Page 81 of The Secret Diary of Anne de Bourgh

Mrs Bennet welcomed him very warmly, and almost immediately asked whether he did not think a little more lace would have improved the wedding gown.

“I have not seen it, ma’am,” he said, looking at Mary. “But I am quite certain I shall be looking more at the lovely face of the lady wearing it, than the gown itself.”

Mary smiled at him quite radiantly.

I do not think he will be difficult to please on Saturday.

9 October

Mary was married yesterday and has gone away with Christopher today.

She looked very pretty. Her gown was just as she wished it, and Kitty, after making one small adjustment which nobody else could see was necessary, stood back and declared herself satisfied.

Mrs Bennet cried when she saw her, which made Mary look alarmed until Jane assured her that there was nothing wrong.

“I know there is nothing wrong!” Mrs Bennet said, searching for her handkerchief. “Am I not permitted to be happy for my own daughter?”

Jane kissed her and supplied the handkerchief.

Mary was composed through most of the service. I could hear her answers quite clearly, though her voice grew a little uncertain once. Christopher turned his head towards her then, and she looked up at him.

Afterwards, when he offered her his arm, she took it with a smile which I do not think she knew anybody else could see.

I thought of our conversation in July, when she had blushed so much over telling me how she felt about him. She did not seem embarrassed any more.

The wedding breakfast was a credit to Longbourn, and Mrs Bennet was kept very happily occupied receiving congratulations. She called Christopher her dear son several times. He bore it very well, though I saw Mary press her lips together when her mother began to instruct him upon the necessity of keeping his wife warm during their journey.

Kitty’s work upon the gowns was much admired. I was glad that she heard some of the compliments herself, for she had spent so much of the morning attending to everybody else that I wondered whether she had remembered to enjoy wearing her own.

Georgiana sat beside me, and we agreed that Mary looked happier every time we looked at her.

I should have liked Richard to be there. Christopher spoke of him, and Darcy promised to write an account of the wedding. I hope he will remember to say how happy they both looked. Gentlemen sometimes concern themselves with quite the wrong particulars in letters.

Today there were trunks, farewells, and a renewed discussion of travelling wraps. Mary had already assured her mother that she possessed everything she required, but another shawl was found for her nevertheless.

I had meant to wish her happiness very sensibly. Instead, when it was my turn to take leave, she embraced me just as warmly as she had embraced her sisters.

“You must come and stay with us, Anne,” she said. “Whenever you wish.”

“That is very kind of you,” I said, a little surprised.

“I mean it.” Mary drew back a little, still holding my hands. “You must not wait to be invited. You are very dear to me, and I will always be glad to see you.”

I promised that I would remember. There was a lump in my throat that made it hard to get the words out.

I had not expected to find it so difficult to say goodbye. Mary has become such a part of my daily life that I had scarcely considered how much I should miss her until she stood before me in her travelling bonnet.

I am very glad that she is going to a home which will make her happy. I am almost equally glad that she wishes me to be there sometimes.

When we first met, I could not have imagined that she would become so dear a friend.

12 October

We reached London yesterday, and Mr Byerly called this afternoon.

I had not expected to see him quite so soon, though Elizabeth appeared to find nothing remarkable in it. He said that he had heard from Mr Bingley when we were all expected to reach London, and hoped we had travelled comfortably.

I was able to assure him that we had. After our journey from Derbyshire, this last part had seemed very short and easy, conducted in the space of a single day despite the weather having turned quite chill and rainy.