Page 43 of Why I Kissed You (Pride and Prejudice Variation)
“Indeed, let us not spoil the whole of the day’s joy,” echoed his aunt.
“I’ll go and fetch the bride and her family,” said Fitzwilliam with a grin, before he hurried out of the drawing room.
Just a few minutes passed before the Bennets and the Gardiners, along with Georgiana, came pouring into the drawing room.
Elizabeth once again walked in on the arm of her father, and as his family and hers took their places again, Darcy took a moment to appreciate how extraordinarily lovely she looked.
A crown of daisies and lilacs was atop her head, beneath which was a swath of shimmery, sheer material.
Her gown was white satin with seed pearls adorning the bodice; they were also around the hem in a fleur-de-lis pattern.
When they stood together again before Bishop Keller, he took up the Book of Common Prayer and—much to Darcy’s surprise—began the ceremony exactly where he’d left off.
Happy was his heart when he and his beautiful bride exchanged their vows, and deep was his relief when at last he was able to slip the diamond and opal ring that had belonged to his mother on Elizabeth’s finger.
When the ceremony was done, and congratulations were exchanged between the families, Mrs. Bennet turned to Bingley and said, “If only you had a license as well, Mr. Bingley—then you and dear Jane could also be married today!”
Bingley and Jane Bennet both colored, but they smiled. “I thank you, ma’am, but I daresay I shall not have so many noble guests at my wedding,” said Bingley.
“And I have not even had a chance to think of wedding clothes, Mamma,” added Miss Bennet.
“Oh, yes—you must have wedding clothes, my dear!” cried her mother. “But we shall talk of that over dinner, you and me. Now that all that unfavorable business is done, Mr. Darcy, shall we be dining soon?”
Darcy smiled indulgently. “I will see to it at once, ma’am,” said he, and after kissing the back of his wife’s hand, he went to the bellpull to ring for a servant.
Tolliver answered within moments and informed him that dinner was only waiting for those who would eat it.
After saying goodbye to Mr. Knightley and Bishop Keller, who were obliged to return to their own families, Darcy and Elizabeth lead theirs into the dining room.
It was a splendid meal, which lasted no less than four courses. And while he would not have begrudged her time to celebrate and visit with her family, toward the end of the hours over which much food and conversation was had, Darcy found he simply could not wait to be alone with Elizabeth.
When at last his uncle—or perhaps his aunt—took notice of his agitation, the earl stood and announced that it was, perhaps, time that they left the newlywed couple to themselves.
The example of the earl, who was immediately followed by his lady, was enough to motivate Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and the Gardiners into doing the same.
Soon they were all of them gathered in the entry hall saying their goodbyes while carriages were awaited.
After an interminable amount of time had passed and the door had been shut behind the last family member, Darcy and Elizabeth were alone, save for the servants.
Georgiana and Fitzwilliam had gone off with the Disleys to stay in Bolton Street the rest of the week and Bingley had taken a room at a hotel.
The knocker would be removed from the door by Tolliver, alerting callers that Darcy House was not receiving visitors.
The next five days were for him and Elizabeth alone.
They drifted somewhat aimlessly back into the drawing room together, where Elizabeth walked over to the pianoforte and began to idly pluck out a tune.
“That sounds familiar,” said Darcy as he joined her there.
“It should,” she replied. “I played it at Rosings not a week ago.”
Darcy chuckled as he moved to sit beside her on the bench.
He listened to her play in silence for a moment before saying, “It may interest you to know that, when your father and I reviewed our marriage articles as Wickham and Anne’s were being discussed by my uncle and the attorney, he made no objection at all to the stipulations regarding the provisions for your sisters. ”
Elizabeth chuckled softly. “You mean how they must earn the money you intend to give them,” she said. “To be honest, I am a little surprised to hear it.”
“I will give it to them anyway, Elizabeth,” Darcy assured her. “I just… I only wish to ensure that they… make an effort to improve themselves—as much for their sake as ours. That is all.”
“You need not explain yourself, Mr. Darcy, I am not offended,” said she.
“I am only surprised that my father was not. Then again, perhaps the spectacle your cousin made of herself, trying to pass off hers and Wickham’s sin as being your fault, made him realize what could become of his youngest daughters if they were not soon corrected. ”
“Elizabeth…”
He waited until she paused and looked up at him. “Will you not address me by my Christian name? For I am very happy to now be able to dispense with applying ‘Miss’ before yours.”
Her cheeks colored and she turned her attention back to the instrument, playing a few notes before saying, “I am working up to it. It… it just feels so strange to me, knowing that I am now a married woman. When next I am introduced to someone, it shall be as ‘Mrs. Darcy.’”
“Is that such a bad thing?”
“No,” she replied, then looked up at him with a tentative smile. “I think I am beginning to see what a very good thing it is… Fitzwilliam.”
Darcy reached up to hold her head as he had done in the library and kissed her just as softly. Elizabeth’s sigh of pleasure sent a fire racing through his blood, and he deepened the kiss. Only when his lungs began to cry for air did he lift his head.
Elizabeth’s breaths were as shallow as his, her lips were now reddened and plumped from the kiss. Her gaze searched his, but he could not be certain of the question that was in their depths. Did she wonder if he now wished to consummate the marriage?
He realized he very much did, but he had no wish to frighten her with how suddenly he felt the urge to make her his in all ways. She was still coming to understand him, to develop affection for him, and he would not ruin it by forcing her to receive him before she was ready.
“I… I am beginning to feel rather tired,” Elizabeth said then, looking away from him. “Were my things brought over this evening while we were at dinner, as we arranged?”
Darcy nodded. “They were, and your maid is here as well.”
“Shall we retire, then?”
Again, he nodded his head, then stood from the bench and held out his hand.
Elizabeth placed her hand in his and rose, and after tucking her delicate fingers into the crook of his arm, Darcy escorted his bride up to her new bedchamber.
After opening the door, he gestured for her to precede him into it, and watched her as she glanced around at the furnishings which had been chosen years before his birth by his mother.
“If there is anything in this room or the dressing room not to your liking, you have only to let me know, and we can make a plan for alteration,” he told her quietly.
“And my dressing room is through that door?” Elizabeth asked, pointing to the door on the wall to the right of the four-poster bed.
“Yes. Through your dressing room you can enter mine, and from there to my room,” Darcy told her.
Elizabeth nodded and moved toward the vanity table, on which her maid had already laid out her brushes and combs. She picked up a comb, examined it, and put it down again.
“I want you to know that I will not force you into my bed, nor force my way into yours, if you are not ready,” Darcy said then.
“I know you are nervous about the bedding—believe it or not, I am as well—but I promise you that when the time comes, I will be as gentle as I can, that the discomfort of that first moment is easier to bear.”
She looked over her shoulder at him, but her gaze did not meet his eyes. “Thank you, Fitzwilliam,” she said softly.
Certain that she now wished for some time alone, he bowed his head and quit the room, and went into his own bedchamber.
Vincent almost immediately emerged from the dressing room to help him undress and ready for bed.
He did not doubt that his valet was insatiably curious about the wild goings-on of the late afternoon, but he was in no mood whatsoever to discuss that subject.
More than an hour later, Darcy was in bed with one arm thrown over his head, staring at the canopy hanging over him, when suddenly he heard the door to the dressing room open.
Glancing toward it, he saw Elizabeth nervously poking her head around the door, a candle in her hand.
He sat up slowly as she stepped further into the room, the light of her candle and the one on his bedside table showing him that her hair was down, and she wore a simple nightshift and dressing gown.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” she said softly.
“Not at all,” he replied, and held out his hand.
She came to him with a smile on her face.