Chapter 27: Georgiana Follows Anne
Friday, 31 July 1812 (1)
Darcy's Twenty-Eighth Birthday
Anne met Mr. Bennet in the front drive as he waited for his carriage. She wished to bid him a final farewell. "May you have a safe and easy journey, Mr. Bennet," she said to him. "I thank you for allowing Elizabeth to stay with me. You have seen for yourself what a vast improvement my life is with her here."
Still not trusting the people who took his Lizzy away and suspicious of the changes he had noticed in his daughter, he chose not to directly respond to her implied question. "May I expect my Lizzy to be up with the sun to also see me off, as you are now?" he asked.
Anne looked at him cautiously. "No, sir. I believe she was up sharing confidences quite late last night." When Mr. Bennet's eyes narrowed, Anne grew an innocent grin across her face. "Georgiana knows of the late night conversations Elizabeth had with her sister. Having no sisters of her own and being greatly impressed by your household of ladies, Georgiana wishes for nothing more than to experience what it would be like to be one of them."
That was a clever answer, Mr. Bennet thought. One that compliments my household and my Lizzy all at once. He acknowledged her move, "Miss Darcy seems to be a pleasant girl." Then made his own play, "However, I find her brother's treatment of my Lizzy to be intolerable. I wonder at your acceptance of it."
"There is no acceptance of it. There is nothing to accept," she declared. "I do not know what you feel you have seen. I may not have physical strength, but this is my household and my servants are loyal to me. Any improprieties would be reported immediately, yet I have not seen nor have I heard of any." Mr. Bennet found himself amused by the frail lady who puffed herself up so seriously as she continued. "I spoke with Elizabeth last night, she told me of Darcy's behavior in Hertfordshire. I assure you, it has not, and will not, be repeated at Rosings Park."
Mr. Bennet watched her silently. It was a trick he learned many years before. To look one's opponent directly in the eyes with no expression on his face; not one of anger, not one of amusement, not one of acceptance, not one of rejection. Continue the silence for minutes and the other will freely offer more information. Usually, it discomfits them into sharing information they prefer to stay hidden.
So he looked. And she looked back. They were at an impasse.
Either he would have to accept her promise of Elizabeth's well-being, which meant conceding he would receive no further information, or she would begin to open up on any untoward happenings at her estate. Elizabeth was changed. He could not quite quantify what it was, but something of her nature had altered since being in Kent.
"Sir, you need not worry about Darcy. While I assure you he does not mistreat your daughter in any way, my heir has been conceived. He is now free to return to London, or Derbyshire, at his leisure. He will be returning his sister to London in a week." Anne gave in first, but nothing that would allow him to bring Elizabeth home. He lowered his brows in a nod, congratulating her on her win. She provided even more reason for his daughter to stay: that her husband would leave meaning the women would soon be left to their own devices.
Mr. Bennet nodded as his carriage pulled up. "I look forward to hearing of his removal. May you have good fortune in carrying your ... heir." Mr. Bennet thought it was an odd way for her to refer to her pregnancy. Mrs. Bennet and other ladies of his acquaintance had always referred to their pregnancies with 'her child', 'the baby', or some such term of endearment, but it must be different for this lady.
He climbed into the carriage as Anne strode back into the house.
As he gave the signal for the men to start his journey home, he thought back on all he knew of the offensive Mr. Darcy. He was prideful, rude, and arrogant, but he left Hertfordshire with no incidents of debauchery following him. When he brought Elizabeth and the Gardiners to Longbourn for Jane's wedding, the only thing mentioned about the man was his lack of speech in the carriage. He was formal, but polite to the guests at the breakfast. During Mrs. Bennet's visit, she had found the man to be disdainful, mentioning one or two incidents that offended her sensibilities, but Mrs. Bennet's sensibilities were so easily offended.
Then there were the incidents he witnessed on this trip. He had a difficult time believing such a formal man would mistakenly call a lady by her Christian name because his wife uses it, but they were in such unvaring company, hearing his wife constantly refer to her as Elizabeth may have affected him. The man denying he purposefully bumped Elizabeth was concerning—the evidence was on his face when confronted.
