Passing as Elias

chapter Four

The Midnight Wedding

Elizabeth did not tell her mother that she and Captain Greenwood were planning to elope in only three days time. The Captain had bribed a small chapel out of town to marry them at midnight, and asked the maiden of a small woodland Inn to witness the union, and rent them a room for two nights. They would return home in time for Captain Greenwood to put his affairs in order, and set sail. Elizabeth knew he would sign the deed as soon as she asked him, for he was extremely smitten by her, and would do as she pleased. He had arranged to pick Elizabeth up from her home at the eleventh hour, from where they would proceed by horse and cart to the chapel, which was forty-five minutes out of town. On the day of the marriage, which was a chilly Sunday, Elizabeth packed a travel bag and took her nicest dress from her closet, and hung it up to look at it. It was not wedding-worthy at all. It was a sea-foam green dress with a lace frill around the neck and cuffs. She wished she had something more appropriate to wear yet she could not afford a wedding dress. She imagined herself in an over-the-top gown, and shuddered.

Elizabeth had decided to ignore her guilt, and told herself repeatedly that she would indeed fall in love with the Captain over time. He did not repulse her of course, but she was absolutely sure that he was not ‘the-one’, whatever that meant.

At a quarter to eleven Elizabeth took her suitcase silently down the stairs and placed it at the door. She was already dressed in her finest garments, including the gloves that Captain Greenwood had given her. She had tied her curly red hair into a sleek knot at the back of her head, and worn her finest shoes. She waited nervously in the sitting room; moonlight pouring in through the crack in the curtains. She had not bothered to light the lamps for she would not be staying much longer. So she sat in the dark, waiting in silence for the sound of an approaching carriage.

At two minutes past eleven the sound of trotting horses reached her ears, drawing closer every second. Elizabeth jumped up from her seat and peered through the window. A black, horse drawn carriage trundled up and came to a halt in front of her house. Elizabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Within the hour she would be married - and after that … well, she did not want to think about it.

Elizabeth had composed a short note to her mother so she would not worry when she woke to find Elizabeth missing. She had left it on the mantelpiece, and made it quite brief.

Dear Mother,

Do not worry, I am absolutely fine. I hope you will be quite pleased when I tell you that Captain Greenwood has asked me to marry him. I have accepted, and we are eloping at midnight. By the time you read this, the deed will have been done. We did not wish to make our engagement public, for Captain Greenwood’s parents would be most displeased at his choice for a wife. I therefore hope you can forgive me for keeping this secret from you. You must understand that it was the easiest way. I will be home on Wednesday, and once the Captain has signed the deed to Professor de Bard’s home, we will move in there before he sets sail on Thursday.

Love, Elizabeth

Elizabeth hoped the letter would suffice. She knew her mother would be upset that she had not attended her only daughters wedding, but would easily forgive for she had wanted Elizabeth to take kindly to the Captains courtship.

Elizabeth heard the horses outside snort impatiently as she made her way to the front door, holding her suitcase with both hands. Silently, she pulled the door open as to not make a sound, and found the Captain stepping down from the carriage. He smiled upon seeing her, and quickly looked up and down the street for signs of spies. He beckoned her to him, and she complied, shutting the door noiselessly behind her. Captain Greenwood took her suitcase and helped her into the carriage, where she sat shivering slightly due to cold and nerves. After a moment he entered with a smile upon his face as he seated himself next to her. When he closed the carriage door, it began to move immediately, trundling down the uneven street. They did not speak for a long while, but Captain Greenwood held her in his arms and stroked her hair like she was an overgrown baby. The journey seemed extremely short, though mayhap this was because Elizabeth was so apprehensive as to what lay ahead.

They arrived at the chapel on time and the Captain asked the coachman to remain out the front for when they emerged, to which he replied with a tip of his hat. Elizabeth’s knees felt extremely weak as she stepped out of the coach. The night was cold, and mist rose in front of her mouth. The parish of the church was waiting at the doors, from which a warm glow emitted so they could only see his silhouette. They walked up the path towards him, and he greeted them merrily.

‘Good evening Captain.’ The parish said cheerfully, ‘and you must be Miss Searson?’

Elizabeth gave a small curtsey and nodded.

‘The Parish is, uh,’ Captain Greenwood thought for a moment, ‘compassionate towards couples who wish to elope.’

‘Understanding when it comes to matters of love.’ He smiled warmly at Elizabeth, and she forced herself to smile back.

‘So, why the hurry?’ He asked as he steered them inside of the church.

‘I am leaving in a few days time and shall be gone several months. I found it wise to snatch up Miss Searson before some other fellow stole her away from me while I was away at sea.’ The Captain smiled warmly, winking at Elizabeth.

The ceremony did not take long. The parish stood before them and asked them to repeat his words, each in turn.

‘Elizabeth Mary Searson, I take you to be my wife and my spouse and I pledge to you the faith of my body, that I will be faithful to you and loyal with my body and my goods and that I will keep you in sickness and in health and in whatever condition it will please the Lord to place you, and that I shall not exchange you for better or worse until the end.’

