Elizabeth and Darcy looked down at their sleeping son, smiling. Today was his first birthday. Neither could believe that it had been a full year since Bennett had entered their lives. He had brought more joy to the Darcy household since his own father and aunt were born. Elizabeth remembered when he was just a helpless newborn, relying completely on her for everything he needed. Now he was crawling everywhere in the house and was able to pull himself up from the ground. His eyes remained unchanged from birth, yet his hair grew more unruly like his mother's with dark curls at the base of his neck. He was even babbling a few words, including his first words, "mama" and "papa". It truly was a precious time to be in the Darcy's home.
"Should we wake him? He is in such a peaceful slumber."
"A few moments longer should not hurt." Elizabeth smiled.
Indeed, within a few minutes, Bennett was stirring and waking up. Elizabeth bent over and picked him up. Upon being picked up by his mother, the little boy smiled and giggled. He clapped his hands in delight of seeing both of us parents waking him up. Darcy grinned at his son's apparant joy. His wife and son were a sight that he would forever treasure. Never had he imagined that something so simple as family would make him as happy as he had become the last four years of his life. Marrying Elizabeth and the birth of their son had made him the richest man, not materialistically, in the world. His thoughts were interrupted by Bennett reaching out for him.
"I think someone wishes to greet his father." Elizabeth laughed and kissed Bennett's forehead.
"Well then." Darcy reached out and took Bennett into his arms. "Good morning to you too my boy."
Darcy spun around in a circle, causing Bennett to squeal with laughter. It was a game that the two of them would play from time to time. Elizabeth was delighted to see her husband and son bonding as a father and son should. She hoped that bond would continue to grow throughout her son's childhood and into his adult years, creating a firm foundation for their son to build his own morals on. They intended to teach him how to become a true gentleman of society and not like that of other men of great wealth who were selfish and spoiled. Bennett would be spoiled, but with love and great care from his family and those close to him, such as his godparents Jane and Bingley.
Elizabeth rejoined her husband and son in the morning play, tickling Bennett's bare feet and causing a fit of giggles and smiles to erupt from him. After a few moments, Darcy set him down on the floor, allowing him to grasp both of his fingers with his tiny fists. With the help of his father, Bennett took a few unsure steps towards Elizabeth, who crouched down to the floor. After a moment of uncertainty, the little boy walked the rest of the way to his waiting mother. She scooped him up into her arms and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
"Mama!" Bennett giggled and buried his face into her neck.
Darcy joined his wife and son, holding them both close to him. A knock came at the door a moment later, interrupting the family's moment. They bid the visitor enter. Mrs. Reynolds walked in and bowed before her master and mistress. When she rose, she began to speak.
"I'm sorry to intrude Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, but there is an urgent message that has only just arrived." She handed Mr. Darcy a letter with the seal of Rosings stamped upon it. Elizabeth winced at what would follow.
Mrs. Reynolds excused herself and left while Darcy opened the letter. He read it quickly and sat down in the nearest chair, pressing his forehead to his hand. Elizabeth put Bennett back into his cradle, kissing his head, and walked over to her husband. Quietly, she knelt down beside him and took his hand with her own. Though she did not know what the letter contained, she did know that it was not good news for her husband to suddenly act like this. So she patiently waited for him to regain his composure before venturing into asking what was the matter. After a few moments, he did refold the letter and stick it into his jacket.
"Darling, might I inquire as to the urgent news?" She chose her words carefully, knowing her husband's temperament when it came to Rosings.
"It was from my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. He sends word of my lady cousin Anne's death and bids we come to Rosings immediately." Darcy was very somber.
"Anne has passed?" Elizabeth could not believe her ears.
"Indeed. From the trials of birthing her child, a daughter."
"A child? Anne was not married." Elizabeth's mouth fell open in shock.
"Nay, she was secretly wed just after Bennett's birth. That is why my aunt wished for me to come, hoping I would become jealous and leave you." Darcy was firm with his words on his aunt, but retained himself in the presence of his wife.
"Poor Anne! What of the child?" Elizabeth's concerns now rested with the infant daughter, whom she knew would be a pawn of her grandmother's schemes later in her life.
"It is yet to be decided. Anne's husband, a man of apparant ill repute, wants nothing to do with the child. Fitzwilliam wrote we should immediately come for the funeral in a few days time."
Elizabeth paused before speaking again. "William." She used one of her affectionate names for him. "I am terribly sorry for the loss of Anne. We shall go to Rosings if you wish and I shall hold my tongue in the presence of your aunt."
Darcy looked up and smiled slightly. "That might be of some difficulty for you, my dear."
"I shall manage." Elizabeth managed to smile back devilishly.
Darcy leaned over and kissed Elizabeth on the lips. She felt her body give in and at that moment she wanted to melt into his touch. But, they were interrupted by the wails of their son who was impatient for his parents' attention once more. Elizabeth stood up and walked over to him, lifting him out of the cradle once more. Bennett stopped crying as soon as he was in his mother's arms. She brought him over to his father and set the baby down in Darcy's lap. Darcy's spirits were lifted once more by his son's presence and he smiled down at Bennett.
The rest of the day seemed fine in the Darcy household. Georgiana played a song in honor of her nephew's first birthday and the entire family sat down to dinner together. Neither Darcy or Elizabeth made mention on the letter they had received earlier to anyone. They intended to tell Georgiana in private later and make arrangements to leave for Rosings in the morning. Towards the end of dinner, Bennett began to fuss, rubbing his eyes and wiggling about in Elizabeth's lap. Elizabeth excused herself from the table and took him back to the nursery, knowing he was tired and needed his rest. She sat down in the rocking chair, laying Bennett in her arms with his head in the crook of her arm. Bennett fussed and refused to sleep at first, but quickly sucumbed to sleep with a gentle lullaby from his mother and the rocking motion of the chair. Elizabeth smiled as she put him in his cradle and kissed his forehead lovingly.
