The first photo was of an obviously very pregnant Elizabeth with shorter hair. She sat reading on a park bench in White Point Gardens. Next, he observed her walking down King Street, Battery, and finally into the Lawton Townhouse. There was another of Cecilia, carrying a small infant into the house, followed by Elizabeth with a second one. Twins? The final picture showed Elizabeth with a double stroller in the park. …Cecilia, you lied to me! I can’t believe this. I trusted you, and you lied! Oh God, Cecilia, what have you done?
Bolting from his office, he approached Mrs. Honeycutt. “Rita, why didn’t you call me when these messages from Herman Biggs came in? Or better yet, why didn’t you just give Biggs my mobile number? These messages were vitally important.”
“I didn’t realize they were important to you, and you set the policy yourself. I’m never to give your personal number to anyone unless you have approved it,” she said in alarm. “Mr. Biggs is not on the authorized list.”
David rolled his eyes. “You follow directions very well. I should’ve made sure he had the number.”
David turned and rushed from his office to his brother’s, bursting through the door.
“Fitzwilliam, I must have a word with you—this is important. NOW!”
“David, what’s wrong?” Fitzwilliam asked as he set aside the account he was reading.
“Look!” David dropped the pictures along with the reports on his brother’s desk.
“What is this?” Fitzwilliam asked, looking at the stack before him.
“She was discovered when she applied for her passport renewal.”
Fitzwilliam glanced up as David spoke. “Elizabeth?”
Snatching up the pictures, he went through them one by one, his hands trembling as his eyes scanned each photograph. Fitzwilliam shook his head in shock and disbelief as he read the reports. Realization began to wash over him. …Pregnant! A son and a daughter! She plans to leave the country! A mixture of angry disbelief and pain flooded him. “She was pregnant and didn’t have the decency to tell me? A son and a daughter born on… January 23rd.” His voice faded into a whisper. “How could she do this to me? I don’t believe it!” Raking his fingers through his disheveled curls, he tumbled back in his chair. “What should I do?”
“Bloody hell! Fitzwilliam, do I have to tell you? We’re going to Charleston—today. She’s staying with Cecilia—the woman I was going to marry! Oh God! I was going to propose this weekend. But now…” He shook his head. “She kept this from me! All this time. She knew all about you and what you were going through. She could’ve at least told Elizabeth.”
“You don’t know that she didn’t.” With great effort, Fitzwilliam composed himself. “Whilst Elizabeth may want to be free of me, those are my children, and I will have a part in their lives. I will! She knew how much I wanted a child. She’s the one who balked at the idea—her career had to come first.” Fitzwilliam looked up. “She wants to leave the country, does she? The bloody hell she will! I won’t have it! Those are my children, and I want them! I won’t allow her to leave the country—not with my children.” He shook his head. “No, she’s not going anywhere. I will assess the situation and do whatever is necessary to stop her. Call the airport. I’ll be ready to go within the hour.” Fitzwilliam rose from his chair, now in complete control.
“Fitzwilliam, before we leave, I’ve got to let Georgiana know what we’ve found and where we’re going. She’ll want to come with us, but I’m going to persuade her to remain behind. We’ll need someone here to make arrangements just in case we don’t return alone. There’s no way in hell I’m not going with you!”
David made the call to Watson, telling him to pack two bags with everything they would need for one week’s time. Next, he made arrangements for their assistants to cover for them while they were gone.
“We’ll get there in the late afternoon, local time. We have the advantage of the time zones working in our favor. I’ll have Mrs. Foulkes make reservations at the Planter’s Inn. Although the Lawton is closer, we won’t be staying there.” Pausing, he attempted to release the giant hand squeezing his chest. “I’ll get a car, and we’ll surprise them. I called earlier, so I know Cecilia is staying at her townhouse this week. We shouldn’t have any problem getting in since I’m a regular there. What are you going to do?” David asked.
