Chapter 75
The day of their wedding fast approached and although the three young ladies were anxiously looking forward to the day that they would be wed, now that it was upon them, they could not help but take a moment to reflect on their childhoods. They stood there, together, in Jane's room, all three of them silently sharing a moment filled with joy and anticipation as well as sadness, fully feeling the weight of stepping from one life into the next.
Lydia, though not nearly as insensible as she was just several weeks prior was still the first to break the silence. "La lets be off, though I'm sad to leave my mother and sisters, I daresay, I'll be happy to be Captian Carter's wife, and you Jane, you and Mr. Bingley will deserve of every happiness, and Lizzy I know Mr. Darcy will make you glad as well."
Her sisters looked upon her, feeling she had aged years in weeks, but glad she was proceeding to the alter knowing that she was not with child and went forward in her new life with a newfound sense of gravity in regards to the seriousness of the state of matrimony that she would shortly enter into.
Before her sisters could fully reflect on the changes Lydia now exhibited, a peek of her old self emerged, being only slightly more appropriate considering that her sisters would themselves would be wed that very day. "Oh goodness, and I meant to say, give no credence to what mama and Aunt Phillips said last night, it's far more diverting an activity than she let on, one would not believe the variety of attitudes the act can be accomplished in and your gentlemen are so very dull, though I confess they will make good husbands, I would hardly expect them to conduct themselves so on their wedding night. La! One would never know it was any fun at all from what mama said!" She turn on her heels and exited, just as their mother called for them to depart for the Longbourn's chapel. Jane and Elizabeth glanced at one another, memories flashing to their greatest humiliation to date at their mother's public pronouncements.
The evening before Mrs. Bennet had insisted upon hosting a family dinner, including of course her future sons-in-law. The evening had proceeded primarily as expected, longing looks between the lovers, the effusions of Mrs. Bennet, the sensible advice and warm wishes of the Gardiners until the sexes separated after dinner.
Before the ladies had fully situated themselves in the drawing room Mrs. Bennet looked at Mrs. Phillips and nodded, signaling her sister to proceed. "Jane, Lizzy, I must speak with you about your wedding night, men have such ardor, you know, when they are first married. I daresay your not completely ignorant of it, growing up on an estate, the pigs are all riled up come spring."
Jane turned beat red, praying for her mother's advice to be over, surely she couldn't mean to broach such a topic in front of Mary and Kitty, as well as her aunts. She meant to consult Mrs. Gardiner, seeking more sense and less of her mother's notions and interpretations of things.
Elizabeth could hardly keep her countenance, torn between humiliation and laughter at such a diversion, she was, after all her father's daughter, as unpalatable as it was to think of her parents engaged in such relations. Mrs. Gardiner sent reassuring looks toward both her nieces, Mary, well dear reader you can imagine our Mary's reaction, and Kitty clearly had conversed on the topic with Lydia, who, based on Kitty's lack of embarrassment, likely was not spared even the most salacious details.
"But I daresay they'll use a more gentlemanly attitude on their wedding night, usually they do, unless they have themselves all worked up, then there is nothing to be done for it. Why when Mary was conceived, Mr. Bennet's ardor was such that we did not make it to our rooms. Every time I catch sight of your father's desk I think upon it for she would not have been so religious if our Lord did not see fit to reprove us. I told my sister Phillips so the other day, did I not sister?" she said, turning to her sister who was already nodding in her agreement.
"Mama," exclaimed Jane, for not even she could keep her composure when faced with such a graphic description of her sister's conception. Elizabeth suspected she would need to stifle laughter every time Mary picked up a sermon.
"Aye sister, had Mr. Phillips introduced me to the act in such a manner, I doubt I should have had any preference for it at all," said Mrs. Phillips, still nodding her head, taking no note of Jane's embarrassment or Lizzy's desperate attempts not to break out in laughter.
"I want my turn, it's hardly fair that Lydia should marry first as I am older," cried Kitty.
"I'm sure you'll turn will come," said Jane demurely, as she and Lizzy had already discussed a plan with Darcy and Bingley to do what they could to separate the remaining sisters from influences that were not to their advantage; Kitty must have an example other than Lydia; Mary must have some conversation other than her sermons; the two, therefore, would spend most of their time with the eldest of their newly married sisters.
