Page 44 of Fitzwilliam Darcy An Honourable Man

Pemberley

Six Weeks Later

“Jane! You cannot hit the ball by holding the mallet in that manner!”

Elizabeth smiled as the ball went scurrying to the left of the wire loop and all the way to the small fish pond, where it dropped unceremoniously below the water. “That makes two!”

Everyone laughed including the perpetrator. “Were I not so huge and cumbersome, I am sure I could do much better. You do remember that I was good at this game when we were young, Lizzy!”

Elizabeth winked at Georgiana surreptitiously before answering, “I remember that you knocked the balls into the weeds then, as opposed to into the pond now!”

“Lizzy!” Jane cried, putting her hands on her hips. “Surely you jest! I won nearly half our games as I remember. But now that I cannot see my feet, when I swing I am fearful of where the mallet will land!”

“It is not the mallet I fear for, dear Jane, but the ball!”

Georgiana was giggling uncontrollably as she lined up her next shot, but she managed to interject, “She has a point, Lizzy! I have never played Pall Mall with anyone who was as great with child as is Jane, though I did play with Marjorie Witt, who is grossly overweight, and it was just as diverting!”

Jane dropped her mallet and made her way to the cushioned chair brought onto the lawn just for her. It was impossible for her to sit on the ground now that she was eight months along, and even this slow game was making her exceedingly tired. Sitting down and heaving with the effort, she began wiping her brow with the lace handkerchief she drew from her pocket, feigning sarcasm as she replied, “I am so pleased that I could entertain you. I believe I shall just sit and watch now, as I shall knock all the balls in the pond if I take my turn.”

Laughing, Lizzy dropped her mallet as well and walked over to sit down on the colourful quilt spread out on the lawn on this unseasonably warm day, and just as she did, Jade came from out of nowhere to lie in her lap. Then she lay back and studied the glimpses of blue sky through the limbs of the large oak tree that shaded their resting place while she stroked the orange cat’s soft fur.

Georgiana dropped her mallet and joined Lizzy, lying on her back as well. “Perhaps we should just make an end to it! We have played three rounds, and none of us has won without cheating. Besides, Brother had the hoops set up too close to the fish pond. It is much too easy for the balls to go astray.” She giggled. “I shall never forget the look on Mr. Cravets’ face as he waded about the pond last week, trying to retrieve the ones that we lost then.”

“You mean the balls that I lost last week,” Jane replied, her face expressionless, causing a new round of giggles by her company.

A sly smile began around Georgiana’s mouth. “Well, if we are to do nothing but rest, what shall we talk about?” She loved it when Elizabeth made her sister blush with her observations about married life.

“Lovemaking!” Elizabeth announced with such enthusiasm that Jade jumped up and ran down the lawn.

Jane looked about nervously for evidence of any men in hearing distance. “ LIZZY !”

“Why, it is a perfectly natural part of marriage, Jane,” Elizabeth said as the corners of her mouth lifted. It was not easy holding back the broad smile that threatened, as she delighted in making her staid sister blush.

“Yes, but not one we should be discussing amongst ourselves!” Jane continued, mopping her brow which was suddenly flushed. “That is private, only to be talked about between husband and wife.”

“I was not suggesting we discuss the mechanics of the act, only such things as the average number of times. And how are we to know if we are achieving the average if we do not know what is average?”

Georgiana could barely control her laughter as she joined in, “Indeed!”

“Three!” Elizabeth proffered.

“Three? Whatever do you mean?” Georgiana smirked, knowing full well that Elizabeth would elaborate, and she would learn something she had always wanted to ask another woman. Oh, to be as bold as Lizzy!

“The number of times we make love on a given day ... well now that the honeymoon is over and the cares of life insist on their share of our lives.” Elizabeth smiled dreamily. “In the first week we were married, we often made love that many times in a night.”

By now Jane’s face was bright red, and she tried to stand. “If you insist on embarrassing me, I shall just have to go inside and rest while Peter is napping.”

