Chapter Six – The Wedding

As Charles predicted, the announcements of the three betrothals stemmed the worst of the gossip. People were still talking, but they were discussing the good luck of the Bennets instead of our ruin. From across the room, I heard Lydia whining because she would not be the first one married. She was not as loud as usual, but it was still clear I had not given her nearly a large enough dose of the herbs. I would have to find a way to get more this week and dose her better for the wedding.

I knew that, as the host, Charles could not leave while dinner was being served. He had to be present for his guests and my place was at his side, at least for a time. I sat with him through the first course, but when the remove was done and there was still no sign of Mama, Aunt Phillips, Lizzy or Mr. Darcy, I thought it best I seek them out.

I excused myself to Charles, feeling a good dose of guilt when he agreed, saying, "That is just like you to be so worried over you sister. I know she is fine with Darcy, but if you need to reassure yourself, please go."

Honestly, I was worried about Lizzy, but primarily because I did not know how Mama was reacting. I did not think my sister had been physically harmed and suspected her tears were from anger and frustration, not pain. Still, I needed to check on her soon because, as Charles had said, that is what I would normally do.

Charles called over one of the servants to escort me to wherever my mother and sister were currently located. Fortunately, the maid knew which room had been prepared for them at Mr. Darcy's request. She escorted me upstairs and into the guest wing, where I found Mr. Darcy leaning against the wall outside the door of the room I had stayed in when I was ill. From inside the room I could make out the voices of Mama and Aunt Phillips, although I could not hear the words they were saying. I did not hear Lizzy's voice at all.

When he saw me, Mr. Darcy pushed himself away from the wall and bowed. I dismissed the maid, thanking her for the escort.

"I am glad you are here, Miss Bennet," Mr. Darcy said to me. "I cannot help but think your mother and aunt are a little too upset to be of proper assistance to your sister. I am afraid this situation has been quite a shock to her."

"She was not hurt, was she?" I asked and did not have to feign the concern in my voice.

"I do not believe so, although her gown was torn and she did land rather heavily when she was pushed into the storeroom. I was not expecting her and was only partly able to catch her before the door closed and we were left together in the dark."

"May I ask what you were doing in a storeroom, sir?"

"I was lured in by a message that appeared to be from Mr. Bingley. When the door closed behind me and the light blew out, I knew the message had been false. I blundered around a bit trying to find the entrance and was taken by surprise when the door was pulled open and your sister was thrust into the room to join me. I heard her gown tear even as she cried out in surprise. A few minutes later the door was flung open by one of the servants at the request of Mrs. Hurst. For some reason your mother, aunt and a few of the other ladies were all there. As soon as we stepped out into the light they began to harangue your sister, although clearly the situation was not her fault or doing. When I insisted we would marry they stopped blaming her, but they did not stop talking at her. I know she is very upset, so I had the staff prepare this room for her while I went to speak with your father. I would have asked you to come back with me after that, but I knew Bingley needed your support after your own betrothal was announced. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy. I appreciate the way you have handled this situation. I must go in to see Lizzy now." I curtsied to him. For a moment I considered congratulating him as well, but that was hardly the tactless thing sweet Jane would do. I was certain Mama would do it for me.

Inside the familiar room, Lizzy sat huddled in the same chair she had used as she nursed me when I was ill. Mama's shawl was drawn around her shoulders, with the ends wrapped around the hands she held tightly crossed over her chest. Tears still slowly dripped down her face, although she had stopped sobbing. I entered quickly, closing the door behind me to cut off Mr. Darcy's view, although I am sure he saw Lizzy by the soft growl of displeasure I heard from him. Before Mama and Aunt Phillips could start complaining to me I spoke.

"I am here to take care of Lizzy, Mama. You and Aunt Phillips are needed in the dining room to accept the congratulations of our neighbors. It is not every day a woman has three daughters or nieces become betrothed at the same time."

"Three!" Mama shrilled.

"Oh, Jane, dear!" Aunt Phillips joined in. "You and Mr. Bingley?"

"Yes, Aunt. And Mary is betrothed to Mr. Collins."

"We are saved! My dear girl, you and Mr. Bingley! That is wonderful! No one will consider us ruined now!" I wished I had another dose of Mama's herbs. She truly needed them.

