Richard laughed at his cousin and followed them from the library. “Look who I found, Mother!” he exclaimed as they entered the room. Greetings were exchanged, and all four took a seat and discussed some final details related to tomorrow’s wedding ceremony. When the Gardiners arrived and Georgiana and Jane came downstairs, the conversation shifted to different topics until dinnerwas announced. Deciding to ignore protocol on the eve of his wedding, Darcy escorted his almost-bride into the dining room and seated Elizabeth beside himself, brushing a kiss on her hand as he sat and allowed the others to sit where they would.
The conversation flowed easily around the table, and no one commented on the couple’s occasional distraction or the hand-holding beneath the table. When dinner was over, Darcy chose to forgo the separation of the sexes. As most of the group went to the drawing room, he escorted Elizabeth and Mr Gardiner to his study to review the marriage settlement.
As they entered, Darcy offered drinks, and at Gardiner’s nod, he poured him a small glass of brandy.
“Mr Gardiner, Elizabeth, I would like you both to peruse the marriage settlement and ask any questions you have,” he said after a moment. It was silent in his study for several minutes as both read the documents. Darcy watched Elizabeth’s face as she read, and a look of astonishment spread over her face.
“Mr Darcy, William, you cannot possibly mean to settle so much on me,” she cried. “I have no dowry to speak of and do not need so much. Fifty thousand pounds is too much, sir.”
“You are worth more, my Elizabeth,” he said tenderly. “As Mrs Darcy, you will have different expectations placed on you, and your pin money will allow you to participate in charitable endeavours both in town and at Pemberley.”
She nodded but was clearly surprised by the amounts settled on her. After a question or two, Gardiner finished reading and signed the three copies Darcy put in front of him. Elizabeth signed, and the signatures were sanded and allowed to dry. “Elizabeth, Gardiner is already aware of this, but you should know that in addition to Pemberley, which brings in ten thousand pounds per year, I own two smaller estates, bringing in an additional five thousand pounds yearly. With investments and other sources of income, my annual income is a little over twenty thousand pounds. So, you see, I can easily afford the amount I have settled on you, and I will likely add to it throughout our marriage.”
“I am not marrying you for your wealth or status, William,” she said forcefully.
He smiled at her gently. “I am well aware of that, my love. I would have done this for my wife, whoever she was, but I am more than pleased to do this for you. You are my other half, my dear, and when we wed, all I have will become yours. You will notice that if something happens to me before we have a son old enough to care for Pemberley, I leave everything to you to hold for our child or children. I fully intend you to be my equal in everything and will share with you the responsibility of caring for our estates and investments with all those entail.”
She looked at him with tears in her eyes, which concerned him until she flashed a brilliant smile. “Thank you, William,” she said softly, losing herself in his eyes. Mr Gardiner, recognising the couple needed a moment, stepped into the hallway, leaving the door slightly ajar.
In the study, Darcy took Elizabeth’s hand and knelt before her so they were eye to eye. “Sweetheart, we have not spoken much about the letter you sent me, but your intelligence is one of the many things I love about you. At Netherfield, I was drawn to you, and the more I listened to you, the more impressed I was. Nearly everyone spoke well of you, and I realise now that they were taking me to task over my slighting you at that first assembly. While riding in the mornings, I often saw you visiting tenants, including a few from Netherfield. If I am not mistaken, you nearly ran Longbourn as the steward told me of decisions you made the few times I spoke to him. I was very impressed by your ability to manage Longbourn, which is another thing I love about you.
“I have always wanted a wife who could be my partner in all things and not just a hostess or a … a trophy on my arm. Marriage is a partnership; I will help you carry your burdens, and you will do the same for me. We may have different roles in our marriage, but I want you to be a part of all I do.”
She leaned over to kiss his lips lightly. “Thank you, William, for your faith in me. I, too, have imagined marriage as a partnership where our mutual purpose was to work together to improve the lives of those who rely on us. I would not be happy in a marriage where I was merely a trophy or a hostess. I want to walk beside you, share your burdens, and help you. I told you about my parent’s marriage and how I never wanted that for myself. I am still slightly anxious–I have heard Pemberley is rather grand–but with you beside me, I have faith our marriage will be ahappy partnership, and we will strive to better the estate for our children and grandchildren.”
His large hand caressed her face. “We will make mistakes, Elizabeth. We are both strong-willed, and I do not doubt we will occasionally argue, but we must never allow that to come between us. I remember my parents arguing rarely, but they never let it separate them. Father told me before he died that he and Mother agreed to resolve any issues as soon as possible and, most importantly, never go to sleep angry.” He laughed briefly. “In fact, he said that on two or three occasions early in their marriage, he told me they were up until the early morning hours because it took them that long to resolve an argument as neither was willing to concede to the other. Eventually, they would realise their argument was silly, and they made up, falling asleep in each other’s arms.” William coloured as he remembered the method by which his father said they made up.
