I am so sorry! I spent time out of the country. I brought my laptop with me, thinking I could write a bit and publish it on the go, but needless to say, I was unable too!
With school starting, the last few chapters will take some time, but I will finish this story, promise! I am also editing it, grammar mistakes and such, not plot changes.
I hope you like this one! And that people are stilling following this!
Thanks for sticking with me!
She awakes the next morning alone in the little cot. Both William and Bennet are sound asleep in their cradles, William suckling his thumb, and Bennet with his arms about his stomach.
Bennet stirs as she watches them, and blinks open his eyes.
"Good morning, love" She whispers, pulling him carefully out of the cradle. Before he can even begin to start fussing, she sits down in the rocking chair to nurse him. He suckles happily.
Mornings like this are her favorite. She feels closer to each of the boys each time, and as she sits watching them nurse, she cannot help but imagine the sort of the gentlemen they will each grow to be.
Bennet, the first born, will be the leader. He will be intelligent and serious, more like his father. William will be more like her, adventurous and playful, but intelligent nonetheless. She will make sure each of her children, however many they will be blessed with, will have a passion for reading.
"Day dreaming about the future, love?" Fitzwilliam startles her. Bennet makes a noise in protest at her jerking, but settles back down without crying aloud.
"Mayhaps" She replies simply, smiling up at him. He is dressed for the day, and based on the scent of grass about him, he has already broken his fast and surveyed the land.
He presses a kiss to her forehead and then one to the baby's soft curls.
"And where did you go this morning?" She questions.
"To visit my dear cousin," He tells her as he plucks a now wide-awake William from the cradle.
"And what of Anne? Did you actually see her?" He switches William for Bennet so that William can nurse.
"She is not well at all" He replies sadly. "They do not think her contagious, so I would like to introduce her to the boys. Perhaps they can bring a smile to her face"
"Of course"
"Tomorrow though, they have a busy day ahead of them. My Aunt wishes to gift them with christening gowns, as my mother is not able to"
"That is generous of her"
"Yes, she is quite pleased with the idea. She has several seamstresses in her lounge with her now, looking over fabrics and laces"
"I am sure they will be beautifully made," She tells him, absently running her hand over William's soft hair.
"Yes, they shall" He hesitates, "I personally delivered an invitation for tea to Mrs. Collin's this morning" He tells her as he sits down on the cot. Bennet makes a noise of contentment.
"Did she reply?"
"She did. She will come for midday tea, while Mr. Collins and I have a little chat about the accusations against him from my Aunt's tenants"
"Thank you, darling," She whispers softly. They lapse into silence while William suckles at her bosom. When the baby is finished, William helps her stand from the cot.
"Come, it is time for you to break your fast now that the boys have had their fill"
After breaking her fast, and allowing the seamstresses and Aunt Catherine to measure the babies, she and William take the children to see Anne.
She is not prepared for the sight of the young woman. She knew, of course, that the woman was gravely ill, but seeing her is different then hearing about her.
Her room is surprisingly bright. The copious amount of windows have their curtains drawn back, allowing the light to invade the room. Anne is sitting up against a large amount of pillows on a massive bed in the middle of the room.
Anne has short, brown hair. It looks lank and greasy against her pale as snow skin. Her eyes appear wet, the brown color is lifeless: dark circles are clearly visible underneath them. She is thin, thinner then she ever was after the Collins' incident.
"Anne" William whispers as they enter the room. Anne focuses on them.
"William" Her voice is soft.
"Anne, darling, allow me to introduce you to my wife, Elizabeth" She curtsies. Anne merely nods weakly.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. DeBourgh" Anne smiles faintly, and her eyes go to the babes in each of their arms.
"And this is William" Fitzwilliam motions to the child in his arms.
"And this is Bennet" She shows Anne the babe in her arms.
"Beautiful" Anne whispers. "Truly beautiful"
"Thank you" They both tell her.
"Would you like to hold Bennet?" She asks. She approaches with the babe, "May I sit?"
"Of course"
She sits on the edge of Anne's bed, near the woman. She passes Bennet into her arms, sliding a pillow underneath her arm to help her support the child.
