“Mr. Darcy, are you quite sure you are up to the task?” one elderly committee member asked. The researcher shifted a stack of paper toward the other member, who glanced down at it through his glasses.
“Yes. I am quite experienced in maintaining historical homes. My last residence dates to the fifteenth century; this one is less than 100 years old. This one at least has electricity and plumbing in all wings. The foundations are solid and the heating, while in line for improvement, is at least adequate,” Darcy answered.
The elder committee member looked up at him.
“Am I to understand that this is your home?” he said, indicating the sheets of paper before him. Darcy looked at the paper.
“Pemberley, yes that is my home. Although I have been stateside for several years now. My steward and my housekeeper run Pemberley in my absence. It is open to the public but it is much larger than this; we could not live here and have it open,” he said.
The committee members were clearly delighted that a true, blue-blooded aristocrat from an ancient and noble line was interested in purchasing their property. The deal was quickly concluded and the purchase was approved.
“Mr. Darcy, if I may ask, why do you want to buy this place? You already have an estate and you could have any mansion in San Francisco without any of the maintenance headaches.”
Darcy looked around him and shrugged. He could picture himself here with Elizabeth and their children, god he was feeling giddy with the idea of her as his wife, and a couple of dogs, celebrating Christmas with Georgie and Fletcher, Bingley and Jane. It would allow Elizabeth to stay close to her family; he wouldn’t be dragging her to England to live in a big, cold house. He didn’t feel homesick anymore.
“It feels like home,” he said simply. Elizabeth squeezed his hand and smiled.
Chapter 37
“Lord, look at this place!” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed as the car rounded the bend and the lake, with Pemberley standing proudly behind, came into view. Elizabeth smiled and took Darcy’s hand. She turned to look at her parents.
“This is where it all began; this is where we fell in love,” she said. She glanced at Darcy and saw him smile.
“But Lizzy, that was a year ago! You didn’t even introduce us until Thanksgiving!” her mother exclaimed. Elizabeth shrugged.
“We had a rough patch but we came to an understanding,” she grinned. Darcy laughed.
“Fanny, don’t you remember meeting me last April? At the concert in the park?” Darcy said looking into the rearview mirror.
“Well, we weren’t dating then, though,” Elizabeth said. He looked at her.
“We still aren’t dating, love. We’ve never dated. We just decided to be madly in love and jumped in with both feet,” he reminded her. She laughed.
“I knew I’d met him before! Tom, you are a devil!” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed, swatting her husband. Mr. Bennet laughed and tried futilely to defend himself. Instead, he grabbed her and kissed her. Darcy, meanwhile, was kissing the inside of Elizabeth’s wrist and pulling her close to him.
Mrs. Reynolds greeted Darcy and Elizabeth with effusive hugs and kisses and asked Elizabeth how her head was. She met the Bennet’s warmly and advised everyone that Georgiana was already in residence. The house was fully staffed now that wedding guests were expected for the next two weeks. A servant took their bags upstairs. Darcy whispered to Elizabeth,
“I’ve asked Mrs. R. to put us in separate rooms until our wedding night.”
She looked at him in surprise.
“Shouldn’t you have consulted me in this? I like sleeping with you.”
“Yes, but I’m a traditionalist; I’m saving myself for marriage.”
She laughed at him and hugged him. “OK, we’ll see if we can manage for the next 10 days.”
He smiled and kissed the top of her head; this was going to be difficult.
Lydia, Kitty, and Mary had opted to stay in Darcy’s suite at the Ritz in London. Jane and Bingley would be joining them at Pemberley later in the week. Georgiana was already there, as were the Fitzwilliam’s. Dinner that night was a lively affair and Georgiana entertained everyone afterwards at the piano.
Darcy walked Elizabeth to her room at the end of the evening and kissed her chastely at her door.
“Oh, come on, can’t you do better than that?” she said, putting her arms around his neck and pulling him close for a kiss. He obliged, grinning, but pulled away after a moment.
