Lizzie and Darcy get married... finally. Lol.
Emma Woodhouse had gotten back to Lizzie and Darcy with some ideas about their wedding and reception. The couple picked their favorite one and amended the plan until it was to their exact specifications. She met with them in-person in their home to go over the final details and also to do some pre-marital coaching.
"If you didn't already know, I don't cover only the wedding planning and all the minor details. I also am a matchmaker and lifestyle coach. I have a lot of successful experiences and I highly suggest my couples sit down with me for a pre-marital advisory session. It comes with my services at no extra cost."
"What do you say, Will?"
"Whatever you want to do, my love."
"I say we go for it?"
"Perfect! We can do it right now or we can schedule another time.", said Emma.
"No, no. Let's do it now. Or just give me twenty minutes to get the baby to sleep and we can get started.", Lizzie interjected, noticing Isabella rubbing her eyes- a telltale sign that she is due for a nap.
When the baby was asleep, the couple and Emma reconvened in the living room and they started their conversation.
"I'm going to jump right in: Why do you want to get married? Why now? Why not just continue living together like you've been?"
Darcy immediately answered without even thinking. "Well for one, marriage is the ultimate commitment. There's saying that you love each other and then there's actually doing something to show yourselves and the rest of the world that you mean it. And the government. There are all kinds of legal rights that come with marriage.", and then he went on to explain how they're finally ready.
"Okay. Great answer. Let' s get the elephant in the room out of the room. Money. Have you two discussed finances and who is going to pay for what? Are you spenders or savers? Etc?"
Lizzie took this one. "We've discussed finances plenty of times. When I agreed to move in with him I was recently graduated and didn't have much to my name. I didn't want to feel like he was maintaining me or like I was using him. But now, I make way more than I ever thought I would so soon after graduating. We have separate accounts and a joint account as well, where the bills are paid from. He obviously makes way more than I do, but we contribute equal percentages. I am also more open to gifts and such now that I have the money to afford them myself and give him equally expensive gifts. That was one of the things we used to fight about in the beginning, but not so much anymore.", Lizzie answered with a smile.
Darcy squeezed her hand in agreement. They continued their session and Emma stated that they were great together. Everything isn't perfect and they don't agree about everything, but on the important things they are on the same wavelength.
Emma said her goodbyes and Lizzie and Darcy walked her out. They felt even more secure and certain about their engagement than ever. Love can't solve all problems. Luckily for them, they were two reasonable, intelligent people who weren't too different despite their backgrounds.
The big day neared and both Lizzie and Darcy were feeling anxious. The formality and the weight of it all had them worked up. Their wedding was Saturday, July 11 and their families started arriving on Wednesday. All had arrived by Friday night for a rehearsal dinner of the reception. They all stayed at the Darcy estate because it's only on occasions like weddings or other big events that they're all under one roof and they wanted to enjoy everyone's company before the newlyweds went on their three-week honeymoon. Aunt Catherine came down, the Bennets flew in, Gigi flew in along with her super serious boyfriend Sydney, the Lees flew from New York, Caroline came down from L.A., and Charlotte and her fiancé Carlos flew in too.
Early in the morning, the day of the wedding, the members of the wedding party were all getting their make-up and hair professionally done by Emma's favorite glam squad. Although the only bridesmaids were Jane, Lydia, Gigi, and Charlotte, the mother of the bride, Aunt Catherine, and Caroline were all invited to get dolled up with Lizzie. (As if Mrs. Bennet would ever let herself be excluded).
Lizzie and Darcy chose not to adhere to Mrs. Bennet's demands of separation before the wedding. They went right on living like they normally would, with the exception of sleeping with Isabella every night that week. They were going to be without her for a really long time, which was a first for them.
Darcy had set his alarm and woke up before it even went off because he was so excited. He was going to wake up Lizzie right away, but he decided to give her a few more minutes of peace and rest before he did. Also, he couldn't muster up the urge to ruin the tranquil image before him. Their little toddler was curled up into Lizzie's chest and Lizzie hugged her close. He snapped a quick picture on his phone before going to the bathroom to brush his teeth and use the toilet.
