Chapter 41
Almack's
A Wednesday Night
Elizabeth straightened her spine and lifted her chin as liveried servants swung open the doors to the exclusive club. The party members were all dressed in their very best, Elizabeth in a brand new gown of deep amber and soft candlelight yellow, with Darcy's gift of pearls wrapped about her neck and topazes and pearl pins in her hair. Beside her, Darcy looked very elegant and dapper in his dark coat and brushed hat, creamy breeches tucked into highly polished boots, chapeau bras on his head, and an ebony cane under his arm.
Beyond him, Jane was a vision from heaven in soft periwinkle covered with white net. Her ears and throat and hair all glittered and flashed with a matched diamond set. Lady Matlock had, as Richard had predicted, not taken long to warm up to her future daughter-in-law, and had promptly started outfitting her as became a daughter-in-law of an earl. At her arm, Richard was dressed in gold-embroidered beiges and browns that flattered his deeply tanned skin and provided a warm counterpoint to Jane's ethereal cool beauty.
Mr. Willis stepped forward with a small deferential bow. "My lord, my lady," he murmured to the Matlocks and made a small gesture towards Elizabeth and Jane. "You are, of course, always welcome at Almack's, but," an apologetic little cough, "I must see vouchers for the ladies, please."
"Of course." Lady Matlock retrieved the vouchers from her reticule, passing them over to Mr. Willis, who bowed them through the inner doors. Elizabeth glanced around the ballroom curiously, taking in the high ceilings and understated, refined wallpaper, the balconies on the second floor, and the milling crowd of the ton.
How gaily dressed everyone was! The ladies wore dresses in pinks and purples and yellows and blues and reds and greens in every shade and hue imaginable, while the men's waistcoats ranged in color from bright mulberry to elegant brown to black and blue and glass green. Jewels glittered in the light of the lamps, while feathers bobbed above elaborate and fantastical coiffures. Lace and silk and feather fans unfurled, as women muttered together while they peeked over fans at the newcomers, and gentlemen craned their heads over exquisite cravats to catch sight of the heiress and her sister.
Elizabeth smiled to herself, amused. Despite being surrounded by the very cream of society, she was reminded of nothing so much as her mother with her head bent near Aunt Phillip, Lady Lucas, and Mrs. Long in the assembly rooms at Meryton, as the ladies murmured to one another anytime someone new arrived.
The wooden-faced musicians at the end of the ballroom began playing the music for a cotillion, and Darcy turned towards his fiancée with a properly detached expression and warmth in his eyes. He bowed over her white gloved hand and asked formally, "Might I have this dance?"
Elizabeth dimpled, suppressing a smile at his extreme propriety, and replied graciously, and with a slight tilt of her head, "You may, kind sir."
They spoke little over the following half-hour, exchanging glances and smiles as their eyes met over the course of the dance. More than once, Elizabeth chuckled a little, thinking of other, much less successful dances in the past. Her eyes twinkled at Darcy as he spun her carefully, and received a glimmer of laughter in return. His mind, too, dwelt on unsuccessful balls and parties in Hertfordshire, she thought. How far they had come!
After their dance, they made their way to the supper room for refreshments. The food, Elizabeth mused, was remarkably simple given that Almack's was considered the most exclusive club in Town. But she supposed that was one of its claims to fame. The six patronesses managed to wield such influence over the haut ton that the nobles and gentry would flock to the Wednesday balls even without the attraction of an elaborate meal or copious quantities of fine alcohol.
In any case, she did not care in the least that she was eating thin slices of bread and butter and drinking lemonade. She was with her love, and in three short days, they would be married at St. George's, and they would be together.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Elizabeth?" Darcy asked softly.
"I am with you, so yes, very much."
"But you are not particularly enjoying Almack's?" her fiancé speculated.
"I am enjoying it tremendously," his lady replied, though softly. "I have heard of Lady Jersey, of course, and Princess Esterhazy, but to see them in person is quite an experience. And the gowns, and the jewels! I have always taken pleasure in observing new people, and the ladies and gentlemen here are so colorful and, indeed, brilliant!"
Darcy grinned and felt himself relaxing. He had been a little worried that Almack's would prove intimidating to his Elizabeth, but of course that was absurd. His darling did not cow easily!
