The Houseguest A Pride and Prejudice Vagary (34 page)

“Helen! Can you believe this?” Lord Matlock waved a
letter in front of her. “Darcy is engaged to Miss Bennet!”

“I know. I’ve just had a letter from Elizabeth.” She
sighed and sat down in front of his desk. “What do you think?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” answered Lord
Matlock. “You know her better than I. Will they do well together?”

“I believe so. Now that it is before me, I wonder that
I never thought of it before.”

Lord Matlock nodded. “I would wish she was better
connected and had a substantial dowry, but at least she is a good sort of girl,
and Darcy certainly seems wild about her.” He gestured to the letter again.
“Well, as wild as he ever seems about anything. So I do not need to talk Darcy
out of it?”

She raised an eyebrow. “When has Fitzwilliam ever been
talked out of anything?”

Matlock smiled fleetingly. “Good point. Well my dear, when
shall we leave for Pemberley?” he asked, knowing his wife would want to see
them for herself.

“Tomorrow I think. Nothing like a little surprise
visit to celebrate an engagement,” she smiled mischievously.

Matlock laughed. “You are positively devious, wife!”

“Yes, and you love that about me.” She smirked as she
left the room to pack for their trip.

Getting Darcy and Elizabeth together may not have been
her idea, but it would not stop her from taking credit for the match, or from
assisting with all the wedding preparations. After all, she was the closest
thing Darcy had to a mother now and Elizabeth
was
her protégé. Who
better to handle all of the details?

~

The Hurst Townhouse, one week later

“Anything of interest today, Caroline?” Louisa asked
her sister as she entered the breakfast parlor.

“Nothing of note as yet. Lady Clayton has thrown
another scandalous dinner party, but that is nothing new,” she huffed, bored,
and continued reading the society pages, a dainty floral tea cup in one hand.

Several minutes passed in silence until the sound of
breaking glass broke into the stillness.

“NO!”

“Caroline, whatever is the matter?” asked Louisa in a
worried tone.

“It can’t be. It simply cannot BE!” shouted Caroline.

“What cannot be?” asked her sister.

“That conniving, two-faced, stupid little HOYDEN! How
DARE she?”

“Who?”

“He’s mine! MINE!” Caroline stomped her foot and
clinched her fists by her side, her face a bright magenta.

“Caroline, what on earth are you speaking of? Who is a
hoyden? Who is yours?”

Taking a shuddering breath, her temples throbbing,
Caroline said through clenched teeth, “That country chit and Mr. Darcy.” 
Her nostrils were flared and her teeth almost chattered from her restrained
rage.

“Eliza Bennet?” Louisa asked in surprise. “And Mr.
Darcy? Really?”

Even the sight of her sister in an apoplectic fit
could not restrain Louisa’s delight in fresh gossip.  Her eyes lit up at
the thought of the ruckus this would create in society, until she remembered
that she herself was now connected to the Bennets through her brother’s
marriage.

“Louisa, tell Mr. Hurst it is time to visit his
brother in the country. I’m suddenly feeling a need for fresh air. I shall be
ready to leave after breakfast tomorrow.”

Caroline marched out of the room with her head held
high, so high in fact that Louisa wondered how she could see where she was
going.

~

Rosings, Kent, later that day

“How long has the mistress been going at it?”

“Over an hour now.” A loud crash shook the wall behind
the footman. He smiled at the young maid. “Don’t worry, she’ll calm down
eventually and then hopefully she’ll be off to London and we’ll all have a bit
of a holiday.

Crash!

“What got her so upset?” asked the maid.

“You didn’t hear?” she shook her head no. “Looks like
Mr. Darcy’s gone and got himself engaged – and not to the young mistress.”

The maid’s eyes widened. “How long do you think she’ll
be going on?” Her words were punctuated by the sound of heavy glass being
thrown into a fireplace and shattering into tiny pieces.

“Awhile, I guess. Care for a walk, Mina?”

She smiled. “Thank you Thomas. I’d like a walk.”

She took his arm and followed him into the back
garden, only starting slightly when another boom shook the wall beside her.

Chapter
32

August 5, 1812

Wedding Day of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet

9 pm

Elizabeth sat in front of the mirror, brushing her hair
slowly. She had long ago dismissed the maid, wishing for a few minutes of
solitude before her groom would join her. She looked at herself in the mirror
and wondered that she didn't look any different. She felt like a new person.
She had a new title, a new name, a new position in society, a new home, a new
family. It seemed only fitting that her reflection would be different as well,
but her same brown eyes and chestnut curls looked back at her.

“Mrs. Darcy,” she said quietly. She smiled slightly
and took a deep breath as she thought about the events that had led to her new
title.

