A/N

Will it be a boy? ;) possibly, possibly not, maybe I should pull out the petals of a daisy to decide.

Lily Draco - I think a third party can apply for annulment (although not sure if they can in those days) if someone acts on behalf, like a parent or guardian in the case of minors or mental impairment. Having said that, I have only read up on it where I can find regency info and it is scarce.

Avanell - the anxiety with Lizzy stems from the delay in not meeting her sooner.

LMFG, WayTooEasilyObsessed and guest - yes, the house stays put, thank you for your input and making me see my errors :)

As Mr Collins fidgeted whilst quietly trying to absorb the possible impact of what Mrs Bennet had said, the earl made his presence known by abruptly opening the door to the study. "What is all this, Catherine?" he shouted with as much force as his sister had done on entering the ballroom. "You can be heard in the vestibule, with your pointless threats."

"Brother, this has nothing to do with you. Please refrain from taking charge and interfering where it is not needed," she stated boldly.

"Surely, you do not think there is any foundation to your threats? You cannot apply for annulment, you do not have the right as you are neither parent or legal guardian, and if you are trying to nullify the marriage on the grounds of Mrs Darcy being a minor, then you will need to act on behalf of a woman, who would have become the age of one and twenty before it reaches court, and I assure you that no-one will back you up on your cause. The Bishop will throw the case out and if your attempt to interfere becomes public knowledge, then all involved, including yourself, will be scorned by society."

"What do you mean, scorned?" she snorted.

"Do not play the innocent, Catherine, you know full well what I mean. You cannot see this as some sort of revenge on Mrs Darcy. It will affect everyone connected with the couple, including your daughter… Fitzwilliam has told you over and over again that he would not marry Anne. Why can you not comprehend that the match was never to be."

"But, it was his mother's and my wish-"

"Catherine! Be quiet!" the earl shouted, holding his hand up to halt her. "I will not have anymore of this utter nonsense. As head of this family, I forbid you to take this matter any further. Leave this house and go home and give your daughter the attention she deserves. Give her a season in town, so she can make her own choice of a husband. Let her see some of London, rather than be cooped up in that monstrosity of a house you call Rosings. Take her to Brighton for sea air or Bath for the waters. Do not wallow in self pity because not everyone is beckoning to your call, at every opportunity to make you spuriously happy," he said as he looked daggers at Mr Collins, who seemed to have shrunk down somewhat into a smaller version of his already meagre form.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh was now quietened. Had she decided upon her actions in haste? In her maddening hour, she neglected to think about any repercussions her claim would have made, and only on the fact that her nephew would be free to marry her daughter, finally. She silently withdrew from the small crowd that had formed in the middle of the room and retreated back to the door, with Mr Collins scampering behind her like a irritating toad that he was.

The party watched as they left the room and as soon as the study door had closed behind them, everyone let out a deep breath. "Darcy, get the brandy out, there's a good chap," the earl stated as he sat down on one of the chairs situated beside the fire.

"I second that, your Lordship," stated Mr Bennet.

"Call me Walter, everyone in the family does," he smiled as he took the large glass full of his favourite tipple from Elizabeth. "I cannot have you call me your Lordship as we are all now family, plus I have just been dancing with two of your pretty daughters, who both took delight in calling me by my given name. The little one is rather sweet, like a china doll, you could pick her up and put her in your pocket.

"Lydia?" Mr Bennet asked.

"Yes, Lydia. She is very spritely, spun me round until I was in a tizzy with that waltz Darcy insisted upon." he grinned.

Outside in the study, Lady Matlock was waiting with Jane and Mr Bingley. They had seen Lady Catherine de Bourgh leave with her eager disciple scuttling behind her and when she had left by the front entrance, those in the vestibule made their way into the study.

"Oh! Lizzy, William, we heard it all from outside. What a ghastly thing to say," Jane said.

"I doubt she will be bothering us again. She can also find herself a decent steward who can handle all of her estate matters, as I will not be overseeing Rosings any longer," Darcy said as he calmed down. "You ladies go back to the ball, I think us gentlemen will have a brandy or two before we return."

As the ladies left, Darcy voiced his concerns, "Uncle, are you sure we have heard the last of this?"

