"No, she's upset about not being the bride." Les stepped to his friend and straightened his bow tie. "Don't worry, dude, she'll get over it."
"Hey, at least we invited her. It was actually Beth's idea."
There was a throat-clearing noise from the doorway, and William looked up to see Mr. Pride. "Let's get on with this, young man. Before I change my mind."
William shot a wry glance at Les. Beth's father had made no secret of the fact that he thought the besotted couple were jumping the gun. After all, they had only been engaged for two months. Despite the potential damage to his pocket book, Beth's father had been hoping for an extravagant wedding that would take longer to plan. William knew that he was none too eager to part with his favorite daughter.
William's excitement bubbled over as he stepped up to his future father-in-law and said, "You got it, Dad!" Then he planted an excited kiss on his cheek and jogged out of the room to take his place, with Les at his heels. William shook his head inwardly at the sight that greeted him. It was almost laughable; the fifty or so folding chairs facing a platform that had been set up in front of a massive weeping willow tree. He would bet a fair amount that no one had ever been married at Meryton Park before. It was deemed a park, but there were fire pits and expiring picnic tables dotting the landscape. A picturesque pond was the centerpiece of the park, complete with a gazebo. But Beth had not chosen that as the spot for them to be married. They set up a few hundred yards away, by the willow tree.
William looked at the guests, amused that most of them were Beth's. Mrs. Pride sat on the front row by herself, and a couple dozen or so other relatives were seated just behind her. He saw Jenna's parents a few rows back, surrounded by other friends William had never met - most likely friends and neighbors from Meryton. They had decided not to seat their friends and loved ones on different sides as brides and grooms often do, since William's would include all of two people. Les and Gianna were in the wedding party, and that would only leave Fritz and Kara. William would have had more guests if the wedding had been in New York, but he and Beth had decided that preparations for a New York wedding would take too much time.
William's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the soft piano music begin, and he smiled over at his cousin Fritz playing for them on a keyboard. Fritz was playing the song he and Beth had performed at Les's wedding. William's heart thumped eagerly as Gianna glided up the aisle in an apple-red gown. There was a pale peach-colored sash tied high on her waist, and she smiled radiantly. He wondered idly if she was just as giddy as he was, or possibly more so. Lindy came next, wearing the same floor-length dress as Gianna. William thought she looked somewhat nervous, and he wondered if she was feeling self-conscious about her slow pace and wondering how informed the present company was about recent events. Jenna followed Lindy with a contented expression on her face, in a peach dress with a red sash. William took a deep breath, trying to lessen the effect of anticipation. The music changed key, evolving into Cannon in D. His heart skipped wildly and then stopped altogether when the sight of his bride met him.
Beth's creamy skin was positively glowing. Her dark eyes had a dusky brightness, and her cheeks were warmly flushed. Her hair had been loosely pulled back from her face, blossoming into a messy but somehow classy bun at her neck. William was glad she hadn't done anything too extravagant with her hair; he didn't want anything to detract from her face. And with appreciation he let his eyes slide down her length. Her cream colored gown was the same style as her bridesmaids, long and simple. There were petal sleeves and the high-waisted dress flared out into an A-line (thanks again, Say Yes to the Dress). Beth wore a sash of peach and red braided together at the empire waist. It looked like the kind of dress you would see on those old British movies she watched sometimes. She carried a simple bunch of roses in her hands in the same colors, vibrant green ribbon twisting around the stems to hold them together. A sheer ivory veil was pinned just above her bun. William couldn't imagine anyone more angelic - even in heaven.
The ceremony was simple and sweet. Mr. Pride swiped away the single tear that welled up when he placed his daughter's hand in William's, and sat down next to his wife, who trembled with joyous hysteria. They repeated their vows and exchanged rings (William earned a look from Beth as he placed a baguette-crusted band on each side of the solitaire), and then they were pronounced husband and wife. William didn't wait for the priest to give him permission to kiss his wife. He bent slightly and picked her up in his arms, crushing her to him. As he brought his lips down on hers, a wave of something akin to vertigo rocked through him, and for an instant he saw flashes of their future, stretching out before him like a runaway filmstrip.
William stood in a bleached doorway, watching another version of himself bending over Beth, smoothing the dark, wet hair off her face. Her pale skin glistened with sweat and her breath was labored and deep. Her eyes were closed with fatigue. Then they fluttered open as a nurse placed a flushed baby in her arms. Beth gazed at her miracle for an immeasurable moment, and then looked up into William's face, locking eyes with him. A spark flashed in her eyes, and she kissed him. William couldn't hear what she murmured to his future-self.