It broke his heart to disturb her, but if she didn't wake up now, she'd be behind schedule on their very busy day. Lizzie needed to be showered and ready for hair and make-up by the time Emma's glam squad arrived.
"Lizzie? Wake up, my darling.", he whispered to her after leaving the bathroom. She stirred a little and he rubbed her shoulders.
"Come on, Lizzie, wake up. Don't you want to get married today?", he asked.
She smiled and then opened her eyes and whispered, "Of course."
After hair and make-up were done, everyone dressed up and started making their way downstairs. The guys were all ready and awaited the parade of beautiful women to descend the stairs.
Lizzie and Darcy texted each other to meet up before leaving the house. Darcy stood in their bedroom in the dark. He and Lizzie had seen each other's outfits and everything beforehand but they didn't want to spoil the surprise of seeing them on. And not because of some stupid tradition Mrs. Bennet tried to shove down their throats, but because they wanted to.
Darcy had his back towards the door when Lizzie walked in. She quickly shut the door so the room would be dark again.
"Babe?", she asked.
"I'm by the bed.", he answered.
She walked slowly with her hands out and stopped when she felt him. His back was still turned to her and she hugged him tightly from behind.
"You ready to do this?", she inquired.
"I've never been more prepared for anything in my life.", he answered honestly and he turned around. He hugged her close and she lightly pressed her face on his chest to avoid ruining her makeup.
"Where's our daughter?", she asked.
"My aunt has her. Have you seen her yet? She looks adorable."
"I bet she does."
"Do you feel silly standing here in the dark? Because I do.", he admitted.
"I do, too. But this is the only way we could be together without spoiling what we look like. I really can't wait to see how handsome you look."
"Let me assure you, I look quite dapper."
Lizzie laughed and he could feel her laughter on his chest. They shared a moment of silence; of mutual happiness and peace.
"Let's get married, Bennet."
"After you, Darcy."
He turned to leave and he had gotten a few strides in when Lizzie pulled his arm. He stopped and turned around, for he knew what she wanted. He wanted it to.
He held her face gently and she rested her hands softly on his chest and they kissed. It was deep and fiery yet tender and sweet at the same time. It was the 'I love you' they were saving for their vows.
Darcy broke the kiss suddenly and walked away quickly. He shut the door behind him and shook his head to get the feeling of Lizzie's lips out of his head.
Lizzie sighed longingly and waited a minute before leaving the room to join the others. The glam squad fixed her make-up up on the way to the park.
When they got to the park, it was empty. That was because Emma rented out the whole park for their short ceremony. Lizzie and Darcy were going to be wed in the exact location that they had gotten engaged. They had chairs and tents set up in the grass for the select few that were going to witness the actual union, and they had a wedding arch set up in front of the fountain; all of which were adorned with beautiful arrangements of flowers in all shades of violet and white. That was their color scheme of choice: different shades of purple.
It was a very serene scene. The only sound was the gargling of the fountain and the chirping of birds until the guy Emma hired to play some tunes on a keyboard started filling in the silence.
The guests consisted of their families and close friends. It was very private. All the other guests would be attending the reception later that day.
Everyone was sitting and waiting when Darcy and his groomsmen walked down the aisle and took their places. He had on a three-piece suit with lavender accents and a silky lavender bowtie. His men all had same colors but they donned regular ties. Darcy stood there with his chin tucked in, looking a little pale until the musician started playing the bridal march.
He held his breath. He watched Gigi, Lydia, Charlotte, and Jane walk down the aisle before he finally exhaled. He had no choice because he had to laugh. Isabella ran down the aisle in a beautiful little lilac dress and a flowered crown atop her dark waves, throwing flower petals from a tiny basket. She was doing it all wrong but it was perfect to him. The ladies all wore different dresses but all were in keeping with the color scheme.
