“I can assure you, madam, that your daughter is eminently capable of handling anything. She is fearless, wise, and extraordinarily accomplished. Far and away the best mistress Pemberley has been blessed with in decades.”
Any further rebuttals were halted by a loud infant squeal from the sofa. Lizzy was laughing at the surprised expression on her father’s face.
“Am I squeezing him too tightly, Lizzy?”
“No, Papa. Alexander is quite demanding when he requires nourishment. A trait inherited from his father, I do believe.” She glanced to Darcy with a grin, her husband crossing to the sofa.
“I would not be too hasty in that assessment, Lizzy, as I recall a young girl who inhaled her food the sooner to return to the play yard or a favored novel.”
“Be that as it may, let me take my little wiggler from you before he displays the full lung capacity at his disposal. Come my darling, save your grandpapa’s ears and let me feed you.”
“Lizzy, can you not have the nanny take him?” Mrs. Bennet asked. “I was hoping for a tour of the house!”
“I am afraid it shall have to wait, Mama, until Alexander is satisfied. Once he is asleep, I will be happy to show you and Papa around.”
Mrs. Bennet was staring at her daughter in shock. “Surely you do not…? That is, is there not a wet-nurse for the baby?”
“No, Mama. I prefer to care for our son’s sustenance myself. Excuse me, Papa,” she kissed her father’s cheek, rising with a fussy Alexander sucking on her little finger.
George breezed in airily. “Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Bennet, I would be delighted to escort you both, and the young ladies and Mr. Daniels, on a tour of the manor. If I may be so arrogant, I am quite sure that I am acquainted with the house to a degree surpassing its most superb mistress. After all, I did grow up here and even know the attic corners and hidden passageways.”
“Oh, how exciting!” Kitty exclaimed. “Will you show us the secret passages, Dr. Darcy?”
“Alas, my dear Miss Kitty, my decrepit bones would probably break if I attempted to squeeze into narrow confines. Georgiana can don an old dress at a later date and lead you on an adventure.”
“Uncle!” Georgiana cried, face rosy. “I have no knowledge of such places!”
“Of course not, my dear, of course not.” He winked at Darcy while lending an arm to Mrs. Bennet and Miss Kitty, voice booming in narration as the group filed out. “There is a rather remarkable portrait of my brothers and me, dashing gents all, in the gallery…”
Darcy and Lizzy were left alone with their momentarily placated baby. “William, I am sorry for Mama’s words. Are you disturbed?”
Darcy smiled, bending to kiss her lips gently. “It is of no moment, my dearest. Shall I accompany you to the nursery?”
“Thank you, but no. Join our guests, offering your unique perspective on the wonders of Pemberley. Somewhere in the middle, you can divert my father in the library and enjoy a time of well-deserved solitude. I love you, Mr. Darcy.”
“I love you, Mrs. Darcy. And you too, my precious little love.” He bent to kiss Alexander’s cheek, again kissing his wife. Then with a roll of his eyes heavenward, a tug on his jacket, and a theatric sigh, he exited to follow the echoing rumble of George and the giggles of amused women.
With Christmas just over a week and a half away, winter set in with a vengeance and snow blanketed the ground and vegetation, the entire surrounds bathed in glistening crystals. The larger lakes and ponds enriched with fountains provided breaks in the monotony of white, the handful of winter blooms and evergreen trees lending color, and the shoveled drives and pathways provided clarity and contour. The vivid blue of the sky was frequently obscured by clouds, most grey and threatening. The usual hectic movements of wildlife and humans noted throughout the river valley and bordering forests during fairer weather were essentially gone. Naturally, there were still chores to be done by bundled groundsmen, horses to exercise by jacketed grooms, and the few brave winter fowl, deer, and tiny rodents searching for food to disturb the placid winter scenery.
