The Harvest Ball

by Lily Bernard

  Elizabeth was suddenly gripped by a strong labor pain and it took her a moment before she said, “William, do whatever you feel is necessary but please, do it quickly!”

  Darcy rang for his wife’s maid but lost his patience and opened the door to the hallway and began shouting for Mrs. Reynolds and Hannah. They quickly responded to his summons and they were each given instructions as to what was required to be done. The two women soon returned to Mrs. Darcy’s chambers and prepared her for the imminent birth of the newest member of the Darcy family. When they were finished with their tasks, Darcy was readmitted to his wife’s chambers. Mrs. Reynolds told him that he could not remain with his wife, “I will be happy to come and get you when it is time to rejoin Mrs. Darcy. Everyone she needs to care for her will arrive shortly. I assure you that I will make certain that she is getting the best care possible. Now, out you go!” She had known him since he was a small boy and it was not often she needed to speak to him as if he were still a child.

  He walked to the side of his wife’s bed and took her hand in his as he quietly said, “Elizabeth, I know you are the bravest and strongest woman I have ever met, and you will weather this day with your indomitable courage.” Darcy paused, willing himself not to cry and further distress his beloved wife. “You are everything to me, and I love you with my whole heart.” He took his wife’s hand and kissed it.

  “You should know by now that my courage rises with every attempt to intimidate me. I love you, William, and the next time you see me, I will be holding our little babe.” They managed to smile at each other and Darcy leaned over and kissed his wife’s forehead. “Elizabeth, I am so happy I had the good sense to marry you.”

  Elizabeth smiled at their ongoing teasing ‘argument’, “what about my good sense? Please go now so I can have our baby.” Darcy left the room just as another pain caused Elizabeth to cry out in distress. He heard his wife’s cries when he neared the staircase and had to grip the bannister to keep himself from rushing back to her bedside.

  Darcy slowly walked downstairs and anxiously waited in the front hall for all the people he expected to arrive. Mr. Laurence and the midwife were the first to appear, quickly followed by Jane and then Sir Knighton. They were all shown his wife’s chambers, and Darcy was walking toward the drawing room when he saw Georgiana rushing down the stairs. “Is it time? Is Elizabeth having the baby now? What can I do to help?”

  “Yes, little one, it is time. Please wait with me in the drawing room. They will not allow me to stay with her and I am going mad not being by her side. I know she is in good hands, but I cannot think clearly until I know she and the baby are well.”

  Georgiana took her brother’s arm and walked him into the drawing room. She rang for tea and refreshments; although she was very excited about the prospect of becoming an aunt, she knew she could best help Elizabeth by keeping her brother as calm as possible.

  Several hours had passed since Darcy had left his wife’s bedside and he was crazy with worry. He was pacing in front of the fireplace when he saw Mrs. Reynolds enter the drawing room. Georgiana instantly rose to her feet and went to join her brother. Before they could ask, Mrs. Reynolds put her hands out in a staying gesture, “there is nothing to report yet; Mrs. Darcy is doing well and is being well cared for. As soon as I have more news, I will return but I wanted you to know that everything is proceeding as it should.” Georgiana looked to her brother to respond but she saw he was nervously running his hand through his hair.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds, please tell Mrs. Darcy that we are sending her all our love.”

  “Of course, Miss Georgiana, I will be happy to convey your message,” the housekeeper said as she exited the drawing room and walked back upstairs.

  He looked at his sister, “thank you, Georgie, for saying the right words. I am unable to think clearly right now. When did my little sister become so poised and mature?” Darcy leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “To be waiting down here while Elizabeth is enduring so much upstairs is one of the most difficult things I have ever done.”

  “We must be strong for Lizzy. Would you like me to play the pianoforte for you?”

  “Yes, that is an excellent suggestion. I am grateful for the distraction.”

