September 1812

One month before the wedding, invitations began to be sent out. The first discussion between Elizabeth and Darcy was whether or not they should invite the Stevens. In the end, Elizabeth prevailed, claiming her friend John Lucas was getting married to Marianne Stevens in a few days, and she wanted to invite the Lucases to the wedding.

After hesitating for a few days, Elizabeth finally sent an invitation to the Bennets, but as she had expected, they wouldn't attend. However, Mr. Bennet and Kitty sent her a brief letter to congratulate her on her wedding. Jane never replied to Elizabeth's letter, and sadly, their friendship of many years was over forever.

Despite Lady Maria's support of the wedding and her praises of Elizabeth's fine qualities, at first the Matlocks were disappointed that Darcy was marrying a young woman not from the first circles of London. Added to this, Lady Matlock had been a close friend of Lady Isabella's mother since childhood, and the young lady had had the illusion of being the future Mrs. Darcy. But in the end, Lord and Lady Matlock decided to accept Miss Bennet as a niece and help her navigate London's high society. They recognized that Elizabeth was a gentleman's daughter; she was very pretty, intelligent, and accomplished, and she had an excellent dowry. The latter, in particular, was what Lady Matlock took it upon herself to spread among her acquaintances in high society.

Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had had the opportunity to know Elizabeth better than his parents, supported Darcy's decision wholeheartedly. He had even joked on more than one occasion with his cousin that if he had known Miss Bennet had such a large dowry, he would have been interested in marrying her. Although Darcy knew it was a joke on his cousin's part, he would always be grateful to Mr. Thompson for persuading Elizabeth not to disclose that she had such a large dowry.

As expected, Lady Catherine did not reply to the wedding invitation. But discreetly, Anne sent a short letter genuinely congratulating Darcy and Elizabeth.

PPP

At last, the long-awaited day arrived, and a group of about fifty people gathered at Pemberley Chapel to witness Elizabeth Bennet's wedding to Fitzwilliam Darcy.

As the organ played, Mr. Thompson, with tears in his eyes, entered the church arm in arm with his beloved granddaughter. Elizabeth was radiant in a new pearl-colored gown with beautiful flowers and pearl adornments intertwined in her dark hair, while Darcy was wearing a dark blue suit that brought out the color of his eyes.

When Darcy saw his bride walk down the aisle, he was immensely moved. He had never seen his Elizabeth so beautiful. At last, her grandfather, with a slight nod, kissed Elizabeth's forehead and placed her hand on Darcy's.

It was clear to the vicar who officiated the ceremony and to everyone present that this was a love match. The couple said their vows with conviction and feeling, both of their voices trembling with emotion, and Elizabeth shed some tears.

The Bingleys, who had recently bought and moved to an estate a scant thirty miles from Pemberley, were the witnesses to the wedding and happily signed the registry. Georgiana was quite happy that Elizabeth was now her sister, and she told the newlywed couple with great joy the very good news that in less than five months she was going to have a baby.

Caroline Bingley congratulated Darcy and Elizabeth almost nonchalantly. She had met Sir Tobias a few months ago in London, who had recently inherited the title of Baron along with many debts. Theirs would be a marriage of convenience; Sir Tobias needed £20,000 to pay his debts, and in return, Caroline was going to be Lady Maxwell.

After a succulent wedding breakfast at Pemberley, the Darcys left for the Lakes Region, where Darcy had a small but comfortable cottage. They waited until they reached their destination to consummate their marriage.

The first night they spent together as husband and wife was the happiest of Darcy's life, a memory they would both treasure until the day they died. Elizabeth was wearing a beautiful lace nightgown, and her hair was down. She was on the small balcony of the bedroom, looking at the beautiful view of the mountains in the moonlight.

For several moments, Darcy was both petrified and enthralled, looking at his beautiful wife, and gently approached her. Tenderly, he embraced her and kissed her shoulder and elegant neck.

Elizabeth turned slightly around, and they kissed passionately. Between kisses, Darcy said, "I have dreamt of seeing you like this countless times, with your hair down and loose."

With a mischievous smile, Elizabeth asked, "Tell me, what other things have you dreamed of?"

He kissed her again and replied. "I have dreamed of kissing every part of your beautiful body and being so close to you that not even the air can fit between us. I love you so much, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth blushed and kissed him, saying, "You have my permission to make your dreams come true. I love you too, Fitzwilliam."

Looking tenderly and passionately into her eyes, Darcy guided her inside the bedchamber and then untied the laces of her nightgown until it fell to the floor. To Darcy's delight, Elizabeth was completely naked.

He looked at her, bewitched by her stunning figure, and whispered, "You are so beautiful, my love, so beautiful." He carried her to the bed, and in a few seconds, Elizabeth was lying in the middle of the bed with her hair spread out on the pillow.

Darcy stared at her with desire, love, and passion. He fulfilled his dream of kissing and caressing her with abandon, and when they did come together as a couple, it was one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives.

During their first three weeks as husband and wife, they spent plenty of time in their bedroom. But they also had time to explore the beautiful region. Elizabeth was a passionate and curious woman and a fast learner, and their lovemaking was even better than in his wildest dreams. To Darcy's joy, they agreed on their first night together that, from that day forward, they would always share a bed. Before retiring to their shared bedroom, she would play the piano and sing for him.