Pelisse, greatcoat, gloves, and hats were donned; and they headed for the garden. As they strolled along the path, Darcy said, “Thank you once again, my dear, for agreeing to hold the ceremony here. It means a great deal to my family and me to be away from the prying eyes of society. Had we married in London from the Fitzwilliam and Darcy parish church near Mayfair, St. George’s would have been packed with curious members of the ton; and our special day would have been more of a circus than Astley’s Amphitheatre.”
“I cannot imagine a more lovely location for our wedding, sir.”
Darcy smiled with delight and asked, “So, what think you of Pemberley at this time of year, Elizabeth?”
“Your estate is equally impressive inside and outside, as is Pemberley’s heir. It is certainly as handsome as I remember, Fitzwilliam, but perhaps not as
“You will never allow me to live that down, will you, minx? But come closer, my darling, and discover just how steamy conditions can be in Derbyshire even during late autumn.”
That evening the shades of Pemberley were very useful, not for shelter from the sun but for providing cover from prying eyes. After the embrace and kiss that did much to both slake and increase their hunger and thirst for one another, the gentleman hesitantly said, “Elizabeth, I could not help but notice your unease earlier this afternoon. Are you nervous about the ceremony, the celebration, or perchance apprehensive about our wedding night?”
“I admit I am, or was. Yet every moment spent with you finds me less and less worried and more … impatient.”
“Lizzy, tomorrow our vows will be made official. Even so, please allow me now to assure you I will
“Thank you, Fitzwilliam. And I believe you should seal such a fervent commitment with a fervent kiss.” Most of Elizabeth Bennet’s anxieties were soon vanquished and vanished. She thought the wife of Mr. Darcy must have such extraordinary sources of happiness necessarily attached to her situation that she could, upon the whole, have no cause to be nervous or apprehensive on the eve of her wedding. As the engaged couple disengaged and strolled back to the house, she said, “It was very considerate of you, sir, to provide fireworks again for my first night at Pemberley. That kiss was another truly extraordinarily breathtaking experience, was it not?”
For his part, Darcy looked forward to the following night’s extraordinarily breathtaking experience. Like watching fireworks, he had high hopes for interesting shapes, lots of surprises, and banging. An uplifting display could be quite stimulating, but he worried about short fuses and explosive bursts.
“Fitzwilliam? Do you not agree, sir?” When he made no answer, she repeated the question, with some surprise at his silence.
“Oh,” said he, “I heard you before; but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply. I fear my wit has abandoned me this evening, and I am as giddy as a schoolgirl. But yes, my love, I quite agree with whatever it was you said.”
Chapter V
The night before the wedding, the gentlemen deprived themselves of the pleasure of the ladies’ company by secreting themselves away in the library to imbibe and play cards. Nevertheless, giggles, shrieks of laughter, and squeals of delight from the drawing room still occasionally reached their ears and disturbed their concentration.
“Whatever can they be discussing with such hilarity?” Ellis Fleming distractedly sorted through the cards he had been dealt and took a sip of his drink. The young man was still quite in awe of his future father-in-law and formidable uncle-in-law, the Earl of Matlock. Outward calm disguised Fleming’s case of nerves, and a third helpful snifter of excellent brandy increasingly caused a shift from tension to a feeling of euphoria.
“No doubt love, romance, and all things
“I think … ,” but Bingley’s words were drowned out by gales of laughter from down the hall.
Colonel Fitzwilliam rolled his eyes and said, “Have they not heard Shakespeare’s line ‘Speak low, if you speak love’? Your turn, Bingley. Pay attention, man. Thunder and turf! I swear you are only playing with half a deck.”
“Sorry. I am worried about my sister. Anyone can tell the three marriages about to take place tomorrow will be very happy ones. However, Caroline and Wickham … ” Bingley shook his head as his queen of hearts was trumped by Mr. Gardiner’s ace, and he felt his sister’s happiness might also have been discarded. “In Lord Byron’s words, ‘Love without passion is dreary; passion without love is horrific.’ I am more than a little uneasy and fearful of Caroline’s future with Wickham. As you well know, his conduct has not always been quite right.”
“Well, Bingley, I suggest you get the upper hand and deal with the black-heart scoundrel. Deck him, if you must; or club the knave with a spade if that would suit you better.” The Colonel smirked as he played his trump card.
The soldier’s words did nothing to comfort Bingley, but George Darcy’s suited him better. “They will be here tomorrow, and you can judge for yourself. But young Wickham would not have tried to elope with your sister if he had not a real regard for her. I hope and trust they will yet be happy, and his consenting to marry her is a proof he has come to a right way of thinking. They will settle so quietly and live in so rational a manner as may in time make their past imprudence forgotten, and I will ensure they live free from hardship while he serves as my steward after his father retires next month.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Bingley with a sigh. “I do hope any affection Wickham feels for Caroline proves to be more than just a passion interest.”
The senior Darcy glanced at his son, who stood at a window. Pemberley’s heir stared into the night and absently stroked the head of one of his foxhounds. “Fitzwilliam, come and have another drink. It is normal to be a nervous groom, but do stop fretting and join us. Married life will not be quite so bad, you know.”
James Fitzwilliam, the Viscount Wentletrap, said, “Yes, consider, at least, the pleasurable aspects of the marriage bed and the children you will soon beget.” He suddenly remembered the lady’s father and uncle were in the room and mumbled, “Sorry, Bennet, Gardiner.”
Fitzwilliam Darcy began to pace. “I have no hesitation whatsoever in regard to marrying Miss Elizabeth. Life would be unbearable without her, and the money spent for the special license is the best investment I have ever made. I just wish everything to be perfect tomorrow, for her sake.”
“Perfection is very hard to attain, young man.” Mr. Gardiner gestured for a footman to pour the fretful fellow a drink. “Lizzy has always been an optimistic girl, and she will focus on the positive aspects of the ceremony and celebration rather than on any negative ones. Relax and enjoy yourself tonight.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam agreed. “I intend to have a few more drinks to steady my nerves, win a few more hands of cards, and then shuffle off to retire early. I want to be well rested and refreshed tomorrow, as it is the day for which I have been waiting these long weeks.”
Fleming, not yet quite in his cups but certainly half-sprung by that time, said, “I thought the date soldiers waited for was March 4th.”
“Ah, my friend, you forget I shall be resigning my commission directly after the honeymoon. As stated in Deuteronomy 24:5, ‘When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: (but) he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.’ It was time for me to resign anyway. I was getting fed up with army food. Tomorrow, however, I plan to be a desserter … a soldier who stuffs himself with wedding cake. Quite seriously though, gentlemen, I have mixed feelings about deserting my brothers in arms during this war against Boney. Be that as it may, I very much look forward to the challenge of becoming an astute estate owner.” Colonel Fitzwilliam looked at the man who would soon be his father-in-law and added, “Tomorrow I will be united with a member of a pun-loving family, and I must hone my skill