  Georgiana played for more than an hour and then she and her brother attempted to distract themselves with books. They pretended to be reading for another hour or more when Mrs. Reynolds finally entered the room. Darcy and Georgiana both jumped to their feet and were greeted with a big smile on the housekeeper’s face. “Mr. Darcy, you may go up and see Mrs. Darcy now.”

  “Is she well, Mrs. Reynolds? And the baby?” Mrs. Reynolds did not answer but she continued smiling and motioned that Darcy should move toward the staircase.

  He ran up the stairs two at a time and knocked gently on his wife’s door. Several people at once said, “Come in!”

  When he entered his wife’s chambers, he saw Jane seated next to her sister on the bed. She was washing Elizabeth’s face with a damp cloth and pushing back some of the many curls which were plastered to her cheeks and forehead. As soon as she saw Darcy, Jane rose and walked toward him. “Congratulations, William.”

  Darcy could not see or hear anything except his smiling wife and the tiny bundle she held in her arms. “Will you not come in, Papa, and meet your son?”

  “My son,” Darcy whispered as he walked toward the bed without seeing anything or anyone but his wife and child. When he reached the bedside, he saw that his wife was smiling, and her cheeks were rosy. “Are you well, my love? You look so beautiful and we have a son? A healthy baby?”

  “Yes, William, with all these people here to help me, how could you expect anything else?” His heart soared at his wife’s teasing words. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her head and leaned over to see his son.

  “Would you like to hold him?”

  “I am afraid. I mean, I am afraid I do not know what to do.”

  Sir Knighton heard Darcy’s reply and gently took the baby from Elizabeth’s arms. “It is very simple, Mr. Darcy. Always make sure you are supporting the baby’s head and his rear end, and you will do well.” Darcy rose and accepted the small bundle that Sir Knighton gently placed in his arms. He looked at the baby’s face and saw that his son had his wife’s beautiful dark curly hair and full lips; the baby briefly opened his eyes and looked up at his father.

  “He is so beautiful. He looks so much like you, except his eyes are blue.”

  “I am sure Sir Knighton and Mr. Laurence will agree that most babies are born with blue eyes,” Jane said as she smiled. “Maddie has the biggest brown eyes now but when she was born, her eyes were the same color as her cousin’s. May I ask if my new nephew has a name?”

  “His name is Bennet George Darcy,” he said as he smiled at his wife.

  “I believe that is a very fine name and I know our Papa will be very pleased,” Jane smiled.

  Sir Knighton stepped forward to speak to the Darcys. “I am a proponent of the modern view that believes that the best way to help Mrs. Darcy recover is to keep her chambers very clean. Open the drapes and even the windows for a few minutes every day; some fresh air is very healthy for everyone, but Mrs. Darcy should not do anything strenuous for at least the next month.”

  The accoucheur looked at the new mother, “when you are comfortable doing so, you may walk around your chambers or even to the nursery, but you should always be accompanied by your maid or your husband. I will examine you again tomorrow and I will return to Pemberley in a month’s time to check on your recovery.”

  Mrs. Reynolds heard what Sir Knighton said and then added, “Mr. Darcy, if there is nothing else, I believe it is time for us to leave,” she knew her master and mistress well enough to know they would prefer to be alone at this special time. She pointed her arm toward the door, “if you will all follow me; there are refreshments awaiting you in the drawing room.” She turned toward the bed and said, “I will send Mis
s Georgiana up in a few minutes.”

  Jane went to her sister’s side and kissed her forehead. “Bennet is a beautiful boy and I am so happy you wanted me to be with you today. I will send a note to Charles telling him the good news.”

  “Thank you, Jane. You made Bennet’s birth so much easier for me. Just having you beside me gave me the confidence that I could do whatever was necessary.” The sisters embraced before Jane and everyone else exited the room.

  Mrs. Reynolds stood at the door, “I would like to add my most sincere congratulations on Master Bennet’s birth.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds, for all your help today,” Darcy said as he smiled at Pemberley’s longtime housekeeper. Darcy sat at Elizabeth’s bedside and put his arm around her shoulders. He looked into her eyes and quietly said, “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are boundless.” He leaned over to kiss his wife and then he kissed his son who he gently held in his arms. They sat quietly, reflecting on the blessings they had received.

