Memory: Volume 3, How Far We Have Come, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (Memory: A Tale of Pride and Prejudice) (99 page)

“Shhhh.”  Darcy squeezed her tightly.  “No need to talk about that, is there?”

“I truly did not mean to have the baby in the study, I was just teasing you.  I was about to ask you to help me upstairs when everything just . . .”  She started to cry.

“Dearest Elizabeth . . . shhhhhh.”

“But I was wrong to not tell you I was labouring, if I had died, the burden you would have carried for thinking it was your fault . . . the thought of you mourning breaks my heart, Will.  I cannot bear to think of you alone.  I am so sorry.  I do not know what I was thinking; I seem to get ideas in my head when I am with child and . . .”

Darcy used his time-proven technique and silenced her with a kiss.  “I knew that you were labouring, dearest.  Well, perhaps not at the beginning when I was lost in a very well-earned sleep after finally satisfying my insatiable lover.”  He smiled when she blushed and wiped her tears with his thumb.  “But I knew of your growing discomfort.  Do you seriously think that you can hide pain from me?”

“But you said nothing . . .”

“You did not want me to know, so I allowed you your deception.  I knew.”  Darcy laughed when she shook her head.  “I have a reputation for staring at you, do I not?  And I know you so very well.”  They kissed and he caressed her cheek.  “I called for the midwife at daybreak.  She arrived at the same time she would have arrived no matter when I called; she was delivering another child and could not come sooner.  I think that we would have managed no matter the circumstances.  Somewhere in the middle of it all, I felt secure in my confidence to succeed through the trial.”

“So I am not to say another word?”

“Precisely.” Seeing her hesitation, he took her hand in his.  “Next time, we will simply be honest and plan for this.  You are decided that you want me to deliver our children, and rather than risk a panic, we will be sure that some knowledgeable midwife is near who knows our plans.  Who can help if necessary.  Agreed?”  Elizabeth smiled and kissing her again, he looked at her worriedly, “Is the laudanum wearing off?  Shall I ask Millie to prepare another dose for you?” 

“No, I will manage, and Asher does not need to drink it from me. I remember when Rosa was nursing after I was shot, and I will not have my newborn sleeping for any other reason than because he is tired.  And before you say anything, I am not about to hand him off to Mrs. Rogers to nurse when I am capable.  Besides, I want to be fully awake when . . .”  There was a knock at the door and Darcy called for the person to enter.  Mrs. Robbins appeared and Rosalie bounded ahead of her.  “Rosa!”  Elizabeth beamed.  “Come and meet your brother!”

“Baby here?”  She reached her hands up and Mrs. Robbins lifted her onto the bed.  Seeing Darcy’s nod she left the room and closed the door behind her.  Rosalie crawled over to Darcy’s lap and snuggled against his chest.  She peered suspiciously at the baby in her mother’s arms. “Who that?” 

“That, little love, is your brother.  His name is Asher.”

“Ash.”

“Very well, Ash.”  He smiled and Elizabeth pulled back the blanket so she could see his face.  “Is he not handsome?”

Rosalie studied him, and then looked at Elizabeth and down to her deflated belly.  She touched her and Elizabeth gasped but kept smiling.  “Yes, sweetheart, the baby was inside of me and now he is here.  Will you help me to take care of him?  I do not think that I can do it all by myself.  I need a big girl to help.”

Beaming, Rosalie’s chin rose.  Darcy hid his face in Elizabeth’s hair and his shoulders started to shake with silent laughter as he looked at his wife’s miniature rising to the challenge.  “Yes!  Big gril!”  She crawled over and stared nose to nose with Asher.  His eyes opened and his unfocussed gaze fixed on her.  “Be good.”  Rosalie said seriously.  Asher stuck his tongue out at her.  Rosalie wrinkled her nose and stuck hers back out at him.  Darcy had peeked at the two of them, and then seeing the glee in Elizabeth’s eyes, hid his face again and continued to laugh.  Rosalie bent and gave the baby a noisy wet kiss on his cheek, and was rewarded with his hand appearing from under the blanket and grabbing her hair.  “Ow!!”

“Shhh, shhh.”  Elizabeth tried not to laugh.  “He was just saying hello.”

Rosalie looked at her doubtfully.  “Not nice.”  She pushed him away from Elizabeth’s lap.  “Go.”

“No dear, he is going to stay.”  She said sternly.  “We love him very, very much.”  Glancing at Darcy she saw his concern.  “Come here sweetheart.”  She adjusted the baby and patted her lap.  Rosalie crawled up so that she was sitting half on Elizabeth and half on Darcy.  Elizabeth held her and Darcy brought his arms around them both.  “There.  Is that better?”

