Hello dearies! At long last, the moment you've been waiting for... Darcy and Elizabeth are reunited! Gosh, I hope you like it.

Chapter Six

Clara was only too happy to put on her finest dress for dinner.

Darcy was only too happy to tell his daughter how very pretty she looked when Mrs. Annesley escorted her down the stairs to meet in him the entry hall.

"You look very pretty too, Papa!" Clara declared in praise of his evening wear.

Her father grinned. "Men are not called 'pretty,' Clara. When a gentleman looks well, you say he is 'handsome.'"

Clara looked him up and down. "Then you are very handsome!"

"Thank you, Clara. Now come, dearest," said Darcy then, holding out his hand. "The carriage is already waiting for us."

He drew her over to where Vincent, his valet, stood holding their outerwear. After helping his daughter don hers, he put on his own coat, hat, and gloves and they went out into the chilly evening air. The ride from his home to the Disley residence in Bolton Street was brief, and Clara chattered excitedly about meeting with more of her cousins the whole of the way.

They were ushered inside as soon as they arrived, as snow had begun to fall, and were shown to the drawing room. Darcy felt Clara grasp his hand tighter as she took in the number of people in the room.

Lady Disley crossed to them wearing a smile. "Fitzwilliam! So very happy to see you!" said she before she kissed his cheek. His aunt then looked down at his daughter. "Welcome to Disley House, Miss Clara Darcy. Do you remember me?"

Clara nodded, then performed a wobbly curtsey. "Good evening, Aunt Disley."

Greetings were exchanged then between Darcy and his relations, all of whom took a moment to speak to Clara, who beamed under the praise of how pretty and polite she was.

"When do I get to see my cousins?" Clara asked when they had spoken to everyone.

"Would you like to go and see them now?" asked Georgiana.

Clara nodded. "Oh, please! Will we get dinner, too?"

"Of course, my dear!" Lady Disley assured her. "As soon as the last of our guests arrive, I will see to it that dinner is sent up to you."

"Thank you!" Clara chirped.

Georgiana took Clara by the hand. "Come, I'll take you to the nursery, where all the many young cousins are gathered."

As his sister escorted his daughter from the room, Darcy turned to his aunt. "What other guests could you be expecting, Aunt? Is not the whole of the family already here?"

"Lady Catherine has not yet arrived," said his uncle.

"And Mother actually talked my young aunt into coming!" said his cousin Theodore.

Darcy frowned. "Your young…?" he murmured, then he recalled the old joke—Elizabeth was his cousin's "young aunt" and Theodore was her "old nephew."

"Do you mean to say that Lady Stashwick is in town?"

Lady Disley nodded. "I've seen her, and the children. Well, except her youngest, who was napping. They are all looking very well, all things considered."

"I am pleased to hear Her Ladyship is doing well," said Darcy, then he flicked his gaze briefly between Lady Scarborough and Mrs. Faulkner before looking to his uncle. "As they are neither of them yet arrived, I should like to take this opportunity to address a matter regarding Her Ladyship and your sister, sir."

Lord Disley's brows rose toward his hairline; he knew that when Darcy referred to Lady Catherine as "your sister" rather than "Aunt Catherine" it meant he was vexed with her.

"What has Catherine done now?" the earl drawled.

"She wrote to me last week to tell me, yet again, that Clara needs a mother, and suggested I come to town and pay my addresses to Lady Stashwick, as she would soon be out of mourning for her husband," Darcy replied, not bothering to hide his disgust of the idea.

Not that the idea of pursuing Elizabeth disgusted him, he amended silently. It was the suggestion that he take advantage of the fact that her husband was dead.

"She did what?!" cried Lady Scarborough and Mrs. Faulkner in unison.

Darcy had suspected they would be offended—Adelaide Faulkner Horne, wife of his university friend Thomas Horne, whom he had known as the Earl of Malford and was now the Marquess of Scarborough—was the daughter of Elizabeth's late husband from his first marriage. Mrs. Faulkner, who had married Stephen—the son of Lord Stashwick's brother—was Elizabeth's sister.

"How dare she!" Lady Scarborough continued. "My father has hardly been deceased a year—only a callous, unfeeling person would suggest such a thing! Not every woman seeks to marry again the very moment her year of mourning is done. Elizabeth loved my father!"