"No one would have considered us ruined from the moment Mr. Darcy agreed to marry Lizzy," I said, but I was speaking into the wind. Mama and her sister just kept talking. I would have to do more to take control of the situation. I placed an arm around each of their shoulders as they continued to talk over each other, expressing joy at the prospect of three weddings in the family. Gently but firmly, I herded and pushed them to the door, breaking contact only long enough to open it. I saw Mr. Darcy disappearing into a nearby room before I turned back to guide them into the corridor. Apparently he had no wish to be shrieked at by them again any time soon.

"Our neighbors are waiting to congratulate you," I said again as I pointed them towards the stairs. Quickly, I returned to the room and shut the door firmly behind me. After a slight pause, I locked it as well before moving to sit on the edge of the bed closest to Lizzy.

"Thank you, Jane," she said, sniffing slightly. "Mama and Aunt Phillips have done nothing but scold and lecture me from the moment the storeroom door was opened."

"How did you end up in a storeroom with Mr. Darcy?" I asked, patting her shoulder gently.

"I am not certain what happened, Jane." I could hear both sorrow and frustration in her voice. "The supper set was just ending when one of the servants told me Kitty had taken ill and was asking for me. You know Lydia would never help her, no matter how close they appear to be. I followed the maid to the door of the room. At the time I did not realize it was a storeroom. The corridor seemed deserted, but I could hear someone moving inside the room. I thought Kitty must be truly ill. As the maid opened the door for me, I felt a large, strong hand shove me from behind. Whoever it was grabbed the shoulder of my gown as I fell forward, tearing the bodice. Then I landed on someone as the door slammed shut behind me, leaving me in the dark. I had just come to realize the person in the room with me was Mr. Darcy when the door was flung open again and we were both faced with Mama, Aunt Phillips, Lady Lucas and Mrs. Long. Oh, it was dreadful, Jane! They were all screeching about me being ruined and asking how I could have done such a thing, as if I would and with Mr. Darcy, no less!" She stopped and shook her head. I waited for her to continue and in a moment she did.

"I thought I saw Mrs. Hurst off to the side, laughing, but I do not know why she was there or what she would have to do with this. I sincerely doubt she or her sister would want to see me matched with Mr. Darcy, although they would probably be fine with seeing our family ruined. Mr. Darcy stood there, glaring, and I wished I could just sink through the floor and disappear." She began to cry again, and I continued to pat her shoulder comfortingly as she wrapped her arms more tightly around herself.

"I thought they would never let up, and I was so afraid all of us truly were ruined. Suddenly, Mr. Darcy stepped up next to me and announced that he and I would marry. Just like that my future was decided and I could not say a word to the contrary. I had no choice and I was not even asked! Now I have to marry that dreadful man!"

She began to rock back and forth and her tears flowed faster. I squeezed her shoulder to get her attention.

"Calm yourself, Lizzy. It is not as bad as all that. Mr. Darcy is an honorable man, and he is saving us from ruin."

"Honorable? After how he treated Mr. Wickham? He does not even like me, Jane, and he holds our family, particularly Mama, in disdain."

"You behaving childishly, Lizzy. We hold Mama in disdain. Why should others not do so as well?"

That shook her up, just as I expected it would. She looked at me in surprise and stopped crying.

"Jane, did you just say that?"

"I did," I answered firmly. "Mama has embarrassed us for years and you know it. We do our best to ignore or tolerate her behavior because she is family, but we both know it is outrageous and socially unacceptable. People outside our family and friends see her as a pushy, loud, uncouth busybody. It is no surprise they would look down on her."

"But how can I marry someone who hates me and does not accept my family?" she asked plaintively.

"You will because you must. And I do not think he hates you," I said. "In fact, no one does except for you and Mama. Why do think Miss Bingley is so jealous of the attention he pays you? And even if he does dislike you, he will treat you well because you will be his wife. He would not see you dishonored because that dishonors him."

"He will if he thinks I arranged this."

"He does not. He said so when he told Papa to announce your betrothal along with mine and Mary's."

"Yours, Jane? Did Mr. Bingley propose to you? Even after this?"

"He did. Right after the supper set. Papa announced all three betrothals to the dinner guests. That is why I could not come up to see you sooner."

"Everyone knows?" Lizzy asked in dismay. "I cannot get out of it now!" She looked like she was about to cry again.

