“My goodness! That was fast!”
“Indeed! While Mr. Darcy was doing everything he could to ensure that Miss Montford might be spared any embarrassment, her father was making arrangements for her to become engaged to Mr. Wiggins. It seems that Mr. Wiggins Sr. is very rich and very ill, and when he dies, Jasper will get it all. With so much money at stake, Sir John thought he needed to move quickly. Once Mr. Darcy heard about the engagement, he thought, if she is not waiting, then I am not waiting. After purchasing a special license, he rushed back here to ask me to agree to move up the wedding date and to speak to Papa.”
“Well, this cannot come as a total surprise to you. You have often said that Mr. Darcy is a man who likes to have his way.”
“Yes, he does. But this time, I am in complete agreement,” and Lizzy smiled at the memory of Mr. Darcy’s proposal. “You would think that with the wedding on Friday that I would be in a tizzy—running around like a chicken with its head cut off. But there is little for me to do. You have provided the dress. Mama is to arrange for the food. News of the wedding is being relayed in town and on the farms by John and Adam. I have written to Aunt and Uncle Gardiner and Charlotte, although I doubt she will be able to come on such short notice. All that is left for me to do is to pack up everything I will be taking to Pemberley. So here I sit, waiting for Mrs. Lyle,” she said, folding her hands and twiddling her thumbs.
“So tell me,” Lizzy said, changing the subject, “what have you been doing at Netherfield Park, other than trying to get out of the way of an abundance of Bingleys?”
“If you are asking about last night, it was the wedding night redux,” and Lizzy raised her eyebrows. Jane had been married two days, and she and Charles had made love six times. “Apparently, this activity has now become Charles’s favorite thing,” Jane said, laughing. “However, tonight, I am going to ask if I may sleep through the night. He falls back to sleep right away, while I lie there awake. But he will agree to anything I ask.”
“I know this is a very personal question, but does Charles undress you?” “Good grief, Lizzy! Certainly not. I am in bed and under the covers when he comes in. What made you ask such a question?”
“Because I do not know what to expect. I have been thinking about the man I was to marry since I was thirteen, but I never went past the wedding.”
“Well, you certainly have a vivid imagination. Such a thing would never have occurred to me.”
But it would have occurred to you, Lizzy thought, if you had read Mr. Darcy’s letter.
“For me, the best part is afterward when I lie in Charles’s arms, and we speak of our future together. And, Lizzy, you will have the same thing. Mr. Darcy is so in love with you that he will want to make you happy in all things.”
She just wished she knew what “all things” included.
On the eve of their wedding, Mr. Darcy sent his carriage to Longbourn for Lizzy with a note saying that all of the Bingleys had departed, including Mrs. Crenshaw, and it was safe to come to Netherfield. Lizzy thought it an excellent idea as her mother was driving her to distraction. All during her fitting, Mama had been buzzing around Mrs. Lyle making suggestions regarding the lace trim and rosettes that were being added to the hem and sleeves of the gown. After that, she went downstairs to check on Mrs. Hill’s progress with the preparations for the next day’s reception. From there she visited her three youngest daughters to make sure they had chosen their best frocks. Although Mr. Bennet had informed her several times that he was not in need of such information, Mrs. Bennet stopped by to give her husband an update on all that was going on.
“Mrs. Bennet, I am only interested in what is required of me. I am to give Lizzy away, and then I am to get out of the way.”
Georgiana greeted Lizzy as soon as she stepped into the foyer. Taking Lizzy by the hand, she led her to the drawing room and to a lady unknown to her. The visitor was sitting in the chair closest to the fire, her legs covered by a quilt, and with an exquisite black shawl decorated with red roses draping her shoulders. She had a complexion so fair that it was almost translucent, and her finely carved features and sky-blue eyes were framed by coal-black hair. Although she looked as frail as a China doll and kept a handkerchief in her lap to hide her coughs, she gave the impression of being someone who was made of sterner stuff.
“Elizabeth, I want you to meet my dear cousin, Miss Anne de Bourgh.”
