(Corrected with addition, I hope it's somewhat better now.)
Hi Guys, so this is my first Pride and Prejudice story and I hope you enjoy it. I write more for myself than anything, but will happily receive any constructive criticism or corrections in grammer etc =)
Much love and enjoy...x
From the moment she said the words "I will." Elizabeth had a feeling of such contentment that she knew she had never truly been happy with her lot in life until now; there was never any doubt that she loved her family, but she had known something was missing, had known somewhere in the world outside Hertfordshire was her destiny. She often thought her dreams were the result of reading too much, but it didn't stop her dreaming and at this moment in time she was thankful for the fact she believed things could be better. There was no doubt about the fact still afraid of what was to come, she knew so little about married life; her only real examples being her parents and aunts and uncle, she hadn't been prepared for was what going to be expected of her as she became Mrs. Darcy, what was expected of her as Mr Darcy's, no wait, Fitzwilliam's wife. In reality she had known that her mother would neglect the task of preparing her for her wedding night, but she had hoped for a sudden change in character the night before, and as she waited for it her nerves had become stronger and stronger. Mrs Bennet had never come to her daughter; she had been busy with Jane, and though Elizabeth had sat with her aunt till late in the evening, she hadn't had the courage to ask the question she so desired to ask, until it had been too late and Mrs Gardiner had been called away to her own children.
As she took her husband's arm these nerves were pushed aside to be replaced with the overwhelming joy of being pronounced Mrs Darcy. When Jane and Bingley, and herself and Fitzwilliam left the church they were surrounded by their families who cheered and threw rice upon the new couples whose smiles were bright enough to light the dull November day. The wedding breakfast was to be held as Netherfield Park instead of Longbourn, for want of more room, and the young brides were led to open top carriages, which sat in front of their former home, to take them to the celebrations. Elizabeth allowed herself to be handed into the more lavish of the two carriages by her husband as he smiled the most dazzling smile that she had ever seen grace his features and heard him murmur,
"Elizabeth." in a caressing and private tone. She looked at him from her vantage point and responded in a similar manner,
"Fitzwilliam." Which brought Mr Darcy to a stop as he climbed in after her, as he regained his composure she realised it was the first time she has called him by his Christian name and again whispered the word, enjoying the feel of it on her lips, "Fitzwilliam."
"No, please it's William." His reply was light as he corrected, he was finally felt free of the restraints society put on them; knowing full well that in public there would be an expectation of formality, he dearly wish that when he was alone with his Elizabeth he could be himself, he could be William again. "My mother always called me William." He added in an almost melancholic way, though he was still smiling and feeling the joy of the day.
"Ok." She said quietly, taking his hands in hers, holding them close as he felt like she was reassuring him of the ability he now had to share his life with her.
"And as you call me William, may I call you Lizzie? You are Lizzie in my heart and my soul and I wish you to be Lizzie in my world as well." He wanted to take down the final barrier, after all he had called her Miss Bennet for so long, but she threw her head back as she laughed and he felt surprise rising in his features, not knowing how to respond, he hadn't expected this reaction to his sincere admission,
"Oh dear Mr Darcy how much you have changed from the obstinate man I once knew. Yes I will be your Lizzie as you are indeed my William" and she again took him by surprise as she leant forward and took the opportunity to kiss her husband for the first time.