Elizabeth too repeated the words of the Parish.

‘George William Greenwood, I pledge to you that I will take you to be my husband and … master,’ She faltered and the Captain winced with an expression that clearly said do not worry about it. She continued, ‘-I pledge to you the faith of my body, that I will be faithful to you and loyal with my body and my goods and that I will keep you in sickness and in health and in whatever condition it will please the Lord to place you, and that I shall not exchange you for better or worse until the end.’

The parish then supervised the exchanging of the rings, and ordered Captain Greenwood to say the following; ‘With this ring I wed you, with my body I honor you.’

And so it was done. Captain Greenwood … George, slipped the simple gold band onto Elizabeth’s finger. She stared at it for several seconds, before George cupped her chin and kissed her lightly on the lips. Elizabeth Searson was now Elizabeth Greenwood in the eyes of the law, and would now be able to re-open the apothecary.

~

The carriage took them further north after the ceremony, towards a small village surrounded by trees. It was quite adorable, and Elizabeth thought she might enjoy the stay. The Inn had a sign dangling over the door, which read ‘The Kings Arms’ with two crossed swords. Its walls were covered in vines, and there seemed to be a farm beyond it for there was a strong smell of manure. Overall, it was quite pleasant. It was nearing one o’clock in the morning now, yet a maiden awaited them upon entry. She was a large breasted woman who batted her eyelashes at George and smiled consistently at him as she showed them to their room.

‘Yer in the best room.’ She told him, ‘I lit the fire for yeh.’

‘Thank you.’ George said graciously, and he handed her two silver pieces.

‘Thank you, Sir.’ She smiled widely and bustled out of the room.

Elizabeth watched the fire dancing in the grate, rubbing her arms nervously. She kept her back to her new husband as he closed the door. He crossed the room to meet her at the fireplace, and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

‘My wife,’ He whispered into her ear.

Elizabeth turned to face him, ‘Are you happy?’

‘Happier than I have ever been.’ He admitted, ‘Are you happy, Missus Greenwood?’

The name sounded foreign to her ears, ‘Of course.’

It was not a complete lie. She was happy that she would be able to fulfill Professor de Bard’s wishes. She continued to ignore the guilt that fell heavily upon her heart. She was not sad to marry George Greenwood, but she was not thrilled to be considered his property. Elizabeth told herself over and over again that for hundreds of years many people married for gain, and not love.

George Greenwood cupped Elizabeth’s face in his hands and kissed her on the lips before staring at her face and drinking in every detail.

‘I do love you.’ He said softly.

Elizabeth’s stomach tightened uncomfortably, ‘And … I love you too.’ She lied.

George did not notice the hesitation because she had told him exactly what he wanted to hear. He kissed her again, first her lips, then her jaw, before his mouth found her neck. They kissed in front of the fire for a long while, embracing, and swaying on the spot. His hands ran all over her body, stroking her back, and squeezing her buttocks gently. His hands moved to the front of her dress, where he untied her bodice slowly, allowing it to fall away from her body. With fumbling fingers, Elizabeth began to unbutton George’s waistcoat and slid it from his shoulders. He was now sliding her dress from her shoulders, revealing her undergarments. The green dress fell to the floor in a heap and Elizabeth stood there nervously in her white chemise.

Before long, George had swept Elizabeth from her feet and carried her into their bedchamber where there was a large four-poster bed. He laid her gently upon the covers and knelt above her, his eyes roaming over her body. They began to kiss again, and Elizabeth felt the urgency mounting in the way that he kissed her. He began to undo the buttons of his shirt, once again exposing the mass of curled hair upon his sculpted chest. With his shirt upon the floor Elizabeth stared at George’s intimidating torso momentarily before he resumed kissing her neck. Elizabeth had never lain with a man before and was unsure as to what was expected of her. She was relying on George, for the most part, to know what he was doing, for he had been with many women upon his travels of the world. Elizabeth could see the outline of his manhood, pressing against his breeches.

George wasted no time in undressing Elizabeth completely. He tugged at the hem of her chemise, and pulled it over her head. He threw it to the floor and looked down upon her completely naked body. His eyes lingered upon her heaving bosom before moving downwards to the patch of curly auburn hair between her thighs. Elizabeth felt herself blush, and she tried to shield herself in embarrassment.

‘It is all right.’ He said, stopping her hands, ‘You are beautiful.’

He lowered himself and gently kissed her bosom, cupping the other in his large hands. He was extremely gentle as he parted her thighs with his knee.

George was fumbling with his breeches now, whilst lashing his tongue against Elizabeth’s, and for the first time in her life she gazed upon a man’s entire body.

His manhood stood straight, long and thick with a bulbous tip. It was large, much too large for Elizabeth. She feared that he might tear her in two. It stood tall, and offensive before her.