Elizabeth noted his high colour. “What makes you blush so, William?”
His face burned. “My dear Elizabeth, I can only tell you he said they made up in a method common to husbands and wives. In the future, when we argue, I hope to employ the same method, but for now, my inquisitive bride, we should leave that subject for both our sakes.”
It occurred to Elizabeth his probable meaning, and she coloured as well, looking down briefly.
Suddenly realising they were alone, William pulled Elizabeth into his lap and kissed her deeply. After a moment, he gentled the kiss before stopping and pulling away slightly, pressing his foreheads to hers. “Tomorrow, Elizabeth,” he whispered. “Tomorrow, we will be able to kiss like that and not stop.” He suddenly laughed, remembering his conversation with Richard earlier in the day.
“What is so funny, William?” she enquired.
“I was remembering the conversation Richard and I had about Lady Catherine’s role in my current felicity. She loves being useful, although I doubt she would be pleased if she knew she was useful in allowing us to marry so quickly. I am beyond pleased to be able to marry you on the morrow, as I am not certain I would have survived a month or longer of waiting,” William confessed. He sat up straighter and looked at Elizabeth. “I meant to ask you earlier–are you comfortable with the speed of our marriage? I do not understand the circumstances that require it, and while it means you are my wife much sooner than I could have anticipated a week or so ago, I must know, my dear, are you regretting the speed of our union?”
She lightly kissed his forehead before smiling softly at him. “Not in the least, William. I would have liked my father to give me away, but he seems content to give that responsibility to someone else, so I will not be sorry. Jane and the Gardiners will be with me, but the person I most need at the wedding is you, my love. Mama would have wanted a big affair and two or three months to plan it all. I always wanted a small ceremony without the pomp Mama would have felt was necessary, and I admit I am glad to escape the spectacle I am sure our wedding would have been.”
They shared one more quick kiss before he helped her stand. “Love, you should return to the drawing room now, and I will follow after I put these papers away.” He needed a few moments away from her before he would be fit to return to company. He doubted she was aware of his body’s reaction to her words and kisses, but she would be well acquainted with it after tomorrow.Stop it!He silently scolded himself. Thoughts like that will not help me calm myself.
After she left the room, he took several calming breaths as he brought himself back under regulation. Gardiner was waiting for him in the hall. “I did not hear all that was said, but as a happily married man of more than a decade, I wanted to reiterate your father’s advice to never go to bed angry. Lizzy has a passionate nature and sometimes reacts before thinking things through thoroughly. You have been the master of your estate for several years, and you will have to learn to give way to your wife, just as she will need to learn to give way to you. There will be a period of adjustment where you will learn more about each other, and you will both need to take care not to allow little hurts to fester and communicate with each other frequently about all manner of things.
“I would add to your father’s advice to not allow your feelings to control you. Once something is said, it is impossible for it to be unsaid. Lizzy tends to speak first and think later, requiring her to apologise later. I have a feeling you may have the same tendency, so you both must beconscious of that and avoid speaking to the other in anger. If you allow those things to build up, it will create serious problems later.”
William pondered this. “You are wise, sir,” he acknowledged. “I will speak to Elizabeth tomorrow about your advice.”
Gardiner laughed. “My wife intends to impart the same advice to her tonight. I cannot replace your father, Darcy, as I am only a little more than a decade older than you, but my wife and I have a good relationship. It has taken a lot of work and a lot of understanding, so I hope to spare you and Lizzy some of the problems that Madeline and I have faced. But perhaps not, because our Lizzy prefers to learn from personal experience, and she is one of the most stubborn individuals I have ever known. She is often quick to judge, is capable of carrying a grudge, and does not like to be directed. You can imagine how well she likes to be told what to do; she wants to have a say and be heard. Learn to talk to your wife, Darcy; explain things to her; you are not marrying a simpering miss who will look to you for your superior wisdom in all things.”
It was Darcy’s turn to laugh. “I have noticed those aspects of her character and confess that her intelligence and wit are among the things that drew my attention to her, and we have already battled over my tendency to direct rather than request or suggest. I thank you for sharing the advice, Gardiner, and I will do my best to remember it. But do know, I love Elizabeth and intend to make her as happy as I can for the rest of my life. I do not doubt we will sometimes argue, but I hope we will always be able to work out our differences.”
“I can see that, son,” Gardiner said seriously. “I do not think there is a better man for Elizabeth than you, and I am thankful you have both realised it with a minimal amount of trouble.”
“I am just grateful she was able to forgive me for my behaviour when we first met,” Darcy said. “I did think for some time that I ruined my chances with her.”
“You seem to be doing well enough now, Darcy, since she is to marry you tomorrow,” Gardiner said, chuckling again. “Now, we should join the ladies for a few more minutes before my family needs to leave, as we have to prepare for a wedding in the morning.”