Elizabeth rolled over on her side and studied her prim and proper sister with a slight smile. Jane was soon to be a mother again, and still she was not comfortable speaking of the act of love. But that was Jane, and she loved her very much just as she was ... as she would always be.

“Please do not go! I do not mean to embarrass you, Jane. It is just that I have no way of knowing if my life is ... average. Maybe I should just be grateful that it is wonderful and not care whether or not it is normal.”

“Life with my brother will NEVER be normal, I fear!” Georgiana offered, as all three giggled again. “And I must admit that it is disconcerting to be discussing my brother in this context!”

“Then I shall change the subject. We can talk about courses!”

“Courses?” Jane sounded incredulous, looking about even more nervously. “Why would we discuss ...” A knowing look soon spread across her face, and she was speechless.

Georgiana, however, was not, her voice rising in excitement as she rolled onto her stomach and propped upon her elbows, she cried, “Are you with child, Lizzy? Pray tell us!”

“Shhh!” Now it was Elizabeth's turn to sit up and look around. “I am a week past my time, but William has not noticed, and I do not want to get his hopes up just yet.”

“Oh, Brother will be so happy if it is true,” Georgiana said a bit too loudly, her enthusiasm hard to control. “He has wanted children for so long.” She sat up and moved over to hug Elizabeth. “I want so much to be an aunt, and Millie needs cousins with whom to play. It would be a dream of mine come true.”

Elizabeth beamed. “I just had to tell someone! The last time William was so disappointed when my courses came.” Reflecting on that event, she took a deep breath as she continued. “Actually, I think he was more worried for me—because he knew how much I wanted to be with child. He told me not to worry, that it would happen all in good time. But, if I tell him now, and it is not to be …” Unbidden tears filled her eyes.

Jane reached for her sister’s hand. “Lizzy, you have been married such a short while; give yourself time. It will happen eventually.”

“I know I am being silly, but I remember so vividly being in my room at Northgate, considering the madness of my life and wondering if I should just ...” Her voice trailed off, and she stared into the distance.

“It was in those times that I imagined I was married to Fitzwilliam—it was my only solace.” She smiled, completely unaware of how her mien transformed when she spoke of her husband. “And when I dreamed of him, we were always sitting on a lawn, under a huge tree.” She looked up to the strong limbs of the oak above. “And our child was lying in a basket between us.”

Tears now flowed from all three women as Lizzy tried to recover her former cheerful mood. Suddenly, she remembered Georgiana’s miscarriages and touched her hand. “I am sorry, Georgiana. I should never have mentioned—”

“Nonsense!” William’s sister interrupted. “I have my Millie, and I am exceedingly happy. Evan and I are even talking of taking in another orphan; so do not fret for me. I have no reservations in praying that you are with child. I yearn for this for my dear brother’s sake as well as for yours!”

Elizabeth took both her hands. “I have very little family left, and you have truly filled a place in my heart as a sister.”

Touched, Jane held out her hands, one to Elizabeth and one to Georgiana. “And you have become like a sister to me as well, Georgiana. I could not love you more.”

“Then we are all agreed!” Georgiana declared, sniffling. “I have always wanted sisters, and now I have two!”

Elizabeth and Georgiana stood and helped Jane to her feet. Then all three hugged as only women are prone to do—giggling and whispering. Their laughter could be heard through the upstairs window where, unbeknownst to them, an audience was watching.

The Billiards Room

While William and Evan finished one last game of billiards, Mr. Williamson slipped to the open windows to enjoy the breeze and take in the breathtaking view of Mr. Darcy’s estate. As he did, he contemplated how much his life had changed since Mr. Savage, the young vicar of Kympton, invited him to move north and help with his growing parish. He had agreed, not only because Lizzybet had begged him to stay but also because his heart demanded it. No one had known the extent of his loneliness after Gregory had been lost at sea and Lizzybet had been spirited away from Meryton, and now that the Darcys had assured him that he was a welcomed part of their family, his joy had returned. He had a purpose! He was a father once more! He relished that title and looked forward to being a grandfather, which, were he a betting man, he would wager to happen within the year.