When she got to the end of the aisle she said, "Daddy!", and raised her arms for him to lift her up. He picked up her and said, "Good job, Isabella! Kisses!", and she smooched him on the cheek. Everyone smiled and laughed at the interaction but they were used to it. Fatherhood had brought out a side of Darcy nobody had imagined was possible.
Then came Lizzie's turn. She stepped onto the carpet and slowly walked towards the man that she was going to spend the rest of her life with. She wore a beautiful pastel purple-colored strapless dress belted at the waist, which was designed by Jane. Her hair was done in an elaborate half-up, half-down style with braids and waves and flowers. She looked like a beautiful fairy to Darcy.
She was nervous before she made her appearance but that feeling disappeared and was replaced by joy. She saw Darcy carrying their baby girl and grinning at her and then wondered why she was nervous. Those two were the things that made her happiest and this union wasn't going to do anything to disrupt that. It was going to strengthen their little family.
"Mommy!", Isabella yelled when Lizzie was half-way to Darcy.
Lizzie laughed and said "Hey, pretty girl!", and waved at her. It was then that Lizzie felt a teardrop by her nose. She had been crying without noticing. She quickly wiped it and gave Izzy a kiss when she arrived at the end of the aisle.
Darcy handed Izzy over to Mrs. Bennet, who was sitting in the front row of chairs, right by the aisle.
Then he turned to Lizzie and grabbed her hand. Lizzie smiled and then with her free hand she tenderly wiped a tear from the corner of Darcy's eye.
"There we go. Now we're both tear-free.", she said still smiling.
He had so many things that he wanted to say but couldn't. That she looked stunning; that he loved her; that he was so happy he could die.
She hid very similar thoughts behind her grin.
They were going to be married by a Justice of the Peace that Emma recommended. They wanted to keep things neutral considering that they weren't the most religious couple.
When it came time to say their vows, Lizzie and Darcy had each written their own.
Lizzie cleared her throat, looked Darcy in the eyes, and began her speech.
"William Darcy, I love you.", she said with a big smile which made him smile too. "It's so strange to me that I can say that now. Three years ago I couldn't even fathom you and I having an actual conversation, much less getting married! But here we are… and I'm so glad. I can't imagine not having you by my side. We've been through so much together and what we've overcome has helped us to become closer and appreciate one another even more. I wouldn't change any of it; especially not our baby girl. I have no regrets when it comes to you, babe… I am looking forward to our future together; to growing with you and learning with you and experiencing life with you; to all the hugs, kisses, caresses, and words of love and encouragement that I'm going to get to shower you with for the rest of our lives… The ring that I'm itching to place on your finger is just a small symbol of our love because what we feel can't be expressed. The ring is mainly to show the rest of the world that you are taken; that you are mine and I am yours forever."
Darcy wiped tears away from Lizzie's eyes and mouthed, "Forever.", and then the JP announced it was his turn to say what was in his heart. Darcy straightened up to his full height and spoke with conviction.
"I do not think you can completely understand how ecstatic I am to be standing here. I know you love me. You do not have to utter those words for me to feel it, but oh how I do love to hear you say them.", he said with a chuckle.
Lizzie laughed and mouthed, "I love you!"
"I have loved you longer than you have loved me and if I could go back and tell past-Darcy that his dreams were nothing in comparison to what was actually going to happen in the future, I wouldn't have believed myself. It is extremely gratifying to be marrying you today, to say the least. I still pinch myself sometimes in order to confirm that our journey together hasn't just been a blissfully long dream…", and Lizzie could see the relief in his eyes.
He continued, "Elizabeth Bennet, you have turned my world upside down and inside out and I thank you for it. You've given me so much joy and love and support in the few years we've been together than I had experienced in almost my whole life. You've given me the wondrous experience that is Fatherhood, and you're about to give me the role that I've been looking forward to most since I met you: the role of being your husband. I love you so, so much Lizzie and I promise you I will never let you forget it."
