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While Elizabeth avoided the subject of Mr Darcy in her conversations, others spoke of the man and attempted to draw the young woman into their conversations.

Jane and Mary protected their sister’s sensibilities at Longbourn, but there was more than one discussion about the disappearance of the mysterious man at several gatherings in December.

On Boxing Day, the neighbours gathered at Longbourn before distributing boxes of food and clothing to the poor in Meryton.

While cleaning the table in the parlour after the last carton was carried to the carriages and wagons, Mrs Goulding and her daughter asked Elizabeth about the tall man who had always been in company with Mr Bingley.

Mrs Goulding pressed Elizabeth about the gentleman, and the second Bennet sister explained, “I think Mr Bingley said his friend travelled to his home in the north. Yes, somewhere in the north of England.”

“Derbyshire…Mr Bingley said Mr Darcy lived in Derbyshire,” Harriet said.

Pursing her lips at the attempt to collect gossip, Elizabeth said nothing before she gave Mrs Goulding a small curtsey and walked away from the mother and daughter.

Jane’s happiness to be courted by Mr Bingley was infectious, and the Bennet family enjoyed the holidays.

The only misfortune was that the Gardiners could not come for their usual visit.

Two of their children were ill, and the family remained in London with nurses and a physician to care for them.

Elizabeth noticed her father received several letters from Uncle Gardiner that led to long, private conversations with Mr Bingley.

While slightly curious, Elizabeth’s melancholy directed her toward knitting in the parlour rather than questioning her father or talking with Bingley when the two gentlemen joined the ladies.

~~~

Three days after Christmas, the neighbours gathered at Longbourn Chapel for the wedding of Miss Charlotte Lucas to Mr William Collins.

The previous afternoon, Elizabeth and Jane decorated the chapel near their father’s manor house with evergreen boughs that had decorated their stair railing and the window seals for Christmas.

As the ladies moved about the chapel exchanging remarks before the service, Mrs Rushing complimented Lady Lucas on the decorations. Then Mrs Bennet informed the two ladies that her daughters decorated the chapel as a gift for their friend, Charlotte Lucas, on her wedding day.

“Evergreen boughs? Is that the only gift Longbourn offers for my daughter’s wedding?” asked Lady Lucas acidly.

Elizabeth answered before her mother grew upset, “No, Lady Lucas. Jane and I have been friends with Charlotte since we were very small. My sister and I wanted to make the chapel pretty for Charlotte’s wedding, but we also have another gift for her.”

“A gift they will present to Mrs Collins at the wedding breakfast,” Mrs Bennet said. Glaring at Lady Lucas, Frances Bennet added, “As is appropriate.”

The chapel filled with families from Meryton and the various estates in the area, and their voices shared greetings and gossip.

More than one person remarked to their neighbours that Mr Bingley was seated with the Bennet family.

Charles was not as popular in the neighbourhood since the unfortunate words about the New World Tea Company.

The reputations of Mr Collins and Mr Wickham were much better when the neighbours discussed the strangers who had come to Meryton that autumn.

Seated in their usual pew, the Bennet family waited patiently for the ceremony to begin. This morning, Mr Bingley sat between Jane and Elizabeth. His conversation dedicated to Jane left both smiling.

“Mr Bennet, we assumed you would stand up with Mr Collins,” Lady Lucas said from her seat across the aisle from the Bennet pew.

“I have only met my cousin a few times, Lady Lucas,” Thomas Bennet replied. “I have had no correspondence with him. He never mentioned standing with him at the wedding.”

When the local clergyman and the groom entered the chapel, the congregation realised that no one would stand with Mr Collins when he met his bride at the altar.

Only a few moments later, the pastor indicated for everyone to rise to their feet as Sir William Lucas escorted his daughter down the aisle, and they waited for the ceremony to begin.

Once the Longbourn parson began the service, Sir William gave his daughter’s hand to Mr Collins and moved to sit beside his wife.

The parson continued with vows, and the persons closest to the altar heard Charlotte prompting Mr Collins on the proper responses when the man appeared to be lost from time to time.

Schooling his face to maintain an expression of polite attention, Thomas Bennet wondered if Miss Lucas could save Longbourn when Mr Collins inherited the estate. Mrs Bennet ignored the couple at the altar and imagined her eldest daughter standing there with Mr Bingley in a few months’ time.

‘I shall press Jane to move Mr Bingley into a wedding before Candlemas.’ Frannie decided. ‘A wedding in the spring…or winter…I shall not complain so long as they marry.’

