That morning, Louisa rode to visit her aunt at the parsonage in Longbourn village. Even though the threats posed by William Collins had been forever removed, she did not argue with Thomas when he insisted that if she rode out without him, at least one guard must be with her. This morning it was Brian Johns who was her escort.
“Welcome, Lulu,” Hildebrand sang as she waited for her niece at the entrance to the parsonage.
“Marriage looks good on you, Aunt,” Louisa commented and then kissed her aunt’s cheek. “It does my heart good to see you so happy. Is Uncle Christopher at home, or is he out calling on parishioners?”
“Yes, my husband is busy with pastoral duties,” Hildebrand replied. “Speaking of felicity in marriage, you are fairly glowing. Is there something to tell?”
Louisa waited until they were alone in the well-appointed sitting room. “I knew you would notice something. I missed my courses,” she confessed. “I pray that means I am with child, but I want to miss one more before I tell Thomas of my suspicions.”
“He is very much aware of everything about you. My nephew may very well ask if there has been a change before a month has passed,” Hildebrand opined.
“I will never dissemble to my husband. If Thomas asks, I will tell him.”
“Is everything ready for the wedding? As it will be so well attended, it is just as well the wedding breakfast is to be held at Netherfield Park. You know if you need it, I am available to help, even though I know with the Bennet sisters as well as the ladies at Netherfield Park you have a surfeit of helpers.” Hildebrand paused as she remembered something she wanted to ask. “Has Charles begun searching for an estate close to Pemberley yet?”
“William wrote to his steward and asked him to keep an eye open for any available properties in the area. So far, Charles has not mentioned whether he has been told of any prospects.”
For the rest of the visit, they spoke of mundane issues, each one more than content in the joyful promise of their wedded future.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The night before the wedding, Louisa deferred to Maddie to givethe talkto the three brides. It was not because she was close in age to them; rather, it was connected to the fact that all the experience she had gained on the subject was with the sisters’ father. She was certain it would have been as uncomfortable for them as it would have been for her to discuss things based on that experience.
As it was their final night of living atLongbourn, the five Bennet sisters and Anna talked late into the night, all seated on Jane’s big bed.
It was close to midnight when the three youngest girls returned to their chambers. Anna really enjoyed being counted as a sister to the Bennet sisters even before it became a fact when Lizzy and William married. Each of the three youngest girls was a maid of honour to one of the brides. Kate was to attend Jane, Lydia would stand up for Mary, and Anna was to have the pleasure and honour of attending Lizzy. Hence, they too needed their sleep.
As hard as it was with the anticipation of marrying the man she loved the next morning, once everyone was back in her own chamber, the brides eventually fell asleep dreaming of their respective grooms.
At Netherfield Park, the three grooms had made certain they would not imbibe enough to be in their cups the night before their wedding. They were only too aware that when they stood before the altar, none of their respective Bennet sisters would be impressed if any of them were suffering from the effects of overindulging.
Even if the men who were standing up with the grooms had it in their minds to ply them with an excess of drink, Lady Elaine, Lady Marie, and Anne would not allow them to do that.
Darcy and Bingley had a Medford twin standing up with him; the elder one with Darcy, while the younger, who was courting Anne de Bourgh, would do the honours for Bingley. Fitzwilliam’s older brother would be with him. Thanks to the ladies’ keen eyes and not permitting anything untoward, the grooms and the men attending them were in their beds by the time the clock struck midnight.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The one thing from experience that Louisa did passonto her stepdaughters, who were to marry that day, was the necessity to eat and drink something before they bathed and dressed.
Even though all three had protested they were not hungry, as soon as each took a bite of some of the offerings on their plates, she discovered how hungry she actually was. By the time they had eaten and enjoyed something warm to drink, each of the brides thanked Louisa for her sage advice.
Once all three had bathed and dried off, they dressed in the gowns which had been created by Madame Chambourg for this very day. The sisters had chosen a similar style of dress, just different colours.
Thanks to the cold of the season, the fabric was silk velvet. Jane’s dress was a light blue, Mary’s was a tone of burgundy, and Elizabeth chose a light green, which made her eye colour stand out even more than normal. All three brides had elected to wear a veil and not a wedding bonnet. Their veils were constructed from a very delicate Belgian lace.
Normally, the Bennets would walk to St Hugh’s in the village, but today, with the cold and a threat of rain, or even some snow, the residents of Longbourn would be taking the Bennet carriages.
When the brides descended the stairs, the younger girls and Lulu were standing with their father. Off to the side were the Hills and some of the indoor servants. Mrs Hill’s eyes were suspiciously moist. For many years, Mrs Hill had been ade factomother to the five Bennet sisters, so it was no surprise to any of the brides that their faithful housekeeper was reacting as a loving mother would on this day.
“You three are the prettiest of brides,” Bennet said, his voice thick with emotion once his three eldest daughters stood before him.
“I cannot but agree with your father,” Louisa added.
The three youngest girls each held her bride’s bouquet. Once they had exclaimed over how lovely the brides looked, they joined Louisa in the smaller carriage and departed for the church. Some of the servants elected to make the short walk while the Hills, steward, and stablemaster rode in a gig.
That left Bennet and his three daughters who were about to marry. “I want you to know that no father could have wished for better daughters than all of those with whom I was blessed. I have said this before: as much as I never wanted to marry your birthmother, she did gift me with the five of you girls. That is something I haveneverrepined,” he stated as he tried to control the emotion in his voice. “Soon, you will no longer be mine to protect, but I know each of you is marrying the man who best suits you. Yes, you are leaving this house today, but no matter where you are, you will always be my girls.”
“We love you, Papa,” Jane responded for all three as Lizzy and Mary nodded their agreement. “We could not have wished for a better father than you.”
