Mr Darcy's Kiss

by Lari Ann O'Dell

  “Yes. Miss Bennet. He left this morning with a man named Colonel Forster, and a few other officers. He is off to the Continent as I heard it.”

  “The Continent?” cried Lydia. “Surely you must be mistaken.”

  “No,” said Mrs. Younge firmly, “the good colonel paid Mr. Wickham’s debt to me, and off they went. I do not suspect I shall ever see him again. I will have Miss Sarah pack your things.”

  “Oh no! I cannot believe my beloved Wickham would abandon me without a word. This is so distressing.” Lydia did not bother to wipe away the tears that had begun to fall. An hour later her things were packed. Lydia was forced to use what little money she had left to hire a carriage to Cheapside.

  When Lydia arrived at Gracechurch Street, she was surprised to discover that her sister was in town. As soon as she was ushered in, she set eyes on Elizabeth and exclaimed, “Lord, Lizzy, what are you doing here?” Then she wiped the tears from her face and ran into her sister’s comforting embrace.

  Elizabeth and Lydia had never been particularly close, but Lydia found it incredibly comforting to cry in her sister’s arms as she revealed the details of Mr. Wickham’s betrayal. “Oh Lizzy, he left without a word. I thought he loved me, but he did not even care enough to tell me that he had been offered a commission. Now I will never see him again, and no man will ever have me!”

  Elizabeth felt a rush of sympathy, despite her anger at Lydia’s senselessness for getting herself into this position. “Do not worry. All will be well,” said Elizabeth “It is not as bad as all that, our father, Mr. Darcy, and Colonel Fitzwilliam have already found an officer who may be willing to marry you.”

  “Mr. Darcy?” asked Lydia, “What has he to do with it?”

  “Mr. Darcy is now my husband,” said Elizabeth, “we were married on Friday.”

  Lydia’s shock could barely be contained, as she demanded details about the wedding. Elizabeth told her an abbreviated version of the tale, excluding the fact that they had anticipated their wedding vows. She finished by telling Lydia what Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam and her father had shared about Colonel John Cunningham and how he was coming to call that afternoon.

  Lydia’s eyes lit up as she finished. “I shall marry a handsome officer after all? Truly?”

  “I believe so,” said Elizabeth, embarrassed by her sister’s fickle behavior. “But for now, you should go upstairs and rest before he comes to call.”

  Lydia nodded and retired to the spare bedroom.

  ***

  Lydia was abuzz with excitement, to think that she was about to meet another handsome officer. That afternoon she donned her finest gown, a pale yellow and trimmed with delicate white lace. Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth had helped to style her hair in an extravagant coiffure of curls. She wore elbow length white gloves and fine slippers that had been borrowed from Lizzy. Lydia was quite determined to look her best for her prospective husband.

  Her enthusiasm and foolishness were such that they were all reminded of Mrs. Bennet. “Oh, Papa, is he handsome?”

  “Very handsome, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet patiently.

  The questions continued along these lines and were proof of Lydia’s immature and shallow nature. However, everyone was pleased that Lydia had clearly and easily moved past thinking of Mr. Wickham.

  Elizabeth and Darcy sat quietly in the corner of the sitting room, wishing that they could be alone. Their longing was lost on no one, save for Lydia, whose excitement about meeting Cunningham put everything else from her mind.

  When Mr. Cunningham’s arrival was announced, Lydia practically flew down the stairs. They were all in the sitting room with Lydia when the maid led him in. Colonel Fitzwilliam made the introductions. “Miss Bennet, this is Colonel John Cunningham. Colonel Cunningham, this is Miss Lydia Bennet.”

  Mr. Cunningham was not the romantic type, but his reaction to seeing Miss Lydia Bennet could only be described as love at first sight. For the first time in her life, Lydia did not begin the acquaintance with an outrageously flirtatious comment. Instead, she looked up at the officer through her lashes and said meekly, “It is very nice to meet you, Mr. Cunningham.”

  “Likewise, Miss Bennet,” he replied, taking her hand in is and brushing a kiss across her knuckles.

  Elizabeth observed their initial interaction in stunned silence. Darcy, quite frankly was equally astounded, as even he could tell that there was a spark between the young officer and the flighty Lydia. He was relieved and hoped that this meeting would inspire in Colonel Cunningham a wish to be married.

  The officer remained long into the evening; by the time he had left, Lydia was already singing his praises. “Oh, Papa,” said Lydia, “He is so charming, so handsome, so tall! I hope he liked me.”

  “I am sure he did, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet, in hopes of quelling her excited twittering, that, at this moment, rivaled Mrs. Bennet.

  ***

  The following day, Darcy, Mr. Bennet, and Colonel Fitzwilliam returned to Officer Cunningham’s dwelling. Without preamble, Mr. Bennet said, “So, Mr. Cunningham, will you consent to marry my daughter?”

  “I found her to be delightful, and an officer of humble means cannot afford to pass up such a generous dowry. Dowry aside, though, I think that we shall be very happy together.”

  Darcy took control from that point. “We need the wedding to take place as soon as possible, are you prepared to enter the holy state of matrimony?”

  “How soon,” asked Cunningham?

  “On Thursday, I will need to acquire a license and obtain the funds for Miss Bennet’s dowry.”

