Page 64 of Elizabeth in Scotland (Elizabeth and Darcy Abroad #2)
“And what of the entail? I hate to even think of it, but who will inherit Longbourn after your father, bless his soul, departs this world?”
“Well, since there is no male heir among the Bennets or the Collinses, it seems the house will pass to Richard.” Elizabeth smiled, privately amused. Between Strathalt House, Pemberley, and now a new claim on Longbourn, Mrs Bennet was safe from the hedgerows thrice over.
“That is good news indeed. I mean, not of Mr Collins, of course.” Georgiana gave a wry smile.
“I hope you will not think me too unfeeling in saying that Mrs Collins and Mrs Wuthrow — two of the most difficult women of our acquaintance — deserve each other. They will either have a wonderful time together, or will be their own mutual punishments.”
“Yes, I am afraid the latter is most likely,” Elizabeth said. “I hope Mr Bingley is not saddened that Mr and Mrs Wuthrow were too busy to attend the wedding.”
“Yes, well, I imagine it would have been salt in the wound — first for Mrs Wuthrow to see you and my brother looking so happy, and second, for Mrs Collins to witness me marrying Mr Bingley. I do not mind in the least that they will not be in attendance.” She covered her mouth.
“I am sorry, is that very wicked of me to say?”
“Not in the slightest. I am glad we will not have to endure the drama that swirls about those two.” Elizabeth was sad for her sister, of course, knowing her life could have been very different if she had not allowed jealousy and bitterness to overcome her.
But it was the way of things, and only Jane could choose the path she wished to walk in life.
A knock sounded on the door then, and Kitty poked her head inside. “They are ready for you,” she smiled. “You look so beautiful, Georgiana!”
“Come in, Kitty,” Georgiana said. Kitty did so, and Georgiana turned to let her see the dress. “What do you think?”
“Oh, you are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” Kitty giggled. “Mr Darcy will have to hold Mr Bingley upright when he sees you.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Come along now, he is waiting for you,” she said, and they walked Georgiana down together.
Pemberley had been transformed for the wedding breakfast. All around were flowers and greenery of every kind, filling the house with their luscious scent. Georgiana was a vision as she descended the grand staircase, awash in the golden glow from the light coming through the windows.
They delivered Georgiana into the wedding carriage, in which she would ride alone to the church at Lambton, waving to the townspeople who came to wish her well. Elizabeth, Kitty, and Lydia joined their parents in another carriage, one equally comfortable if less lavishly decorated.
“She looks so beautiful,” Kitty sighed. “I hope I will not have long to wait before my wedding day.”
Elizabeth reached over and took her sister’s hand. “It will be worth the wait to find an honourable man, a man who will cherish you.”
“I do not know if I shall ever find a man as good as Mr Darcy or Mr Bingley, Lizzy,” Lydia pouted. “You and Georgiana are prodigiously lucky, for it seems the handsome ones are all rakes and the gentlemen of character are terribly dull. Sometimes it feels as if my time will never come.”
“You have time, Lydia. I hope you have seen that rushing into a marriage for any reason less than mutual admiration and respect is not worth it in the end,” Elizabeth told her seriously.
“Your time will come. For now, continue to improve yourself and make yourself ready to be the wife your future husband deserves. Not to mention the person you wish to be.”
“That is excellent advice, Lizzy.” Lydia nodded, as if to convince herself. “I shall try to live up to your standards, although I am sure it will not be as much fun as when the militia came to town.”
Elizabeth could not blame her spirited sister for wanting some adventure out of life. She only hoped that Lydia had learned to approach love with a little sense and caution to temper her natural enthusiasm.
The wedding was beautiful, with Georgiana glowing and Mr Bingley moony-eyed.
As she sat with Richard on her lap, Elizabeth’s heart was overflowing with thankfulness.
She had so many blessings, chief among them the child she held in her arms and her beloved husband.
Darcy was so devastatingly handsome in his morning coat as he stood up beside Mr Bingley, he nearly took her breath away.
After the ceremony, they met in the small foyer of the church. Darcy took Richard up in his arms as they walked out of the church together to see Mr Bingley and Georgiana off in the open carriage. They would all make their way to Pemberley for the wedding breakfast.
“They look so well together,” Elizabeth sighed. “How delightful that Mr Bingley and Georgiana are a match in the end! I think they will make each other very happy.”
“I have every confidence that they will. Georgiana will make a better man of him than he could be on his own. I think every man who cherishes his wife does himself a good turn.” Darcy put an arm around her waist and helped her into the carriage.
They were soon bumping down the cobblestone lane toward home.
“It is funny how life works out, isn’t it?” Elizabeth mused.
“How so?” Darcy asked, bouncing Richard on his knee and drawing a delighted squeal from the little boy.
“If I had not gone to Scotland with my father, we might never have met and fallen in love, and Georgiana might have taken longer to come out of her loneliness. Who knows if she and Mr Bingley would have ever found each other?”
“Life is mysterious, isn’t it? I, for one, have never been so glad to have lost out on an inheritance.”
“Well, you won a family instead. Perhaps that is the greatest blessing of all.”
He turned toward her, allowing Richard to bounce away on his knee. “It certainly is,” Darcy said. He leant over and kissed her, making no secret of all the passion and delight in his heart.
When at last they parted, she smiled up at him. “If you kiss me like that, love, no one will believe that we are an old married couple.”
Darcy chuckled. “I am afraid there is nothing to be done, for each day that has passed of the last three years has only seen me fall more and more deeply in love with you. Elizabeth, you will always have me bewitched, body and soul.”
The End