Epilogue
Happy for all her maternal feelings was the day on which Mrs Bennet got rid of her two most deserving daughters. With what delighted pride she afterwards visited Mrs Bingley, and talked of Mrs Darcy, may be guessed.
Of course, she was not quite so happy that she had to pay Jane over the wager that Lydia would be the first married.
The little minx had been in love with Steven Golding for ages, and once Jane and Lizzy secured their beaus, Lydia had made bets both in Meryton and in Town that she would be the first married, then she simply forced her future brother-in-law to use his connection with the archbishop to obtain a special licence.
Fitzwilliam Darcy naturally went along with the scheme as it cost him nothing, and there were very few limits on what he might do to pull one over on his ladylove.
Naturally, his puffed-up chest when relaying the incident to his bride was deflated a bit when she pulled out yet another bit of chicken scratching, and said, “Maria is still quite hopeless as expected, but I cannot believe Charlotte wagered on Mr Bingley! Mr Bingley! As if Lydia would use anything but the best on an important task! Tsk, Tsk!”
Mr and Mrs Golding took a short wedding trip before they left together for Spain to join his regiment and take up his Captain's commission.
Mrs Lydia Golding had a standing wager that working together as a team her most excellent husband would make General within two years, but she had to give fearful odds to get anyone to bet with her at all.
Mrs Bennet was ever so happy that her most deserving daughters would all repair to Derbyshire and the continent, because really, the betting pool was becoming quite too vexing in Hertfordshire.
There were entirely too many sharks and not enough minnows for her liking, and removing the three principal sharks should allow her to work more diligently on the business of her life…
turning all of her girls into implacable games-women, and it must be admitted that she had her work cut out with Mary and Kitty.