bingley was not terribly disturbed by Miss Bingley's scorn. Nevertheless, he excused himself to the Carlsons and pulled Bingley aside. He spoke very quietly to his friend.

"What possessed you to speak up like that, Bingley? Your wife had just given your sister a proper set-down and showed she was above her nonsense. Then, you had to go and undercut her."

"I was supporting her," Bingley hissed back.

"She probably realizes that, but you know how your sister is. When she assumed the gown came from an expensive modiste, she was grudgingly giving Mrs. Bingley respect. Then you gave her a chance to feel superior again because she would never so much as mend her own gown, let alone make one."

Bingley sighed, "So, how do I fix things?"

"I am not sure you can. Just be aware of the dynamic in the future. Mrs. Bingley can clearly hold her own against your sister, but she needs to have the room to do so. Just talk to her and make sure she knows she has your support, I suppose."

"Well, Mary does look far more lovely in that gown of hers than Caroline does in any of the overpriced gowns she wears, and I wanted her to know it." Bingley said defensively.

"I agree. Not only is her gown more tasteful, it suits her perfectly," Darcy said.

"Well, I think I had better get her away from Caroline's scorn. In fact, I think it is time Caroline, Louisa and Hurst were on the road."

Bingley returned to his wife's side, suggesting they make their farewells to his sisters so they could be on their way back to London. "They have engagements there, but wanted to wait and see our wedding. Now that it is done, they can leave knowing we are happy together." He was playing to the small audience and did a better job than Darcy would have expected after the conversation about the gown.

At Bingley's prompting, everyone headed outside to see his sisters off and wish them a good journey before going their separate ways. Richard had been talking with Mr. Phillips after the signing of the register and missed the whole scene with the Miss Bingley. As Mr. and Mrs. Carlson offered their final congratulations before leaving, the two men approached Bingley, his wife and Darcy where they stood near the Darcy carriage.

Once the Carlsons had left and were out of earshot, Mr. Phillips said, "After the events of yesterday, Bennet did not feel equal to leaving his rooms, let alone traveling all the way to the church. He asked me to take his place and give away the bride, which I did. Mrs. Bennet also refused to attend. I believe Mary spoke with her and has more information on that.

Mrs. Bingley nodded. "She did not say as much, but Mama was not willing to face you if she did not have to, Charles. And I know she is afraid of you, Mr. Darcy, or at least what you could do to her socially. Mama said that even though she had no intention for either of us to be physically injured, she still did not regret having secured my future in a far more prosperous situation than she believed I could ever have managed to find on my own. I think she knows how close you came to walking away, but will never admit that part of it. Her plan worked and that is all she needs."

"It is true, I almost did walk away," Bingley said. "I am glad I did not. I think we will be happy together."

"I would not have blamed you if you had, although I am also very grateful you did not. We will find happiness. At any rate, Mama will not be bothering us or demanding any support from me. She says she has plans in place and no need to pander to you, as she put it. When she found out Kitty left with Jane and Lizzy yesterday, it did not seem to bother her much either. She said that if Kitty had thrown her lot in with them, she deserved whatever she got. She seems to have plans for Lydia, but for once my youngest sister is managing to keep a secret and has not mentioned what those plans might be. From her gloating expressions, I would say Mama may have found an officer willing to marry Lydia."

"Poor man," Bingley said, and then looked embarrassed at having criticized his wife's sister.

"I agree," Mary said with an understanding smile.

"The interesting point," Mr. Phillips said, "is that Mrs. Bennet has not been visiting with my wife as I and others had assumed. She did stop in for a time last Thursday, but quickly left again. My wife says her sister mentioned she had plans to complete and would say no more."

"How did your mother react to the news of your brother's injuries and capture?" Richard asked.

"She said he had made his own bed. She has tried to stop some of his worst excesses over the years, but as with Lydia, she has also given in to him frequently so he had no real incentive to change his ways. I have sometimes wondered if she was as afraid of him as my sisters and I have sometimes felt, and that she gives him the money he requests just so that he will leave quickly. Ever since Mr. Darcy spoke with her at Lucas Lodge she has seemed to be withdrawing from everyone but Lydia. She has never been very demonstrative, but now she is not there even when she is present."

Bingley said, "Well, it seems we do not need to worry about her. She and your youngest sister will have funds enough to keep them without our help thanks to Darcy's purchase. Thank you for your assistance today, Mr. Phillips. Rest assured, your niece will be properly cared for. Now, I think it is time Mrs. Bingley and I go to our home. The new mistress of Netherfield Park needs to take her proper place."

"We will be along in a bit," Richard said. "Darcy and I need to discuss some additional matters. Enjoy your privacy."

"Yes, we will understand if you do not choose to entertain us this evening. Richard and I are fairly undemanding guests. We will also probably not be here too many days longer. Bingley can explain the situation with Wickham and your brother to you, Mrs. Bingley," Darcy said.

The couple thanked them and made their way to the carriage. Darcy was glad to see from their movements that both of them were either beginning to heal or getting better at hiding their discomfort. He hoped they would be happy together.