Read The Road to Pemberley Online
Authors: Marsha Altman
The Road to Pemberley (67 page)
“Fitzwilliam, what are you doing here?” whispered Elizabeth as she was swept up into his arms.
“I could not go another hour without seeing you, Elizabeth. I had to come,” replied Darcy.
“I am so glad you did. I missed you desperately.”
“Elizabeth, I am sorry I left without a word, but your fatherâ”
“I know. He told me everything. Please do not be angry with him.”
“I am not angry. Not any longer,” said Darcy.
Elizabeth answered with a smile as he caressed her cheek. “I have brought you a gift, my love,” he said. He took a small black velvet bag with a drawstring from his pocket and gave it to her.
“Open it, Elizabeth.”
Opening the bag, Elizabeth pulled out a sparkling necklace that seemed to reflect the beauty of the moon.
“Oh, Fitzwilliam, it is beautiful.”
“The stones are sapphires, the color of a moonlit night. I hope you will wear this and remember this night when you do.”
“I promise, Fitzwilliam. I will wear it and I will remember.”
“Here, let me put it on you now.”
Elizabeth offered him the necklace and turned her back to him. He brushed her hair to the side and placed it around her neck. She moved as if to turn around, but he prevented her when his lips touched her skin. Her body trembled in delight at his touch.
“In just a few hours, we will be married, Elizabeth.”
“My father told me we are leaving for Pemberley directly from the church.”
“Yes, if you concur.”
“I desire nothing but to be alone with you, Fitzwilliam.”
“We will be alone soon, my love. Let me accompany you back to the house. It is chilly and you should not be out here.
Elizabeth took Darcy's arm and they walked together to the door. There, they shared a lingering kiss. Breathless, Elizabeth leaned her head on his shoulder.
“You cannot know how lonely I was,” he murmured. “Arranging for the license took no time at all, and I was left with three days
in town to do nothing but think of you. Every waking hour, I was tortured with my aloneness.”
in town to do nothing but think of you. Every waking hour, I was tortured with my aloneness.”
Darcy kissed her again.
“I love you, Fitzwilliam.”
“I do not want to leave you, Elizabeth, but I must.”
“I know,” said Elizabeth, “but I shall see you at church in no time at all, and I shall wear this necklace as a reminder of our first night together.”
“Good night, my love.”
The wedding of Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn and Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley was celebrated at the Longbourn church early in the morning. A few of the older ladies in attendance could not remember a service ever being held quite so early.
Despite the short notice, the church had been decorated with flowers, and the bride was dressed in a stunning white gown and adorned with a necklace of stones the color of a moonlit night.
After the ceremony, the company returned to Longbourn, where a sumptuous wedding breakfast was served. Although the absence of the bride and groom was questioned, it was agreed that the breakfast was the most superior affair in recent memory.
“I must say, Mr. Bennet,” said his wife. She paused.
”Yes, Mrs. Bennet?” He waited patiently.
“I must say that the day has gone off remarkably well. The ceremony was spoken with all the solemnity and feeling that it deserved, And Mrs. Long said she had never seen as much food on a table in the course of her whole life. Mrs. Long is a splendid woman. And her two nieces are not
so
very plain.”
so
very plain.”
“Indeed they are not, Mrs. Bennet, and you must confess that they are nice girls.”
Mrs. Bennet did not seem to hear him. “Mr. Bennet, I am surprised that you allowed Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth to leave for Pemberley from the church and not attend the breakfast to receive the best wishes of their friends and family.”
“My dear Mrs. Bennet, I could hardly prevent them.”
“I suppose not,” said Mrs. Bennet. “And Mr. Darcy is a very handsome man. What an excellent wife Lizzy will make him. I knew it all along!”
