Page 2 of Lydia Acquires Adoration (Bennet Ladies Liberation #5)

Chapter One

One Month Earlier

Lydia chased Artie around the tree, delighting in his giggles. She couldn't deny that Gilbert, Elizabeth's new little babe, was absolutely adorable, and Jane’s Ellie was a doll. She was sure that Kitty’s coming baby was sure to be precious as well. But despite all this, Artie remained Lydia's favorite. Not that she would tell any of her sisters that.

She had a very close bond with precocious little Arthur Theodore and Lydia was more than happy to help keep him entertained while Elizabeth and the rest of the household adjusted to Gilbert’s birth. Swooping down, she grabbed the almost three-year-old boy, tickling his sides.

“You thought you could escape me?” Lydia growled into his ear.

Struggling to speak between peals of laughter, Artie complained, “No, Auntie Lydie, you are supposed to say Fe Fi Fo Fum!”

Laughing at his antics and his deep, little giant voice, she took a moment to catch her breath and kissed him on his nose. She set the boy down and said, “You are correct, my dear. I am sorry. I forgot we were playing Jack and the Giant.”

Standing straight, Artie smoothed his clothes as if trying to reclaim his tiny dignity. “We can play it again. This time I will be the Giant.”

Lydia kept a straight face despite the incongruous image of her little nephew being the giant. “If you are the Giant, then I guess I will be Jack.”

“Yes, you are Jack. You hurry before I get you.” Making shooing motions with his hands, Artie urged Lydia to flee.

Taking off, Lydia zigzagged around Pemberley’s front lawn, staying slow enough that Artie’s little legs could keep pace. Circling another tree that reached high into the sky, Lydia waited for Artie to catch up so that he could say his line and capture her.

When his small weight catapulted against her legs, she steadied herself, laughing as he said in a mock deep voice, “Fi Fie Fo Fum, I smell the blood of an English mon!”

“Oh no, the Giant has caught me. What will I do?” Lydia laughingly lamented. Little growls from Artie only had her laughing more until she noticed a carriage coming up the drive.

Lydia stilled at the sight as they did not expect any visitors. Apparently, Artie also noticed the unexpected carriage approaching because he announced, “Someone is coming!”

“Yes, it appears so, Artie.” Taking up his little hand, she added, “Let us hurry back into the house so we can tell your parents.”

With a nod of his head, Artie dashed off, trying to beat his aunt to the front door. He called back, “I will beat you!”

Hurrying to keep up, Lydia lifted her skirt so she could run after him. She couldn’t for the life of her think of who might be coming for a surprise visit. Jane would arrive in a few weeks and Kitty was at Matlock awaiting the birth of her first child. In fact, Lydia was going to be leaving to stay with her soon. Georgianna would be with Mary at Longbourn by now. Mother had been present for Lizzie’s confinement, but had just returned to her own estate with her husband and little Mathew.

Lydia glanced back for another look at the approaching visitors as she made it to the front of the house. She did not recognize the carriage, though it looked vaguely familiar. Nodding to the footman who opened the door for Artie and her, she said, “It looks like we are to have visitors. I will alert William and the staff.” He nodded in return and remained at the door, waiting to assist as needed.

Inside, Lydia could hear the echo of Artie’s feet on the marble floor as he raced to his father’s study and shook her head at how much energy he always seemed to have.

Lydia walked at a more sedate pace and smiled as Artie called, “Papa, there is a car’age!” Artie still struggled with pronunciation when he was excited. He was such a little gentleman all the time that she loved the moments when he actually acted his age.

Moments later, William was coming out of his study and scooping up his son. “Did you see a carriage on the drive?”

Answering with a vigorous nod of his head, Artie’s chestnut curls tumbled into his eyes, obstructing his view as he exclaimed, “Yes!”

“Well then,” William started, pausing to smooth the hair out of his son’s eyes, “we shall have to go see who has arrived.” Lydia couldn’t help but smile at the comforting exchange between William and her nephew. She was grateful Artie would grow up with a father vastly different from her own.