~~~

Elizabeth’s emotions were jumbled as she sat in her family’s usual pew in the chapel.

‘I am pleased for Charlotte but regret the loss of my family’s estate.

Mr Collins is so unsuitable as a husband.

I am glad that the bride is not me or one of my sisters and sorry that Charlotte is saddled to the man. ’

She sighed, ‘It would be wonderful to see Jane standing there with Mr Bingley. Would Mr Darcy return to stand up with Bingley? I should be glad to see the man again, but will he ever speak to me again? Horse feathers and balderdash–he will count himself lucky to have escaped any attraction to me after the way I spoke to him.’

‘But why does he haunt my dreams and thoughts during the day? How do I exile him from my mind?’

~~~

There was some confusion outside the chapel immediately following the wedding.

Mr Collins invited himself and his bride to ride in the Bennet carriage to Lucas Lodge for the wedding breakfast. Sir William and Lady Lucas had climbed into the wagon box for the trip to their home while their two sons waited at the back of the wagon, ready to help their eldest sister into the wagon bed to sit on the sacks of oats in the bed to provide seating.

John, Freddie, and the second sister, Maria, would ride in the wagon bed with the newlyweds.

“But Mr Bennet, cannot you see the appropriateness of the future master of Longbourn riding from his wedding in the carriage that will someday be his?” Collins argued.

“Mr Collins, my carriage is filled with my wife and daughters. There is no room for two more.”

“But Mr Bennet! You would make my wife and I ride in the open from our wedding!”

The many neighbours milled about, not climbing into their wagons or carriages until this drama was resolved.

It was telling that Mr Bingley did not insert himself into the conversation and offer the use of his carriage–since the ball at Netherfield, he had been made to feel less welcome by several individuals, most prominently by Sir William and Lady Lucas.

Ultimately, Collins and his bride were invited to ride with the Goulding family to Lucas Lodge.

While Mr Collins lectured Mr Bennet about his unchristian behaviour, the Lucas wagon left, followed by the other neighbours and Bingley’s carriage.

Once the Goulding invitation was issued, Mr Bennet spoke to Mr Bingley and allowed his three oldest daughters to climb into that gentleman’s carriage for the journey to Lucas Lodge.

Mr Bingley hosted Miss Jane Bennet, Miss Mary, and Miss Elizabeth, who had collected the family’s wedding gift from her father’s carriage.

When finally prompted to climb into the Goulding carriage, Mr Collins found his wife seated with Mr Wickham, Miss Harriet Goulding, and Mrs Goulding.

Mr Goulding and his son rode on horseback and would escort the carriage from the chapel.

The Bennet carriage was last to leave the chapel, and once it reached the drive to Longbourn, the carriage left the road and turned toward the manor.

Kitty and Lydia fussed about missing the wedding breakfast for a moment before their mother reminded them that Mr Collins would be allowed to speak for as long as he wished at the breakfast and no officers would be present.

Mrs Bennet assured her daughters and husband, “Mrs Hill will have suitable foods for our breakfast.”

“And if Sir William makes remarks next week, I shall not hesitate to tell him his new son is a fool,” Mr Bennet declared.

~~~

The rooms and furniture at Lucas Lodge were arranged in much the same way as they had been for the supper after the assembly.

Lady Lucas directed Maria, the chambermaids and the cook hired for the day to place the platters on the tables and provide pitchers of the different beverages.

Several ladies and their daughters joined Lady Lucas to help with the food and drink while they waited for the bride and groom to appear.

Next to arrive was the Bingley carriage with the three eldest Bennet sisters.

