Several moments passed before he found his voice, as words seemed to have abandoned him. Finally, his voice husky and deep, he spoke, “Elizabeth, you quite literally take my breath away. You are absolutely lovely, and I am sure to be the envy of the ton tonight.”
Elizabeth, her eyes twinkling mischievously, tilted her head and metDarcy’s gaze with her typical arched eyebrow. “Well, Mr Darcy, it seems I am indeed ‘handsome enough to tempt you’, at least in this dress. I must say, I find it refreshing to leave you speechless for a change.”
Darcy groaned. “Elizabeth,” he began as he walked up several steps to meet her as she resumed her descent. “Peace, woman,” he commanded. “I will stop your mouth,” he finished as he leaned down to kiss her passionately, leaving them both breathless and unable to speak.
“I do love nothing in the world so well as you—is that not strange?” Elizabeth quoted softly when she could breathe again.
Darcy laughed softly before quoting: “I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.?i”
She sighed against him. “Must we go tonight?” she asked teasingly. “I am far from immune to your charms, Mr Darcy, and you leave me at a loss quite often. I am glad that tonight I am the one to do it to you—even if only for a moment.”
“I was tongue-tied from the first moment I saw you, my love, as evidenced by the truly awful first impression I made. I hope you know you are the loveliest woman of my acquaintance, and gazing upon you has become a favourite occupation. I can scarcely get work done for watching you, but I confess my favourite vision of you is in my bed,” he told her as he held her tightly in his arms. They stood in each other’s embrace until a noise alerted them that it was time to go. Reluctantly, they parted, and he offered his arm to escort her down the last few stairs.
The theatre lobby buzzed with lively conversation as the Darcys entered, and Darcy exchanged pleasantries with and introduced his wife to a few friends. They were soon joined by Lord and Lady Matlock, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Anne de Bourgh, the Gardiners, and Jane. The Matlocks invited Viscount Alderwood, a friend of Lord Matlock’s who was very well respected in Parliament; his wife, a close friend of the Countess; and their son, Lord Andrew Warwick, the Viscount of Tremont, a charming and personable young man slightly older than Darcy, to round out their party, and introductions were made.
As they made their way to their boxes, Lord and Lady Matlock invited Lord and Lady Warwick and the Gardiners to join them in their box, which they happily accepted. The younger members of the party made their way into the adjacent Darcy box and selected their seats.Elizabeth and Darcy, hoping for a few moments of privacy amidst the gathering, took the seats behind their companions. Fitzwilliam, ever affable, took a seat at the end of the front row and seated Anne to his left. Jane sat beside Anne, her countenance serene, and Viscount Tremont took the remaining seat at the end of the row. Jane appreciated Viscount Tremont’s pleasant presence next to her and enjoyed speaking with him as they awaited the start of the performance.
Across the theatre, many curious eyes watched as the Darcy and Matlock parties entered their respective boxes and settled into their seats. The arrival of the parties together was a public statement of Lord and Lady Matlock’s approval despite Lady Catherine’s objections to the union. Astute onlookers recognised that any match Darcy made would have met with her disapproval, considering her own relentless pursuit to secure him for her daughter. The presence of Anne de Bourgh in the Darcy box demonstrated her support of the marriage, putting paid to rumours of a cradle betrothal arranged by Lady Catherine and Lady Anne Darcy.
Nevertheless, the surprise wedding of such a sought-after bachelor ignited a certain fascination among the spectators. They trained their eyes and opera glasses on the lady accompanying Mr Darcy, anxious to see the woman he finally married. She was not a conventional beauty by societal standards, although she exuded a captivating allure with an enchanting quality to her smile that drew the admiration of many gentlemen in the audience, and her dress was everything lovely and much admired by the women. Those ladies who could set aside their feelings of jealousy acknowledged that Mr Darcy appeared remarkably content and joyful as he sat with his wife, a departure from his usual stoic demeanour. Some gentlemen speculated that a blissful marital union must be responsible for the expression on his face—since most had rarely seen the smile that was much in evidence that night.
Soon enough, the lights began to dim, the players took their places, and their party quieted and turned their attention to the stage. Granted, for many in the ton, a performance was yet another place to gossip and be seen, but those in the Darcy and Matlock boxes were there to enjoy the play itself.
