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Later than evening, after everyone had retired, the master and mistress of the estate were seated in their shared sitting room.

“Elizabeth, my love,” Darcy said. The tone of his voice alerted her that what he had to say would not give her pleasure.

“You know the plan that Richard laid out, and to which we all agreed, do you not?” She nodded, allowing that it was so.

“We were talking, and we, that is your father and the rest of the men, feel that it is time to go visit Falconwood in Cheshire.”

“We will all be journeying to our estate, William?” she asked pointedly, suspecting from his demeanour that he had more to tell her.

“Yes, my wife, all of us will be journeying there,” he took a deep breath as he was relatively sure that she would not like the second part of what he had to say, “but some of us will return to Derbyshire before others.”

Lady Elizabeth Darcy was about to give a petulant answer when she stopped herself before she spoke. ‘ Let me hear him out, ’ she told herself. ‘ He never does anything without careful consideration, and will do whatever he must to protect me. ’

“Please tell me the reasoning, William,” she asked with measured voice.

“As you know, there will be a stand-in who will be my ‘wife’ for the gang of criminals to see,” he explained. “Before you ask, I have to be here as Mrs. Younge has seen me many times before, so we cannot use a replacement for myself.”

“Yes, William,” Elizabeth said calmly, “I know all of that. What I am having a hard time understanding is why I need to be away from my home when not only do we know their plan, but we have men on the inside? Also, if things go according to plan, when they come ashore in Oakenholt they will find more of Richard’s men to hire, right? ”

“Yes, Elizabeth, in all of that you are correct,” her husband replied as he leaned over and kissed her lips softly. “It is being done out of an abundance of caution. I will rest easier knowing that you are nowhere near the dastards.”

“Why can we not have them arrested when they land?” Elizabeth asked.

“We could, but the testimony would all be hearsay and much harder to prove,” he responded. “We want them to be caught in the act; then as soon as they make their attempt on my ‘wife,’ we have them and it will be straight to the Tower for the lot.”

“I understand, William,” she said as she kissed his hands, “you will have no argument from me, my grace, but I will be very lonely without you, William,” she said with a playful pout.

“Our mothers, Aunts Catherine, Rose, and Elaine will be there with you, my love,” William said as he hugged her to his chest, where she fit just under his chin, and inhaled her lavender scent that always aroused him.

“In addition, Tom, Amy, and James will be with you, Biggs and Johns will also be watching over you, along with many guards. You will not be alone, Lizzy,” he told her as he put his head on her raven curls which now fell around her shoulders just the way he liked it.

“Do not be obtuse, William,” she smacked him on the hand playfully. “I know that I will not be alone , silly man! I said lonely without you. It will be the first time that we will spend time apart since we married,” she said with sadness.

“I too will miss you, my Lizzy,” he said as he pulled her closer to himself. “It will be torture to come to my bed each night without you in it. Your safety and wellbeing are worth the sacrifice of us being parted, love, surely you must see that?”

“Yes, William, I do see it and I understand. It does not mean that I have to like being parted from you,” she said as she fought to hold back the tears that threatened to fall as she contemplated being separated from the love of her life for the first time since they exchanged their vows.

“It will be a sennight at the most,” he assured her as he pulled her into his lap. “We should love each other every chance we get until I leave you at Falconwood, my grace,” he said with a grin.

“Now that is something that I would heartily enjoy, husband. Take me to bed and love me,” she ordered. He lifted her easily to place her on his enormous bed then complied with her wishes many times that night. Neither knew, but it was the night that their first child was conceived.

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

Lady Georgiana Darcy was sitting on a bench in the gardens at Broadhurst, the estate of Lord and Lady Jersey in Essex, daydreaming of a certain young man.

She did not hear her sister-in-law approach, nor was she looking at the beautiful topiaries near her.

She was pulled out of her reverie by Kitty Bennet shaking her gently.

“Were you thinking of James again, Georgie,” Lady Kitty teased, “you were so far away that you did not hear me call you four times, sister.”

“No…I mean…perhaps,” Georgiana stammered as she blushed with the embarrassment of being caught daydreaming about James Bennet…again. “I know that I am still young, Kitty, but I am certain that James is the only man that I will ever love.”

“He will be lucky to have you, Georgie,” she said as she gave her sister-in-law a hug. “Not much will change you know,” Kitty said cryptically.

“What do you mean?” asked a confused young lady.

“You are already our sister, you will still be if you and James wed,” Kitty said with a smile.

“Oh you!” Georgiana said as she swatted at Kitty. “I thought you were about to tell me something about James and I not being suited for each other or some such nonsense!”

“You know how much I like to tease you, Georgie,” Kitty said unapologetically. “What are sisters for if not to tease one another?”

“It is so good to have so many sisters that if the cost is being teased, then tease away,” Georgiana said with much contentment. She loved all of her many sisters and could not imagine how she had lived without them before.

“Let us go join Mary and Retta in the music room, Georgie, I believe they are entertaining Wes.” Kitty took her hand and gently pulled.

“Kitty,” Georgiana stayed her with a hand on her arm, “am I the only one who has noticed that Mary and Wes are becoming much more than just cousins?”

