Page 131 of A Life Diverted
As the carriage with the newlyweds arrived at Buckingham House, Elizabeth turned to her husband and said, “You know we will always have a contingent of the Royal Guard with us? Not to mention Mr. Taylor, do you not William?” You are a grandson of the King and Queen now, so this will become a part of our lives. ”
“Well, we will never be a target for highwaymen,” William jested as he kissed his wife again.
“William! We are at Buckingham House; there are guards and footmen all over the place who can see us,” Elizabeth scolded with mock indignation.
“If I must accustom myself to the guards and other personnel who will be around us from now on, they must accustom themselves to my kissing my royal wife when I need to,” William replied impertinently.
“You are incorrigible, husband,” Elizabeth returned, “which is one of the many things I love about you.”
The two did not notice a footman in royal livery had opened the door of the ornate coach and was waiting for them to alight. Elizabeth had her husband make sure all of her hairpins were in place in her hair, then William turned and handed his wife out.
A major-domo led them to a large ballroom, where the breakfast was being held.
Two footmen opened the huge doors as a butler announced them.
“Your Royal Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Your Graces, Lords, Ladies, and gentlemen, I present to you Lord Fitzwilliam Darcy, Marquess of Derby, and Princess Elizabeth Pricilla Francine Darcy, her Royal Highness, Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Marchioness of Derby.”
“My, that is a mouthful,” William whispered to his wife and was rewarded with one of her tinkling laughs.
The newlyweds brought themselves under regulation and bowed and curtsied to the King and Queen. The King took a sip from a goblet, thereby signalling the commencement of the feast. William and Elizabeth made their way around the ballroom to thank those who had come to celebrate with them.
When they reached the tables where the people of Meryton were seated, they took a bit longer to speak to each one. “Please allow me to wish you much joy and happiness, my royal cousin,” Collins bowed over Elizabeth’s hand.
“Thank you, Cousin. As long as you keep my friend happy, we will be friends,” Elizabeth returned smilingly.
“You know Charlotte’s happiness is, and will always be, my priority, Cousin Elizabeth,” Collins averred.
“Yes, I am aware that you make my friend and cousin very happy,” Elizabeth owned.
Sir William, normally a voluble and ebullient man, was awestruck. He had been in a receiving room at St. James when he was granted his knighthood, but never inside the King’s and Queen’s primary residence in London. Everywhere he looked, his eyes fell on another member of royalty or a peer.
Next, the couple stopped to speak with Mr. Bingley and the Hursts.
The three would be forever in their debt for what the Princess did at the assembly to rehabilitate their family names and hold that they should not be held responsible for Miss Bingley’s actions, and as such they had not been tainted by those actions.
“Your Highness and Your Lordship, on behalf of my sister, brother, and myself I wish you both joy and happiness for the future. We thank you for including us in the celebration of your wedding day and inviting us to your ball tonight after what my sister attempted to do in Meryton,” Bingley stated thankfully.
“As I told you at the assembly, Mr. Bingley, you are no more responsible for your sister’s actions than you are for the sun rising in the east. We are happy all of you are here to celebrate with us,” Elizabeth told Bingley sincerely.
After the couple spent time with each of the neighbours from Meryton, they continued around the room for about an hour, when they arrived where the family was seated. As would be expected, their first stop there was the King and Queen.
“You look exquisite today, Granddaughter,” the Queen complimented after Elizabeth kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “You have caught a very handsome husband there.”
“Grandmother!” Elizabeth exclaimed as she blushed deeply. “I do not disagree, but this is not a discussion I would have thought to have with the Queen.”
“Are we not a flesh and blood woman?” the Queen asked.
“Yes, you are, Grandmother,” Elizabeth replied.
“I agree with her Majesty,” added Lady Sarah who had been talking to the Queen.
“Thank you, Grandmama,” Elizabeth smiled. “We have to be careful not to give my husband a swollen head,” Elizabeth teased.
Throughout the teasing, William tried to keep a straight face, but it was a losing battle as the corners of his mouth turned up. “Just accept their words graciously, Grandson,” the King advised.
“I will endeavour to do so, your Majesty,” William replied.
After accepting good wishes from the Prince of Wales and some other royal aunts and uncles, Elizabeth sat down at the table with their non-royal extended family.