“I don’t know. I will take it as it comes, but one thing is for damned sure. I want to finally hear her say the words herself. If she wants a divorce, she will have to ask me personally,” he said as he shuffled papers. “You can be assured that I’ll not walk away from my children. I know that for certain. My son is my heir. And my daughter, let’s just suffice to say they will know who they are.”
“You never filed for divorce then, did you?”
Fitzwilliam dropped his gaze and looked away.
David rolled his eyes. “I assumed you hadn’t. Fitzwilliam, you have to end this one way or another. You can’t go on forever living in between. If you decide that you and Elizabeth can’t make it, get a solicitor specializing in divorce law and end this now,” he pressed. “I, for one, have had enough of lying women, but the children are another matter. The one thing I’ve learnt is that family is important.”
Fitzwilliam grabbed his briefcase, and both men headed out the door and towards the lift. As they entered, Fitzwilliam hit the button for the ground floor. “David, it’s not so easy to tear yourself in two when you’ve been one—it hurts.” He glanced at his brother. “I ought to know. I’ve been trying to do just that for a year now. As far as Elizabeth goes, I no longer know what I want. I loved her. She was—is—the other half of me. I’m incomplete without her, but that woman has hurt me more than I could’ve ever conceived possible. But don’t concern yourself. I’ll do whatever is necessary when the time comes. I have no choice but to survive, and I will survive for my children’s sake, if for nothing else,” he said as they stepped out of the lift.
Watson met them at the airport with their luggage and they were quickly on their way. The plane touched down in Charleston in the afternoon. After hurrying through customs, David swiftly secured the rental car and they were off to the hotel. Wasting no time checking in, they were soon back in the car and on their way to No. 2 S. Battery Street.
~*~
The late afternoon sun streaked lazily into the sunroom of the Lawton Townhouse, warming Elizabeth and Cecilia as they fed and fussed over two tiny infants. Rising from the couch, Elizabeth crossed the room with Emily held in the crook of her arm.
“Here, Celia, you take Emily and burp her. Alex is stirring. I’ll change and feed him,” Elizabeth said. “What would you like to do tonight?” she asked, glancing over at Cecilia as she picked up Alex. “The Clemson Theatre Group is presenting A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Are you interested? It starts at seven.”
“I don’t know. I’m expecting an important call around five. How about we just go to dinner down by the beach and then take the babies for a walk in the mall. You could use some new clothes. You’ve really lost a lot of weight, and your clothes are beginning to hang on you. You know what Mrs. Parker from the La Leche League told you.”
“Yes, I know. If I don’t start eating, my milk will dry up.” Lifting Alex to her breast, she sighed, “but I’m not hungry. You are right about the clothes, though, so let’s do that, and I promise I’ll eat tonight even if I have to force myself.” Elizabeth laughed, and then abruptly stopped, the smile draining from her face. “Celia, are you expecting company?”
Noticing Elizabeth’s startled look, Cecilia turned to face the French door. Her jaw dropped.
“Ma’am, the gentlemen would not wait to be announced, but since it is Mr. Darcy, I thought it would be all right.”
Shocked almost speechless, Cecilia managed to say, “It’s quite all right, Jennings. Let them enter.”
Entering the room, Fitzwilliam’s eyes went immediately to Elizabeth while David’s sought out Cecilia.
“Surprised to see me?” David’s eyes
locked with hers, his fierce gaze contrasting with his icy expression.
She tore her eyes away and pulled in her lower lip, nipping it. Returning to meet his piercing stare, she said, “So now you know.”
“Yes, I know.” He nodded in agreement. “I will have a word with you in your study—privately.” David glared, his tightly controlled rage barely concealed under his cool demeanor.
“I don’t think so. I’m not leaving Elizabeth.” Cecilia rose from her chair.
“It’s all right, Celia, please leave us. Fitzwilliam and I need to talk.” Elizabeth spoke with a measure of control that Cecilia sensed was more contrived than real.
“Are you sure? I can get a servant, if you like.”
“No, that will not be necessary.”
Cecilia walked over to place Emily in her crib, and then slowly followed David out of the room.
As the door clicked behind them, Fitzwilliam finally spoke. “Hello, Elizabeth, it’s been a while,” he said in a cool tone.