Sighing as he relaxed into his seat, Thomas Bennet gave thanks his Lizzy had never been a romantic, lovesick fool like her sisters. He knew she would keep her wits about her while at Rosings Park and, once home, return to her lively nature.
~~~oo0oo~~~
Darcy started to slowly regain consciousness, feeling himself curled around Elizabeth. As he remembered the night before, or more accurately, much earlier that morning, a joy spread through him.
He had caused Elizabeth to conceive!
Yesterday had been a Sturm und Drang for him. (1) Starting with his concern Elizabeth was once again ill, although knowing what he now knew her sickness was no longer so worrying. Then to have her father haul him over the coals at breakfast! (2) Certainly he had made mistakes, but none that would warrant the man's vitriol.
Mr. Bennet was correct. Darcy had been rude and above his company when he stayed at Netherfield. No one ever wanted to view himself in such a way, but there were too many reminders. His words at the assembly. His return to London without taking leave of the neighboring families. Even the way he viewed Elizabeth when he first agreed to Anne's scheme. There were also the other shameful things he had concluded when he was the one compromising her.
He should not have listened at the door, but he was thankful he had. Hearing her tell Georgiana how she felt about his treatment outside the room, hearing Georgiana's own distress at his misbehavior. He had thought Elizabeth knew, understood, why he ignored her. Now he no longer had to think she knew. He even admitted his mistakes to her. The ones that proved beyond a doubt that the only way for him to protect her was for him to ignore her.
Thankful for being given the chance to clear up their misunderstandings, he knew he would be with her forever. She had taken him by surprise when she asked how he felt about her. He loved her. There was no question in his mind about it, but a lifetime of morals imposed by the Church would not give him leave to openly admit it yet. He may have thrown off the teachings of adultery by participating in this contrivance, but some part of his mind clung to those lessons of his childhood, though right now he wished it would not. Though difficult to remember at times, he was still legally married to Anne. And Anne, though she seemed to be in slightly better health now, would soon die. For him to profess his love to Elizabeth would mean that he would be joyfully awaiting Anne's death. It seemed blasphemous.
His answer was true. He did not want to be separated from her. He would remain at Rosings until the child was born, and he would attend her midwife and physician visits. How he would keep her with him after the child was born, he had yet to work out. With proper mourning, he should not marry for a year. As a man with a young babe, he could acceptably compress his grieving time to six months. But he refused to spend months living separately from Elizabeth. He could bring her into his home as his mistress, but their reputations would suffer—hers much more so than his. If he brought her in as a nurse, it would raise questions. Why would a woman with her own estate submit to working? No, he could never keep her by feigning employment.
Until he found a way to respectably keep her with him between the time of Anne's death and his freedom to remarry, he would not share his ardent feelings. It would not do.
Elizabeth still slept. She needed rest and he enjoyed holding her. And feeling where the littlest Darcy was just starting to grow.
As he lay silently with her, he heard the carriage below. Mr. Bennet must be leaving. Relieved, Darcy relaxed a bit more as he listened to the beat of the clock rhythmically ticking the seconds away.
He heard the doors at the front of the wing open. Anne must be going to breakfast, he thought lazily, until he heard Elizabeth's door open.
"Darcy, what in God's name are you doing in here?" Anne hissed. "I told you to stay in your chambers last night."
Damned Anne! Why was she always letting herself into his room? Did she have no concept of privacy! "This is my room," he growled back at her. "Leave me." He was now the master of Rosings Park, how dare Anne try to order him about.
He then heard the gasp.
When he looked up, it was not only Anne standing inside the door. Georgiana stood directly behind her, staring at him in shock. Elizabeth, stirred by the disturbance, began to look around in confusion. Georgiana turned and ran. Darcy heard her door pound shut.
"Damned you, Anne!" he snarled as he climbed out of bed. "Why can you not knock?"
Thankfully, he was wearing a shirt and had left breeches beside the bed. Reaching down to grab the breeches and slip them on under the cover of the bedclothes, he looked at Elizabeth next to him. Sighing with relief when he saw her in a chemise. Not that it helped much. His little sister just walked in on him sleeping with her friend.
"Why are you in here?" Anne demanded. "She needed time to herself."
