Chapter 32 Happy Was The Day

A steady stream of guests and neighbors took advantage of Mr. Darcy’s public invitation in the morning newspaper. The wedding breakfast might have provided Elizabeth with a jolly party if she had known any of the guests outside of her close family. But only Mr. Darcy and his cousins seemed to recognize the many well-wishers and curious who enjoyed the rare opportunity to see inside Darcy House. 

Mr. Darcy’s cousin, Lady Farley, stuck close to her hostess, Mrs. Darcy, every moment she could manage. Her ladyship not only guided Elizabeth to greet those who needed the welcome but also protected her newest family member from conversations that grew too lengthy. However, even Lady Farley had to circulate the room and see to her husband from time to time, leaving the new Mrs. Darcy to her own skills of socialization.

A neighbor from No. 11 Grosvenor Square, the widow Mrs. Elizabeth Baldwin, monopolized the bride’s time directly after an introduction.

“Oh, my dearest Mrs. Darcy! I must tell you all about our little soiree last night.” The woman spoke quickly about the dinner and guests, sharing several anecdotes. Elizabeth nodded and chuckled at the appropriate times, even showing sympathy when Mrs. Baldwin lamented that her lease was ending in December. “I am joining my daughter’s household, after Christmas, in Manchester. Until then, I find every excuse to host my friends. You simply must come to my next one. It shall be on Friday the 30th of this month. Do say you will come.”

Elizabeth’s smile froze upon her face as she had entered the second hour of hosting her wedding breakfast. The frenetic energy lent to her from the excitement of her wedding had waned. Her eyes stung with the nettles from a lack of sleep the previous night, and early rise that morning to make it to the bishop on time.

“How kind of you, Mrs. Baldwin, and I am happy for your daughter’s gain.”

“Mrs. Walker is now alone, her husband has been called back by the Good Lord. But forgive me, bless, for speaking of such a sad subject on your wedding day! Next Friday, though. I should dearly like to host you and Mr. Darcy. 

A small cheer on the other side of the dining room drew Elizabeth’s attention.

“I do beg your pardon,” Elizabeth said, spying her sister Jane and her new husband, Charles Bingley, appearing to begin their farewells to others. “Would you be willing to send me a note or invitation formally? I will most certainly discuss attending the evening with my husband,” she said, with a nod as the poor woman grew giddy with excitement.

“Yes, I shall do just that! Wait until Lady Fortescue learns that Mr. and Mrs. Darcy plan to attend!” Mrs. Baldwin said, trailing off to a muttering that gave Elizabeth a sense of unease that she might have made a mistake, but she continued to excuse herself and walk closer to Jane.

On the way, Lady Farley caught up to Elizabeth and began to nudge her in a different direction, entirely.

“Come, this way, if we hurry we can catch Lord and Lady Bridgewater. Your family must know them, they hail from Ashridge.”

Elizabeth yawned and tried to keep the sign of her exhaustion as small as possible. 

“How do you know all of this?” she asked, as Lady Farley dragged her to the far side of the room where her father earnestly spoke with a woman slightly his senior. She didn’t bother to explain to Lady Farley that her family’s small estate sat in a completely different county from Lord and Lady Bridgewater, or that her grandfather was more likely to be a compatriot of the old Earl of Bridgewater than her father.

“Once my gardens have gone fallow, I hardly see a reason to be in the country. His Lordship and I are quite at ease to be at odds with how the more fashionable keep to their seasons and balls. Supervising the new construction is critical, you see. Do you have plans to improve Longbourn?” Lady Bridgewater asked Mr. Bennet.

For a moment, the three women simply stood before Mr. Bennet, waiting for him to conduct the proper niceties dictated by society. “Improvements to Longbourn? No, no, I should think not. Best leave that to my nephew, who is to inherit the estate. Forgive me, your Ladyship, may I introduce my younger daughter to wed today. This is my Lizzy, now fashioning herself as Mrs. Darcy,” he said with a glint of mischief in his eye.

Lady Farley glared at Mr. Bennet as though she wished she could send daggers at the rude man. But her ladyship and Elizabeth laughed.

