He laughed, hugging her to him. “You did well, my dear.”
“We did, did we not?” she replied.
“Then our work is done.” Mr. Bennet was exceedingly satisfied with the outcome. He both admired and respected Mr. Darcy and was grateful his second daughter now felt the same.
“Not quite.” Mrs. Bennet left the window to sit by the fire. Guests were beginning to gather their outer garments and follow the Darcy’s example. However, there were still neighbors and friends wanting to socialize in the old ballroom they had opened for the wedding celebration. She knew she and her husband would not be missed for a bit.
“Mrs. Bennet, are you scheming again?” Her husband followed.
“Well, Mr. Collins was unknowingly of great assistance to our purpose in attaching Darcy to Lizzy, my dear. He is still at Longbourn, is he not?”
“He is, much to my chagrin,” Mr. Bennet shook his head in disappointment. Lady Catherine had sent her parson back to Hertfordshire in a last-minute effort to halt the Darcy wedding. Mr. Collins had failed spectacularly. “And you are enquiring because...?”
“By any chance, did Mr. Bingley come up to snuff and ask for Jane’s hand this morning before the wedding?”
“He did not.” Suddenly, he could see where his wife’s mind had traveled. “Are you thinking a word to my cousin would put him on the path to Jane now that Lizzy is quite unavailable?”
“Mr. Bennet, unlike the seven days I gave you for Mr. Collins to push Mr. Darcy towards the correct decision, I believe it would take less than a day for Mr. Bingley.”
“Hah!” he chortled. “I say less than a half a day.”
“Hmmm!” she mused. “Two brides and two grooms.”
“We are not counting Mr. Collins, I see,” he snorted.
“Absolutely not!” Mrs. Bennet insisted. “Mr. Bennet, you may have won the last time we bet as it was exactly five days from the beginning of Darcy’s courtship to his proposal. To be fair, you are probably correct about Mr. Bingley.” Standing, she moved to the drawing room doorway. “Nevertheless, I gladly accept your wager. May the best one of us win.”
“I assume you expect it to be yourself this time?”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not.”
“When should we inform Mr. and Mrs. Darcy about our ‘arranging’ their courtship?”
“My dear, Mr. Bennet. We should say nothing until only the two of us remain at Longbourn. We may need to utilize Mr. Collins’ unwitting service again in the future for the rest of our girls. We would not want anything or anyone, including the Darcys, to interfere with our plans, would we?”
Before, she completely left the room, they turned back to the window to see Mr. Darcy’s carriage slowly moving down the lane. Despite the joy of the occasion, both were feeling melancholy.
He said, “Mrs. Bennet, should any other eligible men appear interested in Mary, Kitty, or Lydia, please send them in. I am quite at my leisure.”
The End
From the Author:
Christie Capps is the pen name of a best-selling author J Dawn King who, because of increasing demands on her time, has fewer and fewer hours to read. She doubts she is the only one with these circumstances. Therefore, her Christie Capps stories will all be approximately 100 pages of sweet romance and will be priced less than one cup of flavored coffee from your local barista.
Happy reading!
Already Available - From Christie Capps
Mr. Darcy’s Bad Day
For Pemberley
The Perfect Gift
Forever Love
Boxed Set: Something Old, New, Later, True
Elizabeth
Lost and Found
Henry
His Frozen Heart
Boxed Set: Something Regency, Romantic,Rollicking, Reflective
ALREADY AVAILABLE - FROM J Dawn King:
A Father’s Sins
One Love - Two Hearts - Three Stories
Compromised!
The Abominable Mr. Darcy
Yes, Mr. Darcy
Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride
Love Letters from Mr. Darcy
Friends & Enemies
Letter of the Law
Thank you very much!
I sincerely appreciate you for investing your time with this story. A gift for any author is to receive an honest review from readers. I hope you will use this opportunity to let others know your opinion of this tale. Happy reading!
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