Chapter 35 #2
The wedding breakfast was held in the ball room at Bennet House.
Lady Longbourn had truly outdone herself.
The dinner at Bedford House the previous night had been a boon for her servants so that they only had to concentrate on the preparations for the celebration after the weddings.
The royals were represented by Prince Edward and Princess Elizabeth who had requested the task of her mother as she was quite taken with her namesake, Lady Elizabeth Darcy.
When the newlywed couples were announced by Thatcher, they made their way over to where the Prince and Princess were seated to make their bows and curtsies and received the well wishes of the whole royal family.
Lady Lucas was sitting with her husband and older son at a table with the Longs and the Gouldings.
The Meryton group was collectively reeling.
First the ball then the wedding. The dresses that the brides wore for both occasions most probably cost a good portion of all of the three families combined annual income.
Now to top it all off they were sitting at a wedding breakfast with the cream of the Ton.
Maria Lucas, the Long’s nieces, and the younger girls of the extended Bennet family were sitting together.
The group ranged from Mary Faith Darcy at twelve up to almost eighteen.
Loretta De Melville, Tiffany Fitzwilliam, and Kitty Bennet would all turn eighteen in the next months and would be coming out during the next season.
Lily Gardiner was happy that she was no longer the youngest and was fast becoming good friends with Mary Faith.
The young men that included James Gardiner and John Lucas were sitting and talking and they were on their best behaviour so they did not find themselves in the nursery with the youngest children and babes.
Lady Jane Fitzwilliam was pleased to be able to enjoy a wedding breakfast as a guest with her husband, rather than being the focus of the occasion for any except him. Unlike their own, both she and Richard were able to enjoy the sumptuous fare offered at this celebratory meal.
Georgie, Tiffany, and Kitty managed to find a moment with Elizabeth where they admired her wedding ring.
It fit perfectly with her betrothal ring with emeralds set in the shining gold band.
Georgie reiterated her excitement that she would be staying at Bennet House until her sister and brother returned from their wedding trip.
After the Prince and Princess had taken their leave, the brides went up to their former bedchambers to change.
As soon as she helped her mistress change out of her shimmering wedding gown, her maid walked across the square to Darcy House where all of her mistresses’ belongings were already present.
Mary’s belongings too had been moved to Birchington House on Russell Square.
The two couples went around the room to thank their guests for helping to celebrate this most special of all days.
By design the last people they saw before their families were Charlotte and her betrothed.
“I cannot wait to see you walk down the aisle with the man that you love Charlotte,” Lizzy said as she had hugged her dearest friend outside of her sisters. “Does it not make all the difference to allow yourself to love?”
“Please forget all of that nonsense I spouted about affection in marriage being a matter of chance,” replied an amusedly chagrined lady.
“I was so very wrong and am truly grateful I do not have to serve a life sentence for my folly. It is not just a very good and sensible man that I gain, but my daughter Grace, too. I could not love her more if she had been born of my body.”
“The most important thing to me is that you will be loved and happy for the rest of your life. An unintended consequence is that you will be comfortable and secure as well, and more importantly, you will be living so very close to me.” Lizzy hugged her friend again and then moved onto the family as her husband was farewelling his friend and rector, Patrick Elliot.
The newly married ladies hugged their Mama, Papa, and sisters—newly acquired and long loved.
The Fitzwilliams, the Phillipses, and the Gardiners were part of the party that waved as the two carriages pulled away from the front of Bennet House.
The Darcys would have but walked across the square were it not for the summons to Buckingham House.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Mary snuggled up to her husband as they headed toward their townhouse on Russell Square.
Birchington House was smaller than Bennet and Bedford Houses, but was by no means small.
Like the Darcys, they would stay at the house that night and be awoken very early to be at the dock at the appointed hour around dawn.
When they arrived at the house, the butler and housekeeper were introduced to the new Marchioness of Birchington.
They had met her as Lady Mary Bennet when she had accompanied the Duchess and her mother to view the townhouse.
Hugh picked her up and carried her over the threshold and she playfully swatted his arm when he put her down, her laugh filling the hall.
This was the very best way that she could imagine starting her marriage.
She needed a man who would ensure she did not fall back into the version of herself she so disliked being and wanted to grow into the woman she imagined would maybe cause a scandal or ten, so long as it was with her very own marquess in shining armour.
On the mistress’s side of the master suite, Mary’s maid, Reid, was waiting.
She wished the new Marchioness happy then proceeded to help her change into one of her new muslin day dresses.
The plan was to meet in a drawing room to have some refreshments as they had had no chance to eat at the wedding breakfast. Her husband walked into their sitting room just after Mary did.
“My Lord husband,” she teased with an exaggerated curtsy.
“My Lady wife,” he teased her right back with a bow so low that the late Mr Collins would have been envious. “What would you like to do after we have had something to eat and drink, my Lady Mary, Marchioness of Birchington?”
Before she could answer the housekeeper knocked and directed two maids to place the tea service and a tiered platter with cake, sandwiches, cheese, and biscuits, stating that some of their favourites from the wedding breakfast would be sent over for their repast at dinner.
“I thought we could go get some…’rest,’ husband.” Mary met his eyes, longing to be his wife in every way and begin their married life as one without the requisite wait for the night time most brides suffered through with either anticipation or dread.
The words had hardly left her mouth when Hugh crossed the room in two strides and claimed her mouth to shower her with kisses, none of which were chaste.
Her hands went around his waist and she started to rub his back as they pulled each other as close as possible.
It did not take long before Mary felt something hard pressing into her belly.
She may be a maiden but she knew what his arousal signified.
The more they kissed the more their shared ardour intensified.
They broke apart and without having to say anything, they both headed toward his bedchamber.
Mary soon discovered that the advice of her mother and sister had been completely accurate. The former proper and pious Miss Mary Bennet, as Lady Mary Rhys-Davies, very much enjoyed that which as little as three years ago she would have found scary, wanton, and sinful.
She was very glad that Lizzy had shared the right kind of books with her over the last three months and that she was finally able to test many of the things that had invaded her dreams since her Hugh had walked into her life.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy and his wife were announced to the Queen and her son, the Regent.
After they made a deep bow and curtsy the Regent addressed them.
“We thank you for attending us Lady Elizabeth and Darcy. We are loath to disturb your wedding day, yet we want to make this gift to you before you leave on your wedding trip. As you know Mr Darcy, you are now our cousin, one of two untitled ones.” Seeing Darcy was about to protest the Regent raised his hand, causing whatever Darcy was about to say die in his throat.
“We have spoken to our mother who agrees with us that it will not do. After today, you will be known as Lord Fitzwilliam Darcy, Earl of Pemberley. The secondary title to go to your firstborn, Viscount Rivington, will go with the estate, Rivington, that we are gifting you in Cheshire. As the firstborn male grandchild will become Viscount Meryton, if none of Lady Pemberley’s sisters bear a son before yours, then your second son would inherit the Bennet title.
Even though her father was not an Earl your sister will be known as Lady Georgiana from this day forward.
Please kneel Lord Pemberley,” he gestured.
The new countess looked on as the Regent tapped her husband on the shoulder with his ceremonial sword and it was done.
She knew that for many generations the Darcys had rejected titles as recently as her husband’s father George Darcy.
King George III had offered him the title that the son had just bestowed on her William.