Chapter 10 #2
“Oh, Will, I love you too and have loved you for a long time as a woman loves a man. I love you in infinite ways and could never marry anyone but you, so it seems that we were formed for one another. You are my soulmate, Will, so I will repeat what I said before you asked, yes, yes, I will marry you. You have made me the happiest of women.” She nodded, wiping aside her tears of joy as she accepted the man she loved beyond reason.
Will stood, then withdrew the box with his grandmother’s ring from his waistcoat. He took her left hand and slid the diamond, emerald, and gold ring onto her fourth finger. “It is perfect, Will,” Elizabeth gushed as she looked at the ring that fit as if it had been made for her.
Will then drew Elizabeth to him. Like their first kiss, their lips brushed, but this time he did not stop.
She sighed her acquiescence as she wound her arms around his neck, so he was not able to escape, although he had no thought to try.
The next kiss was deeper as they tasted each other, and soon she felt his tongue teasing her lips, and Elizabeth opened them instinctively.
Their tongues met in an explosion of passion as they pressed their bodies against one another, so there was no daylight between them.
He felt her pert breasts against his chest, and she felt evidence of his arousal against her belly.
As the ten-minute time limit approached, they heard Lizzy’s companion clear her throat, and the two pulled apart reluctantly.
As they stood forehead to forehead with almost a foot between them as they soaked in the sight of each other, he could not miss the points that Elizabeth’s nipples were making in her gown, and she did not miss the large bulge in his breeches.
As both took deep breaths, the visible signs of their arousal receded, then they put themselves to rights and exited the parlour, trying and failing to look as passive as could be.
“The family awaits you in the drawing room, Lady Elizabeth and Mr Darcy,” Mrs Annesley informed them, trying, and failing to hide a smile.
“May I meet with you, Andrew?” Will requested on entering the drawing room.
“There is no need to, Will,” Andrew replied.
Just as the newly betrothed couple was about to make their displeasure known, he continued, “You already have both my permission and my blessing, and I assume that you do not want to ask me to lengthen the three-month betrothal period. So given that, do you still require an interview?”
“No, he does not!” Elizabeth stated emphatically.
“Look at that, Will, you are not even married yet, and she is making decisions for you,” Richard teased them both.
“I know that you two will be extremely happy together,” Elaine said as she drew her daughter into a hug. She was followed by Andrew and Richard, and lastly, Marie hugged her sister-in-law.
“What an exquisite ring, Lizzy,” Marie proclaimed as she lifted Elizabeth’s left hand. While she was admiring the ring, Elaine was kissing her soon-to-be son's cheek.
“What should I call you from now on, Aunt Elaine?” Will asked after she had kissed him.
“Mother Elaine will do as Marie calls me. Never hurt her, Fitzwilliam!” she reminded him.
“Never again, Mother Elaine. It will be my life’s work,” he swore.
“See that it is, soon-to-be brother, or you will have me to answer to,” Richard warned as he shook Will’s hand.
“What he said,” Andrew added as he shook the hand that Richard had let go.
“Ignore my husband and brother,” Marie stated as she kissed Will’s cheek.
“They are full of bluster, and they may not admit it yet, but they know there is no one who will be a better husband for Lizzy in the known world. Welcome as my soon-to-be brother. I just realised, I will now have more brothers and sisters than I ever dreamed I would.” Marie also realised that she already was sister to all the Bennet children, and now she would be sister to Georgiana and Alex as well, and she could not forget to count her Ashby siblings.
After the butler handed out flutes of champagne, a toast was given to the newly betrothed couple. “Have you two decided on a date yet?” Andrew asked.
“Based on your three-month stipulation, we could marry on the fifth day of June. Do you agree, Lizzy?” Will asked.
“That would be a fine day to marry, but do you mind waiting just a little more than a fortnight, Will?” Elizabeth asked hopefully.