Pride and Prejudice Abridged
BY MARSHA ALTMAN
Marsha Altman
exists more as a philosophical concept than an atom-based structure existing within the rules of time and space as we know it. She is the author of
The Darcys and the Bingleys
,
The Plight of the Darcy Brothers
,
Mr. Darcy's Great Escape
,
The Ballad of Grégoire Darcy
, and
Mr. Darcy is Also in This Title
(title and manuscript existence pending), and is the editor of this anthology. When not writing, she studies Talmud and paints Tibetan ritual art, preferably not at the same time. She does not own any cats.
exists more as a philosophical concept than an atom-based structure existing within the rules of time and space as we know it. She is the author of
The Darcys and the Bingleys
,
The Plight of the Darcy Brothers
,
Mr. Darcy's Great Escape
,
The Ballad of Grégoire Darcy
, and
Mr. Darcy is Also in This Title
(title and manuscript existence pending), and is the editor of this anthology. When not writing, she studies Talmud and paints Tibetan ritual art, preferably not at the same time. She does not own any cats.
Always leave 'em laughing.
(Meryton assembly)
Darcy
: She is tolerable; but not enough to tempt
me.
: She is tolerable; but not enough to tempt
me.
Elizabeth
: Excuse me!
: Excuse me!
Darcy
(remembering he's a gentleman)
: Excuse me. I did not realize you were listening in this relatively small ballroom, depending on the adaptation.
(remembering he's a gentleman)
: Excuse me. I did not realize you were listening in this relatively small ballroom, depending on the adaptation.
Elizabeth
: I was.
: I was.
Darcy
: I really am sorry.
(Notices she's cute)
Listen, my friend dragged me to this, and I don't like assemblies, and I'm in a bad mood about this family thing. Can we start over?
: I really am sorry.
(Notices she's cute)
Listen, my friend dragged me to this, and I don't like assemblies, and I'm in a bad mood about this family thing. Can we start over?
Elizabeth
: Hmm. What a reasonable thing to say. All right.
: Hmm. What a reasonable thing to say. All right.
(
Jane
gets sick at Netherfield.
Elizabeth
goes to Netherfield, bumps elbows with
Darcy
.)
Jane
gets sick at Netherfield.
Elizabeth
goes to Netherfield, bumps elbows with
Darcy
.)
Elizabeth
: So you are picky about the women you date, as is probably the thing a rich man with many fortune hunters on his coattail would be?
: So you are picky about the women you date, as is probably the thing a rich man with many fortune hunters on his coattail would be?
Darcy
: Yes. I like intelligent women who read a lot. Do you read a lot?
: Yes. I like intelligent women who read a lot. Do you read a lot?
Elizabeth
: Yes.
: Yes.
Darcy
: Awesome.
: Awesome.
(
Elizabeth
meets
Wickham
.)
Elizabeth
meets
Wickham
.)
Wickham
: â¦And those are all the reasons that Darcy sucks.
: â¦And those are all the reasons that Darcy sucks.
Elizabeth
: I'm tempted to believe you, man I just met and has no established reputationâas opposed to Mr. Darcy, whom I have known longer and is established to be a respectable gentlemanâbut I really feel like the horrible gossip you've just imparted to me, for no particular reason that I can see, should be verified by at least one other person.
: I'm tempted to believe you, man I just met and has no established reputationâas opposed to Mr. Darcy, whom I have known longer and is established to be a respectable gentlemanâbut I really feel like the horrible gossip you've just imparted to me, for no particular reason that I can see, should be verified by at least one other person.
Wickham
: â¦
: â¦
Elizabeth
: I know! Mr. Darcy wouldn't say anything good, but Mr. Bingley thinks the best of everyone. I'll ask him if he knows Wickham.
: I know! Mr. Darcy wouldn't say anything good, but Mr. Bingley thinks the best of everyone. I'll ask him if he knows Wickham.
(At another meeting)
Elizabeth
: Blah blah blah. Do you know Mr. Wickham?
: Blah blah blah. Do you know Mr. Wickham?
Bingley:
That guy? Oh, for the good of society, Darcy went out of his way to tell me what a devious man he was. He even told my sisters. Let me explain.â¦
That guy? Oh, for the good of society, Darcy went out of his way to tell me what a devious man he was. He even told my sisters. Let me explain.â¦
Elizabeth
: Hmm. Wickham can't back up his story. Well, maybe I should take it with a grainâmaybe a poundâof salt.
: Hmm. Wickham can't back up his story. Well, maybe I should take it with a grainâmaybe a poundâof salt.
