An Invisible Thread Page 6

  Elizabeth was standing by herself gazing down the street as she remembered her countless visits to the various shops of Meryton. She knew all the shopkeepers and their families as they all knew the Bennet family. She was beginning to feel quite nostalgic about leaving Hertfordshire when she heard someone address her.

  “Good morning, Miss Elizabeth. I hope you are enjoying our fair weather.”

  “Yes, Mr. Wickham, I am enjoying this lovely day.” Elizabeth said coldly. She said nothing that would indicate she welcomed any further conversation and hoped Wickham would understand she had no desire to speak to him.

  “I do not believe I have seen you since your betrothal. Please allow me to convey my very best wishes to you and Darcy. He is a very lucky man, indeed.”

  “Mr. Wickham, I thank you for your kind words. I believe we have nothing further to say to each other.” Elizabeth started to walk away.

  Wickham began to follow her. “On the contrary, Miss Elizabeth, there is a great deal more to say. I have always thought we were the best of friends and, at one time, had hoped we could be more than friends. I suppose I have Darcy to thank for spreading such disgusting lies about me. You had better be careful you never do anything to displease his majesty, Fitzwilliam Darcy, or you will be made to regret it. I suppose he has told you all about his mistress and their child.”

  Before Wickham could say anything else, Elizabeth again started to walk away from him. “Good day, Mr. Wickham.” Wickham touched Elizabeth’s arm as a means to delay her departure. “Remove your hand at once, sir!” She quietly growled.

  “As you wish, my lady. I can see that Darcy’s arrogance and pride have already influenced your behavior toward an old friend. Good luck, Lizzy.” Wickham bowed and walked away.

  Elizabeth was irritated by his rudeness and inappropriate words. George Wickham was one person in Meryton that Elizabeth would certainly not miss. ‘Was any of what Wickham talked about true? Did Darcy have a mistress and a child? No, it must be more of Wickham’s vindictive lies.’ Elizabeth knew that Wickham would say or do anything to hurt the Darcy family and beginning tomorrow that would include her.

  A few minutes later all the sisters reunited and began the short walk back to Longbourn. Jane was walking beside Lizzy and took her arm in hers. “Lizzy I will miss you so much after you are married. This may well be our last walk together for a long time.”

  “Yes, Jane, I know. I was feeling a bit melancholy looking at all the shops and the people of Meryton.”

  “Did I see you speaking with Mr. Wickham while you were waiting for us?”

  “Yes, he approached me. He really is a terrible man.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “First, he wished me and Mr. Darcy well on our betrothal. Then, he started to disparage Darcy and even wanted to know if Darcy had told me about his mistress and their child.”

  “No, that cannot be. Mr. Darcy would never behave that way. Would he?”

  “No, Jane, Darcy is an honorable man. Mr. Wickham is determined to hurt Darcy and anyone he loves. Wickham does not deserve another moment’s discussion. Do you not agree?”

  “Yes, I do agree. I did want to talk to you about the lace on my dress for your wedding.” And thus the sisters passed the remainder of their walk home in pleasant conversation. While Jane was speaking, Elizabeth had decided she would not mention her conversation with Wickham when she saw Darcy later that day. There was no reason to upset him with Wickham’s lies.

  That evening the Bennets hosted a dinner for the wedding party at Longbourn. Mrs. Bennet had wanted to invite many of their friends as well, but Mr. Bennet reminded her that there was a limit to the number of people who could fit into their small dining room. To compensate for the limited number of people allowed to attend, Mrs. Bennet ordered multiple courses of all the finest foods to be found in Meryton.

  When the entire party was seated, Mr. Bennet stood to offer a toast. “I know that I am supposed to propose a toast tomorrow at the wedding breakfast, but I could not let this opportunity pass me by. I would like to propose a toast to our family, all of us sitting together in this room tonight. I toast Mrs. Bennet for planning such a delicious meal. I toast my eldest daughter, Jane, for her return to Longbourn makes us all very happy. I toast my three youngest daughters and pray they will grow up to emulate their older sisters. And to my daughter, Lizzy,” at this point Mr. Bennett’s voice began to falter, “tomorrow she will become a bride. Lizzy, you will be greatly missed when you leave us tomorrow. I do not believe I could let you go if you were not joining such a fine man in marriage. I could say more but I need to save some comments for the wedding breakfast. Please raise your glasses and let us toast to our family, including our new family - Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. To our family!”