Even as he smiled to himself, as so often happened, his thoughts drifted to the small cemetery at Meryton where his parents and dear wife rested. He would never forsake them and had sworn over their graves that he would return often. It had eased his mind when Mrs. Haversham, blessed friend that she was, vowed to tend their graves in his absence.

“ I will care for their graves just as I do my own dear mother’s,” she had assured him when he returned to Meryton to make arrangements to move. “Rest in confidence that not one weed will flourish and fresh flowers will be present in season. In addition, I shall keep you informed of the goings on in Meryton, since I know you will miss us as much as we will miss you.”

Thus he had left half of his heart in a village that he had served almost his entire life, to move closer to the other half—to Lizzybet. A familiar giggle and soft trill of feminine chatter drifted up from somewhere below, and he stepped closer to find the source. At this angle, he could see Elizabeth lying on the ground with Georgiana, while Jane rested in a chair.

“What do you suppose they find to talk about?”

Evan’s question startled the vicar, and he turned to find Evan standing on one side. William was behind them both, holding out a glass of brandy for each. He did not answer Evan, but instead took a sip as William moved to his other side and looked down as well.

“I suppose they are discussing the latest fashions,” William offered confidently. “Elizabeth has finally decided on the wallpaper she wants in her bedchamber, and she and Jane were all aflutter about paint colours for the Bingleys’ estate at last night’s dinner.”

“You are probably right, Darcy. Ana loves to talk of paint colours!”

Mr. Williamson smiled. He had waited to see what they thought before speaking. “I can assure you that that was not the subject, gentlemen.”

Both young men eyed the older gentleman now standing between them, awaiting his further pronouncements. After all, he was the most experienced of the group, having been married for over thirty years before his wife had died.

“When women get together, they talk about us.”

Evan and William both stiffened and sought their own wife’s form below as their faces darkened at that revelation. This made the vicar smile. “Oh, do not look so troubled! I found that as long as my wife had another married woman in whom to confide, she was more content with me. More satisfied overall.”

At their dubious expressions, he added, “Especially in our bedchamber.”

At that pronouncement, the shoulders of both young men relaxed, and they each took a deep breath and smiled to themselves. At this point, Williamson felt free to put forward further advice.

“I always offer this counsel to married men, especially young married men. Remember to court your wife as though you were still trying to win her heart ... not only with gifts but with words of your devotion. Gifts are wonderful and certainly warranted, but sentiments will reward you long after the gifts are forgotten.”

Mr. Williamson smiled as each man again peered out the window, seeking his wife in the group below. “I do not think that that advice was necessarily needed in your situations, as I have seen firsthand the devotion between you and your wives, but I feel a need to pass along what I have learned to the next generation.”

William volunteered, “It is too bad that Charles was not here to be enlightened. I fear he has learned too much about my stock of liquor and not enough about his wife.”

They were still laughing when Bingley came into the room holding an unopened bottle of brandy. “I found it, Darcy! This is the brand I was referring to last night. Mrs. Reynolds assured me that you have plenty left in the cellar, despite Colonel Fitzwilliam’s designs to do away with every last bottle.”

Seeing the smiles that spoke of secrets shared, he asked, “What?”

Later that day

Jane and Georgiana were resting, along with Peter and Millie, leaving Elizabeth to her own devices—finally!

It had been wonderful hosting Jane and Charles for the entire time they had been in Derbyshire, and now that they had moved into their own estate of Glendale, which was close by, there were frequent visits from her beloved sister. And since Georgiana lived as close as Jane, it made sense for the three of them to spend copious amounts of time together enjoying the camaraderie that she had always craved.

But, if she were to be truthful, she had to admit that sometimes ... sometimes she wished for the house to be free of everyone save her husband. She longed for the early, uninhibited days of their marriage when William had barred all the servants from the upper floors unless they were expressly summoned. She blushed, remembering the looks on the faces of the maids as William had rung for dinner trays, hot baths, and even changes of the sheets in her bedchamber as they took up residence in his freshly made bed.

