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The curate closed the one inner vestibule door, indicating the bridal party had arrived. Mr Jamison signalled the congregants to stand. As soon as they were all on their feet, save the Prince and Princess, he nodded to his curate. He and another man opened the double doors.

Charlotte Lucas on her father’s arm was first to walk up the aisle.

Maria followed her, being that she was her sister’s maid of honour.

She was cognisant of the honour on the one hand, while simultaneously being terrified of making a faux pas in front of so many peers of the realm, not to mention a prince and princess.

Sir William guided Charlotte towards where her fiancé stood ready to receive her hand on his arm.

On her walk towards Anthony, they stopped; she and Maria curtsied to the royals while Sir William bowed.

When they reached where her beloved was waiting for them, Sir William kissed his eldest on her cheek and placed her hand on her groom’s forearm.

As Charlotte was not wearing a veil, opting rather for a wedding bonnet, her father had nothing to lift or replace.

Maria, feeling vastly relieved she had done nothing wrong, took her station behind, and to the side of, her sister.

As soon as her friend was next to Anthony, Elizabeth looked up at Uncle Edward.

“I believe it is my turn now.” She had a wide smile on her face.

She looked to her left and right. John was on one side of the door and Brian on the other.

Their men were between the manor house and the outside of the church.

Archy had taken precautions just in case.

She was wearing an empire-waisted gown with puffed sleeves, coloured in cobalt blue, which accentuated the colour of her hair and eyes, or so Madam Chambourg had informed her.

The overlay was a silver, but translucent, organza.

The train only extended two or three feet behind her.

It was, by far, the most elegant gown Elizabeth had ever worn.

Archy had gifted her a tiara adorned with diamonds and emeralds.

Lettie had built an attractive coiffure around it—her maid was not daunted by the volume of her hair or the waviness of it—and the veil, of delicate Belgian lace, was attached to the tiara.

On this day Elizabeth felt like she was a princess, even with a real royal princess in the church.

Gardiner began to walk, Elizabeth on his arm, Mary following behind holding the bridal nosegay.

He had to grin as he felt the pull on his arm from Lizzy as they approached her groom, indicating her impatience to be at his side.

Like Charlotte had before her, Elizabeth stopped and curtsied to the Prince and Princess before continuing on towards her Archy.

Hertfordshire almost let loose a guffaw when he noted Lizzy’s attempt to pull Gardiner up the aisle.

He was most gratified that she was as keen to arrive and have the ceremony underway as he was himself.

Soon enough she was before him and after lifting her delicate veil and kissing her forehead, Gardiner replaced it and positioned her hand on his waiting forearm.

It was so close to being done, making them man and wife, but there was still one more, albeit incredibly important, step. The Duke guided his bride to stand before Jamison. Next to Charlotte and Anthony.

During the rehearsal on Monday afternoon, the vicar had explained that he would conduct a single service, and only the vows and giving of rings would be separate.

For the individual parts, Hertfordshire and Lizzy would say theirs first, and then the other couple.

Before anything else, he indicated the congregation could join the royals in being seated.

With a nod from Prince Edward, Jamison opened his well-worn copy of the Book of Common Prayer to the liturgy of the wedding ceremony, even though he could recite every word without the book. “Dearly beloved…”

The next time Hertfordshire had to fight against a guffaw was the look of distaste and challenge from his bride when she had to vow to obey him.

He was more than aware she would never blindly do that unless she could see the logic in what he was saying.

It was one of the many things he loved about her.

After that, there were no more moments of levity.

Soon enough, both couples were pronounced man and wife, respectively.

As there were multiple couples, Mr Jamison had his curate set the register up on a stand right at the back of the altar.

It was the work of moments for this last legal step to be taken.

The rector then presented Their Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Hertfordshire, and Mr and Mrs Anthony Barrington. A cheer went up from those in the nave of the church.

The three younger Bennet sisters stood before their eldest sister and, in perfect unison, made deep curtsies with a combined, “Your Grace.”

Elizabeth had been tempted to hurl her flowers at her teasing sisters, but instead she just put on a haughty look. “My underlings,” she jested. The four giggling sisters fell into one another’s arms.

There was a blur of wishes of happy before both sets of newlyweds boarded their coaches for the short ride, about three miles, to the manor house. Biggs and Johns stood on the back bench of the Hertfordshire conveyance, remaining close to Her Grace.

The two newly married couples circulated for about three hours at their wedding celebration before going to prepare to depart.

Both couples were on their way to Town. Charlotte and Anthony were also headed for the coast, but not in Brighton—quite the opposite direction.

They would be in Somersetshire, near the Bristol Channel, in the town of Sanditon.

The latter was being built up as a resort town where the Barrington parents had purchased a house with a good view of the ocean.

After changing into travel attire, Lizzy and Charlotte joined their husbands to be farewelled by their family and close friends. Before she boarded the Hertfordshire travelling coach, Elizabeth pulled Aunt Maddie and Uncle Edward aside.

“Without you two, your love, and generosity of spirit, none of this would have been possible. You may not have the title of Mama and Papa for Mary and me, but that is what you are and always will be,” Elizabeth said with moist eyes.

“I thank you from the depths of my being. You saved Mary’s and my lives. ”

Madeline had tears in her eyes as she hugged Lizzy to her. “We could not have done anything else.”

“Maddie is right. Now away with you; your husband awaits you,” Gardiner stated, his voice gruff with emotion. “We think of you and Mary as daughters, too,” he added emotionally.

After a long hug with her uncle and a final one from Mary, Elizabeth was handed into the coach by her husband. And they were off.