The next couple of weeks passed quickly, and the first of June soon arrived. Georgiana and Aunt Helen arrived at William and Elizabeth's home, and things settled into a routine. Her new sister and aunt took her shopping, and all the ladies met frequently with Mrs. Reynolds and a wedding planner to finalize the wedding details.
This routine was interrupted in the second week of his family in residence with a phone call from the solicitor in Edinburgh. "Darcy, I am afraid there is a problem with Elizabeth's visa application," the solicitor, a Mr. Sinclair, said to William over the phone. "I do not think it will amount to much, but she will need to leave the country for a week or two while matters are settled."
"What?" William exclaimed, sitting at his desk in his office. "What is the problem?"
"It seems your aunt got wind of it and has objected to the relationship by claiming that your fiance has some ulterior motives for seeking the visa. She does not know the two of you are already married, and that will likely aid your application, but Elizabeth needs to leave the country until matters are settled," Sinclair said.
"We are supposed to have our ceremony here in Scotland in four weeks?" William asked, his anger rising at his aunt's machinations.
"I anticipate matters will not take that long to sort," Sinclair replied. "We will send in proof of the marriage, and your uncle, the Earl, will speak in support of the relationship. I have already spoken to him, and I do think this matter will be easily solved. However, I do think it was wise that you kept the news of your marriage from public knowledge. Is your uncle aware?"
"He is not," William told the man. "Do I need to speak to him of it?"
"It might be best if he were aware of all the facts before he speaks to anyone on your behalf," Sinclair responded.
William sighed. "I will call him as soon as I finish with you. How long do we have to leave the country?" he asked.
"Forty-eight hours," Sinclair responded. "She does not have to return to the United States, but she does need to leave the United Kingdom. You could spend a week in Paris or Rome or wherever you like."
He grinned slightly at that. "Two weeks at most?" he inquired.
"Probably less, in all reality," Sinclair told him. "The objection is weak, but the general protocol is the person under investigation needs to leave the country while the investigation is being completed. In all reality, she should have been out of the country while the visa was under consideration, but I was able to obtain special permission."
Again, he sighed. "Thanks, Sinclair," he said to the solicitor before ending the call. That done, he sent Elizabeth a message asking her to come by early and then called his uncle. His uncle was not particularly surprised by the news they had wed in Tennessee and was actually rather pleased. He was less pleased to learn that Catherine was attempting to prevent Elizabeth from getting his visa and intended to make some phone calls on their behalf. Nearly as soon as that conversation ended, Elizabeth entered his office.
She crossed the expanse of his office to him and promptly sat in his lap, kissing his lips. "Hello, my love," she greeted him.
"Mo chridhe, I am so glad you are here. I … I have news," he told her.
"What's wrong, Will?" she asked, noting his tone and creased brows.
"Catherine has struck – she has objected to your visa, and now you have 48 hours to leave the UK while your application is investigated," he admitted and pulled her to him when she gasped her surprise. "Mr. Sinclair believes we can get it sorted quickly, and I have already spoken to my uncle," he hesitated a moment. "I told him of our wedding in Tennessee - the solicitor felt it was best that he was aware of all the facts."
She sighed into his arms. "So, I need to go where?"
"What would you say to visiting Rome? Or Venice?" he asked.
"Alone?" she inquired.
"No, both of us. We could go to the Mediterranean, maybe an island somewhere?" he asked. "It should be no more than two weeks before all is taken care of, but we could spend the fortnight doing whatever we like."
She considered this for a moment. "And he is certain I will obtain the visa in time?"
"Yes," he reassured her with a tight hug. "It's a formality, and, in all reality, you should have not been in the country while your visa was being processed anyway."
She nodded while cuddling deeper into his lap. "I don't care where we go," she said after a few minutes. "I've never been to any of the places you mentioned, so … surprise me, I guess. We have visited the mountains lately; a beach could be nice. You know I love history, so I would be happy in any of the places you mentioned."
He grinned at her before lightly pressing a kiss to her lips. "Leave it to me, mo chridhe. We will have an absolutely lovely holiday – perhaps a mixture of some touristy spots along with some places to relax."
Elizabeth smiled back at him. "That sounds brilliant, love," she answered, relaxing against him as his hands gently caressed over her body.
"Did you lock the door when you entered?" he asked after a moment.
"I did – since Georgiana and Aunt Helen arrived, that has become almost necessary whenever we spend time in a room together," she grinned at him and noted the suggestive look in his eye and his roaming hands.