All these memories kindled a need she could not suppress a moment longer; consequently, a quick search of William’s bedchamber revealed that he was not upstairs. Swiftly she traversed the hallway and then the grand staircase in her quest to find him before someone demanded attention from one of them. As she did, a niggling thought crossed her mind—was he still ensconced with the men?

As she crossed off each successive room in her hunt, her hopes began to fade. It seemed he was nowhere to be found in the house, which meant he had probably gone riding. Her disappointment was so raw that she could not suppress the tears that suddenly appeared. She desperately needed to touch him, to hold him, if only for a moment!

A maid was coming towards her as she entered the hallway outside his empty study, so she tried to recover by walking away, into the quiet library. Without stopping, she crossed to the double doors that led unto the terrace and practically ran into the cool afternoon air. Taking a deep breath to calm herself and control her disappointment, she closed her eyes.

“Fancy meeting you here, Mrs. Darcy.”

William’s warm baritone caught Elizabeth by surprise, and when she opened her eyes, he stood before her, giving her no chance to wipe away the evidence of her distress. Having successfully convinced all the men to go riding without him, he had been walking up from the stables, when he saw her run out onto the terrace. Making short work of the distance between them, he was concerned to see the look of misery on her beautiful face and further distressed to find that she had been crying.

Pulling her into his embrace, he whispered, “Elizabeth? Darling, what is wrong?”

“You!” His brows knit in surprise. “I wanted you, but I could not find you and ...”

He was smiling now, for as he placed kisses in her dark locks, he understood. “I know, sweetheart. I want you, too.” Leaning down, he captured her mouth in a burning kiss before whispering, “Let us not waste a minute of this precious time.”

With those words, he took her hand and began leading her through the doors, into the library and out into the foyer. At the steps, he picked her up so he could take them faster. She giggled despite herself.

“What will our guests think if they see us?”

“Let them think whatever they like!”

William was aroused by the time he attained the landing and practically ran with her to his bedchamber. There he managed to open the door without putting her down, and once inside, kicked the door closed, as was his habit when overcome with desire.

They frantically undressed as he backed her towards his huge bed, and as they bumped into it, he picked her up and tossed her lightly onto the soft bedding and numerous pillows. She giggled as he joined her and was just as swiftly lying atop her.

Pulling back to look into her eyes and run the back of his fingers over her cheek, he breathed, “Have I told you today that I love you more than life, my Elizabeth?”

“Not in those exact words, my darling.”

“Well, it is true. I do.” His lips crushed hers and tongues fought for control as they collided and tangled. Without further conversation, they joined in the way they both desired, each voicing a loud groan with the joy of being one again. Not waiting, William began a fast, furious rhythm until they both cried out in release.

Elizabeth preferred that they stay joined, that he held her for a time after they made love, so lying sated in her arms, his breathing slowly returned to normal. Eventually, he propped up on both elbows to consider her.

“When were you going to tell me?”

Her brows first knit and then smoothed again as she realised to what he was referring. “You know me too well.”

“Is there such a thing?” His expression held only love. “I thought we wanted to know each other completely.”

She reached up to cup the face she loved and pulled his mouth down to hers in the gentlest of kisses. When she finished, there was unfathomable love shining in her eyes. “I shall never try to keep anything from you again. I only wanted to spare you any disappointment.”

“I am only disappointed if we are not forthcoming with each other.”

“Duly noted,” she purred, having no idea that she had captured his heart again with her lopsided grin. “I am only a week past my time.”

His pride was visible as he slid one hand down to rest on her stomach, and his fingers began a circle with gentle reverence. “We have a son. I just know it.”

“Are you a soothsayer as well as a great lover?”

“I am a man violently in love with the woman who is carrying my child.”

“I pray you are correct.”

“While we were desperately searching for you, Mr. Williamson taught me a great deal about prayer—much of it by example. I have asked God for this, and He has heard my heartfelt plea and answered. Of this, I am certain.”

