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The Duke of Bedford smiled at the good news.

He had no doubt that he would not get to meet his grandniece or grandnephew.

Truth be told, Sed Bennet doubted that he would see many more sunrises.

He had a coughing spasm, and so the couple left their Uncle to be attended by his doctor and valet, they tried to make him more comfortable, that was all left for them to do.

Jane and Richard visited with their aunt for another hour.

She affirmed that she would hold to her oath to her beloved husband and attend the wedding ball.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Three hours later, the Duchess of Derbyshire reluctantly left her husband’s bed for her own chambers to ring for her Abigail.

Everything that her mother had told her was true, if anything it was even better than what she had been told.

They had been able to enjoy their love four times, and if one added the other activities, with made her breathless with anticipation, it had been a truly pleasurable afternoon.

If they had not already agreed to be at the wedding ball, they would have cried off and locked themselves in their chambers for a week.

There had been a little blood, and she was somewhat sore just as her mother had said, but the thrill of feeling him deep within as he gave himself to her, as he attained his deepest pleasure only she had been gifted, was satisfying in a way she would never be able to explain, and understood why no one tried.

There was an ever-present, smouldering passion between them, and it took very little to ignite the flame.

Selfishly, Lady Elizabeth never wanted her duke to leave the bed, but she knew that it was time.

She pulled the bell for her maid and the housekeeper.

Her maid was asked to see to her bath, and Mrs. Killion was requested to have a tray with a light repast sent up to their sitting room.

Elizabeth sank into the steaming bath Jacqui had infused with the lavender water preferred by her mistress.

Carstens had never seen his master in such a state before.

His normally stoic, at times even taciturn master seemed to be almost giddy.

If the grin on his countenance was anything to go by, he was extremely happy with his duchess.

Darcy stepped into his waiting bath, the aroma of sandalwood and spice wafting from the water.

As he luxuriated, he felt a bliss that he could not remember ever feeling before.

The reality of being with his Elizabeth far exceeded even his wildest dreams. She was even more passionate than he had hoped she would be.

He knew for certain that his previous experience, limited though it was, was merely copulation and self-gratification.

What he experienced with his wife that afternoon was physical expression of the love that they had one for the other, and soon expected it to be a celebration of the love they shared, which is what he had heard his mother once say to her sister when he was walking into a room.

That was always what he had hoped to attain, and he had no doubts that he and Elizabeth would.

When they were both dressed, she in a hunter green silk gown and he with a waistcoat to match, they met in their sitting room and attacked the repast that Mrs. Killion had brought up.

It was but cold meats, cheeses, and fresh bread, yet the newlyweds ate everything on the tray.

Neither had realised how hungry they were until they took their first bite, washing down the small meal with a glass of madeira wine.

Before they departed the sitting room, the Duke produced a velvet covered box from his inside pocket.

At his request, his duchess had not adorned herself with any jewellery when she had dressed, and he opened the box to reveal a magnificent set.

The necklace he took out of the box and gently affixed to his beautiful wife was a series of alternating diamonds and emeralds culminating in a huge empire cut emerald in the centre.

When he closed the clasp, the centre stone hung a few inches above her décolletage.

Next were earrings that had a large diamond in the centre surrounded by four smaller emeralds.

Lastly, he removed a bracelet made of white gold with alternating diamonds and emeralds.

Placing it on her right wrist, he bestowed his wife with a kiss that promised the activities to follow the ball would ignite her imagination for weeks to follow.

They were both relieved the ball would only be about half the length of a traditional ball held in the Ton.

It was then that Lady Elizabeth noticed another box on the small table, her husband had signalled her abigail to join them.

In the second box was a tiara. It was also made of white gold, and had rows of diamonds and emeralds with a large emerald on the apex.

Her maid placed it on her head and her mistress then understood why her coiffure had not been completed in her dressing room.

It was secured with emerald and diamond tipped pins.

Once they were alone again Darcy looked at his wife, truly in awe of the most beautiful lady he had ever seen.

“These are not part of the Darcy jewels, my love,” he said as he held his hand to her, the need to touch her too great to ignore.

“When I noticed that you favoured diamonds and emeralds, I contacted the head jeweller at Harding, Howell, and Company and gave him this commission, hoping that one day I would be allowed to gift it to you.” He lifted her hand, pride filling his chest when she blushed, not because of the gift of precious stones, but because she hoped he would kiss the hand he held, he did not make her wait long, though he took a moment to breathe her in, the scent of his wife thrilling him anew.

The Duke and Duchess of Derbyshire descended the main staircase to the foyer where the Killions and her grace’s two footman guards were waiting.

After donning their outerwear, and with Biggs and Johns trailing them, the couple made the short walk across Grosvenor Square to Bennet House.

After divesting them of their coats, Mr. Thatcher informed them that the family was in the family sitting room.

When they entered, all conversation ceased as all eyes drank in the vision that was Elizabeth Darcy.

At first Elizabeth thought that she had a blemish on her face, but was disabused when her mother recovered first. “Oh my, Lizzy,” she said as she looked at the vision that was her middle daughter, “you are exquisite. That dress, your jewels, combined with the glow of love that is shining forth from you…” Her mother lost her words.

“Shows a contented woman who is besotted with her husband,” Lady Anne completed for her friend. The rest of the family were shaken out of their stupor and the compliments for Elizabeth were added to.

“You do not look like an unhappy man, brother,” Lord Tom Bennet slapped his brother-in-law on the back.

“The same can be said of you and your foolish grin, Tom,” James said in support of his new brother.

