“I will not be leaving my wife’s side, so you had best accept that decision.” Darcy continued looking into his wife’s eyes as he spoke. As the pain eased, Elizabeth agreed with her husband. “Please stay with me. I do not want you to be in the other room.” “You have my word, my loveliest wife. Have no fear, Lizzy.” Darcy kissed her hand as he held it. Suddenly her grip tightened, as she felt another pain.
Another hour went by before Mrs Rook declared it was time for Elizabeth to push with her next pain. With Darcy holding her hand, encouraging her to push with all her might, Elizabeth bore down, and finally, her babe entered the world.
Mrs Rook handed the infant to Mrs Reynolds, who took the infant to a nearby table where she and Jane began to clean the babe. Hannah stood beside Mrs Rook as the midwife worked to deliver the afterbirth. “Oh, my. I did not expect this.” The midwife said with a startled voice.
Darcy’s eyes instantly turned to the midwife. “What is wrong? Do you need the physician?”
“No, no, I was just startled. It appears that there will be another member of the family joining you today.”
“Twins?” Mrs Reynolds asked as she turned towards the activity at the bed. “Indeed. I never found any signs of another child when I examined Mrs Darcy, though it explains her size and the early delivery. One of the babes must have been hiding behind the other during the examinations.” A moment later, Mrs Rook encouraged Elizabeth to push again, and it was not long before the second child followed the first.
“Are the babes well?” Elizabeth asked, exhausted from her experience. Jane and Mrs Phillips each carried one to the bed, as Mrs Reynolds fussed over cleaning up the area. Jane handed the first babe to her sister. “Here is your daughter, Lizzy.”
“A daughter, just as I stated.” Darcy proudly declared. “And the other babe?”
Mrs Phillips smiled. “Another daughter.” She handed the infant to Darcy. Both parents were pleased, though fatigue was soon overwhelming them. The family was soon resting peacefully on the bed, husband and wife wrapped in each other’s arms, and the infants resting on their parents’ chests.
~~ ** ~~ Life took on a routine in the following days. Darcy was rarely far from his wife’s side, and the babies were with their parents regularly. Elizabeth had insisted on nursing her baby, though with twins, Darcy was concerned with her overwhelming herself with such a task. A compromise was made of a wet nurse being hired to assist at night and when the demand of the infants’ need became too great for Elizabeth to handle. The family members at Pemberley visited each morning, after breaking their fast, and again in the late afternoon. The new parents dined most days in the comfort of their rooms, as Darcy did not wish his wife to be overtaxed.
The rains continued for two days after the birth of the Darcy twins, and then took quite some weeks before the waters receded enough for the estates to begin to clear up the damage. Bingley would daily ride to Thornhill, leaving his wife and aunt at Pemberley until the water was no longer invading their home.
One of the positive results of the rain was that Mrs Bennet was unable to arrive in time for the birth of her first grandchildren. She was also displeased with the babes being girls. Mr Bennet was pleased with the outcome, as he had privately bet with Denny that Elizabeth was carrying twins and they were both girls. Afterwards, Mr Bennet made a habit of betting on all of his grandchildren as his daughters had their own families. To Mrs Bennet’s frustration, her husband was always correct in his predictions. Since the rain waters left a mess behind, and it would be weeks before everything was cleaned up, the Bennets decided to wait until December to join their two eldest daughters and their families.
The Darcy daughters were named Patricia Rose Anne and Madeline Elizabeth Jane. Patricia and Rose were for Darcy’s grandmothers, while Madeline and Elizabeth were for Elizabeth’s grandmothers. Both of the girls looked like their mother, with her dark curls easily wrapping around their father’s fingers as he held them and watched them in amazement.
The sparkle in their tiny brown eyes was the same as their mother’s, and Darcy was sure he would have his hands full with his daughters as they grew up. But he was thrilled with his dream coming true. One night, as the family was settling in for the evening, Darcy began to chuckle.
“William, what is so funny?” Elizabeth asked, her eyebrow raised in confusion. “Now I have reason to order even more items for the baby, as there are two babies. And you gave away so many of the items I had purchased for one. The shops will be pleased to learn we have had twins.”
Elizabeth picked up Patricia, placing a kiss on her daughter’s cheek. “Girls, prepare yourselves now, your father is planning to spoil you every day for the rest of your lives.”
“Indeed, I do.” Darcy lifted little Madie up in his arms. “And I intend to spoil your mother and any other siblings which come our way. Who knew that when Netherfield Park was quarantined, my life would finally find such joy and pleasure? I never thought I would be so grateful for an epidemic.”
The End
Netherfield Park Quarantined Page 23