Author's Note:
Hi, guys! Here's another short fluffy chapter for you! I want to say that any grammatical "mistake" coming from Bennet's mouth is intentional. Since my first language is Spanish, I am not absolutely sure how babies/toddlers speak when they are acquiring English (which is not the same as learning it). I know how they speak when they are acquiring Spanish and I assume it must be similar—sticking to verbs and nouns mostly, conjugating irregular verbs as regular verbs, omitting or confusing prepositions, quantifiers, articles, demonstratives, etc. I'm very curious about language acquisition as opposed to language learning, so let me know how your kids acquired English!
And thank you so much for your constant support. I would have given this up long ago if it weren't for you.
Stay safe!
Jen
He sighed. "How different would things have been if I had not insulted you?"
"I do not know," she shrugged, resting her chin on the back of her hands which were resting on his chest. "Perhaps you would not have been intrigued by my constant rejection and the... disadvantages of your marrying me would have weighed more on you without my impertinence. Perhaps you would not have fallen in love with me."
"No, Elizabeth," he said softly, tucking a curl behind her ear and looking into her eyes with so much love and affection that she could have cried. "I cannot imagine a world where I do not love you."
55.
Georgiana seemed to be in better spirits the next day. Her sisters' support had done much to restore her to good humour and she was determined to be more confident and stronger like Lizzy. She was now completely focused on her nephew who was insisting she played with him on the floor and decided she did not have time to think about Lord Grantham's opinion about her or debutantes in general.
The eldest three Darcys were drinking tea in the parlour while Bennet sat on the floor surrounded by his three loving aunts.
"Shall I take this, Bennet?" Kitty asked, holding the wooden horse.
"No. Auntie Giana," Bennet replied, handling the horse to his Aunt Georgiana. "She like horses. Auntie Kitty, soldier."
Georgiana laughed at the way her nephew pronounced her name and at the look on Kitty's face when Bennet declared she liked horses while handling Kitty the toy soldier.
"He cannot possibly know I used to like soldiers," Kitty whispered to her sister.
"Perhaps it is just a coincidence," Georgiana laughed.
"He seems calm now," Lady Anne commented as she watched Bennet play with his aunts.
"Yes, he is now," Elizabeth smiled. "We had a long argument this morning."
"Oh, we know," Mr. Darcy smiled back. "We could hear it from our chambers."
"What was it about?" Lady Anne asked.
"It took a whole hour for us to convince him that he needed to get dressed," Fitzwilliam explained.
Elizabeth laughed. "He would prefer to run about naked and does not quite understand why he should not."
"Oh, has the I-hate-wearing-clothes stage started already?" Mr. Darcy asked, amused.
"Oh, no! Is it a stage?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, my dear, and it can be a long one, I am afraid."
"We should wake up an hour earlier, then," Fitzwilliam sighed, half-joking.
A maid entered the parlour with more tea and approached the Darcys.
"I brought some coffee, too, Mistress," she told Lady Anne. "In case you wished some."
"Thank you, Molly."
Fitzwilliam saw the look in his wife's eye before she stood up and walked a few steps away from them. He could not help but follow her and, without thinking, he put a hand on her belly. It was not an obvious action, but it still drew the attention of his perceptive mother.
"Are you well, my love?" Fitzwilliam asked his wife.
"Why do you ask? Is she unwell?" Lady Anne asked, but when she saw her son's hand, she gasped. "Lizzy?"
Elizabeth smiled as she shook her head to her husband.
"I am sorry, darling," he said, sheepishly. "I did not mean it."
"Oh, well," she said, a smile still on her face. "You have discovered us, Mother."
She flattened her palm against her loose gown revealing a small bump underneath and immediately heard Lady Anne's squeal.
"You are with child!"
"Yes," Elizabeth chuckled.
The girls, astonished, jumped to their sister with cries of "Oh, Lizzy!"
"But you have a bump already!" Lady Anne said.
"When did you find out, Elizabeth?" Mr. Darcy asked.
Elizabeth blushed. "Dr. Johnson confirmed it before we left Pemberley."
"Why did you not tell us, Child?" Lady Anne asked. "It is such wonderful news!"
"I assume Fitzwilliam knew," Mr. Darcy added.
"Yes," his son confirmed.
"Do not blame him. I made him promise he would not say anything yet, though I would not have been able to hide it much longer."
"Why would you hide it at all?" Lady Anne insisted.
"Because..." she trailed off and looked at her sisters who were staring at her in bewilderment. "This is the first time the girls are the centre of attention and they are beginning to enjoy it. I did not wish to take that from them. Besides, there will be many months to celebrate."
"Oh, Lizzy," Kitty said. "You are not taking anything from us."
"Of course not. We are happy to share the attention," Mary added.
Georgiana smiled. "Actually, we are more than happy. We could use some respite."
Elizabeth could not help but laugh as she walked back to the loveseat and sat, clearly relieved.
"I confess I am happy I shall not have to hide my stomach any longer or pretend I am not constantly tired."
"Oh, my dear. You should have said so!" Lady Anne said in sympathy.
As her mother-in-law asked to have the coffee removed from the parlour, Bennet walked to his mother and climbed onto her lap.
"Mama?" he asked, confused by the spurt of emotions he had just witnessed.
"Yes, my love?"
"What happen?"
Elizabeth exchanged a look with her husband who moved to sit next to her in the loveseat and at his nod, they both faced the curious boy.
"We have just told everyone we shall have a babe soon."
