“Dearest, I believe it is time for you to rest.” Darcy said softly to his wife. “William, we were leaving for Town as soon as Jane and Charles left. I can rest in the carriage. I am certain I will find a handsome gentleman in our carriage who is willing to allow me to rest against him.”
A smile graced Darcy’s face as he thought of other activities they could participate in while riding in the carriage. But no, those thoughts would have to wait.
Another round of farewells was made, this time with the Darcys preparing to leave. Mr Bennet leaned to his daughter, whispering in her ear. “You take care of my granddaughter.”
“Papa, it could be a grandson.” Elizabeth replied.
“No, I am certain you are carrying a girl. Perhaps… no, I shall not comment.” Mr Bennet teased as the thought of his daughter carrying twins. ~~ ** ~~ Darcy found himself as exhausted as his wife. Within a mile of Longbourn, both he and Elizabeth were sound asleep. It was not long after that Darcy began to dream.
“Papa, Papa, I am happy you are home.” A little girl with her mother’s dark curls came running to her father, arms held open. Darcy scooped her into his arms and placed a kiss on her cheek.
“Of course I am home. Tomorrow is your birthday. I could never miss your birthday. Let me see, you will be two?” “No, Papa, I will be six. You know that.” The girl giggled.
“How could I forget?” Darcy kissed her again. “Where is your mother?”
“She is resting. Would it not be wonderful if she were to give me a baby sister for my birthday? Mamma said the baby will be born any day now.” “I know. I am pleased the baby waited until I was able to be home. I have been worried the entire time I have been away. I wish I had not had to leave.” “Is Grandpapa well?” “He is much better. The fall was not as bad as it could have been. He broke his leg and will be unable to walk for a while. His head has a bump on it. Like you had when you fell down and your knee had the bump.”
“So Grandmamma is not calling for her smelling salts and crying all the time, as the letter said? She is not fretting Grandpapa is going to heaven?” Darcy smiled. His daughter knew her grandmother’s character very well. “Your Grandmamma is much happier, knowing your Grandpapa is to be well again. Uncle Charles and I made certain everything will be fine at Longbourn, so Grandpapa does not have to worry and can spend his time reading the new books your mother sent him.”
“Then Grandpapa will be very happy. He loves to read.”
“Much like your mother, and you. Did you and your mother begin reading a new book?” Another giggle came from the little girl. “Yes, Papa. Mamma says that by the time I am ten, I will be reading stories of Cousin Richard’s battles. I told her I do not need to read them, Cousin Richard tells them to me.”
Darcy laughed out loud. “You are wise beyond your years, my dear heart. Now, let us walk up to see your mother. I have gifts for both of you.” “But my birthday is not until tomorrow. You should not give me gifts today.” “I have gifts for you for tomorrow, including some from your grandparents, for your birthday. This present is something to thank you for taking care of your mother while I was gone.”
“I took very good care of Mamma. I brought her water when she needed it, and told her stories.”
“Well, let us go to her and tell her how much we love her.”
The girl giggled again. “Just no kissing Mamma on the lips. You make silly faces when you kiss her lips.”
“Very well, I will refrain from kissing her lips. Until you go to bed.” Darcy awoke with a smile. Noticing his wife looking at him with an arched eyebrow, he asked if something was wrong.
“And just whose lips are you refraining from kissing until someone goes to bed?”
“I was having the most delightful discussion with our daughter. And she informed me we make funny faces when I kiss your lips.”
“Our daughter? You realize I may be carrying a son.” Elizabeth chuckled. “No, I am certain it will be a daughter. A little girl who is the spitting image of her mother, including her personality.” Darcy claimed his wife’s lips. “And since she is not born yet, I can claim your lips any time I wish.”
Elizabeth began to chuckle as she told him to behave himself. “Do remember, we are not alone in the carriage.”
