Mr Darcy's Mail-Order Bride

by J Dawn King

  Not waiting for Darcy’s reply, he walked out into the rain and around the house to the cabin. Comfort awaited him in Maggie’s arms.

  Darcy rose and moved carefully to the same post the foreman had leaned on. Looking over the river below, he wondered if he and Elizabeth would be able to find such peace. Certainly, with Wickham in the area, he needed to be even more vigilant.

  Breath rushed from his chest at all the Bingleys lost on that day. They would be excited to be home where they had plans to settle in for the winter and possibly start their family, plans that would be changed without them even being aware.

  He leaned his head against the hard wooden beam. Darcy felt as weary as the men.

  He didn’t hear her come up behind him. When her arms slowly snaked around his waist from behind, he felt the first threads of release from the pressures in his soul. When Elizabeth turned the side of her face and laid it between his shoulder blades, tightening her arms in the process, he wanted to weep, losing almost all the strength he possessed in the one leg holding him up.

  He wrapped his arm over the top of hers and pressed it into his gut. Their first time being so close. Their first time they spoke with no words. Their first embrace.

  The rain starting that day failed to stop until after they received word of the Bingleys’ arrival in Portland. They would reach the docks at Oregon City in two days, taking opportunity to have their clothing laundered and enjoy the amenities of the city. Their party would be staying with Mr. and Mrs. Hurst.

  The note had been poorly written with smudges and drops of ink. Darcy had immediately recognized its author as Bingley. Overall, it contained the minimal amount of information possible—only their arrival. He had immediately written back with news of the fire and the current situation at Netherfield ranch.

  “Well, Son.” Dr. Henderson finished bending Darcy’s foot, flexing the calf muscles unused for the past ninety days. “I’ll tell you to take it easy the first week or so. Your leg isn’t used to your weight, and you will feel the loss of muscle as soon as you stand and lean upon it.”

  “I thank you, Doc. This has been a trial.”

  “What? To have your wife waiting on you hand and foot?” The physician, a man married for over thirty years, snorted. “If only most marriages had that kind of a start, I believe fewer men would ever turn their eyes away to other women. They would appreciate what they have at home.”

  “Trust me. I appreciate Elizabeth more than I could ever say.” Darcy was quick with his comment. “She continues to take on adversity and challenge with a dignity that bears credit to the Darcy name. I’m fortunate in my choice of wife and I know it.”

  “Have you heard from the Bingleys then?” The doctor rolled down his sleeves after washing his hands.

  “We expect them day after tomorrow. The house was merely charred from the fire, and the women have spent days scrubbing while the men repainted to get rid of as much of the smoke smell as possible. All the hardwood furniture was able to be salvaged, but the mattresses and the stuffed pieces had to go.”

  The doctor shook his head in disappointment for his young friend.

  “They will stay at Pemberley?” The doctor raised his brow, as if his question had a particular purpose.

  “Of course, they will.”

  “Now, Will. In case you have already thought this through and reached the same conclusion I have, you need to know that you are approved for all sorts of activity.”

  “Well, I should hope so. There’s so much to do on the ranch. With company coming, especially Elizabeth’s sister, who she has missed terribly, she has already started baking. I hope to help Bingley get settled and my own men to finish the final touches on the new cabin for the Pedersens.”

  Dr. Henderson cleared his throat.

  “How many bedrooms does Pemberley have, son?”

  “Four.” He raised his shoulders at the odd question.

  “One for you. One for Georgiana. One for the Bingleys and one for Miss Bingley.” The doctor smiled. “And where will Elizabeth be sleeping?”

  Realization dawned and Darcy wanted to slap himself on the forehead and grin like a fool at the same time. He imagined his face was beet red. “So we?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank God!” He stood and slapped the doctor on the back, possibly a mite harder than he should have, and then shook his hand, pumping it up and down like he was trying to draw water from a dry well. Probably the man was the wisest physician known to mankind.

