A/N
Yes, Lady C has well and truly been put in her place. Silly woman! Maybe Mr Collins' stupidity is rubbing off on her.
OK Baby number 1 is here in this chapter and happy faces all around :D :D :D
30th May 1812
Do you think we will reach the cottage today?" Elizabeth asked as she looked out of the carriage, not recognising the scenery.
"I believe so, but we have never travelled this route and at such a slow pace. It is a much smoother road, but longer in distance. The staff will be expecting us before sundown," Darcy smiled as he rubbed his wife's swollen belly.
"It is indeed longer this way, for it has taken us more than a week to get here. Although our hours on the road are rather short, which I am very grateful for.
"It is good that we moved the staff from Darcy House to Meadows Cottage, it seems silly having two sets of staff for houses we rarely go to. Hopefully the movements back and forth do not make any of them leave our service, as I have become rather attached to some of them," she sighed.
Darcy took her into his arms and held her close. With the movement of the carriage, both fell into a much needed sleep, for neither had got much rest the past week, due to having slept in bedchambers they were not used to.
A few hours later, they both woke to the jolt of the carriage stopping. "We are here," Darcy grinned as he peered out of the window. "Close your eyes Lizzy, I want to walk you to the front of the cottage, before you see it.
As Darcy guided his wife to the front of the house, he realised that they were standing in the meadows. Luckily, the workers who built the cottage were able to leave the wilderness that surrounded the house in an untouched state. The flowers were just beginning to bloom, giving a wonderful fragrance to the air, a smell that reminded him of first setting eyes on his wife. "Open," he whispered in her ear.
As Elizabeth opened her eyes, she saw in front of her, not a cottage, but a small mansion. "William! It is so big, I thought it would be a quaint little cottage, with a thatched roof, this is a palace," she beamed.
"It was going to be as big as Longbourn, but I ended up altering the plans at the last minute and added four more bedchambers. I was thinking of the future with your mother, any unmarried sisters, our brood and any other families who cared to stay at the same time. So hopefully fourteen rooms is adequate," he laughed.
"I am sure it will be, can we go in?"
"Yes, but I wish to carry you over the threshold, like I did in London after we married," he said as he bent down to pick her up in his arms.
"You cannot, I am twice the woman I was then, you will break your back," she giggled as her feet left the ground.
"Nonsense!" he huffed. The sound of strain was evident in his voice, made Elizabeth laugh. "Maybe just to the vestibule and not beyond."
On entering the parlour, she could see that the house was not decorated as Pemberley was, but was very light and airy, giving an outdoor feel to the rooms. Light coverings adorned the walls and cream fabrics covered the windows and furniture. "It looks so tranquil and peaceful. It will be a delight to live here, William. You have done such a wonderful job."
"I think the workers and the designer I employed did a good job, I just mentioned a colour scheme and the designer chose everything."
"Well done to him," she smiled.
"Her, you mean," Darcy corrected, "for it was Jane," he grinned.
"You asked Jane to do all the interior rooms? When did all this happen?"
"I asked Bingley at Christmas if he would allow it, then he mentioned it to Jane. By the time they left in January, she had a list of ideas that I had agreed to. Since then we have been corresponding."
"But I have not seen any letters from Jane? Oh, they were sent with Charles's letters."
"Yes, sorry to have kept it from you, but I wished for it to be a surprise," he said taking her into his arms.
At that moment, the Bingleys enter the cottage, "Lizzy? William? Are you here?" Jane called out.
"Oh sister, Charles, it is so wonderful to see you," Elizabeth said as she pulled away from Darcy and waddled over to the Bingleys.
"My! Lizzy you have grown so big!" she gasped.
"I know, six weeks and counting down. Thank you Jane for your help with the cottage, for should I say mansion," she chuckled.
"I loved doing it, I have now persuaded Charles to buy Netherfield and we will do the same with the house. I want to lighten all the rooms and make it ours."
"So Mr Haversham will sell the estate to you?"
"Yes, he wants rid of it, as he isn't getting any younger and with no children to leave it to, he accepted my first offer. I got it for a song," he grinned.
"So you plan to stay long term? What joy, for we will see each other in the summer months often, for I miss you so."
"I miss you too, Lizzy, we shall be such a merry bunch when we are all here. We can have garden parties in the meadow. William had a very splendid veranda built to the side of the house, near the new pond."
"Pond! I forgot about the water. Let us hope I do not drown you in it, one night," she smirked at Darcy.
"What do you mean?" Jane asked. Elizabeth then took time to explain her husband's reaction on first seeing her, not so many yards away from where they were standing. "Over there, that is the spot, right where the garden benches have been placed. I assume that their position was intentional?"
"Of course it was intentional, to be able to sit on the very spot I first fell in love with you, means a great deal," he said as he kissed her cheek.
