Page 49 of Obligation and Redemption
The family had gone to the church, which was but two hundred yards from the manor house.
Although the distance was short, Elizabeth had taken the carriage to ensure her dress did not suffer the effects from road dirt.
Even though she had tried to talk her mother into letting her go early, Mrs. Bennet insisted she not arrive until right before she was to walk down the aisle, so as not to risk being seen by the groom.
“Lizzy,” she had said, “if your Mr. Darcy sees you before the wedding, your marriage will bode misfortune!” Elizabeth could make no argument on that point; her conference with her aunt would have to wait until the wedding breakfast.
The service transpired with little deviation from the expected and well-known order.
Although the ball had included the entire populace of Hertfordshire who might have some association with the Bennets, the wedding itself was a small affair with only close friends and family in attendance.
As they recited the wedding vows, each considered the rebellion within their own individual hearts.
Promising to love and honour seemed an impossible oath to recite, but in order to marry, one must make the vows, and so recite them they did.
Within half an hour, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy were signing the registry and proceeding to Longbourn for the obligatory wedding breakfast. Mrs. Bennet, being gifted in the art of hosting and exhibiting, had performed her part remarkably well.
Longbourn was fêted up as if the aristocrats of London might be in attendance, as indeed might have been the case had Mr. Darcy’s relations come.
As it was, only the second son of an earl was present, but his showing had a singular effect upon her mother as well as Elizabeth’s younger sisters, as they flirted and cooed over him.
Elizabeth would have been embarrassed by their behaviour had she not been distracted by her own ruminations.
She approached her aunt and uncle and expressed her desire to introduce them to her new husband. “Aunt, Uncle, will you not join me to meet Mr. Darcy? Since you live in London, I hope that we will all have opportunities for mutual society.”
“I hope we may, dear, but you know that you will be running in very different circles than the one in which we associate.”
“Nonsense. I am sure, once I live there, that we will have many opportunities to be with one another. You cannot live more than a thirty-minute carriage ride from Mr. Darcy’s home.
” Elizabeth reached for her aunt’s hand, “I will need my family to help me survive being away from home. Please say we will see one another often and soon.”
“Of course!” Mrs. Gardiner had replied; however, Elizabeth could not know her thoughts about such a scheme.
Her aunt perceived the unlikelihood of their being accepted into Mr. Darcy’s home, even if Elizabeth did not.
Even though Mrs. Gardiner had known the Darcys from her time in Lambton, she was now tainted with trade.
Although comparatively poor, Elizabeth was a part of the gentry and therefore held a higher position in society, not experiencing the class distinctions that pervaded London.
Whenever Elizabeth had visited town, she kept to her relations’ friends and social activities, so she could not possibly understand by experience the chasm between the classes.
And although Mrs. Gardiner’s ancestors were of noble lineage, the ton would not accept her association with trade.
Elizabeth led her aunt and uncle over to where Darcy stood talking to Bingley.
“Mr. Bingley, I believe last night you already made the acquaintance of my aunt and uncle, but Mr. Darcy, allow me now to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gardiner. They are my family who reside in London. Aunt, Uncle, this is my new husband, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, of Pemberley, in Derbyshire.” They bowed and curtseyed before Elizabeth continued, “I am hoping that since you have a home in London, that I might have the opportunity to see them more often than I have in the past.”
“Yes, well, we may spend little time in town, except during the Season.”
“You said that we would be going to town after the wedding and remain until the festive season ends, did you not?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Wonderful, then I should be able to spend time with them for the next few weeks anyway.” She smiled a genuine smile, relieved that she would not be sent up North without friends or family until after she had time to adjust with the support of relations.
Although Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner could easily pass as members of the fashionable set in London, Elizabeth did not realise that Mr. Darcy could not see past their being in trade.
Money earned from the workings of a warehouse in Cheapside could not bring the respect that a long history of familial lineage would offer.
As it was, Mr. Bingley was just one generation from making a living in trade and reaped the benefits from his hardworking predecessors, but because he did not labour himself and lived off the work of generations before him, he was respected as part of the elite.
This dichotomy did not seem to affect Mr. Darcy, for he had no reservations with Bingley’s friendship, despite his unsavoury forebears.
“It is a pleasure meeting you. Now, if you will excuse me; I need to ensure that the carriage is ready for our departure.” Thus excusing himself, Darcy walked away.
This greatly disappointed Elizabeth who had been hoping that Mr. Darcy would acknowledge that she had some family with whom he could find pleasure associating.
Nonplussed, Elizabeth turned to Mr. Bingley who had attempted to rectify the discomfort, occasioned by the removal of his friend, by asking Mr. Gardiner about his business ventures in town.
Elizabeth thought there could not be a kinder gentleman than Mr. Bingley and rejoiced that at least her sister might have a marriage based on love and respect, for there was no one more worthy of happiness in matrimony than Jane.
While the men were talking, Elizabeth turned to her aunt and quietly said, “Aunt, I have been hoping for time alone with you, but I find that there must be some outside forces attempting to keep us apart!” She laughed lightly.
“Might you be able to speak with me now before we depart?” Anxiety was etched on Elizabeth’s brow.
“Oh, Lizzy, I knew you would wish for an opportunity to be alone with me. I have been trying to work out having a moment to meet, but others seem to demand either my time or yours. How about we go up to your room?” Thus they had attempted to escape to Elizabeth’s room so she could speak with her aunt in private.
On their way up the stairs, however, Mr. Darcy interrupted them saying, “Mrs. Darcy,” how odd that sounded to her ears, “we really must be leaving. Potts says that rain is imminent and we have at least a three-hour ride in front of us. With the drop in temperature and the possibility of a storm, we really should get on the road.”
This request had greatly disappointed Elizabeth. She turned to her aunt so Mr. Darcy could not see the fear evident in her eyes. “Aunt, I really was counting on speaking with you.”
“Lizzy, my dear, why do I not help you with your pelisse and wrap, and we can talk while I assist?”
Elizabeth looked to Mr. Darcy for his approval. “We need to leave within ten minutes.” This declaration disheartened Elizabeth, but she turned to her aunt and put on a cheerful smile.
“I had hoped for time to change into travel clothes.”
“We really should be going. As you may recall, a storm can make travel treacherous, and we have already stayed longer than I intended.”
Elizabeth turned to her aunt, “I suppose we should hurry then, Aunt.” Elizabeth led the way up to her room to get her last minute things.” As soon as the door closed behind them, Elizabeth grasped her aunt’s hands and said, “Please tell me all will be well!”
“Of course, dear! I know that tonight must have you uneasy, but let me assure you, Lizzy, all will be well. Being intimate with your husband is a natural event. God created a husband and wife to be as one in this way. With time, you may find that you enjoy his physical advances.”
That was too much to consider. “But what about tonight? I confess that Mama has left me frightened about what to expect.”
“Let Mr. Darcy take the lead. I am sure he will be kind to you.” Elizabeth doubted her aunt’s assertions and would have continued her questions, but it was time to go. Her limited counsel had to suffice.
Elizabeth rocked with the carriage as the thunder rolled outside.
She attempted to sleep, but her musings of the morning would not let her rest. Her conversations with her mother and aunt did little to calm her fears.
She was not used to feeling this way, out of control, with no diversions to calm her.
Elizabeth hoped that Mr. Darcy might understand her worries and not ask her to consummate their marriage on the first night.
She had contemplated making such a request and tried to formulate the question in her mind before actually asking him, but could not make herself venture onto that topic and literally paled at the thought.
For the first time in her life she felt truly unnerved.