The moment had come. George Greenwood lowered himself over his new wife. She was scared, and closed her eyes as his tip parted her folds. It filled her up, and stretched her. A searing pain shot through her crotch, and she cried out. He slowed, kissed her tenderly, and pushed deeper. It hurt. Elizabeth tried to ignore the stinging, but it brought tears to her eyes. Scrunching up her face, she took a deep breath as George submerged himself completely inside her. They were one. He was buried inside her to the hilt. She lay there, unmoving, waiting for the pain to ebb away. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as he stared down at her. Elizabeth knew he was trying to show some restraint, for he could see that she was in pain. And then he began to move.

His strong arms were on either side of Elizabeth’s head, and she watched him as he drove himself into her, again and again. The pain was not sharp anymore, but there was an uncomfortable burning sensation. It did not feel good, and Elizabeth found herself wishing that it was over already.

Gradually, George’s thrusts became harder and faster. Sweat formed on his brow, and he breathed heavily into her neck. Let it be over soon, she prayed, let it end.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, George gave a final shuddering thrust, and groaned into her hair. He pulled out before he spilled his seed inside her, and she felt it on her thighs. He collapsed, panting next to her, brushing the sweaty hair from his eyes.

Elizabeth breathed heavily and stared at the ceiling while the Captain gained his breath.

Looking sideways at her, George smiled, ‘That was … I have waited so long … amazing.’ He seemed quite dazed.

Elizabeth nodded in reply before George put and arm around her and held her close. Stroking her hair, he continued, ‘Being so close to you … it is … I love it. I feel so content.’

‘Mmmh.’ Elizabeth nodded in agreement.

‘I could stay like … like this for-forever.’ He said through an enormous yawn.

‘Me too.’ Elizabeth lied.

Within a matter of minutes, Captain Greenwood was snoring softly next to her. Elizabeth was wide-awake, her crotch throbbing painfully. She sat up carefully, and placed her feet upon the floor. The pain twanged, and she flinched. Standing, Elizabeth turned to look at the bed and found a red stain where she had been laying. Looking down Elizabeth was horrified to see blood dripping down her thigh.

~

Elizabeth had an uneasy sleep that night. The bed was comfortable, and Captain Greenwood did not snore too loudly, however Elizabeth’s mind was preoccupied. The dull pain in her crotch was slowly ebbing away, and towards daybreak Elizabeth finally fell asleep.

The Captain woke her a few hours later. She opened her eyes to find that sun was shining in through the open windows, and a breeze was gently wafting the curtains. He was standing next to her bed, holding a tray laden with food.

‘I brought you breakfast.’ He said; his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

‘Oh, thank you.’ Elizabeth said sleepily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

‘I … saw the washcloth.’ He said, placing the tray upon the blankets and climbing into bed with her.

‘Oh … yes.’ She crinkled her nose.

‘I did not want to hurt you. You should have asked me to stop.’

‘I know you did not want to hurt me, George.’ She smiled at him and he continued to look concerned, ‘Look, it is perfectly normal to experience … discomfort.’

He fell into thoughtful silence while they ate breakfast together. He had brought enough toast, eggs, and orange juice for two. He continued to muse throughout the day.

As they were staying at the Kings Arms Inn for two nights, this gave them the opportunity to explore the village. It consisted of one main street, along which adorable shops lined either side of the road. They passed a shoe-shop where Elizabeth stopped to goggle at a pair of shiny, heeled boots. The Captain offered to purchase them for her, but she refused. He held her hand as they wandered around the village, passing a blacksmith, a pretty store full of expensive looking china, and a fur specialist. Elizabeth gasped when they passed by a shop front showing a range of elegant dresses. They ate dinner in a small restaurant before retiring back at the Inn. Elizabeth’s feet were very sore from walking all day. As they slid into bed next to one another for the second night in a row, Elizabeth wondered whether he would want to make love again. Barely a minute passed before he was kissing her neck and pulling her towards him. Elizabeth had not yet fully recovered from the previous night, yet she did not refuse him. The second time was not as painful. It was only slightly uncomfortable. She found that it hurt much less if she were to straddle him, a position that he seemed to thoroughly enjoy. When they were done, he kissed her, rolled over and fell asleep almost immediately.

~

When Elizabeth woke the next morning she rolled over to find that the Captain was not there. Sitting up and looking around she found that he was not in the room at all. The position of the sun in the sky suggested that it was mid-morning. Her eyes fell upon a large package at the foot of the bed. She crawled over to it on her hands and knees and found that there was a small note on it.

My love,

I woke early to get this for you, I hope you like it.

You are a lady and deserve the best.

Put them on, and meet me downstairs.

George.

Elizabeth ripped open the wrappings and smiled. Lying there was the shoes, and dress she had goggled at in the street the day before. She held the dress up and admired it. It was elegant, and heavy; something a proper lady would have for daywear. It was a creamy colour with a floral pattern. The boots matched perfectly for they were a light tan sued with white laces. She put them on at once and looked at herself in the mirror. She did not own any clothing of this quality, and felt very good about herself as she looked at her reflection. She donned the gloves that the Captain had given her, and found she looked quite beautiful, like a woman of noble breeding.