Now wondering how he could ever have considered it blasphemous to vow his affection to Elizabeth, he was finding himself quite looking forward to Anne's death. "Because this is the room I stay in"—he bit out, dripping with sarcasm—"upon your orders, in case you had forgotten." He left the bed, shoved himself past her, and headed toward Georgiana's room. He did not know what he would say to his sister, but he would be remiss if he did not quickly address what she had just witnessed.
"Where are you going?" Anne asked, her brows knit in confusion.
"To speak with my sister. Since you seemed not to have noticed, she was behind you when you so brazenly opened the door."
"Crap!" Anne exclaimed. Her eyes grew wide as she followed Darcy out the door. (3)
Gently knocking on his sister's door, Darcy quietly announced himself. "Georgiana? Please let me in." Darcy could hear what sounded like sobbing from behind the door.
"Please give me a moment," his sister called weakly.
Anne stood beside Darcy, whispering in a panicked voice, "What are you going to say to her? What are you going to tell her?"
Responding in a whisper, Darcy told her, "I do not know." Knocking again then speaking so his sister could hear, he called again. "Georgiana, please, just open the door."
When Georgiana slowly opened the door, she briefly saw her brother in his state of undress and turned away. Darcy was in no way appropriately attired, only wearing a loose shirt and breeches. No cravat, waistcoat, jacket, stockings, or shoes of any sort. It was not fit attire to wear in the company of his sister, but he no longer cared. He entered her dressing room with Anne on his heels.
They all three found seats, but none could find the words to start.
Finally, Anne began. "Georgiana, dear, what did you see?"
Looking at her cousin in confusion while purposely not looking at her brother, "My brother was in Elizabeth's bed while she was sleeping. He said it was his room and told you to leave." She dropped her head as tears welled.
Darcy was disgusted with himself. He should not have agreed to Anne's plan. He should not have put Elizabeth in such a position. He should not have let Georgiana come to Rosings. He should not have let her stay in Anne's wing. He should not have been in Elizabeth's bed… No. The one thing he refused to believe was that he should not have been in Elizabeth's bed.
"What do you think happened?" Anne gently asked.
"Does it matter? My brother was being disrespectful to you and compromised my friend," she said while staring dejectedly at her toes.
"Georgiana," Darcy began cautiously, as he made an immediate decision. "It is more complicated than what you saw in that moment."
Anne glared furiously at Darcy. She did not want another person with knowledge of the true happenings at Rosings Park, particularly one so young who was more likely to slip.
"Stop it, Anne. You are the one who came up with this debauchery. I may be trapped in your net, but there is no reason for me to lie to Georgiana." So Darcy began. There was no pride in the story he shared, he made no excuses and blamed no one else for his own dissolute part in what he was doing. He took his responsibility upon his shoulders, knowing Georgiana's experience with Wickham earned her his complete honesty.
Anne sat to the side, not pleased to have her machinations altered, but acknowledged her own role in the scheme.
At the end, Anne looked up at Georgiana. "So you see, he is not disrespectful to me. He is doing what I asked."
"But what of Elizabeth? How could you just use her like this? What happens to her?" Georgiana asked.
"Elizabeth will come—" Darcy began before being interrupted by Anne.
"Elizabeth will be fine," Anne told her consolingly. "She now has ownership of her family estate and a decent dowry. She will be well cared for."
"But she is compromised. How will she be fine?" As a girl in training for her coming out, she knew the importance of a girl's integrity in the marriage mart. Without it, she had no chance for a respectable match. "She will have no suitors if it becomes known."
"It will not become known," Anne said firmly. "It is in none of our interest for any to find out what is happening. She will no longer need a suitor for her security, but they will come anyway. She is now an attractive woman of means. If she marries, her estate will become that of her husband. There will be no shortage of men interested in such a prize, even after she tells them, but it will be her choice."
Darcy listened to Anne's prediction with disgust. There damned well had better be a shortage of men! Elizabeth was going to continue living with him. The details were still blurry, but even if he had to do something disgraceful, he was not leaving her, and she was not leaving their child.
Georgiana still hesitated to look at her brother. This was not what she expected from him. He had always been a paragon of morals and virtue for her.
