by Massey, Beth
“Jamie, I know how brave and sensible she is, but will she be safe?”
“She is small but looks sturdy, and her rosy complexion speaks of health. Tell me about her ma.” Jamie led his cousin to a bench some distance away from the house.
“Her mother had five babies, and she told me before Davy was born that they were all relatively easy confinements. I believe all were born within six hours of her pains beginning. Elizabeth’s mother has a tendency to complain about imaginary ailments, but she has always seemed quite proud of her ability to deliver easily.” A thoughtful expression settled in her eyes as she shared some information that she had been contemplating lately. “What she seems saddened by is that she never had a male offspring. It causes her to feel she has failed her husband and daughters.”
Jamie smiled sadly at Mrs Bennet’s feelings of inadequacy—he had met many women of quality who valued their worth based on the children they were either able or unable to produce. But, he needed to gather information, so he brought the conversation back to Miss Elizabeth. “Has your niece ever been ill?”
“I think my sister said she had a difficult case of measles when she was two. In general, all of the Bennet girls are remarkably healthy. I would not worry about Lizzy, except for her age and size. She is also very saddened by her circumstances, but we have seen her rally a bit lately.” Margaret Gardiner smiled at her cousin as she said, “you made it clear what you think of Mrs Darcy, but what is your opinion of him?”
Jamie Wilder looked thoughtful as he said, “He appears to be a good man and seems serious about honouring his obligations. The Darcy family, as ye well remember, is much respected in Derbyshire. Both of Mr Darcy’s parents were well-liked by their tenants and servants… the same is true of the son.” Jamie returned his cousin’s smile with a smirk. “Maggie me love, until ye told me about this little one’s horrific troubles, I had no opinion of the present Mrs Darcy; but the prevailing gossip in the area wonders why the master of Pemberley settled for a marriage of convenience.”
Margaret laughed at her cousin. “Jamie, how did you become such a master of all the gossip in Derbyshire, and particularly about the goings on at Pemberley?”
Jamie’s eyes could not hide the mirth he felt at his cousin’s question, but he tried to answer her with a sober face. “Ah, it is a hazard of my profession. People just seem to want to confide in me. They are feeling poorly, or a loved one is ill… they feel vulnerable, so they talk.” His face settled into a conspiratorial look before he continued. “As ye know, Sir Gareth is one of my closest acquaintances, and his steward, Mr Reynolds has also become a friend. Mr Reynolds is Mr Darcy’s housekeeper’s brother. They do not talk about anything improper, but she keeps her brother abreast of all the goings-on at the estate and sooner or later I hear of them as well.”
“Well, Cousin, the information you have shared gives me hope the child will have a good life. But, I pray that Lizzy is able to come to terms with the advantages of Mr and Mrs Darcy raising the baby. Suppose as she matures she comes to regret the decision. At times I catch her with her hand on her stomach and a faraway look in her eyes. I believe she has developed a connection with this babe. However, my biggest fear is that something will happen to her during childbirth. Learning of her death and the circumstances would surely destroy her family.”
Jamie gave his cousin a hug and when he released her, a huge grin crossed his face, and he said, “Ye must not worry, Cousin dear. Bronwyn Hinton will feed her the most delicious food and make her strong, Ma will play for her and soothe her savage breast. I will charm her with my delightful Irish wit. Altogether, she will be so distracted she will forget her troubles.”
Maggie Gardiner punched her cousin’s arm, and he doubled over in feigned pain. She was pleased he seemed more cheerful about his own sadness than the last time she had seen him.
Elizabeth was tearful in the carriage after she said goodbye to her aunt, uncle and cousins. She knew she would see them once more the following Sunday, before they returned to London; but she also knew moving to the Wilders was one more door closing. She turned her head so that Dr and Mrs Wilder could not see her childish behaviour.
Dr Wilder knew she was crying but did not disturb her. He was very familiar with the need to shed tears as a way to find comfort. Jamie had learned enough about her that he was certain she would survive and even find a way to thrive. Mr Gardiner had told him the story of her confronting the Darcys and Lord Wolfbridge to demand money. He very much admired that she had a bit of the rebel in her.