“Miss Elizabeth, I am so pleased to meet you in person. I have heard so much about you from Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lord Fitzwilliam and from letters sent to me by Georgiana. Even Will, who is a terrible correspondent, wrote extensively of your attributes, and I can see that his praise of your beauty was not exaggerated.”
Lizzy was deeply touched. Miss de Bourgh loved her cousin so much that she had left her warm hearth at Rosings Park to travel in very cold weather to see him married.
“Elizabeth, you see we have another guest,” Darcy said as he entered the room. “Once I realized that there was a possibility that we might marry sooner than expected, I wrote to Colonel Fitzwilliam, asking that he bring Anne to London. In this way, the people dearest to me will be witnesses to the happiest day of my life.”
Lizzy did not know if it was a combination of the strain of waiting for each other for all those months or the fact that this man of few words had said such a beautiful thing, but tears came to her eyes.
“Miss Elizabeth, it is not too late to change your mind,” the colonel said. “It seems every time you and Darcy are together, he reduces you to tears.”
“It is a small price to pay for such company,” Lizzy said, dabbing her eyes with Mr. Darcy’s handkerchief.
“Richard, have you thought that it might be you who distresses Miss Elizabeth?” Darcy asked, and everyone laughed.
Anne motioned for Lizzy to come and sit beside her on the sofa. “Lord Fitzwilliam sends his love and regrets, but he has decided to stay at Rosings Park to amuse my mother, and his presence makes my absence possible. My mother does not yet know of your marriage, and when she does, she will shout and carry on and threaten. But someone in every generation needs to shake things up, and this time, it will be Will. In my mother’s generation, it was a Fitzwilliam marrying a de Bourgh. Mama will tell you that the first Lord de Bourgh made his money in the importation of fine wines and spirits. Not so delicately put, he was a smuggler. But she chooses to forget that part of our history.”
“Miss Elizabeth, when you go to Rosings Park,” Richard said, “and eventually you will go to Rosings Park because my aunt requires an audience for her orations and she will miss Darcy, Anne will sit quietly next to Mrs. Jenkinson, her companion, and say nothing. But appearances can be deceiving. On more than one occasion Anne has gotten the better of her mother.”
“No more about my mother,” Anne said, interrupting. “I have come to Hertfordshire to visit with old friends and to make new ones. And before I forget, Miss Elizabeth, I visited with Mrs. Collins before leaving for London, and she sends her congratulations. She was not at all surprised to learn of your engagement. It seems my cousin was unable to hide his feelings for you. However, Mr. Collins does not know of the happy event, and Mrs. Collins said that it is best that she tell him at a time of her choosing.”
It was a most engaging evening because it was apparent that the Fitzwilliam clan enjoyed each other’s company immensely. They told funny stories about their childhood, including running through Pemberley’s maze or staging plays at Rosings or fishing in Briarwood’s streams. It was nearly 9:00 when Lizzy reluctantly announced that she needed to go home.
Darcy rode with Lizzy to Longbourn and told her that they would break their journey at Wick Manor near Northampton. “It is a handsome manor house owned by the Haydon family, but since they are all in town for Christmas, Rupert Haydon said that I should make myself at home, but we will stay only the one night.” As the carriage turned into the drive, he asked her if she had read his second letter.
“No. I told you that I woul
d not.”
After looking at her with a suspicious eye, he asked again, “Elizabeth, did you read my second letter?”
“No,” she said, laughing. “You may ask as many times as you wish; my answer will remain the same.”
“Well, then it is pointless to ask again. But it was not a fruitless exercise because now I know that if you ever tell me an untruth, I shall know it. You are terrible at deception.” He took her hand and kissed it, but made no attempt to do more. “Tonight, I am on my best behavior, but it is the last night that I shall be.”
