The reception
In everyone’s mind, there could not have been a more beautiful wedding. Forest Ridge Country Club was an ideal setting, and as it was mid-week, William had no problems securing the facility on such short notice. Rising to the occasion, Mrs. Bennet’s efforts went far beyond what anyone might have anticipated. From the decorations to the caterers, everything was well thought-out and beautifully executed. The heartfelt music sung by the academy students was touching and Skip Evans’ trio only added to the romantic atmosphere already pervading the hall during the reception.
By the time all of the well-wishers had said their piece and made their toasts, the happy couple was more than ready to have a few moments alone on the dance floor. “Mrs. Darcy,” William addressed Elizabeth as he led her through a turn and pulled her close to his chest. “Have I told you how lovely you look tonight and how very much I love you?” He tenderly caressed her cheek with his fingertips before placing a soft kiss on her lips.
“Yes, Mr. Darcy,” she answered rather dreamy-eyed. “I love you too, but I wouldn’t mind if you told me again.”
“My darling girl,” he whispered into her hair. “I love you with every breath of my being, and I intend to show just how much for the rest of our lives, starting with tonight.”
“William,” she momentarily blushed knowing what he was referring to. “Does this mean I can convince you to tell me where you’re taking me for our honeymoon?” Her teasing smile was bewitching.
“Liz, when you smile at me like that, how can I resist?” He kissed the back of her hand. “Following the reception, the limo will take us to our honeymoon suite, and then at ten in the morning, we board a plane for Hawaii.”
“Hawaii?” Her eyes grew wide with the thought.
“Yes, my love. For eight days and nights I shall have you all to myself. There will be no sisters, no extended family members, no co-workers or students—just you and me in a tropical paradise, alone.”
“Alone,” she mouthed as she touched his face and leaned in for another kiss. “Will, you are going to spoil me.”
“That’s my intention, sweetheart.”
“My present for you is not nearly as grand.” She shyly smiled.
“You have something for me?”
“I do. If you don’t mind, I asked Skip if we could revive our duet from Bingley’s party.”
“I would like nothing better, Liz.”
With that Elizabeth took William by the hand and led him over to where the trio was playing. Taking the mic in one hand, she lovingly said, “William Darcy, this song is for you.”
When I fall in love
It will be forever
And the moment
I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love
With you.
When I Fall in Love – by Victor Young and Edward Heyman
Epilogue
A little more than a year later the Darcys were well settled into their new residence in the famed Frank Lloyd District of Meryton Heights. Both William and Elizabeth loved historical architecture and didn’t hesitate to put in a bid on the old house when they first saw it. The house was only a short distance from the academy, which worked out perfectly for the girls, and William could easily catch a train into the city for meetings when he wasn’t working from home.
As one might imagine, holidays still played a very important part in the lives of the newly married couple. May twelfth, Mother’s Day, proved to be no exception. When the day finally arrived, Master William James Darcy II made his voice known to the world after testing his parents with thirteen hours of labor. The proud parents couldn’t be happier with their long and lean healthy boy who possessed an abundance of silky dark curls.
A few hours after having informed the family of their joyous news, William happily sat down on the bed where Elizabeth and his son were resting. “Liz, I love you and little Will so much,” he said, lovingly kissing his wife on the forehead. He was in awe as he watched their hungry child suckling at her breast, a precious vision he would never forget.
Elizabeth stroked the babe’s soft curls and looked up at her husband saying, “I love you, too, William. He’s so perfect.” She smiled with tears glistening in her eyes. “You know, of all the holidays we’ve shared together, this one is now my favorite.”
“Mine too, sweetheart.” He wiped her moist cheek with his finger. Moments later, he reached for his son’s hand, allowing the little fingers to wrap around one of his own. “A Holiday to Remember.” They smiled at one another and kissed knowing this was the way things were meant to be. Their lives would be filled with countless holidays and treasured memories which would continue to bless their days with joy and love.
~ Finis ~
TWELVE DAYS ~ A Regency Short Story
Day 1
Darcy House
The breakfast room
25 December, 1811
Sitting in his favourite chair, Fitzwilliam Darcy quietly browsed through the paper while sipping his morning coffee. The touch of his wife’s hand on his shoulder interrupted his perusal, and he glanced up, appreciating the mischievous sparkle in her eyes, along with the musical sound of her laughter.
Quickly rising and taking Elizabeth into his arms, he kissed her and asked, “To what do I owe the honour of your teasing ways, my love?”
“Teasing?” She arched a brow in his direction. “I could ask the same of you, my dear husband. Instead I shall simply express gratitude for my very unusual present.”
“Unusual present? Elizabeth, I am sure I do not understand your meaning.”
“Why, I am referring to a partridge in a pear tree now residing in the solarium,” she giggled. “Do you intend to shower me with all of the gifts which are mentioned in that old yule rhyme?1 If such is the case, I fear we shall have an excess of birds, and Cook will not be happy.”
