Chapter 160


”That was delicious, but I don’t think I can’t eat another bite.” Elizabeth set her fork down on her still half-full plate.


She and several of the wedding guests had managed to snag two picnic tables close together, and were all finishing their meals. After being assured that the “dolphin” listed on the menu was actually dolphin fish,  another name for mahi-mahi, Elizabeth had chosen it for dinner. She had also tried a bite of William’s jerk chicken, a favorite local dish of his, but she found it too spicy.


The Oistins Fish Fry wasn’t quite the local experience she had hoped, as most of the attendees seemed to be tourists. But the food, at least, was local, and she was enjoying eating an informal dinner under the stars. She could see why Richard had recommended arriving early; long lines now stretched alongside most of the colorful, rustic food stalls. Bands were set up on the stages at opposite ends of the large area, adding island music to the festive atmosphere.


“We’re going to go exploring,” Georgiana said to Elizabeth, who simply nodded, her mouth full of one final bite of her macaroni pie. Georgiana, Kitty, and the Gardiner girls rose from their table.


“Be careful,” William called after them as they strolled away. “I’ve heard that sometimes pickpockets prowl around here.”


“I need to work off this dinner,” Charlotte said. “Let’s do some dancing.”


“Fine with me,” Richard replied, rising to his feet.


Elizabeth smiled at him. “Gotta love a guy who likes to dance.”


“It’s just one of my manifold charms. Are you two coming?”


Elizabeth sent William a questioning glance, which he answered with a nod as he swallowed the last bite of his baked potato. “We’ll join you in a minute,” she said.


A few minutes later, Elizabeth was in William’s arms as they swayed to the music. When the song ended, he surprised her by swinging her out to twirl around. She completed the circle and threw her arms around his neck, laughing. “You really seem like you’re having fun tonight,” she said.


“Why do you sound surprised?”


“Oh, come on. Like Richard said earlier, this isn’t your kind of thing.”


“Am I really that stuffy?”


She smiled. “Not as much as you used to be.”


“That would be your influence, my love.”


“Then my work here is done.”


He glanced in the direction of the ocean. “Want to take a walk on the beach?”


“Sure.”


At the edge of the crowd around the stage, they saw Mary standing alone.


“Hi, Mary,” Elizabeth said. “Are you enjoying yourself?”


“It’s a strange environment,” Mary replied, “but the food is good and I like the music, and the people are fascinating to watch.” She held up a bottle of Banks Amber Ale. “This is rather good, too.”


“You’re not hanging around with Kitty and the other girls?” William asked.


Mary shook her head and grimaced. “They’re so frivolous, and they never stop talking.”


Elizabeth wasn’t surprised that Mary preferred her own company. In most situations, her sister chose to stand on the fringe and observe the scene, her brilliant mind analyzing some esoteric theme she had noted.


Hand in hand, Elizabeth and William headed away from the food stalls and souvenir shops toward the beach. They skirted around a weathered fishing boat pulled up on the sand. Elizabeth kicked off her sandals; the sand squished between her toes, cool and slightly damp.


“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” she asked.


“No, not at all. Are you?”


“A little, about the details of the day—will everyone find their way to the church, will it rain in the afternoon, will people like the food at the reception, stuff like that.”


One worry she refused to entertain related to her mother’s behavior. It helped that, according to Eleanor Fitzwilliam, Mrs. Bennet had been largely silent at the luncheon earlier that day. She had said little more than to praise the house, the food, and the garden, and to agree with everything Rose said. Eleanor and Rose, who had spoken about it after lunch, were both pleased and dumbfounded by the change. Elizabeth decided that optimism was the best approach; she would hope for this trend to continue.


“I’ll tell you what I am  nervous about,” William said. “Tonight.”


“You mean, about whatever Richard has planned?”


“Exactly. Charles promised to try to keep things low-key, but Richard’s going to do what Richard’s going to do, and nobody can stop him.”


