She laughed softly. “Oh, Richard, I love you. I have missed you so much these past years. I can scarcely believe our good fortune.”
He leaned in and kissed her. Soon she was on his lap, her arms around his neck. He pulled back and said with amusement, “Darling, take care with my cravat, or the rector and Darcy will both know what we have been about.”
She laughed again and, lowering her arms to his shoulders, kissed him more carefully. They were thus occupied when the road changed beneath them and the carriage rattled over the cobblestones. Isabella moved back to her seat and looked at her husband-to-be.
“Is my hair in place?”
“Yes, darling Bella, it is.” His gaze was intent. “Let us spend the night at an inn somewhere between here and Matlock, to have at least one night together, to ourselves. My mother will be glad we are wed, but I would prefer to be away from family for one night.”
She smiled, showing her white, even teeth. “Let us take three nights to ourselves, provided we find a clean, quiet inn.”
He kissed her again. “We shall. There must be a suitable inn in Rowsley or Darley. We will get lost, Isabella, just you and I.”
He straightened. “But first, we must announce our marriage to your brother.” His face grew grave, the joy fading.
She placed her hand on his arm. “It will be well, Richard. Darcy and Elizabeth will be with us, and Mary too. They do not leave Pemberley until eleven, and we shall be gone by nine.”
The carriage stopped before the church, and he handed her down. Darcy and Elizabeth were already entering. The rector was present, having received Darcy’s note the day before. Richard produced his marriage license.
“Pastor, here is the license I purchased last week.”
The rector examined it and said nothing. All was in order. He looked to Darcy.
“My wife and I stand as witnesses this morning, sir.”
The rector nodded. “Very well, Colonel, let us begin.”
All five walked up the aisle and stood before the altar. The rector’s voice filled the sanctuary. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God…”
Richard said his vows, and then Isabella repeated hers in a clear, steady voice. She was smiling and tearful, radiant with happiness. When Richard placed the ring upon her finger, and the rector pronounced them man and wife, Elizabeth shed tears as well. The sight of the colonel drying his eyes touched her deeply. She looked up at her husband, who was also dabbing his face with his handkerchief.
When the ceremony ended, Darcy clapped his cousin on the shoulder and embraced him. “Congratulations, cousin. It has been a long time coming.” He then turned to Isabella and waited until Elizabeth had released her. “Congratulations, Mrs. Fitzwilliam. You will be a very happy woman.”
Outside, by the carriages, Darcy said, “Richard, perhaps the two of you should drive out from here. I will speak with Lewis and announce your marriage.”
Isabella said quickly, “Yes, let us do that, Richard. Let us not allow my brother to mar our wedding day.”
But Richard shook his head. “I will not drive away like a coward. I will face your brother and tell him we are married. Whatever comes, we will meet it together.”
She took his hand. “Very well. Let us go forward then.”
He helped her into the carriage, and the Darcys followed behind in theirs.
When Richard made the announcement, Lewis was livid. “You did what? You were married this morning? To this man? Isabella, how could you? I warned you about him. I forbade you. We will have this marriage annulled as soon as possible.” His face was red, his fists clenched, his whole stance that of a man ready for a fight.
Isabella stepped in front of her husband, their hands still clasped. “James, this is my life, and I will live it as I choose. I am of age, and we are in love. We have loved each other for as long as I can remember. You know how I suffered all the years he fought on the Peninsula. I spent hours on my knees begging for his life, and now, you will not come between us.”
Her words halted him for a moment. Then his gaze shifted past Darcy and Elizabeth and fell upon Mary. He pressed his lips together and consciously eased his shoulders as he unclenched his hands. When he spoke again, his voice was more controlled.
“Isabella, I did not tell you why I forbade this union. That was my fault. This marriage would never have taken place if I had told you what I hold against this man.”
Richard straightened. “Be careful what you accuse me of, Lewis. I am a decorated colonel in service to the Crown. Keep silent unless you are certain that what you believe of me is the truth.”
“You impregnated a woman and abandoned both her and her child,” Lewis said coldly. “Who knows where that child is now, perhaps growing up in an orphanage, or raised by strangers. Ifthe child was fortunate, it was taken in by its mother’s family and passed off as a ward. You left her to bear her shame alone.”
Richard tried to move forward, but Isabella held his arm. He opened his mouth to speak, but she spoke first. “I refuse to believe this lie. You have contrived that falsehood to drive me from my husband, but I will not leave him. I know Richard. He loves me as I love him. He is an honorable man. He would never have treated a woman so, nor abandoned his own child. What you say is vile.”
Lewis lost control. “Isabella, you do not know the nature of men. That woman is a seductress. If she turned her charms upon a man, he would fall easily to her wiles. Surely you saw her yourself on Saturday, how she threw herself at Fitzwilliam?”
