Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
A week later, Elizabeth stood quietly in the middle of her bedchamber as the gentle morning light seeped through the room, casting a delicate glow. Sarah, Longbourn’s lady’s maid, worked diligently behind her, fastening the final buttons on her gown. Once she had finished, Elizabeth turned slightly to face her, and smiled. “Thank you, that is all.” Sarah’s eyes quickly flickered to Elizabeth’s undone hair. “My sister shall assist with my hair,” she explained. The maid nodded and with a graceful curtsey quietly exited the room.
Left alone, Elizabeth moved with slow, deliberate steps to stand in front of the mirror and view her reflection. Her dress, made of pristine white satin with sleeves and bodice trimmed with Mechlin lace, looked elegant as it hung delicately over her form. As she continued to study her appearance in the mirror, she took a deep breath; her lips curved into a gentle smile. On this, her wedding day, she felt more beautiful than she ever had before .
She moved to sit at her dressing table, where her mother’s suggested hair adornments lay neatly arranged. With a slow exhale, Elizabeth thought of the whirlwind of activities that had occurred over the last week, from welcoming out-of-town guests, attending parties in honour of Darcy and herself, and making—or overruling—Mrs Bennet’s innumerable last-minute decisions. She felt the weariness of it all; it had seemed as though the day she had been long anticipating would never arrive.
A gentle knock at the door drew Elizabeth’s attention. She turned to see Jane entering the room, her eyes softening as she gazed at Elizabeth.
“Jane,” she said calmly with a smile.
Her sister stepped closer, her eyes brimming with tears. “Lizzy,” she said as her voice wavered. “You look radiant. I have never seen you more beautiful.”
Elizabeth felt her own eyes begin to sting with restrained tears as she reached to take Jane’s hands. “Thank you.”
Jane cleared her throat. “Would you still like me to arrange your hair?”
Elizabeth nodded gratefully, and watched her sister’s reflection quietly as she brushed her hair into an elegant style. When she finished, Jane gazed on the assortment of hair pins and combs. She picked up a jewelled comb, and brought it close to Elizabeth’s hair, as if to assess how it might look.
“No, I would prefer this one,” Elizabeth said, leaning forwards and pointing to the delicate black pin with her initials on it.
Jane examined the pin thoughtfully with pursed lips. Her eyes met Elizabeth’s in the mirror. “Are you certain? It may not be visible in your hair. ”
“I know,” Elizabeth replied softly, “but it is significant to us.”
“Mama seemed to think—” Jane stopped herself before continuing and shook her head. “It is of no consequence.”
Elizabeth settled back into her chair with a wry smile. “I know she would not approve.” She shook her head as she continued. “Lydia’s wedding to Mr Andrews was a modest event, but every decision about mine has been a battle with her. She wishes to impress Darcy and his relations and I have tried to let her have her way as much as possible, but on the things that matter most to me, I must stand my ground.”
“I understand.”
Elizabeth looked up at her sister’s reflection, her expression softening. “Although, I must confess,” she said, her voice catching slightly, “as tiresome as it has been to prepare for this wedding, I will miss her deeply, and all of you, when I leave.”
After Jane placed the pin into Elizabeth’s hair, she paused and glanced at her sister with brows furrowed in concern. “Is that why you were quieter than usual last night?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Yes. I daresay, I was thinking about leaving Longbourn and making my home at Pemberley. It will be wonderful, I am sure, but I have never been there and for a moment, it seemed difficult to imagine a new life. So much is changing so quickly.”
Jane nodded, as she placed her hands on Elizabeth’s shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze as she offered a reassuring smile. “I believe that is a very common feeling. But today, you seem more collected. You are radiant.”
Elizabeth’s smile grew warmer. “I am.”
“What helped you find peace?” Jane asked, tilting her head slightly .
Elizabeth’s eyes grew distant as she spoke. “As I said, I was feeling uneasy,” she began. “But when I lay in bed last night, I imagined walking down the aisle and seeing Darcy at the front of the church. What he might be doing, what he might look like. The way he might look at me…” Her voice trailed off, and a soft smile played on her lips as she continued. “I then thought of how much I love him and everything he has done for me, and for this family. And the realisation struck me, like an arrow through the heart, filling me with warmth. He is my home.”
Jane smiled tenderly as a single tear escaped her eye. She quickly wiped it away with a handkerchief. Elizabeth continued, “As much as I love Hertfordshire, and Longbourn, and our family, my home is wherever he is.”
“And that is exactly the way it should be, Lizzy.”
Elizabeth’s smile faltered slightly. “And now I only want to be married.” She let out a small sigh. “I do believe I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the preparations, the people, the parties…” Her voice trailed off as she looked around the room and furrowed her brow. “Perhaps we should have eloped.”
Jane’s eyes widened. “You would not want that!”
Elizabeth giggled. “No, but sometimes it feels as if all of these preparations are too much.”
Jane’s face brightened, and the corners of her lips lifted. “Perhaps you need a distraction. I have news that might do the job well.”
“Oh? What is it?” Elizabeth asked, her curiosity piqued.
Jane barely concealed her smile. “Mary says that Mr Royce came over again yesterday.”
“Again?” Elizabeth’s eyebrows lifted in astonishment as a surprised laugh escaped her lips. “While I was with you at Netherfield? That is the third time this week!”
