Chapter 56: The wedding
Lady Anderson sat in Elizabeth's room the next morning.
"How are you feeling?" she asked Elizabeth in a low voice.
"I am well. Is Miss Anderson all right?" she asked. She understood everything that had transpired the previous evening from Darcy. The very fact that Miss Anderson tried to kill her own mother along with her in the fire shocked Elizabeth.
"You still care about her after what she has done?"
"Her hatred for me blinded her so much that she lost control of her mind. It pains me to think that she put your life in danger as well just to harm me. As horrifying as it is, we must understand why she did it, and I forgive her. I doubt whether she was in her right senses yesterday," she said.
"No one can look at it like you do, especially your father and Mr. Darcy. She is in a state of shock now, and your father is angry with me for having revealed the nature of her birth."
Elizabeth was silent.
"You knew my secret all the while; why didn't you mention it while I hurled accusations at you and questioned your mother's character?"
"Lady Anderson, for six months, I have lived thinking that my mother birthed me out of wedlock, but I could not hate her, nor could I criticize her actions. I defended her against every accusation thrown my way. If I could not do it to my mother, neither could I do it to you," she said, and Lady Anderson was speechless.
"I wish things were not like this for you. Mark should have married Sarah, and you would have had his love and protection since childhood. I am truly sorry for what has happened. All this while, the only thing that worried me was accepting you into our family, but now I understand that it is the other way around. Would you have the heart to accept me as a part of your life? I am truly ashamed of what I said to you and how I have treated you since the day we met. You have taught me a lesson for life, Elizabeth, a lesson though late that will take me to the grave as a better human being."
Elizabeth smiled.
"You are his wife; though he states he was unhappy to marry you, both of you gave him a purpose in life, to live. I forgive you, and I am glad that you will be a part of my future. After spending months feeling like an orphan, God has been kind to me, and I am now surrounded by people who care for me."
"I spitefully declared that you will never be happy with Mr. Darcy in the future. I take back my words. If someone as kind-hearted as you cannot be happy, then I wonder who will. You will be very happy and be blessed with many children. I assure you," she said, and to Elizabeth's astonishment, Lady Anderson kissed her forehead.
"Elizabeth, listen to me; I do not care about what anyone would say; you are coming with me to Pemberley. I cannot leave you here," Darcy argued, pressing her to leave with him.
"I cannot; please do not press me; we hardly have ten days for the wedding."
"Exactly, you are not safe here. You convinced me not to take any action against her, and if she is going to live in the same house, I cannot leave you here."
"Fitzwilliam, please stop speaking like this; you will hurt my father beyond measure. Miss Anderson can't do anything to me; what she did was done without thought, and I understand she is feeling unwell and is in bed. Please, let us not create unwanted tension."
"She tried to kill you; and you want me to let you live here? However she feels now does not matter to me, it might be an act, and she may be planning something."
"Did my father speak with you regarding this?"
"He did, and he thanked me for not involving the authorities. I explicitly told him that you were the only reason for my decision."
"Did he assure you I will be safe here?" she asked.
"He did."
"Then, I trust him and want you to do the same. I understand your concern for my safety; please do not think I am disrespecting you. I assure you that I feel safe here, with my father; you need to be in Pemberley receiving the guests and helping Georgiana. I am well now and should be able to leave the room today."
"You will not do anything like that. You will rest until you are well, and I forbid you from leaving your room."
"Why don't you just lock me inside and leave your valet out to guard the room?" she asked with irritation.
"That seems like a good idea," he said for a moment, thinking about the possibility.
"Fitzwilliam, you do not understand the amount of pressure you are putting on me now," she cried.
Georgiana intervened, unable to watch them argue.
"Lizzy, please calm down. You must not strain yourself," she said, worried about her health and well-being. Finally, she convinced her brother to leave Ashton Park, but Darcy was not very happy about it.
"Lady Martha, I trust you; please do not let her be alone. I do not want Lady Anderson's daughter anywhere near Elizabeth. You cannot imagine how much it pains me to leave her now," he said as he left.
Meanwhile, Lord Anderson sat with his wife to have a painful discussion.
"I know you cannot forgive her. Neither can I, but Elizabeth does," Lady Anderson said to her husband.
"How can I forgive her? I might have lost both of you in the fire," he cried in agony, "And now she knows the truth about her birth, and I am not certain if she will ever recover from this; you have only fueled her hatred with the declaration."
"I do not think so; I think being aware of the truth will make her understand what a privileged life she has led so far. She is in a state of shock now, but I hope she will regret her actions. I promise you; she cannot harm Elizabeth anymore."