Anne, now resigned to Georgiana as a part of her scheme, took her cousin's hand. "Come, Georgiana. Let us go to my room where we can speak more freely." Neither attended to Darcy on their way out.
Finding himself now alone in his sister's dressing room, Darcy stalked out. Anger. Frustration. Humiliation. All boiled inside him, each competing for primacy. When he stormed into Elizabeth's room, he could tell from the look on her face that he was at his most foreboding. It would not do. He needed an active release for his anger, but she was already dressed and preparing to leave for breakfast, and his sister was down the hall with Anne, a bitch who would just walk in unannounced and ruin his life even further.
"Are you well?" she asked tentatively.
"No."
"Is there anything I can do to help you?" she asked innocently.
Yes, you can let me tear your clothes off, then throw you to the bed and mate with the ferocity of wild beasts. And then we can do it again. But he could not ask that of her now. Not with Georgiana down the hall and not while she carried his child.
"No. I am going to get dressed and will be out riding much of the morning," he grumbled as he stomped sullenly toward her to get to the hidden stairway door.
As he passed her, she reached out to grab his hand. "It will be well. I know Georgiana is surprised by this right now, but I will speak to her. She is an intelligent girl, and I will ensure she understands this is not something you are doing to me but a decision I made."
He looked at Elizabeth as her hand brought comfort to him. "Anne has her now." His hand would not stay by his side, but rose to stroke her hair. It always had a calming effect on him, though this time only allayed the most acute of his afflictions. Leaning down to kiss her, he was torn between physical exertion outside or physical exertion right here, preferring the latter. The longer they held their lips and bodies together, the more tempting it became to stay. He finally pulled away. "No, I cannot. I will be too aggressive." His ragged breathing combined with the desire in his eyes showed he had still not decisively chosen. Stroking her cheek, then kissing her briefly once more, he resolutely turned and headed to the hidden stairs for her own sake and that of his child. He bowed to her as he opened the door and exited the room.
~~~oo0oo~~~
Anne and Georgiana took breakfast trays in Anne's rooms, spending most of the morning together. Elizabeth, left to her own devices, enjoyed an extended walk before perusing the library until she was summoned by a footman for tea with the ladies.
Elizabeth made her way to the room with trepidation. Now that Georgiana knew of her disgrace, Elizabeth doubted the proper young woman would still wish to retain their friendship. The next week would be a long one with Georgiana shunning her company. She could not begin to think of Mr. Darcy's response. Already this morning he chose to ride rather than seeking the contentment of the release she could give him. She felt their accord had shifted now that he knew his goal had been achieved.
She tried to slide into the room unnoticed, but Anne and Georgiana greeted her with a warmth accompanied with gracious smiles. The two welcomed her into their conversation. Elizabeth, still perplexed as to how to respond, curbed her participation until she could be more certain of her welcome.
But welcomed she was. Georgiana, while somewhat hesitant at the start, soon engaged Elizabeth with the enthusiasm she had previously shown. Anne seemed more tired than usual, but contentedly sipped her tea as she allowed Georgiana to do most of the talking.
Toward the end, Georgiana finally broached the subject of her revelation that morning. Obviously afflicted by the events, the young lady timidly told her friend, "Anne spoke with me about what you are doing and why. I cannot say that I approve of what she is making you do, but it pleases me to know you will no longer risk being left destitute." Georgiana paused in an attempt to gauge her friend's response. Georgiana's difficulty in catching the tone of conversations had lead to past humiliations that had further contributed to her shyness.
Elizabeth could only respond with her own humiliation at accepting such a role, no matter the reason. She inhaled, opening her mouth to speak, but no words would form.
"I am sorry!" cried Georgiana. "I did not mean to say something to injure you. I know I am ill qualified to recommend myself to strangers, but I had hoped we could speak freely. We remain friends, do we not?" Her despair at the mistake etched upon her face.
In witnessing the distress of her friend, Elizabeth found the words she needed to comfort Georgiana. "The impropriety is not on your shoulders, it lays on mine. I am profoundly shamed at your knowing of my disgrace." Dropping her eyes to the floor, again those blasted tears came to her eyes. "I wonder at your still thinking of me as your friend."