She approached a nearby maid and said, “It appears that we are to have guests. I do not know if they will be staying but could you please let Mrs. Reynolds know and have a tea service prepared and sent to the blue parlor. Also, please let Nurse Sarah know she may need to come take Artie up to the nursery.” With a curtsy, the maid turned to go, and Lydia hurried to follow William and Artie. She was eager to find out who their surprise guest was.

Sebastian Burgess sighed as he tried to focus on the positive of the situation. Thankfully, Clara, his niece, had stopped looking at him with wary suspicion, though her wide-eyed scrutiny had only faded away when she finally toppled over into Selene’s side, unable to fight her exhaustion any longer. Observing Selene as she cradled Clara to her, he realized she looked as worn and heartbroken as he felt. Still, she managed a wan smile when she caught his gaze. He had always been close to his twin sister, and they had only grown closer over the years, especially after they had lost their older sister in childbirth.

He could see the pain in Selene’s eyes despite the smile that she managed, and that pain lingered as she looked at Clara asleep at her side. With her jet-black hair and pale complexion, Clara looked very much like her mother, Sophia. He couldn't recall what Sophia looked like when she was young, but as he gazed at Clara, he could picture the resemblance.

He had always been close to his older sister. Not as close as he was to his twin, but he loved her dearly nonetheless. When his father had married Sophia to a wealthy baron, Sebastian had been away at school and could not even attend the ceremony. In her letters, Sophia had said that she was happy enough with her marriage, but he often wondered if that was just her trying to reassure her younger brother. In all reality, there was not much he could have done if she had asked for his help.

He had visited her when on break from Cambridge, and even managed to bring Selene along as well. The estate was beautiful and well managed, even though the master seemed to be absent. Sophia let it be known that her husband seldom visited, and she was content living quietly in the country. When Sebastian had his new brother-in-law investigated, he learned that he mostly kept to London, where he was often seen with his mistress attending the opera or other high society events. He had not been happy to learn that the man was a notorious rake, though it was somewhat of a relief that he did not gamble. There was little risk of his sister falling on hard times despite being stuck with a man who he could not respect.

They frequently exchanged letters, but it wasn't until she neared her confinement that he and Selene received a summons to be by her side. At the time, he remembered thinking that his sister had looked wrong somehow. She had been pale and puffy, her wrists and ankles quite swollen, and, more than that, she was very low in spirit. Apparently, carrying the child had been very difficult and her husband had not visited in four months, leaving her to care for several estate issues on her own while unwell. She did not say it, but he believed she feared for her life.

As fate would have it, her husband, Cornelius Blakesley, had arrived while they were visiting. Finding them there had, for some reason, angered him, or maybe he had already been in a bad mood. Either way, the resulting argument was brought to a halt when Sophia had collapsed in pain, her time coming far too early. By the next day, they had lost their sister but had gained a niece. Remarkably, Clara survived despite her premature birth. She had been tiny, but her indignant screams could be heard from rooms away.

They had been forced to leave the estate the very day of their sister’s funeral. Somehow, Blakesley had felt that it was their presence and not his anger that had set off his wife’s early labor. He had also been upset that his wife couldn’t even do him the courtesy of giving him a son and heir before she passed.

Blakesley had returned to living in London full time, leaving his small daughter behind to be cared for by nurses and staff. Over the next several years, he had only begrudgingly allowed Selene and Sebastian to visit a handful of times to see Clara. Despite wanting a change in his relationship with his niece, Sebastian had been stymied. He did not have the power to do anything. That is, however, until he learned of Blakesley’s death in a duel.

Sebastian did not know what Blakesley’s will entailed as to the care of his niece, but he would certainly fight for her. He and Selene had fled London that very afternoon in a mad dash for Swarkstone Park. Eager to reach little Clara, they had only stopped when it became too dark to travel safely.

They had arrived to find the estate in chaos. Blakesley, who was more interested in the pomp of high society, had had little to do with his estate, and when his servants learned of his death, they worried about who would take over. Apparently, Blakesley’s older half-brother, a one Randell Blakesley better known as Baron Blackthorn, was not a well-liked man. In fact, even the liberal Cornelius Blakesley had disapproved of his dissipation.

