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“Mrs. Darcy,” the colonel said in a low voice, “perhaps you might wish to see your sister alone initially?”

Elizabeth glanced at her husband, who nodded his agreement. “Yes, I think that would be best. There is much we need to discuss.”

“Just up the stairs, ma’am,” Mrs. Wilkins said kindly. “Second door on the right. She’s expecting you, of course, but I did suggest she stay up there and talk to you first.”

As wise as she was kind; Elizabeth hoped Lydia had recognised Mrs. Wilkins’ goodness. With a quiet thank-you, Elizabeth left the neat little parlour and made her way upstairs, tapping on the indicated door and entering at the called “Come in!”

Lydia rose from a chair by the window at her entrance, and Elizabeth’s breath caught as she took in her sister’s appearance.

Though Lydia wore a loose-fitting gown of dark blue, there was no disguising the pronounced swell of her abdomen.

At nearly five months with child, her condition was unmistakable.

Yet it was not merely Lydia’s physical state that struck Elizabeth, but the change in her demeanour. The wild, giggling girl seemed subdued, her exuberance tempered by circumstance. Still, her face brightened considerably at the sight of her sister.

“Lizzy!” she exclaimed, moving forward with outstretched hands. “Oh, I am so very glad you’ve come. It is lovely to see a familiar face.”

“Lydia, you are looking well,” Elizabeth said as she folded her sister into her embrace, meaning it despite the circumstances. There was a healthy colour in Lydia’s cheeks, and her eyes, though more serious than Elizabeth remembered, were clear and bright.

“You must tell me more about Pemberley! And have you had many letters from home, did you bring any for me with you? It is such a bother, having to send everything via Pemberley and wait days extra for replies, Kitty keeps chiding me over how long it takes me to write back.”

“I am sorry for that, Lydia.” Elizabeth answered Lydia’s questions while studying her sister more closely. Beneath Lydia’s attempts at her former liveliness, she detected a new wariness, a shadow of understanding that had not existed before.

“And you, Lydia? How have you been, truly?” Elizabeth asked when there was finally a pause in her sister’s questions.

Lydia’s hand moved instinctively to her abdomen.

“Well enough, I suppose, considering everything. The baby has begun to kick, which feels very strange. Mrs. Wilkins says that means it will be strong.” She hesitated, then added in a smaller voice, “I never thought... that is, I didn’t realise how difficult it would all be. ”

This acknowledgment of the gravity of her situation, however slight, was more than Elizabeth had expected. She covered Lydia’s hand with her own. “I know this has not been easy for you.”

“It’s so terribly dull here,” Lydia complained, a flash of her old petulance surfacing. “I’m not allowed to go anywhere interesting, and I must pretend to be in mourning for a husband who never existed. It’s positively unfair.”

Elizabeth bit back a sharp retort about fairness and the consequences of one’s actions. This was not the time for lectures. “The situation is temporary, Lydia. That is part of why we have come today. You understand that Captain Wallace has come with us specifically to see if you and he would suit?”

Lydia nodded, her expression growing uncertain. “Colonel Fitzwilliam’s friend. Is he really willing to marry me, even knowing...?” She gestured vaguely toward her abdomen. “What is he like, Lizzy? Is he very old or ugly? I couldn’t bear it if he were dreadfully dull.”

“I think you will not be displeased by his appearance,” Elizabeth told her gently. “And Colonel Fitzwilliam speaks well of him, and that is no small recommendation.”

“But why would he agree to such an arrangement? What does he gain from it?” Lydia’s questions revealed more insight than Elizabeth had anticipated.

“I believe there is some financial consideration involved,” Elizabeth acknowledged carefully, not wishing to emphasise the mercenary aspects of the transaction.

“But Colonel Fitzwilliam assures us that the captain is a man of good character who wishes for a family. Your... situation... allows him to have one more quickly than he might otherwise.”

Lydia absorbed this information with unusual thoughtfulness. “The baby?”

“He has agreed to acknowledge it as his own once you are married. The child will bear his name.”

“So I am to be Mrs. Wallace,” Lydia mused, testing the sound of it.

“Well, I suppose it’s better than remaining hidden away here forever.

” She took a deep breath and lifted her chin bravely.

“I could only see the top of his head, as you all walked up the path,” she admitted, gesturing to the window.

“He was tall, at least.” A small smile touched her lips.

“I do not think I could bear a husband who was shorter than me.”

Elizabeth smiled encouragingly. “I truly do think you will like him, Lydia. He is a gentleman, and a charming one, and he assures me that he enjoys balls and parties, and would be very pleased by a wife who likes to dance.”

Lydia’s eyes brightened, before her face fell again and she put a hand on her stomach. “That will have to wait…”

“Not so very much longer,” Elizabeth insisted bracingly. “Will you come down and meet him?”

“What will he think of me?” Lydia asked, sounding a little frightened.

“He will think you are beautiful,” Elizabeth said firmly, finding it unbearably sad to see confident Lydia reduced to this. Reaching out, she fluffed Lydia’s curls a little, and then took her hand. “You truly are, Lyddie. Just be yourself, and I am sure he will like you very much.”

Lydia looked doubtful, but she squared her shoulders and let Elizabeth lead her downstairs, where Mrs. Wilkins had just served the three gentlemen tea in the parlour.

