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They must be alive when you deliver them, but no one will repine if they are not in ‘pristine’ condition. His Grace and his family are aware of their plans and wants you three to infiltrate Younge’s crew, keep us informed of their movements.

The sooner this assignment is over the sooner you will be back where you belong, where I can keep you in line.

Clements

“At last,” Forester exclaimed, “we get to pay ‘em murderers back for what they did to Hamms.” Forester had been a friend of Hamms and had served with him.

He was especially glad that the missive gave leave for the three bastards to feel a little…

discomfort before they were put in the crates.

The three made their plans and went to see the Dennington agent in the town to ask for the crates that would accommodate their needs.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

When the Darcys arrived at Hilldale they could not miss the looks of sadness that they saw around them.

The butler met them, informing them that Lord and Lady Brookfield had arrived an hour earlier and that an express had just arrived informing the master that their graces the Duke and Duchess of Bedford were on the way.

Elizabeth felt a sense of foreboding. “Have expresses been dispatched to Snowhaven and Longbourn?” she asked the butler.

“They have, your Grace,” he answered with all due deference, “Lord and Lady Matlock were visiting a neighbouring estate and will be here by this evening.”

The Darcys rushed up the stairs to the master suite where they found Andrew being comforted by his younger brother. “Andrew, how is my sister,” Elizabeth asked with concern, “is she badly injured?”

“Other than a lump on her head, she is physically well, Lizzy,” he said emphasising the one word, “We had just…” he paused as he was overcome with emotion, “found out that Marie was enceinte that morning. When she fell, she landed on her belly, and she lost…”

Elizabeth bit back a sob as she understood that her older sister had lost her babe.

She kissed and hugged both brothers-in-law and then proceeded into Marie’s chambers.

The sight that greeted her almost broke her heart.

Here they were mourning the loss of a most beloved uncle, and now this tragedy on top of that was more than she could imagine, and she was not the one who lost a babe.

Jane, whose expanding belly was easily seen now, was comforting her sister who was crying in despair and repeating over and over again, “It was my fault! It was my fault!” Jane was trying to console her and was relieved to see Lizzy enter the chambers.

“Look Marie, Lizzy is here,” Jane said, hoping that seeing their younger sister would lift her spirits somewhat.

“Lizzy, I am so ashamed,” Marie sobbed, “God punished me for feeling envy when Jane became with child and I was not. I broke the commandment ‘Thou shalt not covert’ and I received what I deserved.” Marie collapsed into her younger sister’s arms as her body was wracked with sobs.

Elizabeth and Jane exchanged a distressed look.

Marie was always the strong one, they hardly recognised the lady full of guilt before them.

“MARIE ROSE FITZWILLIAM!” Elizabeth’s voice cut through the room to make sure that her sister would look at her.

She was still crying, and her head was down so Elizabeth placed her fingers under sister’s chin and gently lifted her head.

“You are not being punished for anything, and how can you think that God would do something so…so evil?” Before Marie could formulate an answer, her younger sister proceeded.

“You were envious of the state that Jane was in, not that Jane was with child. Did you ever wish any ill on Jane and her pregnancy?” Marie shook her head tearfully.

“O-of c-c-course not,” she stammered between sobs.

“You never showed anything but joy for Richard and me,” Jane said softly.

“We always did everything together, it was only normal that you would feel sad that I became with child before you, Marie,” she soothed.

“As Lizzy said, you did not resent me for my blessing, your envy was at you not attaining the same state, but then you did.”

“You had an accident, Marie,” Elizabeth said as she hugged her sister.

“Andrew told me that you missed the edge of step and fell, something that could have happened to any of us. I am sure that as the doctor had just confirmed your state that you were feeling blissful, unfortunately you were not near the banister and did not see what you were about to do. That is all it was Marie, bad luck, no more and no less.”

“Marie, look at me and at Lizzy. Do you see any disapprobation?” Jane asked her twin sister.

After looking at both sisters through her tear-filled eyes, Marie shook her head.

