Pemberley Celebrations - the First Year

by Kara Louise

  “Any time, Mr. Darcy.” He gave a quick bow to Elizabeth. “If you will excuse me, I shall go to my room.” He followed the footman to the stairs.

  Elizabeth looked at her husband. “Did things go well?”

  Darcy wrapped his arm about her. “Everything went smoothly.”

  “Any difficulties?” Elizabeth looked up into his face, studying him to see if she saw any hint of exasperation.

  “I was quite pleased with how things turned out.” He looked down at her with a mischievous grin. “Now, my dearest, loveliest, Elizabeth, I do not wish to talk of any more of business. I have missed you and my son these past few days, and I plan to make up for the time I was away.”

  He wrapped his arms around Thomas and took him from Elizabeth again, bringing him up to his chest. “Elizabeth, I should like for the two of us to put little Thomas to bed. Do you mind?”

  “Of course not!” she laughed. “I would enjoy that very much.”

  “Good!” he said. “And then, I should like to put you to bed.”

  “Me?” she asked, a hint of innocent playfulness brightening her eyes. “Fitzwilliam, you do remember what the doctor said!”

  “Of course, I remember, but can I not simply enjoy holding you in my arms?” He rested Thomas in the crook of one arm and wrapped the other around Elizabeth.

  “You most certainly may,” she replied with a chuckle. “In fact, I think I would rather enjoy it.”

  *~*~*

  Mr. Harlton left early in the morning to return to London after sharing breakfast with Darcy and Elizabeth. They saw him to the door, and then the couple returned to the small breakfast room.

  “Elizabeth, while I was away, I made some plans for our anniversary.”

  Elizabeth looked up quickly. “Did you? And what about any plans I may have already made?”

  “Have you made any?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “I most certainly have! And I will not allow your plans to interfere with mine!”

  “Mmm,” Darcy muttered. “Well, my plans are for the day. Would that be agreeable to you?”

  A smile readily appeared and Elizabeth clasped her hands together. “Yes! That would be perfect, for my plans are for the evening.” She leaned in to him. “Will you tell me what you have planned that day?”

  Darcy turned his head slowly and looked at her. “I will, if you tell me what your plans are.”

  “I shall not! It is a surprise.”

  “Then so are mine.” He took her hand and brought it to her lips. “You will have Lucy pack up a valise for you. Have her pack a change of clothes, nothing fancy, but make sure you have some warm things to wear. It might be brisk.”

  “Can you give me a hint?” Elizabeth asked eagerly.

  “No, but we shall be bringing Thomas, as well, so have Mrs. Wilding pack everything we need for him. I would estimate we would be gone about three hours, or perhaps four, at the most.”

  Elizabeth leaned over and kissed her husband. “I cannot wait!”

  *~*~*

  Two days later was the one year anniversary of the day Darcy and Elizabeth and Charles and Jane were married. Elizabeth had finalized her plans with Mrs. Reynolds earlier the day before. While they were away, the meal would be prepared and the parlour off the music room would be readied for their candlelit dinner. The string ensemble would arrive in the afternoon to set up and practice, and the painting would be hung on the wall in Darcy’s study.

  The Darcys set out early on their anniversary adventure. To Elizabeth, it was a mystery. It seemed as though Darcy thoroughly enjoyed teasing her about where they were going and what they would be doing.

  The brisk air contributed only slightly to the intimacy the two shared. They huddled close in the carriage, more from the depth of a shared, mutual love than a desire to warm themselves. Elizabeth held Thomas in her arms, and the rocking of the carriage soon put him to sleep.

  “So it is one year, my love. Are you happy?”

  Elizabeth turned to him. “Wholeheartedly.”

  “Any regrets?” He held her gloved hand in his and stroked it with his other.

  Elizabeth tilted her head to ponder his question, her brows pinching together. A smile, however, betrayed her playfulness. “Perhaps I would have been happier if Pemberley were not so big.”

