Page 30

“And what do you think of my husband? Is not he a charming man? I am sure my sisters must all envy me.”

—Pride and Prejudice

Three months later . . .

VISCOUNTESS KINGSTON COVERED her mouth with a gloved hand.

For once, Lydia was not stopping herself from saying something inappropriate or laughing when she ought not to.

Rather, she was attempting not to be sick in their family carriage.

The movement of the vehicle was causing her newly delicate stomach to churn—a condition that she had never experienced before.

Lydia was a month late in her courses and very hopeful that she and Thomas were expecting a child.

Lowering her hand from her lips, she smiled reassuringly at her stepdaughter, Chloe—whom they hadn’t told yet.

Lydia had never carried a child in her womb, and she didn’t want to tell anyone until they were more certain that she would be able to carry the baby to birth.

Thomas put a hand on her knee and squeezed it.

He was very excited about the baby and had told her that he would be thrilled if the child was a girl.

She was also certain that he would be equally delighted if their baby was a boy, but she knew that Thomas was letting her know that he didn’t care if their little miracle inherited his title or estate.

Their child would be loved and cherished.

Lydia had always felt like her father had been disappointed that she and her four sisters had not been boys.

They had not been able to inherit Longbourn Estate when he died three years ago, and it had gone instead to their cousin Mr. Collins.

She’d always wondered if the lack of a male heir was one of the reasons why her father had treated her mother with scarcely concealed contempt and mockery.

If so, her father was the silly one, and Lydia was determined not to let his condescending words define her any longer.

She couldn’t resist taking her husband’s hand into her own and resting them both on his knee.

Lydia could hardly wait to introduce him to her sisters and their husbands.

They had all replied to her letters, and Lizzy had even suggested a family gathering at their estate.

It would be their first time all together since her mother’s death.

Lydia touched the necklace at her throat—five little paintings, one for each sister. She had been the first Bennet daughter to wed and the last one to marry happily.

Chloe leaned forward in her seat to look out the window. “There it is! We are almost there. Oh, Lydia, Pemberley is such a lovely house.”

Her sister Lizzy was the mistress of Pemberley, and it truly was a beautiful country house in Derbyshire.

Lydia was partial to seaside estates near Lyme Regis, like their own home.

“We shall have to go exploring on the grounds, but I warn you, my brother-in-law will frown upon us swimming in his stocked river.”

Thomas raised Lydia’s hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “The fish would only be honored by your company, sweetheart.”

Lydia laughed merrily, and so did Chloe.

Thomas was not much for laughter, but his smiles were worth a thousand laughs.

In fact, Lydia couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to his cheek and then winking at Chloe.

She pulled a letter out of her reticule that had arrived just before they’d left; she’d been waiting for the right moment to give it to her stepdaughter.

“My dear friend Mark, the newly appointed lieutenant colonel, requested to write to me when we left Brighton at the end of the summer—but for some reason, when I opened the envelope, the words were addressed to you. I was tempted to read them, but I refrained from doing so, and it was very difficult. And I hope to be greatly complimented on my self-control.”

She handed the letter to her stepdaughter, who took the envelope and clutched it tightly against her chest.

“Is Mark’s regiment still stationed in Brighton?” Chloe asked.

“I do not know. For I didn’t read the letter.”

Thomas put his arm around Lydia’s shoulders. “You have the self-control of queens.”

Lydia rested her head against his strong chest. “Thank you, my love. But if you wanted to share parts of the letter with us, Chloe, I, for one, would be very interested to hear them.”

Blushing, Chloe smiled but did not answer.

Their carriage pulled into Pemberley’s courtyard, and Lydia was surprised to see all her sisters, their husbands, and their children standing outside to greet them.

They were probably there for Thomas and Chloe, for her family had never before shown her such deference or regard.

Shaking her head, Lydia would not allow anything to sour this family reunion.

She’d missed her sisters cruelly, and forgiveness (and forgetting) was a part of being a family.

The footman opened the door, and Lydia sprang out of the carriage. Her husband and stepdaughter followed her more sedately.

“Aunt Lydia!” her niece Amelia shrieked and would have rushed forward to greet her aunt if Lizzy had not put a hand on her arm. At fifteen, she was the eldest daughter of Mr. Darcy and Lizzy. And Amelia was a tall girl, who possessed the same animal spirits as Lydia—and therefore was her favorite.

Lizzy bowed her head. “You should call your aunt Lady Kingston.”

Lydia experienced no hands that held her back.

She ran up to her niece and squeezed her tightly.

“How did you become taller and more beautiful than me? It is most unfair, Amelia!” She kissed her niece on the cheek.

“And you must always call me Aunt Lydia.” Lydia released her niece and turned to the rest of her family.

“All of you. But first, allow me to introduce you to your new Uncle Thomas and your cousin Chloe. Aren’t they the most charming people you have ever seen? ”

Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Amelia said loudly, “The very most!”

Grinning, Lydia hugged her niece again. She hoped that Amelia and Chloe would become fast friends.

And they would have ample time to do so over the fortnight of their visit.

Unable to hold still any longer, Lydia held out her arms and found them full of nephews and nieces.

She had a kiss and a compliment for each of them.

How much they’d grown in the year they’d been apart!

And how much she loved each and every one of them.

When her smallest nephew, Charlie, released his grip on her knee, Lydia turned to her sisters. The eldest, Jane, was still the loveliest, although motherhood had caused her frame to thicken and lines to form around her eyes and mouth. She was the first to step forward and embrace Lydia.

“I have never seen you happier, dearest sister, and it warms my heart.”

Lydia held her tightly for a few moments. “And your forbearance of my flaws and forgiveness warms mine. I love you, Jane.”

She released Jane to find Lizzy—Elizabeth—standing near her.

Lizzy’s resemblance to their late mother was striking, and she, too, was the mother of five daughters.

In their youth, Lizzy had tried to steer Lydia to be more serious and cautious.

Lydia had resented it then. Now, she realized that her sister had always had her best interests at heart.

“Thank you for the invitation, Lizzy. It is always a pleasure to visit Pemberley.” Then, she took the first step to mend their frayed relationship—Lydia hugged Lizzy.

Mary stiffly walked toward Lydia—as prim and proper as always.

Despite receiving the least attention for her looks and accomplishments, Mary had married one of the wealthiest businessmen in London.

Mr. Musk was a merchant who had earned his own fortune and purchased Netherfield Hall outright.

Her sister pushed up her spectacles. Mary would always be serious, and Lydia did not want her to change one jot.

She threw her arms around her stiff sister and squeezed tightly. “How wonderful it is to see you, Mary!”

“I hope that you received the book of sermons that I sent you for your wedding gift.”

When Lydia and Thomas had opened the package, she’d laughed so hard that she couldn’t breathe. “Oh yes, I did, and it brought me much joy.”

Mary stepped back, leaving only Kitty. The stiltedness in her attitude had nothing to do with her personality and everything to do with the fact that their parents had not allowed Kitty to visit Lydia after her previous marriage.

They had grown apart. But the greatest tear could be mended stitch by stitch. “I love you, Kitty. I always have.”

Lydia forced herself to stay still until Kitty wrapped her arms around her. “I suppose that the two silliest girls in the country should stick together.”

Tears filled her eyes as Lydia stepped back from Kitty. “Not the silliest— the two most joyful women in the country should stick together.”

Kitty smiled and then Thomas took Lydia’s hand, squeezing it lightly. His love filled her with hope and reassurance.

Besides, it was a truth universally acknowledged that together, they could do anything.