  Elizabeth said quietly, “I never knew I could feel such joy. When you walked into Jane’s drawing room last year, I thought my heart would burst with the happiness of knowing that you were alive. Being here, the three of us together, my heart is truly full. I told you on our first anniversary that our wedding day was the happiest day of my life. I hope you will not mind that I no longer feel that way; today my heart is so full of happiness and gratitude. We love each other and we have a beautiful baby boy; what more could anyone ask for?”

  “I feel the same way you do, my love. When I walked in here and saw you holding the baby, my heart felt like it would jump out of my chest.” They were smiling at each other when they heard knock on the door. “Come in, Georgie,” she said as her sister shyly walked into the room. “Come in and greet your nephew.”

  “Oh Lizzy, I am so happy! I can see that you and the baby are well. Have you decided what to call him? Not Fitzwilliam, I hope,” Georgiana said with a laugh. “That name is much too much for a little baby!”

  They joined Georgiana in her laughter and Elizabeth said, “Aunt Georgiana, please meet your nephew, Bennet George Darcy.”

  “Bennet, I love that name and you followed the Fitzwilliam family tradition of naming the first son the maiden name of the mother. And George for our father; William, our parents would have been so pleased,” Georgiana said with tears in her eyes.

  “Georgie, when we were reunited last summer, I expressed my sorrow at never knowing the wonderful people who brought you and William into the world. Your brother told me then that he felt your parents were always looking down and watching over you both. He said that they were his guardian angels and helped him recover from his terrible wounds.” Elizabeth and Darcy looked at each other remembering the happiness of the day they renewed their commitment to each other. “I told him when I accepted his proposal that your parents were now going to have to look after me, as well. Now, they will also have to help us watch over Bennet.”

  Elizabeth looked at Georgiana and William and they all had tears in their eyes; tears of gratitude, tears of joy and tears of sadness for the two people who would never meet their precious grandson. Darcy smiled and nodded in agreement with his wife and then he stood up, so his sister could see her little nephew.

  “He is so small, but he is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen! I will not linger, I know Lizzy must be very tired. I love you both and our new little baby, shall we call him Ben or Bennet? I am so happy you are both well; the halls of Pemberley will once again be filled with the sound of a baby’s laughter.” Georgiana reached across the bed and embraced Elizabeth before exiting the room.

  When they were once again alone, Darcy said, “thank you for saying what you did about my parents. Georgiana was so young when they both died and has so few memories of them. I know she was happy to hear your words about them always watching over us.” Darcy paused, his mind lost in his memories of his parents.

  “Georgiana asked a good question; shall we call him Bennet or Ben ?

  “Which do you prefer, Mama? His name is Bennet but is that too serious for a little baby? Of course, it is not as serious as Fitzwilliam!” The new parents smiled until Bennet began to stir, and Darcy said, “we can discuss it later. Elizabeth, are you truly feeling well?”

  “I am incandescently happy, but I am tired. Bennet began announcing his desire to be born shortly after we went to bed. I spent most of last night in the chair you found me in this morning, gently rubbing my stomach. I did not wish to awaken the entire house until it was absolutely necessary. I knew everyone would need their rest before the baby made his entrance into the world,” Elizabeth said and then added, “if you will excuse me, Papa, I believe I could use some rest.”

  “You know I love you very much, Mrs. Darcy.”

  “Mr. Darcy, your secret is safe with me.” Elizabeth caressed his cheek as Darcy kissed his wife tenderly before she closed her eyes. He brought his son to the nursery and kissed his child before handing him to his nurse. He saw Hannah in the hallway and Darcy asked her to sit by his wife’s bedside as she slept. As he walked downstairs to thank all the people who helped Elizabeth give birth to his son, all his fears of the past months were gone, and he felt as if he was walking on air.