Elizabeth breathed deeply and pulled her child closer. “Yes, yes, it has,” she said softly as she turned away.
Fitzwilliam paced in front of her, twisting his family ring as he studied her closely. Noticing her altered appearance, for a moment, he almost faltered. Her beautiful hair was gone, and her complexion was pale. Fatigue stretched over her tired gaunt features, etched with worry.
He walked over to the window and stared out blankly at the ocean. Turning to his wife nursing his son, he noticed a tear had slipped from her eye as she looked away. The urge to gather her in his arms and kiss her senseless was incredible, but he refused to be the fool again. Those were his children, and she knew he wanted them. She knew, and yet she’d hidden them from him. Inhaling sharply, he looked her directly in the eye as she turned to face him.
“There is one question I want to ask you, Elizabeth Darcy—well, actually, two. The first is…why? Why did you do this to us, and the second is…” pausing to swallow past the pain in his chest, he zeroed in, “were you never going to tell me I was a father?”
With a defiant notch of her chin, she responded. “Fitzwilliam, first of all, I did nothing more than what you wanted, and second, I felt the need to protect my children.”
That lit his fuse.
“What I wanted! To protect your children! What I wanted was a life for us together! And I thought you wanted the same. Oh, and madam, unless there is some universal secret I am unaware of, it takes two to have children, so they are my children, too! And make no mistake, love, I plan to have them.”
He stopped and pulled up short. “How could you, Elizabeth? How could you do this? I’ve been through hell because of you. Tell me what you want. If you want a divorce, I want to hear you say it, because at this point, madam, I will gladly give it to you, but the children are another matter entirely. They will be with me at least part of the time, if not all of the time! And I’m not letting you leave the country with my children, so don’t even think about it!”
She shot back. “First of all, Fitzwilliam, I did not leave you; you left me! I think your letter explained it very well, or have you forgotten? And, yes, I did have to protect them, protect them from the likes of you, and what I can only presume your family to be like. I want my children to be raised in an environment where their lives, their tender feelings, are cherished and they are allowed to grow and develop into normal young adults, not reared in some cold, sterile, unfeeling environment like you and David were brought up in. I don’t want my children to be like you and David!”
His rage flew at her. “Elizabeth, what the bloody hell are you talking about? I didn’t leave you. I sent my aunt to bring you to England. I’d just come through one of the worst times of my life, and I needed you, but you told Hilda that you no longer wanted to be with me, that you no longer wanted to be married to me. The letter I wrote to you expressed my love and need for you. I tried to explain all that I had been through, but you, you wrote me a letter that ripped my world apart. How could you? I loved you!”
She shook her head and glared.
“And furthermore, as for the children, you are again wrong—wrong about me, my family, and my resolve. I want nothing more for them than their happiness and wellbeing. They are Darcys, and therefore, are entitled to their family heritage. He,” Fitzwilliam said, pointing to his son, “is my heir and will one day have all that I own, and you have no idea what all that entails. It is far more than mere money, so if you want a fight, love, you shall have one! For I will have possession of my children.”
Her son wiggled and squirmed until the blanket slipped, exposing him tugging at her breast. Elizabeth quickly moved to cover herself.
Fitzwilliam smirked and rolled his eyes. “Dispense with the feigned modesty, my dear. I’ve seen it all before.”
“How dare you! How dare talk to me like that! I—”
“Oh, I would—I would dare and more.” He cut her off. “Because, if you think I will just walk away and let you take my children to God knows where, as if they were nothing to me, you’d better think again, Mrs. Darcy.”
“Never in my life has anyone ever spoken to me in such a manner. I don’t have to sit here and listen to this.” She wrapped her child up and rose to her feet.
“Sit down, Elizabeth. You’re not going anywhere. I want answers, and I want them now!”
