It was a wonderful late summer's evening, Richard and Grace had been invited over from the Dowager house, to dine on the terrace with Elizabeth and Darcy.
"William will not let me walk any distance now, Grace. I argued that I longed to be outdoors, so he put us outside to eat this evening. I am not sure why, as the flies are such a nuisance this time of year and dinner has yet to be served," she said as she swatted away another pesky critter from around her face.
"I think it is your oils you put in the bath, my love, you smell like a flower," Darcy said, "They do not bother me in the slightest."
"You must smell rather bad then, cousin," Richard teased.
"You can talk Richard, when was the last time you bathed," his wife chastised.
"I washed this morning!"
"Well, you will have a bath when we get home, I am not allowing you in my bed one more night until you do, your feet smell," Grace said with such a serious tone, but could not hold it after seeing her husband's face fall into a look of shock, her laughter could be heard as far as Primrose Cottage.
Elizabeth got up from her seat to return to the house, the flies were becoming unbearable and she decided that her hand was not enough and she needed a fan to swat them away. On reaching the top step at the entrance, she started to feel light headed, "William, help! I think I am about to fai…." Darcy had seen her stop and ran towards her as she began to sway, catching her before she hit the ground.
"Lizzy! Oh my darling!" he shouted. Carrying her into the parlour, he laid her down on the settee and shouted out to one of the servants, "Someone get Dr Evans, at once!"
Grace and Richard rushed into the parlour, "Do you think she has just fainted?" Grace said, as she handed Darcy her smelling salts.
"I think so, it was lucky I was watching her and notice her swaying. I caught her just in time, god knows what would have happened, if I did not."
The doctor arrived within fifteen minutes, by this time Elizabeth was awake and put to bed. Richard had remained downstairs but Grace was with her, but the doctor sent her from the room, so that he could examine the patient. Darcy refused to leave his wife's side.
"Mrs Darcy, you are seven months pregnant and although you have been told to eat more and rest, I think you have not done enough of either. As you progress through this pregnancy, you need to up the intake and down the exercise. I also think your husband now needs to know the news that I told you several weeks ago."
"What news, what is it Lizzy?" Darcy said, worried that something was seriously wrong.
"William, I did not wish to tell you as I wanted it to be a surprise, but… do I have to tell him doctor?"
"Yes, if you do not then I will."
"Fine… please do not be angry with me, my darling, as I said, I wished for it to be a surprise. I am having twins."
"What! We are having twins? As in two children?" he gasped.
"Yes, it is why I am so tired and exhausted all the time, and my size, I am massive."
"Lizzy, you should have told me this before, for pity sake, you have been feeling faint all this time and it's probably because you are carrying twice the amount of babies you should do. And doctor, why did you not tell me this, aren't you supposed ensure she gets the best care?"
"Mrs Darcy wished for me not to disclose that bit of information, I did not see any harm in it," the doctor squirmed under the intense gaze of the gentleman. He knew he should have said something earlier, but Mrs Darcy was an easy persuader.
"Well, I hope you are satisfied, due to my wife's persuasion and your lack of duty of care, she nearly fell backwards, down the front steps. Lizzy, you will be on bed rest for the remainder of your term. Do not argue with me, I am adamant you will not put yourself into that situation again," Darcy commanded and ordered the doctor to leave, so that he could discuss the matter further in private.
"But William, I will not com…"
"No! You will do as I say," he interrupted, "I want you in bed for best part of the day, you can come downstairs in the evenings, but I wish for you to have bed rest during the main part of the day. You will not attempt the stairs either, I will carry you."
"That is ridiculous!"
"No it is not, it is being sensible. Lizzy, if I had not caught you earlier, you would have fallen back down the steps and probably broken a bone or two. Heaven knows what would have happened to the babies!"
Elizabeth saw tears in her husband's eyes, had he been that upset over the whole incident? She sat there looking at him, thinking of a series of scenarios that could have played out that evening. I could have broken my neck and died, the babies could have died inside me, William would have witnessed all this, she thought. Tears filled her own eyes and she looked up at her husband who was holding back his tears, "I am sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, I will do as you say."
"Please my love," he said as he saw his wife's expression go from stubbornness to sadness, "I do not wish to upset you, this is wonderful news and I could not be happier that you are not just giving me one, but two babies. It has just that I am in complete shock after your near accident, I could have lost you." Darcy moved over to the bed and lay down beside his wife. "Sweetheart, you need to look after not only you, but those little ones in there," he said as he rubbed her stomach. "I am sure we can have you downstairs for some of the day as well, we will take it day by day. It is just that you need to rest, you cannot deliver two babies if you are exhausted."
