Christmas at Pemberley (33 page)

Darcy slid in behind his wife on the newly wrapped mat. After a heated discussion, the Josephs had accepted the bed. Now, Darcy spooned Elizabeth's body. His arm snaked around her rapidly expanding waist, and his fingers gently stroked her abdomen. As she was likely to do, his wife rewarded him by grinding her hips against him.

Slowly, Darcy raised his hand to her back. Gently, he brushed the hair from her cheek and neck before trailing light kisses along her neck's nape and behind her ear. With a breath's whisper, Darcy brushed her ear's lobe with his lips. “I love you.”

Elizabeth's right arm reached up and behind his neck. Turning her head sharply to the right, she pulled Darcy's head and mouth toward hers.

He kissed her thoroughly—Darcy's mouth asking for her devotion and receiving it. “Love me?” he asked as his mouth hovered above her lips.

“Always,” Elizabeth murmured.

Darcy settled once more behind her and pulled Elizabeth to him. He brushed her hair to the side. Then his hand traced heat down her arm. Finally, it splayed across her extended abdomen. Kissing her shoulder, he whispered, “Mine.”

“Ours.” Her hand clasped his. “Our family.”

“WE'LL PRAY FOR YOUR SAFE JOURNEY,” Mr. Joseph said. He and his wife and child had come downstairs to say another farewell to the Darcys.

“Thank you.” Darcy helped Elizabeth with her cloak. He banked his irritation:They were getting a later start than he wanted. Elizabeth and Mrs. Joseph had said their good-byes three times previously. “Mr.Washington has assured me that the roads are passable.”

“Most of the other guests have departed.” Mr. Joseph smiled at the two women. “You may need to carry Mrs. Darcy to your carriage.”

Darcy watched his wife caress the child's cheek again. “Women and babies,” he said with a wry chuckle. “We men cannot always understand the attraction.”

“I have a better grasp now that I've held my son.”

Darcy sighed. “I pray for the same pleasure.”

“In the spring, Mr. Darcy. My Mary believes it to be so.” He extended his hand in parting. “Mary and I owe our child's life to you and Mrs. Darcy. Young William will know of the Darcys of Pemberley.”

 

Elizabeth caressed the child's dark hair and then bent to kiss the baby's forehead. “Babies always smell like a cloud,” she said softly before sniffing again.

“Not always.” Mrs. Joseph laughed as she took the child from
Elizabeth's arms. “Dirty baby cloths, you know.”

Elizabeth laughed softly. “Thunderclouds.”

Mrs. Joseph's eyes sparkled in delight. “One way to look at it.” Companionable silence returned. “I'll never forget you, Elizabeth Darcy. My William shall learn of the woman who calmly escorted him into the world. If there is ever anything the Josephs...” her voice trailed off. “All you must do is ask.”

Elizabeth took one last look at the boy. “Just extra prayers for my own child.”

“You'll send me word of your safe delivery. Until then, my prayers will drown in your praise.”

“Come, Mrs. Darcy.” Her husband stepped behind her. “The winter days are short, and we wish to be at Pemberley by tomorrow.”

“Of course,” she replied. “It's time.”

Mr. Joseph placed Elizabeth's hand on his arm and led her from the room.

After watching her depart, Darcy impulsively turned and touched the child's cheek. “You'll send Mrs. Darcy news of young William.”

“Elizabeth shall know of my son's many accomplishments.”

Darcy bowed to the lady. “I'm certain it will please my wife to learn of my namesake's achievements.”

“And you, Mr. Darcy. Shall you celebrate William's many firsts?”

Darcy gave her a knowing smile. “I celebrate anything that makes Mrs. Darcy happy.”

“Did you see much of battle, Lieutenant?” Mr. Grange asked. Grange and Mary had joined Southland, Anne, and Mrs. Jenkinson in a small drawing room. The ladies watched the gentlemen play chess. “It must be a grand adventure,” the young man added. “A chance to become a true hero.”

Roman sat quietly for a few moments. He stared intently at the board as if planning his next move, but instead he chose his
words. “Despite my eagerness to serve my country and to protect the colonel, there were moments I regretted my decision to follow my commanding officer to America.” A long silence ensued. “The colonel would've allowed me to remain in England, to switch posts, but I'd have none of it. Like young Grange here, I thought of heroism.”

“But surely, even in the Americas, a man can find the glory of war,” Grange protested.

Roman touched his knight, but he did not move it. “There's no glory in war, Mr. Grange.” The lieutenant sat back casually in his chair. “There's fear and necessity and cowardice and the overwhelming need to survive, but there's no glory.”

“You speak so harshly, Lieutenant,” Mary observed.

“I apologize if my tone offends, Miss Bennet. I did not mean for it to do so.”

