“William, how can I thank you? You have made Darcy House available for us tonight, and then on the morrow we will make for Seaview Cottage, also by your leave. You know you are a brother to me, do you not?” Richard asked, his voice thick with emotion.
“It is my pleasure Rich. You know that there is nothing that is in my power to do for you that I would ever refuse you, do you not? You are my brother, my best friend, and my cousin all in one person,” Darcy replied, reminding his cousin that he loved him as well, if not more so than most men loved their brothers. He knew that Richard would have laid down his life for him before he married his Jane, just as he himself would have done for Richard until his heart was invaded and completely conquered by the then Miss Elizabeth. “I know your wife will be your priority now just as she should be, but at the same time I know that the bonds that bind us one to the other will never be broken.”
The cousins, neither of whom showed their emotions under normal circumstances, clasped each other in a bone crushing hug. Not too long after the heart-warming scene between the cousins played out, the new bride joined her husband and they made a circuit of the room saying their farewells.
Jane’s personal coach and six, now their carriage, was ready and waiting for them as they walked outside followed by all of their family. There was much hugging and not a few tears shed.
“One is so forlorn when one’s daughter leaves her home,” Lady Longbourn said quietly to her sisters Madeline and Hattie out of earshot of the happy couple. The old Fanny would have made this day about herself, but the woman she was growing into could not but admit this quietly as she was both excited for her Jane and sad that she was having to let go. She thanked God again that she was granted the gift of Helen so by the time her three youngest were out, there should be a nursery with grandbabies to spoil. With this most cheerful thought, she told everyone that the couple had to get going. There was only one way she would get those grandbabies!
As the bride and groom were about to enter the very comfortable coach, Mrs Hill emerged from the house followed by her husband carrying a hamper. “You did not think that I would let one of my girls leave home hungry with no food until she got to London in four hours, did you young miss?” Hill had been with them since before Jane’s birth and the Bennet girls loved her like a second mother. She was to them what Mrs Reynolds was to the Darcys. The normally unflappable housekeeper had tears running down her cheeks as she hugged Jane tightly.
Mr Hill gave his felicitations as the new husband and wife entered their conveyance and sat down facing each other as a footman closed the door. They only had a change of clothing for the morning when they left Darcy House. There they would be helped by servants of that house, as their personal servants had departed for Brighton and the Cottage with all of the trunks the two requested right after they had dressed their master and mistress before church. After a final wave, Richard hit the roof with his cane and the driver shook the reigns to put the vehicle in motion, the carriage was accompanied by two footmen at the rear, two postilions, and six outriders.
The family stood in the drive until the carriage bearing the newlyweds was no longer seen, at which point they returned to the ongoing celebration.
Chapter 27
Their family was barely out of sight when Richard changed sides from the rear facing bench to sit next to his new bride. By the time the grand coach left Meryton with the shades drawn, the two were kissing with passionate abandon, their hands roaming over the body of the other.
“I…want…you…so…very much,” Richard groaned when he eventually broke the contact, hardly able to regulate his breathing. “I want to consummate our marriage, but in a bed my love, not in a carriage. I want our first time to be special.” He was bursting with barely contained passion in response to hers so in evidence as she returned his stare. “If you would like to attempt the exercise tomorrow on the way to Brighton, I will have no opposition at all.” He waggled his eyebrows to tease her and help them both take a breath.
As they were both famished having eaten naught but the pastry Lizzy had ordered them to eat at their wedding breakfast, Richard lifted the hamper that the Hills had provided. There were ham and beef sandwiches, meat pies, their favourite pastries, cheeses, and bread. In addition, there was fresh fruit, a bottle of wine, and flagons of water and lemonade. They ate as if they had been starved for days, both realising that as the wedding drew closer, they had neither of them paid much attention to eating. Once their appetites were sated and thirst quenched, they fell asleep in each other’s arms with Jane on her husband’s lap held tightly against his very muscular chest.
Wife and husband were woken by the click-clack that the horses’ hooves and the wheels made on the cobblestone streets of London. When Jane had asked him why Darcy House and not either the Bennet or Matlock houses, Richard explained to her that soon after Darcy had agreed to them honeymooning at Seaview Cottage, he had asked his cousin if they could also overnight at Darcy House. As close as he was to his family, Richard felt as if he was one of the Darcy House residents. While in the army, when he had had leave or a night away from duty, he could always escape to Darcy House to see his cousins, one of whom was his ward, without notice or invitation, so in his mind hewastaking her to his home in London.
They discussed buying their own townhouse, but decided that there was no need to make that sort of expenditure, for now, even though it would be a drop in the bucket given their combined wealth. Thanks to their ever-growing extended family, they had multiple townhouses to choose from whenever they were in Town. Darcy had made sure that Richard understood that nothing had changed; they were to consider Darcy House open to them whensoever they chose to avail themselves of it. They did agree that they would consider buying a house at another oft visited location such as Bath or Lyme so the whole of the family would have it available when they chose to take a sojourn in another part of the country.