"Yes, your aunt will not go against me, I saw that look she had, one that indicated her submission to me. My sister may be cantankerous with most people, including yourself, but she will not disobey me as she knows and respects my authority."

"I hope so, because if she does go ahead and it is successful, I will just marry Elizabeth again," he sighed, "It will not do though, as the damage would have been done to everyone's reputation and our unborn will not be seen as legitimate."

"Do not think on it, Darcy, she will not do anything and if she does try, the court will laugh at her attempts. It has nothing to do with her… Now, where is that brandy decanter?" he smiled.

The men returned to the ball within fifteen minutes and the remainder of the evening went without any further episodes. However, both Lydia and Kitty were rather tipsy on the arrack punch by the end of the evening and were playing merry by the time their mother dragged them up the stairs to bed. After the final guest left, the men returned to Darcy's study for a late night tipple, before retiring. The earl, however, had other plans and urged Mr Bingley into yet another drinking contest. By the time it was three in the morning, all the men staggered up the stairs, to their designated bedchambers.

As Darcy entered his rooms, he saw Elizabeth asleep in his bed. He grinned in a self satisfying way, knowing that he would wake her up for his comforts.

Quickly stripping out of his clothes, and nearly falling over in the process of hopping around, as he tried to dislodge the breeches from his ankles, Darcy clambered into bed. "Lizzy, wake up!" he commanded as he shook her shoulders.

"What?" murmured Elizabeth, "William, it is late, get some sleep."

"No, I need you," he slurred his plea as he kissed the dip in her neck and so making her giggle. "Please Lizzy."

"You are drunk," she laughed, now awake enough to see that her husband was in a rather intoxicated state.

"I am, but that does not mean I want my wife any less, it still works… see!" he said as he bucked his hips into her side.

On feeling his hardened appendage, Elizabeth twisted herself to lean over him. Darcy had sunken back onto his pillows in anticipation of her caresses, for he did not mind at all that she had taken charge, for he was too inebriated to do anything about it.

She kissed his jaw, making him sigh in appreciation of her soft lips and tender touch. She, with a tediously slow pace, moved her way down his throat and to his chest, but as she reached his nipple, she heard a soft snore. Gazing up, she could see that he had fallen to sleep, his body purring as he succumb to repose. She settled back down to return to her own slumber, as she snuggled into his warmth.

7th December 1811

Elizabeth opened her eyes slowly as she tried to focus on her husband, who had taken to watching her sleep. Propped up on his elbow, he had full advantage of a perfect view of his wife's body. His free hand was resting upon her belly, where he made circles with is fingers. "Do you realise you are more beautiful now than when I married you?" he cooed.

"I do not see why, I am the same person and must look a frightful state at the moment."

"You are not the same person, he said gazing down at the place where their baby lay. You are more now, allurring… delightful… exquisite… shall I go on?"

"And I was not these things when you married me?" she teased, cocking her brow to indicate her banter.

"Oh, you were those things, but so much more now, I cannot resist you," he said as he came in to nibble on her ear.

"You did not think so last night, for you fell to sleep on me."

"Did I‽"he replied shocked at this fact, "I cannot remember that and to be truthful, I cannot remember getting into bed," he frowned.

"You woke me up by shaking me, then wished to make love. Then when I was getting warmed up, you fell to sleep and started to snore," she laughed.

"Oh how very ungentlemanly of me," he chuckled, "Maybe I should make it up to you, dear wife." He bend forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him, where their lips met and tongues danced. The fact that he tasted of stale liquor did not bother Elizabeth, for she was already craving his attentions.

His hand wandered down to her quim and the tips of his fingers played with her pearl, now fully swollen and wet with her desires. "Turn over, darling, I wish to take you from behind," he insisted with a breathy whisper.

Elizabeth turned so that her husband could spoon her from behind. His arm had now become entrapped by her body and the mattress, but it was still free enough to recommence his fingering of her folds. She felt his knee come between her thighs and so enticing her legs slightly apart, her thigh resting on his as he pushed his now rock solid cock into her core.