William began to stand. "We have been inundated with visitors lately, mo ghràdh, and have not had nearly enough time alone. Would you care to fulfill a fantasy of mine in here?"
She laughed. "Your desk?"
"Yes," he said, laying her down on it before kissing her deeply. "I love you, Elizabeth," he said as he lifted his head and began to help her lift her skirt and open her blouse.
Before things could go further, Mrs. Reynolds buzzed him on the intercom. "Mr. Darcy, you have an appointment in half an hour. You asked me to remind you so you could arrive in time."
"How long do I have before I need to leave?" he inquired, hoping his voice was even.
"Ten minutes, sir," she said.
He ended the conversation and continued with his intent to love his wife atop his desk. Both were slightly dishevelled and flushed when they left his office 15 minutes later but were equally satisfied.
Elizabeth drove them to their appointment with the cleric who was to perform the ceremony while William made arrangements for their travel. He also rang his aunt to tell her about the situation and implored her to continue with the plans for the wedding while they were out of the country. Lastly, he informed Mrs. Reynolds of his pending departure and asked her to reschedule meetings as she could or arrange for the meetings to be handled remotely while also making arrangements for their travel. He told her what they had discussed regarding the location but gave her the freedom to make whatever plans she could manage at the last minute.
As she listened to this conversation, Elizabeth began to worry that this all was a huge inconvenience to him. "Really, William," she began sorrowfully, "I hate to take you away from your work yet again. As much as I love the idea of touring the continent with you, it sounds as if you are needed here. Would it be simpler for me to go away and allow you to remain?"
"Not at all, Elizabeth," he reassured, taking her hand in his. "I do not want to be parted from you, mo ghràdh, and it is not inconvenient in the least. I can remain in contact with my office as necessary and can conduct business from anywhere in the world. Even when we were in America, I was still able to conduct business. I can do the same wherever we go."
"Thank you, dearest," she whispered as she parked the car. He leaned over and kissed her before he exited the car and approached the office of the cleric who would marry them according to Scottish law and custom. This meeting was relatively short, as the couple just needed to discuss the wedding ceremony. There was little they could change about the ceremony, but they did opt to keep to the traditional vows instead of writing their own or going with the modern version. Elizabeth teased that she had no intention of promising to obey but that she loved the language of the traditional vows and thought they simply felt right for their wedding.
William had no real opinion and agreed with whatever Elizabeth wanted. their meeting wrapped up within half an hour. As they left, he called Mrs. Reynolds again to ask her if she had been able to make any arrangements for their travel. She had, and he grinned when she told him the location. Their flight and lodgings had been arranged, and they would depart in less than 24 hours. When he hung up, he told Elizabeth the news, although he did withhold the location.
"We are traveling on my jet and are scheduled to depart at noon tomorrow. All we need to do is go home and pack, and the plane will be at the airport in Inverness an hour before our scheduled departure. Mrs Reynolds has made all the arrangements for a week-long stay, with an option to remain a second week if necessary. Apparently, she has already gotten a call from the Visas and Immigration office asking if you have been working at Pemberley or if a paycheck has been issued in your name. She was able to honestly answer in the negative, which apparently was a major part of the 'anonymous' complaint," William told Elizabeth as she drove toward their house. "If that was her only objection, this trip may not be necessary, but I am more than happy to take you regardless. I am very much looking forward to this little getaway.
"Where are we going?" Elizabeth asked.
He shook his head in the negative. "Nope, it's a secret," he replied. "Cannae tell."
She rolled her eyes at his exaggerated accent. "Fine," she said. "What should I pack for this secret trip?"
He grinned. "You have a bikini somewhere, don't you?" he asked, his eyes warm as they caressed her body.
She glanced over at him quickly and blushed at the look in his eye. "So, the beach? Somewhere warm? That sounds lovely. I have adored Scotland, but I do enjoy spending time in the water."
"I rather like the idea of you wet, mo ghràdh," he growled, causing her blush to deepen as he moved his hand to caress her thigh.
"You have a one-track mind, sir," she teased him back, shivering at the feelings his touch wrought in her.
"Only since I met you, mo ghràdh. You have brought it out in me," he replied just as they arrived at the house. The interruption of his aunt and sister prevented the couple from immediately seeking their bedroom, and instead, they were subjected to questions and discussion of the wedding that lasted far longer than the couple would have liked. It wasn't until after dinner that night that they were finally able to head to their bedroom and the privacy to discuss their plans.