Georgiana’s eyes widened as she released a squeal of delight, hugging Elizabeth in welcome. Releasing Elizabeth, she gently approached the children and carefully peeled back the thin blankets. A smile graced her features as she gave each child a gentle squeeze and kissed their little heads.
Glancing at her older brother, she said, “Oh! I’m so glad you’re all home. I’ve been worried sick about you, and to think I now have two adorable babies to love. I’ve fixed the nursery to your specifications and have placed two cribs in the master suite as you requested. I only did the basics, so when you’re fully recovered from the flight, we’ll go shopping and really fix things up. I’m so excited to finally have children in this house!”
Fitzwilliam looked upon his sister with a bemused smile and laughed. “You may change your mind when they’re fully awake, announcing their presence. They can be quite loud, especially Alex in the middle of the night.”
Turning to catch her other brother, she hugged him. “David, I’m so glad to see you, too. I’ve missed you both.”
David smiled and kissed his sister’s cheek. “I’m glad you finally noticed me, Georgie,” he teased with a wink. “I’ve missed you, too. And Fitzwilliam is right. The babies are indeed loud.”
“Yes, your brothers are quite right. They can be a handful.” Elizabeth laughed.
“I highly doubt it,” Georgiana said, taking Alex from Elizabeth. “It will make us all feel alive again and offer some diversion to this otherwise dull and stuffy house.” Cradling Alex in her arms, Georgiana gently rocked back and forth.
“Let’s give the children to their nannies. They need to be settled in the nursery,” Fitzwilliam instructed. “They’ve been fed and changed, so they won’t need anything for a while. We need to eat something, and Elizabeth needs to rest.”
After handing the sleeping children to the two caregivers, Georgiana led the way to the small informal dining room where a light lunch was laid out. Once they’d eaten, David excused himself to his room while Fitzwilliam took Elizabeth by the hand.
“Let me show you to our rooms. You can freshen up there and then rest if you would like. Love, you look very tired,” he said, stroking the side of her face. “I will give you a personal tour of the house later, and then I’ll also introduce you to the staff. I have some business with David and Georgiana. When it’s concluded, I’ll join you.”
Leading her to a wide staircase, they took the stairs, veering to the right and then to the left where they entered the family wing. He stopped five doors down in front of a large oak door. Opening it, he glanced over his shoulder as if trying to gauge her reaction.
She smiled to reassure him. She knew he wanted her to be pleased, but he needn’t have worried, for she was more than pleased.
“These are our rooms,” he softly spoke as they went inside. “It is the master suite of the house.”
As Elizabeth walked into the room, her breath caught. It was larger than any bedroom she had ever seen before. The entire room was done in a rich cherry wood. A magnificently crafted king size four-poster bed with a canopy and bed curtains dominated the room. Matching night tables with reading lamps flanked the bed. The coverlet was a rich deep-blue silk satin with several pillows, and a large chandelier hung from the ceiling. Two writing desks, where she could just imagine Fitzwilliam and herself working—she on her test papers and he on his corporate contracts—stood on either side of a large double door that led to a comfortable balcony sitting area. A section of bookcases holding a treasure trove of novels and histories bordered a door that led to…where? She didn’t know, but her curiosity urged her to find out later.
Walking about the room, her lips curled pleasantly as she saw a sofa and chaise lounge that invited one to loll about lazily on its cushions before a fireplace that appeared to be still capable of hosting a blazing fire. And there was a black and white Alpaca rug in front of the hearth. Finally, her eyes rested upon two rocking chairs with matching cribs beside the bed. She glanced at her husband and smiled.
“Are you pleased, Elizabeth?” Fitzwilliam cautiously asked.
“Very much,” she said. “Fitzwilliam, I’m pleased to be home with you and our family. The room is beautiful. Everything looks very comfortable and cozy. I’m looking forward to us being together again.” She reached up with one hand and gently caressed his face.
