It lasted far longer than either of them had planned, and they only parted when a stern, male voice said, “Elizabeth.”
Disentangling herself from Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth turned to see her father, his face stern. It was very unlike the relaxed humor that was usually found there.
Elizabeth opened her mouth to explain, but Mr. Darcy forestalled her. “Mr. Bennet, I would like to ask your permission to marry Elizabeth.”
“Because you have compromised her?” asked Papa.
“Quite the opposite,” said Mr. Darcy. “I kissed her only after she agreed to marry me.”
Papa’s firm gaze moved from Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth. “Is this true?” he asked her.
“Yes it is,” she said.
Papa sighed deeply. “I was hoping that you would be coming home after Mary’s wedding to relieve the inevitable silliness that will swamp the house once Jane is married, but if you are to be married as well, I shall have to find another way to stem the tide.” He looked genuinely sad when he said, “You have my permission, of course. I cannot deny something that clearly makes my Lizzy so happy.”
Elizabeth barely heard her father give his permission. Her mind was stuck on something else he said. “Jane is getting married?” she asked.
Papa nodded. “Bingley asked me less than an hour ago. He at least had the foresight to ask me for some time alone with her.” He eyed Mr. Darcy with disfavor.
Mr. Darcy, however, ignored the implied criticism. “Would it be possible to announce the engagement at supper?”
Papa waved the request away as if it was of little consequence. “Of course, of course. I will be announcing Jane’s engagement as well.”
By the time the three of them returned to the ballroom, the supper dance was half over. Instead of joining them, Mr. Darcy asked Elizabeth for her last set which she gladly gave him. They spent the remaining time before supper talking about the past, the present, and the future.
After the announcement of their engagement was made at supper, along with that of Jane and Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy did not have a moment alone due to the plethora of congratulations that came their way, not to mention the many queries they received as to how their romance had progressed.
The final dance of the evening was a delightful reprieve for them both. Once again, they could each give their partner their undivided attention. Once again, they could feel the delightful tension between them they had felt during the first dance, that tried to pull them together.
As Elizabeth and Mary departed from the ball, Mr. Darcy gently kissed Elizabeth’s hand and promised to call on her as soon as possible.
Chapter 19
The day of Mary’s second wedding dawned bright and clear but cold. She could feel how very cold her room was before even getting out of bed, so she stayed snuggled under her blankets for much longer than usual, waiting for the recently lit fire to warm the room.
As she lay there, her mind pondered her confused and mixed feelings.
There was no doubt in her mind that she loved Gregory very much, that he loved her, and they made a good match. Each of them had unique knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses which seemed to complement the other’s. In the last two months, they had both learned to lean on each other, and in doing so they had become much stronger together.
There was also no doubt that Mr. Allen approved of Mary’s choice as he looked down on her from heaven. He had told her with his own mouth to marry again after he was gone. He had told her to seek out a man she could love and who she deemed worthy. Gregory was clearly such a man.
Yet, even with such assurances, Mary felt odd. Memories of her first wedding intruded in her musings. She remembered her insecurity and the unstable feeling of not knowing what the future held for her. She remembered making her vows to her husband before God, fully intending to do everything in herpower to uphold them. She also remembered that she had failed to fulfill the vow she had made to love Mr. Allen.
This wedding day was so very different, yet in many ways it was the same. The vows would be the same, and her intention to fulfill them would be the same. This time, however, she was much more certain. She knew she would be able to honor all her vows. She knew with confidence that came from experience that she would make a good wife. She was even fairly certain that, should God bless them with children, she would be a good mother.
The guilt Mary felt over failing her first husband would likely never fade. He had married her specifically to produce an heir, and she had failed, just like she had failed to love him the way he deserved. The dismay that surfaced whenever she contemplated her failure made itself quite apparent for a few brief minutes.
It was finally broken up when Mary remembered Gregory’s assurance that whatever life threw at them, they would handle it together. This was so different from the way Mr. Allen treated her. He had always been the one with power, the one to make the decisions, and the one who dealt with problems. For sixteen-year-old Mary, barely out of the schoolroom, he had been good for her. For eighteen-year-old Mary, the woman who had managed all her property on her own for over a year, such control would likely have chafed.
Gregory did not even attempt such a thing. Every aspect of their future lives had been discussed together. When they disagreed, they discussed the situation until they could come to some sort of agreement. Fortunately, since they shared the same set of guiding principles and priorities none of the disagreements had been of particular importance.
Mr. Allen had been a good husband, Mary thought to herself, but Gregory would be a great husband and a very good man.
With happiness glowing in her heart at the thought of her future with the man she truly adored, Mary finally climbed out of bed.
A couple of hours later, Mary was standing in her best dress looking at Gregory and vowing to love, honor, and obey him as long as they both lived. When he repeated his vows to her, a thrill went through her.
Once their vows were made and the vicar had pronounced them husband and wife, Mary felt complete in a way she had never felt before. With Gregory beside her and God supporting her, there was no righteous deed that was impossible.
