Page 17 of Fitzwilliam Darcy An Honourable Man
Pemberley
The Study
Before daylight, Richard made his usual solitary trip to the dining room. Mrs. Lightfoot, Darcy’s cook, always had something prepared very early just for him. Years in His Majesty’s service brought him out of bed before nearly everyone else. Only this morning when he reached the foyer, a dim light down the hallway brought him up short. Though his cousin was an early riser, he knew it was not like William to be up at this hour—it was still dark. Even so, following the mysterious light, he indeed found his cousin in his study, laid back in his chair, feet propped on the edge of his desk and eyes closed.
Since he made no move to stir and seemed to be sleeping, Richard decided to have some fun at William’s expense. However, a lone candle in the room was not enough light, and he tripped over a stack of books on his way towards his victim.
William startled, sitting upright and planting his feet firmly on the floor. “What the devil!”
Even to someone used to seeing men at their worst, Richard noted that William looked a fright—eyes red-rimmed with dark circles underneath, hair dishevelled, unshaven and not fully dressed. It was obvious that he had gotten very little sleep. With the Colonel’s experience in questioning enemy soldiers and William’s state of sleep deprivation, Richard was sure it would be an easy occupation to find out what had happened to effect this change in his normally fastidious cousin. Instead, as he attempted to get answers to his questions, William left him standing in front of the desk as he walked to the tall windows to observe the sunrise. Determined not to be denied his explanation, Richard joined him.
Neither cousin spoke—standing silently side-by-side. They shared identical stances: hands clasped behind their backs, eyes trained on the horizon. From behind, they looked very much like brothers, except that William was a bit taller and had darker hair. Not a word passed between them as the sun slowly rose over a distant line of trees. Hues of greys and purples gave way to brilliant reds, oranges and yellows, before finally settling on a shade of blue so light that it unexpectedly reminded William of his mother’s eyes. Unbidden, his eyes filled with tears, and he struggled for control by taking a deep breaths.
Richard noticed. Though he had appeared to watch the sunrise, his eyes had never left William. He not only had heard his cousin’s heavy intake of breath, but he had seen his jaw clench. Evidently, the usual demons William wrestled with had gotten reinforcements. Weariness had finally overcome his cousin’s vaulted willpower.
Perhaps now he will be willing to talk.
For his part, William was weighing his options. If he answered a few of Richard’s questions, then he might be able to keep some of his interactions with Elizabeth a secret. “Go ahead! You will not be satisfied until you ask.”
“What happened to leave you in such a state?”
“Elizabeth tried to leave Pemberley last night. I heard her as she ran down the hallway, so I quickly dressed and went after her. Once I was sure she had escaped the house, I knew she must be at the stables. That is the only place she is familiar with on the grounds. I found her inside with the kittens and brought her back here.”
I can hardly believe I slept through anything so remarkable. My army experience has taught me to sleep with one eye open. I cannot imagine how you, Mister Sleeps-like-a-rock, heard someone as light as Elizabeth running down the halls of Pemberley.”
“I was not sleeping. I was reading in my bedchamber.”
Richard walked to the middle of the room, pacing in his interrogator’s posture. “So what of Mrs. Drury? Would she not have heard the door opening? And why would Elizabeth run away in the first place? Did someone scare her?”
“I learned that Mrs. Drury is sick with a cold, and Mrs. Reynolds had given her a draught that made her sleep more soundly. As to why she ran, from the fear in her eyes I believe Elizabeth must have had a nightmare and thought she was escaping Northgate—escaping Stefano .” A look of distaste crossed his features as he repeated that name. “At the stables, I had to convince her that I was not the count.”
“And that is all? She came back with you just as if she had not run from here as though the building were on fire?”
Wearily, William rubbed his eyes, trying to decide how much to tell. He had begun to feel guilty for the way he conducted himself—going in and out of Elizabeth’s room unchecked, kissing her whenever he desired and holding her in his embrace, though she was often only in her nightclothes. His mind recalled the events earlier that evening.
As he neared the house with Elizabeth in his arms, he went to enter the still open door to the library. She cringed, uttering a small sound, and buried her face in his shoulder. Her arms tightened around him, crushing the doll between them. He stopped, clasping her even more securely.
“ This is my home, Elizabeth. This is Pemberley. You are safe here. No one can harm you inside these walls. Do you understand?”
