Page 73 of The Next Mrs Bennet
I t took a few hours but eventually all the guests and family departed leaving Elizabeth and William alone at Castlemere—save only the necessary staff and servants.
The wedding breakfast had been celebrated in the great hall of the castle, something which had been both fascinating and enjoyable for all of the guests. The younger men and women who were present had especially enjoyed exploring the castle, most of all, the one remaining intact, and safe to enter, tower.
Those who were returning to Meryton would be hosted at Pemberley until their departure on Monday morning, the first day of June. The Lucases needed to return to plan Charlotte’s upcoming wedding.
Jane and Andrew were on their way to the Lakes where they would spend their honeymoon at Lakeside House; a house owned by the Fitzwilliams which overlooked Lakes Windermere and Coniston on its eastern side, with views of some of the smaller waters and lakes to the west.
Anne de Bourgh and Richard would remain at Pemberley for some days before departing for Kent. The Portnoys and Barringtons would soon depart for Hertfordshire where they would remain until Charlotte and Lawrence’s wedding.
Elizabeth and William would have a fortnight of wedded bliss before having to venture out into the world again. Their plan was to travel with the Darcys and their sisters into Hertfordshire departing on the third Monday in June.
“Elizabeth, would you like to wait until after dinner, or would you like to retire to the master suite now?” William asked his wife after the final guests had departed her estate.
“Now William, now,” Elizabeth insisted. “I am not of a mind to wait for us to become true husband and wife.”
He extended his hand, which his wife took and the two made their way upstairs, no more conversation was required. When they reached the door to the bedchamber Elizabeth had used, which would now be theirs as they had decided to share a bed and do away with separate bedchambers, William took both of his wife’s hands and leaned over and kissed her languidly.
“How much time do you need?” he asked his breathless love.
“No more than half an hour,” Elizabeth, her legs feeling rather wobbly, managed.
It was not often he discomposed her, but William was happy to have been able to do so now. “I will see you soon my love.”
William made for the smaller bedchamber in the suite which was being used as his dressing and bathing room, although he was not averse, if Elizabeth desired the same, to sharing a bathtub from time to time. He found his valet, Carstens, waiting for him.
Her maid had to school her features when she saw the dreamy look on Her Grace’s face when she entered the bedchamber. She assisted her mistress to change into a thin, practically translucent, night gown. Jennings helped the Duchess into the matching robe.
With her mistress seated in front of her dresser, the maid removed all of the pins from the coiffure and then began to brush the long, raven coloured, silky tresses out.
There was a slight pause, but before Elizabeth could ask Loretta if all was well, the relaxing brush strokes resumed. She soon opened her eyes and looked into the dresser’s mirror and rather than Loretta, it was her beloved husband running the brush through her tresses.
“I hope you are not angry that I dismissed your maid. She will return when you ring for her,” William stated. “You have no idea how long I have dreamed of being able to see you with your hair down, and even more, being able to touch your locks.”
“How could I be angry with you, Husband. However, I must concede as a lady’s maid, you may be lacking just a little.”
“Minx!” William growled. “Before we proceed, did you enquire about us joining when you are with child?”
“I did, and there is no danger to the babe,” Elizabeth responded breathlessly.
William ran the brush through her hair one more time and then slowly replaced it on the dresser.
Elizabeth stood and looked at her handsome husband. He was wearing a lawn shirt, not tucked into his breeches, which was open down to the fourth button revealing the downy looking dark hair on his chest. Her heart sped up as she saw the strong chest muscles below the shirt.
Her eyes travelled down his form and she was delighted to see he was sans stockings and boots. She stepped towards William and began to unbutton his shirt. There were two more buttons to open and then he pulled it over his head and allowed it to drop onto the floor.
Elizabeth’s breath hitched as she was able to see his muscular chest, washboard stomach, and broad shoulders. There was a trail of dark hair which tapered and disappeared into his breeches. There was no missing the distinct bulge in said breeches.