"No, you cannot. Your fate was sealed the moment that storeroom door closed behind you. Now you need to pull yourself together and make the best of it. You are strong and resourceful, Lizzy. You will come out of this well as long as you remember that Mr. Darcy is not your enemy now. You must be kind to him and thankful he was willing to save us."

Lizzy took a deep breath and blew it out. "I will try, Jane, but do not expect me to be happy about it."

"If you insist, I will not, but come along now. You need to put up a good front with our neighbors."

Moving the shawl to display the tear she said, "I cannot go down like this."

"Did Mama and Aunt Phillips not even try to fix your gown?" I asked, although I was not sure why I was surprised except that I had seen the sewing basket on the table nearby and assumed it had been used.

"They were too busy talking and I had no wish to remind them."

"Well, let us take a look at it."

I helped her out of the gown and was relieved to find that a seam had given way instead of the fabric tearing in a way that could not be fixed. While Lizzy wrapped the shawl back around herself and sat, I looked in the basket and found a few pieces of trim that would not look too bad with the color of the gown. Using one piece to stabilize the torn seam, I sewed the gown back together and added a piece of trim to the other side to match the mend. When I was done, I held it up for Lizzy's approval, but she was not really in the mood. I had her stand and helped her back into the gown. After re-pinning a few of her curls that had come loose I pronounced her ready for company.

We exited the room to find Mr. Darcy lounging in his former place against the wall. He quickly straightened and bowed to us.

"May I escort you both back downstairs?" he asked. "Miss Elizabeth, I know this is not a situation of your choosing, but I believe it might be best if we behave as if it was."

Lizzy nodded slightly before accepting the arm he offered to her. I took his other arm and we proceeded down together. I could hear dance music playing as we neared the ballroom. We had missed the rest of supper and whatever entertainment had been planned for it. Before we went inside Mr. Darcy stopped and turned to my sister.

"Miss Elizabeth, I should warn you that your cousin had heard from my aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, that she wished for me to be engaged to her daughter. She tends to speak of it as an established fact despite the many times I have told her I will never marry my cousin. On some matters she cannot be reasoned with and the supposed engagement is one. I am neither by honor nor by inclination bound to Miss de Bourgh. Your cousin may attempt to convince you that I am and that I therefore cannot marry you. I wanted you to know before it comes up."

"So your aunt is like my mother?" Lizzy asked incredulously. I had been thinking the same, but could not say it myself.

Mr. Darcy gave her a small, tight smile. "In some ways. I trust you will not hold her sometimes poor behavior against me."

Lizzy looked surprised by the smile. "If you will not hold Mama's behavior against me," she said a little nervously.

He nodded. "It is a bargain. "Although you will not take it amiss, I hope, if I prefer to spend as little time as possible in your mother's company. I manage to be in company with my own aunt for only a two or three weeks once a year and spend most of that time riding her estate and looking over the books. I will not stop you from seeing your family if you wish," he added quickly, "but I would rather minimize my own contact with her. Her voice gives me a megrim."

Lizzy chucked and I almost joined her. "She does the same to me. There is a reason I am an accomplished walker."

Mr. Bingley, Charles that is, had seen us through the door and he now rushed to my side. I released Mr. Darcy's arm and moved to take my betrothed's instead.

"Congratulations, Miss Elizabeth," Charles said cheerfully. "I hope you will be very happy with my friend. And please, consider me your brother. I am to wed Jane, you know."

Lizzy offered a half-hearted smile. "She has told me. I wish you joy."

"Darcy," he said, turning to his friend. "I have been thinking that with the possible scandal, we should probably marry as quickly as possible. Since Mr. Bennet approves, we could all get common licenses and marry within the week. I spoke of it with Collins and he likes the plan because he would be able to take his bride home with him when he returns this coming Saturday."

I was a little annoyed he had not spoken to me first, but I could hardly argue with the result. The sooner we were married, the sooner my future was secure. Lizzy would probably have preferred an engagement of a few years by her expression, but Mr. Darcy appeared to agree with his friend. To his credit, he turned to Lizzy before he answered Mr. Bingley.

"Miss Elizabeth, it would be for the best if we marry quickly. If we join the others you will have your sisters beside you to provide support and comfort at what I know must be a difficult time. Are you willing to marry by common license this week?"

