Chapter 21
Elizabeth stood outside the church on her father’s arm, her pale blue dress fluttering in the light morning breeze.
She took a deep breath and let her father lead her into the unfamiliar building.
She would be Mrs. Darcy in less than half an hour.
She had a slight urge to take off running down the street, but knew deep down it would do no good.
This was her destiny. She could do aught but face it head on.
Darcy stood at the front of the church next to Charles Bingley.
His family sat in the pews behind him, whispering quietly as they awaited the bride.
The other side of the church was less populated than his.
Her mother and sisters were there, as were her aunt and uncle and a handful of people he assumed were acquaintances of her family in town.
Comparing it to his own side of the chapel, hers looked rather sparse.
His entire family from the evening before had come as well as the cousins that had not been present.
In addition, several of his friends from school and the club were there.
Her friends are probably all in Meryton and couldn’t make the journey, he thought.
Suddenly, he wondered if she would have liked to marry from her home.
He was slightly abashed that he had not thought of it before.
But had not her own father suggested London as the location?
Or had it been Darcy, himself? He couldn’t remember.
He felt like he’d lived a lifetime since that fateful day in Kent.
No matter, it was done now and there was nothing he could do about it.
He would ask Elizabeth later if she would have preferred marrying in Hertfordshire and if she said yes, he would apologize. Problem solved.
The doors to the church opened and there she was.
She was resplendent with the sun shining at her back.
Her satin gown glowed in the soft morning light and her hair seemed auburn one moment and brown the next as the light from the stained glass windows danced across her visage.
Her face was tilted down and shaded by a bonnet, so it was difficult for him to see her clearly, but he knew she would be lovelier than he had imagined.
The ceremony proceeded in the usual way with Darcy scant noticing anything about the goings on.
He only noticed how her hand trembled when he took it in his, and how her voice sounded when she agreed to love him forever, and the light blush that tinged her cheek when he slid the ring on her finger.
When all was done, they exited the church to congratulations from the assembled guests and climbed into the carriage that would take them to his aunt’s house for the wedding breakfast. She had insisted on hosting it, saying Gracechurch Street was too far from the church and that she would stand in place of his parents who surely would have wanted some part in the festivities had they been alive.
Darcy was touched by the gesture and had no difficulty convincing Mr. Bennet to allow his family to host the event.
Now, he sat across from Elizabeth in a carriage on their wedding day, headed to Lady Constance’s home for the wedding breakfast, from whence they would leave for their wedding night.
He could hardly wait. He knew the breakfast must be endured, but he did not want to linger overlong and hoped Elizabeth would be in agreement.
She twisted the ring on her finger, watching the light catch on the gold, mulling over the changes in her life.
It is happening. She had thought about it and knew it would come, and she had grown closer to her betrothed and thought more highly of him, but now that the day was upon her, she found herself overwhelmed and wondering if she’d known what she was about when she’d accepted him.
It is just nerves, Elizabeth. All will be well, she admonished herself.
She had to admit to a great amount of trepidation for the days to come.
Mr. Darcy passionately loved her, of that she was certain.
And while she had no direct experience, it wasn’t difficult to imagine that a man with such feelings would often want to be in her company, throughout the day and night.
She was nervous about what was to come and nervous about the life she would now lead, and nervous about leaving her family and the only home she had ever known to live somewhere she had never seen.
At this thought, she felt her courage rising. She would not be intimidated! She would not! He was just a man, Pemberley was just a house, and the new would only be strange for a little while.
“Here we are,” said Darcy. Elizabeth looked up in surprise.
They had gone the entire way, though it was short, without saying a word.
He had silently observed her while she mulled over her thoughts, thinking she was still upset about the evening prior.
“I know we did not speak much last night and there is more to say. We will have plenty of time after the breakfast to say whatever needs saying.”
She nodded and he helped her down.
The breakfast was a great success, or so Darcy’s aunt would call it.
The same people from the church were there in addition to a few others.