He bent down and found her lips as he tenderly pulled her into his arms. Breaking the kiss, he whispered, “Come, I need to show you the rest of our rooms.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “The rest of our rooms?”
“Yes,” he laughed, “come, and I’ll show you.”
Leading her by the hand, they approached a great archway to the right of the bed with a curtain made of glass beads. This led to a sizeable dressing room with two large open walk-in closets situated across from one another. Through the dressing room, another door led to a huge, ornate bathroom. Elizabeth stared, impressed, since she had never seen one so luxurious before. Her eyes swept over the room. She saw a sunken bathtub, an oversized walk-in shower, and marble counters with gold fixtures and cherry cabinets.
“Fitzwilliam, this bathroom is as big as some of our bedrooms at Longbourn, and my closet is so large I will never be able to fill it. I have never seen anything like this!”
He chuckled softly. “You’ll get used to the bathroom, and I’m sure you’ll rather like it. We can relax in the hot tub later. As for the closet, yes, you will fill it. I want you to buy a whole new wardrobe when you feel up to shopping. I’ll accompany you and show you all that London has to offer. Now come, I have one more set of rooms to show you.”
“More rooms! You’ve got to be kidding?”
“No, I’m not joking.” He laughed, lifting her chin to tap her lips.
Taking her by the hand, they walked back into the master suite and towards the door flanked by the large bookcases she had noticed earlier. He spoke softly as he put his hand to the latch. “Through this door is a small sitting room that connects the mistress’s quarters to mine. Once upon a time, it was the room of the mistress of this house, but with the occasional exception of my mother, it hasn’t been used for that purpose in nearly two hundred years, and I don’t plan for you to break the long-standing tradition.” He smiled as they walked into the rooms.
Her eyes twinkled. “No, neither do I.”
Elizabeth glanced around. The sitting room and mistress’s quarters were as grand as the other rooms. She took a deep breath as her husband once again took her hand in his.
“On the other side of the mistress’s quarters is where the nursery is located, but whilst the children are still young, they’ll be with us during the night so we can care for them ourselves. During the day, the nannies will attend them in the nursery, unless you wish to do so yourself.”
“Yes, I do want them with us at night, but help during the day will be very much appreciated.”
“Very good,” he said. “Now, let’s view the nursery. Then our tour of our chambers will be complete. I’ll show you the rest of the house at another time. Come, let’s go in. Maggie and Clara are there with the children. I’ll introduce you.”
Fitzwilliam opened the door and stepped aside as Elizabeth entered. They found the nannies comfortably situated in large overstuffed chairs, having tea and talking. Once the introductions were complete, he turned to Elizabeth and gestured with his hand. “Well, what do you think?”
“Oh, Fitzwilliam, it’s beautiful. It’s as I have always pictured a children’s nursery to be. A large common room with beautiful white French provincial furnishings and painted murals.”
He smiled. “It’s as my mother left it. Everything is still fairly new. It was rarely used by us as we spent most of our young years at Pemberley. Take a look around.”
Elizabeth beamed. “All right,” she said as moved around the room, carefully inspecting every aspect. There were bins and shelves for toys along one wall. Along another was a French Versailles combination chest
and changer positioned between two grand armoires with wire doors. Turning about, she walked over to the spindle cribs and ran her hand over the smooth finish as she gazed upon her sleeping infants. Off to her left, she saw a child’s oval tea table with six tiny chairs. Walking over, she reached down and felt of the elegant cutwork tablecloth embroidered with pink and blue roses. The Peter Rabbit dishes she had chosen would look lovely on this table. She smiled. Completing the room were gliding rockers and a dining table where Elizabeth presumed the children would take their meals. There were even two larger beds for the nannies to spend the night.
Against the back wall she spied two doors separated by several floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with children’s books and collectibles. Elizabeth glanced up at her husband. “And I suppose those doors lead to the dormitories.”
“Yes, they are the boys’ and girls’ wings. They, too, are furnished in French provincial,” he said as he led her to the first door.