"Will you stay with me here for the rest of today?"
"I will go downstairs and tell Richard and Grace that you are well enough, but need to stay in bed and I will come back up. I will ask Mrs Reynolds to have the servants take the dinner over to the Dowager house, so that at least they can enjoy it. I will have dinner served up here and macaroons for dessert." The couple spent the rest of the evening talking of the twins and the joys they will bring, until Elizabeth, through exhaustion, fell to sleep in her husband's arms.
**September 1813**
"Lizzy, you cannot get out of bed," Darcy commanded on seeing his wife venture out of their bedchambers into the hallway.
"I am bored with lying in bed all day,"she whined, "I need a change of scenery," she added as she walked towards the stairs.
"No you do not! I have told you already that you are not to use the stairs on your own, you will over exert yourself."
"William, please… I am sick and tired of being cooped up in that room, can you not carry me down and I will just lay on the settee in your study, whilst you work," she asked, her eyes pleading to his sensibilities.
Darcy could not resist, reluctantly he agreed, "Lizzy, I will try and carry you, but you are rather heavy with our children, I may struggle," he teased.
"Husband! You take delight in vexing me!" she smirked.
"Where have I heard that before?" he grinned deliciously. He lifted his wife into his arms and marched downstairs, giving a very believable impression that she weighed at least three hundred weight. When they got to his study, Elizabeth pushed the door open with her foot and they headed straight for the settee, next to his desk. Darcy placed her down carefully and stood as though he was an old man with a crooked back. "Oh my back! You have broken it!"
"I surely hope not husband, as you have to carry me back up, unless you will allow me to take the stairs myself."
"No! I am fine, Lizzy you will not use the stairs on your own, you may faint and fall to the bottom, promise me you will not attempt it."
"I will not, I promise," she agreed, having recollected their several arguments over the subject, in which she lost every time.
There she lay reading a book, whilst her husband attended to matters of an overdue dredging of the lake. It had not been done for years and Darcy thought it a good idea to attend to it, as the younger Bennet sisters had asked if they could swim in it earlier in the year. He had been reluctant at first to allow such an activity, saying it was not proper for a lady to go swimming in such a manner, but was told that lots of ladies did bathe at the seaside, especially in Brighton. Therefore, Darcy agreed to at least clean the lake and install a bathing machine at the end, by the willow tree. He had also stipulated that it was essential that the sisters wore the correct bathing dress with a leaded hem.
"I need to go out to the grounds for a few minutes, Lizzy, I will not be long. I need to check on the levels of the ground for this contraption I have to install. I hope it is movable, as I will not have it as a permanent fixture, it will spoil the tranquillity of the grounds."
"I think the girls will use it often, but by the end of the season it can be stored away in one of the outbuildings," Elizabeth said, "I believe one of Cecil's neighbours has one and they are on wheels."
Darcy had not been gone more than ten minutes when Lizzy wished for some refreshments, she noticed a water jug and glass on her husband's desk. On rising from the seat, she felt a sharp pain in her belly, making her almost double up in pain. This cannot be! I am only eight months gone, she thought. However, within a few minutes, she experience yet another pain, twice as harsh as the first, No! it cannot happen now! It is too early!
Sitting back down on the settee, she commenced taking deep breaths, hoping the slow inhalations would soak up the pain. A minute went by and the pain had gone. However, it reared its ugly head again a few minutes later, now she knew she needed her husband, but she could not stand to ring the bell to summons a servant to fetch him. "Mrs Reynolds!" she screamed and when nobody came, she called out again.
The housekeeper ran into the study and took one look at the mistress, "Get my husband, now!" she cried.
"Yes mistress, at once." Mrs Reynolds was not a young woman, by any stretch, but she ran as fast as she could towards the lake, "Mr Darcy! Sir! It's the mistress!"
On hearing her words, Darcy sprinted back to the house, to where his wife was, "Dear god! What is the matter?"
"The babies are coming, William, get the doctor… I need Jane, get Jane!"
"Lizzy, Jane is twenty miles away, it will take hours for them to arrive," he frantically blurted out.
"Get Richard to get them, he can get there quick on horseback, I beg of you, please!"
