“Good lord!” her mother exclaimed when she saw the ring. She looked up at Darcy. “I thought you were a poor state employee,” she said, glancing back down at the ring.
“I am,” Darcy replied, clearing his throat. And now the money.
“Mom, I make more than Will does,” Elizabeth said, trying to quell any questions into his fortune, not realizing that this would somewhat offend Darcy’s pride.
“I beg your pardon, Lizzy, but I sneeze more money every day than you make in a year,” he said, sitting back in his chair. She looked back at him, amused.
“Really? Do you want to disclose your finances to my family? Want to ensure my father that you can support me?” she teased him.
“No, but I won’t have them believing I’m marrying you for your money,” he replied. She laughed.
“Mom, Dad, Darcy is obscenely wealthy,” she said. He gave a satisfied nod, pride being restored.
“Really?” her mother said with reserved interest. “How so? Technology? Internet?” She was suspicious of a fortune that was all on paper and subject to a speedy decline with the stock market.
“A little of each and some others,” he said cryptically.
“Darcy comes from old money, Mom, not like me,” Bingley put in.
“Old money?” she repeated. Jane, Elizabeth, and Bingley all nodded. Darcy said nothing. Mrs. Bennet shrugged.
“Oh well, Lizzy knows how to live without, this will be her chance to live with,” she said and resumed her attentions to Elizabeth’s ring. Darcy smiled and put his hand on Elizabeth’s leg.
“Let there be no doubt, my dear, Will is the one who has struck gold,” Mr. Bennet said warmly, looking at Darcy. Darcy nodded in sincere agreement.
Chapter 36
“The wedding coordinator is calling for another check,” Georgiana said to Darcy as they walked toward the coffee shop.
“What is this one for?” he asked.
“I have no idea, I’ve lost track,” she replied with a sigh. He opened the door for her and she stepped inside.
“I’d like to invite Elizabeth’s family,” he said cautiously.
“Why not? What’s another 20 people on top of the 300 who have already expressed their intent to come before the invitations have even gone out,” she groused. He smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.
“You are a good, dutiful girl, Georgie. I’m extremely happy that you are doing the blow-out wedding; now mine can fly under the radar.” They both knew that their many relatives would howl if she had anything less than a sumptuous wedding.
“You are going to owe me big for this. Do you know that Fletcher wants to cut his hair for the wedding? I love his hair! I don’t want him to have short hair! I’m trying to talk him out of it.”
Darcy sighed and shook his head. They were anticipating a 500 guest wedding, the society event of the year in London. Darcy had hired a coordinator without hesitation; neither he nor Georgie were capable of planning a long-distance wedding of such scale.
They sat at a table together and Darcy glanced at his newspaper while Georgie sipped her coffee.
“I was wondering...” she said hesitantly. He looked up from his newspaper and gave her his full attention. “I know we have to have this huge wedding but it’s going to be a three-ring circus. Do you think that we could have a small ceremony, just very close family and friends, before the wedding? So that I could feel like I was having a wedding of my own?”
He considered it for a moment. Two weddings? The first one was already costing over a million pounds but then what’s a few thousand more? He felt that she at least deserved to enjoy her own wedding.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” he smiled. “Who would you like to invite?”
“Well, Elizabeth, Fletcher’s family, the Bingley’s, and Richard and Henry. Maybe a couple of other close friends. That’s about it.”
“What did you have in mind?” he asked. She smiled and put her chin on her fist.
“We had talked about getting married in Marin, looking over the Golden Gate Bridge, or maybe on the beach, by a lighthouse. Something outdoors and intimate.”
Darcy smiled. His sister was the picture of refined elegance, he had a hard time picturing her getting married barefoot on a beach. But he would certainly indulge her if that was what she wanted.
“I think it’s a brilliant idea,” he said. She smiled at him.
“Do you think Elizabeth would like to be my maid of honor?” she asked.
“She may be tired of being the bridesmaid and never the bride by now,” he laughed.
“Have you set a date yet?” she asked him. He shook his head. “We’ve only just got engaged, Georgie. It’s too soon to think of all that.”
“What kind of wedding do you want?” she asked him. He shrugged.
“I haven’t given it much thought,” he began. Then he admitted, “I’ve always pictured myself getting married at the chapel next to Pemberley and having the reception at Pemberley.” He blushed a little at the confession. He hated to have Georgie think that he had been daydreaming about his wedding day like a schoolgirl.
Instead of laughing, she nodded.
“It suits you. You’re such a country gentleman at heart, Will. You really are living in the wrong century.” He grinned ruefully and nodded his agreement.
“You could piggy back it on mine, have a little secret wedding while everyone who is important is there,” she suggested. He shook his head.
“No, I want Elizabeth to have the wedding she wants, with all of her family there,” he replied. She nodded in understanding. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, then she said,
“Is the pre-nup ready?” Darcy nodded. He had approved it with his lawyer just last week; Georgie’s assets were adequately protected.
“Will you have one?” she asked him. He looked at her with a pained expression.
