Chapter 22 #2
At the stop just past the halfway point, the servants, upon seeing the master and mistress fast asleep, had not disturbed them. Darcy woke about twenty minutes prior to arriving at Seaview Cottage, and he gently woke his slumbering wife.
“Lizzy my darling, my sweet love,” he punctuated his words with little feathered kisses to her cheeks, “we are about to arrive. Time to open those fine eyes of yours.”
“I slept so well, I even dreamed I had married and was in love with the best of men, then I woke up and saw it was just you,” Elizabeth said with a saucy, impertinent, and teasing smile he loved so well.
“Just you wait, my impertinent wife; you will pay for that comment later,” Darcy scowled with mock affront.
“Do not make promises unless you intend to keep them, Husband.” she volleyed.
As her husband was about to respond to her very forward comment, they both felt the conveyance slow down and it soon came to a halt in front of the cottage. The footman lowered the steps and after alighting, Darcy turned around to hand his wife out of the carriage.
On seeing the house, Lizzy smacked her husband’s arm playfully. “This is no cottage, Mr. Darcy, why it is almost as large as Longbourn was before Papa started to enlarge and add wings to the house. Cottage indeed!” Lizzy looked at her husband questioningly.
“In my defence, Lizzy, the name is, in fact, Seaview Cottage, and it has been referred to as the cottage ever since the first time I heard tell about the place,” Darcy explained.
Lined up in front of the entrance was the cottage’s servants, led by Mrs. Agatha Spencer, the housekeeper.
She introduced the cook and the rest of the servants.
The footmen that had accompanied the carriage, along with the two Seaview footmen, made quick work of getting the trunks to the master suite.
His valet and her maid unpacked their clothing and personal items with quiet efficiency. After the mistress met with the cook to go over the couple’s likes and dislikes, the Darcys retired to their suite for some undisturbed personal time.
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The three weeks flew by. The couple did much walking, riding, reading, and relaxing. They spent as much time learning and teaching each other what they liked, and the few things they did not enjoy, in the privacy of their chambers.
There was a lot of sea bathing on their very private beach and activities in the water that newlyweds in the deepest throes of love enjoyed.
Once a week they had the carriage summoned for forays into Brighton to see the sites including promenading past the Prince Regent’s Brighton Pavilion.
He was not in residence, but it was interesting to see the opulent place the Regent stayed at when in Brighton.
Even though her husband claimed not to like assemblies, the couple went to one and danced only with each other, not caring how scandalised anyone was with a married couple dancing exclusively with one another.
All too soon it was the morning of departure.
Darcy left a substantial amount with Mrs. Spencer to be divvied up among the cottage’s servants because the Darcys were most happy with the service during their stay there.
The bonus was generous enough it essentially doubled the servant’s annual pay for that year.
Just before their departure, the young couple pledged they would spend at least two weeks a year at the cottage, even once they were blessed with children.
As they had on the trip down to the cottage, the Darcys slept almost all the way back to London, the only difference was they woke when they stopped for a break, then promptly fell back to sleep once they were on the road again.
The coach pulled up to Darcy House in the late afternoon and the Darcys were welcomed home by the Killions.
They sent a note over to the Gardiners at Portman Square and received an invitation to join them for a family dinner that evening. Given both had rested on the journey back to London, the invitation was accepted with alacrity.
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The Darcys were announced by the Gardiner’s butler.
All four children were in the drawing room.
Lilly Gardiner, who had just turned twelve, felt very grown up even if she still looked like a young girl.
Before dinner, the governess collected the youngest two, May and Peter.
Lilly and George were to eat with the adults.
The party of six went in to dinner and sat down to enjoy an informal family meal.
“How was your wedding trip, Lizzy?” Madeline Gardiner turned to Elizabeth who was seated to her left as she happily sat between her uncle and aunt she so loved.
“Aunt Maddie, it was so very enjoyable, and our house near Brighton, which my dear husband calls a cottage, is the size Longbourn was before Papa added to it. When you have some time, you must go and relax there. It has a private beach,” her aunt noticed Lizzy’s blush when she mentioned the beach, “and it is close, but not too close to Brighton. The house has a good number of bedchambers and a very able staff. We had the best time there, and we have pledged to return at least once every year. The views of Brighton and the sea from the property are a sight to see.”
“We are so happy for you both. When do you leave for Longbourn?” Aunt Maddie asked.
“I have some business I need to take care of on the morrow, so we will leave on Wednesday morn,” Darcy replied.
“When do you depart, Aunt Maddie? If you are here on the morrow, I would love you to come shopping with me while William completes his business,” Lizzy requested.
“We depart on Thursday, so if my wife has no conflicts, as far as I know, she is free on the morrow,” Uncle Gardiner informed them.
“Yes, Lizzy dear, Edward is correct. I am available, so what do you say I meet you at Darcy House at ten in the morning?” Aunt Gardiner asked.
“That sounds perfect, Aunt Maddie, I look forward to spending some time with you on the morrow,” Elizabeth smiled brightly.
At the end of the meal Lilly and George said their good nights and took themselves upstairs to the nursery and then there was a brief separation of the sexes. Darcy sat with his new uncle discussing mutual business interests while the ladies retired to the drawing room.
“You look so very happy, Lizzy; you are glowing with contentment,” Madeline offered as soon as they were alone in the drawing room.
“Oh, Aunt Maddie, being married to William is better than my wildest imaginings. He is so solicitous of my thoughts and feelings; we truly have a partnership in every sense of the word. He is so generous with me, and I love our private time together.” Although she blushed as she said the last, Elizabeth Darcy knew she could share anything with her aunt without censure or judgement.
“I am going to assume what your mother told you about the marriage bed is true?” Madeline smiled as her niece nodded emphatically.
“Being in love and caring one for the other makes all of the difference. I could never imagine what things must be like in a marriage of convenience. It would be dreadfully horrid to be in a loveless marriage.”
“Luckily no one in our extended family will ever be in a cold, heartless marriage,” Lizzy responded “None need to marry if they do not want to and come Friday morning two more of my sisters will enter the marriage state, both very much in love with their fiancés. How was the time with Mary and Jane while they were here shopping? What was it, about ten days ago?”
“The girls had an enjoyable time shopping. I was with them as well as your mother, Anne de Bourgh, Louisa Hurst, and Ladies Matlock and Hilldale. They decided on perfect wedding dresses at Madame Chambourg’s modiste shop.
The wedding dresses, along with each trousseau, were delivered to them after the final fittings.
Anne ordered herself a whole new wardrobe, she was so happy to get rid of the horrid fashions Lady Catherine used to choose for her,” Madeline conveyed happily.
“I dare say she was. I cannot wait to see what my sisters acquired for their trousseaus and Anne’s new clothing as well.
As much as I have loved the time with my husband, I have missed my family and am looking forward to seeing them on Wednesday.
We will leave early and be there well before luncheon.
” Lizzy squeezed her aunt’s hand to share her excitement.
The men re-joined their ladies, and they spent a comfortable evening enjoying each other’s company then the Darcys took their leave after thanking the Gardiners profusely and returned home to go to sleep, well at least to go to bed.