"Her actions question her upbringing, and we must be ashamed of the same."
"Leave yourself out of this, Mark. If someone is to blame, it is me, and I will do everything I can to correct her flaws," she said with resolve.
Lord Anderson felt conflicted, torn between the moral responsibility to punish her and fighting the need to forgive her. But he was not willing to compromise on Elizabeth's safety.
What if she tries it again?
He wondered and decided to have men guard her room, but to his surprise, he saw that Lady Martha had already taken care of it.
"I am sorry that it came to this, Mark. But we must be thankful that Fitzwilliam decided against getting her arrested, and I owe it to him to keep Elizabeth safe. Beatrice will not be a part of the engagement party, nor will she attend the wedding; I have promised Fitzwilliam the same," Lady Martha declared, unwilling to trust anyone else in the matter.
The evening of the engagement party was magical, according to Elizabeth. Lady Martha had outdone herself with the arrangements. All the guests who travelled from town were present at Ashton Park, and Elizabeth could not contain her happiness when she saw Mary and Charlotte.
Kitty and Lydia accompanied the Gardiners, and Mary informed her that Jane had chosen to stay behind.
"She tried to force Kitty and Lydia to stay with her, but they wanted to attend your wedding. Lizzy, I must say, it has been a tough time for them, but unlike Jane, they understand that it is not too late to change, and the future solely lies in their hands."
"Do they miss their parents very much? And what about you?" she asked Mary with guilt.
"They do and honestly I do too, but any moment I think about them, the only thing that comes to my mind is their unforgivable actions, overshadowing any good memory we had with them," she said.
The engagement party took place as planned, with Lord Anderson declaring Elizabeth as his daughter, and he addressed her as "Miss Elizabeth Anderson" before the gathering.
And at that moment, Elizabeth somehow missed her mother, the one she had never seen in her life. Darcy stood along with her as the guests crowded them with wishes.
Darcy was mesmerized by Elizabeth's beauty that evening as she wore a gown with intricate embroidery in a beautiful shade of purple.
"I must tell you how enchanting you look this evening," he whispered to her during their dance, finally getting his chance.
"You look very handsome, as always, Mr. Darcy," she said, even though it annoyed him when she addressed him that way, yet he could not help but enjoy her teasing.
"I am so thankful that you have found your father. Irrespective of whatever has happened in the past, I am glad to see that you have a good relationship with him now."
"I do! And honestly, I will miss him once he leaves," she said, watching Darcy frown.
"Fitzwilliam, you have to accept it; even though I will be happily married to you, and you will do everything to make me smile, I will still miss my father."
"If that is the case, we can travel to Scotland and see him, I promise you," he said, and Elizabeth smiled.
"I have asked him to walk me down the aisle."
"I am aware, and he was elated to declare the same to us the other day. Even Mr. Gardiner was happy about it, and I cannot wait to see you as my bride," he said.
Lady Martha was delighted to see the guests enjoying themselves, and she felt that Elizabeth had brought back the joy Ashton Park had been missing since Lady Sophia's death.
"Darcy, I must remind you that it is my turn now to dance with Miss Anderson; I suggest you find a good corner in the room and stare at the chandelier as you usually do," Richard said to Darcy, making Elizabeth laugh.
Darcy gave his cousin one of his glares and walked away reluctantly.
It was a happy evening for everyone, and even though her daughter was not allowed to come down, Lady Anderson ensured she did everything to help the evening run smoothly.
"I appreciate what you are trying to do for Elizabeth," Lord Anderson said.
"I can never compensate for the ill-treatment she faced from me, and I will not hold you in contempt if you doubt my words, but I do want her to have the right place in your life. According to me, she is our eldest daughter and the one who has given Beatrice a chance to live a decent life despite her cruel act. And I am ever so grateful for her intervention; if not, I am certain Mr. Darcy would have never spared her. She might have been in prison now, and it pains me to think I pushed her to this state," Lady Anderson said with remorse.
Though Lady Anderson had revealed the truth about her daughter's birth, everyone aware of the secret decided to keep it to themselves. Darcy could not believe that Elizabeth was already aware of it but did not disclose it to him.
The evening ended with Lord Anderson and Elizabeth dancing together, and everyone, including Lady Anderson, was happy to see them.
"How long has it been since you danced, Papa?" Elizabeth asked.
"I don't remember, my dear. It might have been ages, and you can tell easily, can't you?"
"I can tell by the expression on your face," she said, smiling.
Lord Anderson stared into her eyes, fondly remembering his dance with her mother when he first met her at a ball.