(After the Netherfield ball)
Miss Bingley
: We must away to London at once!
: We must away to London at once!
Bingley
: Why?
: Why?
Miss Bingley
: The Bennets are nothing more than scheming chits!
: The Bennets are nothing more than scheming chits!
Bingley
: Well, technically, they're gentry, and we're little more than middle class until I buy an estate. Darcy?
: Well, technically, they're gentry, and we're little more than middle class until I buy an estate. Darcy?
Darcy
(stops daydreaming about Elizabeth)
: Their mother is detestable and their sisters little more.
(stops daydreaming about Elizabeth)
: Their mother is detestable and their sisters little more.
Bingley
: Well, am I marrying the hot, sweet girl I love or the mother? Or the sisters?
: Well, am I marrying the hot, sweet girl I love or the mother? Or the sisters?
Darcy
: Oh right. Yeah, umâ¦let's give it another week or two. Until it gets really cold. You know.
: Oh right. Yeah, umâ¦let's give it another week or two. Until it gets really cold. You know.
(
Bingley
gets the hint that
Jane
isn't timid and marries her.)
Bingley
gets the hint that
Jane
isn't timid and marries her.)
Darcy
: Well, have to run. Family stuff.
: Well, have to run. Family stuff.
(Kent)
Elizabeth
: Mr. Darcy!
: Mr. Darcy!
Darcy
: Miss Bennet!
: Miss Bennet!
Elizabeth
: What are you doing here?
: What are you doing here?
Darcy
: You know how you have to hang around with annoying relatives during the holidays?
: You know how you have to hang around with annoying relatives during the holidays?
Elizabeth
: Oh, right.
: Oh, right.
Colonel Fitzwilliam
: And I'm his cousin! Darcy is so awesome. And dreamy.
: And I'm his cousin! Darcy is so awesome. And dreamy.
Darcy
: Shut up, plot device character who exists solely for us to have a reason to awkwardly flirt.
(To
Elizabeth
)
Marry me?
: Shut up, plot device character who exists solely for us to have a reason to awkwardly flirt.
(To
Elizabeth
)
Marry me?
Elizabeth
: Yes!
: Yes!
(The double wedding)
Vicar
: Do you takeâ
: Do you takeâ
Aunt Catherine
: No! This cannot be! Darcy, you must marry your cousin, which I will remind first-time high school readers is an acceptable custom at this time period!
: No! This cannot be! Darcy, you must marry your cousin, which I will remind first-time high school readers is an acceptable custom at this time period!
Darcy
: Hmm. Maybe me
not
marrying her for the past five years hasn't been enough of a sign. Well, this is will be. I do.
: Hmm. Maybe me
not
marrying her for the past five years hasn't been enough of a sign. Well, this is will be. I do.
Colonel Fitzwilliam
: No! Jane!
: No! Jane!
Jane
: Who are you?
: Who are you?
Colonel Fitzwilliam
: I'm the guy who's like Bingley, only less dorky and with no money to support you, whom many people think you should marry because I was cast well in the BBC miniseries!
: I'm the guy who's like Bingley, only less dorky and with no money to support you, whom many people think you should marry because I was cast well in the BBC miniseries!
Bingley
: Hey!
I'm
a lovable dork.
: Hey!
I'm
a lovable dork.
Jane
: And I've never even met this guy.
: And I've never even met this guy.
Elizabeth
: And isn't the whole principle behind your character, aside from spreading good and bad gossip about Darcy, is that you need to marry rich?
: And isn't the whole principle behind your character, aside from spreading good and bad gossip about Darcy, is that you need to marry rich?
Colonel Fitzwilliam
: True love will show the way!
: True love will show the way!
Darcy
: I call Fuck with Canon. Anyone?
: I call Fuck with Canon. Anyone?
Bingley
: Totally.
: Totally.
Jane
: Who is this guy?
: Who is this guy?
(
Colonel Fitzwilliam
is thrown out of the church, and everyone is married and lives happily ever after.)
Colonel Fitzwilliam
is thrown out of the church, and everyone is married and lives happily ever after.)
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