“Elizabeth, there must be some mistake,” he puzzled. “Though I would have no problem showering you with gifts for twelve days, I assure you I did not send a partridge in a pear tree. Was there no message?”
“No, husband, there was not. I naturally assumed it was from you. Shall we go and take a closer look?”
“With pleasure,” he offered his arm. “I wonder if this is some trick of Richard’s. As a youth, he was known for such pranks.” Darcy continued to elaborate on the merits of his cousin’s mischief while accompanying his wife to the solarium. Entering the room, they were greeted by the screeching cries of the partridge being chased by a footman.
“Walters, what is going on here?”
“Forgive me, Mr. Darcy,” the footman responded while trying to regain his composure. “I was standing watch as Mrs. Darcy instructed when all at once the bird came down from his perch and started fluttering to and fro. I tried to catch him with the intention of restraining him in this box, but to no avail. As you can see, the bird has begun to create a mess with his droppings and has damaged some of the leaves on the potted plants.”
While Walters was speaking, Elizabeth had her own idea of what to do. Moving to a corner table, she quickly removed the items resting on top in order to free the tablecloth.
“Mr. Walters, please try using this cloth to subdue the bird.” Five minutes later, the task was accomplished.
“I shall take this bird to Cook at once.” Walters bowed and quickly left.
“Elizabeth.” Darcy was not happy. “I believe it is time to send Richard a note.”
Day 2
The study
26 December, 1811
Darcy was busy sorting through his mail when his wife stepped into the room. “Fitzwilliam.” She smiled radiantly and hurried to his desk where he took her by the hand and pulled her onto his lap for a lingering kiss.
“You are very happy today. Is there something I should know, my love?” He questioned.
“Another present has arrived, and I thought I would try to soften you before breaking the news.”
“Oh?” He
scowled. “I suppose it is the two turtle doves.”
“Yes.” She bit her lip before continuing. “And … there is another partridge in a pear tree.”
“What!” He bellowed. Removing his wife from his lap, Darcy rose and began to pace the floor in agitation. “Elizabeth, I shall not stand for this. Richard has gone too far this time. I tell you, I refuse to have our house filled with trees and birds. This nonsense must stop!”
“I agree, but if it is any consolation, Georgiana thinks that the two turtle doves are very pretty and would be happy to keep them as pets.”
“Humph! Richard must have received my message by now.” Darcy pinched the bridge of his nose hoping to stave off a headache. “I shall send him another note, and if he does not respond today, I will have no choice but to go to Matlock House on the morrow and confront him in person.”
Elizabeth quickly moved in front of her husband in an effort to stop his pacing. Grabbing his hands and putting them around her waist, she smiled and pulled his face down to hers for another kiss. “Fitzwilliam, I am determined not to let your mood spoil our day. Walters has taken care of the new partridge, and we shall deal with the tree later. May we not take a long walk this morning? It is a lovely winter day, and I am sure the fresh air will make you feel better.”
“Forgive me.” He kissed her again. “A long walk followed by some time alone with you in our chambers would be very much to my liking.”
“Then let us leave at once.”
Day 3
Matlock House
27 December, 1811
“Darcy, what brings you here today?” Colonel Fitzwilliam’s voice was husky and barely audible. “Sorry if I seem to be under the weather.”
“Richard, you look terrible. I was about to ask why you have ignored my messages, but now I can see for myself. Should you not be in bed?”
Taking out a handkerchief, he sneezed before complaining, “Devil of a cold. Sorry, I have yet to read my mail. Tell me, in my limited capacity, how may I be of service today?”
“Actually, I came here to accuse you of a prank, but now I am not so sure.”
“A prank?”
“Yes, for three days, Darcy House has been besieged by unusual gifts. It all started on the twenty-fifth with a partridge in a pear tree. I must admit the bird was very tasty and Cook did make splendid pear butter, but that is hardly the point. Yesterday, we were gifted with two turtle doves AND another partridge in a pear tree. Finally today, the three French hens were delivered in addition to two more turtle doves and…”
“Let me guess, a partridge in a pear tree.”
“Just so!”
Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed so hard that he broke into a fit of coughing. “Priceless!” he barely choked out. “I am sorry to say it was not me who sent the gifts. I only wish I had the resources to be so creative.”
“Richard!” He glared. “More importantly, the question becomes how do I stop these gifts from coming? Tomorrow’s offerings will most likely be the four colly birds, and you know what a noisy lot they are. Can you imagine what kind of chaos will prevail at Darcy House if this continues on for twelve days?”
Trying not to cough, the colonel teased, “I cannot help but wonder where you will put the six geese-a-laying, as well as the seven swans-a-swimming. Your aviary will never house all of those birds and the pond area is hardly adequate. Too bad you are not at Pemberley. At least there you could pass on some of the gifts to your tenants.”
“Please!” Frustrated, Darcy raked his hand through his hair and continued. “I am at a loss here. I have no idea if I should enlist the aid of the Bow Street Runners to find the source of these deliveries, or if I should resort to having my footmen stand porter outside my house. What do you suggest I do?”
