Chapter 30 #2
On entering the study, Conyers’s look had been an inquisitive one, but now, the more Bethie spoke, the wider his smile became. “Bethie, you are too generous to trifle with me. Are you saying what I think, hope, you are saying?” Conyers enquired.
“William, I will clarify things for you. In vain I have struggled without you. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed any longer. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I love, respect, and admire you. My feelings have deepened since the day I asked you to wait for me. I was almost in love with you then. I reached that state shortly after that day, even if I was not ready to admit it to myself. It is quite simple; I absolutely cannot live without you at my side any longer. My fervent desire is that you will be my partner in all things. I know it is the province of men to propose marriage; however, I am reliably informed that a duchess may propose to a man of lesser rank than herself. Forget about my rank; I am here with you, a woman standing before a man, asking him to love her and be her husband. William Alexander Robert Darcy, Viscount Conyers, will you marry me?”
Conyers had dreamt of being married to Bethie the previous night, as he did every night.
He had woken up thinking about her perfection.
She had been in his thoughts any time he was not occupied, and then, the invitation had arrived.
From the time he and his parents had accepted, he had thought of nothing else but seeing her again, basking in her company.
Now he stood on the precipice of all his dreams for his future marital felicity being realised.
He knew it was late in the process, but he came and stood before her and sank to one knee.
Then he took her hands within his own. “Bethie, Lady Bethany Anne Elaine Osborne, also known as Elizabeth Rose Bennet, I care not which of us proposes to the other, as long as we end up in church, say our vows, and marry one another.
There is only one reply I am able to give you, and that is a resounding and emphatic yes.
I would have described my love for you with the words you used to speak of yours for me.
To that, I will add that my love for you is deeper than the deepest ocean.
It is more than love; there is endless respect as well.
Since you began to take over management of your estates and other properties, I have seen how generous of spirit and charitable you are to your dependents.
“Unlike how I used to be, you never look down your nose at anyone, be they servant, tradesman, or noble. From the first time we met, without trying, you began to make me a better man. I could never marry any other than you.”
While Conyers was kneeling, Bethany bent and gave him a quick, chaste kiss on his lips. His reaction was to jump up and pull Bethie into the circle of his arms as he lowered his head so his lips could meet hers.
He captured her lips with his own and proceeded to shower her with deep kisses, all of which were very different from the quick, chaste kiss she had initiated.
Each one was slow and deep, soft, and stirringly thorough; Bethany felt it all over her body, all the way to the pit of her stomach and lower still, and she responded with a natural sensuality which made Conyers thirst for more.
He had known all along that she was a beautiful woman and suspected she had hidden depths of passion.
It was most gratifying to discover his estimation had been accurate.
His heart rate had sped up to the extent that it felt like the speed of Zeus’s hooves striking the ground at full gallop. The reality of her kisses was so much better than they had been when he could only imagine kissing Bethie.
Bethany felt lightheaded and dizzy from the searing kisses William bestowed.
Her breath was ragged, and there were frissons of pleasure shooting every which way in her body.
His surprisingly soft lips had sent her mind reeling.
He had lifted his head to look and make sure she was sanguine with what he was doing, which she most certainly was.
She smiled as she blushed; William was staring intently at her.
Their gazing into one another’s eyes held, until Bethany tilted her head to indicate she wanted more kisses.
He obliged her forthwith, and their lips were once again upon each other’s.
There was a certain fervour to their movements, an urgent need to be closer.
She wrapped her arms about his shoulders, lifting one hand and running it through his unruly curls.
At some point, either John or Brian cleared his throat, which broke the passionate stupor in which they had been lost. They reluctantly stepped back from one another. While William put himself to rights, Bethany pulled the door open all the way so that the guards outside would relax.
“I do not know about you, but I would not like a very lengthy engagement,” Conyers stated once his heart rate had slowed somewhat.
“In that we agree,” Bethany returned breathlessly. “There is a calendar on Papa’s desk; we can look at it and decide on a date between us. Before you ask, my Bennet and Osborne parents were aware I intended to propose, so none of them will be surprised.”
They chose Friday the nineteenth day of April, the day before Mary turned nineteen.
She was to be presented the following Thursday, and the joint ball for her and Petunia would be held that night.
Mary had delayed her entry into society so that she and Petunia would be able to be together and share a ball.
They would remain at Conyers House until the day of the presentation—Bethany was to present Mary along with her mamma—and they would attend the ball.
Their wedding trip would begin the next day.
Now, all they needed to do was reveal their plans to their parents and other family members who were present.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
In the drawing room, when Lady Anne had questioned what Bethie was about in asking William to join her in the study, Amelia and Fanny had quietly told her what the purpose was. Ophelia, being resident at Bennet House, was aware, but she felt it was not her place to say anything to Anne Darcy.
As she was the only one of the group of families without any grandchild, Lady Anne had expressed her joy, rather loudly.
Hence, by the time the newly engaged couple arrived back in the drawing room, their news was met with great joy, but no surprise.
Seeing that she had not asked Mamma or Mother to keep her intention secret, Bethie could not complain.
Word was sent to Hilldale, Matlock, and Fitzwilliam Houses to invite the occupants to an impromptu celebratory dinner.
A note was sent to the Gardiners in Gracechurch Street with the same message.
Bennet House saw a large and boisterous celebration that evening. Jane, Charlotte, and Caroline all expressed how pleased they were that Bethie was also to join them in the married state.
The first thing the next day, Mother sent a note to Her Majesty, as she did not want the Crown to be uninformed when the notice appeared in the papers two days hence. That way the royals would have more than enough time to react to the news.
The same afternoon that the note was sent to the queen, one was received from Buckingham House inviting the suo jure Duchess of Leeds, the Dowager Duchess of Leeds, Lord and Lady Holderness, Lord and Lady Meryton, and Lord Conyers to take tea with Her Majesty the next day, the day before the notice would be carried in the papers.
Both Queen Charlotte and the Prince Regent bestowed their blessing for the match.
The one demand that Her Majesty had was that the wedding would be held at her chapel—Westminster Abbey—with the ceremony conducted by her vicar—the Archbishop of Canterbury—so that she and a group of her children would be able to attend.
As one did not gainsay Her Majesty, especially not in her own house, it was so agreed.