Darcy looked across the carriage to see his sister, pretending to sleep, her eyes closed with a broad smile on her lips as she attempted to not laugh. “Very well, but when we arrive at our townhouse, I plan to spend the remainder of the day locked in our rooms.” Darcy growled softly to his wife. ~~ ** ~~ Two days after the Darcy’s arrived in Town, while Elizabeth enjoyed a morning to sleep in, Darcy went to the shops of London. His excitement over learning he was to be a father was contagious, as he beamed with joy and everyone around him could not help but feel his enthusiasm.
Darcy visited many stores, making purchases in most. He wished to spoil his child from the very start. He purchased toys, clothing, a new infant’s bed, and more. Before he left to shop, he informed his housekeeper to expect packages to be arriving and to have them placed in the nursery.
Darcy’s final stop was at the jewelers. He wished to have something special to present his wife, a token to show her his devotion to her as well as his pleasure in her condition. After spending an hour looking through the inventory the jeweler had on hand, Darcy chose the perfect piece for Elizabeth.
When he arrived home, he went directly to his wife’s bedchamber. Still curled up on the bed, though beginning to stir, his wife was a vision of beauty. Darcy walked to the bed, depositing his coat on a nearby chair on his way. He laid down behind his wife’s body, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to his chest.
“Good morning, my dearest husband. You have returned so soon from your shopping excursion?” Elizabeth inquired as she stretched. “You have been quite sleepy this morning, my love. I have been gone for several hours. It is nearly midday.”
“William, why did no one wake me? I should not be lying abed at such an hour.” Elizabeth attempted to rise. “I informed your maid and other members of the staff that you were to be allowed to rest, only coming to you if you rang for them. You have been quite busy of late and I wished to have you pampered today. When you are ready, we will make our way to the nursery to see all of the purchases I made today.”
“I have the distinct feeling that you have bought out most of the stores in Town from the look on your face. You seem quite pleased with yourself.” She said as she turned her head to kiss her husband.
“Though I have not bought out any stores, I did make a large dent in merchandise many of them had on hand. Everything I saw excited me to purchase more for our baby. I want the next generation of Darcys to have all the pleasures life can afford them. Georgiana and I had many comforts, but it was not long before there were many responsibilities weighing down upon my shoulders. As small children, I do not wish for them to know the weight of being a Darcy from Pemberley. I only wish for them to enjoy life, and know how dearly loved they are.”
“No child of yours could ever feel anything but loved, William. You will be a devoted and caring father.” Darcy smiled. “I also refuse to leave our children to the nursery, only to be brought out to show them, as if they were a trophy, and placed back out of sight. I wish to be a part of their daily lives, see them make their first steps, hear their first words. It was difficult, when I was a child, and it was the staff who shared my triumphs with me. I vowed I would be different when I became a father.”
“You will be a wonderful father, William. You are willing to go against society’s standards of what should be and act upon your heart. Our children will all know what a wonderful man you are.” Elizabeth snuggled into her husband’s embrace. “How many children do you wish to have?”
“I would say, at least twenty or thirty.” Darcy placed a kiss on his wife’s neck. “After that, we will see if we want more.”
“Fitzwilliam Darcy, we will only have that many children if you carry at least half of them
. My body will not be able to withstand such abuse.” “Oh, but I plan to take such care of your body constantly.” Darcy said as his hands began to caress his wife. “I still say you have to carry half of the babes inside you.”
~~ ** ~~
A few hours later, Darcy escorted his wife into the nursery. Seeing all the items in the room, Elizabeth began to laugh. “William, you are insane. Do you know how long it will be before our baby will be able to sit on a rocking horse? And you have three of them. And you have hoops, tops, books, blocks with letters, whirli-gigs, marbles, kites, balls, puppets, and more.”
“Well, I thought I would need to practice with those until our little one was old enough. I wish to know how to play with all of these items before I show my child how to play with them.” Darcy declared proudly. “There are items for a baby, see over here.” He led his wife to the new infant bed. “I ordered another bed like this to be sent to Pemberley, as well as most of the other items to be duplicated. There are rattles, wooden animals, dolls, and more. And I ordered clothing made. Oh, and a pram. I have seen them before, but have never had a need for one. Is it not amazing?”
