I figure you guys deserve more then one chapter, so you get two! My apologies again in the delay!
Happy reading!
"Lady Catherine sent me to assist you, ma'am" A maid tells her as she enters her room. "I've drawn a bath for you" She gestures to the dressing room where the basin sits. It's still steaming.
"It's still a little warm, my apologies, ma'am" The maid stutters when she notices her looking at the steam.
"I'm in no rush" She replies with a smile. She goes to her trunk and stashes the letters.
"What is your name?" She asks.
"Sarah, ma'am"
"Well, Sarah, you may call me Mrs. Darcy, or Lizzy. I would prefer the latter,"
"Yes, ma'am, I mean, Mrs. Darcy" Sarah stutters. She doesn't look much older then Mira is, and she certainly isn't any older then Kitty.
"Tell me, have you met Mr. Collins, the parson?" Sarah scowls, although she tries to hide it.
"Yes"
"And your honest opinion of him?"
"Mr. Collins is not a kind man, Mrs. Darcy. You shouldn't be in the company of the likes of him," She tells her honestly.
"And his wife?"
"Well, if you will pardon my crudeness, she has her head up her arse,"
"I see" She nods. "Thank you for your truthfulness"
"I think the water is cool enough now"
Sarah helps her into a warm, soothing bath. The water is infused with some floral scent unlike anything she has ever smelt. It is pleasing though.
She helps her dry off, and then into a dressing gown.
"Lady Catherine told me to give this to you" Sarah passes her a glass bottle of clear liquid. She pulls out the stopper and breathes in the scent.
"Hmm" She sighs, "What is it?"
"Milady gets it from the continent, France I believe"
"It smells divine," She tells her, "I think I will use this one over my own"
"Of course, Mrs. Darcy" Sarah takes the bottle back and puts it on the vanity. "Should you like your hair a certain way?"
"Something simple, but elegant" She tells her.
"Yes, Mrs. Darcy"
A half an hour later, Sarah has finished her masterpiece. She uses her sapphire hair combs to hold it back.
"It looks beautiful, Sarah" She tells her.
"You look beautiful, Mrs. Darcy" Sarah corrects. "Which dress shall you wear?" She asks.
"The blue brocade with the gold" She answers, "I think it shall match the sapphires very well"
"Yes ma'am"
Sarah helps her into the gown. The gown itself is made of sapphire blue brocade with gold pattern. The petticoat underneath was gold brocade. Sarah laces the stays and fluffs the skirt.
"And your gold slippers?" Sarah questions.
"Yes, please"
She slips into the new slippers and looks at herself in the looking glass.
"Sarah?" She calls. The maid is now cleaning up.
"Yes?"
"Will you fetch my gold chain, the one with the sapphires?"
"Of course, ma'am" She opens her jewelry box and brings her the requested piece. She clasps it around her neck.
"Tis a beautiful piece" Sarah comments.
"It was my husband's mothers," She tells her. The sapphire hangs perfectly to her bust line.
"Will you be needing anything else?" Sarah asks when she is finished cleaning up.
"Can you inquire as to if the wet-nurse has bathed and clothed my sons?"
"Of course, ma'am" Sarah hustles out of the room. She goes back to looking at herself in the mirror.
She looks healthy. She looks strong, regal even. She looks happy. She no longer has the bags under her eyes, or the lost look behind them.
She smiles at herself.
"You can do this," She tells her reflection.
'Lizzy?" Georgiana startles her.
"Come in" She calls. The young girl waltzes in wearing a pale yellow dress. She smiles.
"William tells me you are going to see Charlotte today" She sits on the edge of the bed. "Are you nervous? I would be nervous"
"I am," She admits. "Charlotte was once my best friend, but we have grown so far apart, I fear we will not be able to reconcile"
"And Mr. Collins? Do you fear him?"
"I do," She whispers. "I cannot help it. My blood runs cold when I think of him"
"But you have to face him, to move on" Georgiana sighs knowingly. "May I tell you something, Lizzy? Something William doesn't know?" Her words imply that William must never know. She agrees, trusting Georgiana's judgment.