Captain Wallace was first to his feet, bowing respectfully. “Miss Bennet, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” There was no disgust or judgment in his expression as he looked at Lydia for the first time, merely a calm assessment and perhaps a hint of compassion.

Lydia, for her part, seemed momentarily struck silent, a most unusual occurrence.

Elizabeth squeezed her hand gently, and they took their seats.

Gamely, Elizabeth began a conversation, aided and abetted by both Colonel Fitzwilliam and Captain Wallace; Darcy did his best but Elizabeth could see the concern on his face as he watched Lydia sit in silence.

“Perhaps we should step outside for a little while,” Mr. Darcy suggested to the other men as they finished their tea. “This is quite a small parlour, and a little stuffy with all of us in here. Let us give the ladies some room.”

Elizabeth shot him a grateful look; her husband’s increased sensitivity to social nuances was one of the many changes she had observed in him since their marriage. Darcy smiled at her in return as he followed the other men outside and closed the door.

Once the men had stepped out, Lydia turned to Elizabeth with wide eyes. “He’s not at all what I expected,” she whispered. “He seems quite... decent.”

“Did you expect Colonel Fitzwilliam to arrange for you to marry an ogre?” Elizabeth asked, unable to entirely suppress her amusement.

“No, but...” Lydia gestured vaguely. “Given the circumstances, I thought he might be much older, or stern, or... I don’t know, somehow more obviously desperate.”

Elizabeth sighed. “Lydia, you must remember that Captain Wallace is doing you a great service. Whatever his reasons, he deserves your respect and gratitude.”

To her surprise, Lydia nodded without argument. “Yes, I know. I shall try to be... agreeable.”

This modest commitment to civility was perhaps the most promising sign Elizabeth had yet observed in her sister.

The gentlemen returned after about ten minutes, and Darcy looked at Elizabeth, a question in his eyes. She nodded, although she was still not sure of Lydia; she thought, however, that Lydia intended to be sensible, and certainly she deserved to hear the arrangements that had been proposed.

Colonel Fitzwilliam took charge of the conversation initially, reviewing in general terms what had so far been agreed upon, conditional on Lydia’s consent.

Captain Wallace would marry Lydia as soon as the vicar issued the common licence, after which they would establish a modest household in York, where his regiment was to be based.

The child, when born, would be presented as premature but legitimate.

They would avoid meeting with anyone from Longbourn until the child was old enough that nobody would question why a supposedly premature babe seemed large and healthy.

Throughout this discussion, Elizabeth watched Captain Wallace closely, searching for any indication of reluctance or disdain. She found none. If anything, he seemed to regard Lydia with a kind of protective courtesy that was both surprising and reassuring.

“Miss Bennet,” he said directly to Lydia when there was a pause in the colonel’s explanation, “I believe it would be beneficial for us to speak frankly with one another, as we are contemplating a most significant commitment. Would you object to a brief private conversation?”

Lydia looked startled but not displeased by this suggestion. She glanced at Elizabeth, who nodded encouragingly.

“I have no objection, sir,” Lydia replied with unusual formality.

“Let us take a short walk outside,” Darcy said to Elizabeth. “The church is just a few steps down the road, if you would care to see it.”

She agreed gracefully and took his arm. Colonel Fitzwilliam followed them out and they walked down the road to the churchyard.

When they returned to the parlour a quarter-hour later, Captain Wallace was sitting close beside Lydia, talking to her earnestly. Elizabeth was struck by the change in her sister’s expression. The wariness had not entirely disappeared, but it had been joined by something like cautious hope.

“We have reached an understanding,” Captain Wallace announced simply.

Lydia nodded, a small smile playing about her lips. “The captain has been very kind,” she said, in a tone so unlike her usual flippancy that Elizabeth nearly startled. “He has explained what would be expected of me as his wife, and... I believe I can meet those expectations.”

Captain Wallace’s expression softened as he looked back at Lydia. “Miss Bennet has shown herself to be refreshingly honest about her circumstances and her hopes for the future. I appreciate directness in all dealings.”

The rest of the afternoon passed in discussion of practical arrangements.

Mrs. Wilkins had already spoken to the vicar, who wished to speak with Captain Wallace before issuing the common licence, and could make himself available on the morrow for such a meeting.

The wedding would take place as soon as possible thereafter, with only those present today in attendance.

Throughout these discussions, Elizabeth observed with increasing optimism the manner in which Captain Wallace treated her sister.

There was no romance, certainly, but there was kindness, patience, and a fundamental respect that suggested this unusual union might yet prove more successful than anyone had dared to hope.

As they made their way to their lodgings for the night, Elizabeth found herself reflecting on the unexpected turn the day had taken.

What had begun as a desperate measure to salvage her sister’s reputation now showed promise of providing Lydia with something she had never truly had before: the guidance of someone who saw her clearly, flaws and all, yet treated her with consistent kindness.

“You seem thoughtful,” Mr. Darcy observed as they prepared for dinner.

“I am surprised,” Elizabeth admitted. “Captain Wallace is not at all what I expected. And Lydia... I believe she may finally be growing up, however belatedly.”

Mr. Darcy’s expression softened into one of the rare, tender smiles he reserved exclusively for her. “Even the most wayward must eventually find their path, my dear. Perhaps your sister has simply needed the right guide.”

Elizabeth reached for his hand, grateful beyond words for his steadfast support through this ordeal. “Let us hope so,” she said softly. “Let us hope so.”