Elizabeth looked at the wicker basket contraption with a brow lifted. “I have never seen such in my life. My aunt told me about them, she had thought about purchasing one when my cousins were babes, but decided against it.”
“Look, my love, will it not be perfect for us to take our baby for a stroll in the park? The babe can even sleep peacefully, yet enjoy the fresh air. The top of it gives some shade from the sun, to protect the baby as well.” Darcy placed a doll in the pram and began pushing the carriage about the room. “Is it not a clever item?”
Elizabeth was laughing openly at her husband. “My dearest, you will most likely not allow the babe to be out of your arms long enough to ride in the pram. I am beginning to think that the biggest child I will have in my family is my husband. You are having as much fun as if you were a boy yourself.”
Darcy grasped hold of his wife’s hand, gently tugging her to him. “I feel as if I am starting a new life, and I wish to enjoy every moment of it. And, as to your concerns of the rocking horses, I will have you note they are different sizes. As our current babe grows up, they will need a bigger horse, while future children will use the smaller ones. You should be pleased I did not purchase live ponies, as yet.”
“I do not believe it wise to have the baby immediately riding horses after birth, you silly man.”
“I plan to wait until at least a month after birth.” A laughing Darcy teased back to his wife.” Elizabeth walked over and examined many of the items, admiring some of the similar items from her own childhood. Suddenly, Darcy’s hands reached around from behind her, fastening a necklace about her. “What is this?” She asked.
The necklace was silver, with a strange, pale pink stone carved with a flower on the front. Further examination showed that behind the stone, was a locket. Inside the locket was a small lock of dark curls.
“The curl is my hair, from when I was a boy. Mrs Reynolds held on to many of the items from when I was a babe. When our baby is born, we can engrave the date of birth in the locket, and place a lock of his or her hair inside. The stone is unique, as I have not seen it’s like before. The jeweler stated it is called rose quartz. It is said to be a stone which represents love, especially the love of a mother. I thought it was perfect for the most loving person I know.” Darcy held his wife to his chest as he spoke to her.
Tears began to flow down Elizabeth’s cheeks. “William, you are such a loving man. How can I ever tell you how precious you are to me?” “Just continue to give me the most perfect smile, as you do every morning when you wake. No words are needed to display the feelings I see in your smile.” Darcy kissed her cheek. “I love you, Elizabeth Darcy, and thank God every day for your being my wife.”
~~ ** ~~ The staff continued to chuckle at the behavior of their master over the following fortnight, as more and more items arrived at Darcy House. Seeing all the items which were far too old for an infant, seeing how Darcy was finding enjoyment in testing the items, it was as if the Master of Pemberley was reviving his youth.
As Darcy was often found checking out the items for his future children, Elizabeth could usually be found at his side, either laughing at his behavior or joining him in playing with the items. There were little toy soldiers, and little tea cups, and all were played with by the couple. Darcy had taken a strong stand on the fact that he would play with a son or a daughter with equal enthusiasm.
Soon, the couple prepared to travel to Pemberley. The items which Darcy had purchased for their country home were loaded on a wagon, with other items being sent directly from the shops.
When they arrived at Pemberley, Mrs Reynolds met the carriage and wagon at the front steps. Seeing her beloved Master William in such a state of joy brought tears of happiness to the elderly lady’s eyes.
“It is wonderful to see you both in such a fine condition. Mrs Lizzy, you glow with health and happiness.” “The babe is beginning to become more active, and I am pleased to be free from any queasy feelings I had early on. I am thrilled to be home, in the fresh Derbyshire air.”
“Now, I have ordered a bath drawn, and the fire in your rooms has been built up. I will have a tray sent up to you after your bath, as Cook has prepared many of your favorites.”
“You know how to welcome a weary traveler home.” Elizabeth said with a smile. “Mrs Reynolds, you are a true blessing.”