A group of musicians played constantly and the food was elegant and abundant.
Lydia, Catherine, and Georgiana all escaped to a sitting room on the next level while Jane spent a great deal of time speaking to Mr. Bingley.
He wore a blue coat, a few shades lighter than Darcy’s, and Jane thought his hair was unusually attractive that day. One curl in particular kept falling across his forehead and she hated that she found such a simple thing so endearing.
“It is good to see them so happy, is it not?” Mr. Bingley said to Jane as they stood to the side of the crowd.
Jane raised an eyebrow and glanced at her sister. Elizabeth looked as if she would bolt to the nearest exit any moment and Mr. Darcy looked like he also wanted to leave, but for entirely different reasons. How did Mr. Bingley not notice it? Perhaps he was just making polite chatter.
“Yes, it is a lovely breakfast,” she replied.
“Miss Bennet, do you plan to be in town long?”
“We return to the seaside the day after tomorrow. Why?”
He shifted from one foot to the other. “I had hoped to see you again, perhaps plan an excursion. May I call on you tomorrow? Or would you like to go to the menagerie? I’ve heard the most wonderful things about it and would love to see it with you.”
She couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “I would love to see the menagerie with you if my mother has no need of me.”
His smile took up half his face and she laughed lightly, feeling her traitorous heart give a little tug in his direction.
They stayed at the wedding breakfast longer than Darcy wanted. It was clear to Elizabeth that he wanted to leave, but she could not bear to say goodbye to her family just yet and she lingered long.
She spent considerable time with Colonel Fitzwilliam, who gladly took her around making sure she knew everyone and kept her mightily entertained throughout.
At one point she laughed so hard she had to stop to catch her breath.
Two of his brothers proved almost as jovial and she was incredibly relieved to be gaining such cousins.
She talked for three quarters of an hour with her mother, suddenly missing the dear, maddening woman who had raised her.
Mrs. Bennet looked on her daughter with such a softness in her eye and expression that Elizabeth was nearly moved to tears.
Her mother had finally shooed her off to spend time with her new family, and Elizabeth didn’t miss that Mrs. Bennet dabbed a handkerchief at her eyes when she turned away from the room.
Once Elizabeth found Jane, she could hardly let her go.
She was suddenly wishing Jane was to accompany them on the wedding trip, but she could not do that to her sister.
She should stay close to the men who were trying to win her.
But oh! How she would miss her dearest sister!
When the two finally parted, both needed handkerchiefs and Mr. Bingley was quick to offer his to Jane, looking unusually understanding and compassionate.
Perhaps there is more to him than I suspected, thought Elizabeth.
She went upstairs and spent nearly half an hour saying farewell to Lydia and Kitty, giving them all sorts of advice.
Kitty cried when Elizabeth hugged her goodbye while Lydia reminded her to send them souvenirs from The Lakes and to write down everything she saw so they would feel like they were there.
Elizabeth promised she would and left tearfully, after Georgiana quietly gave her a peck on the cheek and wished her well.
The celebration was still going when she came downstairs.
Colonel Fitzwilliam and his brother Michael were singing rather boisterously at the instrument with two female cousins Elizabeth couldn’t remember the names of, but that she vaguely remembered being told were on Darcy’s mother’s side of the family.
She smiled at their antics and seeing her sister Mary nearby, took her by the arm and pulled her into a dark corner of the hall.
“Lizzy, what is it?” asked Mary in a hushed voice.
“Mary, I want you to do something for me,” whispered Elizabeth.
“Of course.”
“Keep an eye on father.”
“What?”
“I suspect something may be wrong, with his health. I don’t know what, but I have long noticed some changes and I can’t help but suspect that he turned his household on its head for a reason.
” Her sister’s eyes were wide. “Just promise me you’ll watch out for him.
Write to me if he looks pale or sleeps more than usual, or if anything else out of the ordinary occurs.
Will you do that for me?” asked Elizabeth.
“Yes, of course,” replied Mary.
“Promise!”
“I promise!”