Pemberley was decorated more lavishly than last year, the maids, footmen, groundsmen, and even the senior staff apparently wholly liberated by the joyous atmosphere over the past year. Twelve short months was all that was required to expunge the years of sadness. They had seemingly denuded the forest of holly, mistletoe, pine boughs, and any other greenery remotely Christmassy, draping every balcony, windowsill, banister, fireplace mantel, and alcove. Darcy’s jest about mistletoe ornaments proved accurate, with balls at every corridor junction and dangling from each ceiling light and threshold. All the heirloom decorations were in place, as well as a sprinkling of others that had been unearthed while rummaging through the attic for baby furnishings. There were three times as many candles strewn about the manor and grounds with several dozen torches placed throughout the gardens.
One corner of the parlor was cleared and draped with yards of gold and silver edged red velvet, onto which was arranged a plethora of brightly wrapped and ribboned presents. Pine branches decorated with tiny candles further adorned the area. The entire parlor furnishings were shuffled to provide more room, so supplementary sofas and chairs obtained from other chambers could provide more sitting room. Both dining rooms were sumptuously adorned, and the ballroom was polished to gleaming. Instruments were tuned, fireplaces were scrubbed, and chimneys swept, vases of fresh flowers were abundant, lamps were filled, windows were cleaned, patios and walkways were freed of all debris, and scented potpourris were everywhere.
While the servants unleashed their creativity with greenery and ornaments, Lizzy and Mrs. Reynolds had organized the menus and entertainments. The huntsmen, including Darcy a time or two, had provided the main staples for the dietary fare. Desserts of all varieties from basic pies and cakes to elegant pastries and meringues were created. Mrs. Langton and her superb staff could be trusted to whip up an array of tasty dishes and treats to augment the main courses.
The game room was set with extra card tables, a second dart board, Hazard dice, and a domino set of ivory, acquired while in Great Yarmouth, to augment the chess, backgammon, cribbage, and draughts tables already in place. In anticipation that the freeze and snows would escalate, ten pairs of skates were bought and the existing ones sharpened, the curling stones and brooms were brought from storage, and sleds were inspected for safety.
Darcy’s prized shovillaborde, a table version of the popular deck game shuffleboard, was polished and placed prominently to the right of the two billiard tables in the billiard room. Two years prior, Darcy had discovered the table in an auction house, thrilled beyond belief and paying an outrageous sum for the one-hundred-year-old relic fashioned after the boards favored by King Henry VIII.
An enormous, wooden floored room on the northern wing near the conservatory was dedicated to various indoor sports. The room had evolved over the decades, from what was originally designed as a smaller ballroom into a second game room. It did not have an actual name, usually being referred to as The Court due to the enormous netted court for tennis and the area by one wall for racquets. The floor was polished and new equipment purchased, including battledores and shuttlecocks for the game of the same name raging through London. The sunny chamber with wide curtain-less windows and a ceiling partially of glass additionally boasted a ninepin alley, shuffleboard deck, a miniature putting green with five holes, a quoits pin, and hopscotch squares.
Added together, it seemed a certainty that Christmas at Pemberley would be a raging success.
The emotions flowing through Darcy and Lizzy regarding the season varied, but one emotion absolutely shared was the priority in protecting Alexander. Darcy refused to allow his still recovering wife and fragile child to overextend, the very thought of them becoming ill sending frigid chills deep into the marrow of his bones. With typical Darcy dominance and severity, he bluntly reminded Lizzy that he would be in charge and would expect her to obey his orders in all matters. Lizzy flared in irritation briefly, b
ut then laughed, Darcy frowning and preparing to puff intimidatingly, only to deflate and calm when she assured him she agreed and would bow to his will.
As it turned colder, Lizzy fretted constantly over Alexander, but the baby grew stronger, and his little body seemed to generate heat just as his father’s did. Nonetheless, Lizzy kept him close to her chest as much as possible, dressed in warm clothing, and wrapped with thick blankets. Every fireplace in the inhabited areas of the mansion blazed from sunrise to well after sunset, dispelling the bulk of the cold and keeping the residents comfortable.
Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived two days after the Bennets, galloping in amid a swirl of snowflakes. Another snowstorm, this one fairly mild, had struck that morning, making for an uncomfortable ride from his parents’ estate, but the battle-hardened soldier was impervious to the weather.
“Richard! Welcome, Cousin. You are just in time for luncheon.” Darcy approached with a warm smile.