The Wilders’ house appeared to Lizzy to be something out of a children’s storybook. It looked like a large cottage and was made entirely of grey stone. The front door was surrounded by an arbour of pink roses and there were beds of colourful flowers on both sides of the door. Elizabeth saw Hollyhocks in the back, fronted by Sweet William, Lilies, Alyssum and Foxglove to name just a few. Mrs Wilder told her that the flowers were her indulgence, and that Mrs Hinton had a serious vegetable and herb garden in the back. She alluded to the fact that Mrs Hinton was both an amazing cook and knew a great deal about medicinal plants.
The house was shared by the Wilders and the Hintons. There also seemed to be little in the way of distinction between master and servant. They functioned quite cooperatively, with a division of labour to keep the house running smoothly. Mrs Hinton cooked, tended the kitchen garden and did the laundry. Mrs Wilder did much of the cleaning, kept the accounts and ordered supplies. Actually, she made lists and Mr Hinton would go into Lambton and get what they needed. The two men did the heavy lifting such as carrying the buckets of hot water for baths.
Reliable transportation was crucial to Dr Wilder’s practice. He had an old Berlin that could convey the entire household when necessary, a gig he used to visit patients, a cart and five horses. They could afford the extravagance because the household cared for nothing but the reliability of the conveyances. They spent nothing on fancy liveries, drivers or grooms as was the fashion. Keeping everything running smoothly was Ferrell Hinton’s main responsibility. He was the son of the blacksmith in Lambton. Though his older brother was due to inherit his father’s business, Ferrell had learned from childhood to be a master metalworker. He could fashion almost anything from iron, and was quickly becoming renowned in Derbyshire for the decorative gates and other objects he made.
Mr Hinton had recently fashioned a madeleine pan for his wife. She had learned to make the delectable little sea shell shaped cakes while working in the kitchens at Bryn Mawr, Sir Gareth’s estate. Lizzy quickly grew to love them, and Mrs Hinton made them a regular at tea for her pleasure.
Elizabeth was given the job of watching the two older children, and it was particularly satisfying to her when she was occasionally requested to help with Morgan. Within weeks, she had become an important member of the group. There was a calm atmosphere and a sense of purpose that was missing from Longbourn. Their existence seemed to be ruled by Ecclesiastes and the verses she had loved since childhood. ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.’ This was a house dedicated to bringing life into the world and to ease the pain of those who were about to leave.
Elizabeth quickly came to admire Dr Wilder. Though not the most handsome of men, he was in many ways the most agreeable man with whom she had ever been acquainted. He was not tall like Mr Darcy, but she hardly noticed his lack of height due to his beautiful dark wavy mane. He explained his mother and Mr Davies’ hair had been like his before it turned silver. As with both of them, he had an imposing mien with very pronounced features. To Lizzy, he seemed one of those personages that were larger than life.
Elizabeth best liked the fact that he always knew how to accommodate his demeanour to fit the mood of his audience. She determined it must be an important trait for a physician and noticed he often seemed intent on pulling her out of the doldrums with his wit and humour. She was drawn to his way of speaking—his accent was not broad but there was a lovely lilt to the cade
nce of his words.
When he found out she was interested in the French Revolution, he spent much of their time together telling her what he knew on the subject and suggesting books for her to read. He related history much the way she told stories. It was never dry and boring, nor was his version of events like her father’s cynical interpretation; instead he made the retelling interesting and exciting. She also came to realize he was a passionate partisan of one side or the other in the information he relayed.
Within days of her arrival at his house, she became Lizzy to him, and he became Jamie to her.
Dr Wilder and Mrs Hinton visited Mrs Darcy to reinforce the belief that she was with child. The first time they called after Elizabeth’s arrival, Mr Darcy invited Dr Wilder to join him in his study for a conference.
