Chapter 20
“A victory!” Elizabeth said, only a half-hour later.
“Bingley is going to be married,” Jane whispered.
“I hope you will not cry. You have to look exceptional in just one hour and a half.”
“I will, I promise, just give me ten minutes to cry.”
“No, my dear, this time you will not cry. I know Darcy made a mistake but what he repeatedly told me was true. A man who loves a woman does not take the advice he receives from the people around him, he follows his heart. It is how love works.”
“He did not love me, then!” Jane said, and her eyes were full of tears, but they did not drop onto her face. The maids came, and in one hour both of them looked marvellous. They sparkled as their beautiful necklaces did, one blue, one with diamonds and pearls.
“I am so happy for you, little sister,” Jane said with all her heart.
“I am happy because you are smiling again.”
In the ballroom, the defeat was completed by Countess Lieven. She ignored Louisa and Caroline and did not make the slightest effort to include the newcomers in the program she had established in great detail.
She looked at the six pairs and smiled, delighted to have twelve beautiful young people dancing. As she had decided that Georgiana would dance with Daniel Russell, the colonel smiling asked her, “Lady Lieven, are you excluding me from such a delightful event?”
For some moments Caroline’s hopes were back. Certainly, the colonel was referring to her, and she would be exempted from the shame of staying near the older generation and watching the young unmarried couples, dancing.
But to the general surprise, Monsieur de Bisset slammed his cane to the floor, and with a martial posture he said, “Lady Lieven will do the great honour to exemplify the waltz, Colonel Fitzwilliam, please present your reverence.”
Caroline’s hopes died as the cold countess slightly blushed and gave her hand to the colonel.
But it was not over. After only an hour she decided that all the persons present were entitled to try. She was so commanding that everybody stood—the Gardiners, the Russells and the Robertsons—while Lord Marchival naturally became Countess Lieven’s partner.
Mr Hurst refused to dance and when the music began the only ones to remain seated were Caroline, Louisa, and her husband.
At the end of that morning, Countess Lieven and the older ones retired from the dancers’ circle. They observed with admiration the progress made by the young ones.
“Miss Bennet and my nephew’s dance is impeccable,” Countess Lieven said, referring to Thomas and Jane who made, indeed, a striking couple. Jane looked beautiful and confident. She appeared so happy that the Bingley sisters wondered if it was a beneficial thing to separate their brother from Miss Bennet, who seemed to be so appreciated in society. Unfortunately for them Mr Thomas appeared wholly subjugated by the oldest Bennet sister.
∞∞∞
The night of the ball Pemberley shone from thousands of lights—not only from the chandeliers but also the candles and torches scattered all over the park, even on the borders of the lake.
Everybody was excited about the new dance. It changed the rules between man and woman. Only a few years before imaginable was now present in many ballrooms: a man and a woman embraced in front of all the others. Finally, the dance was a unique experience that all the young generation wanted to try.
Monsieur de Bisset’s effort was crowned the night of the ball when all the pairs excelled and danced so graciously that he had to admit that his students were all talented and keen to learn. Not to diminish his merits, Darcy whispered to Elizabeth that every man wanted to have a woman in his arms and move in a rhythm that recalled the act of love. Elizabeth blushed when he said in a very insinuating voice, “One two three and back, one two three and forth…”
“I do not know what you are talking about,” she said. Although she remembered well the things she and Jane had read in a book well hidden in their bedroom, found after one of their guests departed and forgot it in his room.
But Darcy was right, it was sweet torture for those who loved each other—that dance was nothing but a prelude. Deep into the night, Darcy took her by the hand and led her to a room she did not know, not far from the ballroom. They could hear the music in the distance and for once Darcy locked the door. Elizabeth did not look around as he took her into his arms. Like in the chaise, he placed her on a sofa. They kissed until the passion became so intense that both felt they could not stop anymore.
“Let us go upstairs,” she said and it could mean only one thing. He looked for a long time into her eyes, but acceptance and desire were both there.
Bypassing the ballroom, he led her into his apartment. They ran and laughed not caring anymore about who could see them.
They stopped only once in his apartment; he looked for just one more time at her, but Elizabeth smiled and turned, inviting him to undress her.
Slowly he undid the ribbon that closed her outfit and the ball dress fell onto the floor. She was just in a silk chemise that hardly hid her body. He caressed her bosom as she was already used to and then he removed his jacket and shirt. It was the first time he appeared with his naked torso in front of her. They were still standing and he put her hands on his skin while she violently blushed.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked.
“No!” Elizabeth said. He turned her and gently caressed her bosom, kissing her neck and shoulders and armpit. She was shy and cried and tried to stop him, but each time he asked the same question, she said, yes. Then his hand went down on her stomach until he touched her most secret parts through the chemise. She cried and tried to stop him, but he gently undressed her and he lay her on his bed just looking at her perfect body.
“Stay still, my love,” he whispered while he caressed, again and again, her upper parts until his hand found its way to her secrets.
She tried to resist when he said again, “Let me touch you, Elizabeth, I will come only when you are ready.”
