30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

I t is a truth universally acknowledged that, after a victory, there must be a wedding. On this particular occasion, there were two. The weddings were the talk of the town, and anyone who was anyone hoped to receive an invitation to them. This was partly because it was a chance to rub shoulders with the heroes – and heroines – of what was now being called The Battle of the Balloons. It was also partly because everyone was curious to see the changes the Prince Regent had made to his accommodation at Buckingham House, particularly the triumphal arch that the prince had commissioned to celebrate his victory over Napoleon.

It had all started when the Prince Regent heard that Colonel Fitzwilliam had taken out a special license to marry Anne de Bourgh, since Lady Catherine was opposed to the marriage. The Prince Regent had immediately rejected the idea of a hasty wedding and insisted that someone who had saved the prince's life could not be allowed to marry in haste or in secret.

"We will host your wedding," he said, using the Royal ‘we'. "We will not hear otherwise." Then, becoming less formal, he continued. "It was you who dug me out before the building collapsed, and not a moment too soon. I owe you an enormous debt of gratitude. A wedding breakfast is nothing to me. You deserve far, far more. In fact, I already have an estate in my sights for you. It is old, but I will send John Nash to do his architectural magic on it. That way, you can choose whether to live on your new estate, or at Rosings Park."

On hearing that Elizabeth's sister was engaged to marry Mr. Bingley, he immediately extended the offer.

"We will make it a double wedding. It will be an excellent way of introducing the Bennet family to Society, though of course Mr. Bennet is already known to us."

Jane and Bingley's natural modesty had shied away from having such a public event, but the Prince Regent would not take no for an answer. Nothing was too much for Elizabeth's sister, and the Prince insisted on it as a way to repay Darcy and Elizabeth for saving his life.

"It is the least I could do. You already have a large estate, Darcy, so I will not offer you another. I am, however, prepared to grant you a knighthood. That would mean you, too, Mrs. Darcy, would benefit from the title. And I will provide a dowry for each of your unmarried sisters."

It was all very overwhelming. Elizabeth was delighted, of course, but she would have been happy with a simple recognition of her role, and having her name carved into the wall at Founder's Hall. Instead, she was suddenly thrown headlong into participating in planning a wedding, which mostly involved trying to prevent Mrs. Bennet from causing everyone embarrassment.

One of the benefits of being involved in the double wedding was that she had the opportunity to become closer to Anne, whose company both Jane and Elizabeth enjoyed. To her utter surprise, Anne proved instrumental in preventing some of Mrs. Bennet's excesses.

"I am accustomed to dealing with Mama's excessive interference, Elizabeth. I am quite capable of dealing with Mrs. Bennet's. The two are quite similar, wouldn't you agree?"

Elizabeth did not quite see the resemblance, but she was content to give Anne free reign. Mrs. Bennet was too intimidated by Lady Catherine's imperious manners to make trouble for Anne, but Jane blushed frequently when Mrs. Bennet spoke to her in a loud whisper that everyone could hear.

As for Lady Catherine, one look at Mrs. Bennet had confirmed her worst fears that Darcy had married someone who was his inferior. Consequently, she continued to tell anyone who would listen that Darcy would have done much better if he had married Anne.

All the invited wedding guests had arrived at Buckingham House, except for the Prince Regent himself. People were mulling around and standing in groups, awaiting the prince's arrival for the breakfast to commence.

Elizabeth drifted from group to group, chatting and smiling, before going to sit next to her father on a sofa.

"How are you doing, Papa?"

"My eyesight is improving daily, though it will never be the same. Still, as long as I am able to read with one eye, then I cannot complain. Besides, I like looking like a pirate." He indicated the black patch he wore over his right eye.

"I am glad you are improving. And I am delighted Jane's health has been fully restored. I supposed she would be left with a limp, but the Rochester Healers deserve their excellent reputation." Elizabeth gave a contented sigh. "And she looks so joyful."

"I am glad your sister is having her chance at happiness, and she has been able to choose her own husband. As mages, we do not always have that choice. You did not. Neither did I."

Elizabeth looked at him in surprise. "You did not choose to marry Mama?" It made no sense. Fanny Gardiner had no magic Talent – unless there was some information Elizabeth was not privy to.