  “I am quite at my leisure on Thursday.”

  “Then it is settled,” said Darcy. Each of the men shook hands with Cunningham in turn. For Darcy, Thursday could not come soon enough, for he was eager return to Pemberley for some much desired alone time with his new bride.

  When Cunningham called at the Gardiner house later that day, he proposed to Lydia, and Lydia immediately accepted, proclaiming to be the happiest creature in the world. She could not believe her good fortune; she was to marry an officer despite her disgrace with Wickham. She was thrilled that she would soon be Mrs. Lydia Cunningham, and she could not wait to return to Hertfordshire as a married woman and show off her new husband and simple wedding band.

  ***

  The following day began with an argument between Darcy and Mr. Bennet. “Mr. Darcy, you do not need to pay for this wedding. It is my burden to bear, for if it was not for my own foolishness, this never would have occurred.”

  The gentlemen were all in the Gardiner’s sitting room, Darcy and Mr. Bennet were glowering at each other, with each determined to have his own way.

  “On the contrary, Mr. Bennet. I knew what Mr. Wickham was about. Had I not thought I was above laying out my private actions to the world, this never would have occurred. I must be allowed to take responsibility.”

  Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed, “Mr. Bennet, I suggest you let Darcy do as he wishes. He is quite stubborn when he sets his mind to it. There will be no peace until Darcy is allowed to have his own way.”

  “I am not a fractious child,” said Darcy, glaring at his cousin. “I am simply trying to take responsibility for my actions. Elizabeth is my wife, and Miss Lydia is now my sister. I can afford to spare four thousand pounds for my family.” Darcy turned back to Mr. Bennet. “Please, sir. I must be allowed to do this.”

  Mr. Bennet was persuaded by the young man’s concern and wish to take responsibility. Both obviously stemmed from his deep love for Elizabeth, and now that he was family, Mr. Bennet realized he had very little reason not to grant his request. He said sternly, “Very well, my boy, but do not conclude you shall succeed in future disagreements so easily.”

  “With a deferential nod Darcy said, “I will speak with my solicitor and obtain the funds. Will you obtain the license?”

  “I believe I will set that task upon Mr. Cunningham,” said Mr. Bennet, thinking that debating with the five women of his household had
softened him a bit and that he needed to better prepare himself if he wanted to have the last word with his son-in-law in the future.

  The marriage license was obtained the following day. Mr. Gardiner had made arrangements for the ceremony to take place at the small church near Cheapside while Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth and Lydia were busy obtaining last minute wedding items and items for her trousseau.

  Darcy obtained the funds from his solicitor, and by the night before the wedding, everything seemed to be in order.

  ***

  The church near Cheapside was a small building with its own unique charm. It was built of study gray stone, and was adorned with a single stain-glassed window. The interior of the church had been decorated with a few lovely bouquets of flowers chosen by Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth, but otherwise it was unadorned.

  The small party gathered together inside the small church. The Darcys, Colonel Fitzwilliam and the Gardiners sitting in the front. No one else was in attendance, as it was agreed that the wedding was to be a small, quiet affair.

  The groom stood with the local rector. He was dressed in his finest red coat, decorated with the medals he had earned in his years of service. His features displayed an eager happiness for this new stage of his life. Any doubts he had were dashed away when he saw his bride to be. His eyes were only for Lydia as she walked down the aisle on her father’s arm.

  She wore a modest, white gown, trimmed with a simple row of lace. Her white gloves were elbow length exposing a few inches of flesh. Mrs. Gardiner was thrilled to find this frock at a local London shop for an excellent price. Lydia’s locks were piled atop her head in a pattern of delicate curls, dotted with small white blossoms. She was blushing sweetly as she eyed her future husband.

  The ceremony itself was in all ways typical. The bride and groom repeated the holy vows uttered by the priest. The rings were exchanged. The couple knelt before the priest as he uttered the sacred prayer, anticipating the moment when the priest’s voice rang through the small church. “Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder!” Thus, the newly wedded couple left the church together, with smiles of true joy on their faces. Mr. Cunningham handed his new bride into the carriage awaiting them. Darcy had arranged for a honeymoon in one of the inns outside of London. The couple would then visit Longbourn for a week before settling back into Mr. Cunningham’s modest home.

  ***

  Now that everything was resolved, Elizabeth was happy to be returning to Pemberley with her husband. Jane and Bingley’s wedding had been moved to the third week of November, and Georgiana would be staying with the Bennets until that time, giving her and Darcy nearly two months of sweet solitude at Pemberley. On Saturday morning, the Darcys awoke early and set off for the estate.

  The newly wedded couple now sat together in the Darcy carriage, on their second day of the journey. With good fortune they would reach Pemberley by early evening.

  “William,” said Elizabeth, “I am looking forward to arriving at Pemberley. I have missed it so much. It truly is the best place in all of Derbyshire.”

  “I am glad you feel that way, my love,” said Darcy. “And now, should we meet again in your chambers you shall not have to leave me.”

  Elizabeth smiled, remembering the last time they had met in the Master chambers. “Nor will I be allowed to leave you, I suspect.” “Is it not the duty of a wife to obey her husband?” said Elizabeth cheekily.

  “I was not under the impression that married life with you would be that easy,” he said with mock gravity.

  “That is very sensible of you, sir,” she answered.