There was no disguising Lizzy's surprise at being consulted. I was rather surprised myself at the gentle way he asked. The proud man we were used to seeing was acting very humble. I hoped Lizzy would accept the inevitable and agree to the early marriage and I tried to catch her eyes to show her how much I wanted this. She looked out over the people on the dance floor, and then she did look at me before turning back to Mr. Darcy.

"Yes."

She said nothing more and he appeared to accept her silence. In fact, she said as little as possible the rest of the evening. Neither she nor Mr. Darcy were inclined to dance further. They stood quietly to the side of the room and accepted the congratulations that were offered to them. Charles did not want to dance with anyone other than me, so we stood with them and also accepted congratulations. At my prompting, he had a word with his sister about ending the evening a little early. From the annoyed look on her face, I think she would have been happy to end the evening right there and then. She did shave the last three sets off the program for the evening, much to the dismay of my youngest sisters.

Mary and Mr. Collins came up to stand with us for a little while. Mr. Collins looked as if he was going to address the topic of Mr. Darcy's supposed prior engagement, but Mary gave him a significant look and he subsided on that topic. Instead, he satisfied himself with telling Mr. Darcy that his aunt and cousin were in the best of health along with some nonsense about the state of the parish and the doings on the estate. I almost choked when I saw Mary discreetly roll her eyes before giving him an adoring smile. I would never have expected that of my younger sister.

0o0o0

The wedding was held on Friday morning, although Mama had pleaded for a longer engagement and a chance to make a huge celebration of it. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins both proved obstinate about the schedule and my Charles followed their lead. Mary and I both agreed we preferred to avoid one of Mama's big celebrations and the quick wedding was fine. Lizzy had succumbed to a state of apathy about her wedding now that she knew she could not avoid it. She just went along with whatever we arranged.

Charles spent most of the few days of our betrothal at Longbourn, despite the noise and fuss of the place as we prepared for the triple wedding. Mr. Darcy joined us for dinner twice, but stayed away otherwise. We also had a parade of other visitors who wanted to gossip with Mama, or officers who came to flirt with my youngest sisters. I think Mr. Wickham must have been watching the house, because he chose a time to come when neither Mr. Darcy nor Mr. Bingley was there.

Lizzy had been sulking upstairs, so she missed his visit, which was probably for the best. He had come to see me, anyway, but he asked after her first and chatted briefly with Lydia and Kitty before leaving them to a few of his fellow officers.

"It seems I must congratulate you, Miss Bennet. Your betrothal is the talk of the village," he said loudly before more quietly adding, "Among other things."

"I must congratulate you, as well," I said softly. "I believe you pulled off a masterpiece of coordination."

He preened a bit, puffing up his chest. "I did do very well. I doubt any of it can be traced conclusively back to me, either. In fact, I think you owe me a little something to reward me for my success."

"Oh?" I asked, using Lizzy's raised eyebrow trick.

He smiled charmingly. "Miss Kitty tells me you have a tidy sum of money saved up - a thousand pounds or more. Mr. Bingley hardly needs it. I think you should give me a thousand pounds of it before the wedding as a reward for all I have done for you."

I smiled charmingly in return. "While I would not grudge you the funds, I think that would be far too obvious, especially since I do not have the money here. It is in the care of my uncle in London and has already been written into my settlement. I think you must accept the rewards we discussed from the first. My sister is to marry Mr. Darcy in two days and she still believes everything you told her about him. Mr. Darcy will marry a woman who has no wish to marry him and he knows it. He has also had to pay out a good deal for her settlement. Although none of that goes to you now, if you play your cards with skill you will find a way to get something of it later."

"I had to try," he said with a slight sigh, the charming style still in place. "At least I had the fun of setting the whole thing up. That was one of the most complicated schemes I have ever pulled off and it went smooth as silk. Oh, and the look on Darcy's face when that door opened in front of all the village gossips. Not everyone can read him, but I can. That was a man who knew he was well and truly trapped. He has successfully avoided compromises and schemesn for nearly the last decade from women who had far more to offer than your sister. It was a priceless moment." He looked at me for a few seconds before he added. "All the same, Mrs. Bingley should save up a bit of her pin money as a gift to an old friend. I may come to claim it sometime."

He could try, I thought, but he had no leverage to force the matter. And as long as I did not pay him, he could not blackmail me in the future. As things now stood, it was word against mine and I was still the more believable. I nodded agreeably, but without agreeing to anything. He left soon after, as did his friends. One could only listen to discussions of wedding plans for so long. Not even a free meal was worth an evening of my Mama in full flow of planning.