When she did not reply, he whispered in her ear, “Look.”
Barely turning her head, she gazed at the familiar facade. “Pemberley,” she repeated.
Blowing out a deep breath, he began walking again. “Yes, Pemberley. My home—your home now.”
She seemed to relax, and he almost regretted that she loosened her grip on him. Continuing through the door, across the room and into the foyer, he encountered Mrs. Reynolds, whom he addressed even as he kept moving. “Please bring your bag of remedies. Miss Lawrence has some injuries to her feet.”
Richard repeated his point. “And once you got Elizabeth back to the house, she entered just as if nothing had happened to make her fly out of here in the first place?”
“Not exactly.”
Richard smiled. “And what exactly does not exactly mean, my friend?”
William groaned, sank into the nearest chair and looked away.
“Oh come on, Darce. You have not been able to keep any secrets from me since you were five, when you lost my favourite whistle. Confession is good for the soul! Besides, nothing you do in regards to Miss Elizabeth would surprise me.”
William glared at him. Seeing his glower, Richard only succeeded in making things worse. “Do not take offence so readily. I am only saying that you have already broken all the rules of propriety where she is concerned.”
Richard held up his hands in surrender as William stood, hands now clenched into fists. “I know you had no choice but to take her in, and I am convinced that you truly care for her. I know that you would never take advantage of the situation, so sit back down, Cousin!”
William did as he was asked—not because of Richard’s request, but because he knew he had taken advantage of Elizabeth’s response to him. It had been like a dream for the woman he loved to welcome his touches, his kisses. Convinced that it had been for her benefit—after all, the doctor said that her recovery depended on her ability to trust in him—he had done everything to strengthen their bond. Thus, he had treated her as though they were betrothed, and praying that when she recovered, she would remember the man he was now and not the arrogant man she rejected in Kent.
A pronouncement interrupted William’s reflections, and he looked up to see Richard smiling from ear to ear. “Do not spare my feelings. Tell ol’ Richard everything!”
William had never been good at keeping things from his cousin, as they had been best friends all his life. Thus, he retold the story of what happened, revealing almost everything.
“I had gone to Elizabeth’s bedroom to check on her.” Richard’s smirk caused him to frown. “That is how I knew she was missing. Providence must have intervened, however, as I felt led to go out onto the balcony and caught sight of her running towards the stables. I have already told you how I found her in a stall with the kittens. She thought I was him .” Richard nodded, no longer smiling.
“The other significant development is that she was once more grasping that doll—the one she brought from Netherfield.” Shaking his head with resignation, William admitted, “But you guessed correctly. When we returned to the house, she was afraid to come in. Just as, at first sight, she believed I was Stefano, I imagine she thought this was Northgate. I had to reassure her that it was Pemberley.”
“I see.”
“I met Mrs. Reynolds as I entered the foyer and learned that she had awakened to check on Mrs. Drury. I explained what had happened and asked her to tend Elizabeth’s feet as soon as she looked in on her companion.”
At his cousin’s quizzical brow, he explained, “Elizabeth’s feet were scratched and bleeding from running shoeless.”
William’s eyes darkened as he studied the floor. “After Mrs. Reynolds finished and departed, I honestly meant to leave her, but whenever I moved from the bed, Elizabeth became upset. So, I sat on the edge, which seemed to placate her and ended up staying until she fell asleep.”
As she closed her eyes once again, I brushed the hair from her forehead and ran the back of his fingers over her cheek until her breathing came in even measures.
“When I was convinced she was asleep, I went to leave. But as I opened the door, I heard her call my name. Before I could turn completely, she had thrown the covers back and was sliding out of bed.”
Hearing his name, he turned just as she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, weeping. He knew he could never leave her like that, so he held her, and with promises to stay, she quieted. Then picking her up and cradling her in his arms, he gently carried her back to her bed, where she immediately reached for the doll. Covering her, he pulled a chair next to the bed and lay his head down on the counterpane. He felt the touch of her hand in his hair, and soon both were fast asleep.
“I decided that it was best if I tried to sleep in the chair in her room. I woke up several times in the next two hours. The last time, she was still sleeping soundly, so I came down here.”
Richard studied him for a moment, weighing his confession. Seemingly satisfied that he knew all but the most intimate details, he moved on to another concern.
“So what do you do now, since it seems she has relapsed? Has Towson been any help?”