“Hello, Darcy. Good to see you, although yours is not the Darcy face I most wanted to greet first. Thank you, Mr. Taylor.” He handed the last layer of jackets to the pile of over-clothing held by the butler, turning with a grin to clap his cousin on the back.
“We can readily divert to the nursery, as I assume this is your reference. Be warned, however: Alexander is asleep, so formal introductions must wait. Come, and while we walk you can tell me when your parents will be visiting.”
“We arrived at Rivallain last evening. Mother was more than prepared to arise with the sun and travel on, but father wanted to settle for a day or two. I rather believe that, as in most matters, mother’s will shall prevail and expect they will rattle into the courtyard tomorrow morning at the latest! She is anxious to meet your son and visit with Elizabeth, having brought the subject to the fore of all conversation at the breakfast table no less than a dozen times. I decided I needed to ride on if I wanted to see him myself, the women liable to monopolize all his waking moments discussing the joys of childbirth and motherhood!”
“You have no idea how accurate your jest, my friend. I have barely laid eyes on him since Elizabeth’s family arrived and he is mine. Quite annoying actually, so I am forced to rise with the late night feedings just to steal precious time alone.”
Darcy was speaking lightly, but Richard, who knew him so well, detected the undertone of irritation. In an attempt to soothe the easily somber Darcy, he said, “Surely you cannot be missing too much. After all, babies, so I am to understand, lie there as lumps and sleep all the time!”
Darcy bristled, the idea of his son a “lump” not appreciated, but one look at his cousin’s face brought laughter to the surface. “Very well, Colonel, we shall see. I have it on good authority that he is the most adorable child in the universe, and thus far, all who lay eyes on him have fallen hopelessly in love. Be cautious, my friend, as your heart will be wrested away!”
They reached the nursery, Darcy entering cautiously although the well-oiled door was unlikely to squeak. Mrs. Hanford glanced up from the dresser where she was folding a pile of clothes, smiling at her Master and nodding toward the cradle.
“Mrs. Hanford, this is my cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. Richard, our wonderful nanny, Mrs. Hanford.”
“Madam,” Richard bowed gallantly, turning into the room to follow Darcy, who had crossed swiftly to the cradle. Alexander lay curled on his right side, pink hands folded beside his parted lips as if in sleepy supplication to the Almighty. Auburn curls lay heavy over his now perfectly round head, longer wisps brushing his brows; skin porcelain with ruddy cheeks marred only by a faint pinpoint rash across his chin. Both the nanny and excellent in-house doctor assured the Darcys that these scattered rashes were normal as his delicate flesh adjusted to the outside world of fabrics and soaps. Despite the trivial imperfections, Alexander was beautiful, his father’s assertions only a slim exaggeration, as everyone in the manor was adoring.
A softly smiling, prideful father competently bent with seeking hands to lift his son, Richard grabbing at his wrist. “Darcy, wait! Do not wake him!”
“He just finished eating and I know how to lift him without disturbing. Sit in the chair and you can hold him.”
Richard blanched, arms instinctively clasping behind his back as he shook his head emphatically. “I do not think that a wise plan at all! If I drop him, I am quite certain you will be perturbed!”
“Heavens, Richard. The mighty man of His Majesty’s Armed Forces who handles sword and musket in battle is afraid of a tiny baby?”
“Precisely. If I fail with any of those things, it is my own health and life that is forfeit.”
“Sit and quit complaining. Besides, you have held Annabella’s children, so stop pretending. Alexander is sturdy and I trust you completely.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam sat as bid, his face yet pale. “Very well, but if something happens, I will tell Elizabeth it was your fault.”
Darcy had lifted Alexander adeptly, the slumbering babe merely stretching slightly before nestling into the familiar warm shape of his father’s embrace. As always, Darcy’s heart swelled with a love indescribable and unique. Instantly, he was mesmerized by the breathing reality of his child, the living presence clutched close to his body, overwhelming his senses; his soul elevated by the tiny personality created with the woman he loved so profoundly.