  Elizabeth looked out of the kitchen window. What she saw on the front porch warmed her heart until it melted. Her husband, that bigger-than-life man, was holding Christine’s tiny doll in his arms like a baby. He was attempting to tie the strings of the miniature bonnet under the toy’s chin and his large fingers were meeting with little success. By the time he’d knotted something which finally garnered the little girl’s approval, she had gone on to another activity. Darcy gently placed the doll on the table beside him, though he carefully smoothed down the dress and pushed back a lock of hair after doing so.

  “I know you weren’t aware of it when you married him, but he’s a good man.” Maggie Reynolds had stepped alongside her.

  Elizabeth looked at the housekeeper. “Yes, he is.” They both smiled and then went back to work.

  Fluffing the last pillow in the last of the bedrooms, Elizabeth surveyed each corner until she was confident nothing was out of place and everything was as it should be. She would put Bingley and Jane in this room, as the bed was almost as large as Darcy’s. The light blue coverlet and curtains happened to be her sister’s favorite color. Only one more day until they arrived.

  Elizabeth had counted guest rooms as well and comprehended she would need to give hers up the next day for Charles’ sister. In her heart of hearts, she hoped Maggie was not correct in reading the young woman’s character, or that Miss Bingley was a much kinder version of what she had been. Jane would never be able to stand up to a forceful sister, as had been proven year after year with Jane taking neutral ground with each of Lydia’s tantrums. Their youngest sister had a wicked temper and no amount of calm from the eldest had helped.

  Elizabeth was desperate to see Jane—to see what three months of marriage and a trip across the country and back had done to her most tender sibling. Was Jane as happy in her marriage as she was?

  Since the day of the fire, Darcy had taken every opportunity to touch Elizabeth—his fingers stroking her arm, leaning his shoulder into hers as they sat next to each other, or resting his hand on the small of her back as she stood alongside him. Each time it happened, a chill went from her heart to her toes, making them wiggle in delicious delight. Surprised at her own response, she finally admitted to herself her longing for more from the man she married.

  And she had touched as well. Their hands now came together so easily it was as if they had been born joined, palm to palm, their fingers entwined. She would step up behind her husband as he stood at the same post looking out over the river, placing her hand on his shoulder blade, slowly sliding it back and forth to the middle of his spine as she spoke to him, feeling the strong muscles and the cotton of his shirt under her fingers.

  Sighing deeply, Elizabeth was pleased with her life. Construction was far enough along that the Pedersen family now lived in a three room cabin with an attached shower room. Neighbors had come to help and the continual rain failed to slow them in their efforts. This left the other half of the bunkhouse empty in case there was needed overflow from the main house. However, she could not put her sister or Jane’s family so far from her.

  The pantry was filled with canned fruits and vegetables. Every hole was darned and tear was stitched until she was satisfied with the contents of the house.

  And she loved Will Darcy. Smiling to herself, she admitted that her favorite part of him was his response to her teasing.

  “Will Darcy! Are you encouraging those boys to jump in that puddle? Cynthia will have your hide when she goes to do the wa
sh.”

  “Who me?” He completely failed to hide his mirth in his efforts to look innocent.

  “She will have you scrubbing those pants and wringing them out to dry. You will be the tallest washerwoman in all of Clackamas County.”

  The baritone of his laugh rumbled from his chest. “That I will.”

  Though it had happened yesterday, she easily remembered the look he gave Timothy and Markus as they challenged each other to see who could make the water fly the highest. Darcy’s desire to join their antics was a pleasant surprise, one of many to add to her list of favorite memories of their first months married.

  Gazing out the upstairs window, she watched Darcy’s tentative steps away from the porch. As soon as she saw him stumble, Elizabeth flew down the stairs into the yard, completely unconcerned that by the time she arrived at his side and wrapped her arms firmly around his waist, he might be stable.

  “Will, are you okay?” Anxiety riddled her voice. Since Dr. Henderson had given him freedom to move the day prior, she existed in dread of Darcy reinjuring himself and found herself watching him like a hawk.