William gently slipped the robe off her shoulders and allowed it to fall to the ground and pool around her feet. Now it was his turn to have his breath taken away when he saw his wife’s body revealed through her transparent night gown. Her pert breasts were on the large size, her nipples were hard and pushing against the thin layer of fabric.
Seeing her like this made his member throb with anticipation. His eyes travelled down to the dark triangle between her legs.
She stepped forward again and released the buttons keeping his breeches up. They fell to the floor as the rest of him was revealed to her. His arousal was large and looked very hard. His legs were as muscular as one would expect of one who rode his horse as much as he did.
He bent down a little, took hold of the hem of the nightgown and slowly lifted it up and over Elizabeth’s head. Once it was clear, he tossed it aside.
They moved toward one another as if they had silently agreed to do so. William placed his hands on her cheeks as his head dipped and he captured her lips with his own. Elizabeth let out a moan of pleasure into his mouth as they kissed, their bodies rubbing against each other’s.
William swept Elizabeth into his arms as if she were weightless and gently lowered her onto the enormous bed. He climbed onto the bed and their lips hungrily sought each other’s.
As Elizabeth watched him intently, William kissed her neck, behind her ears, and then made his way down until his lips found one of her breasts.
The frisson of pleasure which shot through her body was like nothing she had ever felt before, causing her to arch her back. Then when his hand found her most private of places, her pleasure only increased.
“Make me your wife, William,” Elizabeth managed in a husky, passion filled voice.
Being the gentleman he was, William could not refuse his wife anything she asked for. It was the first of seven couplings they would enjoy before the sun rose the next day.
They did not sleep much, but waking with William holding her in his arms was almost as thrilling as the marital relations they had enjoyed. The babe began to move more than it had until now.
William said a prayer of thanks for the information—regardless of how embarrassing it had been—his father had imparted the previous night, coupled with the various books he had read on the subject. Without it, he would have acted like the innocent he had been before their first coupling.
When her stomach growled embarrassingly, Elizabeth remembered they had not had dinner. As soon as they were both covered, the bell was pulled and in due course a mountain of food was awaiting them on the sideboard in the sitting room next door.
They spent most of the time while they ate lost in one another’s eyes, although they did glance at the view across the lake towards their boulder once or twice.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Fanny Bennet had taken to reading the London papers as her way of feeling connected to the world from which that unfeeling, ungrateful, wilful girl had banished her. The papers were about a sennight old when they arrived in Lerwick.
She opened the one dated the first day of June.
Duchess of Hertfordshire re-marries
Her Grace Lady Elizabeth Rose Gardiner, with the blessing of their Majesties the King and Queen, married William Alexander Darcy of Pemberley in Hertfordshire on the 30th day of May 1807.
From the time of the wedding forward, the Duchess will be Lady Elizabeth Darcy and the child she carries will bear the last name of Darcy as well.
At the same ceremony, Her Grace’s older sister, Miss Jane Esmeralda Bennet of London married Lord Andrew Reginald Harrison Fitzwilliam, Viscount Hilldale.
The new Viscountess Hilldale was very close to as beautiful on the day of her wedding as her younger sister was.
Fanny threw the paper down in disgust. How dare they say that Miss Lizzy was prettier than Jane. Jane resembled herself and there was no way Miss Lizzy was better looking than Fanny Bennet.
How disgusting that Miss Lizzy married during the mourning period for her late husband. It did not surprise Fanny that the hoyden would do something so very improper. She of course ignored the part about Their Majesties’ approval.
What was this Gardiner nonsense? The late Duke had been a Chamberlain. Fanny had missed the royal decrees regarding the names and the one before that about no mourning. Nor had she seen the announcements about the engagements.
Jane was a viscountess now. She would write to Jane and of course Jane would rescue her from this purgatory and invite Fanny to live with her. If that occurred, as Fanny was sure it would, then she would not need the additional funds Miss Lizzy had added to her dowry.
