When she pulled back and met his eyes, hers flared at the intense desire in his. Bringing her into his arms he kissed her most passionately drawing away with a minute left of their ten so they could collect themselves and settle before they returned to their parents. They left the study hand in hand and walked back to the drawing room. The newly betrothed Lady Mary Bennet felt as if she was floating on a cloud.
When the glowing couple entered the drawing room, still hand in hand, it was but proof of how exactly their parents had expected the interview to occur.
“Is there something that you would like to ask me, Birchington?” Bennet nodded for him to make his request, wondering how soon his Mary would be following Jane into the world in the care of another man.
“Lord Longbourn, Mary has satisfied my heart’s desire and agreed to become my wife. I respectfully ask for your consent and blessing,” Hugh announced without taking a breath. Looking at his wife and seeing her ‘do not dare’ look, Bennet relented and did not toy with the young man. It was a wise choice, as the same warning was written in his daughter’s eyes. Fanny he might have playfully ignored; Mary he dared not. Her last revenge had been to switch out his port with coloured water, and after he had spat it out Hill had smirked as he had handed him a ransom note saying he could have it back so long as she was given a thoroughbred rather than a gelding. Callisto had been hers that very night. He chuckled, anticipating the stories he would hear when he had port with his sons after dinners in the future, possibly looking forward to Hugh’s the most.
“Welcome to the family, son. You have my, our consent and blessing.” Bennet looked to his wife who nodded her head in agreement, “Never make me regret bestowing my permission, so never hurt or disrespect her,” he warned seriously, as is a father’s right when he is giving away such a precious jewel.
“If he does, Mary, you tell both your father and me. You are already the favoured of the couple,” the Duchess of Bedford added her voice. Then the Countess winked at him, Hugh’s surprise making all the parents laugh as they stood and hugged their child and soon to be child-in-law.
Hill was summoned and soon returned with a bottle of champagne and six tall flutes. Once the health and happiness of the betrothed couple was toasted, Bennet stated that he would send out expresses to inform his daughters and family in Derbyshire as he preferred them hearing from him and not an announcement in the Times.
Fanny wrote a note to inform her sister and brother in Meryton, and the Duke said he would send expresses to Hugh’s older sisters and to their ‘cousins.’ The last was said cryptically with no further explanation forthcoming. Bennet debated sending an express to Jane and Richard and decided to do so just in case they read the announcement first. Said announcement would be sent to the London papers in two days, making sure that expresses would be received well ahead of delivery of newspapers.
The following day one of the Bennet’s express riders arrived at Seaview. Being the closest, the missive with the news of the betrothal reached the newlyweds first. Jane and Richard felt trepidation before they opened the letter as they knew it would have to be of a serious nature to have an express sent to them during their wedding trip. The apprehension quickly changed to unbridled joy as they read the following:
Bennet Park
Hertfordshire
24 June 1812
Our dear daughter and first son,
This missive contains only good news, so please cease worrying, as I am sure you did when the rider handed you this.
Hugh and Mary are betrothed! They requested that I remove my dictate of a two-month courtship. I was expecting the request. Having no doubt of their sincere and deep attachment of one to the other, I relented. Hugh proposed to Mary but five minutes after and it was no surprise to anyone that she accepted him. They were bestowed with my consent and the blessings of all. After so many years of calling the Rhys-Davies ‘aunt and uncle’ they will now be family in deed.
There was no discussion of a wedding date yet, and I do not expect that they will marry before Ashby and Anne, though your sister has been surprising of late. I did not want you to learn of this in the papers but from your family that loves both of you.
Enjoy the rest of your time at Seaview Cottage, and your mother and I look forward to seeing you in Kent in August.
Much love and best regards,
Papa
“It was only a matter of time, Jane. Those two are almost as much in love as you and I. Talking about being in love, have you noticed how our sister Lizzy has been looking at William lately?” Richard smiled as he gently wiped the tear that had fallen as Jane tried to contain her joy for Mary.
“I agree with you about Mary and Hugh, Husband,” she offered after a moment and the swells of emotion had eased in her heart. “Yes, as I am not blind, I have seen the way that Lizzy looks upon him. She may not be ready to admit it to herself yet, but my sister has indeed lost her heart to our cousin.” Jane smiled wishing that her sister and best friend would find the kind of felicity in marriage that she had. “Tiffany and Georgie will get their wishes and be sisters, and you and William will be brothers, and Georgie’s prediction that she too would have Bennet sisters will be proven true.”
“Enough about others, Wife. It is time forusto lose the unwanted layers of clothing…” Richard growled in her ear. His wife had no objection and they sprinted to their chambers, dismissing their servants until they were rung for and slamming the door on the world. Clothing went flying every which direction as the lovers who could not get enough of each other would find satisfaction and satiation.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The express announcing the betrothal reached Dovedale after lunch on the day that the Darcys and their guests at Pemberley were due to arrive for dinner. None were surprised that the couple had gotten Lord Longbourn to relent. It was clear to anyone with eyes that the two were deeply and truly in love.
An hour or so later the carriages from Pemberley arrived, and by the volume of questions from her sisters, Lizzy knew that an express had reached Pemberley as well. As the estates were so close, she was sure that the same rider that brought the letter to Dovedale had delivered one to both Pemberley and Snowhaven.
Darcy introduced them to Mr Patrick Elliot, the rector at Kympton who held the Pemberley and Lambton livings as well. After the previous owner had gotten himself into his financial quagmire, the Lambton living had become vacant and the local bishop temporarily made it another gift for the master of Pemberley to bestow. Unlike some who only wanted to collect livings for the income and have curates do all of the work, Elliot was intimately involved with each of the parishes. He did employ two curates who were paid four hundred and fifty pounds per annum, three to five times more than most.
Against his friend’s objections, Darcy paid half of the curate’s wages leaving Elliot no choice but to relent. The Pastor lived at the Pemberley parsonage even though it was a smaller church and parsonage, it was a most comfortable abode for just him and his daughter. Each of the two curates stayed at one of the other two parsonages for no cost as Darcy employed and paid for the servants. This living arrangement was unheard of and envied by any curates who learned of it, but it ensured that they were supremely content and dedicated to the parishioners. The three clerics rotated each Sunday and major celebrations so that one out of three services were officiated by each at each church.
By following this schedule as the living holder, Elliot was not an unknown name but someone who the parishioners saw regularly and who was as involved in the parishes as the curates were. The Lambton living had just reverted to Gardiner, and Elliot informed him that he was more than willing to give up the living so that Sir Edward could appoint someone of his own choosing. The vicar was told in no uncertain terms that it was not required, that the reports from all three parishes were so glowing he was afraid he would be lynched should he try to do so, so he believed there was no reason to make a change.
Grace Elliot was led up to the nursery to play with May and Peter, who she straddled in age. It took all of ten minutes for the shyness to be banished and the three to become fast friends, and it was a friendship that would last a lifetime. Lily and her brother James, who had turned eleven one day earlier, were in the drawing room with the older girls and adults.
Darcy and the lady he loved were sitting on a settee with Charlotte. “Is this your first time in Derbyshire, Mrs Collins?” Darcy asked.