Darcy nodded and quickly ran to the Dowager house, having first ensured that Mrs Reynolds had already sent someone for the doctor and then attend the mistress. Getting to the door of the Dowager house, he abruptly opened it and ran into the small parlour. "SHIT!" he screamed as he came to an abrupt stop, then turned to face the wall.
"Darcy, what the hell!" Richard shouted as he heard his cousin come into the room. The couple untangled themselves from each other and scampered about the room, picking up their clothes, which lay haphazardly about the place.
"I am sorry Richard, but Lizzy has gone into labour, she wants Jane and I need to get a message to her," he said struggling to catch his breath.
"You wish for me to go?" Richard asked, as he tucked his shirt into his breaches. "Grace, go upstairs to dress, I will see to Darcy's request. When you are presentable, can you make your way over to the main house and look after Elizabeth, I do not think Darcy will manage it on his own, not the state he is in."
"Yes, I will do that," Grace said as she scampered out the room, half dressed.
"You caught me at a bad time, it's Sunday afternoon," Richard said as though that meant something to his cousin. "Get yourself back to your wife, Darcy, she needs you." Darcy nodded, made his apologies again and returned to his wife.
On entering the study, he realised he needed to get her back up the stairs. It had been easy enough whilst she was fit and healthy, but now that she was in labour, he did not know if he would be able to move her without causing her pain. Managing to carry her back to her rooms, he placed her down on the bed and started to close the windows.
"William, what are you doing?" she cried out as another pain took hold.
"I am shutting the windows and will build a fire, Dr Evans said I needed to do that."
"I do not wish to be cooped up in a heated room in September, I want the windows opened to let some air into the room."
"But you will catch a chill," Darcy said.
"No, it is early September for goodness sake," she said as she rode out another pain, "I will not do this in such conditions, it is barbaric having to contend with such heat when my body is already overheated from the pregnancy." Darcy agreed to open the windows once more. At that moment the Dr and Mrs Evans walked in, "We need to shut everything up, it is too cold in here."
"You will not!" screamed Elizabeth. The doctor looked rather stern at the mistress, but she just stared back at him with a deranged expression, letting him know that she was not backing down.
"Fine, I want you outside, Mr Darcy, this is no place for the husband."
"I will be outside, my love. I do not wish to leave you but seems I have my orders," he said as he kissed his wife and reluctantly took his leave.
As he walked into the private sitting area, Grace had ventured into the vestibule, "William? Lizzy? Where are you?" she cried out.
Darcy, on hearing her, went to the hallway and called out that they were upstairs. Grace took the steps, two at a time and within a matter of a minute was walking into the sitting room. "I am sorry, Grace, for earlier. I did not realise you would be engaged," he said as he bowed his head in shame. "I also apologise for swearing, I am not myself at the moment, as you can imagine."
"That is fine, William, do not fret over it. Has anyone called for Elizabeth's mother?"
"Oh, in all the commotion, I forgot," he gasped.
"I will go back downstairs and have someone fetch her and Mary. I am sure you will need the company right now. I will then go in to support Elizabeth."
The next two hours were torture for Darcy, he could hear his wife's cries and groans of pain through the thick wooden door. This upset Mary so much that she had to go downstairs and wait in the parlour.
"Oh I can remember that pain, it brings back so many memories of when I had my girls," Mrs Bennet lamented. "As soon as it finishes and you think you have a reprieve, it starts all over again."
"Blossom, you are not helping." Darcy protested at her attempts to entertain him.
"I am sorry, I keep forgetting men are squeamish about such things. She will be fine, Lizzy is as strong as they come, she comes from good stock you see," she said beaming at her son.
"Why so?"
"Oh I popped my five out very easily, my grandmother had ten children, all healthy and she survived good enough."
"Dear god! Please Blossom," he said, shaking his head which was now resting in his hands.
"William!" Jane shouted out as she ran into the room. "How is she?"
"She has been crying and screaming for nearly two hours, how long will this take?"
"Well, it could take all night, eight hours is a rough guide, but it can be anything really."
"What about twins?" Darcy asked.
"Twins? Is my daughter having twins?" she beamed.
"Yes Blossom, I only found out last month, she had been keeping it a secret from me." Jane sat down, guilt was written all over her face, Darcy shook his head in disbelief, knowing that she already knew.
"Jane? What are you wearing?" Mrs Bennet asked as she looked at her daughter's attire.
