Chapter 14

Soon the issue of the errant boys was sorted, and the family was able to properly turn their attention to their guests and the upcoming wedding. All of the guests had finally arrived; Pemberley, and its dower house was full to bursting. Every night there was an incredible feast that put royalty to shame, or a lavish ball or entertainment. Most of Derbyshire was also invited, the highest noblemen, the gentry, even Lambton's endearing tribe of spinsters, for whom Elizabeth sent her carriage to convey to each event as honoured guests.

The day of the wedding was the grandest Lambton had ever seen in living memory. Darcy weddings were typically held in the estate's small chapel, but Georgiana had grown up attending church in Lambton, and preferred to marry with the village about her.

The guests had all gone ahead to the church when Elizabeth, Lydia, Jane, and Louisa made their way down the stairs. The ladies lingered by the front door to glimpse Caroline and Georgiana descend the stairs to their brothers who were waiting.

Included in Georgiana and Lydia's gifts from Marianne had included a great deal of lace and silk from Paris, Brussels and Italy. Lydia had given all of hers away, but she had gifted the very best bolts to Georgiana, and er sister had not squandered it. Her dress was made of the finest white silk with an eight-piece bodice, a wide, open neckline, and short, puffed, off the shoulder sleeves, with a flounce of the finest and brightest lace that any of the ladies had ever seen. The full skirt was overlaid with the same lace, covered in beads and tiny seed pearls, and a train of lace over three yards long.

Georgiana had convinced Caroline to have a similar gown made in ivory, which suited that lady's colouring very well indeed. Caroline refused a train, preferring less ornamentation. Georgiana wore a white veil and Elizabeth's pearl tiara. Elizabeth offered to loan Caroline a tiara and indeed, her betrothed had offered the use of the Berkeley tiara, but Caroline preferred to secure her veil with a wreath of orange blossoms, as Her Majesty had done.

Elizabeth and the ladies went ahead in the last carriage before the brides and their brothers. Charles was hard put to keep a dry eye, and Darcy did not even try, as his sister reached the last step and took his arm. "I knew you would choose a worthy partner, and you will not be disappointed in your choice, Sister. Our mother and father would have been so very proud, and happy for you today." Darcy's eyes misted as he patted his sister's hand on his arm. Georgiana chided him not to make her cry, as he and Charles led their sisters to their carriages. Elizabeth had engaged two enormous and splendid white carriages, which were pulled by Elizabeth's prize palominos. The tenants and villagers were all out and in their finest, spilling into the churchyard and the streets of the village, cheering, as the brides rolled past, then entered the church on the arms of their brothers.

When the brides emerged from the church again, it was on the arms of different gentlemen, smiles radiant, as they dashed through the rice and grain thrown by the villagers to their carriages. The gentlemen threw coins to the children as the carriages pulled away, taking the new brides and their husbands back to Pemberley for a sumptuous wedding breakfast before departing in different directions for their prospective wedding nights.