Lady Matlock had proved herself to be efficient and
decisive – not that anyone had ever doubted she would be. She wasn't at Pemberley
a full day before she took over the wedding plans, and before they knew what
had happened, Darcy and Elizabeth had a wedding date in early August, and
instead of Hertfordshire, the wedding would take place at the Pemberley church.
Darcy's family had been notified and nearly all planned to be in attendance –
minus Lady Catherine, of course. But then, she had not been invited.

Jane and Bingley arrived a fortnight later and the
Bennet family came in mid-July. It had been a hectic time, filled with social
engagements and wedding preparations, with barely a moment to herself.

Looking at the silver brush with her new initials
engraved on the back of it, Elizabeth forcefully pushed back the unpleasant
memories of her mother embarrassing her in front of Mr. Darcy's family, and of
Lady Matlock winking at her as she gifted her a blood-red nightgown the night
before. She would think of nothing humiliating or disconcerting. She would
focus on the fact that she was now a married woman, and that she had a loving
husband who would be by her side all her days.

She smiled softly as she thought of Fitzwilliam. He
would be here soon. She stood up from the dressing table and blew out the
candle. She went around the room, snuffing candles and turning down lamps until
there were only lowly lit lamps on either side of the bed. There was no fire
due to the August heat, and her windows and balcony door stood open to allow a
breeze to sweep through.

She loosened the belt on her white silk robe and went
to stand on the dark balcony, letting the cool night breeze refresh her heated
skin. This particular night gown had been chosen by her aunt and she felt that
it flattered her and was appropriate for their first night together as man and
wife. She did not yet feel bold enough to wear the red one, but she suspected
she would soon enough.

After several minutes spent staring at the moon's
reflection in the stream, she heard a light tapping and then the gentle sliding
sound of the door to her room opening. Soon, a pair of warm arms enveloped her
from behind and she leaned back onto a firm chest.

“How are you, my love?” he asked quietly.

“I am well. How are you, my darling?”

“I've never been better.”

“Really? And why do you suppose that is?” she asked,
unable to suppress her urge to tease, even on this night.

“Today, I attained my heart's desire.” He leaned his
head forward and kissed her neck softly.

She inhaled sharply at the sensation.

“William?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Nothing,” she said quietly as she shook her head.

“What is it, Lizzy?”

She turned in his arms and buried her face in his
chest.

“I suppose I am a little nervous,” she said in a
muffled voice.

“Lizzy.” He grasped her shoulders and held her away
from him, stroking her arms gently. “Do you have any idea how lovely you are?
My sweetest Elizabeth, will you not look at me?”

She raised her head and looked at him shyly.

“My love, look at you! You are so beautiful! All the
times I imagined this night, but this...” His eyes raked down her figure. He
reached her feet and swept his gaze back up, his color rising as he stopped at
her breasts.

At first she felt self-conscious from his perusal, but
as he continued she began to feel bold, and when he flushed she realized he was
just as overcome as she was. Slowly, she stepped back into his arms and reached
around his waist. She tilted her head up for a kiss and he stroked her cheek,
then the hair at her temple.

“Elizabeth, my own Elizabeth.”

“Yes, Fitzwilliam, I am yours.”

“As I am yours. I promise you now, Elizabeth, there
will never be another. It will always be you.”

She understood his meaning as she glanced at the bed
to her right. “And I will always be yours. I promise.”

He led her to the edge of the bed. “Come, my dearest,
loveliest Elizabeth. Let me show how much I love you, how much I need you.”

As he reached to pull her to sit by him on the bed,
she stayed his arm. “Wait,” she said firmly.

His brow furrowed in concern and disappointment. “What
is it?”

“I want to tell you something. I… I just want you to
know…”

He tilted his head and she ran her fingers along the
side of his face. He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm softly. “What is it,
my love?’’

“I must tell you that I – that you are so… that you
are dearer to me than anyone else. You have my whole heart, William. And I know
that you feel passionately for me, but know that I also… I feel… you are so
wonderful! And I am so happy!” She smiled radiantly through her nervous speech.
“I want you to know that I love you dearly, beyond anything I ever imagined I
could feel for anyone. I want you to know that I give myself freely – tonight.
Not because it is my wifely duty or your marital right, but because I want to
belong to you, in every way. I am not frightened. A little nervous, I do so
want to please you, but I am not afraid. I trust you. Completely. You are
everything I could ever wish for and I… I just want you to know how much I love
you!” She grabbed at the silk of her robe in frustration. “Oh, there don’t seem
to be the right words!”

He grabbed her fidgeting hands in one of his own and
cupped her cheek with the other. “I understand you perfectly, Elizabeth. That
is why there is an act of love. So that we might show each other everything we
cannot find words for.”

She looked at him with questioning eyes. “You will
show me what to do?”

“Of course, my love. But I do not think you will need
much instruction; your instincts are perfect so far. I love that you told me
what is in your heart. I will treasure your words always.”