Selene and Sebastian did not care a fig for who inherited what, they only wished to care for their niece. Thus, upon their arrival, they went directly to the nursery, and what they had found was not encouraging in the least. They found little Clara, who was only five, in the nursery alone and crying fitfully. While Selene had stayed with her, Sebastian had gone looking for the housekeeper or steward, someone who could put some perspective on all the chaos.

He had found the housekeeper in the kitchen working with a few other staff members, but the rest of the house appeared empty. Upon questioning where the rest of the staff was, the housekeeper simply shrugged. “They left.”

Sebastian rubbed at the twitch developing behind his right eyebrow as he tried to cogitate a response. Finding his voice, he asked, “Why would the staff all leave?”

The older woman halted her stirring and locked eyes with him. “Have you ever met Baron Blackthorn?”

“No. You could say that he is not a part of my set.”

“Be glad that you have never met the man. Though I suppose you will be forced to deal with him now with this place hanging in the balance. I do not know the contents of the master’s will, but I do know his cousin will show himself soon. He will be eager to stake his claim, legal or not.” Shaking her head, the housekeeper sighed. “He has visited the manor on several occasions and his behavior has been such that many of the staff have decided that they would be better off leaving before he arrives. The little miss’s nurse was one of the first to leave. I do not have the staff to serve you and your sister fancy like, but you are more than welcome to some soup when it is ready.” She returned to her task and began chopping something that also ended up in the pot.

“That is very kind of you,” he answered almost automatically. Sebastian stood, trying to decide what he should do. What could he do? If this Baron Blackthorn was as bad as he sounded, Sebastian did not want his sister and niece anywhere near the man. They would simply have to follow the lead of the staff and take Clara and flee.

He walked slowly back up to the nursery, trying to come up with a plan. When he reached the nursery, he found Selene in a rickety chair holding Clara, who seemed to have fallen asleep.

He had only just finished telling her what he knew when she blurted, “The Darcys.”

Looking at her in confusion, Sebastian questioned, “What?”

“The Darcys live in Derbyshire. They are maybe only fifty miles north of here at Pemberley. You remember them from last season, don’t you? We attended the new earl and countess of Matlock’s wedding at Pemberley.”

Eyebrows drawing together, he asked, “Yes, but how can we be certain that they are even there?”

Running her fingers soothingly along the contours of Clara’s elfin face, Selene replied without looking up, “I heard talk that Mrs. Darcy would be entering her confinement this summer and she and her family would be staying at Pemberley to await the birth of their second child.” Her fingers stilled as she finally looked up at him. “They are there.”

Sebastian did remember them. He had, in fact, been disappointed when he realized that the family was not in London that season. Rather than comment on his thoughts, he said, “Is this the time to be bothering them? What with a new baby, either there or about to arrive? Wouldn’t it be better to take her to our house in London?”

“Look at it logically, Sebastian,” Selene sighed. “London is one-hundred and thirty miles from here. That is a several days' journey with a small child that we do not have the proper belongings for and nothing to keep her entertained. Of course, we could attempt to bring her back to our father's estate in Northumberland on the Scottish border, but that is well over two-hundred miles.”

Running his hand through his hair in frustration, Sebastian replied, “I would never suggest going to father. Not only would that trip take a week at least, but our stay would be less than welcome.”

“I am merely trying to point out your ridiculousness,” Selene countered with a scrunch of her nose. “The Darcy’s are the closest people we know in this part of the country, and if I know the Darcys at all, they will welcome us with open arms.” Then, staring up at him, her expression serious, she continued, “Besides, you know there will be some sort of reading of the will that you shall have to attend. It is best if we remain as close as we comfortably can.”

And so they left as soon as they could pack up Clara’s meager belongings and partake of the meal the housekeeper offered them. They only made it halfway to Pemberley before they were forced to stop for the night due to a storm. The journey was proving to be difficult as neither of the Burgess siblings had much experience caring for a child, and their interactions with Clara had been limited. They were unsure how to best care for her, especially when the life she knew was no more. The trip left Sebastian feeling as though he was not cut out to look after his niece. Though, to be fair, he certainly had to be better in that regard than the child’s own father, who saw her once or twice a year before his death. It was not like Cornelius Blakesley had ever personally seen to her care or comfort. What did that amount to in her five small years? Something less than ten visits? Sebastian had to be doing a better job. Worse was simply not possible at this point.

