Chapter 35

Oakham Mount

An Hour Past Sunrise

Thursday, 28th August, 1812

Every crunch of last year's leaves, every whisper of dirt and grass beneath her feet was as familiar to Elizabeth as the bed she had slept in the previous night. Had she closed her eyes and kept walking, she could have said with absolute certainty where on the path she stood simply from the shape of the ground beneath her feet. She had no wish to close her eyes, of course, as she drank in the well-known scenery around her. The trees were still green with their summer foliage, but she knew it would not be long before they were aglow with autumn's fiery hues. Squirrels industriously buried acorns, while birds weary from their nesting or fledglings now boldly out on their own sang from the trees above.

It was magnificent, and she paused in a gap in the trees to tilt her face up towards the sun. Only a handful of clouds, mounded high and white like bowls of wool at the spinner's feet, lent variety to the overarching cobalt sky. A whispering breeze set the shade-dapples dancing across the path, and Elizabeth laughed for the sheer joy of being home.

But beneath that joy was a keen awareness that this would not be home for much longer. She had sunk onto the old feather mattress last night like falling into the embrace of a friend, but once she was married, she would never sleep in that bed again – the Darcys, when they visited Longbourn, would be given the best bedchamber reserved for guests.

Elizabeth set off up the path again, rendered pensive by this turn in her thoughts. The crest of the hill rose before her, and she smiled to see the other figure atop it, looking out at the patchwork landscape below, the copses and the wheat fields heavy with their golden bounty and the green pastures of cows and sheep. Darcy's gelding stood tethered nearby, delicately sampling the leaves of the bush to which he had been tied.

Elizabeth approached almost shyly. It was, she knew, highly irregular and just scarcely proper, considering their engagement, to meet here like this, so far from anything else and with no chaperone to oversee them. But they had managed to steal a brief word together at Longbourn the previous day and had agreed that there were some things they needed to discuss without curious ears around. She had suggested they make the journey to Oakham Mount, as they were unlikely to be interrupted. And now she was glad for another reason, for her betrothed looked handsome against the backdrop of the land she knew and loved so well.

He spun around at the sound of her footfall and rushed forward to greet her, and again he bent his handsome face toward her. Their lips met, and if the previous day's kiss had been delightful, this one caused a tingle which started in Elizabeth's toes before surging throughout her entire being. She found herself embracing him passionately, and it was the gentleman who, a minute later, gently removed himself from her arms.

She felt herself blushing, though she did not look away from her beloved's dark eyes and handsome face.

"I think perhaps we should marry soon," Darcy said, his color also heightened.

"Very soon," Elizabeth agreed. She forced herself to slow her breathing and walked a few feet to the east, which allowed her to gaze down on Meryton. It was coming alive as she watched, with the servant girls and stable boys and merchant wives beginning their days.

She felt him approach to her left, close enough that she could sense the warmth of his body, but her eyes were fixed on the modest steeple of the church in the village below her.

"Do you wish to marry in London, Fitzwilliam?" she asked.

"No," he replied instantly, "unless, of course, you wish to do so. We could be married at St. George's, which is an impressive structure, but my preference has always been for the country and country churches."

"That is my desire as well. I have no interest in a fancy church for our wedding. I would love to have Mr. Allen oversee the ceremony as soon as possible. We could have the banns read for the first time on Sunday."

"Or we could purchase a license and marry sooner?"

Elizabeth, remembering his strong arms around her and his lips on hers, blushed brightly. "I would like that even more."

"It is settled, then. I will arrange for a license, and I will meet with your father today to discuss the marriage settlements. I already spoke to my solicitor on the matter, and assuming that Mr. Bennet is pleased with my suggestion, we can have the final papers prepared by early next week."

"Considering how very generous you have been to our family, I am certain that your idea of an appropriate settlement will be well thought out and magnanimous."

Darcy reached out and pulled her into his arms, not passionately this time, but gently and lovingly. "I would have given all my fortune and more to win you as my bride, Elizabeth, and I promise that you and your family will always be sufficiently supported."

She felt tears surge to her eyes and blinked them away. How very blessed and fortunate she was to capture such a man.

"Thank you."

They maintained their position for a minute more, and then Elizabeth stepped back, conscious that such close proximity was far too great a temptation for both of them, especially given that they were, indeed, alone on top of the hill.

"I should return home soon," she said softly.

"I will be there later to speak with your father and, of course, to visit you."

She rolled to her tiptoes and planted another kiss on her fiancé's cheek. "I love you, Fitzwilliam."

"And I love you with all my heart, Elizabeth."

/

Longbourn

Early Afternoon

It was a crowded, merry party on the chairs and couch in the drawing room, tea steaming gently from the best china set in the middle of the coffee table. The new Lady Harding sat in the very center of the couch, Mrs. Greenfield placid on her one side and Sir Christopher, real affection visible when he looked down at his pretty bride, on her other. Mrs. Bennet sat across from them, her face animated and lovely again with absolute joy. The rest of Lydia's unmarried sisters had disposed themselves about the room, with Mr. Bingley in an unostentatious straight-backed chair near the corner.