Her head fell back onto her husband's chest, allowing him access to the dip in her neck. There he lavished his affections on her as he bit, kissed and licked his way from her ear to her cheek. Her groans were not muted, her hunger demanded a verbal release, which pushed Darcy into a frenzy and his pace quickened as he felt her tighten around him. As he moved within her, allowing his cock to rub up against the front wall to his heaven, he felt a gush of moisture cover him. "Dear god, Lizzy, you are so wet!" he cried out as he came undone. Elizabeth had also reached her pinnacle of passion and had joined her husband in spiralling into euphoria and beyond.

At the critical moment, Lydia decided to barge her way into the room, as her mother had made demands. "Lizzy, can you tell mama not to-" she voiced, but suddenly stopped when she realised that not only was her sister and brother-in-law in bed together, but they were in the throws of passion, under the brocade counterpane. Luckily for all, Lydia did not see body parts, but could determine the movements as clear as if there were no bedding. She screamed and ran out the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Shit!" Darcy exclaimed through gritted teeth, he could not stop his actions until he had completed his final thrust and filled his wife. Neither moved for some time and calming down, they both had realised that in the events of the previous evening, the door had not been locked. "Sorry, Lizzy, I did not secure the door when I came to bed in my drunken state."

"Well, I suppose now Lydia will not be in need of a talk when she eventually marries," she giggled.

"You are not ashamed?"

"Why should I be? I was making love to my husband in my bed. Lydia, on the other hand, should be embarrassed for her actions of coming into a married woman's bedchambers before knocking. I will go and see her, to make sure she is not too distressed," she said as she sat up and therefore breaking their embrace, to Darcy's chagrin.

As she rose, she felt the trickle of her husband's spendings seep from her body, she took the corner of the sheet and proceeded to wipe herself of his seed. "We do not need this at the moment," she grinned.

"No, but it is fun depositing it into such a fine vessel," he laughed.

Elizabeth, now dressed in her nightgown and robe, reached Lydia's room within a minute. She heard the faint sound of her sister's cries and upon knocking, she entered the room, where she found her sister curled up on the bed, rocking herself as she wept.

"Lydia, do not upset yourself," she said trying to calm the distraught youngster.

"Sorry Lizzy," she blubbered, "I should have knocked, or better still I should have waited until you came downstairs."

"I know you should of, but I suppose on reflection, you are… were ignorant to what goes on in a married couple's bedchambers."

"Was he making love to you? You both seemed to be in pain, crying out like that," she shyly asked.

"We were, but it was not painful, quite the opposite, actually," she smiled. "Lydia, I do not wish to discuss the marital bed with you, that is for mother to do, when you wed. All I will say is that the whole business is very pleasing to both the husband and wife, even if it does not look it. The desires are so profound that you think you are going to die of pleasure… It is, however, a very private matter, and should have been done behind locked doors, which we failed to do, as William was so drunk last night that he forgot to turn the key."

"I do not know if I wish to marry, if that is what I am to expect, pleasurable or not."

"Do not say that. Until you come to love a man, you will not appreciate the feelings and desires that will manifest in you. It makes all the difference… Now dry those eyes and get ready for breakfast. We all need one of mother's milk and egg drinks, I think," she smiled.

"How am I to look William in the face again, after seeing him, like… THAT!" Lydia fretted.

"He will not react negatively, I will make sure of that. Come, you need to ready yourself for the day."

All the residents of Pemberley sat around the breakfast table. the Matlocks, Gardiners, Bennet's, Bingleys and Darcy's all gazing at the miracle cure in a glass, sitting in front of them. "Mother, do we have to?" Kitty asked, looking at the concoction before her.

"Yes, if you wish to partake in arrack punch to the extreme, then you have to counteract it with this. Now on the count of three, everyone," Mrs Bennet said, looking around the table.

"Ha! Now I see where you got it from?" Darcy laughed, in Elizabeth's direction.

"Of course. Where else, but mother. Although two and a half is not included in her count down."

The communal sound of discontentment resonated about the room, as all gulped down the mixture. "Hell, that is disgusting!" the earl proclaimed.

"It works wonders though, Walter, my mother swore by it," Lady Matlock stated.

"You never told me, Cecelia. Why have you always let me get over it in my own way?"

"You did not ask," she laughed, "Besides, if I had put that in front of you, would you have given it a chance? No I did not think so," she said on seeing her husband shake his head in disgust.

