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“Yes, madam. The regiment will be there for at least six months, possibly longer. We have spent four long years on the Peninsula and this will be a welcome reprieve.”

Darcy leaned forward slightly. “Captain, if we were to proceed with this arrangement, I believe two thousand pounds to be a very fair price for what you are offering – I know that you discussed the matter with Colonel Fitzwilliam and agreed to settle half upon Lydia, but I believe you are selling yourself too cheap. Two thousand pounds for you and a further two thousand to settle upon Lydia, and I will also lease for you a house in York, while you are resident there, and ongoing in whatever towns you should be stationed at in the future. Something modest but respectable, befitting an officer of your rank. And if you are sent back overseas, I will maintain the lease for Lydia, so that she need not follow the drum.”

Wallace’s eyes widened slightly, the first sign of surprise he had displayed. “That is most generous, sir.”

“I wish to ensure my sister-in-law’s comfort,” Darcy said simply. “And to provide a foundation for your marriage to develop naturally, without the pressures of financial insecurity.”

“I would be deeply grateful for such provision,” Wallace said sincerely. “And I would endeavour to be a good husband to Miss Lydia, and treat her child as my own.”

Elizabeth looked pensive. “My sister is currently in Leicester, living under the protection of family friends. She was most ill-treated by her previous companion. She has matured somewhat from the experience, but she remains young in many ways.”

“I understand,” Wallace said. “If I may speak plainly, Mrs. Darcy, I do not expect perfection. All I ask is that Miss Lydia be willing to enter into this marriage with an open mind and a commitment to making it succeed.”

“And if she refuses?” Elizabeth asked, the question hanging heavy in the air.

Wallace straightened in his chair. “Then I shall accept her decision with good grace. I have no desire to force a reluctant bride to the altar.”

This response seemed to satisfy Elizabeth, who nodded slightly. “Thank you for your candour, Captain.”

Darcy rose and moved to stand before the fireplace, considering all he had heard.

Captain Wallace appeared to be exactly what Fitzwilliam had claimed: honourable, straightforward, and pragmatic.

His willingness to marry Lydia seemed motivated by a genuine desire for advancement combined with a practical approach to matrimony, rather than desperation or avarice.

“I believe we should proceed,” Darcy announced after a moment’s contemplation. “Colonel Fitzwilliam, you vouch unequivocally for Captain Wallace’s character?”

“I do,” Fitzwilliam confirmed. “I would trust him with my life. Indeed, I have done so on the battlefield.”

“And you, Captain,” Darcy continued, turning to Wallace. “You agree to marry Miss Lydia Bennet, to treat her with respect and consideration, and to maintain absolute discretion regarding the circumstances of your marriage, and any indiscretions in Lydia's past?”

“You have my word as an officer and a gentleman,” Wallace replied, rising to his feet to face Darcy directly.

Darcy nodded, satisfied. “Then we have an agreement. Two thousand pounds upon your marriage to Miss Lydia, a further two thousand invested for Lydia’s future security and that of her children – the one she currently carries and any she may have with you – and a house in York leased for your use.”

Elizabeth stood as well, her expression a mixture of relief and lingering concern. “I shall write to Lydia immediately, preparing her for this proposal.”

“We should act quickly,” Fitzwilliam advised. “Before Miss Bingley writes another letter to her acquaintance in Meryton and complicate matters further.”

“Agreed,” Darcy said. “Lydia has been resident in Leicester long enough to satisfy the grounds for residency, and we should be able to obtain a common licence there easily enough; I shall write ahead to request one. We shall depart for Leicester in two days’ time, I think.

That will allow for preparations to be made.

” He extended his hand to Wallace. “Thank you, Captain, for your assistance in this matter.”

Wallace clasped his hand firmly. “The gratitude is mine, Mr. Darcy. Your generosity exceeds all expectation.”

As they concluded their business, Darcy found himself cautiously optimistic.

Captain Wallace seemed a far better match for Lydia than they could have hoped.

With proper financial support and the stability of marriage, Lydia might yet find contentment, perhaps even happiness.

And the Bennet family’s reputation would be preserved.

For Elizabeth’s sake, Darcy would have paid ten times the sum requested; he had after all paid out more in his efforts to be rid of Wickham, who was far less deserving.

To see the relief in her eyes as a solution presented itself was worth every penny.