“No, Lizzy, I’m serious.”
“At least come in and tuck me in,” she pouted. He laughed but let himself be led in. She began to undress and he turned away from her. She jumped into bed and pulled the blankets up around her neck.
“All ready,” she said. He turned back to her and smiled at her as she pulled the blanket up to her nose.
He bent down and kissed her forehead.
“Oh, no you don’t,” she laughed, and grabbed him, pulling him onto the bed. He laughed and lay down beside her, his arm draped around her waist.
“Lizzy, I really want to do this. I want to wait until our wedding night, to make it special.”
“Will, our wedding night will be special no matter what,” she said softly.
“I know, but...” he trailed off. “For me, anticipation very much adds to the reward,” he said with a mischievous grin. She laughed.
“You are a masochist!” she laughed. “And a sadist,” she then pouted. He laughed. She turned on her side to face him and became serious.
“I wish you would have told me. I wasn’t prepared for it. I feel like I need to say goodbye.” He looked at her curiously.
“Really?” he said. She nodded.
“Yes. I love having you beside me every night. Maybe you could just stay for tonight, then we can start abstaining tomorrow?” she asked. She looked longingly into his eyes and he stirred. He looked around the room and then back to her.
“OK, you talked me into it,” he sighed. She laughed and began to unbutton his shirt. Moments later he was with her under the blankets, holding her familiar form, his fingers tracing curves and dips so well known to him. They made love and he held her afterward. True to his word, the next morning he was back in his own room and he did not seduce her again until their own wedding night. His self-control was admirable.
***
“Well, Lizzy, you have outlived all my expectations for you,” Mrs. Bennet said lightly as she sat with Jane, Bingley, Mr. Bennet, and Elizabeth in the cathedral for Georgiana’s wedding. Mrs. Bennet looked striking in her large brim organza hat and blue dress. Jane was in green, with a pillbox perched atop her head. Elizabeth was in yellow with a feathered fascinator in her upswept hair. Darcy had helped them out of the car and to their seats then disappeared.
“Really?” Elizabeth laughed. “I must say I’ve outlived my own expectations,” she agreed.
“Will is a very fine man. He certainly comes from a good family. Such a pity about his parents, I would have liked to have met them,” Mrs. Bennet said slightly wistfully. Elizabeth said nothing but squeezed her mother’s hand and studied the wedding program.
Georgiana’s wedding was a sumptuous affair. Her cathedral-length train trailed elegantly behind her and she looked as composed as royalty. Her six flower girls were charming, as were the little boys dressed in knickers. Her bridesmaids were elegant girls; Elizabeth knew none of them. Darcy gave her away again, this time with much more dignified composure. He seemed, in fact, almost relaxed.
Georgiana had prevailed upon Fletcher not to cut off all his hair and instead he had trimmed it and wore it in a discreet ponytail tucked into his collar. Elizabeth was glad to see that Georgiana would not have to wait for him to grow it back out.
After the ceremony, they returned to the Ritz for the reception. Kitty, Lydia, and Mary, who had by now been joined by Lou and Denny, snuck down and crashed the reception, well, not exactly; they called Elizabeth at the door and she sent Darcy to let them in.
Mrs. Bennet was delighted that Eliz
abeth’s relationship with Darcy was throwing her younger girls into the paths of other rich men. But she was well content with the matches that Jane and Elizabeth had made. She was on her best behavior and did Elizabeth proud.
Elizabeth and Darcy tiredly drove back to Pemberley with Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and they retired almost immediately. Elizabeth was soundly asleep when Darcy entered her room and lay on the bed beside her. He put his arm around her and sniffed her hair. She did not wake but turned into his chest and put her arm around him. He was gone in the morning.
***
“Are you going to live here?” Lou asked as he lay on Elizabeth’s bed.
