Page 54

The Wedding Day

As the carriage sped from Netherfield Park towards the little church at Meryton, Georgiana turned to her brother with a mischievous smile. “Well, Fitzwilliam, I think I have never seen you looking so handsome. Nor so nervous. Whatever is the matter?”

Darcy gave his sister his broadest smile in return. “Nothing in the world is the matter — not today. On the day I marry Elizabeth, I have no room in my heart for anything but joy.”

Beside him, Bingley chuckled. “My friend, I know exactly what you mean.”

That, too, was another source of joy and gratitude — that Bingley would sit beside him and laugh with him once more.

After returning to Meryton to speak with Mr Bennet about his hopes to marry Elizabeth, the sisters had suggested a double wedding.

And, after he had spoken with Bingley to give his most profound apologies, he had accepted and readily agreed to the joyous affair that would make them both husbands on the same day.

In the end, the meeting with his old friend had proved less fraught than Darcy could have hoped.

He ought, perhaps, to have known better.

Bingley had received his apology with his customary good humour and willingness to be pleased.

Seeing that Darcy had truly learned to view his former condescension with abhorrence, he was delighted to renew their friendship.

Georgiana laughed and shook her head. “Of course you are full of joy — I had not a doubt of it. But you are nervous, too, Fitzwilliam.”

Darcy chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. “I am not nervous. Only eager,” he corrected her with a smile. “Though I must admit that I dread the publicity of the affair. I shall be heartily glad when Elizabeth is at last my wife, and we need no longer perform to so great a crowd.”

“That is being nervous, brother, but I shall not argue with you any further, seeing as it is your wedding day.” Georgiana turned her brilliant smile on Bingley.

“I am ever so happy for you, Mr Bingley,” she said.

“Miss Jane Bennet is a delight. Elizabeth told me her sister would prove a dear friend to me, and I am already finding it to be true. She is the sweetest soul I have ever met. You will be a very happy man.”

“Thank you,” Bingley said heartily. “Look there! We have all but arrived.”

The carriage drew to a stop. Looking at the stone walls of the church, Darcy could not deny it — he did feel a tinge of nervousness.

That was only natural, he reminded himself, for it was a day that would change his life forever. No longer would he be a solitary man. He would be Elizabeth’s husband, with all the duties and all the joy that entailed.

It would be a different life, and he could hardly wait for that life to begin.

His peaceful reverie was interrupted by the arrival of another carriage.

Miss Bingley and the Hursts had set out from Netherfield only a few minutes later than themselves.

As Bingley’s sisters stepped down from the coach, he gave Darcy a last, rueful look.

Darcy gave his friend a brief nod of acknowledgement.

While Darcy had learned the error of his presumption in believing he had the right to direct his friend’s happiness, Miss Bingley had not.

She had made her disapproval of the match more than clear, but Bingley would hear nothing of it.

He had made his decision and was going to stick by it, no matter what his sisters or more distant relations might have to say about it.

In fact, they could say little, Bingley was the head of the family, and need not conciliate any of them more than he wished.

“Well, Charles, it is time,” Miss Bingley said with a small sigh.

Her brother gave her a highly significant look. “Indeed it is, Caroline. Thank you for your congratulations.”

“I did not mean to —”

“Ah, that is quite all right, Caroline. I am quite sure you did mean to congratulate me, for anything else would be frightfully rude, and I should have to send you away to our Great Aunt Agatha in Cumberland.”

“Congratulations, Charles,” Miss Bingley replied hurriedly.

At seeing her so easily routed, Darcy stifled a laugh. In standing up to him, it seemed his old friend had learned not to be quite so easily guided by others.

“Shall we go in to the church?” Darcy suggested, and the others agreed.

The early spring day was warm, with only a gentle breeze to disturb the flowers that were just coming into bloom, sending their fragrance through the air. Darcy was glad that Elizabeth and Miss Bennet had not allowed their mother to prevail upon them to make the wedding a grander affair.