“Yes, Mama.”  Rosalie snuggled into them.

“You are still our baby girl.”  Darcy whispered to her.  “And we love you very, very much.  We just thought that you would like a brother to play with.  What do think?  You were asking him to come out of your Mama’s belly and here he is.  You just have to share us with him.”  Rosalie frowned at that.  “But you know; Asher will sleep a great deal because he is so little.  When he is sleeping you will still have us all to yourself.”

“And when he is awake, you can play with him.”  Elizabeth kissed her.  “What a big girl you will be!”

“Agreed, my little love?”

“Yes, Papa.”  Rosalie eyed her brother and seemed to set her shoulders determinedly, then bent down to give kissing him another try.  Darcy and Elizabeth exchanged smiles over her head and watched as this time she kissed him without incident.  Rosalie sat up and studied her sleeping brother then fixed his blanket and patted his belly.  “Good boy.”

“Good girl.”  Elizabeth kissed her and Darcy reached over her head to pick up a little pile of books that sat on the bedside table. 

“Now, while he is sleeping, let us read.” Rosalie lit up to have her parents’ attention and choosing her story wiggled as closely between them as she could.  Elizabeth rested her head on Darcy’s shoulder and closed her eyes.  And Darcy, holding the book open on Rosalie’s lap, rested his chin on her head, “Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a village near the forest.  Whenever she went out, the little girl wore a red riding cloak, so everyone in the village called her Little Red Cap . . .”  He glanced at Elizabeth and saw her smile, and kissed Rosalie’s hair.  He smiled at his sleeping son and tightening his hold around his little family, he cleared the emotion from his voice and continued the story.   “One morning, Little Red Cap asked her mother if she could go to visit her grandmother as it had been a while since they’d seen each other…”
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“BLOODY FANTASTIC!”  Bingley whooped and jumped up from his chair to go searching for Abbey.  “Sweeting!”

“What is it?”  She laughed when he grabbed her hands and swung her around and around.  “Charles!”

“A boy!”  He grinned.  “A beautiful baby boy!”

“What is all this noise, Charles?”  Louisa asked and moved quickly to scoop up Samuel from his blanket on the floor and Robinson protected Wallace from his whirling uncle and aunt.  “Charles!”

“Elizabeth.”  He stopped spinning Abbey and she leaned against him, trying to regain her bearings.  “Elizabeth has given birth to a son . . .”  He consulted the letter, “A week ago.”

“I can just imagine Darcy’s reaction.”  Hurst grinned and sat down beside Louisa to chuck Samuel’s chin. 

“I do not have to imagine.”  Robinson let Wallace go and watched him run off across the room to hug Abbey’s leg.  “What wonderful news!  They are both well?”

“Of course they are.”  Bingley calmed and picked up the letter to read it through again.  “All four of them are very well.”

MR. GARDINER ACCEPTED the post from the maid and seeing the envelope from Pemberley, set down the pile and broke open the seal.  “Ah, there you go.”  He stood and leaving the study, wandered towards the front sitting room where the ladies were gathered, and seeing a little trumpet one of his children had abandoned, picked it up and blew importantly as he entered the room.

“What was that?”  Mrs. Gardiner laughed and set down her teacup. 

“Uncle!”  Kitty giggled.  “Are you going to start races at the Derby?”

“He reminded me of the trumpeters at the palace making a great announcement.”  Georgiana smiled.  “Has something happened?”

“Ah, your instincts are correct, Aunt Georgiana.”  He smiled as her eyes grew wide and she jumped up to take the letter from his hands.  She read it and burst into tears.  Mr. Gardiner opened his arms and embraced her.  “shhhh, shhh,  all is well.”

“What is it?”  Kitty took the letter and read.  “Lizzy had a boy!”  She laughed and beamed at her aunt then turned back to see Georgiana still sobbing against Mr. Gardiner, who was becoming teary as he hugged her.  “Why are you crying, Georgiana?  I know that you were frightened for Lizzy, but she is well and the baby is, too.”  She put her hand on Georgiana’s shoulder.  “What is wrong?”

“Nothing.”   She sniffed.  “It is a boy.” 

“Yes.”  Kitty looked to her aunt.

“Think about the importance of such an announcement at Longbourn, dear.”  Mrs. Gardiner said with a smile.  “A brother for you would have made such a difference in all of your lives.”

“Oh . . .”  Kitty turned back to Georgiana.  “When Papa dies, there will be no more Bennets at Longbourn.”

