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Elizabeth sat in the master’s study with her husband as they reviewed their plans to leave Pemberley two days hence to start their journey south.

With the threat removed, the couple was far more relaxed than they had been for some months, though Biggs and Johns were ever vigilant and would continue to be in the future.

“Do you think that Graham and Caroline and Charles and Franny will be able to join us at Seaview?” William asked as he watched his beloved wife.

“I doubt it, William,” Elizabeth opined.

“Both are getting closer to their confinements, and, in my opinion, they will not want to travel, but we will wait for them to respond to see if I am correct. I asked that they send their answers to Darcy House as we will depart before a letter would reach us here from London.” William nodded his agreement.

“What do you think of Tony’s decision regarding Harry Smythe?” William asked.

The question paused Elizabeth, and she considered the conversation that had taken place a day earlier, just before Tony returned to Oxford.

“Elliot and Tony are here to see us, if you can join us in the study, my love,” William asked as he extended his hand to assist his wife to stand.

When they entered the study, Andrew and Marie were present, along with Tony and Mr. Elliot. William pulled an additional chair behind his desk so his wife could sit near him.

Without preamble, Tony initiated the conversation.

“I have come to a decision regarding my natural father,” he said, his mien serious.

“Lord Hilldale has informed me that Lord Granville has just become betrothed to the daughter of the Duke of Hamilton.” Andrew nodded his agreement.

“I have decided that there is nought to be gained, but much heartache that may be caused by my imposing on the Earl.

“It will not change who I am or the path that I have chosen for my life. My mother lied to him and tricked him, so there is nothing that he has done wrong. Like many of her decisions, my mother acted out of selfishness, not caring of the consequences for any. If my stepfather had discovered her betrayal, it may have cost the Earl his life,” Tony stated evenly.

“Are you sure, Tony?” William asked.

“I am your Grace. I have a family who fully accepts me for who I am,” he said as he looked warmly at Elliot, “and I will not be selfish like my mother. Disturbing his Lordship, especially now, would be such an act. I know who I am, and need nothing from the Earl of Granville.”

“Your decision is the right one, Tony,” Elliot said with parental pride. “I know that Emily will agree when she arrives home in two days, and she will be as proud of you as I am.”

“If that is your decision then it will be respected,” Andrew said unequivocally. “When I see Harry, no word on this subject will pass my lips. You have made an honourable decision, Tony.”

“Your mother was taken from Pemberley two days past,” William informed Tony.

“I know, your Grace,” Tony said stoically. “I doubt that she will ever acknowledge that she is the author of her own fate, but I will pray that she reaches that state of lucidity nevertheless.”

“Elizabeth?” William was somewhat concerned as his wife seemed to be very far away.

“Sorry William,” she said as his saying her name snapped her out of her reverie, “I was remembering the conversation with Tony. Yes, I believe that Andrew had the right of it, he made an honourable and right decision.”

“How long will Andrew and Marie be at Hilldale before they join us at Seaview?” William asked. Jane and Richard had departed for Brookfield at the same time to check on the estate before heading south.

“I believe a sennight,” Elizabeth stated. “Jane informed me before they left that she and Richard would travel to Hilldale, and then travel with Marie and Andrew to Seaview. With our stops in London and in Essex to collect Georgie, I think we will arrive within a day or two of them.”

There was a knock at the door and Lady Anne joined them after being bade to enter. “Are you two sure that you want me to accompany you?” she asked.

“We are completely sure, Mother Anne,” Elizabeth assured her. “This is not a deferred wedding trip, and you have not seen Georgie for many weeks so there is no question but that we want you to accompany us.

“Have you written to Sir Frederick, William?” Lady Anne asked.

Elizabeth, in consultation with William, changed her mind about informing the family they were to be parents; she shared her hopeful news the morning after she told William, her parents departed shortly after.

She had apologised to her mother and mother-in-law for her somewhat petulant response to their questions at Falconwood and both had readily forgiven her.