As Captain Wallace and Colonel Fitzwilliam took their leave to refresh themselves before dinner, Darcy turned to Elizabeth, taking her hand in his.

“Well?” he asked quietly. “What do you think of our captain?”

“I think,” Elizabeth replied with a small smile, “that we have been remarkably fortunate. He seems an honourable man, and not without charm. Lydia could certainly have done worse.”

“Much worse,” Darcy agreed, thinking of Wickham. “Let us hope she has the sense to recognise a good offer when it is presented.”

Elizabeth squeezed his hand. “With your generous terms, I believe even Lydia will see the wisdom of accepting Captain Wallace.”

As Elizabeth departed to write her letter to Lydia, Darcy returned to his desk, already mentally calculating the arrangements necessary to secure the house in York and transfer the promised funds.

It was a significant expenditure, but one that would protect Elizabeth’s family and, by extension, his own.

Some things, he reflected, were beyond price.

The peace of mind this solution would bring to Elizabeth was certainly among them.

The morning air carried a hint of autumn as Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam walked the eastern path around Pemberley’s lake.

Captain Wallace had remained at the house, engaged in conversation with Elizabeth about Lydia’s temperament and preferences, a pragmatic preparation for their impending introduction.

Darcy welcomed this opportunity for private conversation with his cousin, particularly as something about Fitzwilliam’s manner had struck him as unusual since Bingley's name came up in discussion the previous evening.

“Wallace is a good sort,” Fitzwilliam remarked, breaking a comfortable silence that had lasted several minutes. “I believe he will handle the situation with appropriate discretion.”

“Your judgment in this matter has been invaluable,” Darcy acknowledged. “I confess I had begun to despair of finding a suitable resolution to Miss Lydia’s predicament.”

Fitzwilliam nodded, his gaze fixed on the distant hills. “Sometimes the most straightforward approach is best. Wallace needs advancement, Miss Lydia needs respectability. A mutually beneficial arrangement.”

“Indeed,” Darcy agreed. They walked on a few paces before he added, “I am particularly grateful for your swift response. With Bingley intending to return to Netherfield shortly, the timing is fortuitous.”

At the mention of Bingley, Darcy observed a subtle shift in his cousin’s demeanour. Fitzwilliam’s shoulders tensed slightly, and his stride lost its easy rhythm for just a moment. So slight was the change that anyone less familiar with the colonel might have missed it entirely.

“Bingley will return to Netherfield, then?” Fitzwilliam asked, his tone carefully casual. “I had not realised his interest in the property persisted.”

“His interest lies not so much in the property as in its proximity to Longbourn,” Darcy replied, watching his cousin closely. “He spoke quite openly during his visit here of his intention to renew his acquaintance with Miss Bennet.”

Fitzwilliam’s fists tightened almost imperceptibly at his sides. “Miss Bennet? Jane Bennet, you mean?”

“Yes,” Darcy confirmed. “His attachment appears to have survived their separation.”

The colonel was silent for several paces. When he spoke again, his voice carried a note of careful inquiry. “And Miss Bennet? Does she welcome this renewal of attention?”

“Elizabeth believes that her sister’s regard for Bingley has remained constant,” Darcy said. “She anticipates that an engagement may follow quite quickly once they are reunited.”

Fitzwilliam frowned slightly. “I see.”

They had reached a stone bench overlooking the water, and Darcy gestured for them to sit.

As they did so, he studied his cousin’s profile.

Fitzwilliam had always been the more expressive of the two, his military career having done little to temper his naturally open countenance.

Now, however, he seemed unusually guarded.

“You seem troubled by the news,” Darcy observed, deciding on a direct approach.

“Not at all,” Fitzwilliam replied too quickly. “Bingley is a good man. If he makes Miss Bennet happy, one can only wish them well.”

There was something in his tone, a forced neutrality, that struck Darcy as significant. “You have met Miss Bennet on several occasions now,” Darcy said, testing his growing suspicion. “What is your impression of her?”

Fitzwilliam’s gaze remained fixed on the lake, where a pair of swans glided serenely across the still surface.

“She is everything that is gentle and good,” he replied after a moment.

“Beautiful, of course, but more importantly, kind. There is a serenity to her character that is... quite remarkable.”

The warmth in his voice as he spoke of Jane confirmed Darcy’s suspicion. His normally pragmatic cousin harboured feelings for Elizabeth’s sister.

“You admire her,” Darcy stated, not as a question.