Author's Note:
Hi, guys! I'm sorry for being so late with this story, but I really want to finish Pemberley's Guardians on Halloween and I'm trying to make it to the deadline.
I haven't abandoned this story though, and I think you'll like this chapter! Let me know!
Stay safe!
Jen
"Are you a very happy man, Mr. Darcy?"
"I have felt little but happiness in the last two years, Mrs. Darcy," he smiled tenderly at her and could not help but kiss her forehead even though they were in public. "Dance with me."
Elizabeth gasped in fake astonishment. "The Great Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley is asking me to dance? Me? A simple country girl?"
"You are many things, Elizabeth, but simple is not one of them," he said and, taking her hand, walked to join the other couples dancing.
53.
February, 1815
The girls' first ball and introduction had gone smoothly and their excitement was increasing with each gathering they attended. Mr. Darcy and Fitzwilliam were not so enthusiastic about such assemblies. Being the men in charge of three young, unmarried, and very beautiful ladies required their constant attention. They were much sought after, though this was to no one's surprise but the girls'. So the elder Darcys made sure to know and approve each of their partners and fortunately, the girls trusted their guardians and were perfectly willing to obey them.
Fitzwilliam's sense of responsibility would not allow him to lose sight of any of his sisters, for he knew that not every man of the ton was a gentleman and even the Bennet girls were good prospects considering their youth, beauty, and their connection to the Darcys. He was also very much aware of his wife's beauty and his need to protect her from men such as Lord Brooke. He quickly found that to watch and protect four beautiful women constantly was quite tiring. Therefore, he was usually exhausted by the time they kissed Bennet's forehead after reading to him at night.
He groaned as his body slumped to the bed, exaggerating the sound when it made Elizabeth giggle.
"Oh, my poor old man," she extended her arms and reached out for him.
"Careful, Mrs. Darcy," he grinned, crawling towards her so he was lying in between her legs. "I might have enough energy to punish you for such an insult."
He hitched up her chemise, pulling at the silky fabric until she took it off and then he rested his head on her belly. He delighted in the intimacy of having her soft, bare legs wrapped around his shoulders, in the familiar scent of her skin, in the calmness and trust she exuded as he lay in the most intimate part of her. It was strange, but he took immense pleasure in the fact that it was not sexual—though he might soon be tempted to move this to that direction. It was not like that now. It was intimacy. It was companionship. It was comfort.
He kissed both hip bones and nuzzled her lower belly, using his hands to caress the sides of her body.
"Thank you for taking such good care of my sisters," Elizabeth said softly.
He looked up, resting his chin on her soft belly, careful not to lean on her too heavily. "They are my sisters, my love, just as much as Georgiana is yours."
"I know, but I always liked Georgie..."
"While I did not always like the girls?" he smiled sadly. "I shall not deny it, but you must know that I am very fond of them now. I wish to care for them. Although I admit I also wish we had uglier sisters."
Elizabeth laughed before her affectionate eyes focused on her husband. "You are the best of men."
"I am glad you think so. It is my intention to keep you fooled for as long as possible," he teased and proceeded to place tender kisses on her belly.
Suddenly, he frowned as a look of confusion appeared in his face. He looked up at her, his eyes filled with surprise and wonder. He turned his gaze back to her stomach, cupping it with his hands before his gaze moved to her eyes and back. Elizabeth could not help but smile at the look of disbelief on his face as he reached out and cupped her breasts in his hands and gasped.
"Elizabeth?"
"Yes?" she said, knowing what he would say.
"Are you with child?"
"Yes," she beamed.
"Oh, Lizzy!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with emotion. He moved up until they were face to face and kissed her cheeks and lips. "Another babe!"
"You are happy."
"Happy? I am elated! How long have you known? How far along are you? Why did you not tell me before?"
"One question at the time, Fitzwilliam," she chuckled. "I spoke to Dr. Johnson and he confirmed it the day we left Pemberley for London."
"That was a month ago! Why did you not tell me?" he asked, his voice betraying his hurt.
"Oh, my darling," she cupped his cheeks. "I wanted to tell you so much, but I knew you would not be able to hide your joy. I can barely restrain mine!"
"Why would I need to hide my joy? There is nothing wrong with the fact that my wife shall soon give me another child," he argued and the words seemed to trigger the realisation that indeed, he would soon be the father of two children. "I wish to celebrate!"
"Exactly," she sighed.
