David drew in a measured breath. “Fitzwilliam, with all the guests arriving at the same time as Georgiana and me, and with you spending all of your time with Elizabeth, I never had the opportunity. Besides, I didn’t want to throw a spanner in the works.”
“Oh, so you choose my wedding day to throw the spanner? Great!” Fitzwilliam passed his hand over his face as he leaned against the wall. “Well, I know it’s not your fault. I guess the rift between Father and me really is irreparable, isn’t it?” He shook his head and pushed away from the wall. “How am I going to tell Elizabeth? It will break her heart. I don’t know what to do, but I’m not telling her today.” He cut his eyes across at David. “This is our wedding day, and it will be a good day!”
“Fitzwilliam, think of it this way. Since Father is in denial about your wedding, at least the paparazzi will not be here. Father’s deliberate squashing of any news about you and your marital status can work to your advantage,” David asserted. “If the press had any idea of what was happening here today, they would be crawling all around the place, and you wouldn’t have any privacy. In a way, Father is doing you a favor.”
Fitzwilliam looked at his brother is astonishment. “Doing me a favor? David, he is denying that I’m marrying! He’s parading me about England as if I am still an available bachelor, telling the press and all of London that I’m on assignment with Brit Am in the oil fields of Saudi Arabia. How dare he! I’m so angry right now that I could tell him where to go in no uncertain terms.”
“No, think about it—do you really want the press here, especially with what I’m picking up about Elizabeth’s family? It may only be her cousin, but I can already tell her family is a close-knit one. Elizabeth, and therefore you, will be dragged into whatever is happening.”
Fitzwilliam turned a careful eye to his brother. “You’re talking about that drug dealer her cousin is involved with, aren’t you? Well, I don’t think it’s a real problem for us. I mean, how can we talk about anyone when we have our own—”
“Listen to me, Fitzwilliam, and listen carefully.” David leaned forward, his voice deadly serious. “Whatever goes on in our family is well concealed. Except for me, we don’t parade our sins for the world to see. No one knows about Edward’s cocaine addiction or Artimus’s aborted offspring. It’s all neatly hidden away,” he stared at his brother, flexing his jaw, “but Elizabeth’s unfortunate circumstances cannot be hidden even if they had the money to do so, which they don’t.” Sitting back and rubbing his chin, he continued. “It’s amazing what you can learn at a bachelor party, especially when everyone is drinking.”
“David, it’s not that bad. Liddy is not married to the bastard, not yet anyway. I don’t think it’s as serious as you think. I mean, she’s not under investigation and—”
David jumped out of his seat, nose to nose with his brother. “Fitzwilliam, pay careful attention to me and listen closely to what I have to say. Joseph and I have been talking. The girl’s father fears his daughter is going to be indicted, and he doesn’t have the money for her defense if she is—and you had better not pay it for him. If the money is traced back to you, it will be disastrous.” David broke the contact, shaking his head as he walked towards the center of the room and turned back. “This will pull them all into the fray. To make matters even more complicated, she’s five months pregnant. Father will be furious should he find out, and rest assured,” David bore down, “he will find out, though I intend to do all that I can to delay the discovery.” His hard gaze held his brother’s as Fitzwilliam froze where he stood.
“Okay, David, I get your point,” Fitzwilliam said as he bit his lower lip. “You’re right. It would not be good for the paparazzi to be here taking pictures. I’ve never been the lightning rod for controversy that you’ve been. And this is not the way I would want my wedding covered in the press. We will have to roll with it and see what happens.” Fitzwilliam ran his fingers through his hair as he paced the floor. Releasing a hard breath, he turned to face David as if to speak, but David spoke first.
“You’ve got to tell Elizabeth, and the sooner the better. She needs to understand how Father feels about this marriage.”
Fitzwilliam closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’ll tell her sometime over the next four days whilst we’re in Gatlinburg. That is if I can bring myself to do it. She’s not like us, David. It will hurt her. She won’t understand. She and Americans in general, believe that a person should be judged on his or her own merit. Surely it’s not as bad as it seems.” Fitzwilliam plopped down in a nearby chair, perplexed.