"I did, and I didn't," he said, "just not the way you think."

It was another of her father's cryptic utterances. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said."

"You cannot throw me a tidbit, Papa, then sound vague and hope I forget. For once, can you give me a straight answer to a question?"

Mr. Bennet sighed. "I suppose you will hound me like Mrs. Bennet until I answer you."

She did not like being compared with her mother, but he was doing it to distract her, so she bit her tongue and prepared to listen.

"Something like that," she said, cheerfully. "I will not take no for an answer."

Mr. Bennet gave a long-suffering sigh. "I suppose you may as well know the reason. If I do not tell you, you will ask Matlock or Grayson. Prepare to be shocked, Lizzy."

"I am all ears," she said, with a smile.

"As you know already, I was a rebellious young man, and I already had many reasons for wanting to leave the Academy." He paused.

"Papa, I know this. Is this going to be one of those stories that go nowhere?"

"Very well. I will be more direct. I simply wanted it to be clear that it was not the only reason I left the Academy." He took a deep breath. "I left because, if I had stayed, they would have forced me to marry Lady Alice."

"Marry Lady Alice?" she repeated, and then felt silly for doing it. She could not imagine Lady Alice and Papa in the same room, let alone married. Looking back, however, she now understood the hostility between them. And she also finally grasped why Lady Alice had disliked her so much. "Obviously, you turned her down. It must have been humiliating for her."

"She was too arrogant to be humiliated."

Elizabeth noted that he spoke of her in the past, but she was too busy absorbing the information he had given her.

"So you were obliged to leave because you refused to submit to an arranged marriage?"

"Something like that. Or let us say, I walked away and never looked back. I married your mother quickly, to make sure no one could force me into the marriage."

"And you do not think it ironic that I was forced into marriage, yet you did not lift a finger to defend me when the same happened to me? You handed me over to them – to Lady Alice herself – on a silver platter."

She was growing more and more incensed. The hypocrisy of it!

"Of course it was ironic, but I took no pleasure from it." He looked away. "The Council deliberately sent Lady Alice to take you with her because they knew I could not refuse her, not when I had already done so before. She was only too happy to twist the thumbscrew. I do believe she derived a certain satisfaction from making me pay." Mr. Bennet looked down at his hands. "You must understand, the situations were very different. We were not at war at the time. My marriage to her was merely an attempt to strengthen the Bloodlines. Besides, Lord Matlock had already written an express to tell me about his nephew. Matlock spoke very highly of Darcy. He said he was a kind man and would treat you well. He assured me Darcy would make a good husband."

"And you believed him."

Mr. Bennet gave a little shrug. "I had no reason not to. I knew Matlock well. I trusted him. I still do. More than ever."

He indicated Matlock, who was sitting in a large armchair with a cushioned piano stool under his bandaged leg, his hands still wrapped in white. A lady Elizabeth had never seen before was hovering around him, covering him with blankets and being most solicitous. A three-wheeled Wicker Bath chair was positioned next to the armchair.

"Who is that Lady with him?"

Mr. Bennet's mouth twisted. "That is Lady Matlock, his wife. It is an arranged marriage. Much like I would have had with Lady Alice."

"Except Lady Matlock is not a Royal Mage."

"She is not."

She had never even heard Lord Matlock mentioning a wife. Elizabeth would not have liked to be in that situation. Still, Lord Matlock had told Mr. Bennet the truth about Darcy.

"I hope I was right, Lizzy. Is Darcy a good man? Does he make you happy?"

His good eye settled on her with such intensity that she knew her answer was important.

" Yes, Papa. I never would have thought so when we first met, but as I started to know him, I realized how fortunate I was. I love Darcy dearly, Papa."

"Do you forgive me?"

"Of course I do," she said, squeezing his hand as tears sprang to her eyes. "It is the best thing that ever happened to me. It was an amazing gift."

"Good," he said. "Now go and talk to someone else. I am going to keep Lord Matlock company. I need to make up for abandoning him when Bingley came to Hythe." He paused. "And Lizzy, I would rather you kept what I said about Lady Alice to yourself, if you don't mind."

"Of course, Papa."

As her father left her side, Darcy came up to Elizabeth with a smile. "What were you talking about so earnestly with your father?"