Mrs. Bennet was sobbing. Her heart was swollen with emotion. There she was sitting with her grandbaby on her lap at the wedding of her middle daughter who she'd always assumed would end up in the worst situation. She turned out to have exactly what her mother prayed for so much over the years: She found a rich man who was also a good man and he loved her and as a bonus, she got a grandbaby out of her much sooner than expected. She loved Jane and Lydia, but she always feared most for Lizzie and now those fears were dissipated.
Mr. Bennet looked on with pride. He was happy for his favorite daughter. She lucked out and Darcy hit the jackpot. He knew they were going to be happy together. Aunt Catherine's thoughts were similar to Mr. B's. Although Lizzie may not have been her first pick, she knew that no other woman would make Darcy feel the way he did.
After placing the rings on each other's fingers and the I do's, the JP pronounced Lizzie and Darcy husband and wife and the audience exploded. There was applause and hooting and hollering.
"You may kiss the bride.", the JP declared over the din, and Lizzie and Darcy shared their first kiss as newlyweds.
Isabella started clapping and giggling. She absolutely loved it when her parents kissed.
"Come here, Izzy!", Lizzie said with her arms wide open. Isabella hopped out of her grandmother's grasp and into her mother's arms. She and Izzy went back to Darcy and the three of them stood there looking every bit like the happy family that they were.
After several congratulations, Emma announced that it was time for photoshoots. Lizzie and Darcy were going to take pictures with their wedding party and each other. They went all around the closed park and got some amazing shots.
The reception was going to be held in one of the most exclusive hotel ballrooms in San Francisco. It was decorated with the flamboyance that their wedding ceremony lacked. The majority of the guests were business relations that Lizzie and Darcy had invited as well distant friends and relatives.
They all danced and drank and ate and had an amazing time before Lizzie and Darcy had to go. They had a flight to catch for their honeymoon.
Lizzie and Darcy said their goodbyes to their families and they both were heart-broken in their goodbyes to little Isabella. On the way home to get ready for their flight, Lizzie and Darcy both expressed how much they already missed her. Then Lizzie changed the topic.
"So… you still haven't told me where we're going. I've had my passport for weeks now and you have yet to give me any other clues.", she said poking his chest.
He laughed.
"Are you laughing at your wife, Mr. Darcy?"
"Why yes I am, Mrs. Dar-. Wait. Are you Mrs. Darcy?"
"I am to you."
"So you've decided against taking my last name?", he asked a little disappointed, although he knew that was a possibility.
"I haven't decided yet. I am still Elizabeth Bennet for our honeymoon. When we get back and we get our marriage certificate, then I can make changes. I still don't know. But to you and anybody else who asks, I am Mrs. Darcy."
"Alright, Mrs. Darcy, I will give you one hint."
"Do tell."
"Our destination is in the eastern hemisphere."
"You're so specific, Will."
"I will give more hints as the time for our departure nears. And no random guessing."
Lizzie rolled her eyes. He was enjoying this.
When they arrived at home, they headed upstairs to change and finalize their packing.
"How am I supposed to know what to take if I don't know where I'm going, babe?"
"Take a little of everything.", he said. He had already packed his bag. Lizzie combed through his things a few days ago but was stumped because he had all types of clothing and toiletries in his stuff. He did it on purpose to keep her guessing.
When they arrived at the airport, Lizzie still had no clue where they were going. Darcy's clues were unhelpful, purposely so, in her opinion.
They got in line to check in and finally Lizzie found out where they were going. They were going to spend some time in Italy, then France, then Spain, and they were going to end their vacation in England.
Darcy had been to all these places before but he had never really enjoyed his time there because he'd been there for business. Now, he gets to experience these cultures for the first time with his wife.
Their flight was a long one and they actually managed to sleep through most of it. Darcy had international calling on his cell phone, so when they arrived safely in their hotel, they called to notify their families and speak with their daughter.
