“Cecilia, are you sure this is the one? You haven’t looked at them all yet.”
“Yes, I’m sure. I love this one! Sapphires are my favorite gemstones. I also want the matching diamond wedding band and one plain band, the one with interspersed diamonds. I’ll wear it when we’re just around the house. The other one will be for work and formal occasions.” She smiled, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before leaving him to investigate something that had caught her eye in another showcase.
When Cecilia was out of hearing, he whispered to the sales associate, “All right, we’ll take that set with the additional band she indicated, and add the band with the sapphires, too. I’ve decided we’ll take them both, and I’ll take a plain gold band for me. Also, I want the ring and all the bands engraved to read Lawton & Darcy, Ltd.”
The clerk smiled. “I’ll take your measurements, and we’ll have them ready for you in three days. Will there be anything else?”
“Not at this time, thank you.” He moved to join Cecilia at the precious gems case where the associate met them to take their measurements.
~*~
Three days later, when David returned for the rings, he also bought a heart-shaped locket he had seen previously. It was gold with a small diamond set in the center. Etchings bursting forth from the diamond gave it the appearance of a solitary star. The rest of the locket’s face was covered in filigree. This he would present to her with their wedding picture enclosed after they were married. The inscription Yours… Forevermore… David was to be engraved on the left side. He also purchased a sapphire and diamond necklace with matching earrings and a bracelet.
Later that evening while sitting on the divan in front of the fireplace, David gently stroked the delicate box he held in his hand. “Cecilia, come here, love. I have something for you.”
Turning from the mirror perched over the dressing table he’d had brought to his room for her use, she put down her brush and rose to join him. “What’s this?” she asked as she took a seat next to him.
With a smile, he opened the small case. “I picked up our rings today.” He took her engagement ring from the box and placed it upon her finger. Then he reached over to the side cabinet and produced a jewel case and another small box. “And I want you to have this as an engagement present.”
Setting the boxes in her lap, Cecilia held her hand up to the light of the chandelier. “Oh, David,” she whispered, “it’s beautiful!” Light from the diamond and sapphires danced and sparkled about the room.
Reaching down for the smaller package, she slipped the case from the box and opened it. David carefully removed the bands and showed her the inscription: Lawton & Darcy Ltd. She gazed at him in awe. Suppressing a sob, she said, “I’m deeply touched by the way you view our union.”
David reached over and tipped her chin so that their eyes met. “I view our marriage as a partnership—a true melding of minds. After all, you’ve always said ‘we’re two of a kind.’” He laughed. “Even my father said so. Now open the next one,” he coaxed.
Opening the box with the sapphires and diamonds, she gasped at their sparkle. Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh David, you shouldn’t have. The ring was enough, but these are truly beautiful...” Her voice trailed into a whisper.
“It’s a lovely ring for a lovely bride, and when I saw the sapphires, I couldn’t resist. They were meant for you,” he said in a soft hushed tone. “I love you, Lawton.” Cupping her face in his hands, he brought her lips to his while her arms instinctively encircled him. When he released her, she was crying.
“Why the tears, my love? This is to be the happiest time of our lives,” he said, tenderly brushing a tear away with his thumb.
“I’m crying because I am happy—very happy. I never thought I could be so happy. I don’t deserve you.” She smiled through her tears.
With a tender chuckle, he kissed her forehead, pulling her into his arms. “Yes, you do. If anything, it’s I who doesn’t deserve you. I didn’t even know there was anything missing from my life until I found you, and now I don’t know how I would go on without you. Cecilia, you complete me in every way. We were meant to be together.” He paused as he brushed a strand of hair out of her beautiful eyes while he gently caressed her face. “You and I were born for one another—created from conception to be together. I love you, and that’ll never change. I’m not the man I once was, nor are you the woman you once were, but we are the man and woman we should be. Lawton, never say you don’t deserve to be happy. I’ll hear none of that,” he said as he lowered his head to give her a gentle kiss.