  “To our family!” Everyone echoed Mr. Bennet’s words. Most of the women were raising their glasses with tears in their eyes. Some were tears of joy and some were tears of sorrow, for with Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding, the family would be changed in many ways.

  Darcy stood and everyone looked at him questioning why he had risen. “I know it is quite unusual for the groom to speak at an occasion such as this. However, I would like to propose another toast. Please raise your glasses again and join me in toasting the parents of the woman I love with all my heart. My dearest Elizabeth would not be the woman she is without them. To Mr. and Mrs. Bennet!”

  “To Mr. and Mrs. Bennet!” Everyone happily responded.

  Darcy sat down next to Elizabeth and she smiled tenderly at her betrothed and mouthed the words, ‘thank you’. He smiled back and took her hand under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. He bent his head to whisper in her ear, “Tomorrow, my little minx.”

  Elizabeth looked into her future husband's eyes and said, “Tomorrow, my tyrant.”

  Chapter 8

  October 6, 1812

  As Mr. Thomas Bennet walked his second eldest and most cherished daughter down the aisle for her marriage to Fitzwilliam Darcy, many people in the pews detected a few tears in his eyes. Elizabeth walked beside him in a lovely cream colored dress with numerous small pearls sewn onto the cream colored lace overlay. The color of the dress beautifully complemented her fair skin and dark, chestnut curls. Darcy could not take his eyes off the woman he had dreamed of marrying for almost a year. Elizabeth did not notice her father’s tears because she only had eyes for the man who stood at the front of the church. Darcy looked so handsome in his dark grey jacket and matching waistcoat. Colonel Fitzwilliam stood to Darcy’s right and Jane awaited her dearest sister on the left.

  Elizabeth joined Darcy at the altar and she handed her bouquet of fresh flowers from Longbourn’s gardens to Jane. She turned to place both of her hands in Darcy’s and the happy couple was lost in each other's eyes and the vicar was unsure whether the bride or groom heard a word of their vows but they both managed to answer appropriately when the time came. After the ceremony Elizabeth and Darcy went with the vicar, Jane and Colonel Fitzwilliam to sign the register. After all the signatures were duly recorded, the others left the newlyweds alone in order to allow them a few moments of privacy. An avalanche of hugs, kisses and good wishes awaited them from their family and friends still waiting in the pews for the newly married couple to emerge.

  “How are you, Mrs. Darcy?” Darcy said as he walked over to his wife and held her hands in his.

  “I am very well, Mr. Darcy. And very happy, my husband”.

  “I, too, am very happy, my wife. I believe you are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen but we should rejoin our guests now. If I remain alone with you in this room much longer, I will not be accountable for my actions. Although I am quite eager to make you my wife in every way, I do not think this is the place for it.” His words made Elizabeth blush deeply. When she looked up, her husband was looking at her with raw hunger in his eyes. Elizabeth took one of his hands, raised it to her lips and kissed it. She heard Darcy groan at her sexually charged action
. She then turned and waited at the door for him to accompany her as she walked back into the church. “William, did I see Miss Bingley and the Hursts in the church or was I imagining things?”

  “No, they were there. They arrived at Netherfield Park yesterday and I forgot to mention it to you. I had several more important things to occupy my thoughts.”

  “No more of that, my husband, now we must go and greet our guests.”

  “Yes, my love, anything you say. Madam, I am completely at your service.”

  “Fitzy, I will remember that!”

  The wedding breakfast at Longbourn was a blur to both the bride and groom. They appreciated the number of lovely dishes Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Stone had toiled to create since the engagement was announced just three short weeks ago. They accepted the sincere congratulations from all their family and friends. Georgiana could not stop calling Elizabeth “my sister” and telling her how much she looked forward to joining them after their ‘honeymoon’ at Darcy House. Although Darcy and Elizabeth were rarely standing together, they never lost sight of the other. It was if an invisible thread now connected them and no well-intentioned relative or neighbor was going to break that thread. Mr. Bennet’s toast was heartfelt and brief. He had said the most important things at their family dinner the night before.