“Darcys will remain in Pemberley for another generation.”  Mr. Gardiner explained and hugged Georgiana while she continued to cry.  “This is exceptionally important news.”

“GOOD FOR YOU, LIZZY.  Mama hated you for not being the heir, and look at you giving one to your Fitzwilliam.”  Lydia smiled and sat down immediately to write back to her.  “Good for you.”

“WHAT HAVE YOU THERE?”  Lord Moreland asked Harwick.

“It is from Darcy, he has his son.”  He looked up and smiled.  “And Elizabeth is well, she is safe.”

“I hope that his first son is everything that he dreams he will be.”  Moreland raised his glass to his lips and took a drink, and watched Stewart greeting Julia and his sister in the hallway.  “Sometimes the wrong one is born first.”

“What are you two talking about?”  Stewart joined them and accepted a glass from his brother. 

“Darcy has his son.”

“Does he?”  Stewart smiled softly.  “And Mrs. Darcy?”

“She is well.”  Harwick tilted his head and studied him.  “What are you thinking?”

“Hmm?”  He looked at his father and smiled.  “It is amazing what the order of birth can mean for a man.  I am grateful to be second.”

“WELL DONE, ELIZABETH.”  Lady Matlock said with satisfaction. 

“The baby?”  Alicia looked up from her sewing.

Audrey clapped her hands.  “It was a boy, was it, Mama?”

“Yes, she has done her duty.”  She said proudly.

“Oh, so now she can push Darcy away, you
know
how much she abhors his attentions.”  Audrey winked at Alicia.

“I know, she simply grows ill every time he fixes those steely eyes upon her, she practically faints in anticipation!”  She laughed and noticed Lady Matlock’s unsmiling stare.  “Forgive me Lady Helen.”

“Both of you ladies know the difference between wanting and not wanting your husband in your bed.”  She said pointedly.  “Both of you have sons, and you know full well the importance of this news that she has produced the heir.”

“And must now produce the spare.”  Audrey nudged her sister.

“I do not think she will mind.”  Alicia whispered.

“Ladies!”  Lady Matlock chastised them, then relaxed and smiled as she read the letter again.  “No, I do not think she will mind at all.”

 “Look at this!”  Lord Matlock strode into the billiard room and waved his letter in the air.  “Darcy is ecstatic, the joy radiates from the page!”

Singleton set down his pool cue and attempted to grab the flying sheet and finally Layton managed to snatch it from his father.   “What could possibly make that man excited?” 

“A son!”  Layton read the birth announcement and laughed.  “And naturally he delivered him!”

“I KNEW HE WOULD DELIVER THE BABY.”  Fitzwilliam let the news wash over him and laughed, feeling his cousin’s happiness and understanding his confession of relief, and hope for the security of his family and heritage.  “Well done, Elizabeth.”  Pulling himself together, he thought of Darcy delivering the baby.  “In his study, no less, the seat of Pemberley!  How appropriate!  Well, I lost that bet.  Eva!”  He got up from his chair in the library and spotted Mrs. Mercer.  He grabbed her hands and kissed her cheek.

“Colonel Fitzwilliam!” 

“Go tell the gossips below stairs, Mrs. Mercer, the mistress has presented the master with an heir.” 

“A boy!”  She gasped.  “Not twins?”

“No ma’am.”  He laughed.  “One is enough, Asher Fitzwilliam Darcy, he is the man.”  Grinning, he strode off through Darcy House, and looked over all that was on display.  “An heir to this glorious home.”   He took the stairs two at a time.  “Eva!”  He found her in the guest chambers they shared and closed the door behind him. 

“What are you bellowing about?”  She stood and was immediately scooped up and dropped on the bed with a bounce.  “Richard Fitzwilliam, you are insane!”

“No, my dear.”  He took off his coat and loosened his cravat, then placing his hands on either side, leaned down to kiss her.  “What say we make an heir?”

“Lizzy had a boy!”

“Yes, so let us see if we might produce one as well.”  He tugged at her gown.  “Shall we?”

“Welllll.”

“No?”  Fitzwilliam’s face fell.

“No dear, it is just that . . . we might have already.”  She reached up to hold his face in her hands and laughed to see the utter astonishment that was there.  “Surprise?”

“Oh my dear girl!”  He cried and touched her belly.  “Truly?”

“Yes.”  Evangeline laughed and watched as he resumed tugging at her dress.  “Now what?”

“Well we must celebrate!” 

“ASHER?”  De Bourgh leaned over Mary’s shoulder. 

“From the Bible.  He was one of Jacob’s sons; he was promised a life blessed with abundance.  A man known for his goodness and care for others.”
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She smiled when he laughed.