She shook her head. Elizabeth knew that Darcy’s connection to Pemberley was deep and while he was content in California, Pemberley would always be his true home. He had seemed morose lately and finally he had confessed that he felt as if he were abandoning his heritage by committing to live in California. Elizabeth had suggested that they spend every summer at Pemberley, to which he had agreed happily. She had a notion that once they had school-aged children, they could move to Pemberley permanently. It would pain her to leave her family, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. Until then, they were to stay in Meryton.
Lou gave her a sly grin.
“So you’re getting married tomorrow. Has your mama told you what to expect on your wedding night?” he asked.
Elizabeth laughed and shook her head. “Young ladies are not supposed to know such things. Could you tell me, Auntie Lou?”
“Well, it is your duty as a wife, but it will be a terrible experience. He will take out his lollydoodle and insult you with it. You must just close your eyes and lie still, it will be over soon.” Lou demonstrated by flopping onto his back beside her, stiff as a board, eyes closed, fists clenched and jaw set in grim determination. “Just remember, if you are lucky, you will bear him ten sons within the first two years. Then you won’t ever have to do it again.” He opened one eye and looked at her.
“That’s exactly what I did the first time I ever did it!” she laughed, reminding him that he had been her first.
“Hey!” he exclaimed indignantly.
Elizabeth laughed and lay down beside him. “I wish you could have been my bridesmaid,” she said.
“Don’t be ridiculous, you know I look dreadful in green,” he replied, propping his head up with her pillows.
She slipped an arm around his waist. They lay together in silence for a few moments.
“Promise me this will never change,” she said quietly.
“I rather think Darcy would object to my sleeping over,” he laughed quietly, wrapping a lock of her hair around his forefinger.
“You know what I mean,” she said, pinching him gently.
Lou was silent for a moment. Then he said, “I can’t promise that it won’t ever change, Lizzy. People grow and change, and take different paths in life. We have always been best friends but now Darcy is your best friend and that’s the way it should be. But I can promise you that I’ll always be there for you and I’ll always love you. And that’s the way it should be, too.”
She laid her head on Lou’s chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. He had been her rock for fifteen years; had he not been gay, and had she not met Darcy, they would likely have married. Her parents loved Lou and he fought with her sisters as often as she did. He was a brother to her, the brother her parents had never given her.
But this chapter was ending; another would begin tomorrow. She could not imagine any ending to the story that did not include growing old with Darcy.
“Of all this you’re going to be mistress,” Lou said pensively. “You’ll have a lot of money, great cars, fabulous clothes...” he trailed off.
“You don’t really think any of that matters to me, do you?” she said.
“No. But I couldn’t have parted with you for anyone less worthy,” he said quietly.
***
On the morning of their wedding, Elizabeth Bennet was not a wreck. She was not nervous. She ate a hearty breakfast and did not feel queasy. In fact, so content was she that she felt as if she were fulfilling her destiny.
Jane buttoned her into her Monique Lhuillier Chantilly lace halter sheath. She shrugged into the dress coat that was to be worn within the chapel and fitted the floor-length veil on her head. She held a bouquet of wildflowers casually in her hand.
“Oh, Elizabeth, you look so lovely,” Jane breathed. Elizabeth smiled in the mirror at Jane. “How can you be so relaxed?”
“What could possibly go wrong? All that matters is that we’re married at the end of it all,” Elizabeth laughed. Jane laughed and Mrs. Bennet entered.
“Will has already gone to the chapel, so it’s safe to come out,” she said. She stopped short when she saw Elizabeth and smiled.
“Oh, Lizzy,” was all she said. She dabbed a corner of her eye with a handkerchief. Elizabeth laughed. Really, all this fuss is ridiculous, she thought. It’s just a dress! But what a lovely dress it was.
She made her way to the chapel and shared a quiet moment with her father before they went in.
“My little Lizzy,” he said quietly. He blinked back tears and hugged her gingerly so as not to crush her dress. For the first time all day, she felt a little lump in her throat.
“Don’t you dare cry, your mother will kill me if you ruin your makeup,” Mr. Bennet said, wagging his finger at her. At that, she laughed.
