Imperative: Volume 2, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (43 page)

“Because both of us have lost loved ones.  We are both aware that everything can go so very wrong, so very suddenly.”  Darcy flexed his hand.  Harding did the same, just as Parker was coming up the stairs with a glass of wine.  “There is my poison.”

“I think that Mrs. Darcy would disagree with you strongly, sir.”  Parker gave him the glass and watched his master drink it down. 

Harding watched with great concern.  “What was that, Fitzwilliam?  Not laudanum?”

“No, no.”  Darcy made a face.  “No, this is willow bark.  It helps with the . . .” He noticed his uncle flexing his hand.  “Do you feel the same pain I do?”

“When times of pressure arise?  Yes.  Your chest burns and aches?”

“Yes, and your arm?”

“Always the left?”

“And . . . you are alive!” 

“Well . . . yes.”  Harding laughed.  “It has not taken me yet.”

“So this is not what my father had?”

“No, he never reacted to stress like this.  He, unfortunately, truly had a weak heart.”  Harding looked at Darcy’s empty glass.  “Does that potion actually work?”

“Yes, Elizabeth . . .”

“That is all the recommendation I need.”  Harding looked to Parker.  “If you could . . .”

“Certainly, and I will speak to Carson about it.”  Parker turned and set off down the stairs.  The two men watched without speaking; only listening to Georgiana mixed between the sounds of Elizabeth and Susan encouraging her as Mrs. Dickson gave out orders. 

“Lord, help me.”  Darcy murmured.

“All of us.”  Harding puffed out his cheeks and closed his eyes. 

After a quarter hour of listening, Darcy broke the silence.  “Why did you decide to circumvent me and pay off Wickham?” 

Harding’s eyes flew open.  “I . . . I thought that we would be rid of him permanently.”

“And why did you change your mind?”

“I realized that he would always come back for more, no matter how foolish it would be to approach, or how many threats he received.  He proved that by approaching me after being refused by you.” 

Darcy nodded.  “He is addicted to the family.” 

“So many addictions haunt this family.”  Harding said humourlessly.

“Never try to manage me again, Uncle.  Or my family, or my interests.  I welcome advice, but that is all I want.”

“I understand.”  He looked up to see Darcy’s jaw was set.  “May I ask what you said to the colonel?”

“We had a more physical discussion.” 

“Who won?”  Darcy glanced at him and away.  Harding smiled, “Forgive me.” 

“Of course.”

“Will!” 

Darcy ran and threw open the chamber door.  “Lizzy?”  He stopped dead and pointed.  “That is a baby!”

Georgiana was sobbing in her arms.  Susan was holding the baby and beaming.  Elizabeth laughed and wiped the tears that were running down her face, “Yes, dear man, it is.” 

“But when did that happen?”  He stared at his happy wife. 

“You mean that your ear was not pressed to the door?”  She laughed.  “Oh, Will, if you could just see the look on your face.” 

“Harding.”  Susan whispered.  “Come meet our new daughter.” 

“A girl?”  His feet were glued to the floor.  “It is truly a girl?”

Darcy sank down on the bed and wrapped his arms around Georgiana and Elizabeth.  “You were magnificent sweetheart.”  He kissed his exhausted sister.  “Just magnificent.” 

“It is over.” She sniffed and held onto him.  “It is finally over.”

“Harding . . .” Susan held out her hand. 

“A baby girl.”  Harding could not tear his eyes from the squirming bundle in his wife’s arms.  “She is . . . a terrible mess.” 

“Of course she is.  She needs her first bath.”  Susan laughed as he finally approached.  Gingerly he touched the wrinkled pink face and the blonde hair plastered to her head.  “She is beautiful, is she not?” 

“What is your name, little girl?”  Harding asked softly.

“Hope.”  Georgiana nestled against Darcy’s chest and watched the new family forming.  “Hope Georgia.”

“Hope.”  Harding wiped his eyes and leaned down to Georgiana to kiss her.  “Thank you, dear.”

Chapter 17

D
arcy collapsed into a boneless heap, and watched, fascinated, as Elizabeth regarded her spent husband with obvious satisfaction.
 
 “Come here.”  He commanded, holding out one hand to pull her roughly onto his chest.  She laughed when he rolled them over and kissed her deeply.  Elizabeth sighed and smiling, brushed back the hair that fell across his eyes.  “I think that you liked your morning call.” 

“Liked?  Lizzy darling, I . . . I am without words.”

