Chapter 45 Ceremony
After she and Richard endured a reasonable amount of Mrs. Bennet's conversation, Charlotte, who had earlier given Darcy the slightly premature honor of treating her as a cousin including using her first name, decided it was time to attempt the carriage trip back to Lucas Lodge.
It went better even than she had hoped. She left early enough so she could have one last dinner in her parent's house before the wedding, while Richard went along to have dinner with his new family.
When he returned later that night, Richard reported that Charlotte thought she would be fine the next day, so long as they took the trip to London slowly.
He also reported on Lady Lucas's reaction to the news that her daughter would be marrying the following morning.
Knowing she was as unlikely to keep a secret as Mrs. Bennet, they told her the official story - there was a problem with Richard's resignation that might result in him being sent back to the continent.
He needed to go to London to resolve the problem, but just in case, he wanted to marry Charlotte right away, both for her financial protection and because they had been waiting for so long for each other.
Her mother accepted the story without very many questions, which gave them hope most others would as well.
Now, decked out in his dress uniform, which he had brought along in hopes of needing it for just such an occasion, Richard joined Darcy and Lizzy as they accompanied Bennet on his walk to the church.
They headed into the village a little early, trusting Jane to ensure her mother and sisters arrived on time.
Like Lady Lucas, Mrs. Bennet had been told the public explanation for the speed of Richard and Charlotte's wedding.
Once she realized it would not take away from the splendor of Jane's wedding in the least and, in fact, made Jane's greater by comparison, Mrs. Bennet was happy to join the celebration.
Richard's assurance that he looked on her as the closest substitute to a mother he had since his own had died sweetened her attitude to the event even further by feeding her sense of connection to the happy couple.
She loved the idea of playing the part of mother to the groom, especially when the groom had such good social connections - and was a handsome officer in a red coat to top it all off!
She would have something to gloat over for weeks.
Despite the speed of the preparations, it was a good wedding as far as Richard and Charlotte were concerned.
Darcy stood up with Richard, who had been prepared with another piece of jewelry found on his travels.
The ring that Darcy, in his role as best man, guarded until Richard placed it on his bride's finger, had been made by the same craftsman responsible for Lizzy's special necklace, although the design was different enough one might not suspect the connection.
It was still a beautiful piece, and Charlotte was clearly delighted both by it and what it symbolized.
Lizzy stood by her friend as the vows were said.
Physically, she seemed to be recovering well from the attack, and the bruises on her neck were already starting to fade.
However, Darcy noticed as the day went on that she was inclined to jump or startle slightly whenever anyone approached her unexpectedly, particularly from behind.
It was not an unreasonable reaction after her recent experience.
Once he realized what was happening, Darcy made a point of approaching her only from angles where she could easily see him.
On the previous evening, Lady Lucas had managed to contact a few of her closest neighbors, and each of them must have contacted more.
Both the service and the wedding breakfast, which had been hastily put together by Lady Lucas and her servants with some help from Mrs. Hill, were far better attended than Darcy would have expected for so rushed an event.
Of course, he suspected his cousin and his cousin's new wife were not concerned about who attended and would have been oblivious had the entire royal court arrived.
From the moment Sir William placed Charlotte's hand in Richard's at the altar, the couple had eyes only for each other.
They accepted the congratulations of friends and family automatically but would not be drawn into conversations about their future plans.
Bennet and Sir William stood close at hand and did their best to redirect the questions and move the guests along.
Much to his own pleasure, Darcy stayed close to Miss Elizabeth throughout the wedding breakfast. She introduced him to her neighbors and helped him find topics to initiate conversations.
Since she had spent time in his home district and met many people there, she was able to provide him comparisons of the person's property or role with those people he knew near Pemberley.
Her care in setting him off on the right foot with those assembled made it the most comfortable social gathering he had ever attended.
Darcy found himself feeling a small measure of disappointment when Richard and Charlotte left on their way to London and the gathering began to break up, with Bennet wanting to be among the first to leave.
Of course, Lizzy went with him, and Darcy joined them as another escort.
As they approached the stone bridge that linked the two properties on the walk back to Longbourn, Darcy took the opportunity to thank Lizzy, hoping to distract her from the location of the attack while expressing genuine appreciation which he followed by explaining, "It was truly helpful the way you provided me with some form of reference so I could better understand the background and concerns of those to whom I was introduced.
It has never been so easy to enter into just one conversation with someone previously unknown to me, and today I engaged in several. "
She replied, "Even during our dance at the Assembly in Lambton, you mentioned your unease when speaking with strangers. I have always found it is easiest when you have a sense of context around the conversation. I am glad I was able to provide that for you."
"In general," Bennet said, "our neighbors are usually generous conversationalists and are willing to make allowances so long as they feel you are at least trying to meet them part way."
"I will remember that," Darcy said.
The distraction appeared to work for the most part.
Darcy saw Lizzy look closely around her as they reached the Bennet side of the bridge, stepping closer to Darcy's side as she did.
However, she seemed more cautious than afraid, and she even smiled grimly at the sight of the battered rosebush.
Bennet caught Darcy's eye and nodded, having understood his intent and approving of it.
As they approached the side door of the house, Bennet announced that he planned to retire to his study for a nap.
"If you two wish to sit or walk in the gardens, please stay in sight of the house.
I must take what quiet I have while I can.
Mrs. Bennet will not leave the company at Lucas Lodge until she absolutely must, but that time will come sooner than I might wish.
I must do what I can to recover from the strains of this morning before it does. "
They both wished him a pleasant nap, agreeing that the day was fine one for walking in the gardens around the house.
They made a few ambling circuits of the formal gardens and the wilder, walled in area that Lizzy told her companion was called "the Hermitage" by her mother because of the stone ruins.
The majority of the walk was taken in comfortable silence, although one or the other might speak when some stray thought occurred to them.
Darcy felt pleased that all the previous awkwardness and misunderstandings between them seemed to have dissipated like morning dew.
Finally, they decided to sit for a time on the bench by the rose garden.
They discussed how the buds were just starting to form and one hot day the plants would suddenly burst forth into color as they all opened at nearly the same time.
Darcy mentioned that Richard had told him about the bouquet of flowers Lizzy had tried to pick for her new aunt, and Lizzy told him her side of the story.
She had just described to him how Mrs. Gardiner had failed to interest one girl after another in going out to the garden to become acquainted when they heard a carriage in the drive.
Lizzy stood as she caught a glimpse of it turning towards the front of the house.
"That is not our carriage," she said. "It seems we have guests."
Together they walked around to the front of the house to greet the new arrivals. Although they were expected at some point, Darcy was still a little surprised when Sir Phillip de Bourgh and his mother stepped out of the small vehicle.
"Darcy, good to see you again," Sir Phillip said with a broad smile. "I was hoping you or Richard might introduce us to Mr. Bennet."
Darcy stepped forward and shook Sir Phillip's hand after bowing politely to Mrs. de Bourgh.
"Today you will have to make do with me. Richard is not available. I will be happy to introduce you to our host momentarily. But first, please allow me to introduce you to Miss Elizabeth Bennet."
He performed the introductions and then Lizzy sent the driver on to the stables to tend to the beasts.
She also gave him the name of the man to see about his own lodgings and food.
Behind her, Mrs. Hill was waiting at the open front door for any instructions.
Lizzy informed the housekeeper that these were two of the guests she had been informed might arrive and asked that their luggage be taken to their rooms as soon as possible.