  Darcy was standing alone watching his beautiful new wife talking with a few of her friends. He was thinking about how happy he was when he was approached by Charles Bingley. “Well done, Darcy, very well done. I offer my heartiest congratulations to you both. Who would have thought that you visiting Netherfield Park last year would have led to your marriage to Miss Elizabeth?”

  “You mean, Mrs. Darcy.” Both men smiled.

  “Yes, of course, Mrs. Darcy. You look very happy my friend, and I am absolutely delighted for you.”

  “Thank you, Charles. If you had not invited me to help you manage Netherfield Park last year, we would not be standing here right now. Are you planning to follow me into the state of marital bliss?”

  “Nothing could make me happier, Darcy. Jane is truly an angel but I must take my time proving my love to her. She was quite devastated when I left for London last year without saying goodbye to her.”

  “Take my advice, Charles, and do not take too long. Look at me, I should have declared myself last year but my arrogance and pride overruled my heart. I am confident that you will prevail in your pursuit of Miss Bennet’s hand.”

  “Thank you, Darcy. I pray you are correct.” The friends shook hands and looked at the assembled guests.

  Colonel Fitzwilliam approached Mary Bennet who was standing alone watching the festivities. “Miss Mary, you are looking very lovely today. You must be very happy for your sister and my cousin.”

  “Indeed, Colonel, I am happy for them. I have read that marriage is a deterrent against sin. I believe marriage is a very noble achievement.”

  The Colonel was taken aback by the seriousness of Mary’s remarks. He said, “Indeed, Miss Mary. Very well said.”

  “Pray excuse me, Colonel. I see my mother is seeking my attention.” Mary curtsied and walked away from the Colonel. He shook his head thinking about how different Mary’s soberness was from Lizzy’s vivacious personality.

  Elizabeth had done her best to avoid speaking to Caroline Bingley. In all the time they had known each other, Caroline Bingley had never said a single kind word to her. Miss Bingley had taken every opportunity to insult Elizabeth and her family in front of Darcy. Everyone knew that Miss Bingley had been singularly focused on becoming Mrs. Darcy and Elizabeth thought that Miss Bingley must be gravely disappointed to have failed in her quest. No one believed that Caroline Bingley was ever in love with Darcy, she just desired the wealth and prestige that marriage to Darcy would bring her. Shortly before Elizabeth and Darcy were to depart, Caroline Bingley approached Elizabeth. “Well, Miss Eliza, you certainly got what you were after. We all knew you had your eyes on Mr. Darcy last year. I hope you are prepared for the condemnation you will receive by the ton for this ill conceived union. Do not say you have not been warned.”

  “Miss Bingley, you will kindly remember that I am Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy. Since your warning was unsolicited, I doubt we will ever have a chance to discuss its validity in the future. I have no intention of ever inviting you to Darcy House or Pemberley again. Good day to you, Miss Bingley.” Elizabeth walked over to where Darcy was standing with Georgiana and Colonel Fitzwilliam. When she came to his side, he lifted her hand for a quick kiss before wrapping her hand around his arm. Elizabeth turned and saw that Caroline Bingley was still staring at her with a look of shock on her face. Elizabeth gave her a false smile and turned back to speak to her new family.

  “Are you ready to depart, my wife?” Darcy said a short time later. “We do not want to be on the road to London after it becomes dark.”

  “Yes, my husband, I am ready to leave. Help me say goodbye to everyone.”

  With Elizabeth on his arm, Darcy led his wife around the room. They thanked their family and friends for coming and for all their love and support.

  Finally, it was time for the happy couple to depart. The farewells were tearful, on the part of Mrs. Bennet and Jane. Then the new Mr. and Mrs. Darcy were off to London to begin their new life together. In the carriage, Elizabeth kept looking out the window until Longbourn was out of sight. “Elizabeth, are you well, dearest?”

