The Flower
Chapter 1
It was early in the morning when Elizabeth Bennet decided to get up. It was the last day before her wedding with her beloved Fitzwilliam Darcy.
She got dressed quickly, tamed her shrew curls with a black velvet ribbon, took shawl and mantilla and went out in the chilly mourning.
It was snowing and chilly, but the sky was blue and the sun had a marvelous rise in all colours from purple to red and from red to yellow.
With a sassy smile Lizzy decided to walk towards Netherfield. And remembering another "historical" she looked at the way.
It was muddy and she would not be fit to be seen again. But she didn't care about that and not even Caroline Bingley's inquisition could spoil her happiness of seeing her love that soon.
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Chapter Two:
The sun was rising when Fitzwilliam Darcy began to dress himself for a walk. The chilly air wouldn't disturb him, on the contrary it would raise his tired spirits.
The serene beauty of the glittering snowy garden made him think of his dearest loveliest Elizabeth. Like this snow she was pure and beautiful.
He regarded himself the happiest man on earth that god gave him a second chance to win the love of his life forever. And tomorrow their live together would begin.........
Without realising it he walked directly to that spot where he met Elizabeth a year ago. He loved Netherfield's natural garden because he preferred the natural beauty of wild flowers to those of "fashionable" gardens that were nothing more than arrangements.
A few meters from this spot
Elizabeth lost herself in daydreams. The beauty of the blue sky and the glittering snow made her dreamy and careless.
So, without looking she bumped into another early riser and found herself in his arms.
"I'm sorry Sir! I didn't.......William!"
"My dear Elizabeth! Tell me that this isn't a lovely illusion!"
"No dreams no imagination my love!" she whispered between kisses.
"I'm so happy to have you a little for myself now. All the fuzz about our wedding makes me considering to elope with you" Darcy teased her.
"But Sir! That's not very reasonable. I'm a honorable woman and I wouldn't consider anything of the sort!" Lizzy teased back. They burst out laughing without control.
For minutes they walked without saying a word, exchanging looks that would have been spoiled by every word.
Suddenly Elizabeth started to think about her behaviour in the last year and became very melancholic. "I was THAT near of throwing the love of my life away.......How do I deserve such happiness....."
My dear, I'm so happy that only one day's left before we our......Lizzy? You're shivering! Dear God! You don't even wear gloves. Come on, take my coat. What is it my love? tell me!"
His voice sounded soft but alarmed. "It is nothing......I was just........" Suddenly she flew into his arms sobbing without control. "How do I deserve to be loved by you? I treated you so heartless..........I'm so sorry."
Darcy was completely shocked. This woman, his precious Elizabeth begged for HIS forgiveness?? HE should forgive HER after treating her like dirt?
"My beloved Elizabeth, calm down and listen to me. I've told you before that you were perfectly right in refusing me at Hunsford. If you had accepted me then you wouldn't be the woman I love. It is I who should apologise to YOU my dearest jewel, that God in his grace allowed me to make it up to you," he said tenderly while caressing her hair.
Lizzy answered his tender speech with a passionate kiss and that sassy smile he loved so much.
Later Jane arrived to call on her beloved Charles Bingley. Everyone could see how happy they were. They had a lovely supper and even Bingley's sisters left them alone with their remarks.
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Chapter 3
After supper the two couples decided to walk to Meryton to do some last wedding-shopping. There was one very important thing: Lizzy's wedding-dress.
While Jane had bought hers in London with the Bingley sisters (Author's note: IMAGINE! Poor Jane!) Elizabeth insisted on buying hers in Meryton with her fiance.
While Bingley and Jane went looking for flowers for the right bouquet Lizzy and Darcy visited a few shops that offered wedding-dresses.
"Oh Lizzy, why didn't you order it from a dressmaker....." Darcy sighed in mocked despair after they had left the fourth shop.
Yes, Lizzy was difficult to be satisfied. She wanted a modest and ELEGANT wedding-dress. Most of the dresses she had seen so far had either vulgar ornaments of false pearls or related stuff or they didn't have the right size.
But then, just as they were about to leave the fifth shop Lizzy beheld the gown she wanted. It was an elegant combination of cream-coloured silk and velvet, with long white satin sleeves.
It wasn't even made for a wedding but both of them fell in love with it at first sight. After trying it on Lizzy was very relieved because her experiences of today about correct size would fill a book............
A little later they joined Jane and Bingley in the flower shop to find the right flowers for Lizzy's bouquet. Lizzy didn't want white roses or anything of the sort, she chose modest but beautiful lilies of the valley.
As they returned to Longbourn Mrs. Bennet wanted to inspect the whole thing at once. Lizzy and Darcy couldn't help to smile about Mrs. Bennet's folly about clothes and finery.
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Chapter Four
Mrs. Bennet had prepared a marvelous dinner for her daughters and their fiances. The Lucases were invited and EVEN the Bingley sisters came.
It was a cheerful evening full of laughter and happiness. Only the Bingley sisters behaved as if they were tortured........
After the gentlemen and the guests had taken their leave Lizzy and Jane fled upstairs. "Good night dear Lizzy" Jane whispered and hugged her sister.