Mr Darcy looked a bit uncomfortable as he began questioning Dr Wilder. He had been struggling to suppress memories of Miss Elizabeth, and he hoped hearing details of her avaricious behaviour would dismiss those kind of thoughts from his mind. Not wanting to appear unfeeling of her circumstances, he started by asking after her health and whether the trip to Derbyshire had been taxing for her. After dispensing with the requisite niceties, he decided it was time to broach the subject he desired to have confirmed.
Dr Wilder struggled to keep his annoyance at bay when Mr Darcy began asking what he considered very inappropriate questions. He knew he must not allow him to know he disapproved, but it was the first time in his acquaintance with the man that he thought him to be discourteous. Dr Wilder kept his face immobile as Mr Darcy asked, “Does Miss Elizabeth seem happy about the circumstances of receiving payment? Is she making plans for what to do with the money?”
Dr Wilder replied, “No, I have not heard her refer to the money at all. We often spend an evening enjoying music—she plays the pianoforte very well for one so young. Her daytime hours are spent looking after Mrs Hinton’s children. Did ye know she is an amazing story teller? I am not certain how the children will survive when she goes away; they have quite fallen in love with her. She is still able to run and play with them, but I assume that will be coming to an end soon.”
Dr Wilder continued, his face devoid of the objections he had for Mr Darcy’s query. “She and I quite enjoy discussing history. I gave her Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France to read.” Jamie allowed himself to chuckle as he continued with his observations. “It appears she does not agree with that great Irish politician. She grimaces as she reads and sometimes even mumbles something about his ridiculous theory of prejudices and snorts.” Jamie decided he would take a little liberty with his reflections. He said, “Ay, she is a very brave young lass and seems to be determined to come through her ordeal stronger. Mr Darcy, I am certain your investment will be safe.”
Mr Darcy stiffened at his disclosure. He was suddenly aware that Dr Wilder’s comments made him appear to be somewhat less than gentlemanly.
15 STOLEN PLEASURES
Lizzy and Jamie were practicing their bandalore skills in front of the house in preparation for their students the next day. Besides practicing, they were discussing the slave revolt in Saint-Domingue that had eventually led to the establishment of the black republic of Haiti. Jamie told Lizzy of the tremendous fear that the successful slave rebellions and the retaliation against the white plantation owners had sent through the colonies. As they talked, unconsciously both would punctuate their comments with the bandalore.
Lizzy was deep in thought and instead of being horrified at the brutal attacks the rebellion had unleashed she felt a kinship with the slaves’ need for revenge. She started to comment on what Jamie had told her. “I would hope the success of the revolts in Haiti would hasten the abolition of the slave trade, and maybe even slavery in the colonies. They are, I have heard, debating these issues in Parliament.” Elizabeth looked toward Jamie, smiled and continued, “One day slavery will be gone with the wind… and to my mind it is an example of one of numerous injustices that plague the world… whenever it is done away with will not be a moment too soon.”
Just as she said, “not be a moment too soon,” with vehemence, she unleashed her bandalore, and it flew out on a swift horizontal flight and then came back to her with a snap. They had been so engrossed in their conversation, that neither had seen Mr Darcy arrive. Elizabeth’s bandalore just missed hitting Mr Darcy at a spot about six inches below his waist. Jamie could tell she was mortified, but he also realized she was too naive to understand the significance of her target. He could barely repress a smile at the thought of her actually hitting that spot. Silently he chastised himself… he was, after all Mr Darcy’s physician.
A startled Mr Darcy jumped back. Once again, Miss Elizabeth had befuddled him. He had expected to see her gleefully making plans to build her solarium or perhaps talking about buying gowns galore, but instead she was discussing slavery and slave rebellions while being amazingly competent with a toy he had never seen before. She wore no bonnet, and her complexion glowed with health and a bit of a tan. He could see the slight protrusion in the front of her dress, and once again noticed she continued to look more womanly.
Elizabeth’s embarrassment gave way to an expression of confusion as to why Mr Darcy was there, but her look of bewilderment was quickly replaced by pleasure at his presence. Dr Wilder wondered if there was something he did not know about their arrangement.