“He has, but as he said from the beginning, each case is different. What works for one person, may not work for another. Recently, though, he wrote to me of some success with a most stubborn case—a soldier. The patient was helped by confronting him with people and things that reminded him of how his injury occurred.”
“Such as...”
“Towson brought in another soldier who was with him when the injury was inflicted, as well as his own torn and bloody uniform and his sword—even his horse was brought to the yard just outside his window. Of course, we are speaking of a soldier injured performing his duty, which is not what happened to Elizabeth.”
“So what would you use to prod Elizabeth’s memory? Surely you cannot take her back to Northgate?”
“No, and short of taking her there, I do not have a clue as to what would trigger her memories of the event. Mrs. Browning mentioned that the count and her maid were present in the room on the night that Addie died in the fire.”
Richard walked to one of the comfortable sofas and sank down. “I understand that Millie and her mother normally stayed in the servants’ quarters at Northgate, and unless she was needed by Miss Elizabeth, Addie would not have been in Elizabeth’s room.”
“That is what I understood as well.”
“I cannot imagine why Addie would have been there during the melee. Perhaps she heard an argument and tried to intervene in Elizabeth’s defence.”
William sighed. “It certainly seems possible.”
“What about Arthur? Do you suppose he might have an idea?”
William straightened. “I had not thought of that. Where is Arthur now?”
Richard chuckled. “Still sleeping like a baby! My future recruit is worn out from the gruelling travel of only one day’s journey!”
“As soon as he comes down to break his fast, I should like to speak with him.”
“I will see to it.”
William nodded, turning and lifting his feet up on the sofa. “If you would excuse me, I am just going to rest my eyes...” His voice trailed off as he lay back, and in a few breaths, he was asleep.
Richard shook his head, and he stood up and slipped out of the room. “Rest, Darce. After last night, you deserve it.”
He went to find Mrs. Reynolds to have her keep everyone out of the study for as long as possible .
Rosewood Manor
The Nursery
Evan poked his head in the door to find Ana sitting in the rocking chair watching Millie as she slept. “She probably will not awaken for some time, darling,” he whispered as he drew nearer, trying to be quiet. “Did you get any sleep at all?”
“I slept a little. I hope I did not wake you when I arose so early this morning.”
“Not at all,” he chuckled. “I was dead to the world. But once I awoke and realised that you were no longer in bed, I had no trouble knowing where to look.”
Georgiana rolled her eyes at him, nodding towards the woman sitting in the upholstered chair in the corner. Chosen to act as Millie’s nurse until further arrangements might be made, Mrs. Calvert was pretending not to listen. Evan grinned, and not in the least concerned about the servant, leaned in to plant a kiss on his wife’s brow.
“She was a very tired little girl when she arrived last night. I imagine she will sleep late.”
Georgiana looked sheepish. “I—I just wanted to be here when she woke—at least for the first time.”
Evan’s heart swelled with love. “I completely understand. Why do we not both wait for her to awaken? We can have a tray of food and drink brought here and wait until she does.”
“You would do that?” Georgiana grinned. “In all the years we have been married, first thing every morning you have exercised your horse, broken your fast with me, and then reviewed your books before Mr. Corvin appears with his concerns—all in that order.”
“And now we have a child, which will, of necessity, change our carefully designed order.” He flashed the crooked grin that always melted her heart, and unbeknownst to him, Georgiana felt as though she were falling in love with him all over again.
“It will not be long until Miss Millie is rising with the chickens and starting her day with her parents. No child of mine will stay in the nursery all day, and I just imagine she will be riding out with me before too long.” He grasped Ana’s hand as he looked over at the sleeping angel. “We shall work out a schedule that takes her needs into account.”
Looking to the elderly woman, he declared, “Mrs. Calvert, I apologise for not having a small bed moved in here earlier. It will be done before the day is out. Now, would you please take this opportunity to break your fast, and while you are in the kitchen, have trays sent up for Mrs. Ingram and me.”
The elderly nurse stood and stretched her back. Having slept all night in the chair, she was a little stiff. “Thank you, Mr. Ingram. After I have eaten, I shall be in my room in case I am needed.” She nodded towards the adjoining room and then slipped out of the nursery.
“I believe Mrs. Calvert would work out splendidly! Why not keep her on as the nurse?” Evan enthused as he took the chair she had vacated. “She is a grandmother several times over.”
