“Are you excited, then? I remember nearly tripping over myself with happiness in the days before my wedding. Marriage always seemed like an obligation or a duty, but once Mr. Darcy and I were engaged,” she said, peering down at him through the mezzanine railing, “I came to appreciate its charms.”
They began comparing notes on their matches, giggling like Kitty and Julia the more they talked.
As the sky began its telltale lightening in the minutes before dawn, Aurelia and Lizzy joined the others downstairs, where Aurelia let them know that she’d likely miss the chance to visit with them for a few days. Rochester waved her off dismissively, saying they’d be just fine on their own, while Lizzy gave her a secretive smile that threatened to set the two women laughing once more.
59
Earlythefollowingevening,Aurelia, Oliver, and their assorted friends—along with Jack, Antonia, and Max—gathered at their meeting spot in Hampstead Heath for their hen and stag parties. David was practically bouncing in his eagerness to direct the groups to their separate ponds, and to make sure everyone knew where and when they’d be meeting for the post-swim picnic. What had started as a casual suggestion on her part was now a full-blown event by David’s standards. He was lugging a huge basket, with James toting not one but two bulging bags of food and drink from his shoulders.
“Didn’t trust us to follow directions and bring everything you demanded, David?” Antonia teased him, toting a bag of her own.
“You, I trust—it’s your sister I had my doubts about,” he said, casting a teasing scowl at Aurelia.
“I wouldn’t dare disobey a direct command,” she said, holding her hands up in surrender, setting the bag of wine bottles she had on her own shoulder jangling against one another.
“I know how to keep the troops in line,” Antonia promised him.
“She’s very good at that,” Max joined in with a laugh.
The children were at the rented flat with their grandfather that night, giving Antonia and Max a chance to enjoy themselves without refereeing the never-ending sibling squabbles.
Everyone pulled into a tighter formation as they arrived at the men’s pond, where the ladies in the group waved the men off before heading for their own pond. There was, of course, a mixed bathing pond, but David had demanded they separate for their swims to at least maintain a semblance of separate hen and stag dos, even though they’d be back together for their picnic afterward.
Aurelia and her crowd of women set their bags down on the grass near the edge of the pond and peeled off assorted sundresses, shorts, and t-shirts to reveal the suits they’d worn underneath. Antonia, meanwhile, popped open a bottle of champagne and handed out paper cups for a toast before they all dove or waded in for their swim.
Leading everyone from the ladies’ pond after swimming and rinsing off, Aurelia spotted Oliver sprawled out on a blanket with the others. His hair was still damp and tousled from where he’d clearly run a towel over it, and she greeted him by mussing it further before dropping next to him on the blanket and tidying it up for him. David began bossily directing the opening of wine bottles and passing of food, and Aurelia took the opportunity to kiss her fiancé.
“How was your swim?” she asked. “Very manly?”
“Yes, very,” he said mock-seriously. “No splashing or anything of that sort. Strictly laps for us men. How about you?”
“Oh, we wore bathing caps and did water aerobics. Terribly ladylike.”
They kissed again only to stop as a chorus of cheers and whoops sounded, making both of them blush.
“How long is that likely to go on?” he asked her in an undertone.
“At least through the reception,” David declared happily, handing them cups of wine.
Aurelia took one, then put her arm around Oliver and leaned into him as she looked around at everyone. Antonia was sitting with Jack and talking animatedly with him about something that involved him making large hand gestures. Aurelia could just make out that he was explaining the new set he was designing. She turned and spotted Kali and James standing, cups of wine in hand, talking about his plans for David’s next book on historic recipes, with Kali suggesting period-appropriate artwork for the cover. Louisa and her partner were there, along with a smattering of Aurelia’s and Oliver’s friends from university. She felt silly, but seeing them all there, together—for her and Oliver—made her a bit misty-eyed.
“You okay?” Oliver asked, seeming to sense her silence was speaking volumes.
“I am,” she said with a firm nod of her head. “Very good, in fact. You?”
“Very, very good,” he said, kissing her again.
Cheering erupted, and Aurelia grabbed a slice of baguette from a pile nearby and tossed it at them, laughing as Jack caught it and took a bite.
An hour later and they were all full, tipsy, and happy. David had made good on his promise to bring edible food, which everyone ohh’d and ahh’d over as they sampled the different dishes he’d made. As people poked at the last bites, halfhearted now that their hunger had been curbed, David stood.
“I have a little something to say,” he said, clearing his throat.
Aurelia cocked an eyebrow. She hadn’t been expecting toasts.
“Let’s hear it, then,” Oliver said.
“It was some work to get these two together, but I managed it.” David held for applause and gave a little bow. “And it was some work to get these two to agree to a pre-wedding night out, but I managed that, too. While the swim and picnic have been lovely, I think we can kick this up another level.”