She walked back to her own chambers to find Darcy already there and waiting for her. Quickly she dressed for bed and came back. Darcy was sitting on their bed. He beckened she come closer to him. Elizabeth made her way closer to the bed and sat next to him. Upon looking into his eyes in the dim candlelight of the room, she could see his thoughts were elsewhere, but she could not blame him. Though he had no desire to ever marry Anne, he still did care for her as his cousin and childhood friend. Darcy had told stories of when he, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Anne would play together outside when Anne was well enough. He had described her as the most imaginative of anyone because she read so many books while she was sick. Elizabeth placed her hand on Darcy's as a gesture of comfort. Instead of moving away, he placed his other hand on top of her's. There were a few more moments of silence before either of them said anything.
"William?" Again using his intimate name.
"Yes Lizzie." He looked her in the eyes.
"I wish there were something I could do to comfort you." Her words were genuine and full of concern.
"But you are, my dear, already the greatest comfort to me." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head.
She rested her head on his shoulder lovingly, glad to be close to him. "When shall we leave for Rosings?"
"At first light." His voice was calm and reassuring. "Lizzie, I wish to speak with you on something rather important."
Elizabeth looked up and nodded for him to continue.
"Anne's daughter has been left in my aunt's care. You know what sort of woman she is. I do not wish for Anne's daughter to be raised in that environment. Anne would not want that for her own child because she suffered it far too long."
"What are we to do?"
"I had thought, with your approval, that we might take the child and bring it up in this household. She will be loved here."
Elizabeth could not believe her ears. "Darcy, I...I...I hardly know what to say." Tears were welling up in her eyes.
He suddenly became serious. "Lizzie, this will in no way cancel my promise to you. We will try and conceive another child. Please do not believe I would deny you that."
"No, no, no...it's not that at all. It is simply the fact that I had considered taking the child myself, but were not sure that you would agree." Elizabeth wiped her tears.
Darcy smiled. "We truly are of a similar mind, my dear."
Elizabeth nodded and smiled back. "I wish to raise her as our own child, with Bennett as her older brother."
"I would have nothing less."
"Do you know what Anne called her?"
"Fitzwilliam wrote that Anne's dying wish was that the baby's name be Emily..." He paused for a moment. "...after my mother."
"Shall we call her Emily Darcy or Emily DeBourge?"
"The DeBourge line ends with my aunt. We shall call her Emily Darcy.
Little else was said between Darcy and Elizabeth as they slipped under the blankets for the night. Darcy wrapped his arm around her waist protectively, but Elizabeth remained awake for a while longer, thinking. How were they to raise this child after such tragic circumstances had taken her mother? What would they tell Emily when she asked questions? But the most burdening question of all was How would they get the baby away from Lady Catherine? After stuffing the questions to the back of her mind, she thought of the most positive thing: they would be bringing home a new baby. This excited Elizabeth immensely because it was the daughter she had always longed for. She thought of all the things she hoped to share with little Emily in the future. In her head she thought of how protective Bennett would be as a big brother and how they would play together. She knew that Emily would bring more joy to their household. But, in the depths of her heart, Elizabeth knew that she still longed to bear a daughter of her own with Darcy. He had renewed his promise to her and she knew he would keep his word, but it still troubled her mind that she would not be able to bear another child. It was a great burden she kept to herself. Small tears crept down from her eye to the tip of her nose and finally to the pillow below her head. She would never let Darcy see how much it effected her.
For now, she would rejoice in gaining Emily and mourn the death of Anne, with whom she had kept a secret correspondence for the last two years. After Elizabeth's marriage to Darcy, Anne had come to her and they began a friendship. One in which Anne shared her greatest secret to Elizabeth: she did not wish to marry for money or social status. Anne wanted the same thing Elizabeth had found: marriage for love. In their letters, Anne poured out her heart to Elizabeth about how horrible her mother treated her and how she forced her to do the things she never wanted to do and also how she had never wanted to marry Darcy because she respected and adored her cousin. Anne wrote of when she married the man named Arthur Jameson, the husband her mother picked out based on social status, and when she learned she was with child. Elizabeth wrote back, giving Anne courage and strength to make it through the pregnancy. Elizabeth never told Darcy of these letters, nor did she intend to. They were a woman to woman secret. Elizabeth recalled Anne's last letter, sent just before the letter arrived from Rosings announcing Anne's passing.
My dearest friend Elizabeth,
The time draws closer now to when this child will be born, but my own health is weakening with every passing day. I know that I will not be here to raise my child. Arthur has shown no interest in this babe because I believe it to be a girl. Please make me the promise that you will raise my daughter, whom I am going to name Emily. I would want no one else but you, Elizabeth because you have shown me such kindness and compassion when no one else had. I know that she will be loved by you and Darcy, who was and is my favorite cousin. Promise me that someday you will tell Emily about me and that I loved her so much before she was even born. I pray that she will flourish in health and mind as I have not been able to in my own life. Thank you for all that you have done and said to me these last few years Elizabeth. I leave my daughter to you to love and raise as your own because I trust you. You are my closest and most true friend.
Anne
Elizabeth had promised Anne she would raise Emily as her own and she would keep that promise. It made her undeniably happy that Darcy had thought of it first for she could not explain the letters to him. She fell asleep remembering her last promise to Anne and prayed that she would know that little Emily would be taken care of and loved all of her life.
A/N: Sorry this is so late, but college is taking over my life...seriously! Please leave reviews, I appreciate every single one of them and they make my day!