It took Elizabeth a little while to be able to speak after William drove her mad with desire thanks to the kisses he gifted her. “You look well,” she managed.
“As do you, always. I am marrying you on the morrow,” he growled.
“Yes, you are. Had we not been marrying, I would have insisted we run away to Gretna Green. Thank goodness, that is not necessary.” Elizabeth loosed one of her tinkling laughs. Then she turned more serious. “After everything I learnt about Harold, I have remembered some things I had not thought about until recently. Do you know he quietly took charge of my papa, which led to changes in his attitude to my Mamma, which in turn resulted in Tommy being born? That was just one example, not to mention the end of the entail.”
“To be honest, it was Hurst who forced me to look at the kind of man I was. What I saw was not pretty, which led me to make changes,” Darcy agreed.
“He had a hand in Charlotte and Richard being together, even Jane and Andrew, not to mention the two of us. I will forever be grateful for the day the Hursts came into our lives. I was a young girl the first time Jane and I met him at Uncle Edward’s office. Much has changed since then.” Elizabeth leaned her head against William’s broad shoulder.
They sat in this aspect for about ten minutes before Darcy stood and then helped Elizabeth up. With Mrs Annesley following, they made their way towards the head of the path and the waiting footman.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On the morning of her next younger sister’s wedding, Jane Fitzwilliam returned the favour done for her, serving as Lizzy’s matron of honour. Lizzy, then only eighteen, had been her maid of honour the day she married her Andrew.
It was Jane’s turn to walk behind Elizabeth, who looked gorgeous in her shimmering ivory satin, empire-waisted wedding gown. There was a gossamer overlay which flared to become a three-foot train at the back. Like Jane had for her own wedding, Elizabeth wore a delicate lace veil. Her hairpins were tipped with emeralds, which matched her engagement ring, which was temporarily on the fourth finger of her right hand.
Elizabeth was pleased they were marrying at St Hughes Church in Longbourn Village. However, just like it had been for Jane’s and Charlotte’s weddings, the celebratory meal was being held in Netherfield Park’s ballroom.
As soon as both inner vestibule doors opened, Bennet squeezed his second daughter’s hand and began the walk towards her groom.
Darcy was transfixed as soon as he saw his Elizabeth on her father’s arm. She was radiant. He was so lost in watching her as she walked up the aisle toward the altar that Richard, who was standing up with him, had to elbow him to make him move to where he met his bride and Bennet.
After her father lifted her veil, kissed her forehead, and replaced it, he placed Elizabeth’s hand on William’s arm. On her beloved’s arm, she glided up the three marble steps until she was standing next to her groom before Mr Pierce at the altar.
The rector signalled those in attendance to be seated, then opened his well-worn copy ofThe Book of Common Prayerand began with, “Dearly beloved…”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Two hours after the wedding breakfast commenced, family and close friends stood and waved as the Darcy travelling coach departed for Darcy House in London. The newly married Elizabeth and William Darcy would be there until after the Sabbath, and on Monday morning, they would depart for Seaview House. There would be no sea bathing thanks to it being the middle of winter, but at least it was not as cold as the north of the country.
As soon as the conveyance was no longer visible, those who had seen the newlyweds off drifted back into the warmth of the interior of the manor house.
The last two were Louisa and Harold Hurst. They stopped on the veranda and looked out across the park with the dormant grass, leafless trees, and colourless gardens. In a few short months, everything would come roaring back to life.
“You were not overt in what you did, but you, my beloved husband, influenced many of the good things which have occurred in this extended family. You are the best of men, Harold.” Louisa kissed his cheek tenderly.
“All I did was offer people alternate ways of doing things; I did not go out of my way to take charge of their lives,” Hurst insisted.
“And yet, you did, and I love you all the more for it,” Louisa replied.
This time, before they followed the rest back into the house, Hurst took his wife’s beautiful face in his hands and kissed her lips as one in love is wont to do.
Epilogue
September 1812
Caroline Phishman née Bingley was reading the London papers, as she still did daily. Her dreams of high society were long dead, and she had married Martin Phishman, a reasonably successful tradesman in Scarborough, in April of the current year.
She reached the section with the royal announcements and had to look three times to verify that she was correctly seeing what was on the page.
His Highness the Prince of Wales, Regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, hereby decrees:
From this day forward, Mr Harold and Mrs Louisa Hurst are elevated to the earldom of Winsbury. Mrs Leticia Hurst is elevated to be the Dowager Countess of Winsbury.
By order of Her Majesty, Queen Charlotte, the countess and dowager countess will be addressed as Lady Louisa and Lady Leticia, just as one born to a peer of the realm would be addressed.
Master Arthur Hurst is, from this day forward, until he ascends to the earldom, Lord Arthur Hurst, Viscount Sherwood. Leticia Hurst is known as Lady Leticia (Tisha, as called by all who know her) and lastly, Ignatius Hurst is the Honourable Ignatius Hurst.