“No, Georgie, you are not the only one,” Kitty agreed.

“I noticed that something had changed at Pemberley, but Mary has been very tight lipped about things. You know she is much quieter than me and much more private. It is not easy for her to talk about her feelings; she is somewhat like Jane used to be.”

“We will have to keep an eye on things,” Georgiana said. “Mayhap you will have new fodder for your teases, Kitty.” The girls linked arm and headed to the music room as their laughter filled the garden.

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

Ladies Mary and Loretta had been practicing a duet when Lord Wes quietly entered the music room and sat down without the ladies seeing him. They only knew he was present when they heard enthusiastic applause from behind them.

“When did you join us, Wes?” his younger sister enquired.

“Not five minutes ago,” he replied, but his eyes were fixed on his cousin. “I heard the sweet sounds of notes being played as I descended the stairs and felt the need to sit and appreciate the artistry of my sister and my cousin.”

“I am sure that it was the artistry that drew you to us,” Retta teased as both her brother and cousin coloured.

“Retta!” Mary admonished while she blushed furiously. “I do not take your meaning,” Mary attempted to deflect her cousin’s words, but failed miserably because her blush deepened when she felt the intensity of his eyes on her.

“Peace, I will not tease you two anymore…today,” she said with an impertinent smile.

“Unless you want Mother and Father to find out who was responsible for the frogs that found their way into Nanny McPherson’s bed,” Wes threatened, “I would cease all teasing on this subject if I were you!”

“You swore that you would never tell,” she admonished her brother.

“I never swore, you beseeched me, and I never said anything. Whether I continue to keep that secret and those of other youthful indiscretions is up to you, sister.” Loretta gave a fake pout as she knew that she was trumped.

Wes had won this round, so she agreed to cease teasing her brother and cousin in exchange for his continued silence.

Mary was most amused as she watched the interplay between brother and sister; she knew that they were not really upset with each other.

As she sat on the bench in front of the pianoforte, she thought back to when she had first started seeing Wes as more than a cousin, which was at the ball before Jane and Marie’s wedding.

She had always felt close to Wes, but when they had danced that night, she had felt something that she had never experienced before.

She was attracted to her cousin as a woman to a man.

He seemed to take pleasure in her company at all subsequent events they were both at, and she remembered thinking how she wished that she was out at seventeen so she could have danced with him many more times.

She was not sure he felt anything for her beyond as a cousin, until the conversation they had at Pemberley a few days before the group accompanying the De Melvilles departed the Darcys’ estate.

She could remember that conversation vividly as if it had happened today.

She was taking a stroll through Lady Anne’s rose garden with her companion trailing her, and under the watchful eye of some of the footmen who were currently posted at various points in the gardens.

Wes had approached her and asked if he might accompany her on her walk, and she had nodded shyly.

He fell into step with her and offered his arm, on which she placed her hand lightly.

Her companion fell back further to allow them to converse without being overheard.

After walking in comfortable silence for some five minutes, Wes had stopped and turned to her.

“Mary, now that the coming out ball is planned, I would like to reserve the second set,” he said as he searched her eyes, his own light brown eyes mesmerising her.

“I would request the first set, but I know that you will be dancing that set with Uncle Thomas.”

“I would happily grant you that set, Wes,” Mary replied, feeling a warm wave of excitement slide through her body, thrilled that he would ask so many months ahead.

She had hoped that she was not reading too much into his request, but wanted it to mean that he might have tender feelings for her as she held for him.

“Then if it is not too much to ask, may I have the supper set as well…and the last set, my Mary,” he asked, his eyes never breaking contact with hers. It was in that moment that Mary knew she was not the only one who felt an attraction.

“Are you not concerned about the message that the Ton will receive, Wes,” she asked softly, “You know there are many who have set their cap for you, not the least of whom is Miss Amanda Price. She has made it known to any that will listen that she will be the next Countess of Jersey.”

“I know exactly the message that I am sending, Mary,” Wes said with tenderness as he bestowed a kiss on each wrist which earned him a clearing of the throat from Mary’s companion.

“In addition, I care not what Miss Price or any other may think. I am the only one who will choose the next Lady Westmore, if she accepts me,” he stated quietly, his eyes locked on hers to verify she understood his meaning while his thumbs gently rubbed the tops of her hands.

“I know that you are not yet out, Mary, but I have to tell you that it has been many months since I have seen you as far more than a cousin.”

“Me too,” Mary said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I will not say more now,” he warned her, no matter how much he wanted to declare himself in this perfect setting. “When the time is right, I will approach Uncle Thomas and request permission to speak to you, as long as it is something that you will welcome,” he watched her to gauge her reaction.

“Anything that you wish to say will be more than welcome, Wes,” Mary replied softly with a becoming blush. Her companion cleared her throat a bit louder so the two walked slowly back to the house.

Thinking about the conversation which she knew had been important to her future felicity, she sighed with relief that she would gain the happiness she had so secretly wished for.

Not long after her reverie, Mary’s eyes met Wes’s and what she saw warmed her heart as a tender look passed between them.

Lady Mary Bennet was certain that she had fallen in love with Wes, and based on what he had said to her, she was confident that her love was requited.