“That is nothing new.”  She squealed when he immediately started tickling her.  “Will!” 

He stopped long enough to let her catch her breath and pressed his nose to hers.  “I am trying to thank you!”

“I know.”  Her eyes were dancing.  “But really, there is no need, I . . . I just could not keep my hands away from you.”

“Lizzy,” he sighed and looked down, then back up to her eyes, “I am going to be floating all day now, you know that.”

“Yes, I do.”  She held his face in her hands and kissed him.  “I cannot tell you how much I love helping you to find heaven.” 

“I love how you
want
me.”  Darcy’s palms slid down her shoulders to her bottom.  “I must express my desire for you . . .  In fact, I will do it right now . . .” His hand determinedly raised her gown.

“No, just enjoy the way that you feel now.”  She batted his busy hands away and pressing her fingers to his protesting mouth, laughed when he suckled them. “Surprise me sometime.” 

“Dearest, I am . . . I am so very ready for a lifetime of surprises with you.”  Darcy settled back down, wrapping his body around hers.  “I love you so very much.”

“I love you, dear Will.”  She whispered, smiling when he nibbled then kissed her throat, and cheering inside as she felt the familiar heavy warmth of his body relaxing against hers.  Warm, delicious hours of sleep passed peacefully until cries like the mewing of a cat escalated to a full-throated wail.  Darcy woke with a start. “She is fine.”

“She is crying!”

“Good for her, telling everyone that she will not be ignored, even though you have slept through this display several times already.  My, but I
did
relax you . . .” Darcy rested his head upon her shoulder and laughed softly.  “There, you see?  She is quiet now.  Someone came to her rescue.”

He nipped her ear lobe. “I imagine that you were quite vocal as a child.” 

“I will choose to see that as a compliment, Mr. Darcy.”

“Of course.”  He let a long sigh go and hugged her tightly.  “I feel as if I should be doing something.”

“Will you feed her?  I am afraid that you are not built for it.  Besides, this is not to be our responsibility.”  Elizabeth laced her fingers with his.  “Our responsibility is to set Georgiana back on her path.” 

“I will never give up responsibility . . .”

She turned in his arms and scolded him, “Fitzwilliam Darcy, would you presume to walk into another man’s home and begin caring for his children?”

“Of course not.  But how many months did we spend expecting to be taking on this role?”

“Nearly every one since we married.”  She kissed his ear and whispered, “What man even thinks of rousing himself when a baby cries?  I cannot describe the happiness that is flooding me at this moment.   Our children will be so blessed to have you as their father.” 

Darcy felt his face warming with a blush.  “How can you say that?  I have not even held Hope yet.  How can you know?” 

“I think that I have always known.  From nearly the first moment I met you, I saw that you were caring for someone, even if I did not particularly appreciate your methods.”  His head lifted and he tried to read her eyes in the faint light from the fire.  “Charles.”

“Charles!”  He laughed softly and dropped his head back down upon the pillow.  “That seems so long ago.  I remember meeting him and thinking what a hopeless fool he was.”

“And why did you adopt him?  Was he your ward?” 

“It was more along the lines of him latching on.  I found that I grew used to him and rather missed him when he was gone.  But I also learned that he is not really a fool, just young, inexperienced, and in need of guidance.  And he did me a great deal of good, too.”  He smiled sheepishly when she laughed.  “All right, Mrs. Darcy, yes, I liked having a friend who wanted nothing more than friendship.  I am afraid that I have been so preoccupied with our troubles that I have been rather careless with it.  He must think I have abandoned him.”

“Do you miss him?”

“Do you miss Jane?”  He countered with a smile when she sighed.  “I miss . . . Do you know what I miss?”

“Tell me?”   

Darcy stroked his finger over her cheek.  “I miss all of the time we have lost together.  I miss . . . do you remember the day that we walked from the museum home?  And the day that we were kissing as we walked down the street and scandalized Aunt?”  Elizabeth smiled and nodded.  “I miss all of that.  All of those moments we had all too briefly when it was just the two of us, being ourselves.  I miss that I have yet to dance with you in our ballroom, dressed in one of your beautiful, untried gowns, in a room full of candlelight and music, and forgetting that there is anyone else there.”  His eyes were shining.  “We have been robbed of time.”

“Then let us take it back.”  Elizabeth caressed her hand through his hair.   “I miss the same things.”

“I am so tired.”

“So am I.”  She rested her head on his chest and his arms snaked around her.  “But soon we will be home.” 

