“Lizzy, William, it is far too much,” Mary objected.
“You would not turn down our wedding gift to you, would you?” Elizabeth responded slyly.
Mary looked at Richard and both shrugged their shoulders knowing they could not be ungracious and reject such a gift. “On behalf of Mary and myself, I thank you and William most sincerely,” Richard averred gratefully.
Soon thereafter the dining parlour was vacated.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
An announcement to be placed in the papers, along with a letter for the Gardiners, would be on its way to London with a Darcy courier within the hour. Elizabeth did not want her aunt and uncle, who she loved dearly, to hear about the engagement in the papers and not directly from her.
It was then decided at eleven, that Fanny, Elaine, Elizabeth, and Mary would make calls on some of the leading families among the four and twenty gently bred ones in the area.
The first family they would call on, after a stop to visit Hattie and Frank Philips, would be the Lucases. With no embargo on sharing the news, by the time they arrived at some of the others they intended to call on, the glad tidings would be known throughout the neighbourhood.
A visit to Lucas Lodge would also allow Elizabeth to enquire regarding Charlotte’s experiences with increasing since her last letter had been received.
Another decision which was reached was that Fanny would accompany her two engaged daughters to London, departing on the final Monday in November. Additionally, Lady Matlock would join them. They would meet with Madeline Gardiner in London to assist with the purchasing of a trousseau for each of the brides-to-be. The companions would remain at Longbourn.
The Earl, Richard, and Darcy would be part of the party, not counting the guards and outriders, so in addition to both sisters being able to tour their future homes in London, they would be seen by those attending the little season as onefamily group.
The plan was to be in London for about ten days. Thanks to their presentations and then the balls at Matlock House, the Bennets were not unknown among theTon. It did not hurt that it was well known that the former Jane Bennet was Lady Hilldale and daughter-in-law of the Earl and Countess of Matlock.
Their first stop in London would be Uncle Edward’s warehouse, then they would visit Madame Chambourg on Bond Street to begin to order the wedding gowns and the trousseaus for Elizabeth and Mary.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
After a stop to receive wishes for happiness from Aunt Hattie and Uncle Frank, the former joined the ladies who were to call on those in the neighbourhood.
The welcome at Lucas Lodge was as warm as would be expected between families who had long been connected by friendship. The congratulations were all that was sincere. The only one who was a little reserved was Johnny Lucas who, until that moment, had nursed a vain hope Eliza would see him as more than her friend’s brother. His disappointment did not stop him from conveying his best wishes .
Lady Lucas informed Eliza and Mary that they should not count on Charlotte and her husband’s attendance as the former was having a rather difficult time increasing. Hence her husband, who was most attentive to his wife, had decided she was not to travel until she was well or delivered the babe, whichever came first.
Elizabeth promised to write to Charlotte when she returned home in a few hours.
As had been predicted, by the time they arrived at the third call at the Longs, the news had preceded the visitors.
Chapter 39
That evening after the visits around the neighbourhood and more time spent with her fiancé, his family, and her own, including the Philipses, Elizabeth finally fell onto her bed. She lifted her eyes to the heavens. She wanted to talk to Anne to share her joy with her best friend. To make sure she was not heard by someone walking past her chamber who may think she was speaking to herself, Elizabeth spoke silently.
‘Annie, how I would have loved to have you witness my wedding,’Elizabeth began. ‘I know, I know, you will be there with me right here.’Elizabeth laid her hand over her heart.‘But we both know it is not the same. At least Jenki will be there, and with her here with us, I have another part of you close to me. Jane will be my matron of honour, but how I wish you were still with us physically and you were able to perform the office.
‘Yes, I hear you. It is not productive for me to complain about that over which neither you nor I had any control.
‘Knowing that does not lessen the pangs of sadness in my heart when I miss you each day. As I have not been haunted by you, I assume you have noted I am living my life and have not allowed the melancholy to overset it. You will always occupy a corner of my heart, but now the major portion of that organ belongs to William.
‘How you knew we would suit long before we ever met, I will never know, but you had the right of it, Annie. I did not fall in love with him to make you happy or prove your prediction true, but because my heart demanded that he was the only one I would ever love as a wife loves her husband. Never did I imagine I could love a man as deeply as I love William. He is my all and my everything.’
Elizabeth told Annie about her plans for the first daughter born to her and William. She was sure Annie was pleased the first Darcy daughter would be the mistress of Rosings Park one day.
‘I told him I speak to you, and he completely understood why I feel the need to communicate with you, my dearest friend. He does the same thing and talks to his parents the same way. William told me he would be speaking to them tonight. In fact, he may be doing it at the same time you and I are in conversation.
‘Silly me! I am sure you and Uncle Lewis are with William’s parents, so you knew before I told you that he talks to them, and if he is doing so now, you were aware of it already.
‘As my life progresses, I may not speak to you as much as I do now, but you must know I will always be thinking of you, sister of my heart. I love you Annie. Kiss Uncle Lewis for me and inform your Aunt Anne and Uncle Robert that their son is the other half of my heart.’
Soon after talking to her best friend, Elizabeth fell into a peaceful sleep.