“But my dears,” he recalled her saying when he and Elizabeth had announced their wish for a simple, tasteful affair. “You are without restraints, as far as money is concerned, if you want to make a show of your new fortunes.”

Thankfully, Elizabeth had interrupted her mother’s unseemly display quickly, and had made short work of her suggestion that they ought to get a special license.

Having the banns read was quite good enough for her, and so was a wedding in the church where she had attended services nearly every Sunday of her life.

Darcy had known of his love’s modesty and good sense, but it had been a pleasure to be reminded of it all over again.

Time seemed to pass in a blur before he was led to his place before the minister and the ceremony could begin.

Darcy had eyes only for Elizabeth. She looked at him with a small, private smile, and his heart skipped a beat.

He must have spoken the words of the ceremony correctly, must have answered the parson when prompted, but Darcy could not have sworn to it.

He was only caught in a moment of pure anticipation and delight, looking into Elizabeth’s eyes.

The wedding breakfast was held at Netherfield, to Mrs Bennet’s delight.

His new mother-in-law had made no secret of her wish that if the ceremony was to be modest, the breakfast, at least, should be done ‘properly.’ Darcy shuddered to consider what Mrs Bennet might have thought proper, but here too, her daughters had prevailed.

All was arranged with real comfort and elegance, and without unnecessary grandeur or pretence.

Everyone was seated at the long tables that had been set out in the grand salon.

Seated next to Elizabeth, Darcy watched as their guests enjoyed the banquet before them and wished the newlywed couples well in their future lives. It was surely a delightful scene.

“I cannot remember a time I have been more eager for a party to be concluded,” Darcy whispered to his bride.

Elizabeth laughed. “Was there ever a party you were not eager to see end?”

“Yes. The assembly at Soho. I wanted to dance with you for the rest of the evening, and never let you out of my sight again,” he said into her ear.

“I am sorry, my love. Were you very disappointed when I left?” Elizabeth asked.

“I was, though I understood why you had not stayed,” he replied. “I departed shortly after you did. I struggled to talk myself out of calling on you that very night and asking for your hand.”

“You did not!” She laughed again, and he thought he had never heard a more beautiful sound.

“I did,” he told her, taking both her hands and curling his around them, protective, safe.

He would allow no one to hurt her the way Wickham had sought to that night.

Darcy could not bear to think of what might have happened had he been only a few minutes later.

He thanked God every day that Wickham had failed to steal away his Elizabeth.

“I spent the whole of that night pacing the floor, remembering every sliver of what you looked like and every word you said. And that is why I could not stay away for long. That is why I had to come and see you every day. It drove me mad to be parted from you, even for a few hours.”

She kissed his hand. “And it did the same for me,” she whispered. “But see now? We may never be parted from each other again, if that is what you wish. I will even travel with you on your dull business meetings, if you will allow me. I do not think anything could be dull if I could be with you.”

“I want you by my side, no matter where I may have occasion to go.” he sighed contentedly, staring deeply into her eyes.

“I never wish to be parted from you from this day forward, for as long as we both shall live.” He kissed her hand.

Would it truly be beyond the limits of propriety to sneak away and leave for their wedding trip that very moment?

At the front of the room, her father clinked a fork on his glass, asking for silence from the crowd. He straightened, looking mildly uncomfortable in the new attire Mrs Bennet had insisted on. It seemed Mr Bennet was not one for finery.

“Esteemed guests,” Mr Bennet began. “Thank you for coming to this most auspicious day of celebration. I do not think any man has ever been as fortunate or proud as I.” Elizabeth squeezed Darcy’s hand tighter, tears glittering in her eyes even as a smile curved her lips.

Mr Bennet looked at each of his daughters in turn.

“I did not think there would be any man worthy of either Jane or Elizabeth — I suppose that is how every father feels about his daughters. But today, I am proud — for I have realised I am not losing two daughters, but gaining two sons.” He raised his glass of champagne. “To the brides and grooms!”