She answered honestly, but without giving anything away. "We were talking about Lady Alice."

A shadow passed over his face. "I wish I had been able to save her. For Redmond's sake at least. Since they found the body—it has been difficult for him. I believe he is mourning her."

Elizabeth thought of her father. Lady Alice could have been her mother. It was impossible to imagine the idea. She snuggled closer to Darcy. "At least it saves her the humiliation of a public scandal and trial."

"I suppose so." They walked silently for a few minutes. "Do you think it strange that I am sorry for Lady Alice's death?"

"No. She helped us defeat the Imperial Mages at Hythe. She organized us when Lord Matlock had all but given up. Then she sacrificed herself to hold back the water. She more than redeemed herself. No one could call her a traitor now. In fact, I think she should be honored. I might speak to the Prince Regent about it." She paused. "And I owe her a huge debt. She undoubtedly saved my life."

Lady Alice had never married and had children of her own. In the end, despite her emphasis on Bloodlines, she had not left a legacy behind her. Elizabeth wondered now if Lady Alice had been attached to her father.

It irked her that she would never know.

It was odd, but now that she had heard her father's story, she felt more of a kinship with Redmond. He was Lady Alice's nephew, and like Darcy, Redmond had been partly raised by her after his parents died.

"I would like to talk to Redmond," she said to Darcy. "Now that you told me about Lady Alice, I feel I have been remiss in my duty by not speaking to him about it." She paused and corrected herself. "No, what am I saying? It has nothing to do with duty. I have just been so caught up in these wedding plans, I am afraid I have neglected him. I feel we all overlook him, somehow. He deserves better."

"It has not been so bad. He has received a lot of attention from the young ladies," said Darcy, "especially since the Prince Regent singled him out the other day for his exemplary service to the crown, along with your sister Mary."

"Lady Mary Bennet," corrected Elizabeth. "Baroness of Nugent."

"Very well, Lady Elizabeth," said Darcy, with an elaborate bow.

"Not yet, Sir Fitzwilliam. We must wait for you to be knighted. It will be strange to hear everyone call you by your first name."

"Not strange at all," said Darcy. "It is a very solid name with a long history behind it."

Elizabeth laughed. "Why do you use any excuse to mention your elevated Bloodlines?"

"Because it is necessary to remind you of your good fortune in marrying a gentleman of such elevated birth."

She snorted. "I have been reminded by your aunt many times already." Her gaze landed on Redmond. "Ah, there is Redmond. I must say, he does not look quite as tragic as you have painted him."

Redmond and her sister Lydia were sitting in a corner of the large room, heads bent together, laughing over something. Cooking up mischief, no doubt. It was a strange and unexpected friendship.

Then Redmond's hand came up. He tucked a stray curl that had fallen from her ribbon in its place. Lydia carried on whatever she was doing, but Redmond's gesture gave Elizabeth pause. Was he in love with Lydia? How could it be?

"Tell me I am imagining things. My sister and your Twin?" Elizabeth gestured to where the two were sitting.

Darcy watched the two for a moment. "Is that an actual question? I can point out how many things are wrong with it. One, Redmond is our Twin, not just mine. Two, why on earth are you surprised? Three, it is astonishing that I would notice such a thing long before you do. For someone who claims to be observant…"

"Enough!" she said, laughing and feeling foolish. "I just never thought Redmond would consider Lydia seriously. She is only the daughter of a country squire."

"Lydia has proved her Talent. And your father is no ordinary country squire. He has friends in high places. But most importantly, Lydia's sister Elizabeth is not only his Twin, but also one of the most powerful mages in the Kingdom, and Mage Advisor to the Prince Regent. It is one of the highest positions anyone can aspire to."

Elizabeth blinked. When had she become such a prominent person? When she had first arrived at Founders' Hall, she had been a nobody.

"Besides," said Darcy with a smirk. "You are married to me. Which is more than enough to bestow status upon your sister."

He laughed at the expression of outrage on her face.

"Darcy," she started.

He leaned forward and gave her a light kiss on the lips. "Come now! Do not fly into a high dudgeon. I was only joking."

Darcy had been looking for the opportunity to speak to Riquer for a while now, but Riquer was, as usual, the center of attention. When he finally saw him alone, Darcy strode over towards him.