“I was just telling your father about my gardens. When Lord Bridgewater and I are in the country for spring and summer, the best months for the builders, we are always happy to lend our townhome to those who have need of it for the Season. Perhaps your family may come to need it, for your younger sisters? It is just across the square. Number 7?” Lady Bridgewater graciously offered, and Elizabeth recognized when her father’s charm had won over another. But now she possessed the upper hand and felt it was high time his own teasing was used against him.

“If you wish to make my father suffer, please do repeat your generous offer to my mother, Your Ladyship. But I’m afraid my father is closer in temperament to you and his Lordship. Only it’s not blooms that capture my father’s attention, but books. Brandy and books,” she said, making Lady Bridgewater laugh. Lady Farley joined in when she realized that Mrs. Darcy intended to slight her father, and Mr. Bennet excused himself from the ladies to claim he noticed a gentleman on the far side of the room.

“Will he ever forgive you?” Lady Farley asked once they were alone again after Lady Bridgewater returned to her husband.

Elizabeth shrugged. “My father has poked fun at people unable to dish him a serving of his own meat.”

Lady Farley blew out a low whistle as she continued to scan the room for the next opportunity. “One day, you shall have to tell me all about your courtship with Fitzwilliam, oh—” Lady Farley began to lay out her next brilliant plan of attack when Elizabeth’s maid, Antoinette, suddenly appeared behind her.

“Would you care for a brief repast, ma’am?” her maid asked, softly and Elizabeth nodded. How her maid had guessed that she needed a few moments to herself was beyond her, but she appreciated the relief.

“Please,” she said, grasping Antoinette’s arm, “make sure my family do not leave while I am indisposed,” she ordered, and the maid stated that Mrs. Hathersage and Mr. Edgars would not let that occur. 

Looking over the heads for her sister Jane, Elizabeth’s maid explained that her sister had already sought a break from the festivities. Elizabeth felt a twinge of regret as she had been so preoccupied with Lady Farley’s instructions, that she had not seen to Jane’s comfort. 

Realizing her window of opportunity could close at any second, Elizabeth dutifully followed her maid in slipping out a side door of the dining room, almost unnoticed by anyone in the room except for Mr. Darcy. 

Antoinette led Elizabeth down the hall, back to the room where she had first waited for the morning to begin. As the door opened, Elizabeth spied Jane standing there, waiting for her.

“Lizzy!” she shouted, rushing to hug her sister and both of them to feel the relief after so many tumultuous weeks. The two sisters walked over to the small settee in the room and each sighed as they allowed the stress of the day to fall from their shoulders.

“I had to see you before Charles and I leave,” Jane began, earning a look of surprise from her sister. Still, Jane remained true to her aims. “I wanted reassurance that you will come to Netherfield Park for the ball?”

“Are you leaving already?”

Jane nodded. “We all wish to return home before dark.”

“What about Miss Bingley?”

Jane shook her head. 

“She will remain with the Hursts. I suppose they did not read the paper this morning.”

Elizabeth began to giggle uncontrollably as she imagined the scene playing out in the Hurst townhome down at the end of Grosvenor Street. Mr. Hurst would not bother with the society gossip and Mrs. Hurst and Caroline would not rise early enough to apprise themselves of the news. “Oh, when she finds out she missed the wedding . . .”

Jane tried to refocus her sister on the important question. “Will you come to Netherfield?” she repeated.

Elizabeth blew out a breath, realizing for once that she no longer had to meet the demands of any of her family members. Outside of Mr. Darcy’s needs, her life was her own. She was a married woman. 

The pause made Jane fidget in her seat, giving her sister a pained look of nervousness. 

“Oh very well, yes! Yes, we will come to Netherfield! Remember when we walked Oakham Mount before anyone else knew of my engagement?”

Jane nodded, finally breathing again that she possessed her sister’s promise. 

“We originally envisioned a wedding trip at home, with you and Mr. Bingley, before heading north to Pemberley for Christmas.”

“You and Mr. Darcy must stay for a few weeks, at least!”