“Oh, I have a general idea of how Americans look at things, but Elizabeth is marrying into an aristocratic British family, one with high connections and old money, so even if this cousin is not indicted, it is as bad as it seems. The girl is carrying that man’s child, and she plans to marry him. She’ll be viewed as a strumpet, and people will sneer at your wife’s family.” David sighed and glanced away. “I’m glad you and Elizabeth love each other, although I wish she didn’t have such an obnoxious connection. Let’s drop it for now.” David went to his brother’s dresser and poured them both a glass of claret. Fitzwilliam took the offered drink and gulped it down.
“Come now. Get up.” David looked at his brother sympathetically. “You have a wedding to attend. I’m going to get Bennett, and we’re going to get you ready. I think one of the uncles wants to help, too. The others are helping Charles.” David walked over to the closet and opened the door. “What are you wearing today?”
Determined to make this the day he intended, Fitzwilliam pushed all concerns aside and leapt to his feet. Strolling over to his wardrobe, he said, “I’m wearing the only morning dress I have here with me. It’s the one I had made last year from Anderson & Sheppard for the AIDS Foundation charity dinner we hosted.” He pulled out the garment bag, shirt, and shoes.
“Yes, I remember. It looked very nice. It was the charcoal-grey woolen with the silk lapels and pinstriped trousers, wasn’t it? I had one made, too. What else, a waistcoat?”
“Yes, the matching lighter grey waistcoat, white French-cut shirt, and a burgundy cravat.” Fitzwilliam paused and cocked his head. “You think you might be able to help me tie it? I’ve never tied one before, and Watson isn’t here to do it for me.” Fitzwilliam took his suit out of the bag and laid it across the bed, and then went to gather his cufflinks.
“I suppose I can.” David shrugged. “I’ve only done it a few times myself, but we’ll get it done.”
While Fitzwilliam laid out his things, there was a knock at the door. David walked across the room and opened it. “Mr. Bennett, Joseph, come in. I was about to come and get you. Nice to see you again,” David said, reaching for Joseph’s hand and then Robert’s.
“Good to see you, too, but do call me Robert, and I’ll call you David, or maybe Darcy when your brother’s not around to confuse things.” He laughed. “There’s no need for formality.”
Turning to the groom, Robert said, “Fitzwilliam, my wife insists that you have these. I know it’s only supposed to be for the bride, but Tana insists. And I learned a long time ago not to argue with her over trivial things. So here, I have somethin’ old, somethin’ new, somethin’ borrowed, somethin’ blue. Oh and don’t worry. Charles got a similar collection. Here,” he said as he handed the items to Fitzwilliam. “I have a pair of black suspenders, a pair of new black shoestrings, one of my own white linen handkerchiefs, and a white rose tinted in blue.”
Fitzwilliam laughed. “Thank you, sir, and thank your wife. I’ll use your ‘suspenders’ as opposed to mine.”
“I appreciate it, for Tana will surely be lookin’ to make sure I did as she asked. Now, let’s get you dressed and ready to go.”
David’s face twisted into a smirk as he laughed out loud. “Let me see you in those. How are you going to hold your socks up with those ‘suspenders’?”
“David, don’t be ridiculous! Excuse us, Robert,” Fitzwilliam chuckled as he turned to Robert with a
n amused grin, “but in England these are referred to as braces, and suspenders are used to hold one’s socks up. My brother likes to see the humor in almost everything you Americans do that differs from how we would do it.”
Robert and Joseph both laughed, shaking their heads. “I’ve heard them referred to as braces before, but it never occurred to me to call them anything other than suspenders. I know of no one who wears garters, as we would call them,” Robert said.
“Oh, I beg to differ,” Joseph interrupted. “We still do in the Armed Forces. I don’t, but the soldiers who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier do.”
“Well, the culture differences are fun to explore, but we really do need to get ready,” Robert said, glancing at the clock on the wall.