Just inside Lucas Lodge's door was an open trunk where wedding gifts could be placed.

Here, Elizabeth packed the warm quilt she and her sisters had stitched for Charlotte as their wedding gift.

No one remarked on the absence of Mr and Mrs Bennet until after the bride and groom arrived and were seated at their places.

John Lucas spoke to Charles Bingley and motioned for his father to welcome everyone for the breakfast celebrating the wedding of Mr and Mrs Collins.

There were several toasts and many good wishes for the couple. The next uncomfortable moment came when Mr Collins recognised Mr George Wickham as a special guest at his wedding.

At the conclusion of his verbose welcome, Mr Collins said, “And as I have told the gentlemen, Mr Wickham came prepared to sell shares of his company this morning. I shall purchase stocks before departing with my lovely wife for our new life in Hunsford.”

Lady Lucas seemed to enjoy the next minutes as her new son handed over two hundred pounds and received forty sheets of pretty paper with ‘New World Tea Co.’ printed across the page.

Underneath the name was an engraving of a wilderness scene filled with palm trees and native people.

Across the bottom, Mr Wickham wrote Mr William Collins and his own name.

Elizabeth watched silently though her thoughts were scornful, ‘Mr Collins stares at papers as if they are pounds in his pockets.’

With rents collected from their tenants, the gentlemen were flush with money.

In quick order, Sir William paid three hundred pounds for sixty shares, as did Mr Rushing with his three hundred pounds, and Mr Goulding paid two hundred pounds for the last forty shares.

Mr Wickham stopped between each purchase to rest his hand and trim the quill he used.

Elizabeth, Jane, and Mary spent those minutes wishing Charlotte well, helped their friend arrange the contents in her trunk, and accepted the bride’s fulsome thanks for the beautiful quilt.

~~~

When the wedding breakfast was finished, John Lucas interrupted his new brother’s unending speech to remind him about the time needed to reach the livery and catch the stagecoach for London.

Quickly, Mr and Mrs Collins left Lucas Lodge in a farm wagon, with Charlotte riding beside her brother in the box and Mr Collins seated on their trunks in the wagon bed.

John set the horses at a steady pace to reach Meryton in time to catch the stagecoach.

Lady Lucas stood in the yard and watched until the wagon passed from view.

~~~

As they returned to Longbourn, Charles was unusually quiet. As the carriage stopped in front of the house, Elizabeth asked for his opinion of the morning’s events, the gentleman replied, “George Wickham had an extremely profitable morning. He leaves Meryton with a thousand pounds in his pocket.”

~~~

George Wickham joined the crowd of neighbours in wishing the newlyweds well, but he did not hurry back to the tavern in Meryton.

Leaving Lucas Lodge, Mr Wickham walked to the militia camp to visit with Captain Denny for a time before he returned to the village.

He ate a small supper at the Running Pig and spent a quiet, comfortable night in a private room.

Rising early in the morning, Wickham ate some bread and drank hot tea before departing the village on the morning stagecoach to London.

‘An additional night in Meryton was worth it to void three hours with Collins on the stagecoach yesterday,’ Wickham decided. That morning, the other persons in the coach were quiet, allowing Wickham to contemplate his success and future plans.

~~~

Elizabeth walked on clear days for the rest of the winter but never wandered far from Longbourn, confining her constitutionals to the paths the cows used to travel to and from their pasture.

In her daydreams, Elizabeth imagined Darcy appearing before her on his horse.

He would ride across the fields, the horse jumping each fence without problem, and the man would pull on the reins to stop near her.

Then he would drop from the saddle and gently take her hand before kissing it.

She could hear him declare, ‘I could not stay away!’ His eyes would be bright and shining with a smile for her alone.

Then, Elizabeth would chastise herself.

‘Mr Darcy is handsome, but I fear that he does not care for his fellow man,’ she reminded herself.

‘Wickham has collected money from Lucas, Rushing, Goulding, and Collins. Charles remains in his position that Wickham has nefarious plans, and Father agrees. Perhaps Mr Darcy’s word would have made the others listen. ’

~~~