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Wickham was becoming impatient; why was that woman not yet in Town?

He had used some of his dwindling personal coin to have a rider go to Meryton to sniff around when there was no activity at Bennet House after Twelfth Night had passed.

He was mollified when the rider returned and informed him that the family was planning a wedding for about ten days hence so their arrival in London would be delayed.

What he had no way of knowing was that the Bennets would not be in Town for any length of time until the end of March and would return for the Bingley and Philips engagement ball at Netherfield as well as spending some weeks with friends who had estates close to London.

It would only take a little patience; the question was how much tolerance would álvarez show before he cut his losses.

If he did that, George Whickham was under no illusion as to what sort of ‘cutting’ would take place.

He was very happy to have an expected time to report to the Spaniard, so the man did not vent his spleen at him.

Wickham knew that when he was angry with someone, the chances of their survival were very low indeed.

The two toughs that had been installed at Edward Street were a necessary evil.

They were dirty and smelled like they had never bathed, but there was nothing that could be done until Withers replaced them.

At least Scarface bathed once or twice a week.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

It was three days before the double wedding in Meryton.

All that could be done had been done. Lady Sarah Bennet, with the able assistance of Ladies Elaine Fitzwilliam, Anne Darcy, and Catherine de Bourgh, had completed all of their tasks well ahead of the upcoming ball and weddings.

Their cousin, Queen Charlotte, had sent each couple an exquisite Ming Dynasty vase as a gift.

Along with the gift was a note that offered the use of her vicar, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to officiate the wedding, but the family had politely demurred.

When the gifts had arrived, very carefully transported by royal couriers, all of the ladies had exclaimed at the beauty of the Queen’s gift.

Even the men had been somewhat impressed.

The Prince, Princess, and their retinue would arrive some hours before the ball on the morrow and would remain until they witnessed the marriage of their cousins on behalf of the family.

Due to the royal presence, and with so many peers of the realm in attendance, there was not room for all four and twenty principal families of the area.

The local populace would be represented by the Lucases, the Longs, the Gouldings, and the Purvises.

Of the four families, the Bennets were closest to the Lucas family.

The oldest son, Frank, was a friend of both Marquesses and Lady Elizabeth.

The younger daughter, Maria, now Miss Lucas was an intimate of Ladies Mary and Catherine as they were very close in age.

Georgiana Darcy, who had been in residence since just after the New Year, had grown close with Kitty, Mary, and Maria, as well as the three elder Bennet sisters, all of whom were instrumental in helping her voice her preferences and offer her own opinions in conversation.

The youngest Lucas, John, although he was a little older than Eddy Gardiner, was fast friends with the Gardiner heir.

Louisa Hurst and Caroline Bingley had assisted whenever the Duchess needed their help, and Caroline was as happy as she had ever been.

Her courtship with Graham Phillips had given them the opportunity to know one another more and had only deepened the feelings between them so she was sure that she was in love with him.

He had not yet told her how he felt, but she was sure that her love was requited, and hoped that he loved her as fully as she did him.

Lady Anne Darcy looked on her protégé with pride and happiness for her.

She felt that Caroline deserved all the happiness she was about to attain.

Anne de Bourgh, between their first visit and the current one, had become close with the ladies of the house, especially Lady Elizabeth.

She had also gained a deep friendship with Charlotte Pierce, nee Lucas; they were true kindred spirits and Anne was now enjoying the comfort of having a sister of her heart.

She was not as close to Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst, but they all got along well so formal titles had long since been abandoned for informal address.

The wedding was the first time her friends would have the chance to meet the man who was courting her, Mr. Ian Ashby who was the second son of the Earl of Ashbury from Surrey.

Some would conclude that as Anne de Bourgh was the owner of the unentailed estate of Rosings Park in Kent, that Mr. Ashby was a poor second son looking to make his fortune by marriage.

They would be very wrong. Ashby had inherited the large and prosperous estate of Sherwood Park from his maternal grandmother as well as a large monetary legacy.

His estate’s income was a little larger than Rosings Park’s.

Ian Ashby had no need to marry for money; he had more than enough of his own.

Besides the connection with Anne, his father was a close friend of her uncle, the Earl of Matlock, and was well known to the Bennets and De Melvilles.

Both Ashby and his older brother, Viscount Amberleigh, Lord Stephen Ashby was a good friend of one of the grooms, Lord Andrew Fitzwilliam, Viscount Hilldale.

In fact, Ashby was standing up for Lord Hilldale.

Lady Catherine, once her sister Anne had helped her accept that there would never be a union between her daughter and her nephew William, had not stood in the way of the budding romance between Ian Ashby and her daughter.

She even allowed, though only to herself, that her future son was much better suited in disposition and interests to her daughter than her nephew ever would have been.

The two had been courting for six months, a period set by herself.

Even though Lord Matlock was Anne’s guardian, he had agreed to the courtship term after his ward had told him that it was agreeable to her.

Lady Catherine’s sister Anne, her brother Reggie, and her sister-in-law Elaine had all told her that she was more than welcome to stay with them for as long as, and whenever, she so desired.

As satisfying as it was to know that she would be welcome with her siblings, she could not look forward with equanimity to the approaching time that Anne would leave her.

In no way did the mother begrudge the daughter her happiness; she was simply scared of being alone.

She would miss seeing Anne almost daily, much more than she was willing to admit to anyone.

Lady Catherine had wanted to keep Anne at home a little longer even though she knew that it was a selfish desire, and did not look forward to the time when she would be alone in her daughter’s manor house.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh was certain that Ashby, who would arrive later that day, would propose to Anne before they all departed Hertfordshire.

When she had still ascribed to the delusion that Darcy and Anne were ‘formed’ for each other, she allowed no word on the subject of Mr. Ashby from her daughter.

It was only after her illusion was dispelled that she had listened to her daughter, and as much as she used to believe that love was not needed in marriage, that it was a plebian concept, she could not deny that Anne loved her suitor.

The six months had passed so quickly and Lady Catherine, who used to intimidate others, was nervous about what her future would be like.

As she was sitting in her sitting room at Longbourn considering all that had passed and what was yet to come, there was a soft knock on the door.

She called for the person to enter and watched as her sister and her namesake entered the room.

“Mama,” Anne de Bourgh said softly, “why are you in your sitting room and not with the rest of us?”

“Anne,” Lady Catherine offered them a sad smile when they both replied. “It was nothing,” she said not looking directly at either.

“Catherine,” her sister said sympathetically as she sat and took one of her hands, “I know that you will be happy for Anne, but you are worried about being alone after she marries, are you not?” Lady Catherine nodded while a few tears dripped down her cheeks.

Her daughter handed her a silk handkerchief as she sat down on the other side of her mother.

“Mama, please look at me,” she asked, “ Never think that you will be abandoned when I marry, that is if Ian asks me,” she said with an impish smile as one and all knew it was a when and not an if.

“You will be welcome to live with us, if that is your desire. And do not forget that both Aunt Anne and Uncle Reggie have issued open invitations for you to spend as much time with them as you choose to,” Anne squeezed her mother’s hands and then hugged her.

“I do not deserve to be loved as you all love me,” Catherine said as she wiped her tears and sniffled.

“ Catherine Pauline Fitzwilliam de Bourgh ! Do not say things that are patently false!” her younger sister admonished her with a playfully aghast look.

“The way that I used to…” she got no further as her daughter interrupted her.