“Yes, ma’am. I know just the dress. It was recently sent over by Lady Eleanor while Miss Anna was in Kent. She has yet to see it.”
“Did you hear that, Anna? A new dress from your Aunt Eleanor! And after we have our tea party, we can practice our music and sing for Papa later this evening after dinner.”
“Papa, Mama taught me a lullaby when we were at Rosings Park, and we sang it together every night before we went to bed.”
“A lullaby! I shall look forward to hearing both of you sing it.”
“Thank you, Papa.Ar Hyd y Nosis a song about the angels watching over us while we sleep.”
“Ar Hyd y Nos,”William repeated the words and smiled at his daughter for having pronounced them so clearly. “My, I have not heard that song in a very long time.”
“William, you will be pleased. I taught AnnaAll through the nightand as you heard, she was very diligent in learning some of the Welsh words.”
“Her pronunciation is excellent, Elizabeth, and I look forward to hearing the two of you sing. It will warm my heart to end our celebration with music.”
“Then we shall make it so, shall we not, Anna?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Anna, now Papa and I must go,” Elizabeth said giving Anna a kiss and a hug. “Be sure to have Dolly and Janie ready for our tea party.”
“We will be ready, Mama.”
“Hannah, if you need me, I shall be in my sitting room working on my correspondence once Mr. Darcy and I break our fast and I have met the servants.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After William said a few more parting endearments to Anna, the couple reluctantly took their leave. Though they both knew Anna would be well-taken care of by Hannah, the suffering that their child had endured was not easily dismissed, as was evident by her dream.
Walking through the hallway, William tightly held Elizabeth’s hand and pulled her close on entering the bed chamber. “Elizabeth,” he said, “may we sit and talk a bit before we go about our day?”
“Of course, my love.” Seeing the anguish on his face, she reached up and caressed his cheek. “She will be well, William. Anna has both of us to comfort her. She is very young, and soon the horror of those terrifying memories will pass.”
Sitting on the bed, William took both of Elizabeth’s hands in his. “Elizabeth, I hate the thought of what you and Anna and Georgiana endured because of Wickham. The three of you were put in danger, and it disturbs me that there was nothing I could do to stop that man. I know we have spoken of this before, but if only I had paid….”
“No, William.” She held his face in her hands and proceeded to kiss him. “You will not accept the blame for what happened to the three of us, nor will I allow you to feel guilty for what is long past. You could not anticipate Mr. Wickham’s misdeeds. No one could.
“Right now it is all so fresh in our minds, and that is what makes it difficult. Anna will have a good start today with our little celebration, and each day she will improve. In truth, I fear it will be far harder for Georgiana after what you told me she witnessed at the inn. At present, she has no one to comfort her at Rosings Park. Yet, like Anna, she will have us to help her through any further suffering she may experience, and she will mend.”
He nodded, “Thank you for reminding me.” He kissed her hand and brought it close to his breast. “My love, you have said very little about your own experience. Are you not equally shaken by what happened?”
“I admit I was afraid, but it did not signify, for I had Anna to protect. I had to keep her safe, and I had to be alert in the event I might find some means for us to escape. Mercifully, when Anna and I were at that despicable boarding house, we saw very little of Mr. Wickham. It was only just before we were taken from the house that he came by and threatened us if we did not cooperate.”
“Threats?!” his voice suddenly became strained with alarm and his scowl clearly showed he was not pleased. “What threats? Did he hurt you?” He momentarily studied her face. “I saw the cut on your neck. Did HE do that?”
Her hand flew to the place where Wickham had cut her with the knife and involuntarily bit her lip. “He did, it is true. But, William, ‘tis nothing.”
He pushed her fingers to the side and gingerly touched the long thin scab before kissing her injury. “It is something to me,Elizabeth,” he murmured. “He could have killed you if he wanted to, just as he did Mrs. Younge.”
“Yes, but, he did not. His desire for your money was far greater. Dear William, please, please, do not despair. I am here, safe with you.”
“Oh, my darling,” he said crushing her to his chest. “I love you so. Forgive me, I cannot help but worry over what might have been. Any one of you might have been taken from me.”
“I know, and I love you all the more for your care.” Again they kissed.
Tenderly caressing her face he said, “Elizabeth, tell me, how is it that you knew how to swim? Without your help I might not have been able to save our daughter.”
“Because of the stream which runs along our property, Papa insisted that all of his daughters learn how to swim. I was always glad of it, but never more so than last night. William, God has protected us in more ways than we might possibly imagine. With His help, we shall all move past this travesty and claim happiness for our family. I know it.”