“Yes,” Georgiana joined in. “And anything I do not know, I am sure she would. But I am not sure she would have the patience for a small child.”
“She seems patient with you!” Evan teased.
“I have to admit that she does have patience with me. I can be quite a handful when I get excited.”
“I love it when you get excited, Mrs. Ingram.” A small pillow flew past Evan’s head. He successfully dodged it, but was hit by the one that followed. “I was only agreeing, sweetheart.”
“Do not be so agreeable about certain things, Mr. Ingram. In addition, for now, I think you should be warned to have patience with this new mother. I have enough on my mind, and it will do you well to remember to be kind and supportive.”
Evan grinned and stood to grab her hands, pulling her out of the rocking chair and into his arms. “I can be very kind and supportive under certain circumstances.” He kissed her until her breath quickened.
“Mama?”
The small voice penetrated the fog of their desire and both pulled back to consider the towheaded child, now sitting up and watching them. Georgiana pulled from Evan’s grasp to sit on the side of the bed. He followed, standing beside her with his hand on her shoulder.
“Yes, Millie, Mama is here.” Two little arms reached for Georgiana, so she lifted her onto her lap and gave her a hug. Once situated, Millie buried her face in Georgiana’s chest.
“Are you hungry?”
The small head bobbed up and down.
“Would you like to eat with Papa and me?”
Millie looked up into Georgiana’s blue eyes, and then around her, to consider Evan who stood behind. “Can you say Papa?”
Quickly the little head was buried in her chest again, where it shook side-to-side. Georgiana squeezed her tighter and exchanged a knowing look with Evan. There probably had never been a father in the poor child’s life.
“Well, no matter, sweetheart. I am sure you will get used to Papa in time.”
Then Georgiana stood with Millie, taking her over to the large dressing table and setting her upon it. “Let us see what you shall wear today. I am sure we will need to go into Lambton and order you lots of clothes, but for now...”
Digging though the small bag that Arthur brought with him, there were four dresses, some undergarments, and a worn coat and an old pair of shoes. Pulling out the dresses, she noted that they were all serviceable, though they looked quite used, as if the child wore them often. In contrast, the dress in which she had arrived, which was now in the wash, was a very pretty blue muslin, with ruffles around the neck, and the shoes she had had on were almost new. Included, was a small bag filled with items that looked as though they had been fashioned for a doll—tiny clothes, shoes and such, but no doll.
As she pulled out the nicest of the plain dresses, Georgiana murmured, “I suppose this will have to do, but we definitely must go shopping today.” The last was said as she looked directly at Evan.
He grinned. “I would be glad to accompany my girls to the modiste.” He reached over to ruffle Millie’s curls, making her burrow into Georgiana once more, though she peeked at him shyly.
“I shall have the carriage readied as soon as we finish eating. Does that suit my lovely wife and daughter?”
“Yes, Papa,” Georgiana teased.
Evan grinned ear to ear. “Papa ...I think I could get used to that!”
Pemberley
One day later
Georgiana and Evan swept into the foyer with Millie in tow. “Where is my brother?”
Mr. Walker and Mrs. Reynolds were there, but both failed to answer as their eyes came to rest on the child in Georgiana’s arms.
“Oh, forgive me. I should have...this is...” A little flustered as she realised the way Millie was dressed, she turned the child in her arms, so that the elderly couple could see her pretty face. “This is our daughter, Millie!”
“Oh my!” they both exclaimed, before Mrs. Reynolds declared. “She is beautiful—the very image of you, Mrs. Ingram. Master William mentioned your good fortune briefly this morning, and we are all so delighted.”
Mr. Walker shook his head in agreement. “Indeed! Both of you!” he echoed, nodding to Evan who beamed.
Georgiana hurriedly explained. “We have been to the shops in Lambton, buying new clothes and such. She is in need of everything!”
“That is perfectly understandable.” Mrs. Reynolds assured her, patting the little girl’s back. “I am sure she has outgrown everything. Children grow so fast.”
Mr. Walker intervened, bringing the conversation back to what he and Mrs. Reynolds had been discussing before their arrival. “I am loath to deliver bad news amidst your happiness, but we have just now received this message from the Hazelton’s estate.” He held up a paper. “Of course, we did not open it, but the servant who delivered it confided that Mr. Hazelton has died. He strongly suggested that we should inform the Master as soon as possible.”