“I don’t think he would have invited my dad if he was planning anything too raunchy.”


“I suppose not.” He stopped walking and turned to face her. “What about the bachelorette party? Do you think Charlotte invited any male strippers?”


“If she did, it’s going to be awkward. I invited Georgie and the other younger girls.”


“Smart girl! That’s a good way to keep Charlotte on a leash.”


“That wasn’t the reason. Georgie’s a bridesmaid, so of course she needed to be there. And then it made sense to invite the other girls.” In truth—though she wouldn’t admit this to William—if not for Georgiana’s presence, a male stripper wouldn’t have been an entirely bad thing … although Charlotte would have played it for maximum embarrassment.


Elizabeth inhaled the salt-tinged air. A fresh breeze ruffled her hair, and she brushed a few strands out of her face. “Look at all the stars in the sky,” she breathed. “It’s so clear tonight; I hope that means nice weather tomorrow.” The forecast was for a sunny day, but storms sometimes arose quickly in the Caribbean.


“Thank you,” William said after a short silence during which they both studied the sky.


“For what?”


“For making this happen. Getting married down here.” He drew her toward him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “It never occurred to me, not even when you talked about imagining a wedding at the beach. I just always assumed that New York was the only option Gran would allow.”


She fingered his rebellious lock of hair, which the wind had relocated to his forehead. “I think we caught her at a good time, when so many other things were changing. Besides, the answer is always no if you don’t ask.”


“I love you.” He smiled down at her, and she studied his face. He looked at least five years younger—perhaps even ten—than when they had met a year ago in San Francisco. Then, despite the magnetism she had found impossible to ignore, he had seemed vulnerable and lonely; now, he practically glowed with health and happiness. The change was due in large part to his sabbatical in California last fall and its healing effect on his body, but it filled her with joy to know that she was responsible for some of his transformation.


“And I love you.” She kissed him quickly. “But we should go back and find everybody; it’s getting late, and if we want to get any sleep tonight, we’d better move on to the next stage of the evening.”


When they rejoined the crowd around the stage, they saw Georgiana, Kitty, and the Gardiner girls standing together wearing pained expressions. “Hi, girls,” Elizabeth said. “What’s wrong?”


Georgiana rolled her eyes. “Look over there.”


Near the front of the crowd, she saw that a conga line had formed, with Richard in the lead. His parents and the Gardiners were behind him, followed by a smattering of tourists and locals.


Tessa Gardiner heaved a sigh. “I love my parents, but they are so uncool sometimes.”


“Oh, come on,” Elizabeth replied merrily, “it looks like fun.” She turned to William. “Let’s join them.”


“Noooo!” Georgiana wailed. “It’s too embarrassing.”


“Sorry, sweetie,” Elizabeth said. “You can tell everyone you’ve never seen us before in your life.”


She pulled William through the crowd. She expected him to refuse to join the line, his dignity offended by such a pedestrian display. But he surprised her. Although he didn’t look entirely convinced, he took his place behind her, and when she turned to look at him, she saw a smile stealing onto his face. She giggled, wondering what the William Darcy of a year ago would have said to the version dancing behind her, his hands grasping her waist.


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“Okay, does everybody have a cigar?” Richard scanned the men clustered around him on the patio. Everyone did, and a few were already puffing away, generating a cloud of acrid smoke.


He had to admit, the patio had a festive air. Winston Shepherd, between his chauffeuring gigs, had strung colored lights, a candle flickered on each table, and reggae music issued from two large speakers. Best of all, Mrs. Shepherd had set up the refreshments exactly as Richard had asked.


“Here’s our project,” he announced. “We’re having a Caribbean rum tasting event.” He extended his arm toward one of the tables set up on Pemberley’s terrace. “I’ve selected six of the best brands of rum the islands have to offer. It’s our job to choose the winner.” He pointed to a box of shot glasses—he’d bought out nearly every souvenir store in Bridgetown. “We’ve got a tray for each of you, and enough shot glasses so you can build your own rum tasting flight. Taste each one and rank order them on your scorecard. If you need to go back for second—or third—tastes to verify your choices, by all means. Then we’ll sip the winner for the rest of the night, and make rum punch out of the losers.”


