First: I apologize for the extreme delay. I had this chapter sketched for weeks but just couldn't get into writing it.
Second: Thanks for the absolutely awesome feedback!
So without further ado here is the next chapter.
"Isn't she gorgeous, Darce?!" he laughed.
In one movement the entire wedding party turned towards the two young couple. Weariness and confusion clearly written in the countless faces. But the man didn't seem to realize or care.
"I actually won her in a card game in Florence. Who would have thought she would come in so handy? I named her Penelope. Thought it was fitting." he waited patiently to see if anyone would pick up on his comment. "All righty! No reaction. Well. Boys! It's time to tie her down!" he called.
Out of nowhere a dozen men appeared on deck. They jumped over the sides of the ship and slid down long thick ropes. Within seconds they started pounding thick posts into the ground to tie the flying monstrosity down.
Finally Darcy seemed to have recovered from the shock. He gave a sign to one of his aunt's Black Guard and as one the soldiers surrounded the flying ship in a save distance and pointed their guns at the sailors as well as the man on deck.
"Come on, Darce! Is that really necessary?"
Darcy slowly approached still holding Elizabeth's hand. "I will not take any chances. Not even for you. And isn't Penelope rather the destination than the means to reach it?" The eyes fixed on the man he called. "Mr. Collins, if you would be so kind as to inspect each of the men present."
"Oh hell no! Please! Darce!" the man begged. The sailors had finished their work and observed their master's antics with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. "It's just wrong! No man should have to endure being examined by another man like that. Not even my mother has seen as much of me as the pastors of this country!"
A small giggle escaped Elizabeth. Whoever this man was, it became clear he was no danger, at least not after they were sure he didn't carry any bites. It was also obvious that the man was very well acquainted with her f … husband. She had the distinct feeling she would get along well with this man once she got to know him.
A commotion behind them interrupted any further musing. Lady Catherine made her way to the top of the line.
"Richard Fitzwilliam! Get down here this once!" Lady Catherine demanded.
"Aunt Cathy!" he called happily.
"Aunt Cathy?" Elizabeth whispered incredulously trying very hard to fight another laugh.
Darcy shock his head. "Richard was never a friend of formalities."
"Richard?" Bingley asked to his left. "As in the Richard? Your cousin? The one who left England."
"Exactly." Darcy agreed.
"Get down here, Richard and let Mr Collins inspect you this instance!" Lady Catherine ordered her wayward nephew visibly running out of patients.
But he still hesitated.
"Dear God, Richard! Do as she says! We don't have time for your maidenly sensibilities." another female voice rang. On deck of the flying ship right next to Richard appeared a woman of maybe twenty five years.
"Mai … maidenly what?!" he called appalled.
But the woman just ignored him. She grabbed a rope and carefully, slowly and rather clumsily made her way to the ground.
With one elegant movement Richard Fitzwilliam jumped the five feet from the ship to the ground, surprisingly without braking anything.
"I don't have maidenly sensibilities! I just prefer to have only women in such close and unguarded proximity to my body." he insisted.
The woman still ignored him and turned to the now curious wedding party. "Someone needs to examine me. I have no time to waste." she declared.
When nobody reacted immediately she opened her simple dark cloak and threw it to the ground. Under it she wore a very unflattering and ill fitting beige dress with several suspicious stains on the skirt.
Elizabeth looked on with growing confusion.
"Christine don't!" Darcy growled at the woman, but it was already to late. Sighing Darcy turned his back, directly followed by his cousin and after some confusion by Bingley.
Only moments later the woman's dress fell to the ground. Almost as one the present men turned their backs, when shortly after her undergarments followed. Some less gentlemanly gentlemen needed painful encouragement from their wives, mothers or sisters.
"This is unacceptable!" Lady Catherine turned purple with indignation and anger. Mrs Bennet, to everyones surprise, could not get out a single word from shock. Jane blushed crimson red and Elizabeth stared on the mouth hanging open in surprise.
"So, would someone be so kind to examine me now!" the woman demanded.
Elizabeth felt hand being grabbed and pressed. She turned to her husband. His apologetic eyes met hers and after a second she understood his meaning.
She walked towards the now naked woman, instinctively making sure the knifes she always wore were handy and ready just in case. Who was this woman? How did she know Mr Darcy? Were they related? If so he should certainly not have faulted her for the lack in manners in her own relations. None of them had ever dropped her clothes in front of an entire wedding party!
Elizabeth forced herself to be thorough and detailed in her examination, constantly fighting against her own … still maidenly sensibilities.
The woman seemed to be about her own age, maybe a few years older. Her long red hair was pinned up, but countless hair strands had loosened and fell down. She was tall and very thin, almost pert and her skin was rougher than any gentlelady's Elizabeth had ever seen.
"She is clean." she eventually announced.
Not fazed at all by the commotion she had caused with her behavior the woman pulled her undergarments back up. "Thank you, ..."
"Elizabeth B … Darcy." Elizabeth answered still not sure what to think of this woman.
Shocked Richard turned around he looked from Darcy to Elizabeth and back, his mouth hanging wide open, but before he could say anything, the woman still only dressed in her undergarments started to squeal. With raised eyebrows Darcy looked on as she jumped up and down excitedly while flailing her arms wildly. Speechless everyone stared at the young woman, who just didn't seem able to stop squealing and grinning. Finally she wrapped the newly wed Elizabeth Darcy into a tight hug. "I knew it! I just knew he would find you one day." She released the shocked woman and looked at her face only to squeal again. "Oh you're gorgeous! So beautiful! Just perfect." Then she turned towards to Darcy and the next moment she had wrapped her arms around him completely forgoing any rule of propriety she giggled into his ear. "See, I told you! I told you were not meant to be alone!" she laughed happily. Suddenly she jumped back. "Oh! I have something for you! Wait here!" and with that she ran back to the Penelope, climbed the ladder and disappeared below deck.
"She giggled … she giggled!" Richard Fitzwilliam called shocked.
Darcy didn't answer.
"Would you be so kind as to introduce me to your lovely wife?" he continued.
Darcy looked at his cousin only raising a brow.
"Oh, come on, Darce."
The other brow followed.
"Fine! Get your wish! Parson Collins! Lead the way, it seems I won't get around having you examine me after all." Richard Fitzwilliam called to the parson, then he turned to his men. "You stay here. Once he is finished with me, you will go through it one after another." he ordered. "Oh, and Darcy! There is another woman, who needs to inspected. Maybe we better not do that in front of everyone. You're going to like this one! I ran into her when I visited an old friend in Paris."
Questioningly Darcy's look followed his cousin as he followed Collins back into the church to the examination room.
"Hello, William." a soft voice spoke from behind him.
I know, I know, another cliffhanger. Sue me! But I think the identity of this person is even more obvious than the last time. xD
Most of you guessed who my mysterious man at the end of the prologue is, so … yay! Richard is back, even if he isn't much like he is usually depicted. Somehow I was more inspired by the interpretation from the Lizzie Bennet Diaries than any other version … so that's why he is a tiny little bit crazy. XD And yes, he is a comic relieve so far. I'm sorry, I just can't seem to write him seriously. :P
And my new character, Christine, is … a bit unconventional. I actually played with a lot of possibilities for her character. What do you think so far?
By the way, this chapter is not betaed at all, so I will probably go over it in the future and correct all the mistake. So sorry, for them. :P