Vol 2, Chapter 17 #2
Darcy was the furthest thing from a rake or, heaven forbid, a dandy you could find, but that is not to say he was inexperienced in the ways of the flesh.
When he came of age, his father had gifted him a night at the house of the most exclusive courtesans in London.
On his grand tour, he had partaken of carnal pleasure once or twice, but since then nothing.
Like the rest of the married couples in the extended, or soon-to-be extended family, the vows he would recite on the morrow were sacrosanct, and he would no sooner be unfaithful to the woman of his dreams than he would cut off his legs and arms.
After his uncle, soon-to-be grandfather and uncles retired, Darcy was left in Netherfield’s library with Andrew and Richard.
Each had a snifter with two fingers of brandy that he was nursing.
At the worst of times, Darcy hated to over imbibe and tonight there was no chance.
He did not want his senses dulled or to be dealing with the aftereffects of being in his cups when Elizabeth walked up the aisle toward him.
“As you are to stand up with me in the morning, Richard, it would not do to overindulge tonight,” Darcy stated distractedly.
“When have you ever known me to be in my cups, William…besides at Cambridge, and before I left for the continent to chase after Bony, and the night before Charlotte married that dimwit, I mean?” Richard asked with a grin.
“True, Richard, and besides, and I do not think Charlotte will appreciate a sloppy drunk crawling into bed tonight,” Andrew ribbed his brother.
“No more than Jane would appreciate you in that state, Brother!” Richard shot back in jest.
“Are you two intending to keep me company or fight like little boys?” Darcy asked with a grin, for they had never ceased to help him relax when he needed it most.
“It is a great thing that we will all be brothers on the morrow,” Richard stated as he raised his glass in salute to the other two.
“To brothers,” Darcy proposed as the three clinked their snifters and downed the rest of the rich, brown coloured spirit. Not long after, the three joined the rest of the estate’s residents in going to sleep. The last one to succumb was Darcy, wishing Elizabeth was already next to him in his bed.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Elizabeth was tempted to ask for Mercury to be saddled and to go for a ride the morning of her wedding, but good sense won out.
The ceremony was to start at nine, so she would need to be dressed and ready in two hours.
She was grateful for her decision when not ten minutes later there was a knock on the door and her mother entered the chamber, followed by Elizabeth’s maid.
“Your bath is ready for you, Lizzy, nice and hot just the way you prefer it,” Priscilla informed her second daughter after giving her a warm hug.
“Today is the day I have been dreaming of Mama. I will marry William in a few short hours, but I will miss you all, you know!” Elizabeth said as a momentary tinge of melancholy at leaving her parents’ home struck her.
Then she reminded herself who would be waiting next to the altar when she entered the church; and her maudlin thoughts were displaced by excitement.
“Yes, my dearest daughter, in a few hours you will be a Darcy,” Priscilla hugged her daughter tightly to herself once again before releasing her to the maid to assist with washing her daughter’s long, chestnut curls.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth was luxuriating in her hot bath infused with lavender water.
A half hour later, with the water already tepid at best, Elizabeth emerged from the bath to be wrapped in the toasty-warm towel by her maid.
After she was dry, she wore a robe and sat with her back to the fire as the maid brushed out her hair to dry it fully.
Once she had her chemise, stays, and small clothing on, Jane joined her mother to help her into the gown that had been created for her wedding.
Albeit having unlimited funds, like Jane before her, Elizabeth chose a simple design with little adornment.
There were a few teardrop pearls attached to the gossamer overlay of the cream gown.
The gown itself had no lace on it and made a stunning contrast against Elizabeth’s darker colouring.
Jane held the gossamer veil for the maid to attach to the bride’s hair.
Other than three or four emerald chips, it too was unadorned.
Just after half after eight, Elizabeth descended the stairs to her waiting family. After giving the bride light pecks on the cheek, Ally, Gigi, and Maria, left the house with Tom and Mark. Bennet had to regulate his emotions before he was able to articulate his thoughts.
“I have never seen you look more beautiful than you do right now, my Lizzy,” Bennet’s voice was gruff with emotion.
Elizabeth looked at both of her parents, “I could not have wished for better parents than I, all of us, have. I know it is the way of things that daughters eventually leave their parents’ house, but no matter how much I love William, it is still hard to fathom that in a short time, I will no longer be a Bennet,” Elizabeth kissed both of her parents.
“You may not bear the name any longer after today, but you will always be a Bennet, Lizzy,” her mother told her as she fought to keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks.
“I think it is time. Cilla, Jane, Lizzy, are you ready?” All three nodded, none daring to speak at that moment as they knew they would not be able to hold back the threatening tears.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The church was filled to overflowing. Only two seats were open in the front row, those to be occupied by the Duke and his Duchess. The congregation was made up of peers, lesser nobility, local landowners, merchants, and tenants.
The only person who felt somewhat uncomfortable with the eclectic mix of classes and ranks was Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Some old habits took longer than others to die. However, she schooled her features as there were too many powerful members of society present for her to make herself standout.
Hearing about the Bennets’ connections was one thing, seeing the extended family arrayed in front of her reminded her how close she could have come to ruining herself if she had not been woken up by Anne’s words.
She looked at her daughter sitting next to her and saw how happy she was being among her family.
There were advantages. After Darcy married, she would be aunt to two daughters of a duke.
As it was, when her nephew Andrew had married Lady Jane, she gained connections to the De Melvilles and Carringtons.
The vestibule door opened, and the mother of the bride made her way up the aisle to her seat, nodding to the rector to let him know all was ready.
The door opened again, and May and Peter Gardiner proceeded up the aisle.
May was sprinkling rose petals while Peter followed looking as serious as he could with his pillow in his hands bearing the two substitute rings.
When the door opened again, Lady Jane Fitzwilliam glided up the aisle and took her place opposite her brother Richard across the altar from where he was standing with Darcy. She looked at Andrew sitting with his parents and gave him one of her beatific smiles.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Are you ready, Lizzy?” Bennet asked his second daughter.
“I am, Papa,” Elizabeth responded softly.
“You will be missed, my Lizzy,” Bennet said gruffly.
“As will you, Mama, and my siblings be missed,” Elizabeth returned, squeezing her father’s arm as both vestibule doors opened, and they heard the congregation come to its feet.
The Duke led his daughter through the open doors, and they began their walk up the aisle.
Elizabeth marvelled at just how handsome her groom was as he stood tall and waiting for her to approach, his eyes locked onto hers.
While everyone was commenting on her beauty, she basked in the love shining from his eyes directed only at her.
For his part, Darcy thought it was a vision. He had never seen Elizabeth look prettier, and he was mesmerised by her green eyes that seemed to be seeing into the depths of his soul. As she approached him, he descended the steps from the altar to wait for her at the top of the aisle.
The Duke lifted his daughter’s veil gently and bestowed a kiss on her cheek, and after it was lowered, he placed her hand on her groom’s arm and made his way to his seat next to his wife.
Darcy led her up to the point in front of the clergyman who gave the congregants a signal to be seated. Longbourn’s vicar opened his copy of The Book of Common Prayer to the relevant page.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony, which is an honourable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency…”
After no one objected when the vicar reached that part of the service, the vows followed: