The Flight Path Less Traveled

by Leigh Dreyer

  With that last, the room erupted in low laughter. The chaplain looked between the couple and said, “These rings signify to us the union between these two people.”

  “Elizabeth, I give you this ring as a sign of my vows. With all that I am and all that I have, I honor you.”

  “William, I give you this ring as a sign of my vows. With all that I am and all that I have, I honor you.”

  “William and Elizabeth have given themselves to each other through solemn vows and the giving and receiving of rings. I present to you, husband and wife. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder. You may kiss the bride.”

  Darcy and Elizabeth stared at each other. Both hardly drew breath.

  “Oh my god. They’re going to kiss, right?”

  “Shut up, Lydia,” said a chorus of family members.

  “I love you,” Slowly, the corners of Elizabeth’s lips turned up into an easy smile.

  “And I love you.” It seemed the most natural sentence to ever pass through her lips, and the light in her eyes lit up her entire face.

  Darcy leaned forward, his hands sliding from her hand to her elbow and finally onto the small of her back. Her hands naturally reached around his neck. When their lips touched in an earth-shattering kiss, Darcy felt as if he might explode. The room’s cheers drowned out any sounds in his own head and his entire being focused on the connection between himself and his wife.

  And then Richard helpfully nudged him. “You better get going if you want to make it before sundown.”

  Darcy nodded and turned to guide Elizabeth toward the doors. “Where are we going?” Elizabeth asked in-between handshakes, smiles, and thanks.

  “I have a surprise for you.”

  “Mom planned a whole reception.”

  “We’ll stay. I don’t want to make her upset this early in our relationship, but we need to go as soon as we can break away.” He winked at her before Jane pulled them to greet their guests.

  “Georgiana, it is so nice to see you again.” Elizabeth hugged her newest sister then turned to the handsome older couple beside her. “Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam, I presume. It is lovely to meet you. Will and Richard have told me so much about you.”

  “You’re an absolute doll. Everything your mother described,” exclaimed Peggy Fitzwilliam in a quick, cultured Manhattan accent.

  “Oh, you’ve met my mother?” Elizabeth spent one short instant wondering what her mother could have said that may have embarrassed her, but before she could work herself up to a proper level of anxiety, Peggy Fitzwilliam interrupted her train of thought.

  “We wouldn’t miss William’s wedding for the world, would we, Dan?”

  Daniel Fitzwilliam tilted his head and raised an eyebrow then took a drink of his cocktail.

  “When you come to the city, you’ll have to stay in the apartment of course. I know William is always brooding away at his Pemberley, but I will show you a simply divine time.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” said Elizabeth.

  “You don’t need to say anything at all. You’re welcome any time, my dear. Isn’t she, Dan?” This time, she did not wait for a nod.

  “Our little GiGi would love to have some company occasionally a little closer to her own age.”

  “Don’t call me that in public, please, Aunt Peggy,” Georgianna uttered, looking mortified before texting furiously on her phone.

  “Lizzy,” whispered Jane. “The Lucases and Charlotte wanted to say congratulations.”

  Elizabeth nodded to her new relatives, kissed her new husband on the cheek, and said, “Excuse me a minute,” before following Jane through the crowd.

  Her mother had pulled together an impressive variety of hors d’oeuvres in the time she had been given. Stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped dates, caprese salad boats, bruschetta, and a charcuterie board were mixed with as many fresh fruits. William Collins was piling his plate when Elizabeth found Charlotte.

  “Charlotte, I’m so glad you could come!”

  “We were lucky to fly down with the senator. I would hate to have missed it. We hardly get down here anymore to see my family. You look lovely, Elizabeth. Where did you get the dress?”

  “It’s my mother’s.”

  “Really?”

  “Well, that’s a story for another day, but I needed a dress and this happened to fit.”

  “Like a glove. I’m impressed. Your mom was so tiny when she married.”

  “I know but five kids does things to you.”

  “Speaking of which, now that you’re married, what are your plans? Will there be any little Lizzys running around?”