"Addy, my love," murmured Lord Scarborough. "You really mustn't distress yourself. Think of your condition."

When his wife's hand went immediately to her abdomen, Darcy had an inkling that she was with child again—it would be their fifth in less than ten years.

"And as indelicately as my aunt broached the subject," said his cousin Philip, Viscount Rowarth, "it is done, Addy. Though I agree that I cannot imagine it of Lady Stashwick. Not yet, anyway."

Mrs. Faulkner scoffed and crossed her arms. "Indeed. Aside from the fact that she truly loved my brother Henry, Elizabeth has no need to remarry. She has command of the Faulkner fortune and has lifetime residency in all his properties. I daresay the only husband she would want is the one she lost."

Tears filled Lady Scarborough's eyes then and she clapped a hand to her lips as she stifled a sob. Scarborough put his arm about her shoulders and drew her to him to comfort her, then looked to Lord Disley.

"Lord Disley, I must request that you speak to Lady Catherine—in private, of course—and make it clear she must refrain from mentioning the subject. Especially before my wife and Lady Stashwick herself."

"I second that recommendation, Uncle," said Darcy. "We are come to Disley House to dine and rejoice in the fellowship of family, not to distress a widow and her daughter-by-marriage by suggesting that the lady should marry again when she is not yet recovered from the loss she suffered."

Lord Disley looked from where the Scarboroughs sat together—the lady quietly attempting to stifle her weeping—to Darcy, and then from Mrs. Faulkner to his own wife, who also appeared uneasy. "I will speak to her."

The next person to arrive was Lady Catherine herself; she was announced just moments after Georgiana returned. When the first words she spoke were "Ah, Darcy! I see you have heeded my advice," her brother took her by the arm and told her he desired to speak with her privately.

"Richard, what is the meaning of this? Unhand me at once!" Lady Catherine demanded as she tried to free herself from his grasp.

Lord Disley turned his sternest gaze on her. "Would you prefer I humiliate you by lecturing you before the rest of the company as though you were a child?"

"Humiliate me? Lecture me? Whatever for?"

Disley's expression fell into a scowl. "My study. Now," said he, and he moved toward the door; as her arm was still held firmly in his hand, Lady Catherine had no choice but to follow. As was her nature, she did not go quietly.

Theodore approached Darcy when they had gone, and said in a low voice, "Given the … unkind things she had to say when she learned of my uncle's marriage to a 'country nobody', I am surprised that Aunt Catherine would suggest you pursue Elizabeth."

Darcy scoffed. "I imagine it has something to do with getting her hands on the Faulkner fortune at last, if only vicariously," he replied. "Did you not tell me your uncle revealed to you that Grandfather Fitzwilliam and his own father had contemplated a marriage between my mother and Edward?"

Theodore nodded. "Aye. I sometimes wonder if he would have turned out differently had he married her and not Lavinia. But then, if he had, you and Gigi and your wonderful children would not be here."

"I daresay we would not," Darcy agreed.

Theodore looked about, as though making sure no one else was near, then said, "And how do you feel about the idea? Of paying suit to Elizabeth, I mean. As Philip said, however crass Aunt Catherine might have been, it is done. And as much as it pains me that Uncle Henry is gone, two of my favorite people in this world are single; I should not like for either of them to be longing for companionship the rest of their days. You've been widowed six years yourself, and you did have feelings for the lady once upon a time."

I still do, Darcy thought. As foolish as it was, and as much as he had truly cared for Marian, he knew that his heart had never been entirely his own to give away. Not when Elizabeth Bennet had held it for ten years without even knowing. Had his wife lived, things might have been different—he might even have forgotten that he'd loved another. But she hadn't, and they weren't.

And he had not forgotten. Though he could not say precisely when his love for Elizabeth had resurfaced from where he'd buried it in his mind, Darcy could not deny that it was still there … and always had been.

"Will?" Theodore pressed.

"Theo, I believe the same as Lady Scarborough—not everyone is keen to pursue a second marriage as soon as their mourning period is over; I certainly did not. Therefore, no, I shall not be paying my addresses to Lady Stashwick."

At that moment, the knocker could be heard through the open doors of the drawing room. The gathered family turned their attention toward the sound as the butler was seen moving to open it.

Jenkins led a small party to the drawing room a few minutes later. "Lady Stashwick, Lord Stashwick, Lady Isabella Faulkner, and Lord Thomas Faulkner."