Lydia made it to the front steps just as the carriage was coming to a halt. Standing next to William and little Artie, who was bouncing on his toes with excitement, Lydia tried to hide her curiosity. While it was perfectly acceptable to bounce in enthusiasm at three, it was not fitting at eighteen. Without Elizabeth not yet up to greeting guests and overseeing the house, and Georgianna visiting Mary, the responsibility had shifted to Lydia. She was perfectly capable of seeing to what needed to be done even if she sometimes had to clamp down on her enthusiasm.

It took most of her control to not react to Sebastian Burgess coming down the carriage steps. Having grown close with his sister the last time she was in London for Kitty’s season, she recognized him instantly. When he turned back into the carriage and brought out a small, sleep-rumpled girl, Lydia’s curiosity spiked. After setting her carefully on her feet, Mr. Burgess handed down Selene. All three of the visitors looked disheveled and out of sorts. There was obviously a story here, but Lydia would wait to hear it.

Moving swiftly down the steps, Lydia rushed to greet her friend. Giving her a hug, she said, “Selene, it is so good to see you and Mr. Burgess. Welcome to Pemberley.”

“I know this is rather unexpected, but we have found ourselves in a situation and, well…” Selene stopped speaking and merely shrugged. Lydia studied her friend, concerned at the unusual air of discouragement about her. The familiar playfulness of Selene was absent, leaving behind a changed demeanor. Lydia would simply have to find out what happened and help fix matters.

William arrived, with Artie trailing behind him, and shook Mr. Burgess’s hand. “You are all more than welcome to stay here for as long as you may need. We are friends, after all.”

Mr. Burgess nodded in thanks. “Thank you for that. I actually do not know how long we might stay or even what our next steps might be.” Lydia looked away from his obvious discomfort and instead watched the young girl with them.

While the adults had been talking, Artie had been investigating the smaller guest as well. The small, unknown girl had been half hiding in Selene’s skirts. To Lydia’s eye, she seemed to be older than Artie by a year or two, maybe close to five. She had milk-pale skin and a mess of wild black ringlets. Her blue eyes seemed shadowed and afraid in a way that made Lydia’s lips press into a hard line. Something was definitely wrong, and Lydia’s mothering instincts were screaming at her to fix it.

Approaching the girl, Artie boldly said, “Hello, I am Arthur Theodore Darcy.” He offered a little bow, a gesture he had obviously witnessed the male members of his family perform, and continued, “Welcome to Pmbr’ley.”

The timid little girl’s eyes grew wide as saucers but after a moment of hesitation, she bobbed a credible curtsy and whispered, “Thank you. I am Clara.”

Artie’s grin grew wide as he asked, “Would you like to play? I have toys.”

All the adult eyes seemed to go directly to little Clara, waiting for her response. She bit her lip and then looked up at Mr. Burgess and then Selene. When Selene nodded her head encouragingly, Clara looked back at Artie and nodded her head. With her approval evident, Artie turned to his father and said, “Clara and I are going to play. Please?”

William looked down at his excited son, an indulgent smile upon his face. “Yes, I am sure it will be fine for you to play with Clara.” Looking up at Selene and Mr. Burgess, he seemed to gauge something before continuing, “Will you show her the way to the nursery? She will be staying there for the time being.”

“I can,” Artie nodded before centering his focus on the older girl. “Clara, you can stay in Ellie’s bed. She is not here yet.” Bouncing on his toes, Artie reached out and grabbed the older girl’s hand.

His grin and enthusiasm seemed to be infectious, as he actually had Clara smiling in return. Still she waited and looked up at Selene. “It is fine,” Selene assured her. “I will come up with you and help settle you in as long as young master Arthur does not mind.”

“Sure. We can share the toys an’ play toget’er.” With a little tug at Clara’s hand, Artie got her to accompany him up the stairs and into the building. Lydia could not help but smile at his welcoming antics. At least some of little Clara’s problems, whatever they may be, could be solved with Artie’s cheer and kindness.

Selene followed Artie as he showed them the way to the nursery, chatting with Clara all the way. She was not sure why she had thought of the Darcy family in their time of need, but she was grateful that she had. They had welcomed them without a question. In fact, they still had not asked any questions.