  “Not so big? And why would it being smaller make you happier?”

  “Because there are times I simply cannot find you!”

  “Ah, well, perhaps you will find Cressellet Manor more to your liking.”

  “Cressellet Manor? Is this perhaps our destination today?” she asked with interest.

  He glanced out the window. “Perhaps.”

  “Oh, I wish you would tell me what you were about!” She looked past him out window. “Now I am most curious, indeed!”

  *~*~*

  At length they pulled up to a moderately sized manor. A large iron gate canopied over the road. Cresselet Manor was engraved into a large wooden sign mounted at the top. It appeared to be a well-kept home with several flower gardens and small ponds situated nicely about.

  “Will you tell me, please, about the owners of Cresselet Manor? Are they close friends of yours? Shall I like them?”

  Darcy nodded. “Yes, on both counts. I believe you shall be most pleased with the acquaintance.”

  “I certainly hope so,” Elizabeth said, as the carriage came to a stop at the front. “For to spend our first anniversary with people of a most decided ill nature would be disagreeable, indeed!”

  The carriage door was opened and Darcy stepped out, taking Thomas from Elizabeth’s arms. He assisted Elizabeth in stepping down and took her arm as they walked toward the large wooden door. A footman had already opened it, and he greeted them as they approached.

  “Welcome to Cresselet Manor, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. If you will allow me, I shall show you to the west parlour, where you are expected.”

  As they followed the footman to the parlour, Elizabeth noticed the house was mostly barren of any furnishings. There was almost nothing on the walls and she saw only an occasional piece of furniture. She leaned over and whispered to her husband, “This is most curious, Fitzwilliam. I cannot comprehend the meaning of this!”

  The footman stepped through the parlour door. “Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy have arrived.”

  Darcy, still holding Thomas, gave his wife a small nudge, and she stepped into the room. She came to a sudden stop and gasped. In a moment, she left her husband’s side and ran toward the couple occupying the room.

  “Jane! What are you doing here?” Elizabeth embraced her sister, whom she had not seen in almost a year.

  Locked in a fervent embrace and with tears streaming down their faces, neither could speak quickly enough nor well enough for the other to understand. Finally Elizabeth pulled away, but held tightly to Jane’s hands.

  “What are you doing here?” She looked over at her husband. “He did not tell me anything!”

  Darcy walked over, and soon the attention was on the bundle in his arms.

  “Before we explain anything,” said Jane, “I must see little Thomas!”

  As she looked at the babe in Darcy’s arms, tears came to her eyes.

  Elizabeth wrapped her arms about her. “Oh, Jane…”

  Jane waved a hand through the air and shook her head. “No, we are truly so happy for you!”

  The four admired Thomas, and when Jane took him in her arms, neither of the ladies could hold back their tears.

  “Come,” said Jane, managing to gain a little control. “Let us sit down, and we shall tell you all about it.”

  “I cannot tell you what a surprise this is. Did my husband have anything to do with our gathering here today?” Elizabeth cast a suspicious glance at Darcy.

  “Lizzy! This is our new home! Cresselet Manor is ours!” Jane exclaimed.

  Elizabeth’s eyes widened and she beamed with joy. “This is your home? I cannot believe it!” She then turned to her husband. “Is this the business you
had with your solicitor?”

  Darcy nodded. “I am sorry I did not tell you. When my solicitor arrived that morning, he told me there was a relative of the former owner who was expressing an interest in the place. We met Bingley here with that gentleman’s solicitor to see what we could work out.”

  “And?”

  “It took two days for him to determine that he did not want it.”

  Charles laughed. “Or for us to convince him that he did not want it!”

  Elizabeth clasped her hands over her heart. “So you are to live here! It only took us thirty minutes to get here! We shall be able to see each other whenever we want!”

  The two men cast knowing glances at each other.

  “And they shall return to Pemberley with us for several days until their belongings arrive,” Darcy informed Elizabeth.

