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As September gave way to October, the family present at Seaview realised that their time at the cottage was coming to an end.

The last month had been one of the most enjoyable in recent history with no villains to worry about and nothing but the enjoyment of being with family.

Lady Anne had especially enjoyed the last week of her trip, as her sister Lady Catherine, and Ian and Anne Ashby had made a stop at Seaview on their way back to Sherwood Park from Longfield Meadows.

The party had made the relatively short trip into Brighton once a week and on one occasion the Regent’s standard was seen flying above the Pavilion.

They had sent a note of greeting to their Cousin George who had promptly summoned them to his Brighton Home for a dinner.

For Marie and Andrew, they renewed many pleasant memories from the time that they had spent at the cottage after their wedding almost a year past, especially when they were able to sneak away to the secluded beach below the house.

Elizabeth fell in love with the cottage almost from the instant that the carriages drew to a halt at the entrance the day they arrived.

What she had been told was correct; it was far from a cottage.

In fact, it was the size of a manor house on a medium sized estate.

The Spencers, the couple who were the butler and housekeeper, kept the house in immaculate condition, which allowed Elizabeth to relax.

Other than a weekly meeting to plan menu, Elizabeth and William made sure that they were not disturbed on the mornings they descended to the private beach below.

After the first time, they made sure that they always carried a large blanket with them when they went to the beach to keep the sand and shale from getting into places where it was most uncomfortable and had not been designed for sand to enter.

They also had taken many long walks together and made use of the phaeton to explore some of the surrounding countryside.

The stay had been restorative for the couple, allowing them to forget the stress of the past months and just be with one another without any worries intruding.

After their last visit to the beach, Elizabeth had told her husband that had she not already been with child, she was sure that she would have conceived during their sojourn here.

And just when they thought that they could not be more in love, they found new unplumbed depths of their love to explore, surmising that it would be thus for the rest of their lives together.

It was here at Seaview they discovered that there was an infinite amount of love for them to share, and that they would only discover it in each other as the days, months, and years passed.

Elizabeth felt deep satisfaction on many levels as she thought about the time that they had spent at Seaview.

They had originally planned for a fortnight, but they were so enjoying their time that the fortnight turned into a month.

Her bonds to her husband, which she had been certain were deep and strong before their time at the Cottage, had strengthened to levels that she had never imagined were possible.

She thought back to the event that had happened two days previously as she and William had taken a ramble along the top of the bluff.

They had been ambling along at a leisurely pace when she had stopped all of a sudden and grasped her belly.

William had assumed that something was wrong and was very much concerned for her as he dropped the blanket and basket he was carrying and reached for her, concern for his pregnant wife his only focus.

“Lizzy, are you well? Do you need to sit? Should I go and get help for you?” he asked, his eyes searching hers for any way that he might assist.

“No, William, I, WE are well,” she said with a huge smile. “I just felt the quickening, and so your son has made himself known, my love.”

“You mean OUR daughter, do you not, my Elizabeth?” he responded with a happy grin. “Did it feel as Jane described?”

“It did, William,” she promise, the dreamy look in her eyes thrilled him as her hands slowly rotated around her belly. “It felt like a fluttering, almost as if a butterfly was loose inside of me…oh my, there it is again,” she said with tears of joy spilling from her eyes.

“Do you think that I would be able to feel it?” William asked hopefully.

“Not yet, my love,” she told him, “but from what Jane and Mama told me, you will be able to feel our SON in another month or two.”

“Then, my love,” he retorted as he drew her in and captured those impertinent lips against his and breathed in her sigh before he pulled back and met her eyes again, “I will wait with much anticipation to feel our DAUGHTER as she makes herself known to her proud papa!”

“All joking aside, William,” she spoke softly as she looked deep into his cerulean orbs, “as long as our babe is healthy, that is all that I am concerned with. Whether it is a son or a daughter, we will love our child fiercely.”

“I could not have said it better,” he promised then his face clouded with concern, “but I will continue to pray every day that you are also safe, my love. I could not imagine walking through life without you beside me.”

“That is my prayer as well, William,” she caressed his cheek with the hand not already holding his.

“Let us hope that neither of us ever have to experience life without the other for many, many years to come, though with our children as proof of our love, even leaving the mortal world will not stop our love.”

“Enough maudlin thoughts, let us enjoy each other…and our coming daughter,” he teased, needing her smile far more than rehashing their worries.

William had laid the blanket out in a very secluded spot, a clearing in a stand of trees, in which they loved each other as one only can when one’s heart is so open, only returning to the house some hours later.

Elizbeth’s hands went to her belly again as she felt the fluttering that was seemingly commonplace now. As much as William wanted to feel their babe move, she wanted the same for him as well.

Georgiana and James spent much time in company with one another, always with more than adequate chaperones.

If they were not in company with the bulk of the residents, then Mrs. Annesley and Lady Anne would be with them, or at least one of the other couples who were in residence.

They took full advantage of this opportunity, talking about every subject they could think of to gain further insight into the character of the other.

The more time that they spent together, the further they fell in love, which was not missed by any of the others at Seaview.

Before the first week of October ended, the Ashbys departed for Surrey with Lady Catherine accompanying them until the little season.

Richard had dispatched an express to Sir Frederick to inform him when they would arrive in Hertfordshire.

It did not take much convincing from Jane for her sisters to agree that they would ask their husbands to travel to Longbourn as well, hence the day of departure saw the rest of the party on the road to Meryton.

Even though they could have pushed the time they travelled and made their destination in one day, in order to make the trip more restful for Jane it had been broken into two, the overnight stay was at their own townhouse.

Richard had always planned to break the journey in this manner, so it was not a hard decision for the others to join them.

The Darcys had invited all to stay at Darcy House, which was much larger that Brookfield House, and would avoid opening more homes than necessary for such a brief visit.

The Killions had the house ready when the Darcys and their guests arrived in the afternoon, and by eleven the following day the equipages were on their way to Meryton.

The four Bennets who still resided at Longbourn were waiting for the travellers as the carriages came to a shuddering halt in front of the manor house.

The only way Lady Sarah could have been happier was if Tom and Amy had been part of the party that had come home.

She was well pleased that the rest of her children were there, though James would sleep at Netherfield.

However, no one was under any illusion about where he would be while he was awake and not busy with estate business.

Ladies Sarah and Anne followed the rest inside the house arm in arm.

“Was the sojourn at Seaview Cottage as restorative as we suspected it would be Anne?” Lady Sarah asked.

“It most certainly was,” Lady Anne answered unequivocally.

“I have not seen all of them so relaxed for a very long time. When I urged George to purchase the property after we vacationed there as part of our wedding trip, I always envisaged it as a place where we could all relax away from the Ton and forget about our cares. After all of the sadness and madness that our family had been through, this time away from all duties and stress was much needed.” Lady Anne glanced around and saw that Lady Rose was not present. “Where is Rose, Sarah?”

“She will be back anon. She was invited by Hattie for tea with some of the ladies from the neighbourhood,” Lady Sarah informed her friend.

“Sarah, did you notice that Lizzy seems to be bigger than one who is not yet four months along normally is?” Lady Anne asked.

“I did, Anne. and I was planning on talking to her,” Lady Sarah replied. “It was that way with me when I was carrying Mary and Kitty.”

“You too think she may have twins?” Lady Anne smiled. She had suspected this but knew that as her friend had birthed twins her perspective would be valuable.

“Either that,” Lady Sarah’s teasing smile brightened her eyes, “or the babe will be big and tall like his father.”

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