They were still weary from traveling and went to sleep immediately. But when they awoke, they remembered where they were and why they were there.
"Good morning, my love."
"Good morning, babe."
"How are you liking our honeymoon so far?"
"I'm here with you, aren't I? I love it.", she answered and gave him a quick kiss.
"There's something wrong though."
"What?", she asked. He motioned for her to come closer so he could whisper to her as if his reply were a secret.
"I have yet to make love to my wife.", he confessed.
Lizzie laughed. "Really? What a shame. Come to think of it, I haven't made love to my husband yet either."
"What a predicament.", he said leaning over to kiss her.
"Mmhmm…", she replied.
They made love in Italy, France, Spain, and England. Their whole trip was full of pleasure and fun and food and amazing company. They experienced many firsts together, including tattoos. It was out of character for the both of them, but they decided to get matching tattoos of their wedding date. They both got the tattoo in a place that nobody but them would able to see it: on their hips. The tiny tattoos would be hidden by their underwear or bathing suits and could only be seen if their clothing was pulled down. They are only ones pulling down their clothes, so their secret was safe.
After three weeks of spending time with just each other- a luxury they hadn't had since before Isabella was born almost two years ago- they finally had to go back home. The newlyweds were going to miss their honeymoon, but they had plenty of pictures and videos and memories to reminisce with. And they were also looking forward to seeing their baby girl and getting back to work.
About a month after returning to their lives, Lizzie stopped by with Isabella to have lunch with Darcy in his office. She said she had some good news to share with him.
They ate at his desk, with her sitting across from them and Isabella on the floor. When they were done, Lizzie came around to Darcy and sat on his lap.
"So I came here not only to have lunch with my amazing husband-", she said and she pinched his cheeks a little. "-but also to share some good news."
Her purse sat on the desk and she leaned forward and took out her wallet.
She handed him her license and several other forms of identification and waited for him to read her name.
"Elizabeth Bennet Darcy?", he asked.
"Now I'm Mrs. Darcy to everyone else as well. I decided to keep my last name but I wanted yours as well. I didn't want to hyphenate it because then it'd be too long. So I made my last name my middle name. I am Elizabeth Darcy, but I can also be Elizabeth Bennet.", Lizzie explained with a smile.
Darcy was touched. "You didn't have to, my love."
"I wanted to. I like it. Elizabeth Darcy. It sounds great. And now the four of us will have the same last name."
"Four?"
"That brings me to the other part of my good news... So remember how we talked about trying for another baby on our honeymoon? Well, you and I are very fertile because I'm pregnant again, babe!"
"What?! Lizzie! Are you serious?!" he exclaimed and he hugged her tightly.
She giggled and said, "Yes. I don't know how far along I am yet, as I just found out yesterday-", she said pulling out a pregnancy test out of her purse. "-but I wanted to tell you as soon as possible."
"Let's go find out right now.", he urged.
"But don't you have that thing later?"
"I can still make it if we leave now. And even if I don't make it back on time, it does not matter. You arepregnant! We're going to have another baby! I can't believe it.", he declared, the excitement unmistakable in his voice.
Lizzie was approximately six weeks pregnant, which means that the new baby was conceived within the first week of their honeymoon.
While they were driving back to Pemberley Digital, Lizzie and Darcy wondered about whether it was going to be another girl or their first boy.
"You know, we have had two interesting conceptions. Isabella was an unexpected pregnancy and this little one was conceived in Italy.", she said rubbing her lower belly.
"I think I can recall the exact moment.", Darcy joked.
Lizzie gasped and hit him playfully on the arm. "Will!", and she giggled because she now that he mentioned it, she thought she could too.
December 2014. This is the last chapter.
Thanks for reading. It's been a long journey. I've enjoyed writing this story a lot and I've learned a lot. Much respect to writers out there. It's not easy getting something that you envision into words.
I really appreciate all the suggestions and kind words I've received from readers with this story!
~Cyberhugs