Darcy stood patiently at the front of the church. She was late but he didn’t care. She would get there. He felt as if his entire life had been leading up to this one single event; he had never been so sure of anything before. He would be making it up as he went along for everything after, but this - this was meant to be.
Bingley shifted slightly uncomfortably next to him, then there was the signal. It began. Georgiana and Mrs. Bennet were escorted in. Jane served as the sole bridesmaid and Bingley as best man. Darcy saw the doors at the end of the aisle open and light filtered around the two figures in the doorway. They stepped in and the door closed and his heart stopped.
Never before had she been so lovely. It wasn’t the dress or the veil or her makeup. It was the happiness that showed on her face, that crackled from her fingertips.
She smiled at him and held his gaze until she met him.
He took her hand gently from her father’s.
“You’re late,” he whispered.
She smiled her mischievous smile and whispered, “Get used to it.”
They turned their attention to the brief ceremony and recited their vows. They had not written their own vows, preferring the simple traditional words of the Anglican Church over anything else they could express more eloquently.
“With this Ring I thee wed, with my Body I thee worship, and with all my worldly Goods I thee endow; In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
The ceremony was over quickly and they were proclaimed man and wife; he took her in his arms and kissed her ardently to the applause of the guests. They held hands as they left the chapel, stopping outside for another kiss.
They were ushered back to the main house by the coordinator but they had eyes only for each other. Once inside, they were to wait until she fetched them to be announced in the ballroom. At once Elizabeth put her arms around Darcy’s neck and kissed him for a third time.
“At last,” he sighed into her neck. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, pressing his forehead to hers.
“I love you, Mrs. Darcy,” he whispered. She grinned and kissed him again. They parted and she shed her coat, hanging it in the closet. She took off her veil, revealing her hair loosely bound in jeweled strands, mimicking a Greek hairstyle. He fingered her hair gently so as not to disturb it but she didn’t care.
“Husband, I’d like another kiss,” she smiled quietly. He put his arms around her and obliged willingly. They were thus engaged when the coordinator returned for them. She heartlessly parted them and with cruel laughter demanded
they tend to their guests. Holding hands tightly, they entered the ballroom to an eruption of camera flashes and cheers.
After their assaulted pupils had a moment to recover, they shared a kiss (more flashes) and then took their seats. Dinner was served and toasts were made. Elizabeth and Darcy ignored protocol and started mingling with their close friends and family immediately. Elizabeth was re-introduced to those cousins and aunts and uncles who she met briefly at Georgiana’s wedding.
Their first dance was to John Denver’s ‘Annie’s Song,’ which Darcy sang quietly to her while they danced a simple waltz.
Elizabeth danced with her father, who seemed to have a perpetual tear in his eye. Darcy danced with Georgiana, Mrs. Reynolds, and Mrs. Bennet, to her delight. They cut the cake and fed each other morsels without doing anything embarrassing except that Darcy kissed away a bit of icing, which was not really embarrassing at all, from her mouth. She tossed Jane’s bouquet, preferring to keep her own. Darcy obliged the many requests and removed her garter in a rather chaste manner, except that his hand did give her knee a secret, sensual touch as it drifted by.
He held her hand, ran his thumb over her wedding band and twisted his own on his finger. He kissed her when the guests demanded it and again when they did not. At exactly nine o’clock, the coordinator advised them that they could retire if they wished; the party itself was not expected to end for several more hours, especially in light of the fact that many of the guests were actually staying in the house.
As soon as they were permitted by the coordinator, they took their leave. But rather than being allowed the dignified exit of a limousine, they were followed by many of the guests to the hallway and the other wing, where their bedroom was. The guests laughed and sent off noisemakers and made ribald jokes. Darcy laughed and when he reached the staircase, he swept Elizabeth up into his arms and carried her upstairs. The crowd followed, cheering and laughing.
Darcy opened the bedroom door and carried her in, kicking it closed behind him. He kissed her and set her on her feet. She returned his kisses and a moment later broke off. The laughter and cheers outside the door had not diminished.
The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy Page 40