“You two need to eat; there is a long day and longer night ahead of us,” Lady Elaine advised. “Balls at St. James seldom end before the sun rises, and as you two are the guests of honour, you will not be able to slip away until a few sets after supper.”
“When will it be polite to depart the wedding breakfast?” Elizabeth asked.
“You want to be away from us already, Lizzy?” Fanny teased her second daughter.
“No, Mama, not at all. I did not get much sleep last night, and I would like to rest before tonight,” Elizabeth stated.
“Indeed, Sister,” Richard drawled, “I am sure you and William want to rest .”
“Richard do not tease them on their wedding day,” Cassie told her husband, swatting his arm playfully.
“Yes, dear,” Richard replied as he waggled his eyebrows at his wife.
After the newlyweds ate and drank, they circulated among those they had not yet greeted, those seated in the other half of the ballroom.
Just after that, the King decided he needed to rest. Everyone stood and acknowledged the King with a bow or curtsey.
Once the monarch exited the room, the celebration resumed.
It was another hour and a half before Elizabeth and William were satisfied they had spoken personally to all of the well-wishers. Jane and Mary accompanied Elizabeth to the apartment she had been occupying during her stay at Buckingham House.
They assisted her to remove her intricate wedding gown and to change into her travel attire, although they were crossing only through Hyde Park to Grosvenor Square—a ride that would take less than twenty minutes.
“Lizzy, I am sure you and William will be happy. I am so glad for you, little sister,” Jane told her as they fell into one another’s arms.
“That we will have a felicitous marriage is not in doubt, Janie. With our living at Pemberley in the summer, we will be much closer to your estate. William told me Hilldale is less than five hours away by carriage,” Elizabeth hugged her older sister tightly in return.
She drew Mary into their hug. “Mary, I will miss you, and my other sisters and brother.”
“The house will seem empty without you there every day, Lizzy,” Mary stated stoically. “However, I have a feeling Tommy will make sure we do not have too much peace.”
“Until Tommy goes to Eton in two years,” Jane pointed out. “You will love Seaview, Lizzy; Andrew and I have many warm memories of it. We would have liked to bathe in the sea at the private cove, but it was far too cold when we were there in December.”
“It has been warmer lately; mayhap you and our new brother will be able to venture into the seawater,” Mary surmised.
“Just wait, Mary, it is less than two years until you come out and Wes will at last be able to declare himself,” Elizabeth told her younger sister with arched eyebrow.
“There is no guarantee he will wait for me, Lizzy,” Mary demurred.
“Mary Rose Bennet! Do not talk drivel. You know very well Wes is besotted with you, and were he allowed to declare himself today, he would,” Jane stated firmly. “A blind man could see how in love you two are.”
After final hugs, the three sisters joined William and the rest of the family near the doors leading to the portico, where a Darcy coach awaited them. There were long hugs with everyone, including Kitty, Lydia, Georgiana, and Tommy.
“Will I see you at Darcy House after your rest, Lizzy?” Tommy asked innocently.
“If Lizzy and William are not too tired, it is possible you may see them before dinner, otherwise we will see them then,” Fanny told her son.
“William,” his father said quietly as he pulled him aside, “This is from your mother. She asked me to give it to you on your wedding day so you can read it with your wife if you so choose. As you married Lizzy, having her read it will not be the problem it would have been had you married another.” Darcy handed his son a sealed letter with his name written in his late mother’s neat script.
William placed the precious letter in his inside pocket, and soon the new husband and wife were on their way to Darcy House.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Killions welcomed the Marquess and his Princess to Darcy House with warm wishes for their future felicity. The couple made for William’s suite, the one he had moved into after he had become betrothed. It was the farthest one from the Duke’s and Gigi’s suites.
Once they dismissed their personal servants, the couple sat on a settee in their shared sitting room.
William held his mother’s missive for a while, just looking at his mother’s flowing, neat handwriting.
Elizabeth gave his free hand a squeeze and he broke the seal.
It did not take long to discover why his father had made the comment about reading the letter with his wife.
July 1, 1803
To my dearest darling son, William:
I asked your father to give my letter to you on your wedding day. If my Robert has joined me in heaven already, he will have arranged beforehand to have someone deliver this in his stead, though I pray you have received this from his hands.