"Babe?" Bennet recognised the word immediately and frowned as he thought. "Babe Charlie!"
"Yes, a babe like your cousin Charlie," Fitzwilliam nodded, proud of the way his son associated ideas so fast.
"Charlie come?" Bennet asked, excited by the prospect of seeing his cousin.
Although his family thought he could speak quite well for his age, his words were clear only to his closest family who often had to translate.
"No, darling," Elizabeth said. "Another babe. Cousin Charlie is Auntie Jane and Uncle Charles' babe. We shall have a babe of our own."
"My babe?" he asked, to everyone's amusement.
Elizabeth laughed as Fitzwilliam tried to contain his own chuckle.
"I suppose in a way, yes," she replied. "It shall be your little brother or sister."
"Babe home?"
This time, Fitzwilliam replied: "Yes, the babe shall be at home with us."
"Where is babe?"
"Well," Elizabeth hesitated. "He or she is in my belly right now. It shall join us in the summer."
Although Bennet did not quite understand the concept of pregnancy, brotherhood, or even summer, he did understand that he would play with a babe and left his parents with a satisfied smile.
The following week, the Darcy hosted a dinner but were relieved to stay at home. However, a few days later their last days in town were approaching along with the girls' final balls of the season. It was during the afternoon of the last ball that Elizabeth asked if she might be excused for she was not feeling well.
"Of course, my darling," Fitzwilliam replied immediately. "We shall stay at home if you would prefer it."
"Oh, no, you must go," Elizabeth said. "Father needs you to watch over the girls and I am perfectly capable of staying at home."
"I could not leave you alone."
"I shall not be alone. The house is full of servants and Bennet shall be with me." On seeing her husband's look of concern, she put her hand on his cheek and added: "I shall be well. I plan to sleep the whole time you are out."
"But your stomach has been bothering you."
"Yes, but I am sure it is nothing. Please, go to the ball and try to enjoy yourself."
She almost laughed at the look of disbelief on his face after hearing this last phrase.
"I can hardly enjoy myself at a ball."
"Oh, but you were doing so much better!"
"I was, because you are with me and because being married does not attract eligible ladies."
This time she did laugh. "Well, you are still married, sir, so let us hope you shall not be imposed upon."
He brushed her cheek with his thumb as he looked at her with concern. "I shall be terribly worried thinking about you."
"I am all right, Fitzwilliam."
He sighed and realised that she was right about something: he could not let his father take care of all three girls at the same time. It was arduous enough for the two of them. Therefore, he obeyed his wife and went to his dressing room to change. By the time he was back in his wife's bedchamber she was already tucked in bed with a book in her hand.
"Oh, my! Who is that handsome gentleman?" she grinned as she saw him enter. "Are you my husband, sir? I can hardly believe it. It cannot be!" He smiled at her playful compliments and walked to the bed. "Oh, my dear! He is walking towards me!" She sat upright, threw her book away and fixed her hair. "Sir, I do not believe you should be in my bedchamber. Your intentions cannot be honourable and I am a married woman."
He grinned down at her with lust in his eyes as he sat down close to her body.
"My intentions are not honourable, Madam."
"Sir!" she gasped, faking astonishment. "I am horrified! You might be devastatingly handsome, strong, tall and dark, and muscular... and..." she sighed. "Do not forget to close the door."
Fitzwilliam laughed and captured her lips with his in a passionate kiss. When he moved away, her eyes were still closed, her face still tilted and she had a dreamy look on her face.
"Temptress," he sighed and kissed her again, unable to resist her expecting lips.
"Now I wish you would stay," she said.
"So that is what I should have done earlier!"
"No," she shook her head. "You must go. Do not try to seduce me."
"I have the feeling you are very easy to seduce, my love." He kissed her one more time before he stood up and pulled the cord to summon Mrs. Harris. "Do you promise to have someone summon me if you need me or if you feel ill in any way?"
"I am sure I shall not need it."
"Elizabeth," he warned her. "I shall not leave without your promise."
"Very well. I promise."
He walked back to her and kissed her until they heard a knock on the door. They had been so immersed in their kiss that they pulled away as two adolescents who had been caught misbehaving. He could not help but chuckle before he kissed her one last time and bid Mrs. Harris enter.
"I brought Master Bennet with me, sir," she said, for she knew her employers quite well by now. "I thought you might wish to say goodbye."
"You are perfectly right, Mrs. Harris. My wife shall remain at home and wishes to spend some time with Bennet. She shall call you if they need you."
"Yes, sir," Mrs. Harris curtsied and left.
"Papa," Bennet said, raising his arms up to be held.
Fitzwilliam leaned down and picked up his son, carrying him to the bed with Elizabeth.
"Grandmama, grandpapa, your aunts, and I shall leave tonight, Bennet. Your Mama shall stay here with you. Her belly hurts, so you must promise to be a good boy."
"Mama hurt?" Bennet asked, climbing into bed next to his mother.
"Only a little, my love," Elizabeth replied. "I shall be well."
"Shall you be a good boy, Bennet?" Fitzwilliam asked his son.
Bennet nodded his head and lay down next to Elizabeth.
"I shall leave you, then," Fitzwilliam said and sat down on the bed. "Take care of Mama, Ben."
"Yes, Papa," the boy replied.
Fitzwilliam kissed his son's forehead and pecked his wife's lips as he rested his palm on her belly.
"I love you, the three of you."
"We love you," Elizabeth replied and very reluctantly, Fitzwilliam left his wife and children and went to another ball.
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.