“Well, yes, I have nothing to repine…” Whatever the Marquess was about to say was lost as he scanned the room, and his gaze fell upon his wife.

“Just make sure that you never make Lizzy unhappy,” James admonished Darcy, “although based on the look I see on my sister’s face, I think it is safe to assume that she is very happy.”

The Ashby brothers walked up to Lord Tom and Stephen, and the Viscount reminded him of a similar admonition that he and Ian had issued with regards to their little sister Amy before the wedding.

The warning was issued in jest as there was no doubt in any Ashby man’s mind that the Marquess would move heaven and earth to make sure that Amy Bennet was always his priority.

Lord Thomas asked his sister how his brother was faring.

She shook her head and opined that her brother-in-law should visit his brother after the ball concluded.

Bennet nodded and said that he and Sarah would accompany Lady Rose back to Bedford House when it ended, all extremely fearful that Sed Bennet would have little time.

They had all given him their oath that they would celebrate the weddings this night and not let maudlin thoughts spoil the evening, but no matter the oath he made to his big brother, Lord Thomas’s thoughts were with him, and he repeated his prayers that had proved futile so far.

The royals would be represented by Prince Edward and his sister Princess Elizabeth, who would arrive after the guests, but just before the first set.

The plan was for the Duchess of Derbyshire to open the ball with his highness while her duke would dance with his new cousin, Princess Elizabeth.

After a few minutes there would be a change of partners and the two royals would dance with Tom and Amy Bennet, and the Darcys would dance the rest of the first with each other.

The royal cousins intended to leave after the first set.

Before the guests arrived, Lady Sarah intervened and noted that as it was a shortened ball, the new grooms could only dance two sets with their wives. Both men affected a pout, but as soon as each received a warning look from his wife, the expected complaints went unvoiced.

“Ha! Jane, I can dance all of mine with you. I am not a new groom.” Richard grinned.

“I like this stipulation, Mother Bennet. Lady Marie, may I have all your dances at the ball?” Andrew leaned down, his hand out for his wife’s, her pleased laugh making him feel like he was the only man that mattered in the room.

Other than a minute or two, the grooms would dance the first with his wife and the full supper set.

As there were only six sets total that night, there was no worry that their wives would be squired around the dance floor with anyone outside the family as there were fathers and brothers in abundance, though now two less in the pool of candidates, which meant they were still a dozen sets short of a second dance with any that were still available.

A few minutes before the expected start time, the receiving line was formed.

At the head were the hosts, Lord Thomas and Lady Sarah with their sister, Lady Rose who was co-hosting the ball.

They were followed by the newlywed Darcys, and Tom and Amy Bennet finished the line; including family, there were less than seventy guests expected.

Once all the guests had arrived and the royals received their bows and curtsies, a toast was offered to the newlyweds by each of the bride’s fathers, and a further toast was raised to the health of the Duke of Bedford, and once the toasts were complete the first set formed.

After less than two minutes Darcy found himself with the partner that he desired.

It was his first dance with a royal, but the princess, in fact every other woman in the known world, paled in comparison to his duchess.

They had discovered at the Netherfield ball when they had the pleasure of dancing for the first time that they both enjoyed dancing with each other far above anyone else.

“My Lizzy, can you believe that we are married after what seemed too long once you accepted my proposal,” Darcy asked as they came together in a figure.

“After what we did this afternoon…” They separated as she circled another man and then returned to her husband and completed her thought with an arched eyebrow.

“…and the number of times we did it, there is no doubt in my mind that we are married.” The Duke of Derbyshire laughed, in public, in the middle of a ball room!

A countess almost swooned with surprise.

Many had heard about the change in the dour, taciturn, and often-times arrogant man, but none had seen it outside of the family circle until that night, and there was much amazement at the changes so evidently on display.

It also happened to be the first time that his Grace had attended an official public event after his Lizzy had said yes.

Being that it was a private ball with a very select guest list, none of the mothers or daughters of the Ton who had tried to lay claim to Mr. Darcy of Pemberley were present to be vituperative.

Many had lamented at failing to capture him when he was a plain gentleman, but now that he was a duke, there were many spleens that would be vented when the wedding announcement was printed in the Times on the morrow.

The Duke and Duchess of Derbyshire moved down the line and found themselves next to the younger Phillips’. “Lizzy, you look every part the duchess,” Caroline Phillips offered, and her cousin inclined her head at the compliment.

The second set Lady Elizabeth danced with another duke, her father, while the new marchioness danced with hers. “You look so very happy,” Lord Thomas observed.

“Yes Papa,” his middle daughter answered with meaning, “I could not be more contented if I tried. I know that William is the only one for me. It is almost as if we were formed for each other.”

“I could not have parted with you, or any of you sisters, to one less worthy,” her father said with much emotion.

Due to the shortened number of sets, it had been decided that rather than dance full sets with only one partner, in the four sets between the first and last would dance change partners after each single dance.

So it was that during the second set that Lord Thomas also danced with Amy while the Earl of Ashbury danced with Elizabeth.

After dancing the first with her beloved husband, Lady Sarah had joined her sister Pricilla, her sisters-in-law Lady Rose, Madeline Gardiner, Hattie Phillips, and Ladies Anne, Elaine, and Catherine.

As they watched their married children dancing, they acknowledged that God had been very good to them.

None knew it yet, but great joy was soon to be balanced with great sorrow that same night.

After the supper, the guests departed leaving only the family, and a footman from Bedford House approached his mistress and handed her a note.

She read it quickly and then as calmly as she could she told the family what it said.

“The letter is from Doctor Penrod; he urges us to return to Bedford House with all haste.”