But she did not dare. With decisive movements, he undressed and stood still for her to see him naked in the room’s light.
“Turn off the candles,” she pleaded with her eyes tightly closed. But he did not. He came near her and touched her with his whole body while she cried in passion and fear.
And then he caressed her again more and more daring, in a turmoil of touches and kisses until she shivered and came and only then he covered her and loved her.
She cried in pain but also in triumph. She was a woman, and Darcy was her man.
Chapter 21
Elisabeth and Darcy decided to have the wedding in August.
The last days of July it rained almost uninterruptedly, and the weather remained rather cold for that month of summer.
“It is possible this is the punishment for not entirely fulfilling the covenant”—-Elizabeth thought two days before the marriage. She was still thinking of their pledge and could not decide if it was met or not. At Rosings, the only possible end to the story was Bingley coming after Jane and happiness ever after for the two. Despite Darcy’s scepticism she preferred to think that Mr Bingley was indeed influenced and he acted—despite his love for Jane—to please his friend and family. But that proved not to be accurate; his sisters announced his new relationship and it seemed he was in love with a young lady from London he had met in the North. It was an ending Elizabeth did not anticipate. Her sister had to find new love. Although it was not difficult—because of her beauty and kindness—she was still not prepared to love again. Jane had met several young gentlemen at Pemberley, but neither of them was the love she dreamt of.
“Maybe love comes only once!” she said in an extremely melancholic mood.
Elizabeth did not want to lie—she was convinced that Darcy was the only love of her life—but she had to comfort her sister. “I think every time you like or love a person is different, you cannot compare the feelings. And most probably when you love someone, you forget the
previous sentiments.”
“I only hope his sisters told him I was happy with Mr Thomas.” Indeed the night of Georgiana’s birthday party there were rumours that Jane and Thomas were not indifferent, one to another. Even Lady Russell regarded with a benevolent feeling a relationship between them and she did not make a secret out of it. The way Jane and Thomas danced that night remained in everybody’s memory. They seemed to fly across the dance floor, so in tune with one another that during one dance everybody stopped to look at them. It was a triumph Louisa and Caroline could not ignore. They departed from Pemberley only a few days later convinced that between Jane and the Russell man—as they called Thomas—was an incipient love story. It was a sad departure for the two sisters. Far from being miserable and ignored, the Bennet sisters flourished. Caroline hated Elizabeth more than ever. Still—after a long discussion with Mrs Hurst—she decided that the best way to behave was to bury that hate and put on a benevolent mask. It was evident that Elizabeth would have meaningful connections once she became Pemberley’s mistress. The sudden a change in their conduct did not pass unseen or not understood.
“Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst decided it is better to like you!” Mrs Gardiner said with irony. “I think that in the future they will not denigrate the neighbourhood where we live in London.”
∞∞∞
Many of the guests left Pemberley soon after the party, Lady and Lord Russell went to Mr Russell’s brother, in Stoke-on-Trent. They promised to be back in mid-July for Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding as it was decided that Thomas and Jane would be the witnesses.
The Gardiners stayed for another two weeks but eventually departed regretting they could not be present at Elizabeth’s wedding.
“We will be at your wedding,” Mrs Gardiner told Jane. “You know I have some secret skills to predict the future…well, I see you as a bride soon, and I assure you we will be there. With all our children!”
Jane smiled and did not reply, in her inner self she doubted she would be soon a bride but, at least, she could be serene about her future.
“When I married Mr Gardiner we did not know each other very well, it was mostly arranged by our families. I liked him a lot, but love came only after becoming his wife. And it did not stop growing each year. I agree you must like the man you are going to marry but believe me, my dear, love can be so much more than mere passion.”
Jane saw a kind of truth in what her aunt said, but she longed for that feeling she had when Charles was near her…or when they kissed. That time when she was ill in Netherfield, their relationship was quite advanced, even more than she had told Elizabeth. He often came in her room, and they kissed in a very intimate and passionate way. She tried to forget those memories or not to live them again and again. The present was without Charles and she had to accept that.
She liked Thomas, and if he asked her to marry him, she would probably give a lot of thought to that proposal. However, he had always been the perfect gentleman and not even once did he try to pass from friendship to a more passionate relationship. Also, when they danced, he saw the waltz as a personal achievement and not as a declaration.
In the end, she was happy that they always had people around and they were so respectful and kind to them. She was impressed by how many acquaintances Darcy had. Pemberley was full of people and laughter, and that contributed a great deal to her healing. And then at the end of July, their parents arrived with Kitty, Lydia and Mary and they began to plan the wedding. For the time being, nothing was more essential, and Jane decided to think of her problems and future only after Elizabeth’s marriage.
∞∞∞
Pemberley was preparing for the wedding. Even the sun appeared from time to time from behind the clouds making Elizabeth hope she would use an opened chaise the day of her marriage.
“Please, Elizabeth do not worry for the chaise or carriage or horses…” Darcy joked seeing how seriously she took every problem. “I prepared four different carriages for you and all you have to choose is the one you want or the one that suits your dress…”
Elizabeth looked at him with a false stern glance. “You are making fun of me!” she said.