  Darcy sent an express announcing Bennet’s birth to the residents of Longbourn. He did not like telling a lie, but knew his wife would not have fared as well as she had if her mother had been present. He assured his in-laws that although the baby was born early, the doctor assured them he was a very healthy little boy.

  Chapter 9

  At Rosings, Richard was delighted to receive a letter announcing the birth of Bennet George Darcy. Now that most of his estate responsibilities had been taken care of, Richard began to think ahead. He wondered if Lady Emily would be joining her brother at any of the Darcy’s Christmastide festivities. If she is still in Derbyshire and comes to Pemberley, what should I say to her? She did not seem very receptive to my attention when we were together in September. I know I am hoping that she will be there. Will she dance with me or will she still be dressed in widow’s weeds for a husband everyone knew she never loved? Dare I tell her about my feelings? I think about her every night. I dream we are happily married and surrounded by laughing children. Richard, you are jumping ahead! She has most likely moved on from acting as her brother’s hostess and, if she is there, will she give us a chance to get to know each other better? Could she ever have feelings for a grumpy old soldier?

  After the baby arrived, Darcy debated with himself about whether or not he should notify his Aunt Catherine of Bennet’s birth. He had never told his wife the truth about his Aunt Catherine’s feelings about their marriage. At the time, Darcy told her that his aunt was not feeling well and could not travel from London for the wedding. He felt his wife need not know that his aunt continued to spew her venom and hatred of Elizabeth to anyone who would listen. Aunt Catherine even blamed their marriage for the premature death of her daughter. She neglected to remember that Anne died long before their wedding, at a time when everyone, save Richard, thought Darcy was dead. The memory of her vitriolic rantings about Elizabeth after receiving their wedding invitation was still fresh in his mind. However, he reminded himself that Lady Catherine was his mother’s older sister and he decided to write to her announcing the happy news of Bennet’s birth.

  The following week, his letter was returned to him unopened. Darcy knew then that he would most likely never see or hear from his aunt again and he quickly made peace with the idea. Georgiana would be making her debut into London society in a few months and he was happy to know that his Aunt Catherine would have no role in the occasion. When they returned to London, he would instruct his footmen to do anything necessary to prevent Lady Catherine from entering Darcy House at any time. He would never allow his aunt to impose herself on his wife, sister or child. He would do whatever was necessary to keep Elizabeth and Georgiana away from the v
ile words of Lady Catherine. He threw the unopened letter into the fire and smiled contentedly. He had a wife he adored, a beautiful healthy baby and a sister who was growing into a young woman he was proud of.

  The Darcys were over the moon with happiness. Bennet was growing well and was a sweet, even tempered baby who had all the adults in the house catering to his every need. Elizabeth was recovering well from the birth but did not resist when her husband insisted that she rest whenever Bennet was napping.

  Sir Knighton returned to Derbyshire a month after Bennet’s birth. After his examination, he assured the Darcys that Elizabeth was recovering well but needed to restrict her activities to within the house for several more weeks. “Please notify me if there are any setbacks in your progress. I will stop in Lambton and speak with Mr. Laurence about my findings today. I congratulate you both; your son is growing well and is a beautiful, healthy boy.”

  “Thank you, Sir Knighton. I really have no choice but to do as you ask; my husband watches me like a hawk.” Elizabeth smiled at her husband, whose face had gotten a little red.

  “Your husband is very concerned for your well-being and I wish every husband behaved as such. Good day and I wish you both the best of luck with your son.

  After Darcy returned from escorting Sir Knighton to his carriage, he walked with Elizabeth to the nursery. As they were standing over their son’s cradle watching him sleep, Darcy said quietly, “I heard from my Aunt Catherine yesterday.”

  “Did she congratulate you on the birth of your son?”

  “Not exactly.” Darcy paused, trying to decide how much he should reveal to his wife. “I never told you about the letter she sent me after she received our wedding invitation.”