After visiting with her mother to learn the present state of affairs regarding the reception, Lizzy hurried to her room and got the chest from under her bed, and after climbing back under the covers, she read the now familiar words:
My dearest Elizabeth,
Even the thankfully few days that remain before our wedding are too many. I do not sleep for thinking of you, imagining you in my arms and in our bed. If you knew my deepest wishes, indeed, if my actions at Netherfield dismayed you, my thoughts would alarm you. But, Elizabeth, how can I stop? Until I met you, I prided myself in having control over the baser instincts that govern most men. Now I find that I cannot control where my imagination roams, and it roams over the delights of your body. The night we wed I will sweep you off your feet and carry you to our bedroom. You will stand before me, and I will undress you. And as my lips find yours, our passion will rise together. A month ago, I wanted you. A week ago, I yearned. Now my only thought is to know you, all of you. Can I make it any clearer? I want you immediately, entirely, completely, irrevocably, so that you will be mine forever.
All my love, Will
After folding the letter and putting it back in the chest, she recalled what Jane had said. “Mr. Darcy will want you to be happy in all things,” and now she had pretty a good idea of what “all things” might include.
Mrs. Lyle had performed miracles in altering Jane’s wedding dress for Elizabeth. She had worked tirelessly, adding rosettes to the new lace hem, tucking lace into the bodice, shortening the sleeves, and trimming them with tiny rosettes. When Lizzy saw the finished product, it looked like a completely new dress, and she loved it.
What Mrs. Lyle had done for the dress, Mrs. Hill was doing for Lizzy’s hair. “There won’t be a curl out of place today, Miss Lizzy, because I put a pearl pin in each one of your curls. But I left it long in the back,” and she held up a mirror so that Lizzy might see the results.
“It is perfect, Mrs. Hill. Thank you so much.”
When the bride came downstairs, there were oohs and aahs from all the ladies of the house, but from Mr. Bennet, there was silence. He was doing everything he could to keep from crying. He had not shed a tear when Jane had married Bingley because she would be nearby at Netherfield Park, but Lizzy, when she was not in town, would be in faraway Derbyshire. There would be no dropping by to visit the Darcys.
Because the day was so cold, no one was standing outside the church in the hopes of catching a peek at the bride. All were huddled inside trying to keep warm while keeping an eye on the church door.
Lizzy and her father stepped into the vestibule, quickly closing the door behind them. After removing her pelisse, Lizzy took her father’s arm and whispered, “I love you. Nothing has changed.” Oh, but it had, Mr. Bennet knew.
With the exception of Kitty and Lydia, who had not stopped staring at Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was dressed in his regimentals, all eyes were on the bride, and when Elizabeth walked down the aisle, she could hear whispers about how lovely she looked. But it was the look on Mr. Darcy’s face that she wanted to hold forever in her memory. He had gazed at her with such love that she felt as if her heart was growing, and when the time came for him to place the wedding band on her finger, he experienced the same feeling.
After the vicar had pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Darcy to be husband and wife, the newlyweds walked down the aisle, and after greeting everyone in the vestibule, they encouraged the shivering group to go to Netherfield immediately, especially Anne de Bourgh, who was dressed from head to toe in a fur coat. It could not possibly have been good for her to be out in such weather.
At Netherfield, everyone was waiting for the bride and groom to come into the drawing room, and when they entered holding hands, they were greeted with a rousing tune by the fiddlers, and Colonel Fitzwilliam led the guests in a round of huzzahs. The same musicians who had played at Jane’s wedding breakfast had been brought back for Lizzy’s celebration because the dancing would go on well into the evening.
The happy couple circulated around the room receiving the congratulations of all, and everything the couple said was met with nods of approval by their guests.
After many toasts, the fiddle player plucked on his strings, a signal that the dancing was to begin. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy led the first dance, a lively jig, but after two more sets, Darcy indicated to Elizabeth and Georgiana that they would need to leave within the hour if they were to arrive at Wick Manor before dark. Both ladies went upstairs to change into their traveling clothes. When Lizzy said good-bye to her sisters and mother, there were tears in her eyes, but when she said good-bye to her father, the tears flowed.
“Be happy, my dear. That is all I ever wanted for all of you,” Mr. Bennet said, patting her hand.