“Of course, you want to be married on the twentieth of June, the day that your brothers discovered you in Sherwood and brought you home to your mother and father,” Will said. “I think that will be a perfect day to marry from Snowhaven.”
“That is the perfect date,” Elaine said as a few tears escaped her eyes as she thought about how much her beloved Reggie would have loved walking his daughter down the aisle to give her to Will.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Just before half-past ten, the newly betrothed couple was shown into the family sitting room at Bennet House.
Jane, Perry, and Lady Rose were present in anticipation of the glad tidings.
As soon as Elizabeth entered the room, all of the ladies spied her ring and jumped up to congratulate the couple.
Jane had felt the quickening the previous morning but was waiting until the next day, not wanting to detract from her sister’s news. “You will be very happy, Lizzy,” Jane promised as she hugged her sister tightly.
“I am so happy, Jane; how can one person deserve so much happiness?” Elizabeth gushed.
“With your goodness, you deserve it all and more,” Jane said softly in Elizabeth’s ear.
Next, she was hugged by Mother Bennet, Kitty, Perry, and Tom. That left Father Bennet, who enfolded her in a hug. “You will be a very happy woman, Lizzy,” he told her, “I pity anyone who tries to take advantage of either of you; it is a mistake they will make but one time.”
“Thank you, Father Bennet. On the day I marry, will you share the duties of walking me down the aisle with Andrew?” she requested.
“It will be my greatest honour to do so if Andrew agrees,” Bennet responded.
“He will agree,” Elizabeth stated with certainty as she arched her eyebrow.
Another toast was given and humbly accepted by the betrothed couple, and a second toast was given for Elizabeth’s birthday.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On entering the music room at Darcy House, and before a word could be uttered, Georgiana flew into Elizabeth’s arms. “Happy birthday, Sister,” she gushed.
“Happy birthday to you too, my soon-to-be sister,” Elizabeth responded as she hugged her cousin, friend, and soon-to-be sister Gigi. “We will celebrate our birthdays later this evening.”
“Who cares about a birthday when you are betrothed to Will!” Georgiana exclaimed.
“We are very happy to welcome you as a daughter,” George gave his niece a hug.
“Lizzy will be my cousin and my sister?” Alex asked.
“Yes, son,” Anne replied and then kissed her new daughter’s cheeks. “I could not have asked for a better daughter-in-law, Lizzy. Do you have a date for the wedding?”
When the date was shared, both George and Anne Darcy nodded, Anne’s eyes misty at the memory of the day she had been notified of Elizabeth being found. “When will Andrew have the announcement placed in the papers?” George asked.
“He will send it to them this morning, so it should be in tomorrow’s editions,” Will informed his father.
“Will it be acceptable if I call you Mother Anne and Father George from now on? Will is going to call Mama Mother Elaine.” Both of her parents-in-law-to-be agreed.
“I would be fine with your using them from today forward, Lizzy. We have long known you would be our daughter one day, though those who can marry very young never learn who they are intended to be until much later in life. Glad you two are finally getting around to it, though.” George grinned when Lizzy and Will stared at him in surprise, because to them, it had felt like an eternity; it had never occurred to them that it had been done this way to give them the best chance at success.
“So are we.” Lizzy smiled at him, the immense shift of her thoughts taking only a second and the wisdom of those who loved them catching her anew.
After more talk of the upcoming union, Will walked Elizabeth back to Matlock House to rest so that she would be refreshed for the celebratory birthday and betrothal dinner, which would be held at the Fitzwilliams’ house that evening.
Along with the Darcys, Bennets, and Rhys-Davies, the Gardiners, Phillips, Ashbys, and de Melvilles were invited to share their celebration.
As can be expected, the dinner was a much-enjoyed celebration, and Georgiana was proven correct—they were acknowledged and wishes given, but little attention was paid to the birthdays when there was a betrothal to celebrate.
The next morning the Ton awoke to their papers that proclaimed another extremely eligible bachelor was no longer available to their daughters. There was much remonstrating in private, but none would dare say a word against the match in public.