Anne's soft voice brought Roman from his darker thoughts. “And the colonel? Does my cousin express the same feelings regarding war?”

“A hero's image is etched in Edward Fitzwilliam's face. The colonel inspires his men with his own bravery. Your cousin, Miss De Bourgh, is not an officer hiding at the rear. He leads with his own resolve to correct the world's wrongs.”

“I would expect nothing less from Edward. He was built to protect. Plus, he was the one who always accepted a dare. The Countess spent many sleepless nights nursing Edward's injuries.”

Roman smiled wryly. “I cannot doubt it. The colonel is not one to withdraw. But he's also not one to take foolish chances. Everything is calculated for success. If I were to have to face an enemy again, I would choose Colonel Fitzwilliam as my commanding officer.”

“That's high praise indeed,” Mrs. Jenkinson challenged.

“And every word is true, Ma'am.The man you know as a cousin and an Earl's son is a military genius.”

“Really?” Anne seemed surprised. “I'd expect Edward to be brave, but I had never thought of his tactical intellect.”

“Then it's with pleasure that I share something of the man I admire.”

“Shall they be well?” Elizabeth asked as their carriage reached the main road and turned toward Derbyshire.

From the rear-facing seat, Darcy had watched the emotional turns of his wife's countenance for over a half hour. The desire to stay with the Josephs and the desire to return to Pemberley had warred within her. “Mr. Joseph has assured me that he'd not allow his wife to travel until Boxing Day. They'll spend Christmas at the inn. The man is cognizant of the fact that it'll take more than two days to reach Newcastle with a newborn babe; therefore, he must reasonably arrange his family's passage.”

“What of Mr. Joseph's mother?”

“His future lies with Mrs. Joseph and young William. Joseph won't risk their lives to say his farewells. As a clergyman, the man knows that honoring one's parents doesn't override ‘cling to her only' in the marriage vows. He obviously cannot leave Harrogate today.”

Elizabeth nodded her agreement. “It's too soon for Mary.”

“And they cannot travel on Christmas,” he added.

“Of course, I'd forgotten the implications of the religious celebration.”

Darcy removed his gloves and placed them beside him. “Joseph and I had several conversations about the proper thing to do.”

Elizabeth smiled easily. “In other words, Matthew Joseph asked for your counsel, and you explained the man's family duty,” she teased.

Darcy's eyebrow rose. “Would you expect anything less of me?”

“My husband, I've never misjudged your consequence.”

“As opposed to my finer qualities,” he countered.

Elizabeth chuckled lightly. “It was part of my grand plan, Mr. Darcy. A man only wants what he cannot have.”

“Ah, now I see,” he said sagely. “Your flirtation with Mr. Wickham was only to pique my interest—as was your denial of your cousin's proposal. Therefore, it only follows that your constant disdain was to prove that I didn't understand what I most needed.”

Elizabeth's eyes misted with tears. “I never meant to cause you pain, Fitzwilliam.”

Immediately, Darcy switched seats. Taking Elizabeth into his arms, he said, “And I never meant to criticize.You must realize I no longer care about the past. It was what it was. As long as we have found each other, nothing else matters.”

Elizabeth wiped away the tears. “I don't know what came over me. I was enjoying our conversation, and then I thought of the utter pain displayed on your face when I refused you at Hunsford. I did you such a disservice.”

“Could you not instead imagine my countenance at your eventual acceptance?” he teased. With his thumbs, Darcy flicked the tears from her cheeks before kissing her nose's tip.

Elizabeth swallowed a sob with a giggle. “It would be pleasanter.” She shrugged her shoulders in good-natured self-chastisement. “Of late, I've been a watering pot over the most insignificant things.”

“Perhaps the baby,” he said gravely.

“Perhaps.”

Darcy shifted her in his arms. “
Perhaps
if I share what I did for the Josephs, it'll bring a smile to those luscious lips.” Unable to resist her, Darcy bent his head for a taste.

Elizabeth stroked his chin line. “Tell me,” she said in a rasp.

Darcy first had to bring his breathing under control before he said, “I secured the room and board until Boxing Day, paid Mrs. Washington for the ruined linens, and left a small gift for William for Christmas Day.”

“How small?”

He removed one of her gloves and kissed her knuckles. “Ten pounds.”

Elizabeth smiled broadly. “You're the most generous man,” she
exclaimed. “Thank you, Fitzwilliam.”

“I also paid the innkeeper for extra blankets for Mr. Simpson and Jasper.”

“And extras for us, as well,” she observed.

Darcy kissed the inside of her wrist. “Yes, I worried for your lack of proper rest. Sleeping in the carriage isn't ideal, but I wished to see to your comfort as much as possible.”