Elizabeth glared as she sat back down and pulled the blanket more securely over her shoulder. “Okay, Fitzwilliam, you want answers?” she said “Well, I’ll give you a good piece of my mind to chew on. If you loved me as you say you did, why didn’t you call me? No, you couldn’t be bothered. Instead, I had to call you, begging you to let me come to London, but you wouldn’t. Then, when Pemberley was secured, why didn’t you come for me? Again, I know the answer. You couldn’t spare a few days for me, the woman you claimed to have loved. Instead, you sent an envoy to clean up for you, and one of the things they cleaned up was me! If I was so damned important to you, why did you let me go through the hell of not knowing, all alone, so ill with morning sickness that I practically lived in the bathroom?”
Rising from her seat, still clutching her son to her breast, she shouted, “Where the hell were you when I needed you! I don’t give a damn about your precious family. There was no excuse to have kept me in some backwoods hollow as I’m sure you and your family think my home to be. I was your family, too! But you were ashamed of me!”
The piercing wail of the baby interrupted her bitter barrage. She inhaled deeply, looking up as she tapped her foot and rocked from side to side, comforting the crying child. “Oh and let’s not forget that horrible interview when that CNN reporter questioned you about our marriage. How incredibly safe your answers were! Do you have any concept of how I must have felt listening to that drivel, or how it made me look in the community?! Did you even once think of me?”
Feeling the sting of her words, Fitzwilliam squeezed his eyes shut, thoroughly frustrated. “Elizabeth, why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?! It would have changed everything.”
“Would it?” her brow shot up. “Who was it you wanted, me or the child? No,” she said in bitterness, “I would never use a child to bind a man to me who no longer wanted me!”
Stunned by her angry words, he now realized she hadn’t understood anything he had tried to tell her over the months they’d been separated. It had never occurred to him that she would feel this way. Had he not reassured her of his love? Had she not promised to wait for him? Moving towards the window, he turned to face her. He opened his mouth to speak, but she was not through.
“Furthermore, Fitzwilliam, when your aunt came with your letter and that divorce contract, what was I supposed to think? She told me what was expected of me as your wife, and if I couldn’t fulfill my duty, then I would have a life of misery as your mother had suffered. At that moment in time I hated you as much as I had ever loved you! You had changed, and I no longer recognized you! As far as I was concerned, you had emotionally abandoned me.”
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Elizabeth paused to draw breath and then looked him directly in the eye. “I knew—I knew only too well where your thoughts and loyalties lay when it came to me and the Darcy legacy. If you were forced to choose between me and your family, it wouldn’t be me. I should have seen it when you told me all about your family heritage, but then you cleverly hid it until it was too late, didn’t you? Your loyalty to the Darcy legacy meant more to you than me. After all, you are a Darcy—your father’s son, and now you want mine.” She stopped long enough to comfort the wailing child. Looking up, she nodded. “I didn’t need your aunt to confirm what I already suspected, but confirm it she did. You’ve become your father!”
Fitzwilliam bristled. Leaning heavily on his hand planted against the window frame, he glanced over his shoulder before turning back to gaze out the window. While she sat holding their screaming son, his mind whirled. How much he would tell? He didn’t know, but he couldn’t bear Elizabeth thinking the words she’d spewed forth were true. Releasing his grasp, he walked towards her.
“Elizabeth,” he began, pacing back and forth in front of her, “regardless of what you believe about me, I am not my father, and I deeply resent the allegation.” Fitzwilliam took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. “First of all, if you will recall, you know I was willing to marry you even if I had to give up my inheritance to do so. I told you as much, and you should know from the time we spent together that I never exaggerate my word. I would have done it even if I hadn’t had my own money to fall back on. With nothing more than the income of our professions we could’ve lived quite well. I would have worked to support you and our family to the best of my ability. However, Pemberley House and grounds does mean a great deal to me. If there was a way I could have both you and my home, I intended to do it, although if I had been forced to choose, as you say, I would’ve chosen you. I know you don’t believe that, but it’s the absolute truth, and if you need confirmation, I can refer you to my brother. I confided in him all that I’ve just told you,” Fitzwilliam said. “Elizabeth, I loved you enough to give up everything I had for you.”
The Cumberland Plateau Page 69