"No!" Georgiana lunged to grab her friend's hands in encouragement. "I could never condemn you for this. Anne told me you had no other choice. Your father was injured, you did not know if he yet lived when you agreed. You were to lose your home, your income, everything." Georgiana turned to look at Anne with disapproval before turning back to Elizabeth. "I understand my cousin's motives, though they have been difficult for me to accept. I also understand that what has now been begun may not be undone."
"Georgiana," Anne sighed. "I have explained to you how my mother will ruin the chances of a good match for both you and your brother. I do not want you burdened with her." Then growing more resolute, even in her physical exhaustion, she declared, "Besides, it is now done. You know my reasons. I have explained them fully." At this, she leveled a serious look at her young cousin.
"Yes, but you have now presented my brother to me as someone wholly different from the man I knew him to be yesterday," Georgiana complained.
"Your brother has acted as your father, but he is still a young man," Anne reminded her. "A man who needs an heir for his estate. You may choose to see him as no more than a father to you, but what happens when you leave him to start your own family. Will you leave him with none of his own?"
Georgiana visibly sagged. Elizabeth wondered if the young lady's experience with Wickham was to blame. Georgiana had come very close to leaving her brother then, to what she had believed would have been starting her own family.
Elizabeth squeezed her friend's hands. "Come, we have finished our tea. Anne, do you wish for the servants to return to clean? Georgiana, let us practice that duet you were speaking of yesterday at dinner."
Thus easing the contention in the room, Elizabeth and Georgiana were able to quietly reassure one another at the pianoforte until time to prepare for dinner.
~~~oo0oo~~~
Dinner was a quiet affair, so much had happened in the past few days and none of it could be spoken of with the servants present. After the last course, Anne presented Darcy with a cake for his birthday, along with a bouquet of flowers wrapped in the same lace she had Elizabeth's nightgown made from. Darcy raised a brow in amusement when he noticed, glad he was sitting with the table above his lap, as that particular lace had become associated with certain acts it was best for him not to think of in company. When he glanced at Elizabeth and saw her look down with a grin, the memories refused to go away, and a physical reaction began. Inwardly berating his own weakness, he lifted himself off the chair a fraction of an inch, fully engaging the muscles of his thighs, hips, buttocks, stomach, and back to hold himself there until his reaction calmed. Thank you, Father, for teaching me that trick early on, he offered in prayer.
Anne watched him with a smug look that he refused to trust. She seemed to have some machinations in the works he would need to be wary of.
While Darcy was dealing with controlling his reaction, Georgiana had the footman bring her own package to him. Darcy smiled at his sister, who—thankfully—smiled genuinely back at him. When he opened the package, he lifted a silk infant gown trimmed with bright blue ribbons. Georgiana excitedly told him about it. "Mrs. Reynolds told me about this and found it for me to give to you when your baby comes. It was yours. She said the blue ribbons were to protect you from any evil spirits that might want to do you harm." (4) Darcy thanked his sister for such a thoughtful gift before they all retired to the parlor.
While listening to his sister and Elizabeth play, he could only envision the gown holding a tiny little boy with curly dark hair in just a few months. Or girl. No, he was going to have a boy. A strong boy who excelled in both athletics and academics. Who would be clever and kind and loved by all. If he were to have a girl, she would be the most beautiful girl in England, the most beautiful girl ever! She would be witty and quick to understand difficult topics. Thus he spent the rest of the evening, lost in visions of his future heir.
~~~oo0oo~~~
"The miss'us seems like she's not doing so well today. At dinner, she looked pale and drawn."
"She hasn't gone for a walk with Miss Bennet in a week. I wonder is she gettin' worse."
"Nah, she was up early this mornin'. Seeing off that Mr. Bennet who invited himself. I think she just wanted to make sure he left like he said he was. He didn't show himself as much of a gentleman, being so rude to Mr. Darcy the whole time."
"Well, Mr. Darcy isn't so nice to his daughter most times. If a man treated my girl like that, I dare say I'd speak to him the same even if he is a gentleman and me just a commoner."
