If Only In His Dreams

by Schertz, Melanie

  “I have never told you, but once in a while, Charlotte would have a…feeling with regards to something that was to come. She is usually spot on the money with her feelings, and very few are foolish enough to disregard her when she has one of these feelings. But Alex felt confident as there have never been twins in our family history.”

  “Well, then, I promise to never doubt Charlotte when she tells me that she…feels…something will happen.” Darcy stated with a smile. “Too bad she did not have a feeling as to when the babes would arrive so that I might have remained here with you.”

  “You are here now, my dearest love. That is all that matters.” Elizabeth’s love shown in her eyes as she spoke. “Now we will put the births in the past and move forward to our life together.”

  Epilog (twenty years later)

  Thomas Darcy sat on his horse looking out over his estate from one of his favorite ridges. He loved his home and all that it brought to him. He was just returning to Pemberley after finishing at Oxford. Thomas had enjoyed a month in Town before making his way home to his family.

  Looking back over the years, Thomas smiled. The love his parents shared had given him and his siblings a life that was rare in their circle of society. His sister would be marrying in a month and it pleased Thomas that she was marrying for love. That was one thing that Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy had always instilled in their children, to marry for love. Amelia’s husband had recently taken over his father’s position as the physician in Lambton. Amelia was well read, as their mother was, and she was quite interested in medicine. This made for many conversations as to new methods of treating the sick and injured.

  Thomas had three other siblings. Two years after Amelia and Thomas were born; Miss Carrie Anne Darcy was born. A year later, Paul Alexander Darcy joined the family. Nearly four years later, Miss Helen Nellie Darcy finished off their family. Of his siblings, he was closest to his twin, though young Helen was dear to him as well. Not to say that he disliked his other siblings, there was always a bond between his twin sister and him, and there was something about Helen that always brought out his protective big brother side of his personality.

  Carrie had been studying with tutors for several years now, and Paul was preparing to enter Cambridge. The Darcys had always encouraged their children to learn as much as they could. There were many debates over the years and it did not matter who was right and who was wrong. As long as each family member had an opinion to give, they were allowed to share it.

  Soon Thomas would begin his formal training as to the daily operations of the estate. He had grown up with his father always taking the time to explain things to Thomas, but now he would actually be making some of the decisions in regards to the running, not just giving an opinion. This made Thomas nervous as he knew how many people relied on good management of the estate.

  He saw a familiar sight riding across the estate. It was a sight he knew all too well and it always brought him a great deal of comfort. His father riding his stallion, Apollo, with three hound dogs following after him, and they were making their way towards Thomas. As they came closer, Thomas called out. “Father, how did you know I was here?”

  “You know your mother. She has been watching the ridge all afternoon from her private study. It gives her a better vantage point to watch this path. You have always favored this way home, and she knew that you were planning to come home today.”

  “It always amazes me that Mamma has always been able to know when to expect us. She is a devoted mother, always watching over all of us.” Thomas said with a smile.

  “Well, watching for you has also given her a distraction from the preparations for the wedding. I will be pleased when the entire event is over and we will not have to discuss lace and place settings and flowers, and gowns.”

  “Father, you know that you do not mind Mamma and Amelia making such plans for the wedding. As a matter of fact, I know that you a secretly pleased with the preparations.”

  Darcy smiled. “I only wish that your mother had had such a fine wedding herself. We moved our wedding date up, and this left no time to really prepare for a fancy wedding as this is turning into. Sometimes I wonder if your mother regrets not having such a wedding.”

  Thomas attempted to keep the smile on his face from giving away any information. He and Amelia had made a plan to surprise their parents. He decided that he had best change the subject. “How is Grandmamma today?”

  “She is weakened from the fever she had, but Jonathon says she is on the mend. It is pleasant to have a physician joining our family. He is quite current with all the new medical developments. And your sister is becoming quite well versed in medicine as well. Amelia was at your grandmother’s side, nursing her when Jonathon could not be there. There were quite a number of people in the neighborhood who were taken with the fever.”

  “Amelia says that you are supporting her decision to train to be a midwife. I believe she will do well, working side by side with Jonathon.”