The wedding itself was going to be a simple affair, much to the relief of all three couples. It was the breakfast on which she focused most of her attention. At her request, Charles agreed to the use of the Netherfield ballroom and an open invitation to the village including the militia officers. I quite enjoyed the sour looks of Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley when their brother told them to cooperate fully with my mother's wishes. Their idea of cooperation was to open the ballroom and leave her to it. That suited Mama just fine.

We had no time to all have new gowns for our weddings, but I was happy to wear my ball gown, as was Mary. Lizzy said she did not care, but Mr. Darcy insisted she should have something pretty and he paid the dressmaker enough that she could hire extra help to ensure Lizzy's new gown was completed on time. I felt sorry for the man. He was trying so hard to make this a pleasant experience for Lizzy, but she hardly seemed to notice.

All three men had used the services of our Uncle Phillips to prepare the settlements and Uncle Gardiner helped review the drafts. His experience with business contracts made him a good help and he had the financial information for the savings accounts Lizzy, Mary and I had entrusted to him. Mary's was set aside for her to use should Mr. Collins predecease her. They could not specifically make arrangements for Longbourn because Mr. Collins was only the heir presumptive, but Uncle Gardiner insisted on making provision for her in general enough terms they would apply once he did inherit. He also reviewed the other settlements, making certain Lizzy and I were protected no matter what happened. I appreciated his care for us, as Papa could not be bothered to do more than sign the finished documents.

We decided to have three separate services, marrying one by one. I made certain Mama, Lydia and Kitty were all well dosed with my herbal blend before we left the house. I hoped the effects would last for most of the day. As the older sister, Kitty was to be my bridesmaid, Charlotte Lucas would stand up with Lizzy and Lydia would stand up with Mary. That way each groom would not see the sister who was his bride until Papa walked her down the aisle to him.

As we left the house, Mary came up close beside me and whispered, "Are you certain you put enough of those drops in Lydia's drink?"

I looked at her in shock. "What do you mean?"

"The laudanum or whatever it is you have been slipping to her and to Mama. I have noticed, although I do not think anyone else has. I approve completely. Did you use enough this time?"

"It is an herbal additive. I do not know if it is enough, but they needed to remain awake."

"I would not mind at all if Mama and Lydia both slept through the day. Will you give me the recipe before I leave? I think my husband might occasionally need calming."

I recovered from my shock enough to say, "Of course. It came from one of Papa's books and I wrote it out before I returned the book to his study. I will let you copy it before you go. It is in my things that have already gone to Netherfield."

Mary smiled. "Thank you, Jane. I appreciate everything you have done for me these last couple weeks. I wish you all happiness, you know."

"I wish the same for you, Mary," I said, and I meant it.

The three ceremonies went by quickly and soon we had all signed the register and were on our way to my new home for the breakfast. Unlike for the ball, the decorations were not exactly elegant or tasteful, but they were certainly festive. I knew Mama enjoyed herself and it was about what all our guests would have expected. Mama could have her day of triumph. It did not bother me. In fact, it was rather fun to see the disgust on Miss Bingley's face when the neighbors congratulated her on her display or complimented her on the kind way she was welcoming her new sisters by marriage with a grand celebration. I think they knew full well the decoration was Mama's doing and Miss Bingley would rather cut her own throat than welcome us as family. I would have to thank her myself before the gathering was through. It was fun to see her struggle not to scowl.

I saw Mr. Wickham getting a plate of food from the buffet and flirting with several of the local young ladies. I would have to watch him if he seemed to be getting ideas of gaining a connection to my new brother, Mr. Darcy, by way of a marriage to Kitty or Lydia. For now, he stayed away from them, almost as assiduously as he stayed away from Mr. Darcy. In fact, I doubt he even wanted Mr. Darcy to know he was present. I noticed Mr. Wickham had not come through the receiving line and he disappeared any time Mr. Darcy was in the room.

The party had gone on for some time when I saw Lizzy slip away after being subjected to yet another burst of Mama's joy at the event. Even subdued, Mama was a bit much. Lizzy looked dejected and pale. I knew she had not slept well this week. Clearly, it was time we had a talk. I followed her to the drawing room where a few people had taken advantage of a quiet place to sit and digest all the good food.

"How are you, Lizzy?" I asked in a low voice as we stood in a deserted corner.