Releasing her lips, they held each other, savoring this tender moment. Neither said another word, for there was nothing left to be said.
~*~
While Georgiana sat in her room sipping a cup of Earl Grey, she thought about her brothers. They were happier and more content than she could remember ever seeing either of them, but it was David who pleased her more. Even though she knew how David had treated women, and didn’t approve, she also knew he was a good man deep inside, and that, when he found the right woman, he would become the man she had believed him to be. And now that David had found Cecilia, she had transformed him and brought out the best in him. Georgiana couldn’t have been more pleased.
Then there was Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth. They had a rapport with one another that astounded her. The former lecturer from Tennessee kept her brother on his toes with her wit, humor, and love for him. And both were totally dedicated to their children. She had never thought she would ever see her brother changing nappies or burping babies and allowing them to spit up on his impeccable bespoke suits. But there he was, and perfectly content with doing it. Georgiana Darcy smiled as she thought of all of this, but she also thought of another man whom she had not heard from in nearly a year.
Each night before bed, she would put on her favorite music, light a few candles, and take out his letters. Gently untying the lavender ribbon that held them bound, she went through them one by one. As she came to the final email, she sighed and held it to her heart. He’d all but said he wanted to marry her. He’d asked her to wait for him, and wait she would. Watching her brothers’ happiness only made her long that much more for her own. She knew it would mean giving up her home and all that she’d ever known here in England, but it didn’t matter. From what she’d witnessed her brothers go through, she knew that life wasn’t worth living if it couldn’t be shared with someone you loved.
While she lay there on her bed, he appeared before her in her mind’s eye, standing on a grassy knoll, gazing down at her with clear blue eyes. She could see the curve of his smile, his sandy blonde hair cut a little longer than most Marines, and his strong muscular build. She sighed deeply as she remembered how he had made her feel when he’d pulled her into his arms and kissed her that first time. It hadn’t been her first kiss, but it had been the first time someone’s kiss had sent shivers through the heart of her womanhood, causing her to long for what she knew her brothers shared with their loves.
Folding his letters, she tied them back with the lavender ribbon and neatly tucked them under her pillow. She blew out the candles, set the sound system to auto-repeat, took off her slippers, and then climbed into bed. Sliding under the covers, she pulled her pillow into an embrace and said a silent prayer. As she closed her eyes in sleep, she whispered against her pillow, “Joseph, don’t be a hero. Come back to me.”
~*~
The next day David found Fitzwilliam in the library reading the morning paper with Elizabeth resting in the chair next to him as the children squirmed on a blanket in front of the fireplace.
“I’ve prepared the guest list for my engagement dinner and have the invitations almost ready to post. It will be a party of thirty-six,” he chuckled softly. “It’s amazing how few friends one really has—and most of these are our family. But I only want to share my joy with those who are dear to me, and I’m afraid that isn’t many.”
“Well, though a small party, thirty-six is
still quite a lot. What day did you choose?’
“Next Friday. We need to return to Charleston on the following Tuesday.”
“Friday is good. The christening is this Saturday, so we will have a full week in between. I will let Mrs. Reynolds know, and the ladies can begin the planning for both events this week. We’ll leave for Pemberley on Friday. I’m anxious for Elizabeth to see her future home, and I’m sure you wish to show it to Cecilia. Have you two made plans for the wedding and honeymoon yet?”
“We’ve made tentative plans, but nothing is fixed as of yet.”
“I still owe Elizabeth a honeymoon. Ours was interrupted by Father’s death and the subsequent problems which followed,” Fitzwilliam said, folding the paper as he glanced at his wife. “Elizabeth, you and I need to plan as well. Perhaps we can go to the Caribbean after David’s and Cecilia’s wedding. That’s what I had originally planned. We own a resort villa in the British Virgin Islands,” he said, softly smiling.
“The Virgin Islands! I love the sun and the ocean, but what about the children?”