After taking tea, the party took a walk to Longbourn. It was only a mile, which Elizabeth was able to do but at a much slower pace. On entering the house, Lizzy shouted out to her father. However, her mother appeared from the parlour, "Oh Lizzy, it is so good you are here," she said as she tried to hug her daughter, but as both women were of a very pregnant state, neither could manage more than a peck on the cheek.
"Mother, when did you quicken? You are so big!" Elizabeth asked, eyeing her bump.
"At the beginning of February, but remember, I knew what to expect, so recognised the flutterings before you would have. Your father did not feel the baby move until well into March. So how are you coping?"
"I am fine, mama. Maybe getting a little tired now that my stomach has expanded so. I am finding it difficult to get comfortable and I cannot see my feet!"
"Oh yes, you get to a point where you just want the baby in your arms and not in your belly," Mrs Bennet laughed. "I am sure I will get to that point soon. Although, I think some of my weight will not go as I seem to have eaten rather a lot of cake in the past two months."
As the Darcys and Bingleys settled into comfortable conversation in the Longbourn parlour, the younger sisters and Mr Bennet came in through the front door. "Do we have visitors?" Lydia cried out. As Kitty rushed ahead into the parlour, she cried out her joy on seeing the new arrivals. "Lizzy, William, you came at last. My! You are enormous!"
"I know, I feel like a dumplin," she smirked.
"Oh dumplins," Mrs Bennet sighed, "I think I need to ask cook to make some for the stew for later."
"Mother, you are terrible, you will pop at the rate you are going," Lydia said, "and you told me off for eating too much last year."
"Yes, but you didn't have a baby growing in your belly, they need the food too," Mrs Bennet said, trying to make excuses for her very healthy appetite.
As the night drew on, Darcy made it obvious that he wished to take his leave. He knew that Elizabeth would be exhausted from the trip and he could see she was fighting her imminent sleep. "Darling, you are so tired that if we stay any longer, I will have to carry you to the carriage."
"Yes, I think it is only fair we leave now, for your back cannot take carrying me twice in a day," she laughed.
As they reached the cottage, they made their way to the bedchambers and with little effort, Darcy helped his wife out of her clothes and carried her to bed. "Sleep Lizzy, I will not bother you tonight, other than to hold you in my arms," but his words fell on deaf ears as she was already asleep. Darcy lay down next to her and bent down and kissed her forehead, then he moved down her body and kissed her belly, "Good night, little one."
1st July 1812 - Darcy House, London
"Darcy!" Richard cried out, as he walked into the vestibule on hearing his cousin enter.
"Richard? What are you doing here?" Darcy replied, shocked to see his cousin return from Scotland.
"I came back last week. I hope you do not mind, but I sort of took up residence here. Father is not back from Matlock and I did not wish to sleep there, in case he showed up in the middle of the night and demand I leave without giving me a chance."
"Chance for what?" Darcy said, cautiously.
"To tell him that I am a new man. I am changed, Darcy. I saw my ways and the man I had turned into pretty quickly, the mentor at the commune made me realise that.
"I concluded that the army played a big part in how I had become, first it was the odd group visit to the brothels, then the men would buy the whores from the same brothels to hold debauchery parties in rented rooms." Richard said, shaking his head in disbelief as to how his life had evolved.
"Debauchery parties? You mean you held orgies? Dear god Richard! I thought you were bad enough, but that!" Darcy shouted. "I hope for your sake you have not caught anything."
"No, I got checked by a very discreet physician before I left for Scotland. He gave me a clean bill of health. Thank god for sheaths!"
"So where is Elizabeth? Did she not come with you?"
"No, she is too far along with child for travelling. The baby is due in a fortnight's time."
"Oh congratulations, I was not aware she was with child. You will make a great father! Part of the therapy was that I did not contact anyone during the time, so nobody told me. I was instructed to write to everyone before I left, that is when I sent you that note to tell you where I was going. Then nothing until I was cured, for a better word."
"So is that it? Are you cured?"
"Yes, I do not have the same urges. I do intend to go back though, as I wish to help out at the commune. I need to talk to father regarding this, as I will have to give up my commission in the army, so will need to have his blessing and maybe a small increase in my allowance, although I will not need that much more as commune life is very basic. I will have to pay them some money for food and lodgings though."
At that point, Mr Bennet banged on the front door. Before the butler had time to announce Mr Bennet, the old man barged in. "Darcy! You have to come home quick, Lizzy has gone into labour!"
"Push Lizzy!" Jane cried as she held her sister's hand."
"I am, what do you think I am doing, taking it easy and having a cup of tea in the process!" she growled as the next pain hit her. "Where the hell is William, he should be here! I need him!"
"Father left for London three hours ago, they wont be back for a few hours."
"He should not have left me in the cottage, why did he go to town today… of all days," she cried.
"Lizzy, you are two weeks early, he did not anticipate you having the baby today, for surely he would not have gone. They will be back soon."
"But it will be too late, the baby would have been born and I wanted him here, as it took its first breath. He said he would be with me."
