Darcy chuckled. “Indeed! The weather will become more and more unpredictable with each passing week. I hope Whit is keeping this in mind as he makes plans.”
“Whatever his plans are, they will not slow down my own. It is every man for himself,” Fitz declared, prompting more laughter from them both.
After Fitzwilliam and his cousin related what transpired when they delivered Caroline Bingley to her brother’s custody, Elizabeth allowed Fitzwilliam to lead her away from the others to a pair of chairs where they sat down.
“It has occurred to me that Fitz and possibly even Whit may propose to your sisters before long. Should this happen, I feel it likely that one or both couples might wish to add themselves to our ceremony,” Fitzwilliam said.
“Really? Even with our wedding only a few weeks away?” Elizabeth asked.
“It is possible. The unpredictability of December and January weather might be incentive enough for them to wish to join a wedding that has a definite date and is already being planned. How would you feel about that?”
She looked at him for a moment, then smiled somewhat sadly. “Well, I had thought it would be just the two of us.”
He smiled in return and caressed her hand with his thumb.
“However," she continued, "I am not opposed to including them so they are able to make it to their homes more quickly. Now, my mother will be decidedly against it. She will not appreciate being denied the pleasure and the prestige of planning two other weddings.”
“I have no doubt,” Fitzwilliam said, shaking his head. “However, it may be that she will have no choice in the matter.”
In the end, Fitzwilliam had been correct to suspect that the gentlemen would see their wedding day as convenient. By the end of the following week, both her sisters had become engaged. Jane and Mary then asked Elizabeth if she and Fitzwilliam would be willing to share their wedding day. Elizabeth assured her sisters that they would be willing.
“Lizzy, we are grateful that you are willing to share your special day with us,” Jane said, reaching a hand out to both her sisters.
“We are indeed!” Mary agreed, reaching her other hand to Elizabeth so that they formed a circle.
“I am just happy that we are to marry such worthy men! It was not so long ago that we doubted we would ever be so fortunate,” Elizabeth said, her eyes tearing up.
“Indeed,” Jane agreed with an unsteady breath.
Sniffling, Mary said, “Best wishes to each of us!”
Laughing through fresh tears, Elizabeth and Jane chorused, “Best wishes to each of us!”
Then the three of them hugged each other tightly.
They were nearing the end of their journey. Fitzwilliam said they would be home in a quarter of an hour.Home.Her home was now Pemberley. Not for the first time, Elizabeth thought about how strange it was that a simple ceremony completely changed one’s life! The change in what was viewed as acceptable behavior had been jarring. She had been so used to it not being proper for her and Fitzwilliam to be alone in private settings or to be free with their expressions of love and affection, that it had taken a day or so after the wedding for her to stop having sudden moments of mild panic that they were breaking some rule of propriety!
When she admitted as much to Fitzwilliam, he laughed and told her he would consider it his duty to completely orient her mind to the new reality. He then took her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly. Since then, the question of whether or not they were adhering to the rules of propriety had become a private joke between them.
Lost in her thoughts as she was, Elizabeth was surprised when the carriage stopped and Fitzwilliam got out.
“Is all well?” she asked.
He turned back to her with a smile, extending his hand. “Perfectly so! I thought you might like a glimpse of your new home.”
Elizabeth grinned at her husband and allowed him to assist her from the carriage. She looked around as the icy wind blew across her face. Fitzwilliam wrapped his arms around her from behind and blocked the wind with his body. He then turned her in the direction of the house. There in the distance, she could see it! It was an extremely large home with a pond in front of it and a stream along the side of the property. There were also woods and hills as far as the eye could see.
“Oh, Fitzwilliam, it is lovely and so perfectly situated!” she exclaimed.
“I am happy the sight of it pleases you,” he said, smiling. “Come, we shall arrive very soon.”
He helped her back inside the carriage, and they continued on their way. Elizabeth began to feel nervous the closer they came to the house. She was mistress of all this! Aunt Madeleine had told her she would soon appreciate what being the mistress of Pemberley meant. Elizabeth was certainly beginning to get an inkling!
Darcy was excited to be bringing Elizabeth home and eagerly looked forward to their life together. He could sense that she was beginning to feel a bit uneasy. Darcy knew the size of his estate must be overwhelming, but he would assure her that she was the perfect woman to be mistress here.
Because of the winter weather, their wedding trip would have to be postponed, as would the wedding trips of his new brothers and sisters-in-law. Whit and Mary were en route to his estate. His brother and mother were to go stay with relatives so the newly married couple would have some privacy. Since Fitz had not yet found an estate, the earl and countess were allowing their son and his new bride to have Thornbridge Hall to themselves. Of course, Stafford did threaten to pop in from time to time to see how Fitz was getting on. This, in turn, led to Fitz threatening Stafford with the loss of a limb. Uncle Byron and Aunt Sophia had also volunteered to keep Georgiana with them at Matlock House for at least a month so Darcy and Elizabeth could focus only on each other.
When they stepped into the entrance hall, they were met by a large portion of Pemberley’s staff who were lined up in respectful acknowledgement of the new mistress. Darcy proudly introduced Elizabeth as his wife and as their new mistress. Shegraciously thanked the staff for their warm welcome before he led her away, pointing out different rooms as they passed them on their way to the master and mistress’s suites.