“We can take them and a few servants with us. It’s not what I’d hoped we would do a year ago, but things have changed, so we have to change, too.”
“Not exactly romantic, but I think we can find a way.”
“So it would seem, Mrs. Darcy,” he murmured, catching her meaning.
David chuckled. “I think I’ll find something else to do in another part of the house, or maybe I’ll see if I can find Cecilia.” He gave his brother a wink and exited the library, closing the door behind him with a resounding click.
Fitzwilliam rose and locked the door before gathering his wife into his arms.
Chapter Seventy-four
…Welcome to Pemberley, Mrs. Darcy…
The trip to Pemberley proved to be much more of an undertaking than either of the Darcy brothers had anticipated. Traveling with two babies was indeed a chore.
“Fitzwilliam, are you sure you need all of this?” David glanced quizzically at his brother’s packed Jag.
“Yes, this and more, and I probably need a bigger car, too. Mrs. Reynolds had the nursery cleaned and made ready, but we still need many things that aren’t there, and we’re not even taking the half of it.” Fitzwilliam grinned. “We’re going into Lambton later today to buy the rest of what is needed. It’s my plan to move to Pemberley when we come back from our honeymoon.”
While readjusting a few boxes, David asked, “How are you going to handle Pemberley, PLC from Derbyshire? Have you thought this through?”
“Of course I have. My intentions are to open an office in Lambton. I’ll split my time between Lambton and London. I’m also going to purchase a helicopter for the back and forth trips. That should solve the travel problems. I want to be in Derbyshire most of the year.” Grunting as he wedged Elizabeth’s needlework bag in between two suitcases, he looked up at his brother. “I want to go home, David—to Pemberley, and I want to be at home with my family.”
David sighed as he took the car seats a servant had just brought. “I understand, and the helicopter is an excellent idea. So you’ll be at Pemberley by autumn then?”
“Yes, that’s the plan. I want my children to know the beauty of growing up in the countryside like we did. We’ll come to London in the late autumn and winter when they’re older for cultural and educational purposes. We’ll tour Europe and the Americas, too. However, for Christmas, I intend to be at home, and I want to invite my family and friends to join us.” He grinned as he took the first car seat from David to secure in the back of the car.
“Then I take it you’ll no longer be pursuing your dream of teaching at university even part-time.”
“It’s still a part of my dreams, but for now, I’ve too many responsibilities, and you’re not going be here to take up the slack. So no, I guess I won’t, but then I’ll at least have these two here to teach, and I think I’ll rather enjoy that. I’ve already introduced them to the Brothers Grimm.”
David shook his head and laughed. “Indeed you have. I guess children are never too young for fairy tales. How about Eton? Are you going to send your son off when the time comes? You know it’s been a family tradition for centuries,” David asked, handing him another bag for the boot.
“I don’t know, but I doubt it. I want to instruct them myself, and Elizabeth is capable of doing much of it, too. So it may be just the two of us with tutors to fill in as needed. Elizabeth is going back to work next year, so I suppose when the time comes, I’ll be doing the largest share of the task, or at least overseeing it. It’ll all depend on how I can arrange my schedule. In a few years, I plan to hire a governess to begin the elementary phases.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Cecilia and I are thinking along the same lines,” David said, handing his brother one last small package. “Speaking of future plans, I need to make the preparations to have my dogs, cars, and horses shipped to America. Do you think we can arrange it whilst in Derbyshire? I want it taken care of before I leave for Charleston.”
“I don’t see why not. I’ll have my new estate manager, Jenson Millbrook, attend to the details. But I hate to see that Lamborghini go. It drives like a dream. Won’t you consider leaving it?” Fitzwilliam asked, casting a fleeting glance at David’s car being loaded by a servant.
“Not on your life! I’m having it, my jag, and the Romeo changed over to the American model. They’re going with me.”