Opening it, they stepped inside.
“This set of rooms is in pink and white with a fairy princess flare. The other rooms are done in oak with a Lothlorien theme. David and I preferred that. We had our rooms decorated in that design both here and at Pemberley. When the time comes, we will redo them to our specific tastes, but for now we will leave them as they are.”
“It’s all very lovely—like a storybook.” Her eyes sparkled with pleasure. “I can’t wait to make them personal. The common room is beautiful, too. Mother Goose is very traditional.”
“I’m glad it meets with your approval. But if you decide otherwise, you can change anything you like.”
She looked up and smiled once more. After surveying the boys’ dormitory, they left the nursery and returned to the master suite.
As they entered, Fitzwilliam enclosed his wife in his arms. “Elizabeth, I’ve missed you. This year has been hell for me, but for right now, if you’ll excuse me, I have something important I need to do. Go ahead and freshen up. I’ll be back to join you later. Dinner is at seven, so you’ll have enough time to rest. Oh, I almost forgot. If you need her, your maid, Sally, will help you unpack and put away your things.”
“Thank you. I am very tired, so I think I will shower and rest. And I would appreciate Sally’s help.”
“Good. I’ll send her up. You rest, and I’ll return shortly,” Fitzwilliam said as he went to leave.
“Fitzwilliam?”
“Yes,” he said, pausing at the door.
“This year has not been easy for me either.” She hesitated. “I have missed you, too, and sometimes, especially at night, the ache was unbearable. Tonight…I want you as my husband.” Crossing the room, she moved into his arms and reached up to kiss him.
“Liz…Liz, you don’t know how much I’ve longed to hear those words come from your lips. Tonight I’ll make it up to you.”
“We’ll make it up to each other,” she murmured, taking him in a deep, lingering kiss before relinquishing him to his errands.
~*~
Fitzwilliam would waste no time in forming his tactics for cutting ties with his aunt. He needed to consult with David and then Georgiana before devising a strategy with the intent and purpose of dissolving all relationships, both business and personal, with Hilda. Settling behind his desk, he picked up his pen and addressed his brother who had just arrived and taken a seat.
“David, I want us to contact Pemberley Group tomorrow and set up a meeting as soon as possible. We need to find another banking partner and set the plans into motion to break all ties with Vanderburgh Banking. When everything is in place and irrevocable, we’ll meet with Hilda.”
“Are you sure…absolutely sure this is what you want to do? Once it is done, you cannot undo it.”
“David, I have never been more certain of anything in my life. Hilda has been a thorn in my side for years with her attempts to order my life. First she dictated to Father how much education she thought I needed, and then she used her power and money to try and force me into marrying her step-daughter. If she’d had her way, I would’ve never been allowed to get my D.Phil. Not to mention all that I witnessed in her attempts to force her will on Father. If I hadn’t known better, I might have thought she wanted to become the next Mrs. Darcy and run the company herself. And now her deception and betrayal with Elizabeth! I was a fool to have trusted her, and it has cost me dearly. It’s a mistake I’ll never make again.”
“Well, she did help us when we really needed it, and she is family.”
“I don’t care how much she helped us. The help doesn’t justify the harm. Besides, I haven’t overlooked familiar ties before. I won’t this time, either.” He looked his brother dead in the eye. “If it had not been for you, I don’t know what would have happened to my wife and children.”
“I understand,” David nodded, “and you’re very welcome. I’m glad it has turned out so well for you.”
Fitzwilliam released a sigh. He could hear the hurt in his brother’s voice. “David, I know you and Cecilia quarreled over Elizabeth and me, but now that you know the facts, I think you should seriously consider what it is you want. As I’ve said before, if you truly love her, go after her. We can wait on meeting with Pemberley Group. Go back to South Carolina tomorrow. Don’t let her slip away. You will always regret it if you do.”
“I can handle myself. Don’t worry about me.”