Richard stole a glance at William, who looked … relieved? Yes, that was it. William—or, rather, Auntie W—had feared that Richard would organize an unbridled bacchanalia for the evening, and Richard had entertained himself by feeding those fears with sly looks and vague quips. Of course, he still had a surprise or two up his sleeve; there were standards to be maintained.


The guests hesitated, probably expecting William to go first, but when he stood back, Robert Fitzwilliam and Edward Gardiner led the way, pouring their shots of rum. “Great idea, son,” Robert said. “Although I’m afraid by the time we taste the last shot, our taste buds may be compromised.”


“That’s why I asked Mrs. Shepherd to set up that snack table—the food will soak up some of the alcohol.”


George Phillips, Elizabeth’s uncle, stepped up next. He had no observable personality, but William had insisted on inviting him since every other male guest at the wedding would be in attendance. Charles, who was doing his best to engage Mr. Phillips in congenial conversation, followed, along with Elizabeth’s father. This left William standing alone a few feet from the table.


“Come on, Auntie,” Richard said in a sing-song tone.


“It’s a nice idea, Richard, but I don’t want to have a hangover on my wedding day. I already had two beers at Oistins.”


“Lightweight,” Richard scoffed. “Then don’t take full shots—just take a splash of each.”


William nodded. “I suppose I could do that. I admit, I’ve been curious to taste some of these.” He smiled. “I’m impressed. This is a much more sedate gathering than I was expecting.”


“More sedate than you were fearing, you mean.”


“Well, yes.” William chuckled. “Lizzy told me I probably didn’t have much to worry about; you wouldn’t have invited my future father-in-law if things were going to get too … let’s see, I think ‘raunchy’ was the word she used.”


“Raunchy? Perish the thought. Nothing but class for you, old man.”


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William had just finished his tasting and submitted his scorecard when Mr. Bennet approached and said, “Darcy, could I speak to you?”


“Of course.”


“In private, I mean.” Mr. Bennet glanced around. “Perhaps we could go down by the pool.”


“Certainly.”


When they reached the pool deck, they seated themselves at a round table. The music and the voices on the patio were still audible, but were soft enough to fade into the background. William wished he had brought a drink with him, to give his hands something to do. He flashed an awkward smile at Mr. Bennet, who had folded his hands on the table and was staring at the pool.


“Was there something you wanted to talk about, sir?” William finally asked.


Mr. Bennet cleared his throat. “Yes.” He paused. “We haven’t had an opportunity to speak, other than pleasantries.”


“No, sir, we haven’t.” The conversation was off to a scintillating start.


“I think you should know that when Lizzy first told me she was going to marry you, I was not happy.”


William frowned. How was he supposed to respond to that?


“But she assured me that you two love each other very much, and that she’s sure you’ll be happy together. And I trust Lizzy’s instincts. She’s—well, she’s always been special to me. There’s a light inside her that … it’s hard to explain.”


“She has a sparkle,” William said, smiling. “The first time I saw her, that’s what I noticed—the expression in her eyes.”


“Good. You see it, too.” Mr. Bennet cleared his throat again. “I would never want that sparkle to die.”


“But it did,” William shot back, “last night. Because of the things her mother said.”


“And I’m sure you wondered why I didn’t do more to intervene.”


William replied with a curt nod. Elizabeth’s tears the night before remained fresh in his mind, and he was angry that the man hadn’t done more to curb his wife’s bad behavior.


“This is going to be a long story; I hope you don’t mind. But I think it might help you to understand Lizzy better.”


“Of course. I’m interested.” That was an understatement. William leaned forward, elbows resting on the table.


