Mr Pierce indicated that the congregation, with more Peers than had ever been seen by the citizens of the area, stand. The door to the vestibule opened again and Jane entered on her father’s arm. Perry had not seen anything more beautiful in his life than the vision of his bride to be as she walked toward him.
He advanced a few steps and met Bennet, who lifted the veil to kiss his daughter’s cheek and then placed her hand on Perry’s arm. Once they were standing in front of the rector, he signalled the congregation to be seated. The service flew by and neither bride nor groom remembered reciting their vows. Before they knew it, Mr Pierce pronounced them man and wife, and they were led to the rectory to sign the parish’s register. Once they had signed, Andrew and Elizabeth left them alone.
“My wife,” Perry murmured as he kissed his wife.
“My husband,” Jane replied breathlessly as she yearned for more kisses.
Knowing that the family was waiting for them in the church, they shared but one more, then returned toward the waiting arms of the well-wishers. As they emerged from the rectory, they were mobbed by their family with everyone trying to‘your Grace’Jane first. Elizabeth hugged her sister tightly.”
“Jane, we are now sisters and sisters-in-law,” she teased.
“Silly, I am still only your sister,” Jane returned.“By your logic, or lack thereof, Perry is now your brother-in-law twice over.”
“Technically, he is!” came the pert reply.
“Please, family and friends who have known me all of my life, Jane will suffice, not my title. You call Perry by his name, so I demand the same!” Jane scolded her family playfully.
“We have got used to having a Duke around, even a Dowager Duchess, but we have yet to accustom ourselves to being in the exalted company of a Duchess,” James drawled with an exaggerated bow that earned him a playful slap on the arm from his sister. Marie then hugged her new sister tightly. She had been an only daughter, but now she had, between her marriage and Perry’s, gained a slew of siblings.
The Bingleys and the Hursts had waited at the back of the church until the newlyweds had a free moment. They wished the Duke and his new Duchess happy and then boarded the carriage that would return them to Netherfield. Martha was sad that Oscar had not been there to see such a wonderful wedding. Her grieving was still very raw, and she knew it would take her a while before she started to feel the full measure of emotions such as happiness and enjoyment.
Once the well wishes of the immediate family were completed, all except Jane and Perry walked back to Longbourn. The couple would wait five minutes and then follow, to allow everyone to settle in the ballroom before they were announced as a married couple for the first time. They stood staring at one another and only by the happenstance of a servant coming in to clean around the alter did they recall themselves and leave at the appointed time.
“Will you not tell me where we are to go for our wedding trip, husband?” Jane asked, not for the first time.
“You will find out on the morrow, my wife, whom I love above all others,” Perry answered.
“So it begins with secrets,” Jane teased him sweetly.
“I give you my oath, Duchess, that theonlysecrets I will ever keep from you are when they are a surprise for you,” Perry assured his wife in earnest.
They made the quick walk to the house and handed their outerwear to the footman waiting for them as they entered. When they arrived at the doors to the ballroom, two footmen swung the doors open and Mr Hill had the distinct pleasure of announcing:“Their Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Bedford.” The response was a round of thunderous applause.
One of the first to wish them happiness was the Lucas family, including Franklin, who sincerely wished them joy and refrained from using Jane’s familiar name as he had been wont to do in the past. The greeting between the couple and the family were as warm as could be and the message to all was clear, whatever had happened in the past was water under the bridge, and there was no animosity between anyone present and Franklin Lucas.
Elizabeth, her brothers, and sister Anne added an exclamation mark to the complete redemption of the Lucas heir when he was greeted cordially by all, during which Lady Elizabeth had spoken a few words to him with a smile on her face.
Two and a half hours later, Jane changed into her travelling clothes and joined her husband in the drawing room to wish their families farewell. They had hardly eaten anything, but they had no need to worry. Mrs Hill had placed a hamper full of comestibles in the carriage along with flagons of various drinks.
Mother Rose hugged her new daughter tightly, telling her that she was the perfect wife for her son. The night before the wedding, she had again pledged any support and help that Jane may find that she needed as she learnt her duties of mistress and duchess. She and Perry were hugged by all in the extended family; one of the last to hug their Jane was Elizabeth.
“I will miss you so much‘aney,” Elizabeth hugged her sister tightly.
“You will be missed too, Lizzy, but now that we are reunited, we shall never lose one another again,” Jane promised.
“I have a feeling that you will not be thinking of me or anyone else very much over the three months of your wedding trip aside with Perry,” came her impertinent rejoinder.
“Lizzy!” Jane blushed scarlet but could not deny the truth of her sister’s words.
Next Tammy hugged her daughter while Bennet shook his new son’s hand, and then they swapped. Perry received a warm hug from his mother-in-law who received a kiss on her cheek for her troubles, while Jane was enfolded in her dear father’s arms.”
“You will do very well together, Jane,” he told her quietly.“I pity the servant who tries to cheat you. You know that I could have never parted with you to one less worthy. He is a particularly good man.”
“Yes, Papa, he is; but to me, he is the best of men,” Jane corrected her father.
The newlyweds mounted their carriage, and as waves were both given and received, it was jerked into motion by the team of six matched horses. The family stood and watched until the coach disappeared around the bend in the drive.
Chapter 11