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy got into the carriage, followed by Georgiana, and Mrs. Brotherton, who was carrying Pepper. All burrowed under the fur blankets, and because she was now Mrs. Darcy, Lizzy scooted over to be closer to her husband, but he moved closer still.
Because the driver needed to go slowly in case there were any patches of ice, the journey took much longer than expected. When the party finally turned into the courtyard at Wick Manor, they were met by four men holding lanterns. Once in the house, Mrs. Cower, who had served the family for decades, and Mr. Bendlow, their butler, who had been with the Haydons since he was a boy, were there to greet them.
“Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, on behalf of the Haydon family, may I congratulate you on your marriage and welcome you to Wick Manor. We are delighted to have you visit with us on your wedding day,” Mrs. Cower said. And she then turned her attention to Georgiana. “Is it possible that this young lady is Miss Darcy? I have not seen you in at least two years and how you have grown. Have you come out? Belle of the ball, I am sure.
“Because of the cold, we have lit fires only in your bedrooms as we have found it difficult to keep the public rooms warm. I have arranged for supper to be served upstairs. I have kept it simple, not knowing when you would be here.”
“Mrs. Cower, I believe I can speak for my wife and sister when I say we are more tired than hungry,” Mr. Darcy answered, and they were led to their rooms. As soon as they had eaten, Georgiana and Mrs. Brotherton retired. Mrs. Cower came in immediately after and asked Elizabeth if she should have the maid come in.
“That will not be necessary, Mrs. Cower,” Mr. Darcy answered. “However, we shall have an early start tomorrow, so perhaps some bread and cheese for breakfast.”
“I will see to it. Good night to you both. If you need additional blankets, they can be found in that chest there. I can’t remember when it has been this cold.”
With the housekeeper gone, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy were alone. When Mr. Darcy had told Mrs. Cower that she did not require the assistance of the maid, Lizzy had swallowed hard. Her husband really was going to undress her, and she was so embarrassed by the thought that she did not know where to look.
“It is freezing in here, so let us get ready for bed,” Will said. “Shall we begin by taking down your hair, Mrs. Darcy?” And he led Lizzy to the dressing table. “I have never done this before, but I daresay I can remove pins as well as anyone else.” After pulling out more than a dozen pins, he asked, “How many do you have in there? Just when I think I am done, there is another group hidden in your curls.”
“Let me do it. There are only a few left,” and after Lizzy had found the last one, she picked up the brush and started to brush her hair.
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“May I do that?” he asked, taking the brush from her hand. “You do know that whenever you wore your hair down, you were tormenting me.”
“I had no idea of doing any such thing.”
“I doubt that.”
“It is true that I was aware of your preference, but I just wanted you to be as unhappy as I was at our dismal prospects, but certainly not tormented.”
“Ah, I see the difference.”
“Besides, with all my curls, I have difficulty keeping them from popping out, and sometimes, especially in rainy weather, it is easier to wear my hair down, tied with a ribbon.”
“Then let us hope for rain.”
Darcy took Lizzy by the hand and led her to the bed. He turned her around and undid the buttons of her dress, and she felt her corset loosen as he undid the stays. But then he stopped, and Lizzy turned to look at him.
“I think you will be able to manage the rest on your own.”
“But in your letter, you wrote…”
“I know what I wrote. But one thing at a time. Now, my clothes are in the next room, which has no heat at all. So if you would get ready for bed as quickly as possible, I would appreciate it.”
With the room so chilly, there would be no dawdling, no time to think about what was about to happen, and she quickly went about her toilette. After one final look in the mirror, she knocked on the door to let Mr. Darcy know that she was ready. Will entered the room to find her perched on the edge of the bed.
“I did not know which side of the bed you wanted to sleep on,” she explained.
“I always sleep in the middle,” and then he smiled, pulled back the cover, and gestured for her to get in. As soon as they had settled in, Will pulled her to him, and she rested her head on his shoulder and placed her hand over his heart.
A Wife for Mr. Darcy Page 26