Little Artie was, of course, full of questions, but his were innocent enough. He wanted to know if Clara liked to play castle but was very accommodating when she said she had not played it before. He reassured her that he could teach her if she wanted to learn, or she could play with the dolls they kept for when his cousin visited.

Artie, still holding Clara’s hand, led them up two flights of stairs before he turned back to Selene and Lydia to say, “This is the last stairs. Do not worry, it not on the roof.” Artie beamed at Selene, and she realized he had just tried to joke with her. Selene laughed as was expected, and the little boy’s smile widened. He paused for a moment, appearing winded after going up so many stairs with his short little legs.

After their brief break, they made it to the nursery where Artie proceeded to show Clara all his toys before introducing her to his nurse, Sarah. Selene watched as the young maid immediately took in Clara’s condition but said nothing. Instead, Sarah knelt down and offered Clara a hug, saying, “Hello, my dear. I am so happy that you have come to stay with us. What would you say to a nice warm bath and getting changed into a nice clean dress? I might even be able to find some bows for your hair.”

Eyes wide, Clara nodded. Then licking her lips, she asked, “A new dress and bows? Really?”

The nursemaid smoothed some of Clara's tangled locks back from her face and said, “Of course, my dear! Though it will take some time for them to bring up the warm water. Why don’t you play with Artie until your bath is ready?”

Selene’s heart ached watching the nursemaid bond with her young nice. Not only did she make it look so easy, but it seemed like she already had more success with Clara than Selene had. Selene had attempted to remove the tangles from Clara's hair when they stopped for the night at the inn, but Clara's tears and uncooperative behavior had thwarted her efforts. It was obvious that Clara’s clothes were patched and made from an inferior fabric. Between that and Clara’s hair, what must everyone think? Selene certainly felt like the worst aunt.

The nurse moved away as the children played to a bellpull, probably to request the bathwater and clothing. Lydia, still cheery, turned to Selene and said, “I am sure that little Miss Clara will do fine here in the nursery while you are here. I assume they are sending up her things?”

Nodding, Selene said, “Yes, I am sure that they will bring up her trunk, but I know there is not as much there as should be, even should our stay be of a short duration.” Lowering her voice so as to not be overheard by the children, she continued, “Clara is my niece. You may remember me mentioning her before. My older sister died bearing her and sadly, her father, Cornelius Blakesley, died only this week. Mr. Blakesley did not permit me to visit my niece often, but when we learned she had been orphaned, Sebastian and I rushed to his estate. What we found was disheartening, to say the least. Most of the staff had fled fearing Mr. Blakesley’s older brother, a baron who has a very bad reputation. There was no one there caring for Clara as her nurse had left days before and maids had only been checking in on her as they could. I do not know if some of her possessions had been taken by fleeing staff or if she was never provided for in the way she should have been.” Turning, Selene watched Clara play with Artie for a moment, remembering how the poor child likely never had such toys to play with before. In Artie's presence, Clara’s face lit up with an abundance of smiles, surpassing anything Selene had ever seen from her before. With a sigh, she looked back at Lydia and said, “To make things worse, Sebastian and I could only visit her occasionally. She does not know us. She must feel like strangers have taken her.” By the end of her small speech, Lydia had fire in her eyes and Selene was grateful it wasn’t aimed at her.

Selene noticed Nurse Sarah approaching after speaking with another maid. She wondered how much the woman had overheard but shrugged it off as Sarah appeared kind and had been so very sweet to Clara. Selene could not find it in herself to fear Nurse Sarah’s judgment.

Smiling at both Lydia and Selene, the nursemaid said, “We will see to it that the little mite has all she needs. Don’t you worry.”

Lydia, on the other hand, had moved to envelop Selene in a hug. Squeezing her tight, she murmured, “Nurse Sarah is correct. We will look after her and provide whatever support you might need.”

Blinking back tears, Selene allowed herself to relax into her friend’s embrace. The whole scenario was just so overwhelming, and she worried that there would be repercussions for their actions. She knew it was not quite the right thing to do to just pack up her niece and flee, but what other choice had they had?