“We shall name the child Bennet, in honour of the family,” Mr. Collins said. “Oh, he is so perfect.”
“You should go to Jane,” Elizabeth said. “Come, come.”
He followed her, holding the child with greater confidence.
Colonel Fitzwilliam yawned when the two left the room. “The excitement is over now. The child looks healthier than I do. I dare say, I’m off to bed.”
Darcy sat back down at the table, with the abandoned cards and small pile of coins. He let out a long breath.
There were still dangers for Jane, and even more for Bennet. A great many children, even those who appeared healthy upon birth, died soon enough. But Darcy had a sense, a confidence or intuition, that Bennet would live.
He picked up the remains of the glass he’d sipped for the whole night and drank the rest of it away. The lights had burned low.
After a few minutes, Elizabeth returned to the room, glowing happy.
She smiled at him as he rose to greet her and came up to him. “I am glad you were here, in the other room the whole time.”
“Everything is well with your sister?” Darcy asked again.
“The midwife is wholly satisfied. And donottell me all the ways, which I am sure you are familiar with, that a mother might still die after such a successful birth.”
“After Anne died, I read several books written by doctors upon the science of obstetrics,” Darcy sheepishly replied.
“I had guessed as much.” Elizabeth smiled at him. “Oh, it was so wholly perfect to watch the crown of the head come out.”
Darcy nodded.
As though by instinct they embraced each other. Elizabeth gripped him tightly. “I grew frightened during the course. But I had to be strong for Jane.”
In reply Darcy stroked his hand slowly up and down her back.
She was perfect, she was worth everything to him.
“I was so glad you were here,” Elizabeth repeated.
“Elizabeth, I—”
“Yes?” She pulled back from him, while still keeping her hands on his arms. “What?”
Instead of answering Darcy went to the inner pocket of his waist coat and pulled out his watch. “The deuce, it is only half past eleven.”
Elizabeth laughed. “You have a half hour left of your thinking duty?”
“A duty placed on me by you,” Darcy replied.
He could not look away from her face, her eyes, her lips, her cheeks. They looked at each other from only a few inches away. He brushed her cheek.
“Even lacking a half hour, three days is enough time for a great deal of thought.” Elizabeth tilted up her face towards his.
“All I can think of now is how much I would like to do this.”
And Darcy kissed her.
Elizabeth kissed him back, at first tentatively, and then fiercely. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed herself tightly against him.
He wrapped his arms around her back, and all the world was perfect.
When she stepped back, they grinned at each other.