"I am wearing trousers, mother. Cecil brought me here on horseback as it was quicker. He has let me wear trousers when we go for rides, as I have taken to riding astride, it is very liberating," she replied.
"Whatever will they think of next, a woman doing man's jobs?" the elder lady protested.
Another cry came from the bedchambers and on hearing this Jane got up and ran to the door. "I think I will go in and see if they need any assistance, Cecil and Richard are downstairs keeping Mary company, she was in tears when we arrived."
Jane entered the room, the first thing she noticed was Grace, sitting down next to Elizabeth, holding her hand. "Grace, how is she doing," she asked quietly.
"As good as can be expected. The doctor says she's a month early, the babies will be smaller than normal, but apparently that is normal for twins."
"I am here you know, Jane, I can hear you," Elizabeth berated between groans.
"I am sorry, Lizzy, I did not mean to ignore you. Doctor, is there anything you wish for me to do?"
"Not at this moment in time, Lady Hampton. We may need help further along in the delivery." Jane nodded and went to the other side of the bed and sat down, mirroring Grace.
It was a matter of four hours later, and a constant sound of pain coming from the bedchambers for a good six hours, before Darcy burst into the room. "I cannot take being outside any longer, I wish to be with my wife!"
"Mr Darcy, this is all untoward, you should not be here!" the doctor shouted.
"I cannot sit the other side of this door, hearing her one minute longer, she needs me!"
"William, do not go."
"I am not going anywhere, Lizzy," he said as he sat down in the spot where Grace had just vacated."Darling, I am here for the duration, I am not leaving you," he whispered as he planted a kiss to her forehead.
Elizabeth noticeably relaxed as soon as her husband made physical contact with her. The pain seemed as harsh as ever, but knowing that her lover was with her, made it all the more bearable.
"I can see the head," the doctor said, "Mabel, get the swaddling cloth ready, I think this one will pop out as soon as the head has been delivered."
As the doctor had predicted, once Elizabeth had pushed the baby's head out, the baby was delivered on the following push with such a speed and quickly placed onto her stomach. Looking down, she gasped, "William, it is a girl!"
"I am so very proud of you, you do not know what this means to me," he said between sobs.
At that moment, Mrs Evans, the midwife, tied and cut the cord and removed the baby, "We need to make room for the next one, Mrs Darcy, all is well."
Elizabeth spent less time delivering the second, who was eager to enter the world. It was not long before the second twin was placed on Elizabeth's stomach. "William, you have your heir!" Elizabeth cried out.
There before him, lay the next master of Pemberley, a small fragile child. Darcy looked to his wife, the love he had for this woman in front of him was unmistakable, "Darling, I am so very proud of you, you have made me so happy, I love you so much," he said, but paused to look at the midwife, who did the same task of tying and cutting the cord and removing the baby to be checked over. "We need to think of names, how do you feel if we called the boy, Thomas?" Darcy asked, knowing that his wife would be delighted with the choice, as it had been her late papa's name.
"Oh William, that would be splendid," she said as she nodded in agreement to the name. "How about Beth for our daughter?"
"Yes, I like that very much, not Elizabeth, but just Beth." Darcy spent a very short time in his wife's presence before he was ushered out of the room by Jane, so that Elizabeth could finish the final stages of delivery, this was something that she did not wish for her husband to see. He was given the boy and Grace was given the girl and they were sent from the room, to Mrs Bennet, who was waiting patiently outside.
"Grandmother Blossom, meet your grandchildren, Thomas and Beth," he said proudly as they walked up to Mrs Bennet, who was already in tears.
"Thomas," she cried, "Oh William, did you name him after Mr Bennet?" Darcy nodded and handed his son to her. She gazed down into the dark blue eyes of her grandson, "He looks like you, William, I can see he will be a very handsome man." Darcy was a little embarrassed at that comment, but also felt a wave of pride rush over him.
Grace walked up to Mrs Bennet, "Beth looks like Lizzy, she has the same eyes," she said.
Mrs Bennet gasped at seeing the little baby girl, "She does indeed, she looks the spitting image of Lizzy when she was born, only with darker hair. Lizzy was blond when she was born you know, but it darkened as she got older. Her features are identical. How is Lizzy?"
"She is remarkably well, bearing in mind what she has just gone through, all that pain for so many hours," he winced, "They ushered me from the room for some reason."
"Oh, that is the final delivery, it is not nice, you would not wish to see that," Mrs Bennet said matter-of-factly, as she waved her hand around.