  “I—I—someday, I guess.”

  Charlotte laughed, touched her stomach, and held her finger to her lips. “Don’t tell.”

  Elizabeth squealed and pulled her friend into a crushing hug.

  “When?”

  “I’m only seven weeks along. The doctor just confirmed last week. I’m due August fourteenth.”

  “You’re going to be a mom!”

  “And you just got married!”

  “Things have changed a lot since we ran around the inn, playing dress up and having tea parties.”

  “They certainly have. Think your mom would make those little sandwiches like she used to if we asked her? The little sugar ones?”

  Elizabeth laughed. “The white bread with butter and sugar? Probably if we begged. But her palate is much more refined now.”

  Charlotte waved a hand toward the food table where her husband had stationed himself to compliment the chef when he was not busy consuming large mouthfuls of food.

  “So, what are you going to do now? Darcy still has a couple years here, but will you be staying at Netherfield or moving to your own place?”

  “Well―”

  “I hope you get your own place. You would be surprised what a difference it makes having control of your own home. William and I just moved from Hunsford into Austin proper as a matter of fact.”

  “You convinced him to leave Senator De Bourgh’s?”

  “Just during those precious hours when he is not expected to be at work. What I did was remove myself.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I just couldn’t deal with all of the condescending attitudes about how I operate. ‘Put this table here.’ ‘You’re breakfast table should be west facing.’ ‘Those curtains should be paisley instead of floral.’ No more. We moved to our house about a month ago. We get a housing stipend instead of the free house on the grounds, but between you and me, it’s worth the extra money. I would have called, but we had just found out about the baby, and I was a little overwhelmed.”

  “Elizabeth,” her mother interrupted. “You need to mingle with all of your guests—oh, hello, Charlotte. Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Bennet.”

  “You know, now that you’re married you can call me Fanny. You are an adult after all.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes to the heavens before she squeezed Charlottes hand and was dragged off by her mother.

  “She’s barely said a word to me.”

  “Georgiana, when has she had a chance? And that isn’t even true. I saw both of you talking just a few minutes ago.” Darcy held Georgiana’s shoulders and looked at her seriously. “Don’t worry. You’ll be back at Pemberley in a few weeks, and everything will be perfect. I promise, Elizabeth will absolutely love you.”

  Darcy looked around the room for Elizabeth; finding her was easy by her wedding gown.

  “What if she doesn’t, Will?”

  “You are being ridiculous. Go find Richard. You’ll have to fly home with Aunt Peggy and Uncle Dan.”

  “Why can’t I go with you?”

  “Because he just got married,” Richard said just behind Georgiana, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, bug. Let’s go find Mom and Dad and get out of here. We’ll bring you back over to Pemberley next week where I’m sure Elizabeth will be better able to talk. Look around, she’s hardly been able to eat, le
t alone make sure she doesn’t hurt your feelings. Besides, if we leave, Aunt Catherine will leave before she causes any problems, and she will pull her secretary along with her before he eats the Bennets out of house and home.”

  Georgiana looked between the cousins.

  “We’ll see you soon back home. I promise,” said Darcy. “Besides, we need to plan for that trip to Italy in a few months, right?”

  Georgiana mumbled a series of sentences that Darcy could not hear above the din of the laughing around him.

  “All right, G,” said Richard. “Let’s thank our hostess.”

  He grabbed his sister’s arm and pulled her in for a hug. “I love you.”

  “Love you too, Will.”

  “Mr. Collins, I need you!” Across the room, Aunt Catherine barked at her assistant loudly enough that the whole room turned to see what was causing the commotion. Mr. Collins nearly dropped his plate of food in his haste to scamper through the crowd, muttering profuse apologies as he stamped on toes, pushed people into each other, and even elbowed one unfortunate child in the head.

  Above the cacophony, Darcy met Elizabeth’s eyes. They held a pleading look before she glanced meaningfully at the door and back to him. He nodded and maneuvered himself toward his new mother-in-law.