“I don’t know, it’s so distasteful. At least in your case, it’s at my insistence; nobody will accuse you or Fletcher of greed. But in my case...” he trailed off. He didn’t want to think about a contractual obligation about money before he was even married. Logically, he knew it was the right thing to do but emotionally it felt tacky.
“Elizabeth has asked me about it,” she ventured. He looked up in surprise. Elizabeth wanted a pre-nup?
“What did she say?” he asked.
“She said she wanted you to have one to protect yourself,” Georgie replied. He raised his eyebrows and went silent. They finished their coffee, he wrote a check for the coordinator and gave it to Georgie and they left and went their separate ways.
Elizabeth was at her computer when Darcy entered. Madonna was blasting from the speakers and she did not hear him approach at first. She jumped when he put his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him and smiled, then turned off her music.
“You’re back early,” she said. She figured he and Georgie would have a nice long chat about wedding stress.
“Georgie tells me you want a pre-nup,” he said softly. He didn’t want to beat around the bush. If she wanted it, they needed to talk about it.
“Well, yes, but not for myself. I think you should have one,” she said, standing up from her computer. He followed her into the living room.
“What did you have in mind?” he asked her.
“Just that if anything should happen and one of us wants a divorce, I’ll leave only with what I came with. I don’t want your money,” she said simply. She turned to face him.
“That’s nonsense. What if we’re married for thirty years before you dump me for some boy-toy? You’ll have been married to me longer than not; would you want nothing but what you came with then?” he said lightly.
“Well, but when you leave me for some young hot trophy wife, I’ll be sorely tempted to take you for everything. We don’t want that, do we?” she replied with a smile.
“I’m not going to leave you,” he laughed.
“Nor am I but it’s best to be prepared
for the unexpected. You know that. Don’t let the romance of our relationship make you stupid.”
“I can’t believe we’re even talking about this, I don’t want to even consider it,” he sighed heavily. He sat on the couch and she crawled onto his lap and put her arms around his neck.
“You know that I’m only thinking of your best interests, don’t you? I want your family to feel comfortable. I want any temptation to be locked away from me. I want a written contract to keep me from draining your fortune out of spite because you didn’t love me anymore.”
“I simply can’t imagine any situation where that would happen,” he said against her neck. But he knew she was right and he was thankful that she brought it up. They met later that week with their attorneys and came to an agreement that satisfied each that the other was adequately protected.
***
Such unpleasant tasks completed, Elizabeth could focus on helping Georgiana prepare for her first wedding. They had decided on a cliff-side wedding at Pigeon Point Lighthouse, with a reception at a small restaurant close by. Elizabeth helped make all of the arrangements and helped Georgie pick out her gown on short notice. They found a gauzy white halter-style dress that needed little alteration. Elizabeth wore a sage green dress of similar style and both went barefoot. Darcy and Fletcher were dressed in sand-colored linen suits and white shirts without ties.
“Here, you’ll need these,” Elizabeth said as she gave Georgiana her bouquet.
“Thank you,” Georgiana said. She clutched the flowers and looked at Elizabeth. Elizabeth grinned and placed a few flowers in Georgiana’s hair.
“You know, your brother is especially partial to flowers in the hair,” she smiled. Georgiana laughed.
“Somehow, I don’t think it’s the same when it’s me.” Georgie’s hair was twisted down the back and Elizabeth wound stems into the twists and secured them. She stood back to admire her work.
“Beautiful,” Elizabeth said.
“Elizabeth, thank you for everything. I couldn’t have done it without you,” Georgiana said quietly. Elizabeth put her arms around Georgiana and hugged her.
“No thanks needed,” she said, smiling. “I have a lot of experience being a sister,” she laughed.
“I’m glad he found you,” Georgie said.
“Enough about me! It’s your wedding day!” Elizabeth exclaimed. Georgiana laughed and took a deep breath.
“OK, let’s do this,” she said shakily.
They were in a dressing tent on the beach some way down from the lighthouse. Elizabeth stepped out and held the flap open for Georgiana. She found Fletcher’s brother, who was acting as best man, and the ceremony began. Elizabeth watched as Darcy gave his sister away. Georgiana was radiant with joy and she and Fletcher kissed deeply after they exchanged vows.
Darcy hugged Elizabeth tightly after the ceremony, blinking back his tears.
“I can’t believe she’s married,” he said, choked up.
“And you’re still an old maid!” Elizabeth teased.
“She’s been everything to me for so long, I never thought I could give her up,” he said. Elizabeth smiled and put her arms around his waist. She couldn’t quite comprehend the depth of his feelings as she had an overabundance of sisters and parents but she did understand that he had an uncommonly close bond with his sister.
“Ah, well, better to cry now than in front of 500 guests,” he laughed and wiped his eyes. He composed himself and kissed Elizabeth then they rejoined the small party. They made their way to the restaurant and spent the rest of the evening laughing, drinking, dancing, and being in love.
***
They had been engaged for just a few weeks but had not begun to make any concrete wedding plans yet. Every wedding he attended was increasing Darcy’s desire to marry Elizabeth; he was ready, he wanted to settle down and start a family.
