Chapter 12: January 1815
Mrs. Bennet's voice could already be heard shrilling from the carriage window as it came down Pemberley's long drive.
Darcy stiffened visibly and Lizzy groaned. Georgiana's brow furrowed in alarm at the expressions on her brother and sister's faces. Bingley looked embarrassed and Jane's gentle smile wavered.
Lizzy's tortured expression transformed into a smile as she saw her father's countenance looking out from the carriage window. He gave his favorite daughter a look of disbelief as he nodded his head in the direction of Mrs. Bennet's screeching.
Lizzy gave a short laugh and went forward to embrace her father as the passengers began to step down from the carriage.
"I have missed you, my Lizzy," he said dryly. "Longbourn has been intolerable since you and Jane left."
She looked at him sympathetically. "Well," she said confidentially, "Pemberley is so large that you will have ample chance to lose yourself in some quiet room and have a little peace." The last bit of her speech was given in a conspiratorial whisper that was drowned out by her mother's insistent greetings.
Mrs. Bennet's effusions at seeing both her eldest daughters again after a separation of two months from one and ten from the other was only slightly checked by her awe of her stony looking son-in-law. Darcy's face had relapsed into its former scowling visage as his wife's relatives alighted.
"Oh my dear Jane it is so good to see you again, I declare it has been an age! And Lizzy, my dear! Your house is so grand, I had no idea how big it was! Why, it is quite three times the size of Netherfield park!"
Mary and Kitty were a little shy and looked about in amazement at the outside of Lizzy's home.
"Mary! Kitty!" cried Lizzy as she caught sight of them and hurried over to embrace them warmly. "You shall both have a new friend in Georgiana," beckoning to her still more shy sister-in-law. "I know you met at the wedding but now you must become friends for she loves music like Mary, and she is nearly the same age as you Kitty." Georgiana curtsied shyly, and the Bennet sisters did likewise.
Lizzy left them to get acquainted with each other and went to take her husband's arm affectionately.
"Smile," she whispered to him, setting him a good example as she looked up at him. "You have your brooding face on and my family will think you despise me."
He looked at her as if to say that such a thing was impossible, and his face relaxed a little. Thinking of her feelings rather than his own, he made an effort at sociability, and even went so far as to kiss Mrs. Bennet's hand and offer his own for Mr. Bennet to shake.
The party went inside, Mrs. Bennet exclaiming over the size of the entrance and the elegance of the rooms as she passed through them. Servants removed traveling wraps and Lizzy went upstairs to fetch the reason for this gathering, who was sleeping in his cradle while nurse Rosa knitted quietly nearby.
Rosa left quietly, and Lizzy leaned over the cradle and gazed at her baby for a moment.
"You must not mind the noise downstairs," she whispered, stroking his soft cheek. "My family has come all this way to see you my darling… my little angel." She lifted him, and he opened his dark eyes and blinked drowsily.
She carried him down stairs and to the parlor. Darcy had come to the hall to look for her and escape the chatter for a moment. He held the door open for her and she entered. The womenfolk instantly surrounded Elizabeth and her precious burden, and the exclamations of delight were profuse. Little William was passed around carefully until he began to cry loudly, and Lizzy took him back up to his nurse.
Mr. Bennet, who was watching Darcy keenly, saw his eyes follow Lizzy out of the room and the slight smile that touched his face as she reentered.
After dinner, the ladies retired to the drawing room while the gentleman remained in the dining room. This custom had largely been abandoned by the Darcys, for Fitzwilliam preferred his wife and sister's company to drinking wine alone, but now that there were three gentlemen in the house, and more arriving tomorrow, it was not unreasonable.
In the parlor, the feminine talk began in earnest.
Mary had gravitated to Georgiana's graceful pianoforte and Kitty and Georgiana were talking quietly in a corner. Mrs. Bennet and her two eldest daughters were left to converse together.
"He is a fine child Lizzy," said Mrs. Bennet, for the baby had been passed around again and was now lying in his cradle at Elizabeth's feet. "And how fortunate that he was a boy."
"Mama,"' said Lizzy sharply, "Mr. Darcy would never object to a daughter just because she was not a son. I know that some men might think that way, but I and my husband have always thought it a ridiculous notion."
"Well," said her mother, not at all offended. "It is a fine thing all the same. You had better give Mr. Bingley a son soon Jane," turning to her eldest daughter.
"Mama!" cried both sister's indignantly. Lizzy thanked goodness that Mary was playing too loudly for Georgiana to hear such a speech and that the gentlemen were not in the room.
"I am only saying the truth," returned Mrs. Bennet comfortably.
"If you will excuse me," said Jane, rising and leaving the room suddenly. Lizzy gave her mother a look and hurried after her.
"Jane, you know our mother speaks idly and without thought."
"I know Lizzy," said Jane quietly. "And I am not truly hurt by her words. I trust that God will give us children in his own good time. However, I shall be very happy when I move to Derbyshire altogether and away from Mama's constant company."
Lizzy squeezed her hand and then, hearing William's whimper, went back to the parlor.
"Have you heard that Lydia is expecting again Lizzy?" her mother asked as she resumed her seat and lifted her child to hold him in her arms.
"She did inform me of it in her letter of congratulations on William's birth," Lizzy returned calmly.
"It is so hard to have her so far from me," said Mrs. Bennet, rocking to and fro in her distress. "My poor Lydia, with no mother to help her, one child less than a year old and another one due in July."