  “Indeed. At first, I was concerned with Amelia’s decision. Only after speaking with your mother and grandmother did I accept that it is what your sister desires. I will support her decision, and, to be honest, I believe she was destined to such a calling. All of her life, Amelia has been interested in science, and particularly in healing the sick. It is much needed, I know it, but she is still my little girl. I wish to always be able to keep her safe.”

  “I know, Father, as do I. I would find a void in my life if I were to lose her. Amelia is dear to me. But this is what she wishes to do, and I will always be there for her. How is Aunt Georgiana? Has she and Uncle Franklin arrived for Grandmamma’s birthday?”

  “Oh, yes. And Helen is having a great deal of fun playing with your cousins.” Darcy chuckled. “They are keeping the staff on their toes, as they run through the house playing games.”

  Thomas smiled at the thought of his little sister and his young cousins running throughout their home like wild animals. Helen had always been the sort to play like the young boys did rather than being a proper young lady.

  Darcy could see the memories were traveling through his son’s mind. “Oh, and Richard and Anne will be arriving tomorrow, with their children. Anne is still melancholy after losing Aunt Catherine last year.”

  “At least they can take comfort that Aunt Catherine had lived long and found happiness in the latter years of her life. And who would not wish to die simply in their sleep as she did, with peace in her expression and a smile on her lips.”

  “And she lived to see all of her grandchildren enter this world. They will miss her dearly, but they were all old enough to have wonderful memories of the time they spent with their grandmother.”

  “It is not like when Henry Fitzwilliam died. No one from the family wished to attend his passing. And he never met any of his grandchildren.” Thomas knew that his grandmother’s brother was despised in the family. He had been told the history of what had happened and why Lord Henry Matlock had lived his final years in an asylum.

  “Henry brought on his own misery. He sowed the seeds of his evil, and he earned only contempt and anger for his work. Nearly causing the deaths of both of his sisters and your mother, and making threats against myself and Richard; he earned no loyalty from any of us.” Darcy shook his head. “No, let us not speak of that sordid mess. Let us speak of the future and the joy that is ahead of us.”

  “Very well, Father. Is now a good time to tell you of my ever growing interest in a young lady I have met?”

  Surprised, Darcy turned his full attention to his son. “Pray, tell me of her.”

  “Her name is Nellie Bosworth, and she is the sister of my friend Jeremiah. You met him last summer.”

  “I remember him. And the sister, what of her, is she of a sweet nature like your Aunt Jane or a livelier lass like your mother?”

  Thomas laughed. “Oh, she is definitely livelier. I believe you will like her. I pray that Mamma will like her as well.”

  “Your moth
er is a generous person, I am certain that she will find Miss Blaine to be a pleasant young lady if she holds your heart.”

  “You know Mamma though. She always thinks of me as her baby boy. I do not believe it is fair that she has been in favor of Amelia marrying yet treats me as if I were Helen’s age. I am, after all, a moment or two older than Amelia.”

  Darcy reached over and clapped his son on his shoulder. “Thomas, you will always be your mother’s baby boy. Though she had fears of fortune hunters attaching themselves to all of you, where you are the heir to the estate, you will come under the worst of the onslaught, as you have seen many times when you have attended balls and dinners. If Miss Blaine cares for you sincerely, I am sure that your mother will accept her.”

  “I believe that she does. The Blaine family was invited to the wedding, thanks to Amelia putting them on the list for me. You will meet her then and I look forward to learning your impressions of her.” Thomas smiled hopefully at his father.

  “Well, I will say right now, I look forward to meeting her. Now, let us make our way to the house as your mother is most likely pacing the floor, wondering what is taking so long.”

  After a month of preparations for a wedding of grand proportions, Miss Amelia Darcy stood at the church door, preparing to walk up the aisle on her father’s arm, to marry the man that she loved. Elizabeth sat in their pew in the chapel, holding a handkerchief which she used frequently to dab at the tears threatening to flow down her cheeks. She looked at her husband, so handsome, and saw that he had tears welling up in his eyes as well. This was not surprising to Elizabeth; Darcy had always been extremely sentimental when it came to the ladies that he loved. He loved his sons as dearly, but Darcy rarely demonstrated his emotions towards them as he did the ladies.