  “You have completely outdone yourself, Mrs. Bennet. I know the reception exceeded all our expectations in every way. Honestly, I don’t know how you have done it within hours.”

  “I see you are competing already for favorite son-in-law, but it was nothing, William. Nothing at all. The family came together. We would do anything to see our Lizzy happy.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “I spoke with your family a few minutes ago. The inn is full, and I was sorry we couldn’t accommodate them.”

  “Oh no, ma’am. We are all flying back to New York. In fact, I came to tell you that I had planned to bring Elizabeth to Pemberley tonight, and we need to leave. I spoke to my commander and he signed off on leave, and I would love to show her upstate New York for our honeymoon.”

  Mrs. Bennet looked reluctant.

  “Of course, my aunt Catherine and Mr. Collins will likely leave as soon as we do.” He watched Mrs. Bennet’s eyes find Mr. Collins, who continued to gobble down bites of her perfectly prepared delicacies, leaving crumbs on her floors and grease streaks on his trousers where he had wiped his fingers. Mrs. Bennet’s eyes narrowed.

  “I’m sure Elizabeth would love to change if you don’t mind mingling a while longer. I’ll go and help her. I wouldn’t want you to be delayed. Honeymoons are such a special time, and I know she is excited.”

  She nodded at him and smiled before bustling off, shooing Elizabeth through a door to the family rooms.

  Darcy wasted no time finding his aunt Catherine to inform her that he was leaving within the next fifteen minutes. Anne was at her side and only glanced up once from typing on her phone to acknowledge Darcy at all. Catherine called Mr. Collins to heel (along with a reluctant Mrs. Collins) and exited Longbourn with little more than a goodbye and a backward glance. Then he removed himself to a guest room to quickly change his own clothes.

  When he had returned to the reception, Darcy made sure to visit as many people as possible and receive their well-wishes with smiles and words of gratitude. Never one for parties, he was ecstatic when Elizabeth walked back through the door.

  Mrs. Bennet cleared her throat and clapped her hands together. “The newlyweds are ready to depart.” She waved Darcy to join Elizabeth and then guided the guests forward through the doors.

  Lydia had pulled Elizabeth’s car behind Longbourn, where it had been decorated by her sisters with help from Bingley. When they were done, Richard passed Darcy the keys. They exited Longbourn to cheers from their guests and a shower of birdseed.

  Darcy opened the door for Elizabeth. Elizabeth rolled down the window, and the couple waved and shouted “goodbye” until they were well past the crowd and half way down the lane. Elizabeth rolled her window up, and Darcy took her hand in his.

  “I love you, Mrs. Darcy.”

  She smiled and squeezed his hand. “I love you too, Mr. Darcy.”

  When they reached the airport and had parked in front of Sheila’s hangar, Darcy kissed Elizabeth, letting his lips graze over hers softly. He did not worry about his hands as they drifted over her body from her perfect cheeks to her hair and down her back. For the first time, he did not worry about fraternization rules or their skirting of the Air Force rules by living together in her sister’s home. This kiss told the story of their love and desire for each other, and he was anxious to fulfill the promises he had made to love and cherish her forever.

  The flight to Pemberley was perfect. The skies were a pristine, cloudless blue; Darcy’s Bonanza the only wisp of white streaking through the cool, crystalline air. Elizabeth was able to handle the controls that she had missed so much. She dove, dipped, stalled, and turned. The Bonanza was a handy jet but lacked the acrobatic capabilities of the T-6.

  “You’re a natural. I’ve thought so since watching you practice timing on the way to Rosings,” said Darcy.

  “Thank you.”

  “You would have made a great fighter.”

  “I think so too. But I’ll always be able to fly with you and for that I am grateful.”

  “I would have followed you anywhere, Elizabeth. I’m sorry your Air Force career had to end the way it did. If I could have changed places with you, I would have switched in an instant to keep you from the pain you’ve been dealing with for the last months.”

