The doors to the church opened and there she was. She was resplendent with the sun shining at her back. Her satin gown glowed in the soft morning light and her hair seemed auburn one moment and brown the next as the light from the stained glass windows danced across her visage. Her face was tilted down and shaded by a bonnet, so it was difficult for him to see her clearly, but he knew she would be lovelier than he had imagined.

The ceremony proceeded in the usual way with Darcy scant noticing anything about the goings on. He only noticed how her hand trembled when he took it in his, and how her voice sounded when she agreed to love him forever, and the light blush that tinged her cheek when he slid the ring on her finger. When all was done, they exited the church to congratulations from the assembled guests and climbed into the carriage that would take them to his aunt’s house for the wedding breakfast. She had insisted on hosting it, saying Gracechurch Street was too far from the church and that she would stand in place of his parents who surely would have wanted some part in the festivities had they been alive.

Darcy was touched by the gesture and had no difficulty convincing Mr. Bennet to allow his family to host the event. Now, he sat across from Elizabeth in a carriage on their wedding day, headed to Lady Constance’s home for the wedding breakfast, from whence they would leave for their wedding night. He could hardly wait. He knew the breakfast must be endured, but he did not want to linger overlong and hoped Elizabeth would be in agreement.

She twisted the ring on her finger, watching the light catch on the gold, mulling over the changes in her life. It is happening. She had thought about it and knew it would come, and she had grown closer to her betrothed and thought more highly of him, but now that the day was upon her, she found herself overwhelmed and wondering if she’d known what she was about when she’d accepted him.

It is just nerves, Elizabeth. All will be well, she admonished herself. She had to admit to a great amount of trepidation for the days to come. Mr. Darcy passionately loved her, of that she was certain. And while she had no direct experience, it wasn’t difficult to imagine that a man with such feelings would often want to be in her company, throughout the day and night. She was nervous about what was to come and nervous about the life she would now lead, and nervous about leaving her family and the only home she had ever known to live somewhere she had never seen.