  “Oh, I cannot think of anything more delightful!” She clasped her hands together. “But how did Mama and Papa take the news of you leaving Netherfield? I would imagine they were not pleased.”

  “Mama is now diverted by the young man whose family is going to move into Netherfield. He is three and twenty and she is certain that he will be most delighted with Kitty.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “And how about Papa?”

  “He was happy for us, certainly, but not as happy for himself,” Jane replied.

  “I think it was due in part to the fact that your mother would not have as many reasons to leave the house,” Charles commented. “She was always finding an excuse to visit Netherfield.”

  A mutual sigh confirmed to Elizabeth and Darcy just how exasperating their mother could be to two people with such easy tempers.

  “Enough about us. How is little Thomas?” asked Jane. “I can only imagine how wonderful it is to have a baby.”

  Elizabeth’s heart tugged at Jane’s words. “He is more precious to me than I can say. But take heart, Jane. You shall have one someday. In fact, I predict that you shall have many and fill this whole house!”

  Jane smiled warmly at her sister. “You shall have to tell me everything you have learned and enjoy about being a mother.”

  “I am quite certain I have not yet learned half of what I ought to know by now! Perhaps tonight over dinner I shall tell you all I…” Elizabeth’s hands suddenly flew upward. “Wait! Have we not all forgotten something? How could we have been so negligent? Happy anniversary!”

  The two sisters hugged again, and the two men looked on in amusement, before turning to each other and wishing the other a happy anniversary.

  When Jane and Elizabeth once again drew apart, Jane said, “I was so excited to see you that I completely forgot that we were all celebrating our anniversary today!”

  “Everyone seemed to have forgotten it,” Charles said with a laugh.

  “I only remembered because of plans I made for dinner tonight.” Looking at her husband, she said, “I do hope you informed Mrs. Reynolds about two additional people being at that dinner.”

  Darcy nodded. “It is in very capable hands.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “And now that you have surprised me with something, I can take heart that I have a surprise awaiting all of you this evening!”

  “Well, I cannot wait!” Charles clapped his hands together soundly. “Now, shall we take a tour of the house? Elizabeth, you are the only one who has not seen it, and we would love to show you.”

  “I would like that very much!”

  “This,” said Charles with his arms outstretched, “is our parlour.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “And a very fine one, indeed!”

  Jane could not repress a giggle. “I love the morning light that filters through the trees.”

  “Come,” said Bingley. “We will next visit the dining room, where there is a repast awaiting us.”

  Charles led them to the dining room and invited everyone to take a seat around the table. Several servants brought in a deliciously prepared meal, which they all praised as suitable for a king.

  Elizabeth placed Thomas in a bassinet they had brought along and he fell into a sound sleep despite the lively conversations at the table. Every topic, family member, event, joy, and sadness was shared. The only names not mentioned were Wickham and Lydia.

  Following the meal, the tour of the house continued while a maid remained with Thomas. The home had a ballroom, library, dining room, and sitting room that were similar in size to Netherfield. A small servants’ wing was situated in the north side of the house, and guest apartments in the south wing. The family living quarters and additional apartments were upstairs. Several other rooms were not yet distinguished as to what their use would be.

  After they toured the house, they returned to the parlour, the only room that had sufficient furniture for all of them to sit. There they partook of some light refreshment and rested. The two men sat in chairs opposite each other and the two ladies sat together on the sofa. While enjoying the company of all, Darcy and Bingley conversed a great deal together as did Elizabeth and Jane.

  That followed with a brief tour of the grounds, Darcy and Elizabeth admiring what had already been done and Bingley and Jane dreaming about what they would like to do.

  “We ought to get back to Pemberley,” Darcy said. He looked to his friend. “Shall we all ride together? There is no need to take two carriages to convey us. You and I shall be back and forth for the next few days and we can bring yours to Pemberley another day.”

