Mr. Darcy Takes the Plunge (33 page)

The youngsters already loved their sister's tall, handsome fiance like a brother; and as they walked, Darcy held their tiny hands and envisioned having his own family.

The dark-haired little girl looked up and said, "Mr. Darcy, your family certainly has quite a maginary of animals."

"Miss Lydia, I believe you mean we have a
menagerie
; because I assure you Pemberley's pets, birds, reptiles, amphibians, barn cats, horses, sheep, and cattle are quite real rather than imaginary. In fact, can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"

"Good grief, sir. Sometimes I cannot easily make sense of all your wordy words. I may not be able to say maginary min ... whatever you said, yet I can spell it."

"Really? Very well, spell it for me."

"I - T."

Tare an' hounds! I am such an easily caught gudgeon.
"You are perfectly right, Miss Lydia; and no one admitted to the privilege of hearing your impertinent wit, so like your sister's, can think anything wanting." Darcy then turned to the little boy on his other side. "And you, my fine young man, are much too quiet this afternoon. Is everything well with you, Robert?"

"Yeth, Mither Darthy." The wee tot walked along in silence for a few moments, with his thumb in his mouth, and then said, "Do you hafta kith Libazeth on your marrying day?"

Good God, what now?
"Well, Master Robert, that is certainly not a subject a gentleman normally speaks of with another. To kiss and tell is just not proper, you see. That said, I love your sister very much; so, yes, I do hope to ... ah, kiss Elizabeth tomorrow after she becomes my wife."

"But why? It hurts to kith on the lips!"

Bloody hell! This is not a conversation one wants to be having with one's three-year-old soon-to-be-brother-in-law.
"Ah, poppet, why are you under the impression it hurts?"

Lydia quickly answered, "Oh, I know what he means, sir. That day we caught you kissing Lizzy behind the bookshelves you were moaning and groaning and said '
Oh, Elizabeth
!' as if you were in terrible pain. And then you kissed her neck, and then you ... "

"Enough! This is exceedingly inappropriate!" Darcy dropped their hands in order to run his own through his hair but stopped short of pulling it out.
Thank God, we are at the barn. I shall surely be the world's worst father if these two are any indication. The imps have me wrapped around their little fingers already.
"Did you know we have a number of ponies here at Pemberley? Perhaps, if you are both very well behaved today and tomorrow, you might be allowed to choose one to take home with you to Longbourn."

Lydia happily skipped behind the gentleman's back to reach her brother's side. While Darcy hastily strode on toward sanctuary in the barn, Lydia whispered to Robert, "See! I told you it would work."

Darcy and Elizabeth had not been granted a private moment since her arrival, and they both suffered a bereft afternoon of longing for the other's company. Lizzy, agitated and confused, rather
knew
that she was happy, than
felt
herself to be so. She had always imagined being at Longbourn to prepare for her wedding day; and although she was pleased to be at Pemberley again, her life suddenly seemed overwhelmingly unsettled. It was a comfort to be surrounded by the familiar faces of loved ones, friends, and new relations while in strange surroundings; yet knowing she would not be leaving with her beloved parents and siblings when they journeyed home to Hertfordshire was fairly disconcerting. Elizabeth experienced an evanescent sensation she was totally unready to leave her father's affection and protection for that of a man with whom she had been acquainted for such a short time. There was no uncertainty in Lizzy's heart regarding her love for Darcy, yet so much remained for her to learn about the man.

What does Fitzwilliam expect of me? Will I be capable of running our household in accordance with his perfectionist standards? And the estate in Northumberland is so very, very far from home. Silly goose! Northumbrella shall soon
be
my home. Oh, why does it feel as if I am leaving everything comfortable and familiar for a life full of the unknown? This must be what is meant by cold feet. And what of our wedding night? Silly girl! Every marriage begins with a time of adjustment to the sudden intimacy of living with a spouse, and Fitzwilliam and I will have a week here together at Pemberley before departing on the bridal tour with Anna and Mary. Oh, Jane! Are you having similar trepidations about your own future? I need to discuss these anxieties with you before we part. Will you and I even have such an opportunity for private conversation before the wedding?

Jane desperately wished for privacy as well. She and the Colonel had managed to escape, unnoticed, for a stroll in Pemberley's garden. Miss Bennet, however, did not have any qualms about the wedding night or spending a lifetime with the fine-looking man walking arm-in-arm with her. Jane very much looked forward to becoming Mrs. Richard Fitzwilliam, in every way, and wished he would kiss her then and there despite the risk of being discovered. By doing so in the next moment, Colonel Stud-muffin proved once again he was incredibly proficient at kissing, utterly irresistible, and equally desirous of their upcoming union.

Elizabeth's fiance, banished from the unbridled goings-on of the bridal entourage, impatiently awaited the chance to see her again. Darcy knew from the expression on his beloved's face before fussing females engulfed her that she was overwhelmed, and he was fraught with the need to comfort her ... and to also give an explanation about the pony that would undoubtedly be accompanying her family back to Longbourn.

