"There you go, I knew ye would get it," the midwife said as she beamed at her young charge.
Although Mrs. Wickham found the connection to her new son novel, she was not so bad at math that she could not calculate she would soon become a slave to the child's feeding unless he was given over to the wetnurse.
"I shall do this feeding, but I should like the nurse to come as soon as she is able," Georgiana said and the midwife looked at her, rather quizzically.
"The nurse?" The midwife asked as Lady Catherine had been most clear there was no need for a wetnurse to be called when she had inquired. Therefore, the midwife had not made any arrangements with the local women. Mrs. Wickham was on her own.
"Yes, the wetnurse. Surely no one expects me to become a common cow?" Georgiana asked the midwife who shrugged. She did not wish to be the recipient of Mrs. Wickham's ire when she learned that there was no extra expense being paid for her or the child.
"Let me go see where she can be found?" The midwife asked, confident that Mrs. Wickham was well on the road to recovery and no longer needed her services. Knowing what she knew of her ladyship, the midwife would seek to get her payment as soon as possible before some grievance of her service could be found.
Downstairs, Fitzwilliam Darcy had arrived at Rosings, rather shocked to find Richard and Ann breaking their fast in the dining room. When Richard saw Darcy, he forgot his manners, stood from the table to rush at his cousin and greet him like a brother.
"How did you know to come?" Richard asked, rather impressed that Fitzwilliam could hold such foresight as to arrive on the very day Georgiana gave birth.
"Was I to be summoned?" Mr. Darcy asked. Anne and Richard looked at each other before nodding. "Why, what is wrong?" Fitzwilliam asked to spy involuntarily the empty seat where Lady Catherine usually sat. Before he could feel too much excitement and begin assuming the worst for his aunt, Anne quickly answered that Georgiana had been delivered of a son that very morning.
That was not entirely good news to Mr. Darcy, as he had hoped to stymie any request of hers to go to Pemberley as it being too close to her time for travel. Then again, she had just given birth that morning. There would still be many weeks until she was churched, and he could use the argument if he was pressed.
Richard suddenly grew suspicious. "If you did not come because you thought Georgiana's time was near, what brings you to Rosings?" Richard asked and Darcy grew slightly uncomfortable.
"I stopped at the Dowager Cottage first, but they said you two had spent the night here. So I came straight here to beg for an interview, I'm afraid," Mr. Darcy explained.
The three cousins retired to a small library on the main floor for any hope of privacy. They all knew they could not trust any of the footmen in the dining room, so yet another meal at Rosings was cut short, and Richard was beginning to think his plans of eating all that he could were becoming a fool’s errand.
To Ann, being in the library once more with her two male cousins felt equal parts thrilling and adventurous. For once, she was as much in the dark as her husband, and she couldn't wait to learn what intrigue Fitzwilliam was bringing to them.
Mr. Darcy paced as Richard and Anne took a seat on the one sofa in the room. He watched as their forms naturally fit next to each other and he felt a stabbing ache of missing Elizabeth. Still, all of this was for her sake as well, as they were all in danger.
"I could have sent a letter, but gauging by your last one, I did not think you would come. Your father and I are asking you, begging you to come back to London," Fitzwilliam said
Unfortunately, Darcy had not worded the query quite well, and Richard assumed the invitation only extended to him.
"You can tell my father I am not at his beck and call! And I am not leaving my wife’s side again while she's in such a delicate condition. I fetched Georgiana for you and brought her back," Richard was about to add that Darcy could not ask him to do that which he was unwilling to do, but that argument would hold no water. Darcy was very clearly present and Elizabeth was nowhere to be found. So whatever the task was, Darcy had indeed stepped up to do some of the work himself.
Anne placed a calming hand on her husband's forearm. "Dearest, I don't think Darcy meant only for you to go to London," and threw Mr. Darcy a chance of redemption, and her cousin seized it.
"Forgive me, I have been traveling so many miles, that I forgot myself. No, the invitation is not only to Richard. It would be infinitely better if the two of you would come to London and stay with your father."