Elizabeth reined in her conflicting emotions and said, “Mr Darcy, I am sorry I almost struck you; but we were quite preoccupied with our conversation and our practice. We are to teach the children how to use these new toys tomorrow… I hope everyone at Pemberley is well.”
Mr Darcy had also regained his composure and said, “No, Miss Elizabeth, all are well. I thought I should come and welcome you to Derbyshire. Have you been to the peaks yet?”
“Oh yes, Jamie… eh Dr Wilder and the Hintons took me last week. It was heaven being up so high and surveying the surrounding countryside. I have a favourite spot near my home, Oakham Mount, where I go when I need to think. It is not nearly as lofty as the peaks. Lizzy’s eyes twinkled with mischief as she said, “I am certain if I lived near them, I could make truly spectacular decisions.”
Mr Darcy, who was wearing his stone face, was inwardly perturbed that she called Dr Wilder, Jamie. As usual, he did not understand why he cared; but he felt envy all the same. By the time Miss Elizabeth had finished her witty observation of the peaks, her irreverent enthusiasm had caught him unawares, and a slight smile with dimples broke through his mask. He said, “What else have you been doing to occupy your time out here in the wilder part of Derbyshire?”
Elizabeth’s face broke into a teasing grin and she said, “Mr Darcy, I do believe you made a pun.” She watched as even more of his dimples were displayed. “We are just enjoying the summer, and luckily for me, there are no neighbours around to observe and wonder at my presence.”
Darcy’s smile faded slightly as he said; “I think it is lucky for me as well.”
Elizabeth was unsure how to react to his statement, so she ignored it and continued with, “As to what I have been doing precisely, I must admit most of my time has been taken up with the Hintons’ children. Mostly we play games, and I tell stories or read to them. Lately, because of the heat, I have been accompanying them to a swimming hole in a creek that runs through the woods in the back. Grif and Ang are great swimmers. I have never known children who swim so often. Back home, it is a stolen pleasure; but Mr and Mrs Hinton encourage them to play in the creek. Dr Wilder or Mr Hinton always accompanies us because I do not swim and would not know how to help them if something went wrong. The most I do is take off my shoes and stockings and wade.”
Elizabeth was disconcerted by the fact that he continued to smile at her ramblings. She remembered Mrs Darcy’s observation that as a child he had dearly loved to laugh. Suddenly she had a totally misplaced desire to see if she could make him laugh. “I was quite startled one evening when Mrs Hinton, whose parents had moved from Wales
with Mr Davies and his wife, told me that legend has it that Welsh children who cannot sing are drowned. She then told me with a very wicked look that neither Grif nor Ang can carry a tune; but she expected it explained why they were great swimmers.”
Elizabeth was successful. Mr Darcy laughed, and for the second time in their acquaintance, she thought to herself how very handsome he was.
Mr Darcy was also indulging in thinking her delightful when suddenly her eyes went round with alarm. He heard her say, “Ooh” and grab her belly. Without thinking, he moved toward her. As he moved in her direction, she drew back.
She put up her hand with fear in her eyes, and said quite forcefully, “I am fine. I am just startled. It is the first time I have felt the baby move so enthusiastically. I think the babe kicked me. Jamie has been telling me for the last several weeks to expect something more than the little movements I felt. But, I thought it would be much more gradual. This seemed as though he or she has been thinking and planning the best way to get my attention… perhaps even chastising me.” Elizabeth said the last thinking of her improper thoughts just before the baby made its presence known.
Elizabeth allowed Dr Wilder to approach her. He wanted to make sure it was a kick she felt, and not something more problematic. He stood quite close to her and asked her quietly to describe the feeling precisely. She answered him just as quietly. For a few moments they ignored Mr Darcy.
The master of Pemberley reverted to his mask. Inwardly, he was annoyed she had acted afraid of him. He resented that she did not have the same fear of Dr Wilder; and what was more, she had reverted to calling him Jamie. When they returned their attention toward him, he declined an invitation to join them for some tea. It was time he left. For months he had not understood his feelings for Miss Elizabeth, and he was suddenly overwhelmed with just how disastrous it was for him to have come.