"They are both rather chubby," She tells the woman. "Georgiana bemoans lifting them,"
"They are perfect" Anne tells her softly. "This one has the Fitzwilliam eyes"
"He does" William agrees. "William has Lizzy's eyes"
She holds Bennet for a few minutes, humming quietly. She then holds William, who stares intently at her before smiling and reaching for her face.
"Thank you for letting me see them" She tells them. "I believe I will rest now" She takes William back from her arms. "Would you mind staying for a moment, Mrs. Darcy?" She asks.
"Of course, and please, call me Lizzy"
"Lizzy then" She sighs. "William, you may leave"
"Well, I know when I am not wanted" He jokes. He takes both the babes and exits the room after pressing a kiss to his cousin's brow.
"I wish for us to speak frankly," Anne states.
"Of course"
"I am not well, you can clearly see that" Anne starts off with.
"Yes" She doesn't offer false reassurances of regaining her health, she can tell that Anne doesn't want nor need that.
"Good, you accept it" Anne sighs, "My mother, and William apparently, can not accept it"
"If I were your mother, I would not accept it either" She admits.
"You take the frank part quite literally" Anne quips. "It does my mother no good to delude herself"
"It lessens her pain"
"For the time being" Anne states. "But that is not what I wished to discuss with you. I wish to thank you"
"Thank me?" She questions.
"For making Fitzwilliam happy, for making him smile, for allowing him to be a little more carefree. My cousin is quite dear to me, in a cousin like manner, rest assured, I harbor no ill will towards you for marrying him"
"William has told me you never wished to marry him"
"Good" Anne nods. "When I die, I trust you will comfort him. He has lost so much in his life so far, I do not mean to sound conceited, but I know that he will take my death hard. He always blamed himself for my illness"
"He blames himself for things he has no control over"
"He does, and he always will" Anne smiled.
"I will take care of him"
"I could not rest peacefully not knowing if he got his own happy ending. Now, I can get mine. I want you give him the letter in the second drawer of my dresser, after I pass, be it tomorrow or next week. I know I do not have long"
She gets up from the bed and finds the aforementioned letter. The scrawl on the front is shaky, but she can see that it bears her husband's name
"There is one for the Colonel there too, will you see to it that he receives his?"
"Of course"
"William and Richard were always my favorite cousins. We had such fun as children," Anne sighs, "I want to die. I want this pain to end, my pain along with everyone else's. My death will allow Richard to inherit the estate; he can marry whomever he chooses with the DeBourgh money. He can marry for love, as William has done. I can see the love in his eyes,"
"Rest assured, I love him beyond what words can say. I love him with every fiber of my being"
"I know, and that is all I have ever wanted for my two dearest cousins. William was forced to become an adult at such a young age, and Richard was forced to make his own path in life."
"And what did you want for yourself in life?"
"To be happy," She tells her. "And dying will make me happy. I can see my father again, and my brothers. My mother will not outlive me long, and we can all be together in the afterlife"
"I wish I had more time to get to know you, Anne, I believe we would have been great friends"
"Alas, it was not meant to be" Anne smiles again. "Do not let me keep you any longer, go, enjoy your family"
She grasps the woman's frail hand.
"I am glad to have met you," She tells her as she leaves. She goes to the nursery, and watches as the wet-nurse plays with the twins. She doesn't interrupt them. She continues on until she finds William in his dressing chambers. She hugs him wordlessly, burying her head against his chest.
"Lizzy? What's wrong?" He asks, rubbing her back.
"Nothing, everything is perfect," She tells him. He smiles oddly down at her, as if he doesn't believe her words. "Thank you for loving me"
"You need never thank me for something that was never in my control. I fell in love with you the second my eyes fell upon you"
"Still, I want you to know how much I love you, how much I trust you, respect you, admire you"
"Desire me?" He teases.
"I was being serious, but yes, that too," She tells him, kissing him deeply.
"You need to go get ready," He reminds her. "What are those?" He asks, feeling the letter tucked in her dress.
"Never you mind" She tells him.
"I respect your right to privacy," He mocks.
"I admire that"
"I desire you"
"As I want you, love, but I have to go get ready as you so helpfully pointed out"
"Of course" He groans. "Be gone with you, wench,"