"I wanted to congratulate you, Riquer, for the newly acquired estate the prince has granted you. Have you had a chance to see it yet?"

"I have not, but I am planning to go there with my brother Luis soon."

"I heard your brother Luis is to receive a medal as well."

"Yes. The Prince Regent has been very generous with us." Riquer was holding himself very stiffly, clearly uncomfortable with Darcy's presence.

An uneasy silence followed, during which Darcy decided to dive into the real reason he had come to talk to Riquer.

"My wife tells me I owe you an apology," he said. He felt immensely awkward, but it was the right thing to do. Riquer was a hero. Together with his brother, he had saved them all. Darcy had been mistaken in his character, and he had the duty to acknowledge it as a gentleman.

Riquer crossed his arms and met Darcy's eye. "In my experience, Mrs. Darcy is generally right."

Why did the man have to sound so superior? Did he have to make this even harder than it was?

Darcy took a deep breath. He wanted to get this over. "I do owe you an apology. You put yourself at risk to save my life, and I must thank you. I never fully trusted you, but you have more than proved me wrong. I was mistaken. I hope you will not hold it against me."

"I do not hold a grudge. I know you had your reasons." Riquer's gaze drifted to Elizabeth, who was talking animatedly to Miss King. "I do not blame you. If she were my wife, I would have felt the same."

Darcy wanted to deny that jealousy was his prime reason, but as he looked at Elizabeth, he really could not dismiss the possibility.

Fortunately, the conversation did not continue. A young man around Redmond's age came up to them, and Riquer made the introductions.

"When you caught me outside Founder's Hall, this is who I was talking to. This is my younger brother Luis."

Darcy, feeling a sense of guilt that he had been so quick to jump to conclusions, made a strong effort to make the young man feel welcome. He did not want to repeat the past.

The wedding breakfast was very late by now, and the guests were starting to grow restless. Elizabeth could see from Jane's face that she was anxious in case the Prince Regent never showed up. It would be enough to ruin her wedding, because the guests could never sit down unless he arrived.

She smiled reassuringly at her sister. The Prince Regent was known to be capricious, but would he really fail to show up when he had been so adamant about holding it here? She could not really answer the question. There was no knowing what he might do. Elizabeth just wished he would send his apologies so they could proceed with the celebration, but for now, there was nothing they could do.

Mrs. Bennet grumbled to Elizabeth that it was just like Royals to feel entitled to make everyone else wait. Elizabeth shushed her by saying that there were always spies in Court, and that they would tell the prince what Mrs. Bennet had just said.

After that, Mama kept her thoughts to herself, but she did mumble that her poor lamb – Jane – was starting to wilt from so much waiting around.

Finally, the doors were flung open, and the Prince Regent strode in. He went straight to the head of the table and stood there as everyone hurried to their assigned places.

"We are here to celebrate the nuptials of two well-deserving couples who have played a role in making the Kingdom safe. First, I would like to raise a glass to Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam, and Mr. and Mrs. Bingley. Cheers!"

He threw back his glass in one gulp, then struck his glass to gain everyone's attention again. "It is the most auspicious occasion possible. We will always remember this day because something monumental has happened.

He stopped and looked down the long table as everyone waited in confusion for his next words.

"We have just received news that Napoleon has surrendered!"

There was a loud roar, and the room erupted into chaos. People stood up and stamped their feet, embracing each other and laughing loudly. Glasses clinked, and cries of ‘Huzzah!" filled the air.

"And now We must apologize most sincerely, but We are required elsewhere. Pray enjoy the breakfast without Us and accept our warmest wishes for your happiness."

Darcy turned to Elizabeth. "We have done it," he said. "We have defeated Napoleon's mages." His eyes were glistening. "I have lived with this war for so many years, and now it is over! He gambled everything by sending most of his best mages to England, and now they are locked up in the Tower."

"But surely he would not give up so easily?"

"Easily? With his humiliation in Russia, and now this disastrous attempt to take the Kingdom, his domination of the Continent has come to an end. Some of the mages we captured were his best strategists."

Darcy took hold of her by the waist and swung her up, high up, in a circle. "It means we have won. And it means something else as well. We can finally go to Pemberley!"