I don't own Pride and Prejudice.
Lady Catherine could not help but wonder if this is what her life could have been like if she had been blessed with more children. The women were all gathered in one of the larger sitting rooms, all of them working on stitching clothing for the Pemberley children. Jane Bennet was patiently teaching her Anne how to embroider, while the younger girls all gathered around Elizabeth to show off there work, glowing under her praise.
It did not take a brilliant mind, though she was in possession of one, to see a lack of maternal affection radiating off the girls in waves. Nor that they had all turned to Elizabeth to make up for the loss. She would have thought the young woman would be drained, being a new wife, and mother to three young sisters, but the young woman proved time and time again she was made for this role.
"Mama, look, Lizzy says it looks just like the one she is doing." Young Miss Gardiner ran to her mother, and She watched at the woman praise her daughter's work.
"That is very lovely indeed, you have quite the gift." She supplied when the child looked to her, and was rewarded with a bright smile, before she dashed off to show another person.
"I apologize for her lack of manners your ladyship." Mrs Gardiner spoke, and once again, Lady Catherine found herself surprised to find this woman with such polished manners, her husband was in trade. Her manners were much more genteel than many of the matrons of the ton.
"Not at all Mrs Gardiner, she has plenty of time to grow up, enjoy her while she is young." She thought back to her own daughter's childhood, how sickly Anne had been. The constant worry that she would go to sleep one night and wake to find her most precious gift had been taken from her in the night.
She had been most gracious when her brother had send the man that would be Anne's physician for so much of her life. She had hated always bleeding her daughter, but had been willing to do so as it had started prolonging her life.
She went from fearing she would lose her precious child, to fearing what would happen to her when she herself left this world. It was one of the reasons she had been so adamant about the marriage between Anne and Darcy. She knew that even if he never loved her daughter in that way, he would ensure she was cared for and protected long after Lady Catherine herself was gone.
Looking across the room at Elizabeth, she no longer had those concerns, for she believed in her heart of hearts that should anything happen to her, that young woman would also be kind enough to bring her Anne into her protection. She was glad she hadn't taken her brother up on his offer of a betrothal between Viscount Milton, the oldest son of the Earl of Matlock, and Anne. She would rather have Anne die a spinster and leave Rosings to a de Bourgh cousin, than be married to her brother's wastrel of a son. If she was going to betroth her daughter to any of her brother's children, it would be Richard. However, she had overheard a conversation between Fitzwilliam and his Darcy cousins the night before. Olivia Darcy had asked Fitzwilliam how Richard's courting if Miss Mary Bennet was going. Her nephew filled the two cousins in, saying that Elizabeth had suggested that Richard would need to be more obvious with his intentions if he wanted Mary to realize his them. Looking at the painfully shy girl perched next to Elizabeth, she felt her motherly instincts rising, promising herself she would do anything to see to the girl's happiness.
"Mary, would you show me the pattern you are all using?" She made sure to ask the question gently so as not to scare the poor girl. "If all the ladies are going to be actively working on this project, I may as well too. It has been a while since I have stitched, but I am pretty sure it shall come back to me quickly."
"It would appear we have all had the same idea." Fitzwilliam's voice came in a whisper right next to her ear. She had been watching Charlotte and Andrew conversing quietly in the corner, Maria sitting quietly next to Charlotte.
Glancing across the room she saw the three matrons in attendance also watching, though being discreet about it, what they all hoped would be the newest couple. While Andrew's brother sister and sister in law spoke by the fire with Jane and Mary. Even James Darcy and uncle Gardiner were trying to watch the two as subtly as they could manage. The only two not watching them were Georgiana and Kitty who were playing a little game with the Gardiner and Darcy children.
"Do you think the two will suite each other well?" She turned to look at her husband.
"What little I know of Miss Lucas, I think she would suit my cousin fairly well indeed." He responded, "She struck me as an intelligent woman, which is one of the biggest traits he has hoped for in a wife."
"Your Aunt and Uncle give off the appearance of being pleased with the match." Pleased for her friend.
"My aunt has been very impressed with the care Miss Lucas has shown her sister. Though she doesn't speak of it often, she is most desirous for grandchildren from Andrew." It was spoken with an eye roll, for Evelyn Darcy had mentioned grandchildren more than once within their hearing. "She sees that care, and has translated it to the type of mother your friend would be."
"Charlotte would be a wonderful mother I am certain of it." She couldn't help but smile, hopeful for her friend's future happiness.
"Just as I have seen ample proof that you will be." He took her hand and kissed it, causing her heart to beat faster. Almost as if realizing just how intimate things had become, both took a step back to collect themselves.
It was moments like this that made her want to confess that she had fallen in love with him. Moments where she was almost convinced that he was in love with her too. They had been so open and honest in their relationship, since they had gotten married, that it felt almost wrong keeping it from him. However, she wasn't sure she could handle being told he wasn't in love with her too. Oh she knew he would be kind and gentle in letting her down, but she was still unsure that she could handle it.
Shortly after, dinner was called, and the children were sent to the nursery for their meal and bedtime, while the adults move into the dinning room. Elizabeth had forgone a seating arrangement as they were all family, and was less surprised to see the groupings than she thought she would have been, for they had pretty much stayed the same as they had been before dinner. However, once dinner ended, and the sexes separated, Elizabeth found herself with a new conversation partner.
Regina Darcy, Martin's wife approached her right after the women had retired to the music room. They woman was right around Jane's age, and had been married to Martin Darcy for almost five years now, having given him two sons ages four and two."Mrs Darcy..."
"Please, call me Elizabeth, we are cousins after all, and there are multiple Mrs Darcys in residence." She smiled at the woman, hoping to put her at ease.
"Then, please, call me Regina." The woman shuffled her weight a bit, refusing to look her in the eye.
"I would be happy to Regina, now please, is there something I can help you with?" The woman truly looked afraid to speak with her.
"I fear I owe you an apology." This was not what she had expected, fore while the woman had been cold and aloof toward her, she hadn't been mean or impolite. "When I heard you had compromised my husband's cousin, forcing him to marry you, I had come here expecting to find a grasping social climber, more eager to please herself than anyone else. Especially when I heard about him taking your sisters in as well as clothing them all. Instead I found a sweet woman who gently encourages not just her own sisters, but any young lady in her midst. I found that instead of going to all the highest end shops, you went straight to a warehouse, your uncle's warehouse house where you were given discounts on every purchase at that, and then to a more serviceable modiste. My mother in law was most impressed that you purchased complete wardrobes for you and you sisters, including dresses for Georgiana, and all for half of what would have been spent going to the high end shops."
"But what's more than that, I have never seen Fitzwilliam this relaxed. It is as if you have taken the weight he carried around for years off his shoulders. I've seen the way be asks, and even considers your opinion. It is something I experience every day with Martin."
"Is that not what we as wives are called to do?" She smiled gently at the other woman, "To help shoulder the burdens our husbands bear."
"So many of our society have forgotten that. It would be nice to have a friend who understands that, and doesn't look at it as an oddity."
"You mean it isnice to have more family who understands it." She smiled brightly at the woman, "For while I hope we consider ourselves to be friends, we are so much more than that. We are family."
"You are right, it is nice to have more family that understands it." Regina returned her smile.