  “That sounds ideal. Give us some time to get ready and I shall have the servants load our belongings onto your carriage.”

  When Charles and Jane left, Darcy turned to Elizabeth. “Are you pleased with your anniversary surprise?” He fingered a ringlet that trailed down Elizabeth’s neck.

  “I had no idea what you were up to, and I would have never guessed. I also have so many questions to ask that I did not wish to ask in front of them. But one thing I would like to know now.”

  “What is that?”

  “How long have you known about this and how did you ever keep this from me?”

  Darcy laughed. “That is two things, my dear. I came into the information about the home just before Thomas was born. And I believe I am better at keeping secrets than you.” He wrapped her face in his hands. “I would have told you earlier, but I wanted to wait until we knew for sure that Cresselet was theirs. When it was apparent that things would not be settled as early as we hoped, I decided to keep it a secret and surprise you on our anniversary.”

  “You succeeded on all accounts, my love!” She stepped up on her toes and gave her husband a kiss. “I shall go see if Thomas is awake and get him ready for the ride back.”

  *~*~*

  As the carriage set off for Pemberley, the excited voices of the two women continued to discuss everything that came to their minds, giving strong confirmation to the men that their lives would now be very different… but in a very good way.

  When they arrived at Pemberley, Georgiana was there to greet them, having been apprised by her brother that the Bingleys would be joining them when they returned in the afternoon. She greeted Charles and Jane with joyful hugs.

  Elizabeth and Jane left the group to take Thomas to Mrs. Wilding in the nursery.

  They stepped into the nursery and found Mrs. Wilding folding some freshly washed baby clothes.

  “Ahh, Mrs. Darcy. Welcome home. How was little Thomas?”

  “He was an angel. Mrs. Wilding, may I present my sister, Mrs. Jane Bingley?”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard so much about you from Mrs. Darcy.”

  “Thank you. I am pleased to meet you, too.”

  They left Thomas with Mrs. Wilding, and Elizabeth and Jane went in search of the men.

  As they walked down a long hall, Jane touched Elizabeth’s arm, bringing her to a halt.

  Elizabeth saw that her sister had tears in her eyes. “Oh, Jane, I know how much you want a child, and I am so grieved that you lost one.”

  Jane shook her head, and wiped a tear that trai
led down her cheek. “Oh, Elizabeth, I am so very happy for you. And while it has been difficult, I know that having you close will make everything easier.”

  She grasped her sister’s hands. “Jane, I only wish I had been there for you when you went through this loss.”

  Jane sniffled and a few more tears escaped. She looked down at their joined hands and took a sharp breath before looking back up at her sister. “There is something that I have not even told Charles, for I feared that if he had known, he would not have allowed us to make this move.”

  Elizabeth leaned in. “Tell me, Jane.”

  “I suspect I am with child again.”

  Elizabeth’s face lit up. “Jane! Are you certain?”

  A slight blush touched Jane’s cheeks. “I have been through this once already, so I am fairly certain. I wanted so much to be here, in our new home, and near you. I knew Charles would not wish for me to travel such a distance in my condition, so I have said nothing to him. Please, do not say anything yet. I would like to wait a bit before I tell him.”

  “I promise.” She gave Jane a hug. “I am so happy for you!”

  They walked on and found the men in the sitting room, chatting with Georgiana. When Mrs. Reynolds announced that their dinner was waiting to be served, the young girl wished them all a happy anniversary and excused herself.

  “If you will all follow me, please,” Elizabeth said with a smile.

  She had the pleasure of escorting Jane and the two men into the parlour, where everything was ready for them. She purposely led them in a rather round-about way so they would not see the string ensemble in the music room next door.

  They all gasped when they stepped into the parlour. Even Elizabeth caught her breath when she saw how beautifully decorated and romantic it was. The table was set, candles were lit, and the room was decorated with autumn foliage. Leaves of russet, gold, and red, acorns, and pinecones were placed on the table and about the room.