After the Wedding – WIP Sneak Peek by Jennifer Altman

Hi all! I hope everyone has been staying healthy and safe and making the most of these last few weeks of summer.

As you’ve probably noticed, this month’s blog theme is “After the Wedding,” and since I happen to be working on a new Pride and Prejudice variation that features an early marriage scenario, I thought it might be fun to share a sneak peek at my work in progress. 🙂

Some of you may have heard me talk a little bit about this book during JAFF in June, but the basic premise is that Darcy offers for Elizabeth shortly after the Netherfield ball, mostly as a way to preempt Mr. Collins’s proposal. Unlike many other “forced marriage scenarios,” Elizabeth accepts Darcy of her own free will (although there are a few extenuating circumstances that push her in that direction) and the two marry early in the story. Unfortunately, this is not a love match. Elizabeth still finds Mr. Darcy proud and arrogant and disagreeable, and Darcy has yet to acknowledge (even to himself) the depths of his own feelings.

The scene I’m going to be sharing today takes place immediately following Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding, and while I know most of my fellow JAV authors have been posting swoon-worthy wedding nights for this month’s theme, in this particular variation we have to wait a little longer for the passion to kick in. 🙂 So, while I promise you that there will be romance, this particular “After the Wedding” scene veers in a slightly different direction.

I hope you enjoy.

(Note: This is a work in progress, and as such, has yet to go through final revisions and editing. It is possible that the published version may differ slightly from the excerpt posted below).

Excerpt

The following sennight passed in a blur. Mr. Darcy did not wish to wait to marry. There was some business at Pemberley which required his attention and he did not want to risk traveling too late in the season when the roads would be at their worst. And so, he departed for London to acquire a special license and to finalize the settlement, and Elizabeth was married in the Longbourn chapel a mere eight days after accepting Mr. Darcy’s offer.

Later, when she reflected on her wedding day, Elizabeth would remember it as a myriad of images—the feel of her father’s wool coat beneath her damp palm as he walked her down the aisle, the brief look of unguarded reverence in Mr. Darcy’s eyes when he beheld her at the altar, the fluttering in her belly when her new husband leaned down and placed the softest of kisses on her lips once the vicar had pronounced them husband and wife—but on that day, a strange sort of numbness took over, as if she was merely playing a part, dutifully standing where she was told and reciting her lines, but knowing that when it was all over, she would go back to her real life, back to being Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn.

She remembered, however, with great clarity standing in the crowded vestibule, and how proud she was that her fingers only trembled slightly when she leaned over the marriage lines to sign her name before passing the pen to Mr. Darcy. She watched him as he signed, and in that instant, it all became terrifyingly real. She belonged to him. This stranger whom she did not understand and hardly knew was now her husband. She was his property—just as surely as his fine carriages, or his fancy Townhouse, or even the clothing on his back—to do with as he pleased. She had promised to love him, to honor him, and to obey him. Every possession of hers, too, in essence belonged to him. And every decision she made from this day forward must be made with his blessing.

And so, when Mr. Darcy gently took her arm to lead her to the waiting carriage, an expression that Elizabeth would later recall as pure adoration transforming his features, the only thought running through her mind was this: What have I done?

***

The wedding breakfast was held at Netherfield. Mr. Bingley had returned—alone—the day before the ceremony, stating only that his sisters and Mr. Hurst remained in Town due to a prior engagement.

At first, Mrs. Bennet was loath to give over the opportunity to host the breakfast herself, but upon hearing that Mr. Darcy’s cousin—a colonel in his majesty’s army and the son of an earl—would stand up with him, and that the earl and countess themselves might be in attendance, she saw the sense of having the breakfast in a more stately setting.

In the end, Mr. Darcy’s cousin could not get away from his regiment, and the Earl and Countess of Matlock were likewise unavailable, and so it was Mr. Bingley who stood up with his friend.

Mrs. Bennet made the best of the situation, focusing her attention on the fact that Mr. Bingley had returned to the neighborhood and using all her energy to contrive a way for the gentleman to be alone with her eldest daughter. Indeed, to prevent any further embarrassment to her dearest sister, Elizabeth did her best to keep Jane by her side during the wedding breakfast—although in truth, her desire for Jane’s company may have been equally due to a terrifying disinclination to be left alone with her new husband.

Courtesy BBC

But before long the breakfast was winding to a close—the minutes Elizabeth would be in familiar surroundings amongst her loved ones slowly ticking away. She glanced across the room to see Mr. Darcy in conversation with Mr. Bingley and Sir William Lucas, but as if sensing her gaze, he shifted his attention to where she stood and her cheeks burned at the smile that brightened his features when his eyes met hers. Turning back to say something to his friend, she watched as he shook hands with both gentlemen before making his way to where she stood. He bowed slightly to Jane, who once again wished him joy before slipping away, leaving the two of them alone within the crowd.

To Elizabeth’s amazement, Mr. Darcy lifted her hand, turning it over and placing a gentle kiss upon the inside of her wrist. A sharp gasp caught in her throat as he straightened, holding fast to her hand, his thumb tracing lazy circles along her palm.

“Will you be ready to leave shortly?” he murmured. “I had hoped to travel for at least a few hours before we lose the light.”

Elizabeth stared back at him, once again startled by the tenderness she saw reflected in his gaze. Offering him a jerky nod she answered, “Yes, of course. I will go upstairs and change. We may depart within the hour if you would like.”

Darcy nodded. “Good. That is… thank you. I will call for the carriage and make sure everything is loaded properly. Perhaps we may meet back here in thirty minutes or so, to say our goodbyes?”