"I do not wish to speak of it. I am doing the best I can. Are you truly happy, Jane?" Lizzy asked me.

"Very happy, indeed," I answered in all honesty. I had the security I wanted and a husband who would treat me well and give in to my every wish. I could not have asked for more.

Lizzy sighed. "I am glad of that," she said. "Your happiness will sustain me."

She looked so very miserable. I simply could not leave things this way for her. After all, in her own way she had always been very kind to me even if she frequently annoyed me as well. She was my sister. As I saw Mr. Darcy approaching through the open door, I made my decision. Just as he got into earshot I spoke, loudly enough that he would be certain to hear.

"You must know, Lizzy, I overheard Mr. Wickham boasting to some of the other officers. He arranged the compromise with Mr. Darcy. He said he had seen from the first that Mr. Darcy was attracted to you and he enjoyed telling you tales of Mr. Darcy's cruelty to make you dislike him even more than you did after the insult at the assembly." I saw Mr. Darcy startle and stop where he was. Lizzy had not seen him yet and I pretended I did not either as I continued.

"Mr. Wickham was laughing over how gullible you had been as you offered your friendship and sympathy in response to his lies. When it became clear you would not also offer him your virtue, he said he decided to take revenge on you both. He thought it most amusing to force you into marriage with a man you disliked based largely on Mr. Wickham's lies and he felt Mr. Darcy would be miserable with a woman who was forced into marrying him to avoid ruin. Mr. Wickham also hoped you might still feel sympathy for him and would offer him money or other advantages in the future. You must believe me, Lizzy. I heard it all from his own mouth and was disgusted as he laughed with his friends over your plight. You must talk to Mr. Darcy and overcome your misunderstandings. Do not let Mr. Wickham's evil win out and make you both miserable."

I stopped there as Lizzy burst into tears. I was deciding how best to handle comforting her when Mr. Darcy stepped forward. He wrapped his arms around my sister's shoulders, pulling her close.

"I heard what you said, Mrs. Bingley," he told me. "Thank you for passing on the information." He turned back to Lizzy, holding her comfortingly. "Come, Elizabeth. I think we need some privacy. It seems there is much about which we must speak."

Lizzy looked up at him in surprise, although tears still streamed from her eyes. I knew he admired her, but I was still amazed at the tenderness he continued to display to her. With a nod of farewell to me, he gently led Lizzy from the room. As they went, I breathed a slight sigh of relief. All would eventually be well between them, I hoped. Mr. Wickham would just have to look out for himself. Yes, I had betrayed him, but family came first. I knew very well he had no evidence that could incriminate me in this affair. With word quickly spreading that he was a known liar, I stood in an even better position. Any punishment would be his alone. I was certain he had done something at some time to make him deserve whatever he received.

"Is anything wrong, Jane?" Charles asked me as he came running to my side when I stepped out into the corridor. "Has something happened to your sister? I saw Darcy taking her upstairs."

"I am afraid I heard some shocking news, Charles, and it affected Lizzy more than I thought it would when I told her. I overheard Mr. Wickham boasting that he arranged the compromise as a means of punishing my sister for not offering him her virtue and to revenge himself on Mr. Darcy for denying him all the funds he wished. Lizzy thought Mr. Wickham was a friend, you see."

"How terrible. Still I expect Darcy will sort it all out. He may even find a way to punish Mr. Wickham for his affront, beyond being happy in his marriage, that is. They will be happy. I am certain of that." He smiled hopefully at me.

"I expect you are right," I said. "Shall we return to the breakfast? If Mr. Wickham is still here, you can have him and all the other officers put out. In fact, it is getting rather late. Perhaps we should encourage all our guests to leave." I gave him a flirtatious look that made him promptly forget any problems the Darcys might be having. I had learned much from Mama over the years; now it was time to apply the knowledge my own way.

As we headed back to the company I found myself wondering how soon I could convince him to send Caroline and the Hursts on their way for good. It should not be too difficult, I thought, as he looked at me in a way that clearly anticipated the evening to come. Just a suggestion here or there, a smile and a kiss, or perhaps a bit more. He would soon do anything I asked.

Charlotte Lucas had once said that happiness in marriage was entirely a matter of chance, but I did not agree. It took planning, persistence, and, above all, a little gentle manipulation. I was skilled at all three. My future happiness was assured.