By the time breakfast was over, all those sitting around the table felt better in themselves. Even Lydia, who was rather quiet at the start of the meal, was becoming rather energised and vocal by the end. She did not, however, gaze upon her brother-in-law, for fear of turning crimson.

The day was full of activities, in the morning they would all be able to sit and watch a Punch and Judy show. A puppeteer was commissioned from the streets of Chesterfield and for the price of three times his usual daily income and food in his belly, the artist agreed to come to Pemberley to perform his show. The men were initially not keen, stating it was for the ladies, but it was not long before the whole party were laughing. Even Darcy let some of the servants stand at the back of the room and watch.

As the show began, the curtains to the small stage opened and Lydia let out a yelp on seeing Punch, "What a big nose he has," she giggled, but when the puppeteer made a noise with his swazzle, she cried out her shock at such a funny sound. "Whatever!" she proclaimed, but was hushed up by her mother.

As the show concluded, the puppeteer came around and held out his cap, to collect his fare. As Elizabeth had paid the man handsomely already, she gave each of the guests a penny to place into the hat, as to not break with tradition.

The afternoon was spent with the men hunting and the ladies spent the time in the music room,where both Mary and Georgiana played duets. However, by four in the afternoon, Lydia had proclaimed that it had started to snow. "Look mama! It is snowing. Do you think we can go out in it when it has settled?"

"You will catch a chill, child. Whatever do you want to go outside for, it's far too cold."

"Mother, I have a fur cape she may borrow, if she wishes to go outside, although I do draw the line at playing snowballs. I do not wish for the cape to be ruined, as it was a present from William."

"Say yes, please mama!" Lydia begged.

"I suppose it will not hurt, but you cannot go alone. Maybe your father will venture out with you, when he comes back." At this Lydia pouted, hoping that Kitty would have been allowed to accompany her.

As the snow started to cover the ground, the men had to return to the house. "We cannot see anything to shoot out there, it is turning into a snowstorm," Darcy stated to everyone. As he came to Elizabeth's side, he whispered, "Is she still trying to pretend I am not here?"

"I think so, Lydia was very vocal before you came in and has now gone ever so quiet again."

"Ah! I think this now calls for drastic action," Darcy stated as he put his plan into action.

Walking over to the quiet one in the room, who was sitting by herself, he bent down behind her and whispered into her ear, "You cannot ignore me forever, you will have to acknowledge my presence sooner or later." But Lydia could not respond, for she just froze, not knowing what to do or say. As no response came, Darcy, who was still holding the rabbits he had shot during the hunt, held them out and dangled the animals in front of the youngster's face, in order to gain a reaction. "William, don't do that, that isn't very nice!" she chastised as she jumped up from her seat.

"No, but I got what I wanted," he smirked, as he witnessed Lydia's pout of annoyance. "Glad you have come back to us, Lydia, I have missed you," he laughed as he walked back to his wife.

"That was evil of you," Elizabeth whispered.

"I know, but what else could I do. I had to shock her into a reaction, if it weren't that then what else? I cannot sit down with her to explain, for that would have been embarrassing for the pair of us. So as pranks is her forte, I thought I would play one on her… Now, I have to get these to the kitchen and then change," he said as he held up his catch.

Elizabeth watched as her husband left the room, then looked over to Lydia, who shrugged her shoulders, in defiance. "He only meant well," she said as she came to sit down beside her youngest sister.

"I know, I suppose it worked," Lydia sighed. "Do you think the snow will stop so we can go out in it today?"

The snow fell for the remainder of the day and the family, who wished to go out in the whiteness of the grounds, were able to the following day and for many days after, as the blanket remained on the ground for the full month, only being topped up during the night and some days with a new layer of fallen snow.

By the time it was for the families to depart and return to the south, the snow had melted and the sun had made an appearance. Although it was still cold, the brightness of the sun had made the world a more colourful place, as the landscape had been considerably muted for the previous month.

"The house will seem quiet without everyone here," Elizabeth sighed as she stood beside her husband, waving the guests goodbye.

"Yes, but it wont be for long," he said, as he patted her belly. "It will not be long before we have our house full again, Mrs Darcy."