Colonel Fitzwilliam observed his cousin, freshly amazed—even after the transitions of the past year—by how altered the serious, perpetually melancholic mien was that he had assumed was an integral trait in Darcy. Now it was entirely erased; Darcy, even in his intensity, displayed a tenderness and joy that was transparent. Richard privately challenged anyone who knew Darcy well to not be moved by the positive mutation of his character.
“Here he is, Richard. My son. Alexander William George Bennet Darcy. Did I not speak the truth in that he is amazing and adorable? Beautiful like his mother.” Darcy secured him into Richard’s arms, sitting on the chair beside and caressing one fingertip over the baby’s cheek.
“Yes, he is a highly attractive lad. He definitely has Elizabeth’s hair and nose, but he looks like you, Darcy. What about his eyes?”
“Blue, but shaped as his mother’s. He actually seems to be a fair mixture of us both, although I am sure his features will evolve as he matures.”
“Do not tell my sister I said this or I shall torture you, but he is far lovelier than any of her four children. Sadly, they inherited their father’s physical characteristics.”
Darcy smothered a laugh. “Shame, Richard. Lord Montgomery is a distinguished gentleman.”
“Ha! He is grouchy, old, and sports an enormous nose! Makes yours look positively petite.”
“Thanks,” Darcy interrupted dryly.
“You are welcome, and thank you for not countering with an acerbic remark about my own nasal assets, as you surely could have. By the way, Annabella and the children accompanied us from London and are at Rivallain. Lord Montgomery may show up if his preferred pursuits bore him, but we are not holding our breath.”
“Poor Annabella.”
Richard shrugged faintly. “In truth, I believed she was relieved. Ah, you know my sister, Darcy. Money and place in society were always more important to her than affection. She has that as Lady Montgomery and is content.”
“I suppose. It will be delightful to see her again, and I think I can now find it in me to endure her children.”
Richard chuckled, glancing to his cousin with a sly smile. “Oh, I would not count on that! They are spoiled rotten and unruly. Your best bet is to hint they stay at Rivallain with their governess.”
Darcy snorted. “Were we different as youths, Cousin? How many governesses labeled you incorrigible and me mischievous? I still have lash marks on my backside, I am sure.”
“Let it be a lesson for you, father Darcy. ‘Spare the rod, spoil the child,’ as the Good Book says, or ‘train a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it.’”
Darcy shuddered, stroking his preci
ous, innocent son’s cheek. “Perhaps, although I cannot imagine taking a switch or belt to Alexander. I guess Elizabeth and I will need to be prepared. I know I shall not tolerate a disobedient child.”
Lizzy discovered the two men a half hour later still fawning over the oblivious infant. She smiled at the tableau, like her husband never tiring of noting how everyone fell immediately in love with their child. Neither perceived her presence in the doorway until she cleared her throat. Darcy rose with a beaming grin, crossing to kiss her on the lips.
“Richard arrived, as you can see, and I could not resist introducing him to Alexander.”
“So I gathered. We waited in the dining room wondering if you had gotten lost in your own house, Mr. Darcy. Mr. Taylor enlightened us to Colonel Fitzwilliam’s arrival and I reckoned you had come here.”
“I am so sorry, love! We completely lost track of the hour. Forgive me?”
“Naturally. However, you, Colonel Fitzwilliam, will be punished severely for your rudeness in not greeting Pemberley’s Mistress, unless you pay penance by singing the praises of our incredible son.”
“Thankfully, madam, I can accomplish this with ease. Honestly, Elizabeth, he is lovely. Of course, he has been sleeping the entire time and I have not been gifted with the vocal prowess I am certain he possesses.”
Lizzy laughed. “Even his cries are rays of sunshine, Colonel. I think he has inherited his father’s resonant tones, as his yells are not shrill, and only occur with appropriate incentive.”
“He is demanding and with a wild temper, which could easily come from either of us,” Darcy interjected.
“A melding most probably, which could mean it double in intensity. Woe to you both on that count. Remember the switch, Darcy.”
“Very funny, Richard. Now, gentlemen, if I may be so bold as to insist we let the baby sleep in peace and eat lunch before it grows colder, and before he wakens to persistently request my presence. I have to schedule these things carefully.”
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