The first part of the play, Shakespeare’s As You Like It, passed quickly, and those in the Darcy box enjoyed it. Darcy and Elizabeth exchanged a few kisses just as the lights went down, but no one noticed the exchange other than Richard. At the intermission, a few friends and acquaintances approached the two boxes. Mrs Darcy chatted with Anne, Lady Matlock, and Lady Warwick, a fact noticed by many in attendance, giving further credence to her worthiness. A few jealous ladies criticised her lack of beauty, but unbiased observers readily acknowledged her beauty and her glow of happiness, and her effect on her husband was apparent for all to see.
When the play was over, the group exited and bundled into their waiting carriages for the journey to Matlock House for a late supper, where the genial atmosphere from the theatre continued. After the meal, Elizabeth noticed Viscount Tremont’s attention to Jane and observed Jane’s many blushes when that gentleman spoke to her. She pulled her husband aside to ask him for information about the gentleman.
“William, what do you know of Viscount Tremont? He seems to be paying considerable attention to Jane tonight,” Elizabeth whispered.
Darcy startled, not having paid attention to the pair. “He is a good man, very steady, and I have never heard anything negative about him. He is, perhaps, a year or two older than I; Richard would know more about him as I think they were classmates at Cambridge.”
Elizabeth nodded in reply. “Do you think he is interested in Jane?”
“We will see. He is aware of her connections, at least those in this room, although he may not know her circumstances. Warwick’s estate is well managed; considerations such as dowry may not matter to him, but I do not know him well enough to guess,” Darcy replied.
Their tête-à-tête was interrupted when Lady Matlock requested that they arrive early for a light meal with the family before the ball so they could all speak of any gossip from their trip to the theatre. Darcy reluctantly agreed, recognising that, although phrased as a request, their attendance was unavoidable. He would have preferred to stay secluded with his wife, and Elizabeth laughed at the look of resignation on his face.
“Judging from that look on your face, I begin to think you are dreading tomorrow evening, dearest,” Elizabeth teased.
“While I am proud and pleased to introduce society to my charming wife, I do dread such events,” he sighed. “Dearest, you know I am not at my best in a crowd, and we will be the centre of attention at this event. I am not fond of being on display.”
She patted his arm. “I will be beside you all night, William. Although I suppose I will have to dance with others, we will scandalise the party by dancing the first, the supper, and the last with each other.”
He smiled at her comment. “Does my aunt know your plan to dance so frequently with me?”
“I have not said a word to her,” she replied, her eyes flashing in amusement. “With those three dances taken and knowing I will likely dance with Richard and Lord Matlock, almost half the dances of the evening are already arranged. You should introduce me to a friend or two, so I might dance with them and not have to accept requests from near strangers.”
He wrapped his hand around her waist briefly and pulled her into a slight embrace. “I would dance every dance with you, Elizabeth. No other man should touch you,” he growled into her ear, causing goosebumps to appear on her neck. Just as quickly, he released her, hoping the embrace had gone unnoticed. Before long, Darcy saw Elizabeth hide a yawn and seized upon that as an excuse for them to depart. The married couples in attendance laughed at the new husband’s anxiousness to depart with his lovely young wife, and the gentlemen laughingly strove to delay their departure for several moments.
When Darcy was finally able to take his wife home, they retreated to their rooms and did not emerge until they departed for Matlock House for the meal before the ball.
Chapter Sixteen
Fitzwilliam Darcy was a man torn—his wife was so incredibly lovely that he wanted to show her off at the ball, but her assets were temptingly on display in the dress he chose for her, making him reluctant to share her with others and desiring to send her back up to their rooms to change. Elizabeth fairly glowed in an emerald green gown cut lower than anything she had ever worn that showed off her décolletage and was paired with the stunning set of emeralds and diamonds her husband presented her with earlier.
After being reminded that while other men might see, only he could touch and taste, he reluctantly boarded the carriage for the short trip to Matlock House. They were shown into a drawing room where the family was all together, and tea with more substantial food offerings than usual was served to tide them over until their midnight supper. Finally, they arrived at the purpose of the invitation, which was to discuss the gossip about Darcy’s wedding, especially following their visit to the theatre the night before.
The gossip about the new Mrs Darcy was mostly positive, and most in attendance at the theatre were pleased with what they saw. Of course, not everything had been positive, but Elizabeth had been well-received among Lady Matlock’s friends. Those she met the previous nightthought her rather pretty and well-spoken and had been pleased with the affection between the pair. A few who remembered the elder Darcys also recalled their uncommon love and were pleased to see the younger Darcy found the same.