“I would not be surprised if we are back here in a few months preparing Kitty for her big day,” Jane said.
Elizabeth smiled. The day that she and Darcy had reunited had been the most beautiful of her life. Yet, there had been one difficult task that followed—returning to Longbourn to tell Mr Royce that she could not marry him. He was a kind, respectable man who had wanted to take care of her, and delivering such unwelcome news, which would undoubtedly hurt him, was an arduous duty. It was difficult to tell someone who had shown her such kindness that, despite all his virtues, she could not offer him her heart.
He, however, had made it easy, accepting the news graciously, even offering his congratulations to Elizabeth and Darcy. Before he left, Elizabeth asked him not to stay away from Longbourn on her behalf. She assured him that if it was not too difficult for him to be around her, her family would be exceedingly pleased to have him visit, as they were very fond of him.
To her surprise, he accepted her invitation and began visiting Longbourn the following week. He came as often as he ever had, and soon began paying special attention to Kitty, who appeared thrilled and received his attentions with equal excitement. Although it was a little strange that the man she almost married was now likely to marry her sister, Elizabeth was genuinely happy for them.
Her laughter softened, and she gave her sister a warm hug. “Thank you. That is indeed distracting and helped me forget about the whirlwind of wedding preparations for a moment. ”
Jane returned the hug. “You are welcome. Now, let us go to the church. It is almost time for the ceremony to begin.”
As Elizabeth and Mr Bennet ascended each stone step of the church, her heart pounded. When they at last reached the top, she took a deep breath to steady herself. “Let us wait just a moment, Papa,” she said softly.
She gazed around at the countryside before reaching out to lightly touch the cool, weathered stone of the church walls. Despite her mother’s desire for a wedding in town, Elizabeth had firmly decided on marrying in Longbourn’s church. It was where Jane and Lydia had wed their husbands and would likely be where Mary and Kitty would marry as well. It contained countless childhood memories, a place that had witnessed her grow into who she was today. It was the perfect place for her passage from girlhood to womanhood, from daughter and sister to wife.
Her breath caught as she looked at the ancient oak doors, knowing that her soon-to-be husband awaited her behind them. Just then, a chorus of birds sang out, their melodies seeming to ring in the significance of the day. Elizabeth closed her eyes briefly, allowing the gentle beauty of the scene to fill her senses as she attempted to memorise every detail. The notion was not lost on her that this would be the last time she would see this place as Elizabeth Bennet.
“Lizzy, are you ready?” Her father’s voice broke the silence.
As she opened her eyes and looked at her father, she saw the slightest trace of a glimmer in his eyes. Her fingers trembled slightly as she adjusted her dress, and she took another steadying breath.
“I am,” she replied with quiet resolve.
Mr Bennet cleared his throat and glanced away for a moment. When he looked back at her, Elizabeth linked her arm with his, and he gently squeezed her hand. With a final nod, he opened the door, and together they walked into the church. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting rays of light in the air and shadows across the old wooden pews and the people who gathered to witness the ceremony. Her eyes quickly sought out Darcy, who stood at the front of the church next to the minister. He had not yet heard her enter, and his focus was absorbed in meticulously adjusting his cuffs as his brows furrowed in concentration. Elizabeth’s lips curved into a smile at the sight of his simple, yet endearing habit.
The sight of him standing and waiting for her brought on a wave of calm, and she stood straighter. Any lingering tension dissipated as she began walking towards him.
When Darcy’s eyes finally lifted to meet hers, his face fell for a moment, as if the sight of her overwhelmed him. He took a deep breath and looked up again, and his gaze locked with hers. Elizabeth’s smile widened, but his eyes remained fixed on her with the intensity she had only ever seen from him. To an outsider, Darcy’s expression might have appeared stern, but Elizabeth knew it was a testament to the depth of the feelings he was struggling to contain.
Her steps quickened towards the altar, towards Darcy, towards her home. Darcy’s gaze on her remained unwavering and once beside him, she could detect a mistiness in his eyes. A profound warmth spread through her, causing her to lose her breath momentarily .
The voice of Mr Trammell, the clergyman whom she had known since childhood, broke through their mutual daze. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony.”
Her gaze softened as she looked at Darcy, her eyes never leaving his. Mr Trammell guided Elizabeth to place her hands in Darcy’s; he continued staring at her as he gripped her hands tightly in his. He then repeated after the clergyman with a thick voice, “I, Fitzwilliam Darcy,take thee, Elizabeth Bennet,to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.”
Darcy’s words, almost palpable, lingered invisibly between them as he gazed at her with profound emotion. As he finished reciting the vows that had been spoken by countless couples through the ages, Elizabeth felt a surge of pride and adoration. She was completely assured of the truth in his promises, for his actions had already demonstrated his unwavering commitment. His love, steadfast and enduring, was as timeless as the tradition of these vows themselves, promising to sustain them through every trial and triumph.
She blinked back tears as she made her own pledge, and soon, Darcy was placing a delicate gold ring on the fourth finger of her left hand. His voice then spoke the final words which would bind them in holy matrimony.
“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.”
As the service concluded, Elizabeth turned to face their loved ones. She saw the faces of her family and close friends sitting among the pews, all beaming with joy. Looking up at Darcy one more time, she saw the man she loved above all others, the man who had become her closest friend. Her heart swelled with pride that this was now her husband, and she thought, I am home.