Mr Darcy's Second Chance

by Gillian Smith

  He nodded and smiled, ignoring that she didn't mention her Bennet family. The wound was still too fresh. But she was happy, and that was something he decided to cherish until his last breath.

  *~~*~~*

  "Oh my," he said softly, dropping the book and raising his mouth to hers. One soft wine-flavoured kiss, then another, then another as he sat up and then guided her down and back on the sofa so he was on top of her. "Thank God. I was thinking you were adding extra days to torment me."

  "I would never-"

  He cut her off, pressing her lips apart with increasing urgency. He unbuttoned the front of her bodice, then the delicate corset cover. Her breasts rose and fell desperately as her breathing quickened.

  "I've missed you so much," he murmured, trailing his mouth down her cleavage and up the underside of her throat. "You can't imagine how much I want this."

  "We should go to bed," she whispered as he gathered up her skirt and pushed the ruffled petticoats out of the way. His hand slid up her leg to the warm nest of hair between her thighs.

  "No, here," he answered hoarsely, urging her legs farther apart.

  She shifted lower, leaning back into the corner of the sofa so he was over her. He unfastened his shirt, wanting his skin against hers, then breeches as he consumed her mouth. Reality slipped away, leaving earlobes, smooth eyelids, and tart, kiss-swollen lips. The soft whimpering sound she made in the back of her throat as she felt his manhood pressing against her. The silkiness of her hair under his fingers. The softness of her thumbs outlining his face.

  "Slow down," she whispered, and he nodded, knowing he was devouring her. Too much, too fast, too soon. He just missed it so much.

  "Tell me you really want this," he whispered. He didn't understand all of her mumblings because he was kissing her mouth hungrily but he heard "love".

  Darcy's brain shut down, sending only every third word to his lips. "…so hard," he murmured, pushing inside her. "Wanna feel you… Tight. Oh, God. Hear you… Talk to me, my love."

  Her fingers in his hair tightened, back arched, and her hips rose to meet his. Language and reason gave way to the low, desperate sounds and tide of passion.

  "Love you. So sweet," Darcy managed, and she answered with a moan, wrapping her top leg around his waist. He paused, pushed up on his elbow, and put her palm against his pounding chest. "Do you feel that my love?" he asked, staring deep into her dark eyes. "You are here. Inside me. I am inside you. You are inside me. We make a complete, a complete… Uh, a complete…"

  The Epilogue

   Miss Jane Darcy was a four-year-old girl with a dark, curled hair and brown, sparkling eyes who resembled her mother. She was happy, active child but also a big sister who took her role very seriously. Every time the family was going on a walk through the beautiful lands of Pemberley, she was leading her little sister Olivia by hand, watching her every step. The younger girl was an image of her father, with a navy blue eyes and dark curls. She was also a very good-tempered child who liked play in her nursery while Jane was always looking for more mischievous adventures. The trait she definitely got from her mother too.

  Jane took her little sister hand and led her through the meadow and started to pick up the flowers for her mama. Olivia sat on the grass with her two dolls, unnecessary interested in the things growing around her.

  It was a late summer; the birds were singing their individual tunes, the sun warming the cedar trees above them. Darcy felt the breezy wind when he sat his wife on the stump and squatted down behind her. He reached his arms around her waist and snuggled up against her neck kissing it softly, his hands caressing her swollen abdomen. They were watching girls when he felt the womb becoming as hard as the rock beneath his hand, then softening again.

  "Elizabeth, this is the third time since we are here. We should come back. I am worried we are so far from home." He whispered to her ear.

  He was worried. Since she has told him six months ago that they will have another child, he was terrified. Happy but so distressed. They shouldn't have another baby and he has already blamed himself for the things may happen to his wife because of his reckless nature.

  "No, the pain isn't that strong. I had them with the girls. And Thomas shouldn't come before September."

  "Well, we have August and maybe little Lizzy wants to come a little sooner. I am worried Elizabeth, and I have the girls to take care of too."

  "All right." She inhaled deeply and rose to her feet with the help of her husband.

  "Jane, we have to go. Can you bring Livvie to me?" Darcy called out his daughter.

  "But Papa, the flowers!" The girl sounded disappointed.

  "Flowers will not run away sweetie, we will pick them another day, I promise."

  The girl moaned but obediently gathered her sister and took her hand. Olivia grabbed her dolls with another hand and they walked slowly.

  "Oh man, with their speed we will be home tomorrow." Darcy joked. He offered her his arm, and they began the stroll towards home.

  "Fitzwilliam, maybe you should take girls and I-" She stopped and inhaled deeply.

  "You are having the pain again.” He stated concerned.

  "Yes... This is weird, I didn't have so many pains in so little time and so soon."

  "We need speed up a little." He ran to girls and took the youngest in his arms.

  "I want too." Jane raised her hands up to her father.

  "I cannot, flower. Do you see, I have to help mama and I don't have the third arm.

  "You should have, Papa." The girl said unhappily.

  "What? Have the third arm?" He laughed.

  “When the little baby is born you will need another one. You will be having three babies, papa.”

  “But I thought you are a too big girl to be carrying. Remember? Only big girls may ride horses? I will not teach you if you choose your papa still carrying you around.”

  The girl sighted, still not happy about the reality that was pointed out to her.

  "Jane, come, take my hand," Elizabeth called. She reached out the hand and the girl carefully took it.

  "I didn't bring you flowers, mama."

  "You will take your papa to the walk tomorrow and will bring me the full basket of the bellflowers. How does that sound?"

  "And you are not coming with us?"

  "And you don't want to spend time alone with your Papa?"

