The Duke felt humiliated his bride was not paying attention. That made the small congregation a good thing, but it would be written about in the gossip columns. For a moment he thought she was about to refuse.
“I will,” Elizabeth intoned. ‘I mean hardly any of that, certainly, I will never love or honour him! And I will only obey when absolutely necessary! Hopefully, sickness will take him soon,” Elizabeth promised herself silently.
From there things went according to plan, she even managed to recite her vows without a look that was too sour.
Before she knew it, Elizabeth heard the Bishop recite the concluding prayers: “Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.
“Forasmuch as Archibald and Elizabeth have consented together in holy Wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce thatthey be man and wife together. In the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
“God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favour look upon you; and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. Amen.”
All that remained was the signing of the register. Given her dislike of her former parents, Elizabeth did not regret it would be the final time she signed her name with the family name Bennet.
It was irrevocable now. She was Lady Elizabeth Rose Chamberlain, Duchess of Hertfordshire, Marchioness of Hertford Heights. She tried not to think of the coming wedding night, but the contemplation of being touched by that repugnant old man was never far from her thoughts.
Chapter 11
Lady Elizabeth Rose Chamberlain, Duchess of Hertfordshire, Marchioness of Hertford Heights, looked around her suite at Hertfordshire House. There was no denying her husband was rich, but that made not a whit of difference to Elizabeth.
What she had seen of the house when they had arrived at his home—to her it was a prison, a gilded one, but a prison nonetheless—was ostentation, gaudiness, and uncomfortable furniture which was purchased for form and not function. She had been led up to her chambers by the housekeeper who had introduced Her Grace to the maid who would act as her lady’s maid. If the Duchess did not approve of her, another could be employed in her place.
The maid’s name was Loretta Jennings, and the housekeeper informed her in his households His Grace insisted personal servants be called by their family names. That of course meant Elizabeth would address her as Loretta whenever in private.
Knowing how her husband was, Elizabeth had no doubt he would punish the maid for being called by her familiar name. She wanted to show the Duke he would never rule over her, but that did not include innocents being blamed for decisions she made. The maid was barely twenty if she was a day and was rather timid. Based on what she knew of the man who had forcedher to marry him, Elizabeth suspected all of his servants were cowed in this way.
The man had guided her into an ornate dining parlour where the midday meal, far too much food for just the two of them, had been served. Not only had there been an overabundance of food—to Elizabeth a waste—with each course, but there had been five of the latter. If the man was trying to impress her, he was failing spectacularly.
She had only pushed food around on her plate, not eating anything. At least she had sat at opposite ends of the long table to him so she had not been forced to be near him like she had been in the coach from St. Paul’s to Berkeley Square.
All the way to his house—she would never think of it as her house—she had recited the mantra: she had subjected herself to this living hell to protect Janey, for a love which knew no limit.
She spent the afternoon in his library, a library where Elizabeth was sure he had not read any of the books on the shelves—based on the dust on the tomes. She also spent some time in the music room which boasted a Broadwood Grand pianoforte, a harp, and some sundry instruments.
At six, she found her way to her chambers to change for dinner. It was another meal with too much overly rich food, most of it drowning in sauces which did not appeal to her.
After the meal, at which if she had eaten a single bite it would have been a lot, the man told her he would come to her in an hour. She had requested an hour and a half, to which he had condescended.
Loretta had assisted her to undress and then she had soaked in the enormous—one of the few things Elizabeth liked in his house—bathtub in steaming water. Then her maid hadassisted her to wash her hair. After Elizabeth had been dried with very large and warm towels, which was another luxury she quite enjoyed.
Once she was dry, she donned a plain, thick, cotton night rail. Then she had Loretta plait her hair. After that was done she dismissed the maid.
She knew what she needed to do, but even though Aunt Maddie had explained how it would relieve some of the pain she would experience if she was not prepared for her husband to enter her, Elizabeth balked at the thought of actually doing the deed. She was in the privacy of her own suite, but that did not make it easier to do what she had been told to do.
‘Come now Elizabeth Rose, you are not a coward and your courage always rises at every turn when others would shrink back!’ Elizabeth remonstrated with herself silently. She laid back on her bed and began to prepare herself.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Not too long after she had completed what she needed to do; the disgusting brute entered her chambers from the door leading to the shared sitting room without so much as a knock.
Thankfully, Elizabeth remembered what Aunt Maddie had told her to do to mitigate his weight pushing down on her, and other than the pain when her maidenly barrier was breached, the instructions had borne fruit. She appreciated the fact the enormous and deplorable man lifted her nightgown and did not expect her to bare the whole of her body to him. She did as she had said she would, her eyes were tightly shut until he left the chamber.
Some minutes after he had left the same way he had entered; Elizabeth rang the bell for her maid. As soon as possible she was soaking in a freshly filled tub and Loretta was directinga chambermaid to change the sheets on the bed. Elizabeth scrubbed herself to remove any remaining odour of her husband which still clung to her.
An hour later, she was in bed, and cried herself to sleep, something she suspected would become regular in her life.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Normally the gossip sheets had no place at the Darcys’ house, but there was a morbid interest regarding the young lady who had married the Duke of Hertfordshire the previous day. Lady Anne opened the rag and began to read the column.