Fitzwilliam took the cue and went into his dressing room. When he came back, David and Robert were waiting with the cravat, ‘suspenders,’ and waistcoat. When Fitzwilliam was ready, David placed the tie around his brother’s neck and proceeded to tie it. “Hold still. I’m no valet, and this is not easy,” he fussed. “How is it you never learnt to do this for yourself?”
“I hate these blasted things, and besides, Watson has always been there to do it for me should I have to wear one. Someday I’ll learn, but today is not that day. Watch it!” he scowled. “You’re choking me.”
David frowned. “There, I have it.”
Robert stepped forward. “Okay, let me just fasten this in,” Robert said, securing the rose in place. “Yeah, that’s got it. It looks good enough. At least I won’t sleep on the couch tonight.” Robert chuckled as he glanced at Fitzwilliam. “Let me give you a piece of advice, and remember it well. Lizzy is always right, even if she’s wrong. Follow that advice, and you’ll get along just fine. Unless it’s something big, it’s not worth arguin’ over. The couch can be a very lonely place, especially on a cold winter’s night.”
Everyone laughed.
Joseph looked on the situation and smiled. “Charles told me he and Jane are going to Chattanooga for four days. Do you and Lizzy have a trip planned, too?”
“Yes, Elizabeth wants to go to Gatlinburg for the skiing. She’s made reservations at a resort for a cabin in the woods. Some place called Cherokee Lodge,” Fitzwilliam said, pulling and fumbling with his cravat. “David, it’s too tight. What were you trying to do, choke me?”
David rolled his eyes. “In the future, you tie your own.”
“Joseph, have you ever been to this place Elizabeth has arranged for?”
“As a matter of fact, I have. We used to ski there over the holidays when my parents were with us. It’s very tranquil, and they have plenty of snow, so if you’re like Lizzy, you’ll like it.”
“Well, I like to ski, so I probably will.”
“Let’s take a look at you. Umm…it looks like you’re ready. Are you nervous, Brother?” David asked teasingly with a twinkle in his eye. “You don’t need any advice for tonight, do you?”
Fitzwilliam erupted, “No, you cheeky bugger! Save your advice for someone who might actually need it.”
David chuckled. “Are you sure about that?”
Fitzwilliam frowned with a sharp look.
Joseph laughed out loud. “You two amuse me. I kind of wanted to hear his advice.”
“You might not, once you’ve heard it. My brother thinks he has the corner on women. But one of these days, some woman is going to teach him otherwise.” Fitzwilliam glanced at his brother and winked.
“I don’t know about that. I’ve been told I’m pretty damned good.”
Fitzwilliam rolled his eyes, suppressing a laugh as Joseph adjusted the silk rose, getting it just right.
“A real Casanova, huh?” Joseph said while Robert laughed. “Well, now that the groom is ready, I think the rest of us should get dressed. We need to leave in an hour and a half. I’m going down the hall to check in on Charles. He seemed rather nervous when I left him.” Joseph glanced over at David and chuckled. “He might be able to use some of your advice.”
“Yes, Charles probably could.” David laughed. “I’ll go with you to see how he’s doing.”
“He’s probably all right. My uncles and brother are with him. They were having a whiskey when I left. I had better make sure they haven’t had too much. I want him to feel relaxed, but still be able to stand up, at least long enough to get married.” Joseph chuckled. “Jane would kill me if he couldn’t.”
“Fitzwilliam, you look cool and calm for a man about to lose his freedom. As the sayin’ goes, ‘a man isn’t complete until he’s married…and then he’s finished.’”
They all laughed.
“But on a serious note,” Robert continued with a wink, “there’s nothing like having a good woman to warm your bed on a cold winter’s night.”
With that said, they all turned, and one by one they left the room.
~*~
When he had finished dressing, David found Robert Bennett alone, smoking a cigar on the upstairs piazza. David lit his own and made small conversation. Finally working up his courage, David broached the subject foremost on his mind. “Robert, would you mind discussing something with me concerning what I heard last night about one of your nieces?”
“Perhaps. What do you want to know?”
“How serious is this affair with Miss Fanning?”