“I get your point. Although I am not feeling my best, I still have a meeting scheduled with one of my aides later this afternoon. Let me see what I can do.”
Day 6
The Club
31 December, 1811
Darcy could hardly believe the attention he garnered as he walked into Whites. Strange sounds like clucking chickens and cawing birds could be heard beneath the din of quiet laughter while patrons bowed with exaggeration or winked in fun. Was there no person who had not heard of his dilemma or had not read about it in the gossip papers? Walking into the lounge, Darcy spotted his cousin sitting at a small table with another gentleman.
Rising, the colonel said, “Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, please allow me to introduce Mr. Morris, the investigator I hired on your behalf.” Greetings were exchanged, and Darcy took a seat.
Morris appeared nervous as he spoke, his voice high-pitched. “Thus far, I have had difficulty tracing the monetary transactions for your gifts any further than the various establishments where they were purchased. In the case of the partridges and the pear trees, the proprietor indicated that an elderly gentleman placed the order on behalf of a client who preferred to remain anonymous. I also discovered that more than one shop was contracted in the acquisition of the French hens and the colly birds. As for the five gold rings, a collection of eight sets were ordered by a woman. I regret to say, your benefactor has been rather clever.”
“You said eight sets of gold rings, Mr. Morris?” Darcy’s voice began to rise in agitation.
“That is correct.” He winced.
“I care not what it takes. This has to stop. Hire additional investigators, if you must. As of today, I have received a total of six partridges and six pear trees, ten turtle doves, one of which bit my sister’s finger, twelve French hens, twelve colly birds, two sets of five gold rings and this morning, six geese-a-laying. The way these gifts are compounding, my property is abounding with fowl, and we are only half way through the twelve days!”
“Darcy, calm down.” The colonel grabbed his cousin by the arm as he spoke. “Even if we cannot stop the gifts for the time being, Mother has offered to take the birds so that they may be donated to one of her charities. There are many who are in need of food in the worst part of the city, and she will be sending over several footmen to collect them for distribution. Rest assured, we shall put an end to this madness.”
“Humph!”
Day 10
Darcy House
The Study
4 January, 1812
“Elizabeth, please come in. I have had another note from Richard. Apparently, the nine ladies dancing who were sent yesterday and today’s ten Lords-a-leaping, are hired performers who have been without regular employment since the fire at Drury Lane. Richard assures me, for a small fee, the actors will gladly resign their positions and not return for the remaining two days of their performance. It is also my understanding that Mr. Morris has finally put an end to the birds.”
“Thank goodness, but does he know anything about the eleven pipers piping or the twelve drummers drumming?”
“That, my lovely wife, remains to be seen. I am hoping Morris will be able to locate the musicians and stop them from coming here as well. Each day our street has become more crowded with spectators who wish to laugh at our expense. I tell you, Elizabeth, if it was not for my aunt’s ball on Twelfth Night, I would gladly whisk you away to Pemberley this very day.” Darcy reached for his wife, pulled her into his embrace, and kissed the top of her head.
“Fitzwilliam, it still puzzles me as to why anyone would go to all of this trouble and expense to try to embarrass us in this fashion.”
“Those, too, are my thoughts. It makes no sense.”
“Then again,” she playfully teased while trying to wiggle free, “perhaps you have a former lover who is disgruntled over our marriage. Tell me, Mr. Darcy, could that be the problem?”
“I think not, my dear.” He held her firm and kissed her soundly on the lips. “Rest assured, Elizabeth, you are my first and only love. In truth, Mr. Morris believes this entire fiasco is the work of two people. To be precise, they are a man and a woman who have donned several disguises.”
“Two people?”
/> “Yes. Hopefully, they will be caught in the end.” He sighed. “Next year, do let us stay in the country for the holidays. I am weary of Town.”
Elizabeth reached up and touched her husband’s face. “With pleasure, my love.”
Several Days Later
“Miss Bingley, the gentleman and lady you were expecting have arrived. Would you care to see them now?”
“Yes, Forsett, please show them in.” Caroline quickly folded up the missive she had been reading from her brother’s solicitor and put it to the side. Before leaving on holiday with his wife, Charles had authorized Mr. Knox to release additional monies for her use during the holiday season. After all she would need to make purchases for Boxing Day, gifts for a few relatives and certainly some new winter necessities for herself. For some extra coin, the solicitor had turned his head the other way when Caroline presented him with her unusual list of purchases. This particular letter was confirmation that all of her bills had been paid in full.
Picking up a folded copy of the latest gossip paper, she greeted her guests. “I was just enjoying a bit of tattle about Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy. It seems they were besieged with unusual gifts during the holiday season.”
“So we have heard,” the gentleman purposely nodded to his companion.
“Perhaps you would care to read it for yourself,” Caroline drawled, handing the man the publication. The man grinned as he eagerly took the paper and opened it to make sure that what he came for was between the pages.
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