Dinner was perfect, in a sense of the word. Darcy shared stories of his trip with his wife and sister, who listened intently and wanted to know every detail. Being a good brother and husband, he indulged them. Also from his trip, he brought each of them a gift. For Georgiana, he brought a stunning charm bracelet of gold with music notes all around it. Each individual note had a diamond on the front. He had it specially made for her because of her love for music. Genuinely shocked, Georgiana thanked her brother for the gift and put it on right away. It was gorgeous. The rest of dinner was spent talking about how Georgiana and Elizabeth had spent their time at Pemberley without Darcy. Elizabeth and Darcy excused themselves early from dinner and went to their bedchamber.

Elizabeth's gift was given in private. Darcy had her turn around and close her eyes. She felt something draped around her neck. When she opened her eyes and looked down, a beautiful gold locket was around her neck. Her name was engraved on the front. When she opened it, there were words inside.

Lizzie was on the left.

I love you dearly was on the right with a diamond heart underneath the words.

Elizabeth could hardly believe what she was seeing. There were no words to describe the gift other than beautiful. When she turned to face her husband, tears were streaming down her face. Darcy immediately took her into his arms and kissed her passionately. It was the first time in nearly a month that they were able to hold one another. Elizabeth had envisioned this moment since the minute he left all those weeks ago. It was a serene moment of perfect happiness. Darcy broke their kiss first to pick his wife up into his arms and carry her to their bed. Kissing resumed immediately upon contact with the soft mattress, along with the shedding of their outer layer of clothing until she was in her under-gown and he, his trousers. Elizabeth's kisses were getting desperate. She needed him, wanted him. It had been a long time of separation for the both of them, emotionally and physically. Darcy's hands roamed until he found the small of her back and then around to her stomach to pull up her gown when something did not feel right. He had not noticed that Elizabeth felt different to him. Her stomach protruded slightly around her naval. When he looked at her eyes, she was smiling ever so innocently back at him, as if she were waiting for him to find it.

"Pray, do I feel what I think I feel?" He placed his hand over her stomach.

"Darcy, I wish I could have told you sooner, but I thought it too wonderful to be true and that I would lose this child like the last."

"How long?" His excitement was hinted in his voice.

"Two months gone now. The baby will arrive sometime during late winter is what I'm told." Elizabeth practically beamed with pride.

"Oh Lizzie! This is wonderful news! No better way to come home than to learn that I'm going to be a father." Darcy moved closer to his wife's lips and kissed her.

"I have told no one, save the midwife who examined me in private. I wanted you to be the first to know of our child."

"Our child." Darcy was in awe of his wife, who had held this secret for so long and had wanted so desperately for it to be true.

Darcy placed his hand protectively over his wife's stomach, which now held their greatest treasure. Elizabeth curled up next to him and fell quickly into sleep. He did not blame his wife for being so exhausted in her condition. Now that he knew that she was with child, he made up his mind not to leave Pemberley until their child had been safely delivered and Elizabeth was in full health. In the still, cool air of the night, he could hear his wife breathing in her sleep. A hundred things were going through his mind, so sleep could not come. What would their child be, a son or a daughter? He would love the baby either way because Elizabeth had borne it and it had come from the love he shared with her. What would they name it? Was he capable of caring for a baby? True there were nannies for such a thing, but he knew that Elizabeth would insist that she care for their child and he would be right there to support her. His mother had raised him until she became pregnant with Georgiana and no longer could keep up with him. A nanny was hired to help out, but Darcy had never liked not being close to his mother. That was one thing he regretted most about Georgiana. She never got to know the wonderful woman their mother was. While he had a hundred memories of her, Georgiana had none. He wished his baby sister had come sooner, when his mother was more fit to bear children, but never regretted that she did come for he adored and doted on her every chance he could. She looked so like their mother and acted very much like her. After what seemed like an eternity thinking about these things, Darcy drifted to sleep with his Elizabeth safe in his arms.

The next few days, Elizabeth busied herself with writing a letter to Jane about her pregnancy, she and Darcy telling the news to a delighted Georgiana, and spending precious moments alone together, talking about how wonderful their life was going to be now that a child was going to be in it. All of the servants were alerted to Mrs. Darcy's condition and were instructed to keep careful watch on their mistress, especially Mrs. Reynolds who was in close proximity to Elizabeth throughout the day. For the time being, Darcy restricted Elizabeth from going on her evening walks unless he accompanied her, which she did not mind at all as it provided ample time to spend with her husband. The two of them would walk until Darcy sensed any fatigue in his wife, then he would force her to go inside and rest. At night, husband and wife would sit in bed and Darcy would continually touch her stomach in awe that another human life was inside his wife.

"Darling, I have read that you can feel the child move within you. Is this true?"

"No, my love. At least not yet. Jane did not feel her child move until she was at least five months gone. I am yet three months."

"I see." Darcy's voice hinted his disappointment.

"I promise that when this child moves, you will be the first to know. I want no one else to feel the child move within me but you."

"I love you Elizabeth." He kissed her lips and then her belly.

Elizabeth smiled. "And I you."

Darcy moved behind his wife and rested his hands on her stomach. Elizabeth laid her head back onto his shoulder and found a comfortable spot. Her hair was cascading around her shoulders and Darcy could smell the lavender oils that were rubbed through her locks. It was the comforting smell that she had always smelt like. During his month away from home, it was one of the things he missed most. He found it nearly impossible to sleep every night without his wife by his side. He hated leaving her at home. It was not the easiest decision to make in his life, but his position demanded that he travel to London for business and he did not want to drag Elizabeth all the way there after her ordeal with miscarrying their first child. Now that he was home, he could not be more content than to be in this moment with his loving wife. It was moments like this that made everything they had endured worthwhile.