“When Francie was younger, she was lively and fun to be around—she had a sparkle of her own, in fact, but without Lizzy’s intelligence and sweetness. And I was young and stupid and didn’t realize the importance of those qualities. Before I knew it, Francie was pregnant. We got married partway through my senior year of college, and a little over four months later, Jane was born.”


This explained how this intelligent man had ended up with such a wife. William wondered if the Bennet daughters knew the circumstances of their parents’ marriage.


“I realized my mistake quickly. ‘Lively and fun, but not very smart’ is great when you’re a college guy dating a girl from the local secretarial school, just having fun. It’s not so great when she’s living with you and raising your daughters. I was disappointed enough that I started treating her with … maybe not disdain, but certainly a lack of respect. I directed plenty of sarcasm her way. Most of it went over her head, but I suppose she must have understood some of it, and I’m sure it hurt.”


William nodded involuntarily. He had seen some examples of Mr. Bennet’s sarcasm toward his wife at the rehearsal dinner a year ago.


“Now, the girls—that was something else.” A warm smile crept onto Mr. Bennet’s face. “I loved them all, and I made time for them, at least the ones who wanted to spend time with me. Jane, our first, was the perfect child. She was beautiful and calm and sweet from the day she was born. Francie adored her, and had so much fun dressing her up and showing her off.”


Loud laughter burst out from the group on the patio. William glanced in their direction, but the cause wasn’t obvious. Mr. Bennet continued, seemingly oblivious to the noise. “Then Lizzy came along. She was colicky, crying all the time, and once she could walk she was into everything—grabbing things she shouldn’t touch, tripping over anything in her path, going out in the yard and coming back covered in mud. And she hated Jane’s frilly hand-me-down dresses. She wanted to wear overalls, like the boys in the neighborhood.”


William smiled, imagining Elizabeth as an unruly toddler. Perhaps one day they would have a muddy little girl in overalls of their own. That would be fine with him.


“The poor girl had too much pent-up energy to sit quietly at meals, and she tended to say whatever came into her mind. But Francie was determined to teach her ‘ladylike’ manners or die trying. The dinner table became a war zone. And in spite of all that—or maybe because of it—I loved her from the start. Parents say they don’t have favorites, but it’s not true. Jane was Francie’s child, and Lizzy was mine. Sometimes I wonder if Francie resented Lizzy, at least a little, because I’d given my daughter my heart, but withheld it from my wife.”


William’s eyes widened. His mother had given her heart to him, withholding it from her husband. Had that been part of the reason his father had seemed to despise him?


“But it was more than that,” Mr. Bennet continued. “Francie and Lizzy just never connected.”


“Hey, old man, get your ass up here!” Richard yelled. “We can’t have a bachelor party without the groom.”


“Don’t interrupt the ritual interrogation of the groom by his future father-in-law,” Mr. Bennet called back. His remark was greeted by another burst of laughter.


“I’m sorry,” William said to Mr. Bennet. “Richard’s just being … Richard.”


“No need to apologize. Actually, he’s right; monopolizing the groom is probably a violation of a major tenet of bachelor party decorum.”


William smiled and then returned to their topic. “Lizzy told me that she and her mother never understood each other.”


“She’s right. To this day, Francie looks at Lizzy and sees a daughter who needs to be tamed, and she’s embarrassed that she failed in that effort. Her words last evening outside the restaurant, and the day before at the church, were her best efforts to correct what she considered to be her daughter’s inappropriate behavior.”


“But Lizzy hasn’t done anything wrong! Mrs. Bennet is the one who’s been inappropriate, to put it mildly.”


“I know. But Francie doesn’t see it that way. It’s a shame. She’s an affectionate, supportive mother to Jane, Kitty, and Lydia; they’re the daughters she understands. Lizzy and Mary are the ones she picks at whenever the opportunity arises. Maybe that’s why they both moved away from home at their first opportunity.”