Darcy's breath caught in his throat as soon as the butler stood aside, and he got his first glimpse of Elizabeth in four years. Time had by no means diminished her beauty and having borne four children had only enhanced her already pleasing figure. She wore a gown of lavender chiffon with matching headwrap, and the little girl on her left side whose hand was in hers—Lady Isabella—wore a very pretty gown only a shade darker than her mother's. The two boys were dressed like the young gentlemen that they were.

"Lady Stashwick, I am so pleased you could join us," said Lady Disley as she approached where Elizabeth and her children stood just inside the doorway.

Elizabeth looked about her and lifted an eyebrow. "Upon my word, I had forgotten that when you say 'family dinner,' Lady Disley, you really do mean the entire family."

Several of the family laughed at her quip. "And why should I not? I enjoy having my family about me," said Lady Disley.

Elizabeth's gaze fell on Darcy and her eyes widened in astonishment. "Mr. Darcy! What a surprise to see you here."

"Am I not family, Lady Stashwick? Should I not have come to a family dinner to which I was invited?" Darcy said teasingly.

His jest appeared to surprise her further, then she gave a little laugh. "Certainly, you are, and you should," Elizabeth replied. "I just did not expect it. You seemed to have given up town after…"

She colored and looked away. Darcy knew she referred to his not having been to London since the death of his wife.

Wishing to ease her sudden discomfort, he said, "I can understand you thought I'd gone the way of the hermit, my lady. The last time we saw one another was at Disley Court for Christmas four years ago."

Elizabeth's expression brightened, though there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes even as she smiled. "Oh yes. You started the snowball fight."

"I did no such thing!" Darcy retorted, feigning indignance. "That was Colonel Fitzwilliam!"

"La! What nonsense you say, Darcy!" cried Theodore.

"Oh, I do not know, mon cher," said Antoinette, his wife. "It was a rather precise aim which struck your brother in ze back of ze head—and you have ze best aim of anyone I know."

"She's got a point, Theo!" said Lord Rowarth. "You were standing right next to Darcy, and as I recall, you looked rather guilty."

"It wasn't Cousin Theo," spoke up the elder of Elizabeth's sons. Everyone looked to him, and young Lord Stashwick lifted his chin as he said, "It was Mr. Darcy that threw the first snowball—but Cousin Theo did hand it to him and challenged him to hit Cousin Philip in the head."

Elizabeth then favored Darcy with a pointed gaze, as if to say Are you going to call my son a liar?

Chuckling, he held his hands up in surrender. "You have caught me out—I cannot continue to plead innocent when there are two eyewitnesses to my guilt."

"Mamma, I'm hungry," said Lord Thomas.

"You will have dinner very soon, Tom," Elizabeth told him.

Mrs. Faulkner stepped forward. "Shall I take the children to join the other little ones?"

"If you would be so kind, Cate; thank you," said Lady Disley. "And Antoinette, my dear, would you give that bellpull behind you a tug so that I can tell the kitchen to send dinner up to the children now?"

Darcy watched as Elizabeth kissed her children goodbye and urged them to have fun with their abundance of cousins, which made the eldest boy laugh. Her sister then took Lord Thomas by the hand and led him and the twins out of the room.

When they had gone, Elizabeth stepped further into the room, and greetings were exchanged between her and the others. Her keen eye took note of the fact that Lady Scarborough had been crying and she asked her what was wrong; Lady Scarborough insisted it was only her condition.

Elizabeth looked at Lord Scarborough with a mildly scolding expression. "Thomas, you really must leave the poor girl alone," she said in a low voice, which led Scarborough to blush.

"Lady Stashwick, it really is a very great pleasure to have you with us," said Georgiana.

Elizabeth returned her smile. "Thank you, Lady Winterbourne. I … I am reminded how very much I have missed being among so many with whom I share a bond of family."

She looked between Georgiana and Winterbourne then. "As Lady Disley insisted all but the youngest children should come, that they may spend time with their cousins, may I presume that Lady Charlotte is here as well?"

"She is, yes," Lord Winterbourne replied.

"Oh, wonderful. I should like to see her before the evening is over," Elizabeth replied, before turning to Lady Scarborough. "And your children as well, of course."

"And you will, certainly," said the younger marchioness as she stood and embraced the elder. "Oh, how I have missed you, Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth returned the embrace. "And I have missed you, dearest."

