To her it seemed like hours went by while her body toiled, but it mattered not.I will do whatever it takes to bring my baby into this world and survive to raise him. This is the only acceptable outcome.
Finally, Mrs Hobbs was pleased with the progress and not a moment too soon.
Elizabeth cried out, “I beg of you, make it stop!"
“There we go, dearie. Quick, Mary, let’s get her shift off her.”
They removed her shift and Mrs Hobbs climbed on the bed behind Elizabeth and gripped the sides of her protruding belly. “With the next pressure, dearie. Don’ fight it, jest bear down.”
With each consecutive pain, a head slowly emerged. When the little body quickly followed, Mrs Hobbs guided the babe forward into the new mother’s arms. She then dealt with the cord, and helped deliver the afterbirth.
Finally sitting back on her heels, Mrs Elizabeth Carrington beheld her beautiful newborn child through tear-filled eyes. “Welcome, my dear, sweet boy.”
Chapter 3
Dawn was just breaking and Darcy sat forward in his chair, scrubbing his hair back with both hands. Georgiana remained asleep, curled up in a chair by the fireplace with a blanket draped over her.
Darcy quietly stepped out of the parlour to catch the attention of a passing servant to request coffee and to find out how Mrs Carrington was faring.
He paced the floor waiting to hear news and practically leapt towards the door when he heard a knock.
The maid informed him that all was quiet now above stairs. A boy was born a few hours ago and both he and the mother were doing well.
Darcy heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the maid, before closing the door. He stood there a moment unmoving whilst tears flooded his eyes. Only now realising how tremendously apprehensive he had been. Concern for the young mother’s situation struck a chord too close to his own recent experiences.
Mrs Carrington’s survival had become important to him. Her and the babe’s; a little boy. He sent up a prayer for the boy’s father, hoping perhaps for grace to be showered down from on high on the broken family of the deceased captain.
It had been a long night for the bereaved woman, and Darcy whispered a second prayer of gratitude for mother and baby’s safe deliverance.
He stepped over to the window to watch the grey light outside slowly brighten as the sun rose. A man used to caring for others, he had done so for the whole of his adult life. Ever since his father perished suddenly only a few months past his majority.
With his father’s death, Darcy tumbled into the abyss of mourning, burdened with the management of his family estate, and raising his much younger sister. It had been his whole world for nearly nine years, aside from the time he and Georgiana travelled. That had been a freeing experience, even with being his sister’s chaperone.
Until then, his life had been one of duty. Duty to his estate, his family and to Society. His Fitzwilliam family had pressured him to find a wife, which really meant the right and proper kind of wife from theTon. A young lady, connected and with a respectable dowry, able to assist Georgiana with her come out and provide the required Darcy heir.
Before Darcy could begin such a search, Georgiana came close to making a mistake of epic proportions. Sadly, it had the added effect of destroying her self-esteem. So, he set things in order at Pemberley, gave his investments temporarily over to his man of business, with the instructions to put everything on hold as it was. Then, he and Georgiana set out on a journey, seeing new sights but finding a sense of peace and closeness along the way.
Under the guise of visiting the Darcy satellite estates in Scotland, and Ireland, they travelled, going where and when they pleased, with no return date in mind.
A significant amount of time was spent at each estate, but in between, brother and sister toured the sights, be they nature or historic. Randomly stopping at villages, towns or cities, to shop, meander or simply sit and enjoy the peace and beauty together.
It took time, but his sister overcame her fears and shame, and they grew closer. Shifting from a father-daughter dynamic to a brother-sister one, he was quite proud of how assured and gracious she now was. Like himself, his sister was reticent, but her shy andquiet demeanour now encased inner steel. She would never again be taken in by rakes or fortune hunters.
They had both required all their strength and resolve to deal with the shocking situation they found at Rosings upon their return to England. He could not help but reflect on what occurred when they visited their aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter, Anne.
Rosings, April 1812
“I must get away, Fitzwilliam, or I will surely die.” Anne, pale and terrified, begged for his help.
Disturbed by how poorly and weak Anne looked, Darcy was determined to take Anne away to Pemberley as Georgiana’s guest, but without a marriage contract Lady Catherine refused to allow Anne to be removed. Despite Anne being of age, she was kept a virtual prisoner. His blood still boiled whenever he recalled the tumultuous conversation with his aunt.
“I need an heir. Your daughter will perish in the attempt of it.”
The gleam in her eye was cruelty itself. Her only concern was avariciousness in its purest form.
His decision was quick. After confiding in his sister, an announcement was made, and they were married by special license. All the better to remove Anne as soon as possible.
Lady Catherine was blindsided by the impact her daughter’s marriage had in regard to Rosings. Anne was of age and required no consent. Furthermore, legally she was the true mistress. So, Darcy made an ironclad settlement which tied up all monies and control of Rosings in such a way as to render Lady Catherine a veritable pauper, to all extent and purposes. It was Anne’s signature on the settlement, and she approved of every decision.