"I do not quite follow you, Elizabeth." His frown of confusion turned to one of worry as another possibility crept into his mind. "Are you not happy?"
"Oh, yes! Of course, I am happy! But this is the girls' moment to shine. I do not wish to take this from them."
"But we shall not return to Pemberley for another month, at least!"
"I know," she sighed again. "I do not think I could keep it from everyone until then and they might be angry if I do, but just a little longer, Fitzwilliam. For the girls?"
"How far along are you?" he repeated his unanswered question.
"I was almost three months along when Dr. Johnson saw me. I must be almost four now."
"Four months! That only leaves us five months to prepare and if we do not start now, it shall be only four!"
He tried to move away from her, but she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders and held him tightly.
"What exactly do you wish to accomplish now?" she chuckled and pecked his lips. "My love, we are mostly ready. This is not our first child after all. Bennet's nursery is large enough to accommodate two children. We shall need another crib but it is hardly necessary at this moment."
"Bennet shall have a brother or sister," he said in awe.
"Yes," she beamed.
"Do you believe he shall be happy to be a big brother?"
"If he is half the big brother you are, he shall be wonderful."
"Oh, my love," he sighed and placed a dozen kisses on her face. "I love you so much."
"And I, you."
He kissed his way down to her stomach and nuzzled her lower belly.
"Hello, my darling. I am your Papa. I am sorry it took me this long to introduce myself but your Mama did not see fit to inform me of your presence."
Elizabeth laughed. "Will you keep our secret?"
The joyful look on his face faded a little, but he kept his hands cupping her belly. "Must I? I wish to announce it at the top of my lungs."
"Only for a little while longer, love," she said softly, caressing his face. "For the girls."
"Very well. A fortnight, Mrs. Darcy," he declared and kissed his way up his wife's body to show his appreciation and happiness in a more appropriate manner for a husband so much in love.
"How did it take me so long to notice?" he asked only a sennight later as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested both palms on her increasing belly.
He had just come to retrieve her to attend another ball when he saw her standing in front of the mirror and could not help but take her and his child into his arms. Her pregnancy was starting to show and he knew she could not have hidden it from him any longer.
"You have been distracted and exhausted these last few weeks and I was good at hiding it from you. I knew as soon as you knew it, you would wish to share it with the world."
"How exactly did you manage to hide your belly from me?" he asked and placed a kiss on her neck.
"Oh, the usual wifely tricks," she smiled teasingly. "Whenever you seemed to be heading for my stomach I distracted your attention to... other parts of my anatomy."
He laughed. "Such a deceitful wife! And I, so gullible, so absent-minded and dazzled by your beauty, fell for your deceit."
She turned around in his arms and gave him a serious look. "I am truly sorry. I never meant to deceive you, but I thought we will have many months to celebrate while the girls only have these two."
"I am not angry," he said, kissing her nose.
"I would deserve it if you were."
"No, you would not. As long as you have been taking proper care of yourself and our babe these past few weeks."
"I have."
"Then, it is quite alright," he said. She cupped his cheeks and brought him close for a deep, breathtaking kiss that made his heart race and his blood boil. "You must not kiss me like that before we are about to leave, Mrs. Darcy."
"I cannot help it if my husband is so very handsome."
"Did I tell you that you look glorious this evening?"
"I believe you have," she smiled.
"It is a lovely gown, but I admit I liked the other one even more."
She did like the silky light purple gown she was wearing. She had, in fact, fallen in love quite recently with a beautiful red gown with golden details, but no matter how much Lady Anne and Fitzwilliam insisted she wore it, Elizabeth thought it was too bold and striking to wear on her sisters' first season. She was determined the attention must be on the girls and could not be dissuaded otherwise.
"I did, too. Perhaps next time."
"It is not as if you are an old married woman, Elizabeth. You are barely three and twenty."
"I know, but I really want Mary, Georgie, and Kitty to have that fairy tale experience I never had. They are to be the princesses of every ball this season."
"Perhaps," he smiled and whispered in his ear: "but you are my Queen."
I do not own any Pride and Prejudice properties, nor do I make any money from the writing of this story.
Characters and situations, created by Jane Austen, are taken from Pride and Prejudice and from the Pride and Prejudice (1995) adaptation created by Simon Langton and distributed by BBC.
This story is released under the GPL/CC BY: verbatim copying and distribution of this entire work are permitted worldwide, without royalty, in any medium, provided attribution is preserved.