Lady Disley moved to where Darcy and her younger son stood. "Darcy," said she.

"Yes, Lady Disley?" he asked as he gave her his attention.

"Far be it for me to encourage Catherine's fancies, but be a dear and sit across from Lady Stashwick at table, will you?" Lady Disley asked. "I wasn't certain she would come until I spoke with her, and now the number of gentlemen to ladies is uneven! The husbands will be sitting across from their wives, and I do not wish to remind her any more than is necessary that my brother is no longer with us."

"I should be happy to oblige, Aunt, but rather than having the company sit ladies to one side and gentlemen to the other according to rank, why not tell everyone to sit where they please?"

"You've a point there, I suppose," his aunt said. "She will have her sister sit by her then, unless Cate sits by Stephen. In which case Addy might sit next to her."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Darcy asked.

"Certainly not. But though I have some idea what your uncle will say to his sister, I fear that if she sits near Elizabeth, she may yet say something that upsets her, and I don't want Catherine's behavior to drive her back to Berkshire. The timing is awful, yes—I suppose I ought to have waited another month or so to ask her to come—but Elizabeth really does need to rejoin society. Hiding herself away from the world isn't good for her."

"You mean like it was not for me?" Darcy challenged her.

His aunt lifted an eyebrow. "Frankly, yes."

"She's got you there, Will," said his cousin. "The farthest you've been from Pemberley in seven years is Disley Court, and that's but half a day's travel by carriage."

"And he only came to one Christmas gathering," Lady Disley reminded them. "With you, I suppose it was not so very unexpected—you've always been a reticent creature, Fitzwilliam—but Elizabeth is not you. You are acquainted with her; you must remember how lively her spirt was before Henry…"

She paused; her own pain at having lost her brother was evident in the moisture that gathered in her eyes. Theodore put an arm around his mother and turned his head to kiss her temple.

Suppressing a sigh, Darcy took up his aunt's hand. "Do not distress yourself, Aunt Frances," he said softly. "I will take the seat across from Eli—Lady Stashwick. No doubt my uncle will have her sit beside him, which is her due as she has precedence; Mrs. Faulkner or Lady Scarborough will no doubt sit beside her."

"And I will endeavour to make sure Aunt Catherine is forced to sit as far from Elizabeth as possible," added Theodore.

Shortly after the return of Mrs. Faulkner to their midst, Lord Disley escorted a silent—and scowling—Lady Catherine into the room. Her expression softened a fraction when she took note of Elizabeth.

"Lady Stashwick," said Lord Disley as he approached her and bowed. "How pleased I am that you could join us this evening. You remember my sister, Lady Catherine de Bourgh?"

Darcy tried to remember when the two might have met and recalled that it was that same Christmas at Disley Court in which he'd instigated a snowball fight. It had been the first time his aunt had left Kent since the death of her daughter Anne, and Colonel Fitzwilliam's subsequent taking possession of Rosings—which Anne had bequeathed him in her will—along with his new wife. After his cousin had died in the autumn of 1815, Lady Catherine had moved to the dower house; following that Christmas gathering two years later, she had removed to a house in London down the street from Disley House.

It's a wonder she wasn't the first to arrive rather than one of the last, Darcy mused.

Lady Catherine curtsied, and Elizabeth inclined her head. "How do you do, Lady Catherine?"

"I am very well, Lady Stashwick, thank you," replied Lady Catherine. "How do you do?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I am well enough, my lady. It has been a very difficult year, but I have survived it."

Lady Scarborough slipped an arm about Elizabeth's waist. "We have indeed, Lizzy."

An irrational surge of envy pierced Darcy when dinner was announced ten minutes later, and his uncle offered his arm to Elizabeth; he'd have liked to be the one to escort her to the dining room, but etiquette dictated that the gentleman of the house escorted the highest-ranked lady.

Ironically, given her origins, that was Elizabeth.

Despite his insistence that he did not intend to pay suit to her, he could not deny that it was a great pleasure to be in her company again. She was even more beautiful than he remembered, and the hint of sorrow that lingered in her countenance made him wish that there was something he could do to ease her pain. He wanted to show her that joy in life could still be found in the accomplishments of her children and the company of friends and family.

That's it, he thought. What a dunderhead I am—having no romantic designs on the lady does not mean I cannot be her friend.