by Ola Wegner
“There is a certain matter of which I should inform you,” Drew said.
Elizabeth towelled herself dry and sprinkled her skin with perfume. She put on the chemise, then petticoats and reached for the dress. She had abandoned wearing the stays a few weeks ago, fearing that the corset might harm the babe.
“Please, continue, Drew,” she said, pulling on a stocking. “You have me concerned.”
“I received a marriage proposal.”
Elizabeth ceased any movement and stared at her with wide eyes, utterly stunned. “Marriage proposal?”
Drew nodded.
“Congratulations,” Elizabeth said.
The maid sighed. “I did not expect it. I am not certain if I should be congratulated on that. I am wondering whether I should accept it or not.”
Later, as Drew was pinning up Elizabeth’s hair, in short words she told the story of her very unexpected meeting with Mr Harrison in Matlock last week.
Elizabeth spoke very little. She could hardly imagine having a new maid. She had grown attached to Drew. She thought of her as a friend rather than a servant.
***
Elizabeth strolled down the front lawn, enjoying the spring air and light wind blowing against her skirts. She walked away from the company which was seated on the terrace enjoying the refreshments. The Earl of Northumberland enjoyed taking coffee at all times of the day, and Elizabeth detested the smell. She never enjoyed coffee but lately her stomach revolted at the sight of it.
She saw Darcy approaching from the direction of the stables. Elizabeth smiled at the way he presented himself. In her eyes he grew more handsome with every day. Not minding that they were in open sight of not only the family but also servants who could watch them from the windows, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
“How are you today, my darling?” he asked her warmly.
Her sleeping patterns had changed, and she slept later into the morning. Darcy rose early as was his custom. They had not talked to one another this morning, thus his question was entirely justified.
“I am well. I could not smell the coffee the earl drinks. I preferred to excuse myself.”
Darcy looked above her head, his gaze concentrating on the group seated on the terrace. “I can see that neither Jane nor Georgiana offered to join you.”
“The Earl of Northumberland is quite an attraction for both of them, I believe.”
“Yes, it appears so,” he murmured.
“Any news about the stolen horses?”
He shook his head. “I think that we can safely state that we shall never recover them.”
She patted his arm. “It is such a shame.”
“Indeed, it is. Let us not speak of this. Shall we join them? I prefer to have an eye on Georgiana while she is in Percy’s company.”
“Jane is there,” Elizabeth pointed out.
“Your sister is a true voice of reason. She has an excellent influence over Georgiana.”
Elizabeth took a step forward, staring into his eyes. “I know that I have already thanked you, but truly you cannot imagine how pleased I am that Jane is here with us. I will always be grateful to you for inviting her.”
“You abandoned everything you knew by marrying me. I appreciate it and I wish you to be content. Inviting Jane was a very small thing.”
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head on his chest. She felt his arms embracing her gently.
“This would generate some gossip,” he said, his voice amused. He placed his hand on the nape of her neck, just beneath the back of her bonnet, stroking the sensitive skin he found there.
She looked up at him. “I do not care. According to Drew, there is already much gossip below the stairs about us.”
“Truly? I heard nothing of it. Clayton is not as talkative as your maid. What is the nature of this gossip?”
“That we are a love match,” she said.
“Are we?” he asked.
Elizabeth felt the blush creeping up her cheeks. It was not the turn which she expected this conversation to take.
“I believe that it is,” she said quietly, looking down.
She felt his mouth on hers, kissing her fervently. “Fitzwilliam,” she whispered, putting her hands flat on his chest. “Everyone is looking at us.”
He nibbled softly at her lips. “I love you too,” he said.
Their eyes met for a long moment. “I know.”
They began walking in the direction of the house. She felt his eyes on her the entire time. His gaze intimidated her. To divert his attention, she said, “In all probability I should start searching for a new maid.”
“Are you displeased with Drew? I thought that you were pleased with her.”
“I am very pleased with her. Nevertheless, I believe that she is getting married.”
“To whom?”
“To some farmer. I have never seen him, at least I do not remember his face. His name is Harrison and he owns a farm near Lambton. He approached her in Lambton last week, making her a proposal right there in the street. Can you imagine it? Poor Drew. He took her entirely by surprise. She said to me that she had barely spoken to him before and seen him only several times in the church. What kind of man is he? He proposes to a woman whom he barely knows.”
“He is a good match for her.”
Elizabeth stopped, looking up at him. “Do you know him?”
He smiled. “We played together as children. My parents encouraged me to run with the boys from the village. Our relation severed only when I was sent to school. Harrison is a hard worker and very ambitious. He was truly devastated when his wife died in childbirth.”
Elizabeth hung her head down. “He is a good man, then.”
He put a finger under her cheek, lifting it up to look into her face. “You are upset.”
Unexpectedly, tears formed in Elizabeth’s dark eyes. Truly anything could bring her to tears these days.
