Chapter 26 #3
“I know husband, oh how well that sounds—husband! Let us set ourselves to rights and not keep them waiting. If it is too much longer,” she blushed crimson as she imagined what she would have liked to be doing at that moment, “I would not be able to face our family for mortification of them knowing what we were about.”
It took a few minutes for the visible sign of Richard’s arousal to subside and for them to make themselves presentable, though Jane admitted to herself that she was not unhappy at the bulge in his pants that had presented itself.
It portended of an enjoyable time in the marriage bed as she saw the passion that she felt for her husband reflected in his eyes for her.
When ready, they opened the door and stepped out into the welcoming arms of their parents, siblings, and cousins.
Richard was engulfed in a bear hug by his father followed by kisses on his cheeks from his crying mother.
They were tears of joy, for her son had not only found the love of his life, but she felt the same relief that she had felt since the day that her younger son had announced that he was resigning his commission, as he had found his equal in all ways that truly mattered.
Andrew enfolded him in a congratulatory hug, as William and Georgie stood back with the Phillipses, Bedfords, and Jerseys to allow the parents and siblings their moment.
Jane was surrounded by an overjoyed family all wanting to be first to use the appellation ‘Lady Jane Fitzwilliam’ before the others.
She was hugged and kissed by her mother, who like her now mother-in-law had moisture in her eyes, then by each of her seven sisters.
They were followed by Aunt and Uncle Gardiner and the four Gardiner children.
Jane and Lizzy had always been favourites with the children and she was able to quell their worries that they were losing a cousin, explaining that she would see them fairly often as her new home at Brookfield was just over fifteen miles from the Gardiner estate Dovedale.
She also pointed out that they were in fact gaining, not losing cousins.
“Jane, I cannot tell you how happy I am to gain not just you, but six sisters today!” Lady Tiffany enthused and Jane hugged the younger of her newest sisters.
Last in the line to hug Jane was Lady Marie Fitzwilliam.
“Welcome to the family, sister,” Marie said with much glee.
“Now I am no longer the only daughter-in-law.” After Marie hugged Jane yet again, she was hugged by her new in-laws and welcomed to the family very heartily, then finally her new brother gave her a kiss on each cheek.
“Do not allow that brother of mine to get away with any nonsense. You will have to keep a watchful eye on that one,” Andrew teased his new sister, giving her a wink to make sure that she knew that she was being teased.
Richard was being simultaneously welcomed to the family by his in-laws, with a gentle reminder to treat his daughter like the beloved treasure that she was by the Bennet patriarch.
His new Uncle Edward repeated the warning a little less gently, then his mother-in-law and aunt just kissed his cheeks.
Next, he was hugged by his five new sisters, all of whom had warnings about what would happen to him if he ever hurt Jane, the scariest and most believable from the middle daughter, Mary.
Once the new extended family had greeted and wished the newlyweds well, they were approached by the Darcys.
Darcy kissed his new cousin on the cheek and then looking at her next younger sister.
“Welcome to the family, Cousin Jane. It is very good to be part of your family. As much as I will enjoy being cousins, my aim is for Georgie and I to be brother and sister to all of you at some point.” He stated boldly and his comment earned him a saucily arched eyebrow from his intended target.
“I am happy to be your cousin, William,” Jane agreed as she hugged Georgiana tightly, then pulled back so she could lock eyes with the young lady in her arms, “and yours Georgie. If one day we are closer than cousins, I will not be opposed,” Jane said softly.
“Take heart, Georgie, I do not think it will be much longer,” Jane whispered to her as she kissed Georgie’s cheek, ‘but that is a secret I would only share with my soon to be sister,” she added as she kissed the other.
Darcy had moved on and was hugging his cousin as he slapped him on the back, glad for the older brother of his heart, hoping against hope that they would soon be brothers in deed.
Georgiana then hugged her other guardian and kissed both of his cheeks.
Anne de Bourgh and her betrothed followed, Anne to welcome Jane as a new cousin with a hug and a kiss and kissing Richard on his cheek while the latter wished his one soon to be cousin joy and shook the hand of the other.
The newlyweds were lastly surrounded by the De Melville and the Rhys-Davies families.
While not relations by blood…yet, one was Jane’s godparents and the other long-acknowledged aunts, uncles, and cousins.
After the initial wave of well-wishes, hugs, kisses, and back slapping was done, the newlyweds were followed out of the church where a column of conveyances stood to take them the few miles to Bennet Fields for the wedding breakfast. Charlotte Collins, who would not attend the celebration due to mourning, hugged and kissed Jane and congratulated her husband then turned to walk toward Lucas Lodge.
Richard assisted his wife into the open landau, pulled by four pure white horses, that was to transport them to their celebratory meal.