Elizabeth hesitated. “I promise to write you a letter tomorrow or the day after when I know our schedule. Will that suit?”

A creased line formed on Jane’s forehead as she thought about her sister’s words. Another pause passed between the sisters and Elizabeth’s eyes flicked to the door where her maid entered the room, silently.

Jane barely whispered her response. “A married woman never has time to write.”

Elizabeth nodded to her maid to acknowledge they were being summoned from their sanctuary. Then she twisted her body to gaze directly into her sister’s eyes. “Not for us. We will make the time. For each other.”

The two sisters grasped hands and squeezed in solidarity. Rising, they walked over to Antoinette who explained that Mr. Bingley and the Bennets were waiting in the foyer to give their farewells.

A small, joyous party indeed awaited in the foyer, with the voices of mirth echoing loudly up the chasm of the stone stairs and iron railings. Elizabeth took her place next to Mr. Darcy and everyone reminded each other they would reunite in just a few weeks’ time for the ball at Netherfield Park. Elizabeth pulled Mary aside and assured her sister that she would bring gifts for Mary and Kitty from London just for the ball. Mary smiled, and replied back that would make Kitty much happier when they all returned back to Hertfordshire.

“To think so much has happened in less than a week! I have two more sisters married,” Mary said, taking one lasting glance around the foyer of the large townhome.

“I will find a way for Papa to allow you both to visit Pemberley. The home is simply magnificent,” Elizabeth explained. 

When the embraces and sobbing Mrs. Bennet could, at last, be satisfied, the Darcys farewelled their family members to their carriages, then returned to the dining room. The Gardiners remained another half an hour, and then made their farewells, assuring the couple of how much they believed in the match. When Lizzy tried to make plans with her aunt, the elder redirected her niece.

“I have a feeling that you and Mr. Darcy will not be seeking company for some time,” she said with a wink, making Elizabeth blush. To their left, Mr. Gardiner whispered something into Mr. Darcy’s ear, earning the man’s eager nod and a small chuckle. “I believe my husband is saying much the same to yours.”

With the last of the bride’s family taking their leave, many other guests gave their final well-wishes while a few stragglers made their first appearance before the sun reached its zenith. However, as the clocks struck noon on the mantel, a collective cheer rose as Mr. Darcy raised his wine glass.

“My lords and ladies, our distinguished friends and neighbors, may I raise a final toast in honor of my wife, Elizabeth Darcy? To the woman who has captured my highest esteem, I graciously thank her for consenting to become my wife and look forward to the years we spend, side-by-side.”

“Hear, hear!” the last remaining guests shouted, though Elizabeth could make out Colonel Fitzwilliam’s voice as he bellowed louder than anyone else. When a short silence fell over the dining room apart from the Darcy footmen beginning to clear away the empty platters, the Colonel made sure to fill it with a loud belch, earning the laughter of the others.

“I believe my cousin is politely asking us to leave!”

“Indeed, I am,” Mr. Darcy said, raising an eyebrow, though most of the remaining couples in the room nodded their heads and had begun to move to the doors. 

“As am I!” Elizabeth said, loudly, feeling a surge of passionate energy flood her veins as she gazed at her husband. A span of ten feet stood between them, and she wished so desperately to close it but found her feet to be as heavy as sacks of grain.

When at last every guest had gone, Mr. Darcy took four long strides forward to scoop his wife up into his arms, earning a squeal of her approval. His lips found hers, uncaring of the staff steadily undoing their hard work to decorate and feed the wedding guests.

Breathless, Mr. Darcy set his wife down and lifted her hand to his. “Would you care to retire, Mrs. Darcy?”

“I should enjoy seeing the second floor,” she replied.

Mr. Darcy frowned. “I have forgotten that you have barely seen our home,” he realized, then offered to take her on a tour. But Elizabeth grasped his arm and shook her head. 

“A tour tomorrow? Fitzwilliam, I—” she could not get the words out before her husband cut her off with another kiss. 

“Say no more, I understand completely,” he said, with a small growl near her ear.