"I have invited Mr. Darcy to Scotland to visit our estate. I hope you can convince him; I am certain he does not want you to be anywhere around Beatrice."
"I will try my best."
"Even if you deny it, it is your home, Elizabeth; your childhood should have been there, with me, growing up as my daughter. If you choose to visit me there someday, I will be delighted. Be assured my trips to Derbyshire will not be once a year anymore, but more frequent."
"I would love to visit, and I promise we will plan."
Lord Anderson turned around and glanced at Darcy, who stood with Mr. Bingley and Mary.
"You have found yourself a remarkable man as your husband, who has stood by you through thick and thin. I hope you know that he would do anything for your happiness."
"I do," she said, looking in his direction and locking eyes with Darcy.
Lord Anderson took Elizabeth to his room as soon as the guests left that evening and handed her a box.
"What is it, Papa?"
"It is your engagement present."
Elizabeth opened it eagerly, and inside the box, she found her mother's chain she had thrown at her father in anger.
"I gifted this to Sarah the day we married; I understand why she wanted you to have it."
Elizabeth found a rolled sheet of paper in the box, looked at it, and gasped.
The sheet displayed a sketch of a young woman, and Elizabeth immediately knew who it was. Every detail on the features of the face was meticulously drawn, leaving her with no doubt about the identity.
"This is your mother, Sarah," Lord Anderson said.
Elizabeth could not control her tears; she had often wondered how her mother looked, and now she did not have that regret.
She hugged her father tightly and it was the first time she did so.
"You have given me the best gift ever."
The night before the wedding, Charlotte sat with Elizabeth in her room. Mrs. Gardiner had decided that Elizabeth would be more comfortable with her friend regarding the subject of discussion.
Charlotte gave Elizabeth a vague outline of what to expect the next day.
"Charlotte, you are scaring me."
"Am I to believe that anything in this world could scare you, Lizzy?"
Elizabeth was silent, struggling to hide her fear regarding the topic discussed.
"Good heavens! You are terrified, aren't you? From what I know from Mrs. Gardiner, Mary had a better temperament than you during this discussion. You act as if you never even thought about it," Charlotte said.
"Yes, I did not; as ridiculous as it sounds with everything that has happened lately in my life, I failed to think about the prospect of my wedding night," she said with irritation.
"I can only tell you that you need to trust your husband, and everything will be well," Charlotte reassured her friend.
After she left, Elizabeth sat in bed with a book, understanding that she would never sleep till morning.
The wedding day was beautiful, as it had snowed the previous day, and Lady Martha never left Elizabeth's side until she was ready.
"You look beautiful, Elizabeth, and Fitzwilliam is a lucky man," she said, admiring her niece.
Edmund and Emily sneaked into her room, wanting to see her as the bride. Even though she knew she was not moving far away, Elizabeth felt sad to leave Ashton Park.
Lord Anderson felt emotional to see her in her wedding dress, and the party set off to the church in happy spirits.
The wedding was a beautiful affair, and the church was filled with happy faces of friends and family who wished nothing but joy for the couple.
Darcy had anticipated the moment for a long time; he had imagined Elizabeth walking into the church countless times in his dreams, but nothing was close to reality.
As Elizabeth walked down the aisle with her father, Darcy held his breath. Even from a distance, he could see her eyes sparkle with joy as she saw him, and she smiled, a smile so beautiful and special, and Darcy knew it was meant only for him.
For a few moments, everything and everyone around them seemed to vanish as they stood in front of each other in awe.
Mr. Bingley and Mary had to remind the couple to concentrate on the ceremony, much to their embarrassment.
Darcy and Elizabeth exchanged their vows, and each made promises in their hearts to keep the other happy. Darcy could not express the peace he felt when they were announced as man and wife.
"My dear wife, you have enchanted me with your beauty this morning; I could hardly say my vows," he finally said as they stepped down from the altar.
"You did manage quite well despite the enchantment," she said and smiled.
They left the church, and Darcy led her to his carriage.
"Fitzwilliam, do you need Georgiana to accompany you?" Lady Martha teased as always, making everyone laugh.
Darcy was not pleased with it and was glad he could rightfully deny Lady Martha this time.
Once in the carriage, he put a coat around Elizabeth, seeing her shiver. Elizabeth did not know whether it was due to the freezing weather that she felt that way or because of the look on her husband's face.
"Are you warm enough?" he asked.
"Yes, very much, I thank you!" she said, and Darcy put his arm around her.
"You do not know how much I have longed for this moment."
"You mean our wedding?"
