Page 35 of Darcy in Distress (Pride and Prejudice Variation #17)
Pemberley
“Adam, can you walk here? Can you walk to your big sister?” Elizabeth cooed.
Master Adam Bennet, heir to Longbourn, regarded his older sister with interest, though he continued to cling to his father’s leg.
“Adam?” Elizabeth repeated. “Come to Lizzy?”
“Gah!” Adam declared and shoved one pudgy fist into his mouth.
“Perhaps not yet,” Elizabeth chuckled, sitting back in her chair and looking down on her three month old daughter, who was sleeping soundly in her arms.
“Adam can walk,” Kitty said earnestly. “It is probably more that he does not know you very well yet.”
“Ka ka!” Adam yelped, letting go of Mr. Bennet’s leg and toddling over to Kitty. “Ka! ”
“Look at you!” Kitty exclaimed, sweeping her little brother into her arms and kissing him on his mostly bald head. “Look at you walking, Adam!”
“Ka!” the child exclaimed again, bestowing a slobbery kiss on Kitty’s cheek.
“I believe Adam loves Kitty more than anyone else,” Mr. Bennet said with a fond smile at his fourth daughter.
Kitty blushed and protested, “Oh no, he loves you and Mother more, I am certain. It is merely that I spend more time with him than anyone else. I do love my sweet brother so much!”
“I am proud of your care for your little brother, Catherine,” Mr. Bennet said, suddenly serious, “and so is your mother. We are both enormously grateful that you helped look after Adam when your mother was so unwell after his birth.”
“Thank you, Papa,” Kitty said, pink with pleasure at her father’s praise.
“Where is Mother?” Elizabeth asked, her eyes fixed on her own daughter’s tiny nose, rosebud lips, and long dark lashes.
“She is inspecting the Pemberley hothouse with Mary and your head gardener,” Mr. Bennet explained. “Now that Longbourn will stay within the family, she has grown quite enthusiastic about improving the mansion and Home Farm.”
“That is wonderful,” Elizabeth said, and indeed it was. With the birth of an heir to Longbourn, her mother had grown much calmer, and at least somewhat more sensible.
The door to the drawing room opened and Elizabeth rose carefully to her feet, being careful not to jostle the baby in her arms.
“Fitzwilliam,” she said, kissing her tall husband on the cheek. “How are the new spaniel puppies?”
“They are healthy and hearty,” Darcy returned, reaching out and lifting his little daughter into his own arms. Susanna stirred slightly in her sleep and he found himself swaying in place in the hopes that she would not awaken. She did not.
“Yes, seven fine pups, four females, three males,” he continued. “Good morning, Mr. Bennet. Good morning, Kitty. Good morning, Master Adam.”
“Do come here, darling,” Elizabeth urged, sitting down and patting the cushion beside her. Darcy did so, smiling broadly. He was here at Pemberley with his family, with his new baby daughter in his arms. Was it possible for life to get any better ?
The door opened again, and Elizabeth looked up as Lady Anne and Georgiana entered.
The former had, in the last year, continued to improve physically.
She had gained weight and no longer looked overly thin, and her blue eyes were bright and lively.
Georgiana, no longer haunted by fears of losing her mother, was also far more relaxed, though at the moment her eyes were heavy, and she tried to hide a yawn behind one hand as she lowered herself onto a wingbacked chair near the window.
“Are you well, Georgiana?” Elizabeth asked in concern, which provoked her sister-in-law to blush, and Lady Anne to laugh.
“I am, Elizabeth, I assure you,” Georgiana responded to her merrily. “It is merely that I stayed up far too late reading a book, and I am paying the price!”
“I warned you that it was dangerous to start The Throne of Mirandia late in the day,” Lady Anne said with mock reproof.
“You were correct, Mother, but it was so wonderful! I was not certain I would enjoy it since Olivia Bluebell’s other books are less fanciful, but I like it best of all of her novels!
” Georgiana declared, and then looked puzzled at the amused expression on Elizabeth’s face.
“Have you read The Throne of Mirandia , Elizabeth?”
“I have,” Elizabeth said, fighting a laugh.
“Did you like it? ”
“I did, very much.”
“What is your opinion about the ending?” Mr. Bennet inquired. “Do you approve of the marriage between Princess Lilia and Samuel, the shepherd?”
“Oh, I thought it absolutely marvelous!” Georgiana gushed. “I suppose it would not truly be practical for a crown princess to marry a peasant, but Samuel was so heroic and saved Lilia’s life, and Zestra’s! And after all, King David in the Bible was originally a shepherd!”