Next he stood just outside a dimly-lit room. He saw Beth sitting on a small bed draped with a flowered quilt. Beth lounged against the bed frame, her fair skin glowing as a smile of contentment lit her face. An ivory-skinned girl with dark curls was nestled under her arm, her head resting on Beth's swollen belly. The girl looked up at William, her large eyes dark and bright.
Next, William found himself surrounded by chaos. Blurry, flesh-toned shapes darted around a room filled with the music of children's voices. A slightly older Beth looked up at the entrance of his future-self through the door. Her bright eyes were set in a clearly tired face, and she smiled; a knowing smile, meant only for him. In her arms there was a flaxen-haired baby boy who could not take his eyes off his mother's face. One pudgy hand rested on her cheek as he vied for her attention. She pressed his dimpled hand to her lips and blew a raspberry into his palm, coaxing from him a clear, peeling-bell laugh.
The filmstrip sped up now, and William only caught flashes of the next scenes. He and Beth talking in the dark when the house was finally quiet and they could claim their room for themselves again…..tassels atop caps dotting the blue sky at the close of graduation after graduation……holding Beth in his arms as she ached for their children, now all gone from home……another burst of pandemonium as their children and grandchildren assembled for a family photo……the crinkly lines etched around Beth's eyes as she smiled, her hair now silver with the passage of time, somehow more beautiful than before.
And then he found himself back in the present, still kissing his bride. He pulled away slightly, looking into her eyes. She didn't seem to notice that he had taken a little jaunt into the future, and it all seemed to have occurred in the self-same instant. He held her tighter for a moment and then set her gently on her feet. He could tell her about it later, or keep it to himself. Either way, they had a lifetime together.
EPILOGUE:
TWENTY-ISH MONTHS LATER
"It is well to have as many holds upon happiness as possible."
~Jane Austen
The rain spattered steadily but softly against the roof of the tent. The howling wind had finally subsided, and just a breath of its fury remained. It reminded Beth of the way a child hiccups for hours after a major tantrum. She smiled in the darkness at the feel of Williams arms against her bare skin.
His subdued voice broke the silence; a faint note of disapproval coloring his words.
"I still can't believe you wanted to cancel our sailing trip to go camping. You chose sleeping bags and a tent over a luxury yacht in the Caribbean."
She revolved in his arms to face him. "This is an important part of our history. Besides, wouldn't you say this camping trip turned out better than the last one?"
He let his eyes travel slowly down her form and back up to her face. "I would, in fact.
"
A lull ensued and Beth squirmed internally. She had been trying to find the perfect moment to break the news to William. She had only canceled their vacation because it fell on a certain holiday that she had hitherto ignored. As the silence stretched on, she knew it was time.
She cleared her throat. "So…..I got you something."
William's brows arched playfully as he looked around the tent. His expression evolved into puzzlement when he discovered nothing.
Beth took his hand and pressed it to her abdomen, still flat. It took a moment, and then understanding lit his eyes. His face split into a wide grin.
"Really!?"
Beth nodded, smiling.
William sat up and scooped her onto his lap, like a child. "How long have you known? How far along? Are you feeling okay? Are you hungry? I could get you another pillow……?"
Beth silenced him with a finger over his lips, laughing quietly. "I just found out last week. I'm not sure how far along - we have to go to the doctor to find that out."
William kissed her deeply, then held her close for several minutes in silence, his hand covering the smooth plane of her belly.
He smiled his little boy smile, sounding eager. "When do you think you'll start to show?"
"They say it takes longer with the first. Look at Jenna - she's just starting to pop out, and she's six months along."
"What are we going to name her?"
"Her? What if it's a boy?" Beth mussed his hair. "I'm not sure I want a girl. I can't imagine you being more protective as a father than you are as a brother."
William scowled in the darkness, and Beth may not have noticed except that she knew when he paused for a long time his thoughts were taking a morose turn.
She sighed. "What is it you don't like about him?"
In the silence before he spoke, Beth noticed that the rain was even quieter now. There was no need to clarify which 'him' they were talking about. Gianna had met someone at college, and Beth was fairly sure they were headed for the aisle. William had been a tad difficult about the whole thing.
"I don't think his work ethic is that great," he began.
"He's still in school."
"I know lots of people who work through school."
"Medical school?"
His strained silence was the answer. "And he never picks her up for dates," he continued, the current carrying him along swiftly now.
"He doesn't have a car, William. Poor medical student, remember?"
"Still. It's a matter of principle."
Beth rolled her eyes.
"She's too young…..and then there's the smell."
Beth laughed, incredulous. "What smell?! Don't tell me - he smells like 'Beef Vegetable Soup' or something! Oh, and he tried to steal your cat? Next thing I know you'll be calling the Weekly World News 'The Paper.'"