"No, just to put my arm around you and sit next to you like this in our carriage."
Elizabeth looked at him, puzzled.
"It might be such a simple thing, Elizabeth. I have travelled with you countless times in this carriage, but I could never do this, and today I have the right."
"Not just today, every time we are alone in the carriage."
"Only when alone? I will hold you this way even if we have company, especially when Lady Martha is present," he said. For a passing second, Elizabeth sensed him looking annoyed as he recollected how she had mocked him in the past.
"I sure will miss how she taunted you till the wedding," she said with a laugh.
"I am so glad that you are finally mine," he said, her laugh sounding like music to his ears.
The wedding breakfast was a happy affair, and as much as Darcy wanted to be alone with his wife, he realized that Mr. Bingley and Mary were leaving for their honeymoon the next day, and Elizabeth wanted to spend time with her sister.
The Gardiner children enjoyed the company of Edmund and Emily. After years, Pemberley seemed like a different place, and Mrs. Reynolds mentioned the same.
"Mr. Darcy, after your mother's death, we have hosted several balls and parties here, but I have not seen such a happy gathering like this till now. I am certain your marriage will bring much more joy to your life and everyone around you."
Darcy thanked her, and he remembered the first conversation he had about Elizabeth with Mrs. Reynolds; she had recommended her as a good friend to Georgiana, and neither of them was aware that she would become the mistress of Pemberley in the future.
After breakfast, Elizabeth prepared to change, and Georgiana took her to her chamber.
This was the first time she set foot in the room, which had a sense of warmth and elegance.
"It is beautiful, Georgiana."
"You must be aware that it is my mother's room, and my brother has not changed much of it. However, he will not mind if you choose to."
"I don't think I would want to change anything," she said, and the same maid employed in Ashton Park for Elizabeth had moved to Pemberley to work for Elizabeth.
"Everything has been so perfect; I must thank you for all you have done," she said to Georgiana.
"I am glad you are happy, Lizzy. It was such a beautiful ceremony, and I was so happy to see you walk down the aisle with Lord Anderson."
Elizabeth and Darcy spent the rest of the day with family. Richard could sense that his cousin was impatient to spend time alone with his bride.
"I was wondering if you could spare a few moments for me in the study?" Richard asked him in the evening.
"What? Now?" Darcy asked, with irritation as he headed upstairs.
"Yes, Darcy, now. I needed some help regarding our property in town; I think you can help me with this."
"Richard, whatever it is, we can discuss it tomorrow," Darcy said impatiently. He watched Richard's amusement and finally understood that he was making fun of him.
"You wait and see; when your time comes, I will have my share of laughter," he said and left.
The couple were to have supper in their private parlor, and Elizabeth looked at herself in the mirror as she prepared to dine with him.
She had changed into her evening gown and wore the necklace her father had gifted her for the wedding. She stayed in her room for a while, aware that Darcy was waiting for her.
Finally, she walked into the parlour to find him seated, his expression thoughtful.
"I apologize for making you wait," she said.
"You do not need to; you are well worth waiting for," he said.
They sat down to eat, and Darcy noticed that she was feeling nervous.
"Are you well?" he asked, and she struggled to meet his eye.
"Yes, I am."
"You are not eating at all," he observed.
"No, I am," she said and tried to finish her plate.
"Do you find your room to your liking?" he asked.
"I do. The décor is lovely, and I cannot imagine how beautiful the view would be from the balcony," she said, her eyes bright with excitement.
"It has a beautiful view; you can see the lake and miles away. I know you have explored various trails near Ashton Park, but the woods here are beautiful as well; I cannot wait till spring to take you to the best spots," he said, and Elizabeth nodded.
"We must have discussed this before; where would you like to go on a honeymoon?" he asked.
"Honestly, Fitzwilliam, I do not want to unless you wish. We have gone through so much in the past months, and I am exhausted from our recent travel to town. I want to stay here with you in Pemberley and enjoy the comfort of being at home."
"I understand what you mean. But we can plan on a short trip; your father has invited us to his estate in Scotland, but I am not comfortable having you around his daughter."
"Please do not bring that subject up again, not today," she said.
"I apologize," he said, holding her hand, "I do not want us to miss our honeymoon. We can discuss this later."
Elizabeth agreed.
After supper, he walked her into her room, and as he did, he could sense her discomfort. Finally, he understood what her fear was about.
How did I not understand earlier? She fears the night; I can see it in her eyes.
Elizabeth stared at the bedpost, unable to contain her discomposure as Darcy never let go of her hand.
Much to her shock, he pulled her to face him.