~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~
Chapter 23 As the weeks went by, Darcy watched with great pleasure as his wife’s belly swelled. Every morning, Darcy would kiss his wife’s lips before placing a kiss on her midsection, then proceeded to have a daily conversation with his unborn child. Elizabeth would listen to his words, laughing at some, while others brought her joy in the knowledge that her often silly husband was a highly intelligent man who loved her and their babe. She knew that no matter what the world held in store for them, they would face it together and with the strength of their love.
The morning which brought Darcy the most joyous delight was the morning when, as he spoke to his unborn child, his hand, which was lightly touching the swell where the babe was growing, felt a movement. “Lizzy, was that the babe?”
Smiling, Elizabeth nodded her head. “I have been wishing for you to be able to feel him. He is growing stronger.” “She, darling. She is growing stronger.” Darcy said, staring into his wife’s eyes. He felt another movement, followed by a series of movement. “Goodness, she is moving about like a whirli-gig. Is she always this active?”
“At times. Now that he is getting larger, he needs to stretch his arms and legs about. What you feel is usually his feet or his hands.” “You will be bruised inside by the time she is born, if she keeps this manner of behavior.” Darcy leaned to the swell and gently kissed it. “You must treat your Mamma with kindness. Be gentle to her. I know it is difficult, as you are in such a small area wishing to move about. In that, you are very much like your Mamma. But it will not be long before you are able to move about freely. So, while you are safely tucked inside Mamma, treat her lovingly.”
Darcy felt another kick, which he took as an agreement from his child. ~~ ** ~~
Each day which went by, Elizabeth felt as if she had grown larger and larger. Rather than in minute increases, she felt she must be growing in yards. There was a constant need for rest each day, which frustrated her. She had never been so tired in her life, which restricted her ability to act as she normally did. Darcy had an overstuffed sofa brought into his study for his wife to nap on while he worked. The sight of her resting there, her midsection growing as his pride in the sight grew.
At each meal, Darcy made sure his wife had enough to eat, and especially her favorite foods. As everyone at Pemberley was thrilled with the next generation of Darcys underway, the staff of the main house went out of their way to ensure their Mistress’ comfort. The cook took great pride in producing all of Elizabeth’s favori
tes, as well as being able to appease her frequent cravings. No one took notice of some of the unusual requests Elizabeth made, though her husband sometimes wondered how she could stomach some of the combinations of food.
~~ ** ~~ Jane and Bingley had visited for a fortnight after their return from Ireland. Jane brought many gifts for her niece or nephew, including a beautiful christening gown.
The newlyweds also discussed the desire to move from Netherfield. Though they liked the estate, it was inconvenient in its location. Being so close to Longbourn allowed Mrs Bennet the opportunity to visit as often as she desired, which, according to Jane, was daily, even in the absence of the couple. Mrs Bennet had developed a habit of instructing the staff at Netherfield on how things should be done. The Mistress of Longbourn had even seen fit to make decisions on improvements to be made at Netherfield. Her excuse was that she was assisting her beloved daughter, as a surprise. “Besides, Jane will not know the best way to decorate, so she will need the advice of her mother. I would not wish the neighborhood to think ill of her due to an unwise choice.”
Darcy had expected such a choice by the Bingleys, and had already begun to search for estates in the vicinity to meet their requirements. There were three Darcy thought would meet Bingley’s needs, though his favorite was only ten miles from Pemberley.
“Lizzy, we could be living so close to one another before the baby is born. Would that not be wonderful?” Jane exclaimed. “I would be so pleased to have you at my side, when the babe is born. I do not wish Mamma to be here. She will only cause me to be frustrated and nervous, and William will not appreciate such.”
“If necessary, Charles and I can host Mamma and Papa at our estate, so they can be close by, but not too close by.” Jane said with a smile on her lips. “Jane, you are wonderful.” Elizabeth embraced her sister. “Now, William has told me of the estates he will take you to see. I agree with him, Thornhill sounds perfect for you. He plans to take you there tomorrow to view it.”
“From the description he gave us, I cannot wait. He believes it will require very little repair, so it will be ready for us to move sooner. I do dread telling Mamma we are moving. She will have one of her fits, I am certain of it.”
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