Mrs. Gardiner nodded. “I do understand, my dear. I think your father fears for you, which is why he has done what he has. I believe he thinks he is protecting you in some way. I do not think William would have changed his mind about marrying you no matter what happened with Lydia, but your father may have been afraid it would have impacted you and caused Mr. Darcy to leave you. I hope he acted as he did because he thought it would protect your happiness. I may be wrong in assigning these motives to him, but I want to believe that is his reasoning.”
“You may be correct, Aunt,” Elizabeth agreed but sighed. “I never considered how you would feel about me being married from Darcy House instead of from here. Would you prefer I marry here instead? When William and I spoke of it, it was half in jest, but when we thought about it, it seemed like a brilliant idea. We both love books, and the library is nearly as amazing as the one at Pemberley.”
Mrs. Gardiner laughed. “Lizzy, your marrying in a library seems just right. I am happy that you will be married from Darcy House. And your mother would have an attack of nerves if she knew the archbishop himself would be conducting your wedding ceremony.”
“It is somewhat unbelievable, is it not? I can still scarcely believe it,” Elizabeth laughed. “I never could have dreamt of marrying someone like William. He is everything I have ever wanted in a husband, but I am awed by his wealth and connections. William is a truly wonderful man, and I am excited to be marrying him, but his consequence and rank are intimidating.”
“You will rise to the occasion, Lizzy,” her aunt reassured her. “You are one of the most confident women I have ever known, especially for your age. You will do well as Mrs. Darcy of Pemberley.”
“I had little concern about being Mrs. Darcy of Pemberley while at Pemberley. I am uncertain how to be Mrs. Darcy in London,” Elizabeth admitted. “Aunt Rebecca—Lady Matlock—and I discussed what marriage entails today. She asked me how I viewed it, and I told her I hoped marriage to William would be a partnership of equals. While at Pemberley, William and I spent hours discussing the estate and talking through matters related to it. I hope to take on the role of visiting tenants as I did at Longbourn and providing as much aid as I can. It will be on a larger scale since there are many more tenants than at Longbourn, but I am comfortable in that role.
“We have discussed and debated issues related to the harvest, and he, so far, has been willing to listen and consider my opinions and act on them. If there is a reason they cannot be, he explains the reasoning, and on one or two occasions, by talking through an issue, we were able to combine ideals to come up with an even better solution. This gives me hope for our future as Master and Mistress of the estate.
“I am not sure how this partnership extends to our time in London yet. We can talk through business matters, I suppose, but I am not made for spending too much time in town. Neither is William, so perhaps our time here will be limited, but at least until Georgiana marries, we will likely spend several months in town each year. I am most uncertain about the unknown and worry about taking my place in society. As much as I look forward to marrying William, and if it were just him and I, I believe things would be ideal, but it is the uncertainty of my reception that has me most concerned.”
“You will do well, especially with the Countess of Matlock behind you. She is a force to contend with in society and will ensure youhave little to worry about. Follow her lead, my dear, and you will be fine,” Mrs. Gardiner reassured her niece.
“Oh, she wants to come with us to the modiste on Monday. Will you let her know the details when we dine there tomorrow?” Elizabeth asked.
“She asked for that information in her note today as well,” Aunt Gardiner laughed, and Elizabeth joined her.
“She is a force to be reckoned with,” Elizabeth said, still amused. “It is late, Aunt. I will go up now unless you have more to discuss.”
“Oh, before I forget, here are your letters from Jane and Mary. I gave them both the notes you had written, and I spoke to Jane briefly about what your father has said and done. However, you know Jane’s tendency to see everything in the most favourable light, and she is not certain how to deal with this conflict between your father and you. Of course, he was unwilling to speak of it to either your uncle or me and was rather unpleasant. I do not know if your letters contain any additional information, but I hope they will answer a few questions you may have.
“I am very sorry you are having to deal with this all, but you will be married in a few days, which would have changed your relationship with your father regardless. For now, dear, try to sleep and not worry too much about things that cannot be changed. Sleep well.”
Elizabeth considered all they had discussed and then turned to the two letters. Jane’s was as she expected, all positive and expressing her happiness over her engagement and upcoming wedding to Mr. Bingley. She continued to express her astonishment over Elizabeth’s engagement to Mr. Darcy but wasnot sure how to handle Mr. Bennet’s refusal to speak of the wedding or even Elizabeth.