By the time the carriage bearing the newlyweds entered London, the last of the guests planning to leave that day were departing Hertfordshire. Lizzy already missed Jane, but she knew that she would not have time to dwell on it as she and the Gardiners were set to depart for Derbyshire very early the following morning. Sir Edward had agreed to a plan that Darcy had proposed; they all travel together as he and the five girls were also departing for the North in the morning. Altogether, it would be a convoy of six coaches and one wagon. Darcy always travelled with outriders so between them they would have twelve footmen, seven drivers, ten postillions and eighteen outriders. Two or more outriders were enough to make any cowardly highwayman choose a softer target. The army that would be travelling would be unmolested unless one had a death wish.
Originally the Fitzwilliams were to go to Town for a week before their summer migration to Snowhaven and Hilldale. After a short conversation, it was decided that they would go directly to their estates so the convoy increased by three carriages, and the attendant personnel.
The Rhys-Davies, would stay at the Park with the Bennets until the de Bourgh–Ashby wedding in early August. Their two daughters and families left for the north two days after the wedding. Their reason for remaining was twofold. One, was to spend time with the Bennets and two, to allow Mary and Hugh to court without the glare of attention they would have on them in London, even with most of theTonretiring to their estates.
Before he departed for London, the Earl of Granville asked Lady Sarah Ashby if he may call on her at Ashbury House in two days on the relatively new Russell Square that ironically was developed by the Duke of Bedford’s family.
The lady answered in the affirmative as she was finding much to like about the Earl, and none of it to do with title, wealth, or standing. She was looking forward to getting to know the man that had been an enigma to most of theTon. Lady Ashbury invited Granville to attend Lady Sarah’s one and twentieth birthday dinner on the eighteenth of June—an invitation that he accepted with pleasure.
Anne and her betrothed would stay at Ashbury House. As there were more than enough chaperones in residence not counting Mrs Jenkinson and Anne’s maid, there was no need to open de Bourgh House. In the afternoon the Ashbys, Smythe, and Anne de Bourgh departed for London. The remaining family members spent the night at the Fields and would move back to Bennet Park after the contingency departed for Derbyshire on the morrow.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Killions met the carriage as it halted in front of Darcy House. The former colonel was a favourite of the servants who staffed the house. Knowing that he would only marry a woman of innate goodness, they were predisposed to like Lady Jane and were not disappointed. Both housekeeper and butler were certain that they were looking at the sister of the house’s future mistress, if the master had a say in the matter. Their warm feelings for the younger sister were applied to the older as well. Mrs Killion showed them to a suite in the family wing. It was the same one that Richard always used and he was pleased that the more formal and elegant touches such as flowers and an extra writing case had been added for his Jane, and that one of the maids had been assigned to her for the overnight stay. A footman who doubled as a valet assisted Richard.
After changing out of their travel attire, they met in the shared sitting room and then descended the marble stairs to the small dining room. Cook had outdone herself, but understandably, especially after the feast that Mrs Hill had packed for them and their impatience to retire, they did not eat much. After a look where each one saw mutual agreement, they decided to forgo the drawing room and retire. When her husband asked if an hour was enough Jane blushed furiously as she agreed that it was.
The maid helped her undress, being careful to put her diamond and sapphire hairpins into a tin so that they would not be lost. Her hair was put up in a bun so it would not get wet when she was helped into the nice sized bathing tub into which the maid had infused with some of Jane’s rosewater.
Once she was washed and dried, Jane sprinkled some more rosewater on herself and the maid helped her into a sky-blue silk nightgown that had been a gift from Aunt Gardiner. The garment was very sheer and left little to the imagination. It hardly covered her breasts as it was very low cut. She donned the matching slippers and robe that was only slightly less sheer than the nightgown. The maid was dismissed and told not to return until she was rung for in the morning.
With military precision, at the exact moment that the hour expired, there was a knock on the door from the shared sitting room. On being bade to enter, Richard walked in closing the door. He was wearing naught but breeches and an untucked shirt that was unbuttoned which gave Jane her first view of any man in such a state of undress. He had a well-built barrel chest covered in downy blond hair that tapered until it disappeared under his breeches. When he espied his wife, he froze. He could not believe that thevision before him was his wife. The Good Lord above was showing off His ability to create perfection when He in His infinite wisdom created this woman.
As if magnets drawn to each other, they closed the gap between them and were soon standing lips to lips, kissing more deeply and passionately than they ever had before. He slipped the robe from her shoulders. As it pooled on the rug, she heard an audible gasp from her husband.
“Jane, my wife, in my wildest imagination I never imagined that you were so gorgeous. I am the luckiest man in the whole known world.” With ardent desire burning in his eyes he slipped the night gown’s strap from her shoulders and was mesmerized as it fell to meet the robe on the floor. She stood in front of him, unflinching and as naked as the day she was born except for the slippers.
“Take off your clothes, Richard!” Jane instructed in a husky and sultry voice. He complied, first pulling the shirt off revealing the rest of his lean muscular torso for her to peruse with her eyes. Next went the breeches as he now stood in all of his glory before his wife, wearing even less than she, as he was barefoot. Jane admired the Adonis before her. He may not be considered as the most handsome of men by some, but for her he was perfect. His thighs were massive and very muscular from all the time in the saddle, and when she looked at his manhood standing at attention, she was not disappointed. It was all, and more, that she had felt through his breeches. When he realised what had her attention, he groaned and passionate need could not be deferred any longer. She saw his battle scars on his shoulder and rubbed and kissed them.
Fanny Bennet was proven correct about the marriage bed—multiple times that night. The pain and blood were minimal, the enjoyment mutual.