“Have you given any thought to when you’d like to get married?” he asked her one evening. She sat on a stool in the kitchen at the center island, flipping through a magazine. She showed him the magazine: Modern Bride.
“Of course. Have you?” she smiled. He leaned on his elbows on the counter next to her.
“I’ve thought of little else,” he admitted.
“Are you anxious?” she asked, surprised.
“Not anxious, just ready. I’ve been ready to marry you for almost a year,” he said with a little laugh. “I was ready to marry you before we even left England. I’ve been waiting a long time.”
“I had no idea,” she replied. “I thought you would like some time to get used to the idea,” she smiled. He shook his head and straightened, putting his arms around her.
“I’m well acquainted with the fantasy of calling you Mrs. Darcy,” he said softly.
A shiver literally went down her spine and gooseflesh formed on her arms. It was the first time she had heard anyone say it out loud.
He watched her reaction and smiled. He felt the same way. He dipped his head and kissed her, the hairs on his arms standing as he did. He broke off the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers.
“I want to be married, Lizzy,” he said quietly.
“So do I. Let’s set a date,” she nodded.
“Do you want a big wedding?”
“Not at all,” she answered. He nodded. They quickly drew up a list of people they wanted to have at the wedding, keeping it to the bare essentials. Their guest list was only 75.
“Georgiana had mentioned possibly our getting married while we were in London for their wedding. I initially said no but what do you think?” he asked her.
“Well, all of your family will be there and some of mine, but not all of them.” They calculated they would have to fly about 20 people to London.
“That’s not even the cost of Georgie’s flowers,” he remarked.
“How would Georgie feel about us getting married then?” she asked.
“She suggested it. I think she considers last week’s wedding her true wedding and this one a formalization for show. So I don’t think she’s going to have any problem with it. But what about you? How would you feel about having a small wedding in the face of that circus?”
“I don’t really care. Most of my family and friends will be there only for our wedding. I’m not worried about your family making comparisons.”
“Nor am I,” he smiled. “I admit, I’ve long harbored a desire to be married at Pemberley’s chapel,” he said.
“Then that settles it, I think we should do it.”
They settled on a date just two days after Georgiana’s wedding. Over the next few weeks, Darcy wrote personal notes to select relatives and invited them to his own small wedding at Pemberley, emphasizing that it would be a modest affair for close family and friends.
They hurriedly arranged for Elizabeth to have the last two weeks in May and first three weeks in June off. Catherine de Bourgh agreed only as a personal favor to Darcy but refused to pay Elizabeth while she was off. She was seriously put out that he was not marrying Anne instead but hoped that he would come on board at de Bourgh and Associates after he retired and so did as he asked.
As Darcy was set to retire at the end of April, he did not need to seek permission. However, Judge Boyd had asked him to stay on in a temporary capacity until the position was filled; Darcy agreed on the contingency that he would have all of May and June off, returning on July 1.
He contacted the wedding coordinator retained for Georgiana’s wedding and asked her to coordinate his as well. He and Elizabeth held several quick conference calls with her and both were satisfied that all would be taken care of.
***
“What of your plans to move back to England after your retirement?” Elizabeth asked him. He shrugged.
“I can’t take you away from your family. Everyone I love is here. I always envisioned living there with my family but I realize now that I was just envisioning a family; it doesn’t matter where I am. As long as I’m with you, I’m content.”
; She hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“But I don’t want to live here,” he added, pulling her onto his lap and indicating his living room. “I’ve got Caroline out scouting for something out of the city. She gave me this. What do you think?”
Elizabeth held up a brochure.
“Historic Georgian country home, formal gardens, two floors, ballroom... ” she read. “It’s for sale?”
“It was run by a private historical society but they’re running out of funds. They are looking for a purchaser who won’t do anything radical to it and they want it in writing. It’s sort of ‘Pemberley Lite,’ I think.” Darcy explained. “I’ve set up an appointment to see it tomorrow,” he finished. She looked at him and grinned.
“Let’s go see it.”
They drove with the agent to the estate the next day. Darcy and Elizabeth were charmed by the house; despite its size, it felt cozy. She had never dreamed of living in any such place, well, ok, maybe dreamed. The thought of maintaining such a place was daunting.
“We’d have to hire a gardener, I think,” she whispered to him. He laughed quietly.
“Yes, we’d have to hire a staff. I think we could manage,” he replied in a low voice.
The historical committee were not at first impressed that a young judge and his soon-to-be wife were interested in purchasing the property. However, one savvy member had Googled Darcy; there was an amusing match to Fitzwilliam Darcy of the prestigious and eminent Darcys of England. She laughed at the coincidence until she matched photos from his judicial website with a photo of him in his racing days.
Darcy and Elizabeth were interviewed by the committee, with Darcy providing his insights on the improvements that should be made without interfering with the character of the home, as well as the maintenance issues. He insisted that it no longer be open to the public and the gift shop be removed; he conceded that it could be made into a utility shed.
They impressed upon him the importance of maintaining the gardens, as they were a highlight of the home. He agreed and discussed the various staff needed.
The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy Page 39