"Of course, anything"
"I met with Wickham after the Ramsgate incident. It was while we were in London. I was with Aunt Isabel, we were shopping. She did not realize that I had left the shop, she was being measured. I had seen Wickham outside the window, near the park"
"Georgiana"
"I had to see him, I had to tell him that he had not ruined me, that I was over him, that I had realized his cruel trick and no longer loved him. I had too"
She takes a deep breath from her rambling.
"It was such an empowering feeling "Georgiana admits with a small smirk. "I was so nervous, but I was so angry that he had purposely tried to ruin me. I marched straight up to him, and I called his name" She smiles, remembering the event, "And he turned to me, and he smirked when he noticed that I was alone. He was married to your sister then too!" Georgiana huffs.
"And what did you do?" She asks.
"I slapped him," She admits. "Across the cheek. And then I calmly told him that he had no power over me anymore, that I saw through his guise, and that I pitied him. I pitied a man who had to prey on young woman to make himself feel better. I told him that I could do better then the likes of him, and I told him that I was have been mentally effected thinking myself in love with him" Georgie smiles again, "He had such a shocked looked upon his face. I smiled and marched back into the shop, I didn't even let him speak to me."
"Oh, Georgie, I am so proud of you!" She admits, hugging her sister.
"So, my advice to you, dear sister, is to slap the odious parson, refuse to let him speak to you because he is clearly under your station, and then walk away. Do not let him affect you anymore"
"Thank you, dear, that story gives me confidence" And it does. If Georgiana could face her tormentor, then she could face hers. Especially with William by her side.
"It is almost time for tea. I came to tell you that the boys are ready. They look adorable"
"We better hurry then"
The boys do look adorable. Their dark curls are tame and their faces clean. They match, wearing navy blue pantalets, a white tunic dress, and gray brocade child gown with little gold buttons on the front. She did not like dressing them in child gowns usually, as the boys liked their freedom.
"Were are their bonnets?" She asks the wet-nurse.
"I tried to put them on, Mrs. Darcy, but the boys kept fussing and pulling at them" She tells her.
"No bonnets then" She smiles and picks up the first baby. Blue eyes blink back at her.
"Hello Bennet, did you miss mommy?" She coos, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
"Not as much as William missed his favorite Auntie" Georgiana laughs as she lifts William into her arms.
"They missed you equally," William tells them as he walks in the room. "But they missed their father the most"
"William!" Georgiana laughs. She goes to pass him William, but he just kisses the baby's head. He then presses a kiss to Georgie's temple.
"I'm going to meet with Mr. Collins," He tells them. "You will have midday tea with her, and then after, if you still wish to, you can speak with her husband" He tells her.
"I still wish to" She tells him. "Georgiana, would you and Mary take the boys to the tea room? I will be there in a moment," She asks. The wet-nurse takes Bennet from her arms and the two women step outside with the children. She turns to William.
"I have to do this, I cannot avoid it any longer"
"I know" He sighs, and pulls her into his arms. "I do not wish to see you hurt again"
"I know" She runs her hand down his chest.
"Did Georgiana tell you about confronting Wickham?"
"You know about that?" She is surprised.
"My Aunt saw her slap a man across the face, yell at him, and then rush back into the gown parlor. She told me that she had such a content smile upon her face that she did not even question what had happened. Georgiana does not know that I know"
"Georgiana told me a few moments ago," She admits. "I am glad I do not have to keep that a secret from you, in truth, although I would have. I would not have betrayed her confidence"
"I would never ask you to" He kisses the top of her head.
"She told me how wonderful it felt, how empowered it made her feel. I am proud of her, proud of her courage to face him again"
"As am I." He whispers, "Just as I am proud of you for wanting to confront the man again"
"I need that to move on, to truly move past it"
"If it is what you need, I will always support you,"
"Then it is settled. I will confront him after tea"
"Whatever you wish, I will be beside you"
"Thank you, Fitzwilliam" She looks up and presses a soft kiss to his lips. He bends so that she does not have to crane her neck so much, and deepens the kiss.
"I love you, Elizabeth Darcy"
"Not nearly as much as I love you, Mr. Darcy" She teases. He smiles.
"I shall escort you to the tea room"
"Why, thank you, good sir"
William sneaks another kiss outside the tearoom.
"Best of luck" She wishes him.
"You as well, my love"
She enters the room. Georgiana is alone with the two boys. Charlotte has not arrived yet.
