Page 39

CHAPTER 39

Preparations Begin

27 OCTOBER 1811

O n Monday, preparations began in earnest for Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding the next day.

When she learnt of it, Mrs. Bennet had been insistent that it must be delayed and listed the various reasons why it ought to be, but none of the parties involved would agree to the change in date.

Finally, Lady Matlock spoke, helping Mrs. Bennet to understand the urgency.

“Mrs. Bennet, I know you feel that a grander ceremony is necessary, but truly, the marriage cannot wait. It has been kept secret for a good reason. If my husband, Lord Matlock, learns of the wedding, he will take steps to prevent it from happening.”

“But…” Mrs. Bennet began again, but then the countess’s words seemed to sink in.

“Your husband…the earl, he would stop the wedding? Oh, does he disapprove of our family? But...”

“Lord Matlock has certain ideas about who our nephew should marry that have more to do with his own political aspirations than what is in Fitzwilliam’s best interest,” Lady Matlock soothed, cutting into the lady’s nervous prattle .

“Do not worry, Mrs. Bennet; I will make it impossible for my husband to interfere with their marriage, but that is why the matter has been kept secret. There was an officer in the militia who was aiding my husband, but now he has been dealt with, and Miss Bingley has been sent away.”

“What did Miss Bingley do?” Mrs. Bennet gasped.

“Nothing, Mama, or at least nothing of significance. Mr. Bingley has decided to escort her far from here for a time, to allow her an opportunity to reflect on her behaviour towards myself and Fitzwilliam. You do not need to worry,” Elizabeth interjected, with a speaking look at Lady Matlock, who nodded her understanding.

Mrs. Bennet looked between the two, but before she could speak, she was interrupted by Mrs. Hill.

“Madam, there is a carriage approaching,” she said.

“I believe the master informed you that the Livesay family was expected today.”

“Oh, yes, I had nearly forgotten about that in all of our excitement over the wedding,” she exclaimed.

“Does Mr. Livesay already know about the wedding?”

“I am uncertain,” Elizabeth said, having not discussed the matter with her father.

She knew that Mr. Livesay was expected, along with his daughter, but had not known anything else that may have been discussed between the men.

“It does not matter,” Mrs. Bennet said dismissively.

“Come, let us greet our guests, and we can inform them if they are unaware.”

That said, Mrs. Bennet moved quickly to the hallway where her husband was waiting with Darcy.

She moved next to her husband, while Elizabeth moved to stand next to her intended.

“Come with me, Elizabeth,” Darcy murmured near her ear, his voice low and warm.

“While your father greets his guests, we might steal a moment to speak about what comes after the wedding. ”

Elizabeth’s cheeks flushed at once, her thoughts leaping to meanings he may not have intended.

Still, she gave a quick nod and let him lead her away, opposite the direction of her parents.

Once they reached the music room and the door was drawn mostly closed behind them, Darcy turned to face her.

He took one look at the vivid colour in her cheeks and the startled expression in her eyes and instantly realised her thoughts had run ahead of his words.

“No, Elizabeth—I fear I have spoken poorly again,” he said, a rueful smile tugging at his lips.

“While I certainly look forward to our life together after we are wed, I meant something rather more practical.”

He reached for her hand, lifting it gently to his lips for a soft, chaste kiss.

“I only meant to ask what you would like to do after the ceremony. With the matter of Wickham and Miss Bingley finally behind us, we have a bit of freedom. We might spend a few days in London, or perhaps retreat somewhere quieter, just the two of us, before joining our families again.”

“Are we not needed to confront Lord Matlock?” Elizabeth asked, tilting her head as she studied Darcy.

She still held his hand in hers, unwilling to let go after the gentle kiss he had pressed to it only moments before.

“No,” Darcy replied, his tone reassuring.

“That is what your father and I were discussing while you were with your mother and my aunt. Your Uncle Gardiner is expected to arrive today, and while we are away on our wedding trip, he will meet with your father and Mr. Livesay. Together, they will review everything that has been discovered with Lady Matlock and Richard.”

He paused briefly, then added, “They will all join us in London on Monday. Once we are reunited, we will confront Lord Matlock together and inform him of our marriage. Between them—and my cousin—they will ensure we are fully prepared when the time comes. ”

“Then, ought we go to London? What if your uncle learns we are there before we are ready for him?” Elizabeth asked.