  Beside Elizabeth sat Lady Anne. The ladies held each other’s hand as they watched the procession leading their beloved Amelia towards the chapel alter and her future. It was not long before both of them lost their battle to hold back the tears and they were streaming down the cheeks of Amelia’s grandmother and mother. And after placing her hand in the hand of her groom, Darcy turned to show that he had lost the battle as well.

  As the wedding ended, and the couple would normally have walked to the back of the chapel, Amelia nodded her head to her brother and he stepped to her side. Lady Anne stood and walked to where not only the twins, but the other Darcy children were gathering. When they were all together, Thomas spoke.

  “When our parents married, they did not have a fancy wedding, with all the frills that we have seen today. Mamma, you spent a great deal of time making everything perfect for Amelia’s day, and all of us wish to give to you a special day as well. Father, a month ago you stated that you felt that Mamma was cheated from having a fancy wedding such as today’s event is. So we spoke with the pastor and we wish for you to renew your vows to each other.”

  Elizabeth and Darcy looked between their children and Lady Anne, and then turned to each other. They nodded their head. Helen brought a boutique from behind her back to present to her mother, with blue ribbons wrapped around the stems. Carrie gave Elizabeth a handkerchief that Elizabeth had given her for her last Christmas; though she told her mother that it was only to be the something borrowed. Lady Anne stepped over to her daughter in law and placed a locket around Lizzy’s neck. “This, my dear girl, was my mother in law’s locket. I should have given it to you years ago, but it seems I was waiting to the proper moment. Now it is your something old, beside the old man beside you.”

  This caused some light laughing amongst the audience. Jane stepped to her sister and placed a beautiful comb in Elizabeth’s hair. It was beautiful with small diamonds and sapphires. Obviously Jane was involved in the scheme. Looking into her sister’s eyes, Jane placed a hand gently on Elizabeth’s cheek. “Now you have something old, new, borrowed, and blue. And this chapel is decorated as the one at Longbourn should have been the day you married. And we have a wonderful wedding breakfast prepared for not just Amelia and Jonathon, but for you two as well. So let us do this the way it should have been done, and hopefully it will be good for another twenty years.”

  Darcy stepped to his wife and took hold of her hand. Their children stood as their witnesses, with Helen holding the new wedding band that would be presented to their mother. As the couple exchanged their vows for the second time, the couples in the congregation all silently repeated their vows they had said at their weddings. Alex and Charlotte looked at their two sons with pride. Richard and Anne held each other’s hand tightly as they whispered the words to each other, surrounded by their three children. Jane and Charles smiled at the scene, looking at only each other while their six children watched them, giggling. When the ceremony was over, the two couples turned and made their way towards the back of the chapel to sign the register. Darcy and Elizabeth signed first, with Amelia and Jonathon second.

  As Thomas made his way to follow the rest of his family, he could not stop himself from looking at Nellie who was sitting near the back of the room with her brother. The way she smiled at him made his heart flutter with joy. He knew that it would not be long before he asked for her hand in marriage. She was the woman that had taken hold of his heart and he was certain that she loved him the same.

  The wedding breakfast ended as the newlyweds left for their honeymoon trip to Bath. Darcy and Elizabeth made their way to their chambers shortly afterwards, smiling as if it were truly their wedding night all over again.

  Elizabeth smiled at the man she had married, the man who had won her heart and loved her as dearly as she loved him. “William, when you first met me, you said you fell in love with me because of the woman you had dreamed. In all of your dreams, could you ever have imagined your life turning out so wonderfully?”

  “My love, the life that I dreamed could never come close to what I have with you. I am grateful for the dreams, though, for if it were not for them, I might never have realized who you were the moment I met you. And that is something I cannot imagine, for you, my Lizzy, are the other half of my heart.”

  The couple embraced, holding on to one another as they realized just how blessed they had been and would be forever.

  THE END