  “Yes, William, I am well. I am just feeling a bit melancholy about leaving Longbourn. But I am looking forward to seeing Darcy House and Pemberley. I know my life will be different from now on. I hope I am up to the challenge of being Mrs. Darcy.” Elizabeth’s self-doubts were more prominent in her mind now that she really was Mrs. Darcy.

  “Elizabeth, you will be wonderful at everything you undertake as my wife. I am sure you could run Pemberley without me. You will have a large number of staff to help you in any way necessary. Now, I believe the first order of business is for you to move over here and sit very close to your new husband.” Elizabeth crossed the carriage and sat beside Darcy. He closed the carriage curtains in order to give the newlyweds some privacy from the outside world.

  “You must be fatigued from all the activities leading up to today. You should rest until we get to London.” With those words Darcy removed Elizabeth’s bonnet and placed his arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders and drew her close to him. She felt a wonderful sense of security being in his arms and quickly fell asleep within her husband’s loving embrace.

  Chapter 9

  London

  “Elizabeth, my love, it is time to wake up, we are nearly home. You may want to fix your hair before we exit the carriage.” Darcy kindly suggested to his new wife.

  Elizabeth opened her eyes and quickly realized where she was. “William, you should have woken me sooner. I must look a sight!” Elizabeth felt around her head to find which of her hair pins had come loose and tried to repair her hairdo so that she looked more presentable. She straightened her jacket and the skirt of her dress and felt she was almost ready when the carriage came to a halt.

  “Welcome home, Mrs. Darcy,” William said as he jumped down before the footman could place the steps by the door of the carriage. Darcy wanted to be sure it would be him helping his wife exit the carriage and not the footman. As they climbed the steps leading up to the front door, Elizabeth looked up at the beautiful building that was her new home, at least one of her new homes. Before they reached the door it was opened from within and Darcy stopped her before they could enter. “I believe this is the tradition, Mrs. Darcy,” as he scooped her up into his arms and carried her across the threshold. Awaiting them inside were some of house staff looking on with amusement.

  “William, please put me down, what will your servants think?” She whispered in his ear.

  “My beautiful wife, I do not give a whit about what our servants think,” Darcy whispered back.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, welcome home. On behalf of all the staff of Darcy House, p
lease accept our sincere congratulations on your marriage,” said a woman who Darcy then introduced to Elizabeth as Mrs. Winters, the longtime housekeeper of Darcy House. Mrs. Winters introduced her new mistress to some of the members of the staff who had come to meet the newlyweds. Darcy set Elizabeth down on her feet but kept his hand on her elbow. He was not ready to let go of his new wife.

  “Mrs. Winters, I am very pleased to meet you. I am sure it will take me some time to remember everyone’s name but I will try to do so in a timely fashion,” Elizabeth said with a wide smile on her face which she shared with the staff gathered in the large hallway near the front door.

  “Mrs. Darcy, I am sure you are eager to refresh yourself before dinner. Allow me to show you the way,” said Mrs. Winters in a kind way.

  “I will show Mrs. Darcy to her chambers. Thank you, Mrs. Winters. We will let you know if we require anything.”

  “Of course, Mr. Darcy. When should I have cook serve dinner, sir?”

  “I believe an hour should be sufficient time for us to prepare ourselves. Is that agreeable to you, Mrs. Darcy?”

  Elizabeth smiled and said, “That sounds perfect. Thank you, Mrs. Winters.” So Darcy was learning to announce his decisions after confirming them with his wife.

  Darcy gathered Elizabeth's hand and put it on his arm as he escorted her up a beautiful carpeted staircase. “Your home is beautiful, William, at least the part that I have seen so far.”

  “Our home, Elizabeth, and I will give you a tour tomorrow. For now, I wish to show you to your chambers and when you are ready, I will escort you to dinner.”

  They stopped in front of a door which Darcy opened for her and she walked into her new bed chamber. It was four times the size of her room at Longbourn. It was decorated in lovely pastel shades which gave the room a calm, peaceful feeling.