Mary’s letter was a little more forthcoming. She also expressed astonishment over Elizabeth’s engagement but also expressed concern. Apparently, between Elizabeth’s returning from Kent and Lydia’s departure for Brighton, much had been said in Meryton about Mr. Darcy and his terrible reputation. For some reason, that gossip had not made it to Longbourn until after Lydia’s departure to Brighton, and, according to Mary, Mr. Darcy had somehow garnered considerable debts last October and November, which were only coming to light now. Likewise, at least two servant girls wereenceinteand blamed Mr. Darcy for their situations.
For some reason, all these things happened in May and June, although no one had seen Mr. Darcy in the area since the ball at Netherfield in November. While many questioned how this could have happened, the gossip continued to make the rounds, and Darcy was blamed for it all.
The next few days passed quickly enough. At the first opportunity, Elizabeth informed Mr. Darcy of these rumours, and he sent people to Meryton to find out what they could. He also told Richard of the rumours, which he correctly attributed to Wickham, although they still were determined to discover what they could to remedy the situation.
The dinners at Matlock House on Saturday and at Darcy House on Sunday were enjoyable for the whole party, and the families enjoyed getting to know each other better. On both Monday and Tuesday, William and Georgiana joined the Gardiners for dinner, although most of those two days were spent visiting the modiste and shopping for other necessary items. Between Aunt Gardiner and Aunt Rebecca, Elizabeth ordered far more dresses,bonnets, shawls, outerwear, undergarments, slippers, and boots than she could have ever imagined owning in her lifetime. The two matrons quickly became friends as they discussed the wedding ceremony and the wedding breakfast while Elizabeth was being measured and fitted, much to her displeasure.
Despite her distaste for the process, she was delighted with her wedding dress, a pale green silk with a darker-coloured trim that greatly flattered Elizabeth. On Tuesday, Georgiana brought a set of emeralds to wear with the dress. Elizabeth was shocked at the jewellery, but both her aunts were pleased and thought they were perfect with the dress. Unbeknownst to Elizabeth, several nightgowns had been commissioned as well, and money was exchanged to ensure they would be ready in time for the wedding.
Wednesday, William called briefly in the morning, but then the couple would not see each other until the following day. Elizabeth went for one last fitting of her wedding dress and several others and returned home that afternoon exhausted.
Her aunt encouraged her to go to bed early that night and then followed her up. Her room was almost empty, with all of her new dresses having already been sent to Darcy House and many of her other belongings already there. Her trunks with all her belongings from Longbourn had gone directly there and been unpacked and arranged by the maid that she had used when she stayed before.
Once in her room, her aunt presented her with a box from the dressmaker. “Elizabeth, tomorrow you will be married to one of the kindest, best men you have ever known. He is desperately in love with you, which I think you already know, but I wanted to speak to you about the physical expression of love in marriage. I know you and William have exchanged a few kisses, so I knowyou know a little of which I speak, but the best advice I can offer is to trust your husband. There is an emotional aspect to marriage. It will bind you two together even more as you experience it together.
“The first time, it may be painful for a moment, and you may bleed a little. William loves you and will want to make it an enjoyable experience for you. And there is much potential for pleasure in marital relations for both parties. Again, follow your husband’s lead and trust him. Speak to him about what pleases you.”
Elizabeth was blushing as her aunt spoke, but she nodded her agreement. Aunt Rebecca has said something similar.
When her aunt left, she thought she would have difficulty sleeping, but before she knew it, it was morning. She quickly dressed, as they were to head to Darcy House early to get ready. By eight in the morning, she had eaten a light breakfast and was on her way.
William was getting ready at Matlock House. Richard was in the way, offering ridiculous advice about the wedding night and was generally aggravating. Finally, William’s valet kicked Richard out so he could finish getting his master ready.
At Darcy House, the preparations were more easily done. While both of her aunts and Georgiana were assisting the maid, they allowed the maid to do what was needed without causing the bride too much concern.
By half past nine, almost everyone had arrived for the wedding. The kitchens were putting the final touches on the wedding breakfast, and servants had moved most of Mr. Darcy’s things into his new room. Elizabeth’s things were already there,although she was dressing in the guest room she had used before. The ladies left her alone for a few minutes to check on the decorations in the library and the dining room.
Georgiana also checked to ensure her trunk was ready to be taken to Matlock House, where she would stay for the next fortnight so William and Elizabeth could have a honeymoon. Since William did not intend to leave his rooms for the first week, he had thought it best Georgiana had some company during that time.
