“Lady Hadlock, how well you look in your wedding finery,” Elizabeth said as she gave her friend and now sister an exaggerated curtsy.
“I see that all the times I teased you about being Lady Elizabeth will be returned to me,” Charlotte reacted with a smile. “Go ahead and do your worst; I am too happy today to notice.”
“It is no fun teasing you when you are so reasonable,” Elizabeth responded. “However, I am more pleased than I have words to express that you are our sister.”
“I am sure Jane would tease you as well if she was not so distracted by her suitor.” Elizabeth looked across the table where Jane and Richard were deep in conversation, seemingly in their own world. “I do not think it will be much longer before Richard proposes to her.”
“It seems that you have the right of it,” Charlotte agreed. She saw her husband cock his head towards the double doors leading out of the ballroom. “It is time for me to go change into my travel attire. Will we see you in the drive?”
“Of course, you will,” Elizabeth insisted. She watched as her brother came to lead Charlotte away. “I will send Maria up to your suite,” she volunteered. Maria Lucas, a little less than a year younger than Kitty, had been Charlotte’s maid of honour. It was an honour the youngest Lucas had felt keenly.
“Thank you, Eliza.” Charlotte leaned forward and hugged her new sister-in-law. “I will see you soon.”
Elizabeth knew that Aunt Anne and Uncle Robert had volunteered their house near Brighton for the honeymoon. As the summer approached, even though there was some cold in the northern parts of the country this year, the south along the coast was much warmer already. Hence, Charlotte and Jamey had accepted the offer with gratitude.
Maria was sitting with Kitty, Lydia, Anna, and some other neighbourhood friends. All Elizabeth had to do was cock her head towards Charlotte as she and Jamey headed for the doors for Maria to realise her services as maid of honour were needed again.
None of the friends attempted to divert her when Maria said she needed to assist Charlotte in changing for travel. She set off at a fast walk following her sister.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
When all the guests had departed, leaving the Carringtons, Fitzwilliams, and Darcys at Netherfield Park, Elizabeth found Jane in the music room sitting at her harp, but her fingers were not on the strings. One hand was over her heart, and she was leaning into the other with one cheek and a soft smile on her lips. She had not even heard Elizabeth enter as she looked off into the distance, not seeing anything.
“Jane?” Elizabeth called out. It seemed Jane did not hear her. “Jane!” She tried again more forcefully. It was only when she touched her sister’s shoulder that she was brought out of, what Lizzy opined, was her trance.
“Lizzy, did you just enter the room?” Jane asked as she shook her head.
“No, silly, I said your name twice, but it was only when I touched you that you acknowledged my presence. Where were you?”
“Richard asked for a private interview on Monday morning! After I agreed, he went to gain Papa’s permission, which was granted. Lizzy, I think he will finally propose to me. I have been in love with him for months, but I do understand why he wanted to wait until closer to my next birthday. He wants me to have the time to be sure, but Lizzy, I am as certain as I will ever be that Richard is the man I want to marry. Monday cannot come soon enough. I will see him at church on the morrow. However, he joined Andy, William, and Mr Bingley for some hunting. That is why I was sitting here thinking about him. I miss him.”
Elizabeth threw her arms around her older sister. “I am so very happy for you, Jane. On Monday when Richard takes the next step to becoming your husband and our brother, I will be even more filled with joy for you. The two of you were formed for one another. As much as I will miss seeing you every day, I will be well pleased for you. I could not have parted with you to a man less worthy of you than Richard.” Elizabeth paused for a moment. “He and the others will be back in an hour or two, and you get to see him the whole day except for when he sleeps in the dower house so propriety will be maintained.”
‘Propriety be damned!’ Jane thought. She shook the thought from her head. “He is the best man for me. I have known that since before I came out,” Jane said dreamily. Her look became contemplative. “If our birth mother had not abandoned us in Hyde Park, as reprehensible as that was, I am not sure I would have met Richard; and if I did, there is no guarantee things would be the same.”
“My Janey is becoming philosophical in her old age,” Elizabeth teased. “Things are unfolding according to His plan. We mere mortals can never understand what His plan is. All we can do is follow the paths He reveals to us.”
“And you say I am the one who seeks a deeper meaning,” Jane quipped. “Whatever the reason or how we got here, all I know is I am counting the hours.”
The sisters hugged and hand-in-hand, went to seek the other residents.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“I know that Hilldale here,” he cocked his head to the viscount, “married first, but who thought that Hadlock would be the first of us four to marry?” Bingley asked as they walked back towards the manor house.
The four men had bagged more than enough braces of birds for everyone in residence as well as the Gardiners and Phillipses to enjoy for dinner. Each man had his weapon with him while the beaters and loaders walked behind them carrying the bounty while the dogs scampered along calmly—now that they had no birds to retrieve—back from the hunt.
“I will be next,” Fitzwilliam said matter-of-factly. “I will propose to Jane on Monday.”
“It is about time; you have been courting her long enough,” Hilldale stated as he clapped his brother on his back. “I am not sure you deserve Jane, but you two are well suited.”
As Bingley’s dreams of attracting Lady Jane’s notice had died not long after her ball, it had been plain to see, even before the official courtship was announced, that Lady Jane’s attention had been irrevocably captured by Fitzwilliam. He felt no envy on hearing the news that Fitzwilliam was about to propose to the woman to whom he had felt a great attraction. However, he did have one question.
“Fitzwilliam, why did you wait so long to propose to Lady Jane?” Bingley enquired.
“I wanted her to have enough time to be sure of her own mind and that if we married, it would be closer to, or past, her next birthday when she will be nineteen,” Fitzwilliam explained. “And before you ask, no, her parents never imposed any specific length of time on the courtship. It was my choice in consultation with Jane.”
“It is good you have learnt that you need to include Jane in decisions which affect her. I am the same with Marie. She is also one who does not like being treated as anything less than a full partner,” Hilldale stated.