  For the first time in their marriage they stood face-to-face, chest-to-chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her even closer. When she looked up, he leaned forward, his mouth stopping only an inch from their first kiss. He whispered, “Oh, yes, Lizzy. I’m perfectly okay.”

  The last thought before his lips met hers? He called me Lizzy.

  Fitzwilliam Darcy was in no hurry to disturb the woman tucked under the covers beside him. They’d slept little, taking advantage of their newfound closeness to whisper hopes and dreams of their future as well as become man and wife. She was a wonder, and his heart filled to the brim with affection for her.

  At one point, when the night was at its darkest, she had whispered her worries about the Bingleys’ disappointments.

  “My love,” Her endearment made him smile. “Had it been you and I, and even Georgiana, who had suffered a fire and the damage to our home, I believe we are stalwart enough to withstand both the shock and any efforts we would need to take to help our situation along. But I worry about Jane. While not weak, she would rely solely on the decisions and actions of her husband to care for them. On her own she would be lost.”

  “And you would not rely on me if it was us?” His question was not borne of anger, but curiosity.

  “Why would I do that?” She sounded adorably confused, making him chuckle. She continued, “One benefit of having you so close every day for the past three months is I feel confident in knowing how you would go about a multitude of matters. Therefore, I would not hesitate, if a situation came up and you were not available, to do exactly as I would imagine you would do in my place. I know you, Will, and you know me as well as I believe most couples who have been married for years.”

  “You do, huh?”

  “I do.”

  He easily saw in his mind the set of her jaw as he felt her chin lift from his chest.

  “I am happy you do, Lizzy.” He hugged her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. “And I would expect no less from you.” He kissed her forehead, her nose, and her chin. “So why are you talking of Bingley on your wedding night?”

  He kissed her mouth right after she murmured, “Who’s Bingley?”

  By the time the first buggy pulled into Pemberley, Jane Bingley had had to stop twice to empty her stomach on the way from Oregon City. Elizabeth was frantic when she observed how pale and thin her sister was upon her arrival.

  Once Bingley helped her from the transport, Elizabeth hugged her briefly, smelling the remains of the dried vomit in her hair. Ignoring the others present, she rushed her sister into the showering room and tended to her until she was scrubbed and wrapped in one of Darcy’s robes. In the background, she heard Maggie setting out food and drink while Darcy directed Dan and Melvin where to put the multitude of trunks and cases.

  “I thank you, Lizzy.” Even Jane’s voice was weak. “You can’t know how good it feels to be on solid ground.”

  They heard the demanding female voice of the other female Elizabeth had briefly noticed was in the carriage. Surprisingly, Jane stood from the bench in the bath and walked out the door, Elizabeth following closely behind.

  Caroline Bingley was everything—and more—that Maggie had described. As tall as Jane and Georgiana, her flaming red hair topped a face pinched by disdain, her lips pressed together tightly.

  “I insist on having the largest room in the house. I do not want my dresses wrinkled nor my precious possessions crowded together.”

  Elizabeth knew Jane would try to make peace, so she stepped ahead of her to address the young lady. However, Jane bumped Elizabeth out of the way.

  Icy disapproval filled her voice. “Caroline, this is not our home. Your demands are not proper. We are guests of the Darcys.”

  “Then I want a room of my own. I am not willing to share with…”

  They heard another buggy pull up to the noise of Lydia and Kitty Bennet’s screeching laughter and Mary’s unsuccessful attempts to calm them down.

  “…them.” Miss Bingley finished, turning and pointing her finger out the still opened door.

  Elizabeth was stunned. Not a word had been mentioned by her sister or Bingley about having all three of her sisters accompany them to Oregon. She looked at her husband and noted his surprise as well.

  Without waiting to be helped, the two youngest girls jumped down, landing on the gravel pathway, and walked into the house as if they owned it. Mary and another woman who, hopefully, was Bingley’s new cook, stayed until Bingley quickly went outside to assist them to the ground.