Fitzwilliam laughed. “You and that car. I’ll have to buy one of my own someday.”
“You do that, but put your order in now. It takes a year to have one built.”
“Umm…I’ll certainly consider it,” Fitzwilliam replied.
Turning to survey the cars one more time, he continued. “Georgiana will ride with us, as I think your Merciélago is a bit cramped.”
David laughed. “Two’s company and three’s a crowd, especially in a coupé.”
Fitzwilliam returned his laugh. “I’ll get the kids and ladies, and we’ll see you there.”
~*~
Once they exited the city, the drive north was peaceful and picturesque. Elizabeth absorbed all that she saw—the rolling hills, the pasturelands, the grazing sheep and cattle, the horses running across open fields, and the beautiful late spring flowers all gave evidence of the beauty of the English countryside.
When they crossed over the stone bridge and followed the long drive that led to Pemberley House, Elizabeth was mesmerized. The Elizabethan manor, built and landscaped in the style of an Italian palazzo, was surrounded by a scenic park with beautiful flowerbeds and fountains, pits and statues. A large lake bordered by Spanish chestnuts and low-growing evergreens covered much of the back of the property. Multitudes of ducks, geese, and graceful swans glided across the smooth blue waters, creating a lovely scene she might have seen in one of her childhood picture books. Her breath caught as she took in the vastness of the estate.
As they entered through the stone gate, Fitzwilliam explained the particulars concerning the land. The park encompassed seventeen acres with a Victorian garden that included a sunken parterre edged in stone, various flowering shrubs, herbs of all kinds, stately trees, and an elaborate rose garden which had been his mother’s favorite. With her love for roses, Elizabeth knew it would soon become hers, too. He also told her the garden was enclosed by a medieval deer park with herds of red and fallow deer. There were pasturelands where horses, cows, and sheep grazed. She couldn’t wait to see it all.
And off to the left, he directed her attention, was the orangery. The orangery! That she was anxious to see as well. Fitzwilliam explained how his grandmother had imported tropical plants, fruit trees, flowering shrubs, orchids, and all manner of exotic plants from all over the world. Holding her breath like a small child entering a fantasyland, she mused. …And this is to be my home, and my children will play and grow up here. This is really beyond belief!
“Elizabeth, do you like it?” her husband asked, beaming. “Are you pleased?”
> “Are you kidding? I love it,” she said with a smile. “It’s more beautiful than I could have ever dreamed, and the pictures you showed me do not do it justice. The grounds are so green—like a field of emeralds—and the flowers so bright. It’s like a Thomas Kinkade painting. I bet it’s beautiful in wintertime, too, when covered in snow.”
“Yes, it is.” He chuckled. “I’m glad you like it. It’s to be our home by autumn. I want our children to roam these woods and hills like David and I did as boys,” he said, glancing at his sleeping son and daughter.
When they pulled up to the front entrance with David’s car right behind, two servants came to greet them followed by a short, thin, older woman. Fitzwilliam and David stepped out of their cars simultaneously and greeted her in unison, “Mrs. Reynolds!”
“Welcome home, Master Fitzwilliam and Master David,” she said as she pulled them into a warm embrace. “It’s very good to see you and your ladies.” Peeping inside the car, she exclaimed, “Oh, and what do we have here? These must be the darling children Mrs. Anderson told me about,” said the housekeeper, taking a few steps to observe the two children yawning as they woke up.
Gesturing to Elizabeth as she exited the car, Fitzwilliam said, “Mrs. Reynolds, I’d like you to meet my wife, Elizabeth.” Helping Elizabeth remove the children, he soon turned to display two tiny bundles. “And this is my son, Alexander, and my daughter, Emmaline.”
“It’s so good to finally meet you, Mrs. Darcy, and the lovely children, too.” Mrs. Reynolds greeted Elizabeth with an affectionate hug as she peered under the blankets at two little faces looking around in wonder.
The Cumberland Plateau Page 84