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“Lizzy,” said her father, more serious than he usually was.

Her father was not entirely a serious man, in all truth.

“I am a bit flummoxed at this, I must say. There’s no reason not to give my blessing, and I shall own that he is, by a number of metrics, a very good catch for a girl such as yourself.

But it doesn’t seem to me that these are the sorts of things that are important to my Lizzy. ”

She gave him a funny look. “What do you think would be important to me?”

“I should think you would want someone who could match your wit, most certainly, and who would be, well, a bit of an adventurer. He seems rather… staid. Buttoned-up. Grave. My Lizzy loves to laugh. Are you doing this because of Mr. Collins?”

She shook her head.

“I would not force you to marry that man, Lizzy, that very ridiculous man. You know I would not.”

“Well, Mama, she is—”

“Who cares what your mother thinks?” said her father.

She licked her lips. “Papa, if I don’t marry Mr. Collins, and I don’t marry Mr. Darcy, then what becomes of Mama, and of me, and the other girls— ”

“There will be someone else,” he said, waving this away.

“I don’t know that there will be,” she said.

“I only wish for you to be happy, my darling,” he said.

“I think I should be decidedly unhappy if I don’t have a roof over my head,” she said.

He let out a laugh, patting her shoulder. “Oh, it’s not so dire.”

It was. He didn’t understand. Her father could not see it, she realized. He was not one for thinking through the worst cases, truly. It was a fault of his, but it was also part of his charm and why she loved him so very much. “I shall be happy with Mr. Darcy, Papa. He’s the one I want.”

“Well, if that is the case, my dear, I shall be happy to give my blessing.”

Her father took his leave of her, shut himself into the study, and within no time at all, they had both come out.

Mrs. Bennet crowed over Mr. Darcy, saying he must stay for dinner, and made several embarrassing comments about the size of Mr. Darcy’s income, each of them worse than the last.

Mr. Darcy was too well-bred to be anything other than polite.

He acquiesced to the dinner and said he would return.

However, after he had ridden back from Netherfield, a missive came from Jane, saying that she insisted on being able to host a celebratory dinner for Lizzy and Mr. Darcy, and that they must all come there instead.

Jane had a gift of putting these things in a way that did not offend their mother, who was not put out at having lost the ability to host Mr. Darcy, only pleased to see her eldest daughter.

Before they left for dinner that night, Mr. Collins announced to everyone that he had asked for Charlotte’s hand in marriage, and that he had been accepted. So, he would be dining at the Lucas household that evening, and would be speaking to her father.

Mrs. Bennet was not pleased, as Elizabeth had predicted.

But she was busy readying to go to Netherfield, which seemed to distract her from having a fit, or perhaps she was stymied by the presence of Mr. Collins, since her mother’s nervous fits seemed to be much more tremendous when only family was present.

That evening, Mr. Darcy stayed close to her, and she was prevented from being able to speak to Caroline until sometime after dinner, when Mr. Darcy was obliged to turn the pages for Mary as she played the piano-forte for the gathered company.

Then, while Mary sang (only slightly off-key), Caroline smiled at her, bright and pleased.

“I knew you could do it. You’re practically magical, Eliza.

You got him in a night. You’re brilliant.

I was aiming too low with him. If you can make Mr. Darcy offer marriage for you, in one evening, I think I can have a duke. ”

“Caroline, that sounds a bit farfetched,” said Elizabeth.

“No, no, you can pull it off,” said Caroline. “I know you can. I shall, of course, select the duke with care. A penniless one might be the best bet. How soon until you are married?”

“I haven’t any notion,” said Elizabeth. “Obviously, we have not set the date.”

“You must convince him to do it soon. Have the banns read and then off to London with you, and then you invite me to stay. Or, if not, I can stay with Louisa. Or, if not, perhaps Charles will go to London. Do you think he will?”

“He never has,” said Elizabeth. “He seems to like the country.”

“Get Mr. Darcy to convince him,” said Caroline, smiling brightly. “I think you could rather puppet that man.”

“No!” said Elizabeth. “I don’t mean to control people in such a way. I certainly don’t wish to control my husband.”

“Pish,” said Caroline. “Every woman wishes to control her husband.”

Elizabeth did not think that was true.

“Anyway, think of it,” said Caroline. “The two of us, in London, together. All the balls, and you are married, so you will be an appropriate chaperone, and that means I can do anything I like. We shall have ever so much fun, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth could not help but think that Caroline might be right about that. She smiled, shaking her head. “I shall see what I can do,” she said.

Caroline took her hand and squeezed it. “This will be the best winter of our lives, Eliza. I can hardly wait.”