"Nervous?" Georgiana asks again.
"No, not anymore" She picks William up and cuddles him closer. "Not with you three with me, and William with him"
"Ma'am? Mrs. Collins has arrived" A maid interrupts them.
"Of course, send her in" They stand.
The maid leads Charlotte into the room.
Charlotte looks the same. Her brown hair still cannot hold a curl, and forehead is still slightly too large for her face. She is wearing a simple brown dress. It has no decoration. She is holding a bundle of lighter brown blankets. She does not smile as she enters the room.
"Charlotte" She smiles faintly at her old friend.
"Lizzy" Charlotte smiles a tad bit then.
"May I introduce my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy? Georgie, this is Mrs. Collins"
"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Collins" Georgiana curtsies. Charlotte mimics her.
"You as well"
"And now to the babes. It is strange to think we have children have, is it not?" She questions.
"It is. It seems as if we were just children ourselves a few years ago" Charlotte says quietly. "This is my daughter, Sarah Jane"
"Oh, she is charming" The child is younger then the twins. She has little to no hair. She has Charlotte's light eyes, and a button nose. Considering her father, she was a cute child. "She will be a beautiful girl"
"Thank you" Charlotte smiles.
"Well, let me introduce you to my sons, this one is William Arthur, and the one Georgiana holds is Bennet Edward"
"Twins, how charming" Charlotte murmurs, her smile gone.
"Come, let us put them on the blanket together while we have some tea"
They speak of trivial, useless things as they watch the children wiggle around on their blanket. The atmosphere is still tense. It is not as it used to be.
"Georgiana, why don't you show Charlotte how well you play the piano? She makes our piano skills looks dismal, dear Charlotte" Charlotte manages a tight-lipped smile. Georgiana recognizes her need to speak with Charlotte alone.
"She truly is a beautiful baby," She tells her softly.
"She is, isn't she?" Charlotte looks fondly at her daughter.
"Are you happy?" She asks after a second.
"Lizzy" Charlotte warns, her voice low and dangerous. "Do not start"
"Start what?" She asks. "It is a general question. Are you happy with you life?"
"I'm the one that married for love, of course I am happy"
"I love my husband, Charlotte, and he loves me," She tells her softly. "Did you not just tell me not to start?"
"You bring it upon yourself" Charlotte hisses. "I do not know why I even bothered coming today, I knew you would act superior. Look at you! Flaunting your jewels and fancy dresses, flaunting your two sons, two heirs. You always have to beat me, Lizzy, it's like you want me to be unhappy"
"I want nothing but happiness for you, Charlotte" She tells her truly, " Which is why I am going to tell you this, Lady Catherine has received complaints from female and male tenants concerning Mr. Collin's behavior towards women"
"Why do you lie?" Charlotte hisses.
"I have never lied to you, not once. Everything I have ever told you is the truth,"
"No, everything from your lips is a lie, every vile little thing"
"Charlotte, I am trying to help you"
"Help me? Help me how? By spreading vicious lies about my beloved husband?"
"They are not lies!" She has raised her voice now in anger. Charlotte is being so dense. She just wants the best for Charlotte, but the Charlotte she wants the best for is long gone. The new Charlotte will not listen. "Just listen to me for two minutes, and then you can leave, you can walk out the door and never hear from me again"
Charlotte makes no move to leave, but does not respond.
"Lady Catherine is terminating Mr. Collins' position as parson. You, your daughter, and Mr. Collins' will be kicked out by the end of the week"
Charlotte goes pale, staring at her. She's shaking, whether it's from fear or anger, she does not know.
"I want to help you and your daughter. Run away now, I can help you find a cottage in safe little village; I can see to it that you need never worry about anything ever again. You would be safe, please Charlotte"
"I hate you, Lizzy, I hate you" Charlotte whispers angrily. "I never wish to speak with you again, I never wish to see you again!" Charlotte yells. She gets up from the table and scoops up her daughter.
"I love my husband, he is a good man," She tells her harshly before leaving, slamming the door behind her.
"You tried" Georgiana grips her hand lightly. "That is all you could have done"
"I know" She wipes the tear from her eyes. "I just wish it were different, but I cannot make it so,"
"She chose her path," Georgiana sighs.
"And I chose mine, and I would not trade it for the world"