William laid back down and pulled Beth on top of him, hugging her fiercely as if he wanted to squish her.
"Don't ask a question you don't want the answer to, Mrs. Darcy."
"Oh, I wanted an answer. Just a real answer. Gianna's legally an adult, William. She's in college! You really don't have a valid reason for not liking Ben. And Gianna is crazy about him. Which, I think, may be the real problem for you."
William brooded quietly, and Beth decided she would have to take his mind off Gianna's love life, and soon.
She began kissing his neck, running her fingers over the skin of his waist on the sides. He shuddered and rolled her back under him.
"Just promise me you'll think about it, okay? Try to come up with a valid concern about Ben - that doesn't include your prejudice that no one is good enough for your sister. She's earned the right to some happiness after all this time. And he really is a good guy, William. He hasn't even touched her."
William froze. "She told you that?"
"Yes."
"No way. I saw them holding hands. And when he came over last time I saw him put a hand on her back."
"He hasn't pressured her about sex in any way," she clarified.
William paused again, in defeat, and Beth sensed his teeth clenching. He took a deep breath. "I'll try."
She pulled his face down to hers and whispered. "Thank you." She paused, thoughtful. "Eliza."
"Hm?"
"If it's a girl. I like Eliza. And if it's a boy, Austen."
William smiled as his fingers crawled up to twist with Beth's.
"It's a girl," he whispered.
"You can't know that."
"It's a girl," he repeated.
He pressed his body tenderly against the length of hers, bearing most of his weight on his elbows. His fingers tangled in her hair and he kissed her softly. Beth marveled that after almost two years of marriage, she still felt as giddy as she had on their wedding night. His touch still made her feel the same ethereal joy. How glad she was that her first impression of William had been wrong - and that he'd stayed around long enough to prove it.
"Happy Father's Day, William," she murmured, pulling him down and snuffing out the space between them.
'MERCI BUCKETS' TO THE FOLLOWING:
My family and friends who read the binder edition or spent hours squinting at a computer screen; my writing group, who hacked it to bits every month without ceremony; Cindy Canizales for your breathtaking cover design, and for tolerating my perfectionism; Sarah Boucher, for being my human thesaurus and keeping William's eyes firmly in their sockets; Melissa Lemon, for your faith in me, being my friend before you were my editor, and accepting payment for services rendered in Mini Eggs; Dionne Butler, for being my Jenna and telling me the truth about that first draft; my kids, for agreeing to wait until you're sixteen to read it; my husband, Sean Pulsipher, for being a constant voice of encouragement and riding out the neglect when I was 'in the zone;' my mom, for playing Moonshadow for me as a baby; the first and last publisher I submitted to, for rejecting it so I could make it my own; Jane Austen, for making waves and going against the current in pursuit of your dream; and finally, the music and movies that I quote throughout the book, including but not limited to: Cat Stevens, Jet, Star Wars, So I Married an Axe Murderer, One Fine Day, Top Gun, Better off Dead, The Princess Bride, Steel Magnolias, The Prince and Me, and Titanic......please don't sue me, I'm a huge fan!
Misty Dawn Pulsipher was born and raised in Utah. She attended Snow College where she developed a love for writing. Misty served as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Washington, D.C. area. She and her husband now reside in Maryland with their three children, two dogs, and the colony of squirrels that lives in their back yard. When she's not writing or procrastinating an edit, Misty is reading, baking, sewing, playing the piano, or bribing her family to play Monopoly with her. Visit her Facebook page or author blog: mistydawnpulsipher.blogspot.com.
Table of Contents
Copyright
PROLOGUE
~ PART ONE ~ANNOUNCEMENTS
CHARITY CASE
DEAF, DUMB & BLIND DATE
OBSERVATIONS
STOMPED-ON
OUTINGS
GALLANTRY
STARGAZING
INFORMALITY
FRUITLESS
PROVOCATION
UNINHIBITED
POKER FACE
GREEN-EYED MONSTER
REGENCY
INVITATION
HOMECOMING
UNFORSEEN
CHOCOLATE
SLUMBER PARTY
LEAVE-TAKING
HEALING
~ PART TWO ~THE MISSIVE
THE REPLY
SHELLS
HOPE
ALTERED
SECRETS
SYNERGY
NUPTIALS
CATACLYSM
VINDICATION
AT LONG LAST
SURRENDER
VERTIGO
EPILOGUE:TWENTY-ISH MONTHS LATER
'MERCI BUCKETS' TO THE FOLLOWING:
Misty Dawn Pulsipher, Pride's Prejudice
Pride's Prejudice Page 27