Darcy hesitated for only a moment before speaking slowly.

“I do not relish the idea of spending our wedding night in an inn,” Darcy said.

“It is too late to make many arrangements, and most places could not be properly aired and cleaned before we could arrive.”

“What of the dower house?” Elizabeth suggested.

“It is small, or at least, rather smaller than what you are used to, but it is clean, and if you were to borrow a few of the maids from Netherfield, it could be aired and freshened this afternoon. Mrs. Hill could send a maid or a footman to bring us our meals each day, and they can leave things that we can eat whenever we like.”

Leaning down to press a quick kiss to Elizabeth’s lips, Darcy found himself once again elated to have chosen such a brilliant bride.

“That is the perfect solution, Elizabeth. We will be close by should someone have need of us, but we would not be sharing a house with any of our relations. I know we could have stayed at Netherfield, but I did not want to share a roof with my sister or cousin during the first day of our marriage or be forced to socialise with anyone apart from you.”

Elizabeth laughed at his rare burst of exuberance.

“You have chosen well, William,” she said, grinning at the mock-affronted look he gave her in return.

“But we have been hiding long enough,” she added, still smiling.

“We need to greet Mr. Livesay and his daughter—before someone comes looking for us.”

Darcy’s expression shifted at once, a flicker of protest crossing his features.

“Just a moment,” he murmured, pulling her into his arms.

Elizabeth’s breath caught, but her gaze held steady.

“I love you, William,” she whispered .

He did not reply with words.

Instead, his lips found hers in a kiss that was deeper, slower than any they had shared before.

It held no urgency, only a quiet, smouldering promise wrapped in desire.

Elizabeth responded instinctively, her hands sliding to his chest, then upward, one drifting into the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

Her fingers tangled there, holding him to her as the world around them slipped away.

The warmth of him grounded her, the steady press of his body anchoring her against the many difficulties they had faced and would continue to face in the coming days.

All of that was forgotten in the moment.

Their kiss deepened—slow, deliberate, filled with unspoken hunger.

His hands settled along her waist, strong and possessive, drawing her closer until there was no space left between them.

Every inch of their bodies seemed to touch and catch fire.

She melted into him.

The kiss was enough to leave her flushed and breathless, her entire body tingling with awareness, every nerve attuned to the quiet, unmistakable truth of how much he wanted her.

When they finally pulled apart, Elizabeth rested her forehead lightly against his chest, her breath still uneven.

Darcy’s hand remained along the small of her back, holding her close, his thumb tracing a slow, thoughtful line along the fabric of her gown.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said, “You undo me, Elizabeth. Every time I believe I have regained control, that I can withstand your wit or your charm—you smile, or say my name, and I am lost to you all over again.”

She looked up at him, her cheeks still flushed, her eyes soft but bright.

“Then we are both undone,” she murmured, her fingers lightly brushing the edge of his cravat.

“And I find I do not mind it in the least. ”

He smiled then—a small, private smile meant only for her.

“I was not prepared for this…for you, when I came to Hertfordshire in September. I thought I knew what love and marriage was meant to look like. But you have turned all of that on its head.”

She tilted her head slightly, teasing.

“You mean love is not meant to be inconvenient and rather impertinent?”

He chuckled under his breath.

“It is meant to be worth everything. And it is. You are, dearest, loveliest, Elizabeth.”

For a heartbeat longer, they simply stood there—holding, breathing, knowing that after everything, this was real.

Then, reluctantly, Darcy stepped back and offered his arm.

“Shall we join the others, Elizabeth?”

Elizabeth took it with a quiet smile.

“Of course, William.”

When the couple entered the drawing room arm in arm, they were greeted with knowing smiles by the new arrivals.

Darcy took a moment to introduce Elizabeth to Miss Amelia Livesay who he had met in town, and her brother, Frederick Livesay, second son to James Livesay.

“Darcy,” the elder Livesay said warmly, rising to shake his hand.

“I suspected you might be here, but Bennet tells me you and his Lizzy have been nearly inseparable since you met. So, when is the wedding?”

Darcy clasped his hand and gave a wry smile.

“Tomorrow.”

Livesay blinked, clearly caught off guard.