“I have, mother,” William responded, “I expect a response waiting for us when we arrive at Darcy House.”

“My excitement is building fast as this will be my first grandchild,” Lady Anne beamed. “Sarah and Elaine will achieve that exulted position some months before me, but I will soon join them.”

“Do not forget Aunts Rose and Catherine who will be honorary grandmothers,” Elizabeth added.

“I pray each day that Marie and Amy will be with child again soon,” Lady Anne said with feeling.

“Neither showed any outward pain when you and William made your announcement, but having experienced such a loss a number of times I am sure that as happy as they are for the two of you, they felt the pain of their losses.”

It would just be the three occupants of the study who would make the journey south as James had departed with his patents to check on Netherfield. He would join the Darcys in London.

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

When the Darcy coaches arrived at Darcy House, they were met by the Killions who welcomed the three home.

Before they went to wash from the road, Elizabeth and William entered his study to check the post. There was a pile of correspondence with social invitations that had not been forwarded to Pemberley, and there was a smaller stack with the missives recently arrived.

Elizabeth opened the one from Caroline and Graham, followed by the one from Franny and Charles.

She had been correct in her supposition that both were too far along with their pregnancies to want to travel; in addition, Charles was far too busy in his new post at Gardiner and Associates to take leave at this time.

Their loss of company was tempered with the gaining of the Gardiners who would join them as they had planned a trip from their new estate to London.

Since the handing off of the day-to-day running of the business, it was to be expected that while Uncle Edward had no more time constraints as far as taking vacations was concerned, Bingley now did.

William opened the missive from Sir Frederick Gillingham confirming that he would be pleased to see them when they were in Town.

He asked that his Grace send a note to let him know of their arrival in the city so he could set an appointment for them.

The young lad who acted as Darcy’s courier in Town was dispatched as soon as the note was written with instructions to wait for a response.

Less than two hours later, he returned with confirmation that the appointment would be the following morning at ten o’clock.

After checking with Mrs. Killion that cook would be able to accommodate some guests for dinner, Elizabeth dispatched invitations to the Bingleys and Phillips’ to join them for dinner on the morrow if they had no previous engagements, and soon received affirmative responses.

After their return from the accoucheur, Elizabeth and William joined Lady Anne in her sitting room. “Well?” she asked expectantly.

“All is progressing normally, and he told us that I should enter my confinement in May or June next year,” Elizabeth reported with pleasure.

“I asked about him attending Lizzy at Pemberley,” William added, “He said he could not, but he has two accoucheurs that are being trained by him and was sure that one of them would be able to spare the time to be with us in Derbyshire.”

“You know that Mr. Harrison senior just retired, and his son Benjamin has taken over the practice do you not William?” Lady Anne enquired.

“I do know that mother,” he informed Lady Anne, “As happy as I am that the younger had taken over, we do not know him well yet, so I,” he looked at Elizabeth who nodded her agreement, “we, feel more comfortable having an accoucheur present. We will not snub the local doctor or midwife though; he and Kate Mathers will attend the birth as well.”

Lady Anne agreed that the plan was sound. Not long after, Lizzy went to the mistress’s study to discuss the dinner on the morrow with the housekeeper and William returned to his study to review the house’s ledgers.

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

Georgiana Darcy sat with Loretta De Melville in the sitting room between their chambers.

It was far quieter in the house since the Bennet twins had departed to Longbourn.

Lord Mark Creighton had departed for his father’s estate the day after the Bennets did, so the house was empty but for Lord and Lady Jersey, the two young ladies, and Wes.

Wes had taken an early morning ride on his bay stallion and had not returned yet.

Loretta had shared her disappointment over the betrothal of Lord Frederick Landgrave VII; however, she was not maudlin about his choosing another.

The more days that passed, the less that she thought about him, which is why she was sure that it had not been true love.

Oh, she had cried herself to sleep the night she had read the announcement, but her understanding of her own projection meant that she was ready to move on and search for her own happy ever after.