"Good night Jane" Lizzy replied warmly.
But Lizzy couldn't sleep. "Curses at those long winter-nights" she groveled in her pillows after looking for sunrise again.
There was a slight knock at the door. "Lizzy, are you awake?" Jane whispered through the door. "Yes, come in," Lizzy replied in sacred relieve. Now the time would go on faster.........
"Oh Lizzy, I'm so nervous........Will everything work?...I..." Jane sighed.
"Jane, Jane everything will work out well. But I want this damned night to pass quicker! I long for my wedding and my life with William afterwards!" Lizzy chuckled with a sassy smile.
"Lizzy, would you show me your wedding-dress?" Jane inquired with a curious sparkle in her eyes. "Dear Jane, I didn't show it to you? Wait a moment", Elizabeth vanished in her dressing room and got the dress.
"What do you think?" Lizzy asked and her heart swelled with pride as she saw the admiring gleam in her sister's eyes. "It's lovely. Truly adorable. You've made a great choice!" Jane cried in her own kind way.
"Jane, I have to confess that I'm nervous too........Ouhhhhhh, I hate those long nights" Lizzy said while embracing her sister. "Everything will work out well, remember?" Jane soothed her sister.
She could see that she needed to be for herself now. "Good night dear sister! God bless you". "Thank you Jane! You're a real comfort. Good night".
A few minutes later both sisters slept and had beautiful dreams about their future lives. Love, children.........
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Chapter 5
It was early in the morning when Elizabeth woke up from sleep with a big smile. Today was the day......And William would have breakfast with her soon......
She jumped out of the bed, washed her face and hands, cleared her teeth and began to brush her hair.
Within a few moments the door to her room flew open and her mother and Hill came in. "Hurry my dear! You must get dressed and your hair must be arranged..." Mrs. Bennet screamed in ecstasy.
"Mama, I beg you! The wedding is in 6 hours! Hush Mama! Hush I beg you." Elizabeth tried to break away. "Oh no my love! One never knows if everything will work out right.....So get dressed now and Hill will arrange your hair"
"Mama! Mr. Darcy will call on us for breakfast and I cant see him in my wedding-gown on this occasion! Mama! I must get dressed now......No, not the wedding-dress........" Elizabeth cried in despair.
"Lizzie!!!!" Mrs. Bennet waved the dress before her eyes. "My nerves.......I'm going to swoon....." Thus she waddled out the room.
Elizabeth laughed heartily but then she realised that her time was running away. "Uhhhhhhhhhhh! I must get dressed now! Jane! Join!"
"What is it my dear? can I help you?" Jane screamed back from her room. "Jane, please tell William that I'm sorry for being late but Mama made such a fuss about getting dressed for the wedding...."
"It's all right dear! I'll tell him and I'm sure he'll understand!" "Pow! At least that is ok now!" Lizzy sighed in relieve. She chose a white gown with dark-green spots and made her hair herself.
20 minutes later a hurrying Elizabeth flew in the salon. "I'm sorry Mr. Darcy. (shooting a glance at Mrs. Bennet) I had some troubles in the choice of my dress!"
"It's all right my love! You know that it doesn't matter if I wait for YOU!" Darcy answered with a loving glance. "Let's all go out in the garden! It's so beautiful there" Jane cried happily.
Mrs. Bennet left the room to get some rest for her poor nerves. "Mr. Dar....., William, will you join us with Lizzy?" Jane asked shyly. "Of course! Let's go!"
The glittering beauty of the garden was mesmerizing.........
"Take care my love!" Lizzy shouted, while forming a snowball and throwing it at Darcy! "Ah, you little......Wait!" The couples had a wonderful snowball battle with much laughter.
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Chapter Six:
As the two girls got dressed together they used this opportunity to talk. "I'm so happy Lizzy! That both of us can marry the love of her life!" Jane sighed with glittering eyes.
"Yes. We are very fortunate indeed!" Lizzy replied looking at her beautiful sister. Jane looked like an angel. A lovely white dress with pretty laces and a long wail of satin made her an unearthly creature.
But Lizzy herself was a dish. Her creamy gown and her lovely short wail made her irresistible beautiful.
Elizabeth Bennet would never forget the moment she became Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy. It was a moment in heaven for her, to stand there at the side of her beloved and to swear to love him forever..........
The flower
After the ceremony and the celebration at Longbourn Darcy was lucky enough to find his bride alone in the garden. No, no longer his bride. His WIFE! He couldn't believe that she was his now and that their life together would begin now..
Embracing her he mumbled in her sweet hair "I'm so happy that we are together at last my love!". Turning around and giving him the most loving smile she answered "I can hardly believe that we'll be together for the rest of my......OUR life. I love you!"
Now nothing could stop him. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. When he noticed that he ruined her bouquet by doing this he boldly took a lily of the valley and put it in the neck of her dress.
"You know that you have much in common with this delightful flower, my love? You're pure, delighting, charming and of serene beauty! I love you!" Now it was her who kissed him tenderly.........
No one realised the flower in the neck of Lizzy's neck as she and her beloved entered the carriage that would bring them to Pemberley to begin their life together.
The End
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