  She turned to her sister. “You didn’t think to let me know?”

  Jane blew the fringe on her forehead from her eyes. “We weren’t aware of their plans until our last morning when we stopped to say our goodbyes. There they were, all lined up like ducks, sitting on their luggage. Mama kept hugging each of them and Papa never came out of the house.”

  “Oh, Jane.” Elizabeth could imagine how her eldest sister felt. She knew how she was feeling now, and she was both blisteringly angry with her father and deeply disappointed. But she was happy they were here in a puzzled sort of way.

  “You have a lovely home, sir,” Mary politely mentioned, though her words were drowned out by the cat fight occurring only a foot from where she stood.

  Caroline Bingley was nose-to-nose with Lydia Bennet, and Darcy feared fists would soon start flying.

  “If you had been trained at Mrs. Fletcher’s School for the Betterment of Young Ladies, you would know how crass you are, Lydia Bennet.” The red face of Caroline’s abhorrence clashed violently with her hair.

  “With your turned up nose and freckles, you are the last female I would call a lady, Carrie Bingley. You will never get a husband looking like you do, all pinched and puckered.”

  “And you will never get a husband acting like a floosy willing to accept the attention of any man, no matter how pretty you believe yourself to be.”

  “Ladies!” Darcy had had enough. At any moment, he expected hair to fly and talons to be extended. He had yet to be introduced to whom he assumed were younger Bennets, but he knew Caroline and he vowed then and there that any daughter he and Elizabeth would be blessed with would not be attending Mrs. Fletcher’s School for the Betterment of Young Ladies.

  While his deep voice was still reverberating back and forth from one end of the living room to the other, sweet, humble Jane Bennet stepped between the two females and grabbed each one by their ears. Ignoring their yelps of pain, Jane looked to her hostess.

  “Where do you want them, Lizzy?”

  In the three months of their marriage, he had rarely seen his wife’s smile so big. The chaos hadn’t bothered her at all.

  “Follow me.” Elizabeth marched up the stairs, her shoulders lifted, though Darcy spied a quiver she quickly forced herself to contain. She was waiting to burst out in laughter and he wondered how long she coul
d master her glee.

  Jane never loosened her grip as she pulled the two combatants behind Elizabeth. The two other Bennet girls followed.

  He couldn’t help but shake his head. Georgiana, Maggie, and the unknown woman had moved into the dining room to get out of the way and he didn’t blame them at all.

  “You should have been with us on the train.” Bingley spoke up, Darcy having forgotten he was in the room.

  “I imagine.” Again, his head went back and forth as he looked to where the females had gone. He heard his wife direct the two youngest Bennets into the room intended for Caroline. Miss Bingley and the other of Elizabeth’s sisters would go in the blue room she had planned to give Charles and Jane.

  “This has been hard on Jane. She is with child.” Pride surged in his friend’s chest, and Darcy saw it literally puff out. Then it collapsed. “Between her daily bouts of sickness and trying to keep peace between the sisters, she’s exhausted.”

  “And what have you done to corral the girls?”

  “Me? What do you mean, me? Jane is doing fine on her own.” Bingley hitched his thumbs into his belt. “In fact, about two days into our journey, my Janey took on Caroline and Lydia until they both sat silent and still for hours. I couldn’t have been more proud.”

  “Bingley, if it’s as you say and your wife is carrying your babe, it should be you taking care of matters to protect her.”

  “Protect, Jane?” Bingley was incredulous. “Are you kidding me? I thought I’d married a mild-mannered wife brimming with kind submission. As soon as she turned up pregnant, she made a mountain lion look friendly. I have no idea how your marriage is going, Darcy, but when she’s in a mood, I’ve learned to wisely raise my hands in surrender and back off.”

  The mental picture of Bingley doing so made him want to chuckle, though he did not. Immediately, he wondered how Elizabeth would react when she was with child. She was fierce enough without being pregnant. How he admired his wife.