Mrs. Bennet had spent the morning parading her youngest and most beloved daughter around to visit all of their friends, distracted only from speaking of Lydia's nuptials to brag about Elizabeth's impending ones. One daughter married to a wealthy man! Another a Lady! It was good fortune beyond her wildest hopes, and all the dreary terror of the past few weeks was washed away in rapturous joy. Even the faint grumbles of some envious matrons could not damp her pleasure, for her daughters were safely wedded or nearly so, and theirs were not.

She poured a cup of fragrant tea from the rose-painted teapot to hand to her new son-in-law, accepting his gracious thanks with a regal nod, though most of her attention remained on Lydia.

"And you must have new dresses, of course," she declared, "perhaps a silk dress, as befits a lady of your rank. Maybe a nice yellow silk? Or a deep rose pink? That would look lovely on you."

Lydia, sedately sipping her tea with the calming presence of Mrs. Greenfield at her elbow, lowered her cup to her saucer in her lap, and said calmly, "I will not be purchasing any new dresses as of yet, Mamma."

"My dear girl, surely you are not serious?" Mrs. Bennet replied, appalled. "You simply must have wedding clothes made up at once! I daresay Mrs. Simpson would be pleased to work with you as soon as Lizzy has one dress made for her wedding."

Lydia looked confused and said, "Mamma, Sir Christopher and I will be leaving soon for Hampshire, and I can have clothing made up there."

"Leaving soon? How soon?"

Lady Harding glanced at her husband, who nodded a little, and then turned back to her mother. "That depends on when Lizzy and Mr. Darcy are to be married. If it is in the next week, we will stay until then. If it is longer, we will need to miss their wedding. Sir Christopher has been neglecting his estate during our courtship and marriage and must return."

"A week?" Mrs. Bennet shrilled. "Oh, my dear, you cannot be serious! I had assumed you would visit here at Longbourn for at least a month!"

"I fear that is not possible, Madame," Sir Christopher said courteously. "As Lydia said, I must return to Hampshire in short order."

"Perhaps Lydia could stay on here for a few weeks?" Mrs. Bennet asked hopefully.

"I do not wish to be separated from my bride, and the sooner she arrives at Pine Manor, the sooner she will be able to take her place as mistress of the house."

"Indeed, Mamma, I will not remain here," Lydia exclaimed. "I wish to be with my husband."

Elizabeth, who had been watching the conversation with satisfaction, said, "Perhaps someday you will be able to visit Lydia, Mamma. It is not so very far away from Hertfordshire."

"Oh, perhaps, perhaps…"

"Regarding our wedding date," Elizabeth said, "Fitzwilliam and I wish to marry soon, within the week, so perhaps you will be able to attend, Lydia."

Mrs. Bennet's expression shifted from petulant to horrified. "Lizzy! You cannot be serious! You cannot possibly marry so soon. I will not have time to prepare an appropriate wedding breakfast in that short a time, and you, at least, must have a new gown for your wedding, and you have not even seen Mrs. Simpson!"

Elizabeth straightened her back and prepared to do battle. "Mamma, we will marry when we wish to, and I do not need a new gown or a fancy wedding breakfast!"

The ensuing conversation was noisy and rather fractious, and Charles Bingley, who had been sitting quietly in a corner near, but not too near, Jane Bennet, took the opportunity to turn to the lady he loved.

"Miss Bennet?"

"Yes?"

"I … erm … I have a question for you.

"Yes?"

He paused, marshalling his thoughts, and then said hesitantly, "I recently received a letter from my sister Caroline. She, along with my sister and brother Hurst, intend to travel from Pemberley to Netherfield with Miss Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam in the next few days. I know you have every reason to be angry at my sisters. Thus, I wonder if you wish for me to send them away as opposed to allowing them to stay at Netherfield."

This provoked a genuine look of astonishment on Jane's face. "Would you truly do that? Deny your sisters a place in your home even when we have not yet entered into any sort of formal relationship?"

"I would," Bingley said, and then at the obvious surprise in Jane's eyes, he continued, "I will confess that it does make me nervous as Caroline can be unpleasant when displeased, but I am determined to change the way I interact with my sisters. I have allowed them to rule me for far too long."

Jane regarded him gravely and said, "I would not wish to live with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, but I see no harm in their staying at Netherfield. We will not encounter one another much, if at all."

"You are certain?" Bingley pressed.

"Entirely. I, too, need to learn to stand up in the face of difficulty."

The door opened at this juncture, and Mr. Bennet entered, followed by Mr. Darcy, and both gentlemen were smiling.

Mrs. Bennet, who was still feeling peevish over Lydia's plans to leave Hertfordshire soon, hurried forward and produced a beaming smile. "Good morning, Mr. Darcy. I do hope that, erm, everything is well?"

"It is very well, Madame," Darcy said, returning the lady's smile. "Your esteemed husband and I have come to a mutual agreement, and Elizabeth and I will be married next week."

"But that is far too soon," the matron moaned, her happy expression vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

"My dear Mrs. Bennet," her husband said, and placed a rare, affectionate hand on his wife's arm, "Lizzy is about to marry a fine gentleman of wealth and connections, and that is what truly matters, considerably more than fancy meals and new dresses."

"That is entirely true, Mamma, and you know it," Elizabeth said, though her eyes were fixed on her beloved Fitzwilliam.

"Very well," the mistress of Longbourn replied unhappily, "but I am bound and determined to make the breakfast the best that it can possibly be. Hill! Hill! I must speak to you immediately!"