"The whole delivery was surreal, I cannot believe these two came out of my wife's body. If I had not seen it with my own eyes I would have believed the stork had dropped them off in the night."
"It is wondrous what our bodies can do, these are little miracles," she said as she gazed at both babies.
"Grace, can you tell the others they can come up now."
When the rest of the family entered the room, Darcy allowed them to gather around and each took turns in holding the babies. Grace was particularly weepy, Darcy noticed this and pulled Richard aside. "Why is Grace so upset?"
"She is rather broody, for the past month or so, she has seen Elizabeth swell and it has made her wish for a baby, but you and I know that is not going to happen."
"I am sorry for both of you, Richard. I know you said you didn't mind in the past, but seeing your wife like this must be hard."
"It is, but we have to live with it, besides we will have all these little ones running around in a few years time," he said as he slapped his cousins back, "Now papa, let's get you back to your babies."
A week or so later, Elizabeth was resting on the study settee when a message arrived for Darcy, "Sir, a letter has come." On opening the note, he gasped.
"Who is it from?" Elizabeth asked.
"It is from Aunt Catherine, she has congratulated us on the twins, she has apologised for her behaviour in London back in January and says that she is arranging to have Anne's coming out season early next year."
"I am so glad for Anne, she really should have her chance of happiness."
"I do not think that aunt had a choice, she had no other alternative. Richard is now also married, so she could not see him as a second choice."
"She would have looked to him to marry her daughter, as second choice? Is she that flippant with her daughter's happiness?"
"Not really, I think she is now desperate. Talking of Richard, how do you feel about Richard and Grace being godparents?"
"I think that is a wonderful idea, I did think of Jane and Cecil, but I have seen how Grace is with the little ones."
"Richard said she was upset when you gave birth, she is broody and as you know cannot have any children. I thought this was the next best thing, she can be a godmother."
"Yes, I think so too. Jane and Cecil can be godparents to our next one," she chuckled.
"Lizzy! Please can you get over this pregnancy before you think of the next. Anyway, how are you feeling?" he said as he sat down on the edge of the settee.
"Better, I still am sore a little, but the salt baths are helping. Thomas and Beth have been good, the nannies have said they do not cry at night, but are very feisty in the mornings."
"Oh I know someone who is rather feisty in the mornings," he smirked.
"William!" Elizabeth scorned, "You are just as bad."
"We are very well matched then, Mrs Darcy," he said as he bent down to kiss her, "I love you so much."
"I love you too, William."
**Summer 1814**
Mrs Bennet sat on the garden bench by the lake, watching the family around her, enjoying the summer afternoon. She had realised the last two years had been such a tumultuous time for the whole family. After losing her husband way too early and then ensconcing to London, she thought her life and that of her daughters were heading towards dire straits. However, the ever so gracious Mr Darcy had come to their aid, not only had he fallen for her second eldest, but had taken the whole family under his wing, a far cry from his haughty, offhand manner he portrayed at the Meryton Assembly.
Gazing at everyone at the afternoon tea, which they had taken to holding regularly in the gardens that summer, she could see that everyone present had benefited in life from this man. Not only had Elizabeth found happiness with her husband and their beautiful, yet loud children, he had touched everyone's life in such a positive way.
Cecil had come into Jane's life at Darcy's introduction, her two sons had been firm friends for years before the Bennets were in their lives. Now, Jane sat there, glowing in the state of expectant motherhood. Cecil had proved himself to be a devoted husband, even if his appearance was not of the norm, he really should get that hair cut, she thought to herself.
Kitty and Lydia had lost most, if not all of their silliness after spending a good six months at the finishing school. Mrs Bennet chuckled to herself when the initial eight weeks was suggested by Darcy, knowing that it would take longer, especially in Lydia's situation, to make them presentable enough to enter London's society. They were now very much the calm and collected ladies that they should have been brought up to be, most of the time. She realised that she had been to blame in the making of their silliness, for she had indulged in their every whim and had not chastised them enough whilst they were growing up. It had only been when they were surrounded by the lifestyle of her son, that she realised her mistake in letting them run wild.
Mrs Bennet could see that Mary had taken a keen liking to the piano teacher Darcy had arranged for her, so that when Kitty and Lydia returned from finishing school, Mrs Bennet continued to pay for the piano lessons from the small monthly allowance she received from Elizabeth. Mrs Bennet had hopes of Mr Downing's attachments to Mary, but knew that it would not be quick, as he was waiting on a position as clergy at the Village of Kypton. The present pastor was due to retire the following year and he was to take up residence immediately after. Knowing that his position meant that he could take a wife, Mrs Bennet was eager to continue Mary's piano lessons in the hope that his interest would not wane before he moved to the vicarage.