  "He doesn't like flowers." Jane wasn't pleased.

  "Really?" Elizabeth gazed at her husband. "But he likes to bring me some." She smiled.

  "Well, these are two different things. Picking up and bringing-," he didn't finish when Elizabeth stopped and took a deep breath as another round of pain started in her back and wrapped around to the front. This one was powerful and intense, he could feel it.

  "Jane, do you want to play hide and seek? You and your papa will run to the house and hide and I will count to hundred and then will go looking for you." Darcy looked at his wife questioningly.

  "But mama, you never find us!"

  "Oh, I am not that bad, am I?" She met her husband's eyes. "You can run Jane?"

  "Yes."

  The girl let go mother's hand and ran towards the house.

  "Fitzwilliam, please, take the girls home and I'll go slowly after you, I don't want to scare them."

  "Elizabeth, what is going on? I will not leave you behind."

  "My waters just broke. And I feel this baby is much more ready to come to this world than the girls ever were.

  "Good God. How this is happening?" Why didn't the midwife predicted it? - he asked himself. He was angry and horrified.

  "Fitzwilliam, please. Run and alert Mrs. Reynolds." Elizabeth took another deep breath. "I will need push soon. Please take the girls." She whispered.

  He didn't wait or tried to argue with his wife, he would lose anyway. He knew she will take care of herself and she was right about their daughters. He ran and scooped Jane along the way.

  "Papa!" The girl giggled.

  "We mu
st hurry. Mama is going to look for you at any moment."

  Thank god, the one maid noticed her Master running with the children and left the house to met him. He handed her girls and asked to alert Mrs. Reynolds.

  Ten minutes later he was back with Elizabeth who had to sit down under the tree.

  "I will carry you."

  "No, Fitzwilliam, I am not going to make it." She said rubbing her abdomen in circular motions with one hand and reaching under her dress with another. He saw her face wrinkle in pain but she kept eye contact with him. "Fitzwilliam, the baby is coming."

  "Good God!"

  "You were there with Jane, you know what to do."

  "I don't..."

  "Fitzwilliam, please. There is no time. I need you help me, I need to push, this baby doesn't care if I am on the bed or under the tree."

  "God Good, you are under the tree!"

  "If you want to blame someone, blame Thomas, Fitzwilliam. He wants to out now!" Elizabeth pushed and Darcy looked around if no one was coming. "Fitzwilliam!"

  He realised the help will not come in time. He took off the jacket and looked for any handkerchiefs and squatted in front of her.

  "I am ready. What should I do?" Elizabeth reached between her legs. "Good God, I think I see something. Is this a head?!" He couldn't understand why this baby was coming so fast!

  "Catch him when I push." She said, breathing heavily. "Are you ready?"

  "Yes!"

  He was so nervous he didn't remember how the baby had come to his arms. Or how it’d cried when he’d cleared its mouth with the handkerchief. Or when he’d wrapped the baby in his jacket before gave it to Elizabeth. She laid the crying baby on her chest and protected with her arms when they noticed Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Collins running their way.

  Mary Collins, Elizabeth's younger sister, has been leaving with them for seven months after her husband had died almost a year earlier. Mary hadn’t given him any children and Longbourn has been lost for the very distant relative. The sisters had started exchange letters a few months earlier and Mary finally accepted her sister's proposal and took up residence at Pemberley.

  "Fitzwilliam, Lizzy or Thomas?"

  "What?"

  "The baby, we have Lizzy or Thomas?" Elizabeth asked keeping her newborn baby close to her chest.

  "I- I don't know," he answered a little abashed.

  "What?"

  "I don't know. I- I was so concerned I didn't look. Or I look but I don't remember what I saw."

  "Are you serious?"

  He shrugged his shoulders and softly touched the cheek of his new baby, who seemed perfectly content being cradled to his mama's warm chest.

  "Hey little guy... or girl," he whispered smiling. His heart grew again.

  "I cannot believe I gave birth under the tree."

  "Yeah, we should call this tree Thomas or Lizzy." He smirked. "Elizabeth, are you well?" She nodded and cried. "Elizabeth?"

  "I'm fine, I'm just, I'm so relief everything went so well and so quickly. I was so frightened." She admitted kissing the tiny head lying under her chin. Darcy wiped her face off with another handkerchief he found in his pocket.

  "Oh Lizzy, aunt Gardiner will be surprised, she is coming in three days!" Darcy heard Mary’s voice. "He, or she," she gave her brother questioning look, "is so beautiful."

  "Jane will be surprised when we will come back with this little one." He smiled warmly at the newborn.

  "Well, you will have to find her first, Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth smirked.

  "I bet she is under our bed or behind the curtain in the sitting room or in the library hiding behind one shelf. I will give her a little more time to feel smug that she hid so well."

  "We are ready to go, Mr. Darcy." Mrs. Reynolds interrupted them. "But Mrs. Darcy shouldn't walk."

  "I will carry her, don't worry."

  "I will take the baby," Mary suggested. She wrapped the tiny newborn with another towel and took it from the mother. The little one cried immediately.

  Darcy wrapped his wife with the blanket.

  "Are you ready?" She nodded, and he picked her up while she put arms around his neck."

  "Are you well?" He asked concerned. She lay head on his shoulder and he touched his cheek to her forehead. "You are warm."

  "Of course I am warm. I just gave birth to your child, Mr. Darcy."

  "I hate when you call me that, Mrs. Darcy."

  "Fitzwilliam," she smiled at him and he looked in her eyes. "I love you." She whispered.

  He stopped and kissed her softly on the lips. "I cannot wait to find out we have a little Thomas or little Lizzy!"

  The end.