“Oh, that. Well, I’m not a trial lawyer, and I don’t know the specifics. But I’ll tell you what I do know. Grady Abernathy is an ambitious district attorney. He wants to be the next governor of this state, and one of the ways to get free publicity for his campaign is to be seen as being aggressive on crime, especially drug crime. He thinks he has the evidence to indict my niece on state charges, and he’s workin’ with the federal prosecutor on the federal level. As to what evidence he’s got, I don’t rightly know. But what I do know, based on how things work around here, is that he most likely will indict her. Of that I feel certain,” Robert said as he took a long draw off his cigar and stared off into the distance. “You see, Darcy, when you’re an ambitious public figure, it’s all about perception.
“And though my brother-in-law clamors on about his daughter’s innocence, he is worried, and rightly so. Anytime you’re under investigation for drug trafficking, it’s serious—very serious.” Robert glanced at David. “Liddy runs with a wild crowd. Always has. And if you lie down with the dogs, you’ll get up with the fleas.” Robert narrowed his eyes. “If she is indicted, we will be out a large sum of money for her defense, ‘cause as I said, I am no trial lawyer. I can’t handle the case. However, I do know a few, and they are not cheap.” Robert paused. “It’s no secret that Lydia and Randy are in debt up to their eyeballs. They’ve squandered every dime they’ve ever had, and as we say around here, they don’t have a pot to piss in. But Lydia is my sister, and as such, I’ll do whatever I can to help her.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean I will have to mortgage my farm to come up with the money.” Robert clenched his jaw.
“No, you won’t.” Joseph said, walking out onto the balcony, lighting a cigar. “I have $30 million at my disposal, and I’m going to make arrangements for you to have access to two million of it for Liddy’s defense, should it come to that.”
“Joseph!” Robert turned to meet his nephew. “Are you sure? That’s the money my brother left you—”
“And Father would do the same if he were here. Now fill me in on the details.”
“There’s not much that you don’t already know by now,” Robert shrugged, stepping aside to allow Joseph to join them. “Jackie Lee has been indicted. The next grand jury convenes in March. If they arrest Liddy, it will be between now and then. If she’s indicted, as I feel certain she will be, we’ll know more at that time.”
“What happens if she and this individual should marry?” David asked as he puffed his cigar. He intended to learn all he could. His brother’s interests were his utmost concern, not that he cared what his father or anyone else would think, but he didn’t want
to see his brother’s name dragged through the scandal sheets.
Joseph nodded, indicating he wanted to know, too.
“If they marry, it would keep Liddy from being forced to testify against Jackie Lee, and, of course, he would not testify against her, either. So it would be in both their best interests to marry for legal reasons, but that’s all. And that’s only if the prosecution’s case against Jackie Lee is weak, which I know it isn’t. Nunley has the most to lose if they don’t marry. But then Jackie Lee has another option, if he’s willin’ to take it. The federal prosecutor wants the name of his Colombian connection. They’ll be willing to cut him a deal if he turns state’s evidence.”
“I see.” David said.
“What Colombian connection?” Joseph pressed as he blew out a stream of smoke.
Robert shook his head. “I’ll elaborate on that later. Today is Jane and Elizabeth’s weddin’ day, not a day for this sordid mess.”
Joseph released an exasperated sigh as he shook his head, his brow etched in either worry or concentration. David wasn’t sure which.
The Wedding
Fitzwilliam and Charles stood at the altar waiting for Jane and Elizabeth while Peter, Paul, and Mary’s version of The Wedding Song played softly in the background. David stood nearby.
“Darcy, are you nervous?” Bingley asked.
“Anxious maybe, but not nervous. You?”
“More nervous than I’ve ever been in my life, but I’ll manage. It must be time. The music has stopped and the organist has taken her seat.”
At about that time, the wedding march began. Fitzwilliam and Charles both turned to see Joseph Bennett in his dress blues flanked on either side by his two sisters. Fitzwilliam had never seen Elizabeth look lovelier as Joseph escorted his sisters to the front of the church, placing each one beside her intended husband. He then took a position beside Charles while David stepped in line beside his brother.
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