  “Let’s not talk about it. I don’t want to think about it. I want to think about us.”

  “I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

  “I’m not. It’s what makes us stronger, what sets us apart, and what makes us, well…us.” Elizabeth’s voice over the intercom had had an ethereal quality as she talked.

  “Besides, we’re married now,” Darcy said, smiling at her, then taking her hand and kissing it.

  “Yes, and you’re taking me away from all my problems.”

  “Pemberley has its share too. Don’t worry.”

  “If it’s the same as the last time I was there, Pemberley has absolutely none.”

  “I’m inclined to agree with you, if only because I never seem to have them when I’m there.”

  “I love it when you agree with me.”

  “If you didn’t have a headset on, I would kiss you silly.”

  “We can take them off…”

  After a few hours made shorter by frequent kissing and touching, the newlyweds landed at Pemberley. They taxied to the hangar.

  “Mrs. Reynolds has taken leave for the week, so we’ll be here by ourselves. You’ll have to put up with my cooking,” said Darcy as they rolled near the doors of the building.

  “I’m sure there’s a pizza place that delivers.”

  “Maybe.” Darcy grinned at Elizabeth. “If we want to jump out, we can pull the plane in and park it. Do you mind opening the door for me?”

  Darcy busied himself placing a tow on the plane wheel while Elizabeth made her way to the door.

  “I’m sure you’d like to get a real tour of your new home.” Darcy looked behind him as Elizabeth struggled to open the latch. “You need to pull up there.”

  Elizabeth did so and pulled the large door open. As she did, the last tendrils of light from the day shone into the building.

  “Will, what is that?” Darcy did not look at her. “William. What—is—that? Is that a Lancair Legacy1? I thought you just had the Bonanza.” She pointed with one hand while the other hand came to her lips.

  Darcy looked behind him at a candy apple red plane.

  “Certainly looks like one.”

  “They’re like two hundred thousand dollars!” Elizabeth stammered.

  “A little closer to three.”

  “What?”

  Darcy dropped the tow he had been dragging. He came behind Elizabeth and wrapped his arms around her, then he whispered into
her ear.

  “Everyone deserves a chance to fly, Elizabeth.”

  Coming Soon!

  Be on the lookout for the final book in the series Came a Flight Gently Fall 2019/Spring 2020

  Glossary

  T-38 Talon: The T-38 Talon is the training jet which funnels pilots into the fighter program. The “T” in T-38 stands for trainer. These twin-engine jets have two tandem seats, one in the front (student), one in the back (instructor). They are sleek and pointy, made for flying fast and learning quick movements and maneuvers typically used in fighter and attack planes. Their top speed is Mach 1.3 or 812 mph, which means they are supersonic or can go faster than the speed of sound. They can climb from sea level to 30,000 feet in one minute. Because they fly quickly, they use fuel faster and have a typical flight time of one hour to one hour fifteen minutes.

  F-22: The F-22 Raptor is a single seat stealth fighter jet. It has two engines, and is capable of air attack (shooting other planes), ground attack (shooting things on the ground), electronic warfare (can jam signals being sent), and signal intelligence (gathers communication or electronic signals in order to gather intelligence about them). The F in F-22 stands for “fighter.” The F-22 is a stealth jet because it is difficult to track on radar. The F-22 can do really cool things, like drop a bomb at Mach 1.4 (faster than the speed of sound) and accurately hit a moving target twenty-five miles away. The top speed is Mach 2.25 (or 2.25 times the speed of sound, 1500 mph) and the plane can cruise at faster than the speed of sound. Because the F-22 flies so fast and so high, pilots are required to wear specialized g-suits that can help them regulate their bodies for the speed, gravitational forces, and temperature changes.

  F-35: The F-35 Lightening II is a single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighter. It performs ground attack (shooting things on the ground) and air superiority missions (fighting for control over air space). The F-35 has been heavily criticized for being the most expensive military program at more than $163 billion over budget. The F-35 can carry both air to surface missiles or bombs and air to air missiles.