"My dears," Lady Matlock remarked, drawing the attention of both Bennet ladies, "I have spoken to Lady Sefton, and she will personally give you permission to dance the waltz this evening, if you like."
Darcy felt his face flush at the very thought. The waltz was the most intimate of dances, and the image of his arm around his darling's slim waist…
Based on Elizabeth's rosy countenance, he was quite confident that her thoughts had flown in the same direction.
"That would be delightful, would it not?" Darcy asked aloud, and Elizabeth murmured her agreement along with Jane.
"I can barely wait until Saturday," she whispered as they rose from the table, and he could only chuckle in agreement.
/
On the Road to London
The road glowed bright under the light of the sun, shining brilliantly in a pale blue sky. Buds and leaves alike had unfurled on all the trees, and green hedges lined the road, the fields across the low stone walls and stiles a vast swathe of peridot green. The verge was awash in color, all the wildflowers throwing wide their petals, tilting their faces up to drink in the sun and lure in the bees and butterflies. Rabbits peeped through the greenery, birds hopping and scolding and flitting from tree to bush to grassy sward and back again.
The Bennet horses were trotting with good will down the road, drawing the carriage along behind them at a rapid clip. Inside it, four ladies swayed on the plush seats. Sophia suppressed a faint sigh as she looked across at Kitty, who was sitting beside Mrs. Bennet in the forward-facing seat. It was a governess's lot, of course, to ride backwards, when permitted to travel with the family. But Mary was her constant companion going backwards, and Sophia disliked Mrs. Bennet's constant prioritization of her prettier daughters' comfort above Mary's. As the eldest Bennet daughter remaining at Longbourn, it should have been her privilege to ride facing forward, a favor that now, always was conferred on Kitty.
"Three daughters well married!" Mrs. Bennet shrieked for the fourth time, which was astonishing given that they had only left Longbourn two hours previously. "Oh, I could die for happiness, though I do wish that the girls were not required to journey north so quickly. I want them all at Longbourn! What use is it to have three married daughters if I cannot take them to parties!"
Sophia opened her mouth to say something soothing, but Kitty, who was looking noticeably irritated, said, "Mamma, does not Mary look nice today?"
Mrs. Bennet turned a startled look on her third daughter, which shifted into genuine surprise.
"You do look very nice, my dear!" she remarked, leaning forward and narrowing her eyes. "You have added red ribbon to your hat and pelisse, I see!"
"Kitty and Miss Alder helped me," Mary said breathlessly.
"You look quite pretty," her mother replied in a startled tone. "Not as handsome as your sisters, of course, but…"
"I think she looks very pretty," Kitty interrupted indignantly. "That hat frames your face nicely, and the red is a charming contrast to your black hair. Mary, I know we did not have time to make over any of your dresses, but when we return to Longbourn, we will work on your second best ball gown by adding some colorful ribbons. With your black hair, you would do far better with brighter colors. Do you not think, Miss Adler?"
"I do," Sophia agreed, smiling warmly on the second youngest Miss Bennet, who had improved a great deal in these last weeks as she moved out of Lydia's shadow. Sophia was very pleased that Mary and Kitty were spending more time together and that Kitty was willing to use her artistic gifts to improve Mary's appearance.
/
St. George's Church
Hanover Square
Darcy suppressed the urge to once again straighten his cravat and glanced around the church to distract himself from the butterflies churning in his stomach. Flowers sat in the nave and in ribbon-tied vases at the altar, with swags on the ends of the nearly-empty pews. Only the few pews at the very front of the church were filled with family and friends attending the weddings. To his right, Mrs. Annesley was squished in beside a brightly smiling Georgiana, who was herself seated beside her cousin Lady Rachel, with Lord and Lady Matlock at the end of the pew. Behind them sat Miss Russell, who had quietly introduced herself as Captain Russell's sister before taking her lonely spot. Lady Appleby, smiling broadly, sat in the very first row, obviously pleased with her successful matchmaking.
Across the aisle, a beaming Mrs. Bennet sat dabbing her eyes with a generous linen handkerchief, while beside her sat Mary and Kitty, both silent and solemn. At Mary's other side sat Phoebe and Sophia Adler, in pretty, simple dresses with matching elegant buns. At the far end, beside Phoebe Adler, Mrs. Gardiner sat erect and serene, hands folded.