Tears of joy appeared as her faith rose with William’s resolve. “Then we should begin to thank Him for this gift!”

“I already have, my love. Last week I wrote a draft for the funds needed for the orphanage that Williamson has championed since he agreed to help Mr. Savage at Kympton.”

Elizabeth shook her head in awe as she ran her hands over his beloved face. “Have I told you today that I love you more than life, my William?”

“Not in those exact words, my darling.”

After Dinner

The Drawing Room

As was the custom, the men did not separate from the women after dinner, as they had been separated by different activities most of the day. At least, all had been separated except William and Elizabeth—who some noted had a certain glow about them this night.

It was decided that there would be no entertainment, cards or other games, as everyone wished to relax, and because Georgiana wanted to discuss the invitations they had received to Richard’s engagement ball to be held in London in two months’ time. Lord and Lady Matlock had been unable to attend the reception that Georgiana had given for William and Elizabeth after their marriage, but begged to be able to fete them in London at a later date. William had respectfully declined, saying that he and Elizabeth understood their dilemma, as the Earl had been ill. He explained that they would visit the Fitzwilliams in London soon and declared another reception unwarranted. Nevertheless, now that Richard was engaged, a trip to London seemed unavoidable.

“Well, whether or not we want to see all our relations in London, we owe Richard our allegiance and our support! We have to attend!” Georgiana exclaimed, all the while looking at her brother.

Elizabeth took up the cause. “We must go. It is their engagement ball, and we owe Richard so much. I fear to think what might have transpired during my rescue had he not been there to calm William.”

There was gentle laughter, though Jane glanced to see if Lizzy’s husband was enjoying the laugh at his expense. Seeing a frown, she tried to lighten the discussion. “I am just glad that Charles and I do not have to attend such a ball. I shall be glad to stay home with my newborn as I was intimidated attending the reception Georgiana gave you.”

Charles interjected, “I have always been intimidated by Darcy’s sphere, but I refuse to let it bother me now. I will rise to the occasion! If he is my friend, what does it matter what others think?”

Georgiana agreed. “Precisely! You and Jane are family now, so you shall have to get used to being invited to our events. Evan and I love you as much as Brother and Lizzy!”

Evan lifted his glass in acknowledgement. “Ana is right!”

He said nothing more, aware that Ana and her brother could settle the question of attending the ball in London without his intervention—after all, these were not his relations; his part was only to accompany Ana if she wished.

“Surely we will go, William,” Elizabeth ventured again, a different expression now on her face—a change in mien that did not go unnoticed by her husband.

William put down the book he had been holding as an unreadable expression crossed his own face. Only Lizzy knew that he was trying to compose what he wanted to say, but he had everyone’s undivided attention by the time he did.

“If you desire to go, Elizabeth, then we shall go. I am exceedingly proud of you, and I would love for London and the whole world to see my beautiful bride.” He paused as she blushed, examining the handkerchief she knotted in her hands. William had read the unspoken question in her last comment. He was not ashamed of her.

“But, know this—some of my relations cannot be civil. I shall not tolerate any of Edgar’s insults, whether aimed at you or anyone else I love. And, I should add, that applies to any of my relations who do not respect my choice. I am a man, not a boy to be ordered about. My only reservation is that I know that if some of them attend, and they might in hopes of insulting you, a confrontation is inevitable. I do not want it to be more than you can bear.”

“I can bear anything with you near me, my love.”

Elizabeth’s expression as she looked towards her husband was so intimate that everyone else averted their eyes.

For his part, William wanted only to carry her directly to his bed, but all he could accomplish was to swallow hard, his eyes entreating her to read his mind. Later, my love!

Strangely, before another half-hour had passed, each couple declared their exhaustion and retired to their rooms, leaving the newlyweds alone in the drawing room. William and Elizabeth lingered there not a minute longer than necessary for the last guest to clear the grand staircase before they hurriedly made their way to the privacy of their bedchamber.

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