By the time the new Mr and Mrs Richard Fitzwilliam arrived at the Fields both had very swollen lips, though if it was noted by anyone, they had the good sense not to comment on the fact.
As the couple were announced by Mr Hill, who was given the honour by the butler of the estate given, his long history serving the Bennets, the large crowd of well-wishers expressed their approval and joy with a rousing three cheers for the newlyweds.
As to be expected, the one thing that Jane or Richard barely had time to do was eat.
There were so many people to meet and thank for their warm wishes.
There were three men present watching the celebration calculating how soon they too could marry the women who claimed their hearts.
In the case of Lord Hugh Rhys-Davies, he wondered how soon after he proposed would he be able to marry his Mary.
Darcy, although more confident than he had been since the insult of a proposal that he made at Hunsford, asked himself if Elizabeth would signal in some way that she was open to him renewing his addresses.
Lastly, Harry Smythe was asking himself if Sarah Ashby would agree to a request for a courtship, or if it was too precipitous considering they had been known to one another under a sennight.
Darcy was seated at a table with the other two suitors with the very three ladies they each were hoping would secure their future happiness.
All three men had asked his lady if he could make a plate of food for her, and they had also had the good sense to ask what foods his lady preferred rather than assume that they would eat whatever he deemed she should by his blind selection.
The three ladies, dissimilar in many ways, were united in their approval of the fact that the men asked.
While they understood that some favourites had been noticed over these days together, they appreciated that the men who were paying court to them did not forget that they liked to be included in decisions as partners, friends, and potential lovers.
By the simple act of gleaning her opinion first, each man raised the opinion of the young lady he was courting, or in one case, hoped to enter that state soon.
Elizabeth had left the table only to intervene on behalf of her sister and brother to sit for a minute or two and made sure that they had a sip of lemonade to wash down a pastry she knew Jane loved and had seen that Richard liked when similar treats had been served at teas.
Her officious action was appreciated by both and respected by those assembled, allowing the bride and groom a moment’s peace.
While Jane was escorted to a chamber by her closest sister to change out of the magnificent creation that Madame Chambourg had designed for her, her new husband sat down next to his cousin.
“William, how can I thank you? You have made Darcy House available for us tonight, and then on the morrow we will make for Seaview Cottage, also by your leave. You know you are a brother to me, do you not?” Richard asked, his voice thick with emotion.
“It is my pleasure Rich. You know that there is nothing that is in my power to do for you that I would ever refuse you, do you not? You are my brother, my best friend, and my cousin all in one person,” Darcy replied, reminding his cousin that he loved him as well, if not more so than most men loved their brothers.
He knew that Richard would have laid down his life for him before he married his Jane, just as he himself would have done for Richard until his heart was invaded and completely conquered by the then Miss Elizabeth.
“I know your wife will be your priority now just as she should be, but at the same time I know that the bonds that bind us one to the other will never be broken.”
The cousins, neither of whom showed their emotions under normal circumstances, clasped each other in a bone crushing hug. Not too long after the heart-warming scene between the cousins played out, the new bride joined her husband and they made a circuit of the room saying their farewells.
Jane’s personal coach and six, now their carriage, was ready and waiting for them as they walked outside followed by all of their family. There was much hugging and not a few tears shed.
“One is so forlorn when one’s daughter leaves her home,” Lady Longbourn said quietly to her sisters Madeline and Hattie out of earshot of the happy couple.
The old Fanny would have made this day about herself, but the woman she was growing into could not but admit this quietly as she was both excited for her Jane and sad that she was having to let go.
She thanked God again that she was granted the gift of Helen so by the time her three youngest were out, there should be a nursery with grandbabies to spoil.
With this most cheerful thought, she told everyone that the couple had to get going.
There was only one way she would get those grandbabies!
As the bride and groom were about to enter the very comfortable coach, Mrs Hill emerged from the house followed by her husband carrying a hamper.
“You did not think that I would let one of my girls leave home hungry with no food until she got to London in four hours, did you young miss?” Hill had been with them since before Jane’s birth and the Bennet girls loved her like a second mother.
She was to them what Mrs Reynolds was to the Darcys.
The normally unflappable housekeeper had tears running down her cheeks as she hugged Jane tightly.
Mr Hill gave his felicitations as the new husband and wife entered their conveyance and sat down facing each other as a footman closed the door.
They only had a change of clothing for the morning when they left Darcy House.
There they would be helped by servants of that house, as their personal servants had departed for Brighton and the Cottage with all of the trunks the two requested right after they had dressed their master and mistress before church.
After a final wave, Richard hit the roof with his cane and the driver shook the reigns to put the vehicle in motion, the carriage was accompanied by two footmen at the rear, two postilions, and six outriders.
The family stood in the drive until the carriage bearing the newlyweds was no longer seen, at which point they returned to the ongoing celebration.