“Only a little, but all because I want you to have a perfect day.”
“I have a perfect day—the one that past, this one and the one to come!” she said with her love shining on the face. “And not to say that you made my mother the tour of Pemberley from your own will!”
Darcy had secretly feared the arrival of his future mother-in-law, as he remembered her voice in Netherfield and all the worthless words she proffered. In the past, he considered Pemberley a little too far away from London. Still, since he met Elizabeth, those five days distance became his safety from her family. It was not a thought he was proud to have, but as long as it was secret, it could not do any harm. He also feared his other sisters, but he had to admit that Jane was a delightful young woman, witty yet timid and finally he felt genuinely sorry to influence Bingley in quitting her.
The only one member of the family he liked—beside Jane—was Mr Bennet. Even if in the past, Darcy had a reluctant attitude toward the older gentleman, it was shattered away during their meeting at Netherfield Park. His future father-in-law proved to be a warm and understanding man, who deeply loved his family and acted only in its interest.
Mr Bennet heartily greeted Darcy—even before embracing Elizabeth— so earnestly that Mrs Bennet said with benevolence, “He dreamt all his life to have a boy!”
In the end, Mrs Bennet became unusually intimidated by Darcy’s wealth, manners and friends. She hardly spoke, always bearing a small smile on her face that made her look younger and very pleasant. To Elizabeth and Jane’s surprise, the other guests enjoyed her company, especially when she recalled events from Meryton half in jest, half-serious. And then when one evening even Darcy laughed at one of her stories, Elizabeth could finally relax and consider the arrival of her family an unexpected success.
Also, Kitty and Lydia behaved like two young ladies so different from their usual selves that Elizabeth asked Mr Bennet what happened to them. Her father, who hardly came out of the library, smiled. They were strolling in the park, on the lake’s borders. “Well, my dear, your aunt stayed for three days at Longbourn—when she returned from Pemberley—and it seems she did wonders with your mother, Kitty and Lydia. I do not know exactly what she said but what you see is most probably due to her words more than to my education or persuasion.”
To the general surprise, the timid and mostly ignored Mary became friends with Georgiana. All-day long they stroll together or played the piano, both enjoying the time spent together.
Elizabeth was happy to present small gifts to her sisters and mother. A dressmaker from Sheffield came a week before the wedding bringing with her not only seamstresses but also silks and ribbons and laces and each Bennet lady received a dress as a gift.
The night before the wedding Darcy and Elizabeth decided not to sleep together, so she went to her bedroom after she received a very simple kiss from her future husband.
Determined to stay away from him that night when she heard him knocking at the door between their bedrooms, she said jokingly, “Go to sleep, my lord, or I will lock myself in the tower!”
However, Darcy entered the room despite her threat. Elizabeth looked at him in surprise as he was still completely dressed; he had a strange expression on his face that scared her. She thought that something horrible had happened because the covenant was not fulfilled. She wanted to cover her ears in a childish attempt not to discover those terrible deeds. Darcy smiled, seeing her concern. “It is not about us, my love!” he said before anything else. He also suspected she still had some foolish thoughts regarding that damned covenant she could not forget.
He sat on the bed, watching her prepare for the night at the dressing table. She was afraid to go near him on the bed as she could not trust him.
“Bingley arrived a half an hour ago!” he said, obviously disconcerted.
E
lizabeth stood up, stunned, incapable of retaining her composure at such news.
“And where is he?” she asked, then sat near Darcy on the bed.
“He is downstairs in the drawing-room. He wants to see Miss Jane.”
“No!” Elizabeth shouted in full anger and fear as Darcy took her into his arms.
“Shush, my love, do not be worried, he is not going to do anything but what we will allow him to do.”
“Why?” Elizabeth asked and she stood up again. All the events of the last months were racing through her mind—Jane suffering, their own pain in front of her grief, her slow recovery and finally the hope she would find love again. She could not permit him to disturb her again.
“He is almost crying, he is ashamed and wants her to forgive him.”
“No!” Elizabeth was vigorously shaking her head. “Where was he some months ago when she suffered?”
“He knows he was wrong.”
“And what about that lady from the North?”
“Again a mistake,” Darcy said.
“My love, I will not allow him to trouble her again—now that she is a little better.”
“I agree, I told him all this, but he humbly wants to ask forgiveness. Please just come down and talk to him for five minutes.”
Elizabeth finally agreed, but she was determined not to let him go near Jane.
“I can help you dress,” Darcy said with all his happiness restored.
“Fitzwilliam Darcy you do not come close to my naked body this night.”
“You are a very severe woman, at least let me look at you as you dress.”
Elizabeth hid her smile and nodded, wanting to look very severe, but she undressed just in front of him and she had only a chemise on her while his wild eyes were devouring her body.
“I am mad about you!” he said with a harsh voice. “Are you sure I cannot touch at least…”
“Darcy!” she interrupted him, your friend is waiting for us.”
Elizabeth's Covenant Page 12