Elizabeth agreed, scanning the crowd for her sister and then summoning a maid to take them to the bedchamber that had been set aside for their use.

Crossing the threshold, Elizabeth made her way to the wardrobe, removing the traveling gown her maid had hung there earlier and draping it over the back of a chair. A small fire crackled in the hearth, but instead of making the room feel cozy and snug, sweat prickled on Elizabeth’s brow, and she suddenly felt overwhelmed by the stuffiness in the room.

“Jane,” she called to her sister who was busily pouring water into a nearby washbasin, “pray, open a window. It is far too warm in here. I feel as if I shall faint if I do not have some fresh air.”

Jane smiled. Setting down the pitcher, she moved to the tall French windows that led to a small balcony, pushing them open.

“Better?” she asked, and Elizabeth nodded.

“Much.”

Jane came up behind her, beginning to work the buttons that ran down the back of Elizabeth’s gown. Peeling off the fine muslin, Elizabeth stepped into her simple traveling dress, easily fastening the hooks that were conveniently located at the front of the bodice. At least she would not need a maid to help her remove it this evening when she and Mr. Darcy stopped for the night. Elizabeth’s cheeks grew warm at the thought and she turned away from her sister. Best not to dwell too much on what would occur between herself and Mr. Darcy at the inn. She had gone into this marriage with her eyes wide open and she knew what was expected of her. She had no intention of putting Mr. Darcy off, or of denying him his conjugal rights. But she would cross that particular bridge when she came to it.

She glanced over at her sister who was staring back at her, a melancholy expression in her usually clear blue eyes. Forcing a smile, Elizabeth took Jane’s hands, squeezing them gently and leading her to a small settee near the open windows.

“Jane, pray do not look at me like that. You know I shall miss you terribly, but if you begin to cry then I will too, and it would not do for me to join Mr. Darcy with red-rimmed eyes on our wedding day. He might imagine that I am unhappy with my choice.”

Jane choked back a sound that was half laugh, half sob.

“How can you jest about something like this? I know better than anyone how you feel about Mr. Darcy. You have made your aversion plain from the moment you were introduced. You can scarcely tolerate the gentleman’s company, and now you have pledged yourself to him for all eternity. Oh, Lizzy, why did you do it? I know it was not for his money or his social standing. I do not understand.”

Elizabeth sighed, turning to stare out the opened window at the lead gray sky. “You must not speak so, Jane. Whatever my reasons, it is done now. Besides, many people marry without affection.” Smiling at her sister she added, “Not everyone can be as blissfully happy as you and Mr. Bingley.”

Jane flushed. “But you have not simply married without affection; you have married a man you vehemently dislike.” Pausing for a moment she continued, “And I am not certain that Mr. Bingley holds me in any special regard. The only reason he returned was for your wedding. He is leaving on the morrow.”

Courtesy BBC

A sudden gust of wind rattled the shutters and a door banged closed in some other part of the house.

“The wind is picking up,” Elizabeth said, moving to latch the windows before returning to her sister. Ignoring Jane’s words about Mr. Darcy, she continued, “Mr. Bingley is only going north for the festive season. He will be back; I am certain of it.” She did not add that now that she was married to Mr. Darcy, she would do everything in her power to ensure that her husband used his influence to steer Mr. Bingley towards Jane and not away from her. After a moment she added, “But perhaps there is something to Charlotte’s advice. Perhaps it would be to your benefit to leave Mr. Bingley in no doubt of your true feelings before he goes. You do love him,” she asked gently, “do you not?”

Jane’s lip trembled and she gave her sister a shaky nod. “I do,” she whispered. And then, with more feeling, “Oh, Lizzy! I love him so dearly. When he went away, I tried to put him out of mind. Truly I did. But seeing him again has brought all of the old feelings rushing back. He is everything a gentleman ought to be: kind, affable, affectionate.” Jane flushed. “And I am certain I shall never find another who would be better suited to my own temperament. I know how Mamma goes on about his five thousand a year, but I would love him if he had nothing. Even were he in trade, with not a shilling to his name, I would still wish to be his wife.”

Elizabeth reached out her arms drawing her beloved sister into a tight embrace. “And so you shall be,” she whispered. If it was the last thing she did, Elizabeth would see Jane marry for love. Even if binding herself to the arrogant Mr. Darcy was the price she was forced to pay.

***

Numbly, Darcy stepped from the balcony into the dimly lit bedchamber. Staggering to a nearby chair, he sank into the cushions, his mind reeling from all he had heard. Elizabeth had married him against her will. She did not love him. No, it was worse than that. If her sister’s words were to believed, Elizabeth detested him.

A wave a nausea twisted Darcy’s stomach and he was certain he would be ill. How had this happened? Why would she have accepted his offer if her sentiments were so decidedly against him? And how could he have been so blind as to have had no notion of her true feelings?

Courtesy BBC

His thoughts careened back to all the times they had been in one another’s company, when she had come to tend to her sister at Netherfield. Could what he had taken as flirtations banter have actually been genuine ire?

Suddenly he remembered the expression on her face when he had asked her to dance at the Netherfield ball. Had the fleeting look in her eyes that he had taken as surprise actually have been distaste?

Leaping from his seat, he paced to the window, raking his fingers through his hair. But then why had she agreed to be his wife? She had never answered her sister’s question, though Darcy was inclined to believe Miss Bennet’s assertion that it had not been for material gain. Sinking back into his chair, Darcy groaned. What did it matter why she had done it? The fact remained that he was now bound in perpetuity to a woman who loathed the very sight of him.

And there was not a single thing he could do about it.

***

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you think. 🙂 Looking forward to sharing more of the story as I get closer to publication.

Until next time!

JA