"You are scared about the wedding night, aren't you?" he said, looking deep into her eyes.
"No, I am not," she blurted.
"You are a very poor liar, Elizabeth. I knew this since the day you rejected my proposal; your eyes always speak the truth."
Elizabeth did not know what to say as she feared offending him.
He is my husband, and I love him; how can I declare that I am afraid to be intimate with him?
"Look at me. I do not know what you heard from your aunt or anyone else who spoke to you about this, but you need to trust me; I will not do anything that you don't want to do."
"I trust you, Fitzwilliam. Please do not misunderstand me, and I am sorry to have upset you," she said, looking at the seriousness of his face.
"Good Heavens! I am not upset; I am concerned about you. I cannot stand it if you feel uncomfortable in my presence."
"You do not make me uncomfortable in any way; the truth is I am nervous, as any woman should be," she said.
"Do not be. Can you trust me?" he asked her, and she nodded in agreement.
Darcy left, promising to return when she was ready. Elizabeth paced her room before calling for her maid to help her for the night and finally changed into a nightgown her aunt had bought her.
Her maid brushed her hair and left. She looked at herself in the mirror and wondered how Darcy would feel when he saw her. Suddenly, Elizabeth heard a knock and she instinctively grabbed a shawl and wrapped it around herself.
"Come in," she said and bit her lips.
As Darcy entered, he could immediately sense what she had done. He could not help but smile at the sight of his beautiful wife.
Though she wore a beautiful nightgown in a shade of peach, she had hurriedly wrapped herself in a shawl, covering her shoulders.
In the process, her beautiful hair, which she had let down, appeared messy; some strands fell across her face while the rest were tucked inside her shawl.
According to Darcy, she was a picture of beauty and innocence.
He had brought a small package with him, which he placed on the table, and walked closer to her.
Elizabeth stared at him, her breath getting shallow by the moment.
"Please allow me to help you," he said and gently took the shawl she held from her hand. He adjusted it slightly, and his fingers carefully moved the curls away from her face and let the rest of her hair fall to her hips. Once done, he wrapped the shawl around her, once again, admiring her beautiful tresses.
Elizabeth suddenly felt dizzy.
"Thank… Thank you!" she finally said.
He guided her to sit and gave her the package he had brought.
"What is this?" she asked.
"It belongs to you."
Elizabeth opened it with curiosity, and her eyes widened once she saw the present.
"This is the book I wanted to purchase at the store."
"The one I arrogantly stole from you," he corrected, making Elizabeth smile.
"I cannot believe it, Fitzwilliam. Why did you not give it to me before?"
"Maybe I wanted to do it at the right time."
"But trust me, I never forgave you for what you did to me that day," she said, trying to sound annoyed.
"Is that so? Now that I have returned it to you, you must find a way to forgive me."
"Very well, but tell me, why were you so arrogant that day?"
"I really do not know, Elizabeth. The moment you saw me, you became angry, and I cannot tell you how attractive you look when upset. Your eyes sparkled with irritation, and I will never forget your argument with me that day," he said, smiling at the memory.
"You expect me to forgive you when you still find the incident amusing? Shame on you, Fitzwilliam," she cried with irritation and tried to get up. Darcy immediately pulled her back to her seat.
"So, you want to know why I taunted you that day?" he asked as he moved closer to her. His face was merely inches away from hers, and Elizabeth could feel her heart pounding.
"Yes," she said, trembling.
"Because you bewitched me with your beauty, and though I bought the book, I could not read it or give it to Georgiana. I have kept it with me all these months and every night I went to sleep after looking at it on my table. The comfort this book has given me cannot be explained in words; I felt as though I had a part of you with me. I have waited for this day to give it to you because I no longer need it as I have you by my side," he said, and Elizabeth could sense how much he loved her.
"I bewitched you that day?" she asked, touching his cheek.
"You did," he said as his hand wrapped around her waist.
"Do I bewitch you now?" she asked, amazed at her own courage.
"In a way, I cannot describe in words."
"If you cannot, then I am sorry; I am unable to forgive you for what you did at the bookstore," she said, teasing him.
"Maybe you will after this," Darcy said, and before she could reply, he passionately captured her lips, shocking her.
As much as she had feared the night, Elizabeth found herself melting in her husband's touch, and the sensations building within her took her breath away.
As they parted, Darcy observed her expression for a few seconds and asked.
"Do you forgive me now?"
"I don't," she said teasingly.
"Is that so? I assure you by the end of this night, you will," he said, swiftly carrying her to bed.
Thank you very much for your reviews and support, the next chapter will be the final one in the story.