Chapter 19
The night before the wedding, Elizabeth was in her bedchamber at Longbourn once more.
It was the first time back in her room since the late Martha Bingley had moved her to the one above, next to Louisa.
She felt the presence of her mother and father in the walls of the house, as if their love had infused itself into its very structure.
Unlike most who had one person to talk to them the night before her wedding, Elizabeth had four: Aunt Amy, Jane, Aunt Maddie, and Marie.
First, the aunts sat with her on her bed and assured her as she was entering into a love match, marital relations would be a pleasure, not a chore, as some characterised them.
They gave her the practical facts about how it might hurt somewhat when her maidenly barrier was breached the first time she joined with her husband.
They warned her there might be some blood, but it was quite natural and nothing to be concerned over, and it would only be that first time.
Elizabeth was assured mutual pleasure was to be desired rather than to be eschewed.
Both aunts advised her not to be shy in telling William what she found pleasurable, and to ask the same of him.
When Elizabeth asked about marital relations when she was with child, she was informed her body would tell her when it was no longer able to accommodate her husband.
Also, they made sure she understood it was nothing but a myth some propagated about marital relations somehow harming the babe in the mother’s belly, and once a woman was with child, she should refuse her husband entry to her bedchamber.
When Elizabeth told her aunts she felt like a wanton at times as her desire for William grew and it would have been easy to give into her passion, while assuring them she had not, her aunts made sure she understood relations between married, consenting adults were never wrong in private.
By the time the aunts completed their talk, the apprehension Elizabeth felt had vanished.
Once the aunts kissed Elizabeth’s cheeks, they were replaced by Marie and Jane, who reinforced what the aunts had said. “What of it not being acceptable to share a bed?” Elizabeth blushed. “Is it not frowned upon by polite society?”
“Lizzy, since when have you allowed the mores of others to dictate to you? Jamey and I have not spent a night apart since our wedding night, and, other than during my confinement, we do not ever intend to!” Jane told her sister emphatically.
“It is the same with Andrew and me, especially on the long and cold winter nights.
Sleeping with your husband in the bed is worth more than all the warming pans in the Kingdom!
Marie looked Elizabeth and Jane and said, “When you enter your final confinement, the midwife will try to chase William and Jamey out of the birthing chamber. Do not allow it if you and your husbands wish to remain together for the birth! Andrew was by my side for the birth of both of our children—and I would have it no other way. His support was worth more than his weight in gold!”
“It seems those of us in this family do not follow the dictates of the Ton, for I know you feed your babe yourself, Marie, though I know you have a wet nurse. Does she ever work?” Elizabeth asked.
“Uncle Thomas, may he rest in peace, was accurate in his assessment of the members of polite society. They make arbitrary rules, yet the behaviour of so many supposed paragons of society is disgusting. They are excused because of their wealth and rank. So, I do nurse my child, and I suggest both of you follow your own paths; decide what works for your family. Excuse me for saying this, but the Ton be damned!” Marie stated.
“The wetnurse feeds little Amy at night or if I am unavailable, that way I am able to sleep a full night unhindered.”
“Mother Amy told me she felt a bonding with you and your siblings when she fed you as babes,” Jane stated.
“My mother is correct; I felt the same way with my son and now my daughter, and I will continue to do so with any future children we are blessed with,” Marie agreed.
“William and I have discussed it, and we agree with you on both issues, sleeping arrangements and my feeding our future children, if I am able to. Once we are married, I never want to be parted from him.” Elizabeth blushed a little as she prepared to ask a question.
“The aunts told me never to be shy to tell William what pleases me and ask him the same for himself, is it how you learned what yours prefer?”
“Absolutely, yes,” Marie replied, and Jane nodded her head vigorously.
“In that case, I believe all of my questions have been answered. I thank you both.” Marie gave her sisters-in-law a hug each and then departed for Netherfield Park, while Jane and Jamey were to spend the night at Longbourn with Tommy, the Gardiners, and Elizabeth.