“There, you see, Lizzy!” Mr. Bennet crowed gleefully. “I was right! You were so concerned that my readers would be outraged at the thought of a mere commoner marrying a future queen!”
“What are you speaking of, Mr. Bennet?” Lady Anne asked in bewilderment, while Georgiana’s mouth gaped.
“My father is the author who goes by the name Olivia Bluebell,” Elizabeth explained cheerfully.
Lady Anne and Georgiana exchanged stunned glances.
“Truly?” Georgiana demanded, now looking at her brother .
“Truly,” Darcy concurred. “We did not tell you earlier because thus far, it has been kept very private, however…”
“However, with the birth of our son, Longbourn will no longer be lost to Mr. Collins when I die,” Mr. Bennet said, reaching over to help Adam climb into his lap.
“That wonderful event resulted in a variety of changes, and we are no longer bent on keeping my writing career a great secret. I hope you are not too disappointed that Miss Bluebell is actually the nom de plume of an old man?”
Georgiana beamed and breathed, “No, no, Mr. Bennet! I think it is absolutely wonderful. Please, do tell me more about your writing!”
/
Rosings
“Yes, Mr. Collins,” Anne Wickham said, “I would be most pleased to contribute ten pounds toward the fund to assist the Granger family. Thank you for your kind assistance in their current crisis. We are, of course, relieved that no one was harmed in the fire, but it is difficult indeed to have all of one’s possessions ruined. ”
“It is our pleasure,” Mr. Collins said importantly. “Ancilla visited Mrs. Granger only yesterday, did you not, my dear?”
Mrs. Ancilla Collins, daughter of a parson in a neighboring village, was a far more sensible individual than her pompous husband.
“Yes, I did, Mrs. Wickham. Thankfully it is summer and the family does not need warm clothing yet. For now, they are living with Mrs. Granger’s brother, but he has four children of his own. His house is now full to bursting.”
Anne tapped her chin and said, “Let me speak to Mr. Wickham on the subject; perhaps we can move the Grangers into the cottage near the northern trout lake for now.”
“Oh, Mrs. Wickham, surely not!” Mr. Collins exclaimed, his eyes bulging with dismay. “The cottage is meant for the gentlemen when they wish to fish! It is entirely inappropriate that a peasant family reside there. Lady Catherine will never allow it!”
Mrs. Collins winced and Mrs. Wickham turned her clear-eyed gaze on the parson. “Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine is no longer mistress of Rosings. I am.”
The parson gulped and nodded, “Yes, of course, Mrs. Wickham. I apologize. I forgot for just a moment that ... yes, that is... ”
“I do believe we must return to the parsonage, Mr. Collins,” his wife said, rising hastily to her feet. “My father will be arriving within the hour.”
“Ah yes, of course, my dear. Mrs. Wickham, good morning to you.”
Anne nodded but did not rise as the Collinses made their way out of the door of the sitting room.
She was not feeling well these days, and conversations with Mr. Collins were always exhausting.
At least he had chosen a sensible wife in Ancilla, who did a remarkable job of keeping her foolish husband in check.
Furthermore, with the birth of Adam Bennet, Collins was no longer heir to Longbourn, and thus his feelings of self importance had diminished to more tolerable levels.
The door opened again, and Anne turned as her husband stepped into the room before turning to speak to Cecil Fitzwilliam, whom she observed was standing outside the doorway. “That is wonderful news. Thank you for looking after Rosebud and her foal. It is always a relief when a delivery goes well.”
“It is my pleasure,” the younger man said enthusiastically. “I believe the new filly is going to be a fine horse, Wickham. She has a deep chest and her withers are...”
“Tell me later, Cecil,” George ordered with a chuckle, “I must speak with Anne now. ”
“Of course! I am longing for my bed anyway.”
Wickham pushed the door shut behind him and advanced on his wife who, in turn, looked up at her handsome husband with pleasure and asked, “Rosebud delivered safely, then?”
“Yes,” Wickham replied, taking a seat next to his wife and reaching out to take her hand in his own.
“Cecil was up most of the night with her, which was unnecessary, of course – our stable master is completely reliable. But Cecil is devoted to all of the horses of Rosings, which is not a bad thing.”
Anne leaned against her husband, her eyes closing in spite of herself. She was thankful to be pregnant with an heir to Rosings, but the constant fatigue was frustrating when there was so much she wished to do.
“It is rather surprising, really,” she murmured.
“I did not know Cecil well before he moved to Rosings with us, but according to Georgiana and Richard, he was an extravagant dandy. It is peculiar that he is happy to live in the country and is now devoting much of his time to riding and hunting and fishing and the horses.”