Darcy finally took a seat and laid out everything for Richard including the attack on Darcy House and the unfortunate morning at the gaol. Anne listened carefully, but held her tongue as the two men sparred back and forth with various ideas of the motives and machinations afoot.
Finally, when the two of them had exhausted what they thought to be every scenario, their fairer cousin offered an angle neither one of them had ever considered.
"You keep talking about all these men as though this is something they wish to do. But what if the Duke’s son and Lord Strange’s father are caught up in something neither one of them condone or wish to be involved in?"
Darcy looked at Anne as though she had not followed the point, but her husband gave her respect and urged her to continue.
"You mentioned briefly today, and a long time ago when I eavesdropped, that the Earl of Derby wanted Georgiana to marry his son, yes? But the man laid it out as a financial transaction. Lord Strange and Georgiana had never met," Anne said and her cousin Fitzwilliam began to understand the angle that his cousin could see that none of the men could.
"So you think forcing a marriage to my sister was going to be the first way of solving the problem of his son running amok," Darcy theorized and Anne nodded.
Richard added to the theory.
"Remember, your contact at the docks said that the elder Lord Stanley never came when the scheme was presented to the sailors. And Lord Stanley, the Earl of Derby, took away your shipments to give them to Carmichael."
"Yes, rumor had it that he was sleeping with Carmichael's wife, she was his mistress," Darcy said, very agitatedly. And that was when Richard laughed.
"What do you find so funny?" Darcy asked and Richard howled. Then he kissed his wife's hand and stood up.
"I was with you that night, oh what a fool I was! I was so caught up in my own life, that I didn't realize that was the tack you were on when you needed to find Derby. Mrs. Carmichael is no more Derby's mistress than I am the King of England,"
Darcy did not follow, so Richard continued to explain.
"You refused any discussion to Derby about your sister, and he was a desperate man. When you went quiet and Georgiana went missing, he had no choice but to find funds as soon as possible. Everyone knows ships are hard to come by, and the Carmichaels, well, they’re the future of your relations the Gardiners, if they continue to do well.”
Darcy rubbed his eyes as he could see it now, what Richard was laying out for him. The easiest explanation for how so many disjointed people and lives had come altogether was the dueling aims of Lord Strange to get out from under his father's control, and the Duke of Northumberland, who took every opportunity he could to embarrass the Crown. But such action was unfavorable to his son, Baron Percy, as he was rising in the ranks of the Tory politics.
"So you think we might still be able to salvage this mess if we approach the Earl of Derby, and Baron Percy?" Fitzwilliam asked and his two cousins nodded.
But Darcy didn't say anything more as neither one of them had agreed to come to London. He waited as husband and wife looked at each other and seemed to communicate without words. Then Richard broke the silence.
"In London, we can get you the best care and never have to deal with your mother," Richard said, not leading with the fact that moving back to London would please him most of all for the diversions and entertainments. He had fled the country for adventure as a young man, and his short experience at Rosings had proven to him
he was a man of town, through and through. Or at least a man of action, until such time as he could have his own small plot of land to rule.
"But what of Georgiana and the babe? I can't in good conscience leave her with Mother," Anne said and the two men slightly groaned.
But Fitzwilliam was not uncaring. Now that the child was born, the three of them could very easily live in Darcy House as Fitzwilliam could trust his cousins to keep her in check. He was willing to try once more for her to demonstrate her maturity, eventually establishing her own residence, even though the last attempt had been a costly mess.
"I can stay for a few days. We can talk to Georgiana together. The three of us. If we have to, would you be opposed to leaving your mother alone at Rosings?" Fitzwilliam asked as he wished to remain sensitive to Anne's feminine perspective. But on that account he had nothing to worry about.
"Must we leave her at Rosings? What if we drove out to a field and left her there?" Anne suggested and the three cousins laughed most heartily.
Once again it felt as though they were turning the tide set against them. If they all worked together, they could preserve the future for the next generation or Darcys and Fitzwilliams.