The sisters talked about anything and everything until well after midnight, claiming many missed hugs during their conversation until Elizabeth fell asleep at close to one in the morning.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
While Elizabeth was talking to the ladies at Longbourn, the Duke was sitting with his relatives, and those soon to be so, in the billiards room.
They had played some games, but now was the time to relax.
At almost eighteen, Phillip was with the men, and had a snifter of brandy in his hand as they did.
Richard, Andrew, and the Earls were more restrained in their ribbing of the groom, due to the young man’s presence.
“Do you regret you are as inexperienced as your bride, William?” Uncle Reggie asked quietly, as they sat in a corner away from the others.
“I do not, Uncle Reggie. The attitude that a lady is to be as pure as the driven snow, while we men are lauded for our prowess and conquests is one of the many hypocrisies I soundly reject. Anyone who looks at my Elizabeth and still calls women the weaker sex is, in my opinion, fit only for Bedlam. If I expect her to be pure on our wedding night, should she not rightfully be able to expect the same of me?” William stated, and he meant it.
“There is truth in your words, Nephew. I suppose you will learn together,” the Earl opined.
“I may be a duke, but I am still a farmer, and she grew up on a farm as well, so I believe we will both bring a knowledge of the mechanics with us. Luckily, we are both voracious readers who like to study subjects of interest,” William grinned.
“She is your perfect match, you know,” the Earl noted, as he looked off into the distance.
“Both my sister Anne and brother Robert would have loved her, William. It is sad that between you two there are no parents left to see you marry on the morrow. You know Elaine and I think of you and Gigi more as son and daughter than nephew and niece, do you not?” Lord Matlock put his hand on his nephew’s shoulder, his voice gruff with emotion.
“We both love you as surrogate parents, and we always will,” William returned.
“Enough chit-chat you two; I would like to beat William at billiards for once,” Richard said.
“At least you have the excuse of your limp now when William beats you,” Andrew clapped his younger brother on the back.
The men retired two hours later, although the Duke did not fall asleep for an hour or so after he retired, unable to check his grin while thinking it was his last night to sleep alone.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
While the men were entertaining themselves, and once Lady Amy returned from Longbourn, the two Countesses, Cassie, Allie, Georgiana, and Anne were upstairs in the family sitting room entertaining Parrot, as he was with Phillip this week.
He had become a favourite with all of them—his sometimes-colourful language aside.
Parrot was also a favourite of the children of the neighbourhood, so everyone had been working hard to teach him other words and phrases so he would not be as apt to squawk out what the crewmen who were stranded with the family taught him.
“Amy,” Lady Elaine called her friend’s attention to herself, “it was most generous of James to pay the back wages of all three crewmen who were castaway with you, even that Sparrow fellow who perished. From what I heard; he paid each family many times what the men’s actual wages would have been.”
“It was the least he could do. With their skills, all three were integral to our survival.
With their men presumed dead, the wives and children had a hard time of it.
All three families will be housed in cottages at Holder Heights, and there will be employment for any who require it.
The two men already have positions, as does Mrs. Sparrow, who is a seamstress.
“You cannot believe how my niece has blossomed since Elizabeth has been in her life,” Lady Elaine changed the subject, looking at Gigi, who was sitting across the room from her with the younger ladies.
“Lizzy has always been able to draw others into conversation, regardless of how shy they might be. She is still so unassuming; it is not becoming a duchess she is excited about, rather, it is becoming William’s wife.
I am glad both Jane and Elizabeth will be close to one another, and to Holder Heights.
Tommy will be with us when he is on break from Cambridge so they will be able to be in company with one another often,” Lady Amy stated.
“With Snowhaven close to all the family estates, and Hilldale but five miles from your estate, Jane and Jamey are the most distant, but they are but four hours away by carriage. We are not much farther, but you and James are less than an hour from those sweet grandchildren of ours. As you missed the first years of little Jamey’s life and your namesake’s birth, it is only right for you to reside much closer to them,” Lady Elaine said, as she squeezed her friend and fellow grandmother’s hand.