Georgiana and William had known Lord and Lady Hazelton all their lives, as they had been the good friends of George and Anne Darcy. And while Howard Hazelton had not been well, his sudden passing was unexpected. Well aware of the Darcy’s high regard for the Hazeltons, Mr. Walker sighed in relief when Georgiana indicated she already knew.
“Yes, I came to tell William that I heard of it while we were in Lambton.”
Mrs. Reynolds offered, “We were discussing sending a footman to the far pasture to fetch Mr. Darcy. He was summoned by one of the workers this morning to inspect a shed that was in danger of collapsing after the last storm.”
“And my cousin, Richard?”
“He received a letter by special messenger early this morning from his commanding officer, requesting his immediate return to camp. There was a stroke of good luck in that the man he had been waiting to see in Lambton, sent word that he was back. He and young Fielding left straightaway to meet the fellow in Lambton, then to return the young man to Sheffield on the Colonel’s way north. Though Colonel Fitzwilliam insisted they could ride, Mr. Darcy had them take his coach as far as Sheffield for the boy’s sake.
Georgiana nodded, perturbed that she had not had the opportunity to see Richard again or to talk with Arthur. Seeing the frustration on her face, Mr. Walker added, “It was unexpected, madam, but young Fielding did leave this letter for you. He said it included his address so that you may write with any questions you might have.”
Taking the missive, she replied sadly, “It seems that is always the case with Richard. I hardly ever have a chance to talk with him anymore. Nonetheless, I am glad Mr. Fielding left his address.” Seeing her disappointment, Evan leaned down and kissed Georgiana on the cheek, then addressed the butler.
“I will go fetch Darcy.” He donned his hat. “Ana, you and Millie should probably wait here, as I am sure you will want to discuss with your brother how to be of help to Mrs. Hazelton.”
She cast a questioning gaze to Mrs. Reynolds. “Will we disturb Miss Lawrence if we wait in the music room?”
“I think not. She has not been out of her rooms since—well, for some time. If you will proceed to the music room, I shall find Mrs. Lightfoot and order tea and refreshments. You and the little one can enjoy it while you wait for your husband and the Master to return.”
~~~*~~~
Barely an hour later, William and Evan had already returned and instantly set off for the Hazeltons’ estate, as the widow’s letter had requested William’s presence immediately. He asked Evan to accompany him and suggested that Georgiana and Evan stay for dinner, so they could discuss what he learned. Nonetheless, as the hours wore on, Georgiana was beginning to wonder if she should not have taken the carriage home. Millie was getting tired and irritable and really needed a nap. Rejecting the idea of putting her down to sleep in one of the guest rooms, Georgiana had decided to let her sleep on one of the sofas in the music room.
However, Millie had managed to get berry stains on her hands, face, and the front of her dress after she discovered the sweet treats on a plate of fruit Mrs. Reynolds had sent along with some other refreshments. Georgiana was not concerned about the stains on the dress, as it would be thrown out as soon as her new clothes arrived, but she wanted to clean her face and hands of the stains before she fell asleep.
Since Mrs. Reynolds had not reappeared, she picked up her child and quietly made her way out of the room and up the stairs, intent on using William’s dressing room. There was sure to be a fresh pitcher of water, soap and clean towels inside there, and she knew that she would not encounter anyone inside his private quarters.
Tiptoeing down the hall, she was unaware that Millie was beginning to suffer a stomach-ache because of all the fruit she had consumed. The little girl’s tiredness, combined with a now aching stomach caused her to begin to whimper. Not long after they had entered William’s dressing room, the whimpers escalated into crying, and, before she could decide whether to abandon her plans to clean up her daughter, Millie’s sobs had turned to wails. The sound of footsteps in the hallway signified that the servants were trying to locate the source of the disturbance, so, in exasperation, she abandoned her efforts and went towards the door to reassure the servants. Just as she re-entered the hallway with her crying child, the door just across the hall flew open and Georgiana cringed.
Elizabeth stood in the doorway, frozen in place at the sight of Georgiana holding a screaming Millie, who sported red stains over her hands, face and gown. Before Georgiana could utter anything in the way of explanation, Elizabeth fainted.
The sound of her hitting the floor with a sickening thud caused Georgiana to scream as well, and servants began rushing towards them from every direction.
~~~*~~~