"Well… you have me with you, luckily you chose to come to the cottage for the spring and summer months, or you would be having your housekeeper keeping you company."
"But then William would be with me, for he rarely goes far when we are in the country," she pouted, but the expression was wiped from her face as a stinging pain stabbed her womanhood.
"Mrs Darcy, you need to pant please, this is a very crucial part of labour," the midwife advised.
"Ah! Why does it feel different, god this is so painful? If William wants me to have five more children, he better carry and deliver them himself!" she shouted, but started to pant after she had aired her grievance.
"That's it, pant for me. The head is pushing its way through, wont be long now," the midwife explained.
Within an hour, Kitty, who had taken to waiting outside in the private sitting room, heard the faint cries of a baby. Jane came out with the bundle and brought her to her sister. "Oh the baby is so precious, so tiny. How is Lizzy?"
"She is well, exhausted, but the birth went well. It is only a shame William did not make it back in time."
"Can I go in and see her?" Kitty asked.
"Wait a while, they are making her comfortable and cleaning the room up. I did not realise how messy it can get."
"Oh dear, I do not think I wish to hear that," Kitty cringed.
The midwife came out into the sitting room and advised the sisters that they could go back into the room. As Jane entered, she immediately handed Elizabeth her baby, who instinctively pulled down her gown and started to feed it. Jane did not mind, but Kitty blushed so. "Do not be embarrassed, sister, it is a natural part of life, these are meant for feeding the baby."
"Although husbands do tend to have their share of them too," Jane laughed, but realised that Kitty was in the room, blushing an even deeper crimson than before.
"So, Lizzy have you thought of a name?" Kitty asked, in an attempt to change the subject.
"Not yet, I will leave that decision to William. I am sure he has a boy's and girl's name already in his thoughts, " she said.
"I do not even know the sex of the baby," Kitty pouted, but this made Jane laugh. "Jane, you took delight in not telling me, you did that on purpose!"
"No, I think it only fair that William is the first to know these things. It is his child after all," Jane stated.
As they were bickering about who should know first, Darcy burst into the house. "Lizzy!" he cried out. Then when he realised she was in their rooms, he ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time and nearly falling onto his face as he turned the corner. He abruptly opened the door and flew into the room, like a madman running from the men with the straitjackets. "Lizzy!" he cried out again, as he saw her hold the baby in her arms. Jane and Kitty discretely left the room, the midwife had already left and was sorting out her things in the parlour.
He walked slowly towards her and the baby. "You have already had it," he said quietly, his tears were beginning to escape his eyes and could be seen wet upon his cheeks.
"It?" Elizabeth said in jest, "Do you not meanher?" Darcy smiled, for he wished secretly that the baby would be a girl. All the time Elizabeth had longed for a boy, an heir for her husband, Darcy was wishing for a girl, a little replica of his wife. "I am sorry I could not give you a boy."
"Sweetheart, you do not know what this means to me, I wanted a girl, I just did not say," he grinned. "Can I hold her?"
Elizabeth was eager to give her daughter over to the safety of her husband. "I am glad you are not angry."
"Why would I be angry. Remember Pemberley does not have an entailment like Longbourn."
"We need to think of a name, do you have any in mind?"
"I have been thinking about that, what about Penelope? Penny for short by family only."
"Penelope Darcy?…Why Penelope?" Elizabeth asked, startled at the unusual name.
"Penelope was the daughter of Icarius and the Nymph, Periboea," he grinned.
"Well, I suppose it could be worse, you could have named her Potamide," she smirked.
Darcy stood and walked around the room, talking to his daughter in a timid voice as he held her in his arms. Hushing her to sleep each time she stirred. "Do you mind if I sit next to you… on the bed? She may sense you are not near."
"No, I do not mind, only do not cuddle up to me, I am rather sore."
"Sore? Oh darling, was it that awful?" he asked.
"All I can say, it was like passing a melon. My fanny will take some time to recover," she laughed.
"Don't!" Darcy chastised as he held his hands over the baby's ears.
Elizabeth chuckled, "She cannot understand, she is only a few hours old."
Darcy smiled at the stupidity of it all. Then he remembered something. "Oh, I saw Richard in town. He returned from Scotland a week ago and is staying at Darcy House. He took it upon himself to stay there until uncle returned from Matlock."
"How is he? Has he changed his attitude?"
"He is so different. You would not think him the same man. He seem serene now. We were discussing the commune, when your father arrived. He said he will be giving up his commission and returning to Scotland to help out, I think he feels safe there with no distractions."
"That is good news and when he is fully recovered, he can visit us and meet this little one. You want to see your great cousin, don't you Penny-poo. Think of all the horsey rides he will give you," she smiled as she cooed to her daughter.
"I hope you will not put that voice on all the time, Lizzy."
"What voice? You mean the same voice you made earlier?"
"No I did not," he said, trying to hide the grin appearing on his face, however, Elizabeth noticed the twitch of his lips.