“If you’re so aware of the situation, why didn’t you protect her when it happened last night? Why leave it to my grandmother? Lizzy cried in my arms after dinner because she felt so humiliated. I seriously considered driving up to your house and telling Mrs. Bennet she was no longer welcome at the wedding.”


“I don’t blame you for being angry. By the way, your grandmother was marvelous. It was a sign of how much you love Lizzy; if you didn’t, Rose wouldn’t have been so vehement in her defense.”


“Everyone in my family loves Lizzy. But you haven’t explained why you didn’t step in.”


“I was afraid of making a bad situation worse by arguing with Francie. I kept hoping she’d stop on her own.”


William grunted and sat back in his chair, waving away a fly that buzzed past. Mr. Bennet’s argument made a certain amount of sense, though expecting Mrs. Bennet to self-regulate seemed absurdly optimistic.


“But I want you to know that when we got back to the house last night, Edward and Madeline and I told Francie in no uncertain terms that she was making Lizzy unhappy and also making herself look ridiculous, and she needed to stop. I think we’ve got her calmed down for the rest of the weekend, but I’m sorry it happened. I hope you’ll apologize to your grandmother on my behalf as well.”


“You should apologize to your daughter. She’s the one who was hurt by what happened.”


“You’re right, and I will.”


William felt his resentment abating. After all, he hadn’t spoken up either—at least, not until later, when he and Elizabeth were alone. In Mrs. Bennet’s presence, he had been too slow choosing his words, fearing—as Mr. Bennet had said—that he would make the situation even worse.


Mr. Bennet pushed back his chair. “Let’s rejoin the others and see which rum won the contest.” He grinned. “Your cousin is quite a character.”


“Yes, he is,” William answered as they rose to their feet. “And he admires your sense of humor.”


“Coming from him, that’s a high compliment.” Mr. Bennet paused and looked directly at William. “One more thing.”


“Yes?”


“Thank you for loving my little girl. I can trust you to take good care of her, can’t I?”


“Absolutely.”


“I’m not talking about money.”


“Neither am I. Nothing matters more to me than making Elizabeth happy.”


“That’s what I was hoping to hear.” Mr. Bennet extended his hand, and William shook it. Together, they made their way back to the revelers on the patio.


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“What time is it?” Elizabeth asked, barely suppressing a yawn.


“Late,” Charlotte murmured.


The bachelorette party had been a lively affair. Jane, feeling a bit fatigued after the day’s activity, had excused herself and gone to bed around midnight, but the others had gone on dancing, chatting, and splashing in the pool to their heart’s content. They had also drunk rum punch—too much, Elizabeth now realized. She had even allowed Georgiana a small glass of it, and had been surprised to see the girl finish it in a few gulps.


“I’ve had rum before,” Georgiana had said in response to Elizabeth’s wide-eyed expression. “Courtney used to break into her dad’s liquor cabinet. But she always made rum and Coke and I didn’t like it. This stuff is good.”


Georgiana and her posse, along with Mary—who had spent most of her time relaxing in a chaise lounge watching the others—departed for the Bennet mansion at about two in the morning, with a promise that Georgiana would return no later than noon to begin wedding preparations. After that, Charlotte would have been happy to stumble off to bed, but Elizabeth, though tired, was too excited to sleep. They had grabbed towels and headed out to the beach.


Moonlight danced across the water, and the stars were even more plentiful than they had been at Oistins. Elizabeth lay back on her towel, drinking in the sight. Although she hated to admit it, her short stay at the beach had made her regret Pemberley’s clifftop location on the east coast. But she reminded herself that whenever they came to Barbados, they could visit this beach, or any other west and south coast beach, whenever they wanted. Still, it would be nice to be able to wander from the pool to the placid ocean. I’d better not say anything, or he’ll probably buy me this house. She giggled at the thought.


“What’s so funny?” Charlotte asked.


“Oh, just ….” Elizabeth shrugged. “Nothing, really. Just a funny thought about William.”