20
The long caravan of Bennets, Bingleys, and Mrs. Darcy travelled at half the pace a much smaller grouping would accomplish. By the fourth day, Elizabeth had grown utterly sick of the inside of a carriage. The constant jostling and rocking made it very difficult for her to keep anything she ate down. Kitty and Higgins, who she rode with, did their best to distract her, but Elizabeth was one of the chief reasons they stopped so early in the day when there was still much light available to continue on.
The other reason of course, was Mr. Bennet. Though Mr. Bingley had graciously hired a coach for Mr. and Mrs. Bennet so that Mr. Bennet may lay upon the bench, they could not put him completely to sleep, only manage his pain. The risk of falling was too great as his immobility made it impossible for him to steady himself. The road conditions were quite treacherous for it to be late in the travel season. Many of the inns they rested at had few rooms, and more than once Elizabeth and Kitty had been forced to share a room Mr. Bingley and Jane and the twins, while the younger Bennet sisters remained with their parents.
"I've never seen the inns so full. I wonder why we are having such difficulty when we sent our plans well in advance?" Elizabeth missed her husband terribly who always seemed to find a way to fix these minor grievances.
Jane shrugged. Only Elizabeth held the experience of traveling up and down practically the entire length of England. Jane did not feel so educated as to remark on the popularity of where they had chosen to stay.
Mr. Bingley had an answer. "It would appear that Parliament has been recalled. Many are on their way back to London from their country estates. The crowds should lessen as we get closer to Pemberley."
Elizabeth thanked him for the information. Just as the long train of two coaches, three carriages, and numerous wagons and carts was to continue, Mr. Holbein, Mr. Darcy's longtime driver, braved approaching his mistress.
"Pardon my intrusion, ma'am. But might I have a word, Mrs. Darcy?" Mr. Holbein held his top hat in his hands while Elizabeth excused herself from the Bingleys.
"Certainly, Holbein, whatever is on your mind, please speak it. How can I help you?" she asked.
The driver stammered for a moment and then grimaced. He gently shook his head. "I'm afraid it's not me who needs the helping, you see. A few of the lads overheard Miss Lydia and Miss Mary. And while I shan’t repeat the words, as I feel such gossip is rarely helpful, I only wish to say that I'm afraid the coachmen didn't take too kindly to hearing such words about their mistress." Mr. Holbein waited as he allowed the intelligence to register. But Elizabeth had long known that Lydia and Mary were turncoats, and so she urged the driver to continue.
"Pray, what have they done?" Elizabeth hoped whatever happened was not nearly the level of when Patrick had accidentally knocked her mother down. Elizabeth had interceded for the safety of her staff once, and though she would gladly do it again, she prayed fervently that she would not have to.
"Well, everyone is being loaded, and I believe you'll find the basket of comforts and treats for Miss Lydia and Miss Mary have been removed to your carriage, ma'am." The old driver winked as Elizabeth nearly burst out laughing, when she remembered where she was.
Across the way, Lydia and Mary were fussing with their mother as her father was being loaded into the coach Elizabeth smirked with mirth at the prank of her coachmen.
"Thank you, Mr. Holbein, please thank the coachmen on my behalf. Tell them they have my favor and at the next inn, make sure you all have an extra pint as well," Elizabeth ordered, utilizing her newly minted Mistress of Pemberley voice. Mr. Holbein replaced his hat upon his head so that he could ready the entire caravan for departure.
Kitty reached Elizabeth, and Elizabeth whispered into Kitty's ear so that she too joined in on the fun, then she ran off to their shared carriage. Elizabeth planned to leave it all to the mischief, but she knew in her heart that the next leg of their journey would be quite grueling as the landscape would become hilly. Against her better judgment, Elizabeth Darcy followed Lydia and Mary to their carriage until her presence was noticed as they were about to board the vehicle. She caught up with them just as Mary sat inside, and Lydia stood on the rails.
"Go away, we don't want you to ride with us," Lydia said as she threatened to slam the door, but Elizabeth grabbed the handle and held fast.