Now her gaze fell upon the ever so handsome Mr Richard Fitzwilliam. She knew that his position, as an officer of the army, had put his life on hold and when she had heard he was to give up the living and move to Pemberley with a new wife, she knew that Darcy had given him a hand and rumour had it that this was also in the way of a monetary gift.
Georgiana, who had taken a seat near her cousin, had turned into a gracious, charming young lady. She had grown up very well in the two years they had been acquainted, knowing that the influence of her brother had been the making of that young woman, Mrs Bennet surmised that yet again, Darcy's presence had improved yet another life.
For herself, she could not wish for a better existence, living in an idyllic setting, close to all her children, she could not have wished for more. "Yes," she said, "He has been very good to us all."
Elizabeth looked up at her mother's words, being the only one close enough to hear her, she questioned, "Who has mother? Do you mean god?"
"Only if your husband is such a heavenly being, for he has touched everyone's life in such a positive way, I could not have asked for a better husband for you."
"And I could have not wished for better, either mother." Elizabeth looked around at those in the party, and had understood what her mother's words meant. Yes, her husband had touched everyone in a positive way, he had enriched the lives of all in the family and had bared the expense of everything himself.
Suddenly, Elizabeth was brought out of her thoughts by a commotion, "Do not go splashing around so much Lydia, you are making an awful noise and making Thomas wish he was in there with you," Elizabeth called out as she ran to grab her son, who had taken to crawling to the water's edge.
"Sorry Lizzy, I did not mean to make such a racket, but it is good fun."
True to his word, Darcy had installed a bathing machine, he thought it a monstrous contraption, but knew that it would not be in place for long. Jane could not take a dip as she was heavy with child, having conceived in late winter. Cecil did not wish for her to get anywhere near the water, as he had taken to worrying at every opportunity since his wife announced that she was having his baby. Jane was happy and took merriment in sitting by the side of the water, watching her younger siblings splashing about.
Elizabeth wished to venture in to cool down from the hot sun, however, Darcy discretely requested that she did not, promising her that they could both take a dip later that evening, when no-one was around, as compensation.
It was gone midnight before Darcy woke his wife, who had fallen to sleep in his arms. "Darling, do you wish to take that dip in the lake now?" he said seductively.
"Oh, William, isn't it rather late?"
"Not for what I have in mind, we do not need to dress, just put on your robe."
"What do you mean, do I not need to wear my new swimming clothes?" Elizabeth asked in a sleepy confused state.
"No clothes will be needed, not for what I have planned," he said greedily.
"Oh, you wish for us to bathe naked? What if someone sees us?" she gasped.
"No one will see us, all the servants and garden hands are asleep and the household have all retired for the night. Come, Lizzy," he said as he got up and pulled her out of bed.
"William, it is too dark, I cannot see where I am going," she said as they got to the vestibule, with the aid of the light from a single candle.
"It will be brighter once we get outside, it is a full moon tonight."
They got to the lake and Darcy wrapped his arms around his wife, kissing her passionately. "Oh Darling, I love you so much."
"I love you too, William, I love you as a friend, a lover, the father of our children and most of all, I love you as you. You have shown so much compassion to all you touch, mother had made me realise that this afternoon, she had likened you to god."
"Oh, great praise indeed, I must ensure we increase her allowance," he chuckled.
"She is not in need of money, she has the world at her feet now, she is content with everything in life. Now, Mr Darcy, enough talk of your godlike ways, I wish to swim."
"I don't think there will be much swimming involved, Lizzy," he said deliciously into the hollow of her neck. His breaths made her toes curl, it all felt so alien in the outdoors, they had never made love in the open air, but it was thrilling and the excitement was addictive.
Darcy untied her robe and pulled it off of her shoulders, allowing it to fall to the ground, his own robe soon followed and he led her into the coolness of the shallow water, via the bathing machine. There, they made love in the shadows of their home, with the water lapping around them as they moved at a slow steady rhythm. Little did they know that that evening, that baby number three was but a twinkle in his father's eyes and on hearing the news, two months later, that his wife was with child again, Darcy decided to keep the bathing machine and was committed to reinstalling it by the lake each summer, without fail.