After a brief silence, Charlotte said, “Look, you know I’m not sentimental.”


“An understatement.” Elizabeth giggled again.


“Well, yeah. And I might break out in hives from what I’m about to say. But all kidding aside, Liz, I’m really happy for you.”


“Me, too.” Another giggle followed.


“I’m not sure quite how it happened, but you and William seem perfect for each other.”


“We bring out the best in each other.”


“Yeah, I think you do. He helped you to get past Michael and started living again. And you seem so much more confident these days.”


“I think I am. Lately I’ve been wondering if I gave up Broadway too soon, because I didn’t really believe I could do it.”


“You could go back and try again.”


Elizabeth shook her head. “No. I love what I’m doing with the foundation. I guess I’ve found my calling: I’m going to make music education available to kids who wouldn’t get it otherwise.”


“That’s great.”


“Now, tell me the truth.”


“About what?”


“Richard. You love him, don’t you?”


Charlotte blew a quick stream of air through her nose. “Yes, I do. Okay?”


“I knew it! And he loves you, too.”


“I think that’s possible.” Charlotte leaned back on her elbows. “But I still say, it’s not the kind of love you and William have. We’re not soulmates; we’re just two people who enjoy each other and are finding it remarkably easy to live together.”


“That’s a good start.”


“I guess so.”


After a short silence, Elizabeth said, “I wonder what the guys are doing?”


“Well, Richard set up a rum tasting event, so I imagine they’re all pretty drunk.”


“No strippers or lap dances?”


“I didn’t say that. The way I understand it, William’s going to get a pair of boobs—probably surgically enhanced—rubbed all over him before the night is over.” Charlotte eyed Elizabeth. “I hope that doesn’t upset you.”


“Only on his behalf. He was afraid of something like that.”


“Afraid?”


“You know William; he’s in favor of decorum.”


“But he’s also in favor of boobs, isn’t he?”


Elizabeth laughed. “Yes, he is.” She sat up and glanced at Charlotte. “I wondered if a male stripper was going to show up here.”


“I considered it, but I was pretty sure you didn’t want some guy waving his junk in Georgie’s face, and I didn’t know how long she was staying.” Charlotte sat up as well and grinned at Elizabeth. “Were you disappointed?”


“No; you’d have found a way to embarrass me to death, and you’re right about Georgie. Besides, we’ll both be back with our very own gorgeous guys tomorrow.”


“I’m glad there are bedrooms at both ends of the house; I’d hate to be too close to Jane and Charles. I don’t think Richard and I have ever gone without sex for even two days, much less four, since we got together; we’re likely to make some noise.”


“I know,” Elizabeth retorted. “I’ve heard you.”


“Oh, that’s right—last fall, that night you and William came back to the penthouse planning to hit the sheets, and Richard and I were already there!” Charlotte laughed merrily. “I wish I could have seen your face.”


They lay back again, both staring at the sky. After a long silence, Elizabeth said, “When you said this afternoon that you weren’t family, and I said that you were, I meant it.”


“Are we getting sentimental again?”


“It won’t kill you. I need to say this. We’ve been friends for half our lives. Besides William, you and Jane and Georgie and Dad are the people who mean the most to me in the entire world. I’m so glad you’re all going to be with me tomorrow—no, later today—when I marry the man I love.” Elizabeth felt tears rising to her eyes. “I love you so much, Char.”


Charlotte rose to her feet. “Come on, girl. I love you, too, but I refuse to get weepy about it. I think it’s time for the bride to get some sleep.”


“That’s right,” Elizabeth mused, accepting Charlotte’s offered hand and allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. “I’m the bride, for one more day.”


“Come on, Ms. Bride.”


Arm in arm, the two friends made their way back to the house.


Next chapter

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If you’re interested in the Oistins Fish Fry, here’s a first-hand account with some great photos. It appears that they visited during the pandemic, so it wasn’t particularly crowded.


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