“I have always been home, wherever you are is home.” 

“That sounds like something I would say.” 

“Shh.”  Darcy closed his eyes.  “Sleep some more, we have earned it.”

“OH MY.”  Mrs. Bennet pulled out her handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.  “I did not think that I would lose my place
here
, as well!”  She stood at the dining room door for the first time since her husband’s death and saw Mary at the head of the table. 

“Here, Mama.  Come and sit with me.”  Lydia sent Mary a scathing look and led her mother to sit down.  “You can have Jane’s place.” 

“Dear Jane.”  She sank down and looked over the table unhappily from her new position.  “Why did she have to leave us?  Mr. Bingley taking her away to Scarborough!  Now, when I need her so much?”

“Jane is a married woman, Mama.”  Mary said quietly.  “I would go where Mr. Collins wants me.”

“Are you ready, madam?”  Mrs. Hill asked.

“I suppose.”  Mrs. Bennet said indifferently.  “Although how I could possibly eat now, I do not know.”

“Please wait for Mr. Collins to arrive.”  Mary looked at her mother.  “I believe that Mrs. Hill was speaking to me, Mama.  If you had not taken to your bed when we arrived you would have become accustomed to that already.” 

“When your husband dies, you will mourn him as you wish, if I choose to take to my bed for a month, I shall.”  Mrs. Bennet sniffed.  “And may I remind you, until you produce a male child; you are in the same situation as I was?  I wonder who the heir of Longbourn is now.”

Mary’s cheeks coloured and she took a drink of her wine.  Lydia snorted.  “That was good, Mama.” 

“And another thing, if you are to please your husband’s stomach, you would choose your menu with more care.  I am no expert on Mr. Collins, but I certainly noticed his preferences.  Place the foods he favours within his reach.  I always made certain that the choicest cuts were offered to your father first.  There is an order to these things.  I see that you did not pay great attention to me and I will have to teach you now.”

“Is that not what Mr. Darcy suggested, Mama?  That you will be Mary’s advisor?”  Kitty said helpfully.

“I believe that he did, Kitty.”  Mrs. Bennet sat up straighter.  “I was too distressed at the time to heed his words, but obviously a man so great would understand such things well.”

“Perhaps you can go and visit Lizzy sometime, Mama.”  Mary murmured.

“When they are in London, I will.  But they are in Scotland now!  Who would want to endure that journey?  I am not a spring chicken.  But London, oh, the shopping and the sights!  And you girls will surely be introduced to wonderful rich gentlemen!”

Kitty’s brow creased, “I thought that you were angry with Lizzy, Mama.” 

“I was . . . but I have had time to think, and there is no denying that she has much to offer as Mrs. Darcy, and Jane has made it clear that she cannot invite us to stay with them at Mr. Hurst’s home.  So that leaves Lizzy and my brother Gardiner.  If it is a choice between Cheapside and Mayfair . . .”

“Lizzy would never introduce us to anyone; she thinks we are too young.”  Lydia pouted.  “Could we go to Brighton instead?”

“You are in mourning, Lydia.  You are not to socialize publicly for four more months.”  Mary scolded.  “Besides, Lizzy is correct, you
are
too young.  Mr. Collins and I have already discussed it.  You are not allowed to attend dances until you are seventeen.”

“Mama!”  Lydia spun and cried.

“Mary, the girls are out, they cannot be hidden again.  And they are not your daughters. 
I
will decide . . .”

“Mr. Collins is their guardian now, Mama.  And he will not be providing funds for dresses and balls until my sisters are at an acceptable marriageable age.”

Mrs. Bennet’s eyes narrowed.  “I see that you are feeling your power, Mrs. Collins.  But do not preach your sermons to me.”

Mary’s face flushed.  “I am not preaching.”

“Yes you are.”  Lydia laughed.  “You would go on all day with it.  Papa would roll his eyes and hide behind his paper when you started up.”

“I can hear his voice now.”  Mrs. Bennet said quietly.

“Well then . . . you would probably like to have the portrait that is hanging in Mr. Collins’s dressing room moved to your chamber, Mama.  I will ask Hill to do that today.”

“Oh no, I had Hill hang the portrait there on purpose.  Your father did not like the look of it, and had it stored in the attic.  When he died, I had it brought down and hung up so that Mr. Collins could look upon it and remember whose house he was in.”  She lifted her chin.  “He should be thanking Mr. Bennet every day for being here.   He should be grateful that I never gave your father a son.”