She caught Darcy's eye and smiled, and he inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. He had found himself very pleasantly surprised by the Gardiners, who, while not members of the gentry, had proven sensible and refined. Mr. Gardiner was as genteel as his sister was not, despite her having married a landed gentleman. Mrs. Gardiner was no less charming than her husband, and their children visibly thrived from their parents' loving attention.
The family was now also incredibly rich thanks to Mrs. Simpson's bequest. However, since Mr. Gardiner was a man of trade, the Gardiners would not find it possible to enter high society, though in time, their children might.
Darcy found the family most enjoyable company, and Elizabeth adored them. The Gardiners would be visiting Pemberley in a few months, and the grand old house would ring with laughter and good cheer, with Elizabeth installed as mistress and four young children running through the halls. Darcy grinned to himself at the thought.
The great bell in the clock tower tolled ten times, and Darcy straightened in unison with his cousin Richard and Captain Josiah Russell. The three gentlemen, dressed in their finest evening attire, looked eagerly toward the back doors as they were pulled open by two of Darcy's servants.
Mr. Bennet stepped into the main room of the church, dressed in his Sunday best, his hair neatly combed. On one arm, Jane was resplendent in golden silk and ivory lace, with diamonds at neck and wrists almost as bright as her eyes. Behind them came Mr. Gardiner, escorting Lydia, remarkably subdued for her wedding day, wearing a russet gown heavily embroidered with lace across the bodice to conceal any slight physical signs of the baby she carried.
But Darcy had eyes only for his own bride, on her father's left arm. Her gown was a deep glowing forest green, trimmed with gold lace. An exquisite emerald sat at her throat, matching the ones dripping from her ears, while golden ribbons glimmered in her hair. And yet none of the trappings about her were nearly as beautiful as her enchanting face.
And soon – in but a few minutes – she would be his wife, and he would be her husband. They would be joined together as the two became one.
Elizabeth, her heart racing, gazed down the aisle toward her beloved Fitzwilliam, who was standing in the nave, with Richard Fitzwilliam on one side and Josiah Russell on the other.
She tightened her hand on her father's arm, as he guided his eldest daughters down the wide corridor where he would give up three of his daughters in marriage on one incredible day.
Elizabeth had wondered if she would weep at her wedding – brides often did, she knew – but all she felt was a deep, enduring, passionate joy that her wedding day had come at last, when she and her beloved Darcy would be joined together before God and man.
Her mother and remaining sisters were seated on a pew near the front, facing them with shining eyes, and Mrs. Bennet was beaming so heartily that her cheeks were probably hurting. It had required some careful exposition to explain to Mrs. Bennet and Kitty how it came to be that Lydia was engaged so suddenly, but Richard and Darcy had managed it by representing it as a love at first sight situation. Mrs. Bennet, once she knew that Captain Russell was a distant relative to the Matlocks, had been overjoyed that her youngest child was marrying a man in a red coat. Moreover, it had seemed logical enough that Russell wished to carry his bride to meet extended relations in Scotland, where Lydia would be able to bear her child away from the gossip of London or Hertfordshire.
The Adler twins were seated beside Mary and Kitty, and Elizabeth bestowed a grateful look on both women. Thanks to their intelligence, delicacy, and observation, they had saved the Bennets from disaster and disgrace. Elizabeth and Darcy had agreed that both women would be given four thousand pounds each so that they no longer had to earn their daily bread as governesses. Given that they were fine young women, it was even possible that one or the other would find a good husband if she so desired. And if they preferred to stay single – well, they would have enough to live comfortably.
They had arrived at the front of the sanctuary, and Mr. Bennet, his lip trembling a little, guided Jane's hand to Richard Fitzwilliam's, and Elizabeth's to Darcy's, even as Mr. Gardiner delivered Lydia's hand to Josiah Russell.
All three couples turned toward the elderly rector, who beamed down on them all and began the well known, much beloved words from the Book of Common Prayer.
"Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God..."
/
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Author Note: The last chapter! I am truly thankful for your contributions to this story through your comments, feedback and encouragement. :-)
I will post a note on FF when the "author's cut" of 'Elizabeth Bennet's Inheritance' is available on Amazon - and you can pre-order now. I hope you are able to read the final version with various edits, tweaks and additions ... including 3 chapters of epilogue for peek at the futures of our favorite characters.
Cheers!
Laraba