As David stood to leave, Fitzwilliam replied, “Well, then, there’s nothing else to say. We’ll discuss our plans in detail tomorrow. Send Georgiana in on your way out.”
~*~
After briefing Georgiana of their tentative plans, Fitzwilliam left his study and returned upstairs where he found Elizabeth sound asleep. He smiled tenderly as he watched her sleeping, curled up in a ball on his bed where she belonged.
Turning, he went to freshen up. After he showered, he joined her on the bed where he gathered her into a tight embrace and fell asleep. Several hours later the nannies gently knocked on the door. Fitzwilliam slowly awakened, bidding them to enter.
“Elizabeth,” he softly said, shaking her. “Elizabeth, wake up. We need to take care of the children, and there is only so much I can do.”
“Oh, yes, I must have been asleep for a long time. Bring them here. If you will help me, I can probably feed them both at once. Alex won’t wait, and poor Emily seems very hungry, too.”
Taking the two fussing infants one at a time, he helped her place one at each breast while she leaned back against the soft pillows. Once they were situated, he lay down beside her and propped up on one elbow. It was a new and amazing experience, watching his children. Alex pulled and tugged in an almost angry fashion as he grunted and squirmed while Emily gently nursed in a leisurely manner.
“Alex is quite aggressive, isn’t he?”
“And painful, too! He is neither gentle nor respectful of me, and I can tell he’s going to be strong-willed. We’ll have a difficult time with him if we’re not careful. I don’t know of any Bennetts who are as determined as he promises to be,” she teased.
“Don’t you, now?” Fitzwilliam smiled. “I know of at least one. Alex comes by it honestly. He reminds me of David and myself. We’ll handle him just fine.” He nodded. “Our daughter, on the other hand, is going to be a beauty. I dread her coming out. I’ll have to screen her suitors closely.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes in amusement. “Well, just remember that you were once a young suitor, too.”
A serious note entered his voice as he watched his nursing daughter. “That’s the problem. I know what young men are about, and now that I have a daughter, it’s different.”
Elizabeth laughed and shook her head.
After the children were fed, their nannies returned for them, and the Darcys dressed for dinner. When dinner was finished, it was late, so they all retired for the night. Clara and Maggie had brought the twins to the master suite where they were waiting when the Darcys returned. Fitzwilliam took the children and dismissed the caregivers. After checking thei
r nappies, he brought them to bed where he and Elizabeth played with them. They were wide awake, taking in everything around them, studying their parents intently as they glanced from one to the other.
“Do you suppose they can see us?” Fitzwilliam asked as he let Emily grasp his finger.
“Of course, they can, and they’re beginning to smile. They’re happy children, aren’t they?” Elizabeth sighed as she stroked Alex’s tiny face. “Mostly though, they relate to us by sound and feel. They respond to your voice. Your singing soothes them, whereas with me, it’s my softness that soothes them. Soon they will be laughing and sitting up.”
“Your softness soothes me too,” Fitzwilliam said, casting a warm, yet intense look at his wife. “Let’s see if we can get them to sleep—for at least a few hours, anyway.”
As she nursed the babies, she gave them to him to be burped and rocked. Soon both children were sound asleep in their own little beds. Now it was their time.
It had been so long since Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth had been together as man and wife that, observing her fidgeting, he could sense she was a bit nervous, so he decided to take things slowly. Walking over to the chaise lounge, he made himself comfortable.
“Elizabeth, come here, love, and just let me hold you.”
She did as he asked, and they sat on the chaise, holding one another for some time with her head resting on his shoulder. He breathed in the rose scent of her hair, taking him back to when they’d first met—when he had first held her.
Finally, as he ran his hands through her tresses, he said, “I understand why you cut it, but please, won’t you let your hair grow long again? It was one of the first things I noticed about you. You had the most incredibly long hair that I had ever seen. It was beautiful.” He paused, tenderly gazing at her.
“Yes, I will let it grow. My hair has always been long, and I intend for it to be so again.”
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