“Forgive me.” She dried her eyes, dabbing them with a handkerchief. “I grew attached to Drew. It would be selfish of me to try to stop her, though. I assured her that I was very pleased for her and although I would miss her greatly I wished her every happiness.”
“Has she accepted him, then?”
“Not yet, but I do believe that she will give him her answer on Sunday.”
“Well, we should see and wait what she decides. I am certain that she will not leave before we can find her replacement. Please, do not concern yourself over this.”
She rolled her eyes. “I am silly.”
He touched her cheek. “You are far from that. Now let us go and rescue our sisters from Percy.”
She accepted his arm and they resumed their walk.
Chapter Eighteen
“Elizabeth, it is torture,” Darcy murmured as she placed kisses on his neck and chest.
“Love me,” she pleaded, brushing her enlarged breasts over his torso.
He cupped her face, staring into her eyes. “I do not wish to hurt you,” he said.
“You will not.”
“No bleeding?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. Please. I miss you.”
He pushed her off him and loomed over her. With eagerness she put her arms around him. They kissed deeply, Elizabeth peeling his shirt off his shoulders.
She sighed sweetly as he kissed her neck.
“Are you tender here?” he asked, grazing his cheek against the perky mound of her breast.
“A little,” she admitted.
He kissed gently around her chest but did not stay long there. His attention was drawn lower. He touched her belly, stroking it gently.
“It looks different. It is not as flat as it was before,” he observed. “It is harder to touch as well,” he said, pressing gently.
Elizabeth was leisurely running her fingers through his thick hair.
He put his ear to her waist. She giggled. “Can you hear something?” she asked.
He looked up at her. “Does he move
? Do you feel him?”
“He?”
“I believe that it is a boy.”
“It can very well be a girl.”
Darcy’s eyes returned to her midsection. “It does not look like a girl.”
She began to laugh uncontrollably until her belly began to hurt. “You are talking utter nonsense,” she said when she calmed down a little.
“If the baby is a girl and she looks like you she will be the most spoiled little girl in the entire country.”
She sighed. “I am afraid that it is the truth. You do like to spoil both Georgiana and I.”
Darcy kissed his way back to her lips. They lay sideways, staring at one another, his hand resting gently on her waist. She stroked his cheek with the back of her hand.
“My mother, she was very sick, many times,” he confessed, turning her hand around and kissing the inside of it. “I did not understand why she was ill so very often. Only when I was older I understood that it was because of her many miscarriages.”
She kissed him on the lips. “It is all in the past.”
“When I realized that you were with child, the memories returned.”
“Come to me,” she said, pulling her closer to him, wrapping herself around him. “I love you,” she whispered.
Soon he was entering her very gently. Elizabeth opened herself to him completely, body and soul. With every day she was learning more of him, appreciating greatly the man he was.
***
Darcy was nested in his favourite armchair with his long legs stretched in front of him. Percy was seated beside him, smoking a cigar. Darcy did not smoke himself, but he did not mind when others did in his company.
Darcy’s wife and sisters were in the drawing room from where he heard muted sounds of the pianoforte.
“Shall we join the ladies?” the earl asked.
Darcy rose to his feet and poured him some more whiskey.
“How are you liking Pemberley?” he asked, handing the other man the glass.
“It is magnificent,” Percy spoke with sincerity, without even a hint of jealousy. “You should be proud of it.”
“I certainly am.”
Darcy dropped back into the armchair. “Percy, I shall not beat about the bush. I would not wish for you to ever have any hopes concerning Georgiana.”
The earl put the half-empty glass on the side table. “How do you know that I have any?”
Darcy narrowed his eyes. “Why did you come here, then?”
“You grew some backbone over the years, Darcy,” the earl commented. “You were such a polite boy when we first met.”
“Well? Will you answer me?”
“You overthink it, old friend. I had no prior intention of paying you a visit. I saw Mrs Darcy in Matlock entirely by chance. She was very kind to me.”
“Elizabeth is too kind at times,” Darcy murmured.
“My interest grew when she introduced Miss Darcy to me and she certainly was not nine.”
“Are you doing this to spite me?” Darcy demanded. “I do not think that I deserve it.”
“Why are you so forbidding? I came here because it was much better than visiting my aunt in Scotland where my family would surely throw every eligible young lady at me. You know it all too well from your own experience, I believe.”
“You have no intention to court Georgiana then?”
“I must admit that this possibility crossed my mind.”
“It is out of the question, Percy.”
The earl put on an innocent expression. “Do you not want your sister to become a countess?”
“I want her to have a husband who respects her and treats her well.”
Percy frowned. “I am not a monster.”
“You are not a saint, either.”
“It would be a good match for both of our families,” the earl attempted to convince him. “You must admit it. My father would be delighted with your sister as the future Countess of Northumberland. Georgiana is handsome, intelligent, truly accomplished. I have never heard a young woman playing the pianoforte so well.”
“She is too young to know her own mind.”
