Mercury, Elizabeth’s horse, had been sent directly from Seaview to Pemberley, along with her husband’s stallion, Zeus. As much as she loved to ride, Elizabeth knew she would soon have to forgo the pleasure since she was now sure she was with child.
She had not yet told her husband, but she had felt sick in the coach, and she had never had an issue travelling before. In addition, the smell of fish was starting to make her feel nauseated each time she had the unfortunate opportunity to encounter it. She would have to talk to cook and their French chef to let them know for family meals and any private trays requested for her, they would need to exclude fish for the next seven to eight months. The revelation of her state to her husband could be delayed no longer due to the conversation she needed to have with Cook and Chef.
The Darcys and Miss Bennet were welcomed to Pemberley by Mr. Douglas and Mrs. Reynolds. Mrs. Darcy greeted each staff member who had lined up to meet her as mistress and thanked them all for taking time out of their busy day to greet her, again, to the delight of all, remembering names of those she had met on her prior visit while she was still Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
Both of the unmarried sister’s companions were part of the party and had travelled in a second carriage with Darcy’s valet and the three lady’s maids. In conversation between the companions, both Mrs. Chandler and Mrs. Annesley agreed they would not have much to do besides some lessons for their charges.
The two ladies had become fast friends during all of the time they had spent together and would give the new sisters their space as it was easy to see how close Miss Darcy and Miss Bennet had become.
Mrs. Reynolds showed Kitty Bennet and Mrs. Chandler to their suite in the family wing, leaving the Darcys and Mrs. Annesley to repair to their suites. Once her abigail had helped her change into a day dress, Elizabeth walked through their private sitting room to knock on the door to her husband’s chambers.
“Enter,” Darcy responded in his rich baritone voice she could never get enough of hearing, and she entered to find Carstens picking lint of her husband’s coat.
“Could you please leave us, Carstens. I need to talk privately with my husband,” Elizabeth instructed.
“Yes, Mistress, right away.” The valet left the chambers with all haste.
“Yes, my love, what is it we need to discuss?” Darcy asked, concerned because she had asked his valet to leave for the first time.
“Not a discussion, my beloved husband, I only have something to tell you.” She took a deep breath and met his eyes steadily. “I believe I am with child.” He seemed dumbstruck for a minute and Elizabeth became concerned. “Does this news not please you William?” she asked hesitantly.
“Yes, it most certainly does my love. I am overjoyed!” her worry shook Darcy out of his stupor. “There is nothing I want more than to have a family with you.” Darcy hugged his wife, then lifted her and spun her around before he caught himself. “I am so sorry, love. I should not have been so exuberant. I did not hurt you, did I?” he looked her over for injury or upsets.
“William, I am with child not a china doll. You married a hearty country girl whose mother bore six children with no trouble, so before you think I have to spend the next month’s doing nothing but sitting or lying around, I do not!” Elizabeth pre-empted her husband’s inclination to be overprotective.
“We are to be parents? I am going to be a father! You could not have delivered better news, my love. What a gift you have given me, my Lizzy. I would like to ask Mrs. Reynolds to call Mr. Tristan Bartholomew who has been our physician since he took over his father’s practice in Lambton,” Darcy asked hopefully.
“I have no objection to seeing Mr. Bartholomew, my love.” Elizabeth smiled benevolently as she had expected no less.
Exuding joy, he pulled the bell cord to summon the housekeeper. “When do you want to announce our news to our sisters, if the doctor confirms your suspicions, my dearest, loveliest, Elizabeth?” he asked excitedly.
“Jane and Mary know of my suspicions. It was a shared sisterly confidence the night we talked before their weddings. I suspect they have shared the news with their husbands by now but have been sworn to not talk about it to anyone else.” Seeing her husband did not look happy he was not the first to be told she sighed in understanding. “Mary had asked me a question about my monthlies, and it just came out. I did not want to say anything too soon in case it was not true and then I would have disappointed you.”
“Lizzy, you can tell me anything, nothing will ever disappoint me about you,” Darcy assured her. There was a knock at the door and Darcy told Mrs. Reynolds to enter.
“I suspect I may be with child, Mrs. Reynolds, could you please have someone ride to Lambton to summon Mr. Bartholomew?” Mrs. Darcy asked calmly. “I would ask for you to not share this news with anyone else. We will share the news once I feel the quickening. Also, please talk to Cook and Chef and let them know there will be no fish dishes on the menu until further notice. I had not told you yet, husband, but I get nauseated at the smell of fish now,” Elizabeth smiled sweetly.
“Such glorious news Master, Mistress. The next generation of Darcys on the way! Oh my! I will do as you have requested, and I swear my lips are sealed. I will not say a word until you make the official announcement,” Mrs. Reynolds promised excitedly.
“Hannah, I have known you since I was four years old and I trust you implicitly, that is why we are talking to you and no one else,” Darcy told the most trusted woman.
“Thank you, Master William, your confidence in me is much appreciated. Unless there is something else, may I be excused so I can send a groom to Lambton and talk to the chef and cook?” she asked, eager to help settle the question once and for all.
“You may go, Mrs. Reynolds, and thank you for your discretion,” Elizabeth agreed, amused at the excitement of both.
“Thank you, Mistress.” Mrs. Reynolds curtsied and left.
No sooner was the door closed than the couple fell into each other’s arms. There was a shared feeling of bliss that their love had produced a son or daughter so quickly, should all go as they hoped was God’s will.
“Is there a problem with an entail on Pemberley, will there be an issue if we only have girls, William?” Elizabeth asked softly. She well remembered the stories of how her mother had worried about the entail on Longbourn after she had birthed four daughters before her sons.
“No, my love. Much like your father has done, the only entail on Pemberley is that it cannot be broken up or sold and no one that is not family by blood can inherit, regardless of gender. So even if we only have girls, Pemberley will be inherited by our oldest daughter, though there is a stipulation her husband takes the Darcy name to make sure there is always a Darcy at Pemberley,” Darcy reassured his wife.
This news removed any anxiety Elizabeth had about the pressure to bear a son. Now all she needed to do was to enjoy being his pregnant wife.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The following day, the day after the physician had confirmed the wonderous news, Darcy met with his friend and rector, Patrick Elliot in his study. Once they were both seated, and refreshment offered and accepted, they discussed some parish business that Elliot felt his patron should be apprised of.