"Maybe Mr. Bennet being so rude is what is making the miss'us worse. I told him how much his daughter was loved in the house, and he just looked at me like I was a talking toad."
"I'm worried for our miss'us. If she keeps like this, she ain't gonna have no heir and then we ain't gonna have no home."
"You have no need to worry about the miss'us. She is fine," Peeke reassured the servants.
She then asked the butler and the housekeeper to gain the attention of the table and gather the other servants. Once assembled, she announced, "Mrs. Darcy is now with child. Mrs. Wilson and Mr. Pryce discovered it earlier this week, but she chose to wait to tell Mr. Darcy until Mr. Bennet left. She will likely be ill at times and more fatigued. It goes that way even for the healthy." They murmured their understanding. "If any of you become ill, you need to stay away from the house. Even if someone in your family is sick, let me or the butler know, and we will find you work outside the house. We now need to pray for the health of both mother and child." Which they promptly did.
Once prayed for, the experienced female servants began the discussions every group of older women have upon learning of a new pregnancy.
"Well, I hope she has a girl. Baby girls do better than boys, particularly if they are born early." (5)
"She should be having the baby around March then."
"She needs a boy—a boy will keep the estate strong."
"But boys don't do so well as babies," the first insisted.
"She needs a healthy boy then," the other retorted.
As the matrons continued their friendly bickering and conversation, the maidens focused their attentions on their meal while the men began to discuss sports and politics.
~~~oo0oo~~~
"Anne's goal has been attained. We are no longer required to stay together each night," Mr. Darcy said hesitatingly, trying to ascertain her willingness to allow him to remain in their room. (6) He told her the night before he did not wish to be without her, but, she realized, she had only given him leave to stay that night. "I would prefer to stay, if you are amiable," he stated firmly, giving her a chance to turn him away but leaving no doubt of his own inclinations.
Deciding the best tactic at this point was to use humor—she tended to cry too easily lately—she teasingly asked, "And if I choose to send you downstairs to your own rooms. What would you do then?"
He looked at her with great concentration, as if considering some deep meanings within a line from Socrates. Lifting his hand, he indicated he found his solution. "There would be but one action available to me."
He let the words hang a moment, refusing to elaborate. He knew how much that irritated her.
Sighing deeply in frustration, she asked, "And what would that action be, sir?"
As if the answer was nothing but obvious, he replied, "Carry you over my shoulder to the room downstairs." After saying it, a look she well recognized crossed his face along with his cocky grin. Then an idea shone in his eyes. "Thinking upon it, we should go there now. The novelty will be good. You have not gone down the stairway, have you?" he asked as he rose to grab her hand and bring her with him.
"I can not stay in your bed!" she cried as he started pulling her to the door.
He scoffed. "You already have, just not that one." Turning toward her, he offered, "It will be better. Anne will not walk in—followed by my sister! And there is no other in that wing. We can make all the noise we want with no one to hear." That last thought was obviously appealing to him.
"But, sir, we must stay up here," she implored. Could he not understand the danger of leaving this room? After being caught in amorous advances the library by Lady Catherine, Elizabeth thought he would exercise more caution.
"Why?"
She was obviously wrong. "Because it leaves traces. Peeke knows to expect those remains and is part of these"—here she waved her hand between the two of them—"efforts."
"Oh," Mr. Darcy deflated. Perking back up, he decided, "We don't have to couple, then there will be no traces."
Elizabeth looked at him with disbelief. After all the excitement he had shown earlier, she doubted he would even hesitate once they arrived in his room.
He obviously realized the same thing after watching her face. "We could bring cloths with us, lay them down, so nothing will be left downstairs," he offered.
Finally willing to give in to his insistence, she warned him, "We cannot stay the night. I will not be caught in your bed by your valet."
Mr. Darcy nodded, going to collect the necessary cloths while Elizabeth brought her gift for him. When they arrived in his room, she noted the different smell of the room. Musky, like Mr. Darcy, she thought as she looked around.
He began to show her around. She was surprised to find one of her handkerchiefs folded in a drawer in the small dresser beside the bed. Ben Key was there too, folded around Raggedy. Mr. Darcy laughed at her surprise. She had not realized he brought her doll with him. Once she had given Raggedy to him, she thought no more on it due to all the activity at the time.