Though it was just a press of her lips to his she felt something come to life inside her as, obviously, did he. Softly he took her face in his hand and kissed her back, this time with more intensity and passion and when he finally pulled back, Elizabeth had not recovered from the shock of her first real kiss. She was short of breath, her cheeks were flushed and she was gazing at him with an astonished, and slightly glazed look in her eyes; In that moment Fitzwilliam Darcy felt it was the most beautiful he had ever seen her. But as her mind came back into focus her wit kicked in,
"Am I to expect a display such as that every time I profess my love for you or was that just a onetime occurrence?" Darcy who knew how she covered any hesitation with teasing, allowed her time to collect herself and replied playfully,
"Perhaps my dear you shall have to wait and see as we are nearing the Netherfield boundaries and we would not want to embarrass any of our guests with such a display." He smirked as he finished, knowing full well that if he could he would kiss her again. Ignoring his expression and the obvious desire in his eyes, Elizabeth sighed,
"I suppose you are right, but I look forward to the challenge, though the thought of waiting is not a pleasing one." But the was he was gazing at her as she said this and the intensity of his stare made her fully aware of the implications of her words and with that awareness the nerves that had been so soundly repressed came flooding back. He noted the change immediately, after all since the afternoon of his proposal they had seen each other almost every day and he was now so acquainted with her moods, expressions and emotions that just the slightest change was apparent to him.
"Lizzie" he questioned, "did I say or do something wrong?" There was worry in his tone, the vulnerability of a new bridegroom had kicked in. Since reiterating his feelings on the lane walking towards Meryton he had been worried that she would once again start to see him as arrogant and prideful as she had at his first proposal; though he knew that she loved him there was the inherent fear that at any point she might regret her decision to accept him. She quickly looked up at him as he asked the question, taken back that he had notice the most subtle of changes in her demeanour, knowing that there was no use keeping her thoughts and feelings from him, as he would continue to worry for her if she did, she replied,
"Nothing, everything you have done and said has perfect. I just… I just…" she stumbled over her words. He started stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, comforting her and showing through his touch that he was there for her and would understand all she had to say, "…I just, I'm in a state of nerves, which I never thought I would be." He laughed at this, obviously understanding the reference to her mother, but he also held back any response, letting her continue which she was grateful for.
"I…Though the idea of truly being your wife is exciting and thrilling, I am … I am un–…I am unaware of the…" and she once again came to a faltering stop and began blushing to an extent which Darcy had never seen on her before. It was a state he had rarely seen her in as she normally held her own in conversation and was able to express herself with an eloquence which was surprising in a woman her age, but the flaming red of her cheeks allowed Darcy an insight into what she was nervous about. He removed one of his hands from her to instead gently cup her cheek, willing the heat and embarrassment to disappear, realising this was a conversation he had never expected to have.
"Oh Lizzie," he didn't laugh, as after all this was no laughing matter, but smiled gently at her, knowing that if he didn't reassure her now, things would be worse later in the day. "We will come to this later, but as long as you trust me and trust my love for you there is no reason to be nervous. I would never willingly hurt you or cause you any discomfort. In truth I cannot wait until I can truly call you my wife, as it will present a new facet to our love and life together, but dearest for it to be as perfect as we both wish it to be, you need to understand that for this first trip into the unknown you will need my support, which you will have no matter what. In no way will you be facing your fears alone, because I love you and I hope that love will help you through." And though heat rose in his cheek as he spoke, but he pushed his awkwardness aside and once again pressed his lips to hers to physically show his love.
In all truth she hadn't expected that response from him, as it wasn't a subject normally spoken of in polite company, but as he spoke she could feel the intensity of his words and his promise of support easing some of her worries; though no young girl on her first night of marriage is truly without some essence of fear. Elizabeth was just glad that she had a partner that understood what this night would mean for her and glad that she knew what he would mean for him.
As they arrived at Netherfield Park with red cheeks and slightly mussed hair both Elizabeth and Darcy felt that a new intensity had entered their relationship. To her it felt like the with the bonds of matrimony the last layer of the public Mr Darcy had been peeled away, leaving only the man she loved who was intelligent, kind, compassionate, handsome and so full of love and admiration for her it made her heart falter; and for him it felt that as soon as she promised herself to him in front of the lord, the law, and the congregation of friends and family, she had finally allowed herself to at last give everything, not just her name and body, but her love, her soul and her mind which was so intricate he hardly knew which was more beautiful, her mind or her body? But even as he contemplated this he knew it didn't matter because he also knew she was his, she was Mrs Darcy and it was with that thought that he help her out of the carriage and escorted her into the wedding breakfast to meet their's and the Bingley's guests.