"You may wish to reconsider how you speak to me as you board a carriage that my husband and I own," Elizabeth said quietly but Lydia only stuck her tongue out at her sister, and flounced back onto the seat, leaving the door open.
Almost all were ready for departure, and it was Mr. Holbein watching his mistress standing outside the younger Bennet girls’ carriage that held up the command to leave.
"What I mean to say," Elizabeth said, closing her eyes for a moment. She had not intended to rub it in their faces once more that she was rich and they were not. "What I mean to say is that I am terribly sorry the past year has been horrible. It was horrible for me in many parts as well, but then it was wonderful all the same. The moments I was with Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth explained, but Mary was not obliging.
"You cannot buy our affections, Lizzie."
"Is that what you think happened to me?" Elizabeth started, but then dismissed the question just as quickly as now was not the time or the place. "Tell me Mary, what exactly was supposed to happen? Would you have been happy if I had married Mr. Collins when you so desperately desired his attention every time you were in his company? Don't think I didn't see you throw yourself at him. I found it laughable as I knew the man had no value, not in areas that matter such as character and a good nature."
The window to the coach for the Bennets opened. Mrs. Bennet peeked her head out to stare down the line and see Elizabeth harassing Lydia and Mary.
"We are at your pleasure, Mrs. Darcy!" Mrs. Bennet shouted, and then pulled her head back in and slammed the window down.
Elizabeth grew so agitated, she threw her hands up and abandoned Lydia and Mary to their smug positions of being defended by their mother. She marched forward to join Higgins and Kitty in her carriage.
There were still a few moments before all the checks were made and the line of vehicles slowly continued on their lengthy journey to Pemberley.
As they reached a speed that Kitty now recognized as the top limit they could manage on a good road, she braved asking Elizabeth to share her frustrations.
"I tried!" Elizabeth said, exasperated. "Just approaching them made them insult me. Lydia claiming she did not wish for me to ride with her, as though that was my aim," Elizabeth said and Kitty raised her eyebrows, then pulled out her sketchbook. When Kitty said nothing, Elizabeth felt as though she might be missing something, so she begged her sister to speak to her.
"Do you promise not to get angry with me?" Kitty asked. This took Elizabeth abac
k as she had thought they were on good terms.
"Why ever should I get angry with you?" Elizabeth asked, her tone still highly electric from the distressing conversation with Lydia and Mary.
Kitty shook her head, and gave a few lines of her sketch her most particular attention. "Perhaps you don't realize how forceful you speak to everyone," she said and Elizabeth did not argue against her, but merely listened.
"I know your heart is in the right place. But to Lydia and Mary, you got to break all the rules and have the happily ever after. And me, well I'm a traitor for leaving the house all over silly paints, in their minds."
Elizabeth dropped her jaw in awe of such a twisted view of events.
"Have you spoken with them?" Elizabeth asked and Kitty shrugged.
"Some, but mostly it's things that I have seen and heard them say when they think that I'm not paying attention." Kitty wiggled her sketchbook earning a broad smile from her elder sister.
Lizzie knew that she too was guilty of ignoring Kitty in a room when she was busy with her drawing, she assumed that Kitty would not like the conversation.
"Did you know that Lydia was sweet on one of the soldiers in Colonel Forster's outfit?" Kitty asked and Elizabeth shook her head. "You wouldn't, because most of it happened after you had left." Kitty did not say thrown out, even though that was the more accurate term. "It was because of scandal and the gossip you see, that she was sent home from Brighton."
Elizabeth frowned. She knew what it was like to feel all hope was lost over the man you thought you loved. But Lydia was only sixteen she pointed out, and Kitty reminded her she was but a few years older.
"To Lydia, if you can run away with your beau, why can't she?" Kitty asked as though running away to get married was such a commonplace way of accomplishing the deed.
Elizabeth felt uncomfortable, and Kitty seemed to sense as much. So she turned her sketchbook to show she had been drawing her formidable older sister, in profile, with an expression of sheer fortitude on her face.
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