"You said you have something for me?" he asked, reminding her of the package in her hand.
With a devious grin, she handed it to him. Anxious to see his reaction to her gift, she rubbed her hands together. Considering what he had given her, this, she felt, would be a perfect response.
"Lace?" he asked, bewildered as he looked up at her. Seeing the look on her face as well as her rubbing her hands together, he looked down again. "Is this the same lace as your gown?" he grinned. She indicated it was. He lifted the article as she studied his face. When he realized what it was, she laughed out at his recognition.
"It is something a dandy would wear!" he lamented. "I thought you would give me something else to put on you, I do love seeing you wrapped in lace," he parried.
"This is for you to wear so you may entertain me." She indicated she would broker no arguments and have no further conversation until he did as she asked.
Sighing in resignation, he exchanged his silk breeches for the lace ones. "I feel like a fool," he complained.
He did look silly, the lace not providing any service in concealing the parts beneath it, but she reveled in watching his being displayed for her entertainment. "This will not do," she decided. "Your shirt hangs too long. It hides everything interesting within the breeches."
"How am I to remedy it?" he asked, now regaining his teasing humor.
"Scissors," she decided, laughing at his horrified look.
"You must be careful what you cut." His voice and countenance changed to one of seduction as he moved toward her to remove her gown. Finding her wearing the matching stays, his focus was so singular that he needed to be reminded of the cloths brought down to conceal their activities.
~~~oo0oo~~~
"Why did you not answer when your sister spoke to you tonight?" Elizabeth lay beside him, once they finally managed to drag themselves back to their bed upstairs.
Darcy could not remember anyone speaking to him, though he had been quite lost in his own thoughts. "I was not attending. My mind was more agreeably engaged."
"Will you not share the subject of your reverie?" Elizabeth teased.
"I was meditating on the very great pleasure of a pair of fine eyes"—here he kissed her eyes so she would have no doubt which eyes he spoke of—"in my heir." He threw the bedcovers off as he slid his face to her belly. Laying his head on her womb, he spoke to it. "You will grow to be big and strong, and one day you will be the caretaker of Pemberley."
"Big and strong! What if it is a girl?"
He sighed, again speaking to her belly. "I have a difficult time viewing you as a girl. You need to be a boy so my fancy will be correct."
Elizabeth laughed. "You need a daughter."
"I have Georgiana. I need a son"—he looked up at Elizabeth with eyes full of mirth—"remember that." He kissed her belly, his son. Or daughter. Then moved back up to Elizabeth's side, still wearing his cock-sure grin. When she asked why he wore such a look, he reminded her that he would be in her until the next year. Not the way he wanted to be in her, but still there.
Somehow, she did not find it as amusing as he did, but she did laugh at him. (7)
Curling her body within his, he left his hand on her stomach. "Thank you for tonight. This"—rubbing her belly—"will always be the best gift I could receive."
~~~oo0oo~~~
(1) Sturm und Drang – the dictionary definition of this is: tumult, turmoil, upheaval. It translates to "storm and stress". It is also the style of German literature that was a reaction to the rationalism of the Enlightenment. I chose Elizabeth's birthday as the day one of its primary authors, Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz, died and Darcy's birthdate as the day one of the primary authors of the Enlightenment, Denis Diderot, died.
(2) 'Haul over the coals' dates from at least 1719, so even though we still use a version of it now, this is a very old saying.
(3) The word "crap" can be dated to the fourteenth century, although I'm not sure how recent crap as an interjection came about. It seemed right since all Anne's carefully laid plans seem to be falling apart right now.
(4) The belief of the color blue protecting the baby from evil spirits is something I found on Regencyredingote at WordPress. If you wish to read the article, google "Regency Baby Clothes: Blue for boys, ? for Girls"
(5) This is actually true. Typically, preemie girls do better than preemie boys.
(6) More word history from History of English Podcast: the word join and conjugal are cognate (come from the same root word). More useless information from your author.
(7) Dad-humor starts early. I think it's somehow hardwired. I know it was with my husband.
Language Note: the word "bitch" meaning "a spiteful or malicious woman" goes back to 1400.