Due to the embarrassment of the sensible women in the room, and the general obliviousness of the others, no one had noticed the presence of the gentleman at drawing-room doors until Mr. Bennet, still valuing his humor over almost anything else, said "Well Mrs. Bennet, I daresay you might as well invite the gentleman in, we determined my port could hardly hold as many charms as my daughters and decided to join the ladies. I daresay I shall not wonder if I have no grandchildren a year from now, surely your illustrations could hardly recommend the act. What have you to say about how the others were conceived?"
"Mr. Bennet what could you mean by it? Surely I will have three healthy grandchildren this time next year. Oh, how you vex me! Though I would hardly have mentioned the matter if I knew the gentlemen were to join us so soon. Though, our girls must know what to expect. Lizzy, Jane think on your pin money and what jewels you shall have - you'll pay not nearly so much mind to the pain if your thoughts are more agreeably engaged. I daresay, from the color of their countenances Mr. Bennet, you should have done far better to speak with your sons yourself than deliver them to us ladies. If I am absent grandchildren next year I shall know who to blame and send you to them. Though I'm sure they could not have tolerated being parted from my dear girls for so long, it would have been quite a hardship on them you know. Carter is very fond of Lydia you see, why to propose to a woman nearly upon meeting her, there is no better compliment to be paid. I'm sure that I should have liked it if a red coat had paid me such a compliment. They were not so pretty for nothing so you see, even Lizzy, who I despaired of ever marrying off. Mr. Darcy is quite smitten with her I am sure, though I hardly know what to make of the matter. And Bingley, I always knew how it would be."
Darcy and Bingley were themselves so crimson they could hardly be called upon to speak, neither said one word and scarce knew where to fix their eyes. Lord to have their brides thinking it they would go about the business as farm animals would. Darcy, though trusting in Elizabeth's good sense would have preferred to reassure her if he could find a way to surpass his own humiliation at such a topic being broached (in a drawing-room of all places), though he was socially inept in even the best of situations. Bingley was at such a loss, that he could scarce consider raising his eyes to meet Jane.
Carter blushed the least, but felt no little amount of embarrassment of his own, and fixed his focus squarely on the floor. Until Lydia approached, clung to his arm, squarely looked him in his eyes, and winked. At least, he mused, whatever other things they would need to work out in their mutually beneficial (though sudden) arrangement, they would have nothing to complain of in that quarter.
Mrs. and Mr. Gardiner did their best to salvage the situation, declaring the young people would need their rest to begin a new life on the marrow, ushering the young ladies up the stairs as the gentleman took their leave. Upon arriving in Jane's room their aunt reassured them they hardly need worry and endeavored to be certain that they were not ill informed in matters they now ought not to be.
As they arrived at the chapel, their minds turned back to the present. Their father met them at the door, knowing full well how gracious God had been to them that the matter turned out so well for all his daughters. "Well, it would have broken my heart to have parted with any of you for anyone less deserving," he said, catching Lydia in the eye, ensuring she knew that she was in no way excluded. Lizzy may well be his favorite but he was fully aware of what Lydia may have suffered due primarily to his own neglect; all the more glad it made him to see her so well settled. Carter was a good man; his son-in-law had done more for her in a fortnight than he had done in a decade. Mr. Bennet was grateful for it, though it was to his shame; regrets could not now resolve the situation, but his son in law could be the remedy that he could not.
As she made her way up the aisle; before Darcy was in sight, Elizabeth spotted Charlotte and was delighted to see Colonel Fitzwilliam seated next her. It occurred to her briefly to suspect the two of them were perhaps owed a great deal of credit for this day; though both of them were unlikely to claim it. Her mind mused back to walk in the garden with the Colonel and wondered if he had been Darcy's voice of reason as Charlotte and Jane were hers. As the Mistress of the house, it would be her prerogative to extend invitations; she determined to see to it that they would be often enough in company to see if they would suit. It was, after all, a perfectly appropriate, neigh, an expected occupation of a married woman to busy herself inducing others into matrimony. As Elizabeth and Darcy's eyes met everything else faded away. The three couples exchanged vows, happy, all of them, in their hopes for the future.
Dear Reader, do be honest, should I edit this chapter out? Or do you think I should edit out the part in the drawing room, and leave the rest of the chapter? Should I lean into the sentimental nature and remove the humor? Was it even funny? I've considered editing out everything between here and the engagement and going straight to the epilogue (which I'll post tomorrow._