Fanny wrote many letters, addressed to Jane via the Gardiners, Philipses, and to the estate she assumed was the Viscount’s, Hilldale, although she knew not what county it was in.
Towards the end of June Fanny read a column which did not please her at all.
Wedding of Miss Charlotte Lucas to Mr. Lawrence Portnoy
Miss Charlotte Lucas of Lucas Lodge in Hertfordshire was joined in marriage to Mr. Lawrence Portnoy, heir to Portnoy Run in Nottinghamshire, on the 20th day of June, 1807.
The wedding was attended by Her Grace the Duchess of Hertfordshire, Marchioness of Hertford Heights and her husband. The recently married couple could not have looked happier.
Mr. Portnoy’s mother is sister to Mr. Robert Darcy, master of Pemberley in Derbyshire which makes the new Mrs. Charlotte Portnoy cousin to Her Grace.
Her rival Sarah Lucas had not only married off her plain daughter, but she was connected to all sorts of wealthy people including Miss Lizzy who was still a duchess.
Fanny tore the paper to shreds and consigned it to the fire.
In October of that year, the cruellest blow of all was struck. It was delivered by something Fanny read in the latest paper she saw.
New Duke of Hertfordshire Born
On the 16th day of October, 1807 Lord William Robert Alexander Darcy, the Duke of Hertfordshire, Marquess of Hertford Heights was born.
Her Grace, Lady Elizabeth Darcy and the new duke are both well.
Her Majesty the Queen…
Fanny threw the paper into the fire without reading more. How could this be. She had never born a son, and Miss Lizzy did with her first child.
It was the day Fanny gave up reading the newspapers. There was too much bad news delivered in them. Here she was in this godforsaken place, October not even over yet, and it was colder than the height of winter in Meryton!
Jane had not replied to one of her many letters. Fanny was sure it was Miss Lizzy who made sure her sister ignored her mother. If she ever got off this island which was a living hell, she would exact her revenge on that wilful, disobliging girl!
She still blamed everyone else for her situation, rather than the person who was actually responsible—herself.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
William was in one of the chairs in their private sitting room overlooking the lake watching his wife providing sustenance to their son.
He had not said a word of opposition when Elizabeth had insisted she would feed Will during the day. At least they had reached a compromise and had a wetnurse for the nights so Elizabeth was able to sleep without being disturbed.
The proud Grandmama and Grandpapa had been to visit earlier. They could not have loved the babe, named after his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, more if he had been of Darcy blood.
Once Will was fed and sated, William took him while Elizabeth closed the front of her dress. He placed a napkin over his shoulder and rested his son there, gently patting his back until he emitted a healthy belch.
Will’s eyes were soon closed and the bell was pulled to summon the nursemaid.
“William, if you are not too tired, what say you to us walking on the shore of the lake for a while?” Elizabeth invited.
“You know I love to walk there with you, even if the weather is getting colder,” William responded.
Soon enough, they were crossing the bridges at the southern end of the lake and headed for their boulder. As Her Grace was walking with her husband, only Biggs was following them at a respectful distance.
When they reached their boulder, William placed a blanket he had brought with them. As the temperatures cooled it was becoming too cold to sit on the rock without one. With the blanket in place, they sat side by side, their hands linked.
“That day we met for the first time in April of this year, even though I insulted you, you kept your equanimity,” William stated as Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder.
“Neither of us were on their best behaviour that day,” she owned.
“True, but my beloved Elizabeth, you showed your grace that day, as you have many times since then, and it had nothing to do with your rank,” William asserted.
“I have always tried to be more than my rank, a level of society I never wanted, and would have gladly given up had I borne a daughter,” Elizabeth mused. “We will make sure that Will understands his responsibilities to those who are dependent on him, and educate him so he shows grace to all and understands it is more than a way to address him.”
“Like his mother always has, and always will; her grace is unlimited.”
Elizabeth turned her head and kissed her husband silencing him. Some fifteen to twenty yards away, Biggs turned around and found the birds on the wing very interesting.