Lizzy did feel a sense of sympathy for her youngest sister. Not quite seventeen was far too young for such responsibilities. Yet she could not help but think that Lydia's lot was easy compared to desertion by Wickham and then exile in a foreign country, as her actions might have dictated.
Jane reentered and sat down demurely and, shortly after, the gentlemen joined them, bringing all such uncomfortable discussion to an end.
That evening, after the guests had been shown to their respective chambers, Lizzy was talking with Mrs. Reynolds about the morrow's breakfast. Darcy came to the door and coughed discreetly.
Both women turned and smiled, and Mrs. Reynolds said, "Yes Mrs. Darcy, I shall see to it."
"Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds. I do hope the flood of visitors will not cause you to be overworked."
"No indeed Mrs. Darcy. It is a pleasure. Goodnight Ma'am." She curtsied and left.
Lizzy crossed the room and slipped her arms around Fitzwilliam's waist and leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
"One day over with," she said tiredly.
"I hope it was not too disagreeable for you my love," he said tenderly.
"Not all of it," she said honestly.
"I think you were happy to see your father."
"Yes… I do not hold him to be a model parent by any means, but he has always been very kind to me and was the only person in my family whom one could have an intelligent debate with, Jane being too agreeable to have a dispute with, and the others too ignorant."
"I find him to be an agreeable man, although I cannot approve of the way he speaks of his wife."
"Marital felicity is something both my parents gave up on a long time ago," Lizzy said sadly.
"Georgiana seems to get along well with your sister Kitty."
"Yes, Kitty seems much more docile since…" she broke of, not wanting to mention Lydia before him.
He understood and said simply, "You are very tired dear."
"It had been a long day and I confess I wish nothing more than to go to bed and cuddle with William."
"Am I invited?" he asked teasingly.
"Of course," she exclaimed, still with a touch of sleepiness.
She made a move towards the stairs, but he lifted her up instead and carried her to her room. Rosa brought in the baby and then left the little family together.
The next day brought the Gardeners, and Darcy's welcome was more genuine as he warmly shook the hand of Mr. Gardener and gave Mrs. Gardener the kiss of an affectionate son. Lizzy was very happy to see both and detained them to express her feelings, before turning her family loose on them.
In the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Collins arrived with their little daughter, followed by none other than Lady Catherine and Anne de Bourgh. Lizzy was better prepared this time and was able to receive her ladyship with composure and grace. Lady Catherine gave her a civil nod in return and managed to offer her congratulations at least to the space between Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, rather than only to her nephew.
Anne looked so timid and sickly that Lizzy's motherly instinct took possession of her. She took Anne under her wing, despite Mrs. Jenkinson's objections and soon had the girl sitting near Georgiana and Kitty and taking an occasional part in their girlish conversation.
The whole party was walking in the large conservatory when Colonel Fitzwilliam walked in unannounced. Darcy hurried over to his cousin and their greeting was full of brotherly delight.
Lizzy, who had not seen him since the morning of Darcy's first ill-fated proposal, approached, and the Colonel bowed to her gallantly and kissed her hand. Lizzy laughed at his flirtatious manner.
"Mrs. Darcy," he said with a playful nod in Darcy's direction. "You have my deepest condolences."
"Thank you so much," she returned with equally playful sarcasm.
"And also, my congratulations on the safe arrival of your son," he said, straightening from his bow. "Where is the little man? He must meet his favorite uncle."
"I shall leave you and Mr. Bingley to fight for that privilege," said Lizzy, very much amused. "As for William, he is with my sister Jane at the moment."
"I do not believe I have met your sister. Mrs. Bingley is it not?"
"You are correct Sir."
"How shall I find her?"
"She is the only fair-haired lady in the house, besides your cousin."
"Ah, yes. The blonde beauty of Hertfordshire. I daresay however that she cannot be truly prettier than you, Mrs. Darcy," he said with another exaggerated bow.
Lizzy blushed and Darcy gave his cousin's arm a yank. "Go flirt with the unmarried ladies Richard," he said, giving him a push in the direction of the young women.
The Colonel laughed and obeyed. Georgiana greeted her cousin Richard with quiet pleasure and Kitty's eyes widened as she saw his red coat. Lizzy watched her sister carefully but saw no forwardness in her curtsy. Besides, the colonel had made it very clear to her on their last meeting that he could not marry a woman without some fortune. Their last meeting recalled so many memories that she looked up at Darcy involuntarily. His thoughts seemed to have strayed in the same direction for he was looking at her earnestly.
She smiled at him. "What sir?" she asked teasingly. "Are you afraid of your cousin's seductive powers?"
"No indeed Mrs. Darcy," he returned with a smile and bow. "For such a lovely lady must be used to such attentions and know how to respond appropriately to them."
"With practice you might become as good as him," she said demurely as she watched Richard tip his hat and walk away from the young ladies in search of Jane and her little charge.
"I can do better than him," he returned. "Just wait until we are alone."
She gave him a shocked look. "Well, Mr. Darcy, that is an entirely inappropriate statement for such a place."
"No one heard."
She looked around quickly and then stood on tiptoe to brush her lips against his. "Are you satisfied that you need not fear the Colonel's influence?"
"I never did."
"Good," she said earnestly, before running off to find Jane and William herself. Darcy's eyes followed her tenderly as she disappeared around a flowering shrub.