Elizabeth's first few months of pregnancy were rough. More than half the mornings she was sick and felt horrible. By the afternoon, however, she was fine. Five months into her pregnancy, she fell into terrible mood swings where she would be angry with Darcy one minute and sobbing the next. Darcy tried to understand what his wife was feeling, but could not comprehend. It was especially difficult when he tried to sympathize with his wife. More than one night she kept him out of their bedchamber for hours and then would come find him, crying and begging him to come back to their bed. He always would come back because he knew she was not intending the things she would say to him. In addition to her mood swings and morning sickness, Elizabeth's stomach also grew slightly. It now began to protrude under her skirts slightly. Darcy adored his wife in this form and thought she looked beautiful. Elizabeth, however, like any woman thought she looked gargantuan.

While Darcy bore the brunt of Elizabeth's emotional outbursts, the rest of the house felt the effects of their mistress being with child. Everyone walked on glass around her to keep her in good spirits. When all was chaotic however, Mrs. Reynolds was the only one the rest of the house could turn to for help in calming Elizabeth. She, more than anyone, knew what Elizabeth was going through and could relate to her condition. Mrs. Reynolds had borne three sons of her own, now all grown and the eldest with two young ones of his own. If it was one thing she knew more about, it was how to deal with pregnancy. One afternoon, Elizabeth was in a mood, so she sought out Mrs. Reynolds' company and advice.

"Mrs. Reynolds, I have so many questions to ask about everything I'm enduring."

"Ask what you wish, my lady." Mrs. Reynolds' voice was calm and comforting.

"You have borne three children of you own. How can you go through something so horrendous three separate times?"

"It isn't all bad dear. There are good things about being with child. While the first few months are difficult, the next few will not be so abominable. You will see the beauty of your condition the moment you feel your child move for the first time."

"Will my offensive mood swings disappear or is that something I must endure the entire time that I am with child? I fear that Darcy can only take so much more. He has been patient with me thus far." Elizabeth was genuinely concerned for her husband's well being.

"They will diminish soon, but may occasionally come back. Mr. Darcy loves you so much and will do anything for you, even endure your emotional outbursts. I've never seen him so happy as he was the day after he learned you were with child."

"We told no one until at least two days after his return. How did you come to know?" Elizabeth was curious.

"I have been with child three times before and know what the signs are my lady. I recognized them long before Mr. Darcy returned home, but said nothing out of respect."

"Thank you. I preferred that my husband be the first to know of my condition. You have been a great help to me and I hope that you will continue to be until this child is born."

"I will do whatever you ask of me. It will be my pleasure to stay by your side Mrs. Darcy."

"Oh, please. Call me Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth."

Mrs. Reynolds excused herself and tended to her housekeeping duties while Elizabeth was left to find her own amusement. She decided to make a trip to her husband's study. When she arrived there, the door was slightly ajar. She pushed it in and walked through the doorway. Darcy was sitting at his desk, writing a letter. From the look of it, he was very concentrated in his work. Elizabeth came up behind him and touched his shoulders, resting her hands on top of his coat. He stopped writing to turn around and look at her. When he made eyes contact, Elizabeth took his lips captive in a possessive kiss and would not let go until both of them needed air. As soon as both of them let go, Darcy stood up and took her gently in his arms, minding her small stomach in between them. Elizabeth felt safe and warm in his arms. Though Darcy was over six feet tall, he held his petite wife of barely five and a half feet with the utmost tenderness.

"I did not know that you would come visit me." He kissed her forehead.

"I wanted to tell you that I am deeply sorry for the way that I've been acting lately. You have put up with me far more than anyone else would have." She laid her head on his chest.

"Elizabeth." He lifted her chin to bring her eyes to his. "Do not apologize for something that you cannot control. I do not know what you are enduring right now with out child within you, but I do want you to know that I respect you a great deal because of the things you are going through to bring our child into the world."

"You, sir, are far too gentle to trifle with me and that is why I deeply love and adore you."

"I am no saint for I have my own faults. You know that better than anyone my love."

"What were you writing that had you so intently hunched over your desk?" Elizabeth saw the paper sitting on his table.

"A letter to my aunt. She wrote me explaining the latest rumor that had reached her ears about us. I wanted to dispel it right away and make sure she knew that you would be bringing the next generation of Darcys into the world so that she could no longer be provoked about our lack of children."

"Oh." Elizabeth embraced Darcy tighter. "I do not want her anywhere near here when I give birth to this child. Please, Darcy, I beg of you. It will bring nothing but trouble and I fear for my health and that of our child."

"Do not fret for I have already thought of a way."

"Darcy, you truly are a darling!" Elizabeth stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again. As she pressed her stomach against his during their kiss, she felt something strange. She quickly broke their kiss and began to laugh, holding her belly.

"Pray, what is so funny?" Darcy stood confused.

"Did you not feel it also?"

"I'm afraid that I do not."

Elizabeth grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach and held it there for a moment. A few seconds later, Darcy felt what Elizabeth had meant. The child within her kicked. It was a beautiful moment for the two of them. Never had Elizabeth felt so happy. Now they knew the child inside her was alive and well. Darcy brought both of his hands from her belly to her cheeks and brought her lips to his for another, joyful, kiss. The reality that they were going to have a child was now tangible as she still felt a few more kicks as she and Darcy continued to kiss one another. After kissing both her cheeks, forehead, and lips, Darcy bent down and kissed her belly. It was a beautiful private moment for them to share. Their lives were truly beginning to be blessed.

A/N: Yay for another chapter! Reviews are greatly appreciated!!!!