“Tomorrow?”

Darcy chuckled at the stunned expression on the older gentleman’s face.

“Indeed. I believe Mr. Bennet related to you the troubles we have been having with my uncle. We thought to marry before he could do anything to prevent it. He knows I am in Hertfordshire, but expects me to return for the season and to marry the daughter of one of his political allies, Miss Harriet Sedgewick.”

“Miss Harriet Sedgewick?” Catherine exclaimed.

Nearly every eye in the room turned to her.

“Yes,” Darcy replied.

“She attends Lydia’s school,” Catherine whispered.

It was Elizabeth’s turn to be surprised.

“Has Lydia mentioned her?”

“Yes,” Catherine said, her voice soft and uncertain.

“What did she say?” Bennet asked, his eyes watching his second youngest daughter.

“She has…Lydia said she has recently been sent home from school,” Catherine replied, unable to look at her father.

“Did she say why?” Bennet prodded again.

“The rumour at the school is that she is enceinte ,” Catherine said, her voice barely a whisper.

“Lydia did not know for certain, but she often mentioned news of Miss Sedgewick. Lydia was not friends with her; Lydia said she thought she was so much better than all the rest of the girls and barely spoke to any of them. But more than once, Lydia said she was caught in places she ought not to have been and that there were tales about her having assignations with the grooms or even an officer in the militia stationed nearby. I had begun to believe she was a figment of Lydia’s imagination, for surely the daughter of a peer ought to know better than to so flagrantly disregard the rules of the school and those of proper society.”

“That is, unless she is the daughter of a viscount who has been indulged to the point that she believes she can do whatever she likes,” Darcy said, anger creeping into his voice.

“But if she were with child, the viscount would not truly wish to delay the wedding so long unless she was too far along for him to wed her to a respectable man until after she had given birth,” Livesay objected, Bennet nodding beside him.

“Or perhaps the viscount—or someone else—knows of the so-called remedies to rid a woman of an unwanted…complication,” Lady Matlock said darkly, noticing the incredulous expressions of all those around her.

“There are methods, yes—but none I would ever recommend, especially for a young woman. While they are intended to kill the babe,” she continued grimly, “in more extreme cases, if the woman survives, they can also leave her unable to bear children ever again.”

Several gasps followed the remark—this was not a subject typically spoken of in mixed company, especially not in the presence of younger women.

Mrs. Bennet, visibly flustered, reached for the vinaigrette she kept in her reticule for just such occasions.

She resisted the urge to wave her handkerchief about, a habit her husband had gently pointed out as more attention-seeking than soothing.

“Regardless, my husband and the viscount must have known the girl was ruined, and they sought to bind her to my nephew in a way that would leave him feeling he could not refuse,” Lady Matlock continued.

“It was a calculated attempt to secure a respectable match for Miss Sedgewick while ensuring access to the funds they desperately need.”

She paused, then added, “But this is a matter for another day. Today we are preparing for Fitzwilliam’s wedding.”

Turning to Catherine, her tone shifted to brisk efficiency.

“Miss Catherine, I need you to gather any letters you have that mention Miss Sedgewick and give them to me soon. Tomorrow is the wedding, so it can wait until the following day. I do not know if we have time to send a letter and receive a reply from your sister at school, but if you could write to her today and ask for any additional information, it would be most helpful.”

“I can send a rider with the letter,” Darcy replied.

“He can wait for the reply and bring it to us as quickly as he gets it. ”

Still somewhat startled by the reaction to her news, Catherine quickly excused herself to carry out Lady Matlock’s request, with Mary and Georgiana following close behind.

The others remained behind to take tea and discuss the morning’s revelations, soon settling into quiet conversations in pairs: Bennet with the Misters Livesay, Mrs. Bennet with Lady Matlock, Elizabeth with Darcy, and lastly, Jane and Miss Livesay.

Both young ladies listened to the earlier revelations without speaking, shocked at what they heard.

Jane understood most of it and quietly filled Miss Livesay in on some of the goings-on of the last few weeks.

To the surprise of both, a few moments later, Colonel Fitzwilliam took the seat beside them.

He had only barely been introduced to Miss Livesay, but after adding a few salient facts about the drama of the morning, he engaged the ladies by telling them some of the more amusing anecdotes from his time in military service.