“I admit that she is childish. She is extremely attached to Pemberley and to you. She is too young for marriage. I can recognize that. Nevertheless, she will mature in a few years. Your wife has a good influence over her.”
“Wait until she is at least one and twenty,” Darcy negotiated. “I will not tolerate you courting her openly earlier than that.”
“You are a fraud. How old was your wife when you met her? Mrs Darcy cannot be much older than Georgiana.”
“Elizabeth was one and twenty when we married,” Darcy stressed.
There was silence between the two men for a longer while.
“What do you expect of me?” the earl spoke first.
“I expect you to leave my sister in peace.”
“Will you oppose the match, then?”
“Percy, I will not give my sister to a man who keeps lovers. Can you assure me that you shall change your ways after the wedding? I think that even you do not believe in it.”
The earl took the glass from the table and drank the rest of the gold liquor.
“What about Miss Bennet? She is a true beauty. Your sister it pretty, but Miss Bennet is a goddess.”
“Stay away from Jane,” Darcy barked. “She is too poor for you.”
“You married her sister, though. Was she not too poor for you?”
“It is not your business.”
“You are enamoured with your wife,” the earl stated.
“Percy, I will repeat this for the very last time. It is not your business,” Darcy spoke, his voice calm. “And do not toy with Jane. You cannot be as heartless as you pose yourself to be. Jane has just lost her father and I know for certain that she has had enough heartache in her life.”
The Earl of Northumberland rose to his feet. “It is high time for us to join the ladies. Will you not agree with me?”
“I will join you shortly,” Darcy replied.
The earl was by the door when he turned and said, “Do not worry, Darcy. I shall not harm any of them.”
***
Mary was inspecting the dresses which hung in the closet. Some of them she could alter on her own to adjust them to Mrs Darcy’s growing form, but others would be ruined with such modifications. There was an urgent need to order some new gowns for Mrs Darcy. Drew knew good seamstresses in Matlock whom she thought to recommend to her lady.
She heard heavier steps in the bedroom. She guessed that it was Clayton. She was losing her patience with him. The man was making the most ridiculous complaints.
“Mrs Drew.” She heard the familiar baritone coming from behind her.
She spun around to see Mr Darcy standing in the doorway of the dressing room.
“Good morning, sir,” she said. “I do believe that Mrs Darcy has gone for a walk with her sister.”
“I am not looking for Mrs Darcy. I want to speak to you,” he said.
Mary’s heart squeezed unpleasantly. Master Darcy never talked to her. He always acted as if she was simply not there. Was he displeased with her? Had she done something wrong?
She straightened up, looking at him expectantly. “Yes, sir.”
“Let us get out of here,” he proposed. He turned on his heel and stepped out of the dressing room.
Mary put away the dress which she was holding in her hands and followed him into the private sitting room situated between two bedrooms.
“Sit down, please, Mrs Drew,” he said.
“I prefer to stand, sir.”
“Very well,” he said. “Mrs Darcy informed me of the possibility of your future marriage to John Harrison. My wife grew attached to you. She values you greatly. She does not wish to separate with you.”
Mary calmed down instantly. She was rather astonished that Mrs Darcy had talked to her husband about her. She felt flattered. She could not deny that. She, as well as the rest of the staff at Pemberley
, was well aware that Master Darcy was ready to do almost anything just to please his wife.
“If I remarry, sir, it would not be possible for me to continue working here,” she said cautiously.
“Yes, it is understandable. Before you decide about your future, I would like to offer you a form of enticement to keep you here at Pemberley. I heard from Mrs Darcy a while ago that you care deeply for the education of your son. If you stay with us, I promise to send him to school as my protégé. He would be raised as a gentleman. He could choose his own profession. Whether it be law, church or the army, it would be his decision. Mrs Darcy has affluent relatives in trade, thus I do believe that he could train as a merchant if that was his interest.”
Mary stood there perfectly still, unblinking. She had expected to hear of the increase of her pay, but certainly not such a generous proposal.
“Would you truly do it?” she questioned.
“I never go back on one’s given word,” he said. “I can advise you on some good boarding schools which would prepare him well to further his university education.”
“I cannot believe it,” she whispered.
“I can assure you that you can trust my word.”
“I know, sir, but… it is too much.”
“Think about it, Mrs Drew. I will not interrupt your work anymore.”
Having said those words, Darcy left the room. Mary stared after him, still speechless. The last weeks had been indeed rich in unforeseen events.
***
Elizabeth stood in the doors leading to the library, tapping her foot rather impatiently. Her attire suggested that she was prepared for a long walk. She had her sturdy lace boots on, a dark-coloured dress with matching jacket, and a straw bonnet with large rim.
“I am going, my dearest, I am going,” Darcy said, still standing by his desk, looking at some papers. “Just a moment, please.”
“You said the same a quarter of an hour ago. I will go alone,” she threatened him.
Darcy put away the papers, hiding them in the drawer of the desk.
“Where are we going today?” he asked as they walked out of the house.