Lady Anne descended the main staircase and caught sight of her son as he paced and twisted his signet ring. She moved to his side and stilled his nervous actions with a gentle touch on his arm. "Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth and her family are resting now after their journey. You will see her at dinner and may even find an opportunity to steal your bride away for a few moments afterward. It is not unusual, you know, for both brides and grooms to be nervous before their wedding. At least you both have the advantage of knowing, without a doubt, you love one another. That is rare at the onset, and affection often only develops after a couple has been wed for years. Be assured this uneasiness you are experiencing is normal on the eve of your marriage."

"You misunderstand my restlessness, Mother. I have not the slightest hesitation as regards my future happiness with Elizabeth. My concern right now is solely for her enjoyment of tomorrow's events. I wish everything to be absolutely perfect."

Lady Anne sighed. "Of course you do, my meticulous son. I guarantee it shall not be the case, neither during the day of your wedding nor through the course of your lives together. Relax and realize it will not be the end of the world if you have a speck of lint on your coat, a blemish on your face, or a hair out of place."

Without thought, Darcy brushed at his lapel, checked his appearance in the hallway mirror, and ran a hand through his impeccably arranged curls. His mother laughed at his predictable actions, and he sheepishly glanced at her. "Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth will not think less of you should you mumble, jumble, or fumble your way through the vows tomorrow; and in the grand scheme of things, such stumbles are inconsequential. We all make mistakes; and you must learn to not only take lessons from them but to laugh at yourself as well. You are marrying for love, and that is all you need to remember. Lighten up, dear, and enjoy life."

"I am learning, Mother, with Elizabeth's help. What do I not owe her? She taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By her I was enlightened on the subject of lightening up; and although I may not be ready to shrug off being a bumbling, barbaric buffoon, I am making progress."

Dinner was served in the early hours that evening so everyone would have a good night's sleep, and the Bennet children were permitted to be at the table with the adults. Robert was seated next to his mother so she could help cut his meat and clamp her hand over his mouth if he started to blurt something inappropriate. The little boy was behaving well but did manage to upset his cup of milk, which caused his eyes to well up and his lower lip to jut out. Before the child could begin to cry, Fitzwilliam Darcy was quick to intervene. "That is quite all right, poppet. Remember, there is no point in crying over spilt milk. In fact, I am sure Cato cries
for
spilt milk; and you simply must tell me now what mischief the Philosofur has gotten into since last I saw him."

The boy brightened immediately and happily launched into alarmingly detailed descriptions of the dead mouse Cato had proudly presented to their visiting minister and the impressive furball the kitten had hacked up for Mary's genteel school friends. Robert then gave an account of the time the little cat had jumped onto their dining room table, in the middle of the second course, the evening surly Sir Lee King was a dinner guest. The poppet was about to give an account of what happened when Lizzy's former roommates from St. Trinnean's Seminary for Young Ladies visited recently when Mr. Bennet interjected, "That will do extremely well, child. You have delighted us long enough."

The two mothers of the three brides had been chatting about their yearning for grandchildren, as mothers of a certain age often do, and had totally missed Robert's eloquent elucidation. "Lady Anne, do you suppose by this time next year one of us might be a grandmother?"

"Yes, I do hope to hear the pitter-patter of little feet again before long. But, Mrs. Bennet, we are practically family now. So, if you please,
Anne
will do just fine."

"Thank you. My name is Frances, but I prefer to be called Franny or Fanny. Actually, I wish for someone to call me Grandmama. Oh, that would sound very sweet, would it not, Lady Anne?"

"My dear Fanny, I have asked you to drop my title. Please, just refer to me as Anne."

"Thank you. I am honoured. In fact, I will be so proud tomorrow that I shall practically be made of honour. Tell me, Anne, are you bringing extra handkerchiefs? I am sure I shall shed more than a few tears of happiness."

From across the table and several seats down Mr. Bennet remarked, "Yes, my dear, it will most assuredly be a day for plenty of eye dew, although I believe the correct response is
'I will.
'"

His wife sighed and looked heavenward. "You see what I have had to endure these many long years? All the same, I cannot complain, as there has been much more laughter than tears. Follies and nonsense, whims, and inconsistencies do divert me, I own; and I laugh at them whenever I can. Nevertheless, I know I shall certainly weep at the ceremony. Oh Anne, we are both losing two very dear children on the morrow."

"Not at all, Fanny. You must look upon the event as gaining two sons. The Darcy family will definitely benefit from the additions of Ellis and your lovely Elizabeth. Goodness, I now feel very foolish about losing consciousness the night of the ball. Elizabeth and Jane are exquisite young women, and you have done a superb job rearing your charming family." Lady Anne smiled fondly at the little boy at Mrs. Bennet's side.