“There is nought that you have done that God needs to punish you for! Lizzy has the right of it; it was an accident that had a very unfortunate consequence due to your injury.” Marie wiped her eyes as she started to see the truth in her sister’s words.

“Do not forget, sister dear, that all of us women have to live with the risk of a miscarriage, with or without falling, so this may have happened whether you fell or not. It is one of things that we have no control over,” Jane added to point out to her sister that her guilt was misplaced.

“Amy and Tom and the Matlocks will arrive later this afternoon and I am sure that Mama and Papa will be here in a day or two at the latest,” Lizzy informed her sister.

“All of us love you and will be here to support you as long as possible.

It is very hard, and no one will tell you that you should not grieve your babe that will not be.

Many women have to go through the same thing, survive, and go on to have more children after.

“Look at Mother Anne. I am sure that when you see her, she will tell you the same thing. Between William and Georgie, she had three miscarriages and a still birth, but then God blessed her with Georgie. She said that she would come if you need her, but she did not want to overwhelm, you.”

“Will you,” Marie paused to blow her red nose and wipe her eyes, “send her a note and ask her to come? I think that it would help me to speak to her.”

“Of course, I will, my dear Marie,” Elizabeth said as she squeezed her sister’s hand. “Never forget that you know that you were able to fall pregnant and there are others like Aunt Rose, who are not able to.”

While their wives were consoling Marie, the husbands were helping Andrew.

He blamed himself that he was not there to protect his wife.

Both Richard and William put paid to his self-pity in short order.

They pointed out that a miscarriage was just one of the many risks of pregnancy and that what had happened to Marie was an accident.

Richard even semi-joked with his older brother asking him if he was so arrogant to think that he was omnipotent like God, that he could always be everywhere.

Andrew informed his brother that Mr. Granger had seen Marie soon after the fall and found no broken bones.

He did not believe that she had a concussion, but recommended vigilance just in case.

He was not sure if the accident would preclude the Viscountess from having a child, but given where she had fallen from, he believed that she would be able to still bear children.

One of the brothers placed a snifter of brandy in Andrew’s hand, which he gulped down in one swig as he felt the brown liquid burn its way down his throat.

“Lizzy and my Jane will help Marie, Andrew,” his younger brother opined.

“You have to remember that it just happened, and so close after Uncle Sed’s death, I am sure only magnified the grief that my sister was already feeling. ”

“You are going to have to be strong for your wife, Andrew,” Darcy told him. “It is a miracle that Marie did not suffer any more serious injuries to her person, God must have been looking out for her, as it could have been so very much worse.”

“Mayhap you are right, William,” Andrew stated as he stiffened his back. “I will do whatever Marie needs to help her,” he said with absolute conviction.

“Do not forget to grieve yourself as well, Brother,” Richard said as he gave his brother a hug.

Just then the butler announced the Fitzwilliam parents.

They were without Lady Catherine who had left a few days earlier to go visit her daughter and son-in-law on their estate, Sherwood Park in Surrey.

After Andrew informed them what had happened, his mother kissed both of his cheeks then proceeded into Marie’s chambers.

She was pleased to see Jane and Lizzy with Marie.

She noticed that Jane’s pregnancy seemed to be progressing apace but given what Marie had just lost, she made no comment to Jane in Marie’s presence.

She gave her grieving daughter-in-law a hug and kiss and then hugged her other daughter and her niece.

“We would have been here this morning, but we were visiting the Holders, so we only received the message after it was sent on from Snowhaven,” Lady Elaine said as she replaced her niece next to Marie’s bed.

“Mother Elaine,” Marie said, much calmer now thanks to her sisters, “just like I could not predict that I would have this accident, you had no way of knowing that your presence would be needed at Hilldale. As my much wiser sisters,” she looked at both Jane and Lizzy, “have ably pointed out, sometimes things happen, and we have no control over them. You are here now, that is all that counts.”

The Countess was informed that the Longfield Meadows Bennets were on their way, and were expected in an hour or two, and that everyone expected the family from Longbourn to arrive in a few days.

There was a knock on the door answered by Marie’s maid, who allowed the three men to enter after she made sure that her mistress’s modesty was preserved.