Condolence wishes were expressed by those who had not had a chance to do so as yet. ‘I am sure that Papa and Mama are smiling on us from heaven,’ Tim told himself wistfully, missing both of his parents. ‘Butyes, Mama and Papa, your children are at a meal with a Duke and Duchess, a Marquess and Marchioness, three Earls and their Countesses, two Viscounts and one Viscountess, two Baronets and their Lady wives, and a slew of Ladies. I want you to know that Helen chose the perfect family for us, Papa and I am glad you followed her heart. Not because of their wealth and titles, but because of their almost overwhelming love and kindness. Do you know that Lord and Lady Longbourn are to start a school, hospital and orphanage in Surrey near the Well? Mama you always dreamed of doing this and they are doing it in your name for us.
‘We miss you both, so very much. The Bennets will never replace you as our parents and they do not wish to try, but they wish to be there for us in your stead. Rest in peace my beloved parents.’
Lydia could see that Tim was maudlin and she could guess the subject of his reverie. He was sitting next to her so she made a quip about some folly that she and Helen had got into while they were at the Dark Hollow School which had the desired effect and caused him to smile. ‘He looks so much better when he smiles. He is handsome and I hate to see him in pain,’ Lydia thought as she looked at the young man next to her. ‘If he ever allows me, I would love to make him smile for the rest of his life. There is time, I will be sixteen in a matter of weeks and then two more years before I come out. No more scoundrels in regimentals for me!’
During the separation of the sexes after the sumptuous meal that offered no fish dishes, the Duchess of Bedford looked at her goddaughter who was sitting next to her performing her hostess duties with aplomb. She served tea for the ladies while Georgie was left to pour coffee for others. Once Elizabeth was done drinking her tea, the Duchess raised an eyebrow as she examined her goddaughter closely.
“Yes godmother, is there a blemish on my face?” Lizzy arched her eyebrow and met her godmother’s stare head on. Rosamond Rhys-Davies laughed softly as she loved Lizzy’s impertinence.
“No Lizzy, you have no blemish. I do, however, see other changes,” she did not notice that the ladies in the room were all watching them and had ceased talking when she quietly asked if her goddaughter was with child.
“I have the same question, Lizzy!” Lady Jersey observed her niece with particular attention to her skin, eyes, and figure and saw that all the signs were there as her friend Rose had observed.
“I did not say a word Miss Lizzy, so do not be looking at me in such a fashion. I am not the only one who can spot a woman with child easily,” Fanny waved off the questioning look Elizabeth shot at her.
“Yes, I am increasing. It is early in my pregnancy unlike,” Elizabeth looked at Jane who gave her an almost imperceptible nod, “Jane. She is between one and two months ahead of me.”
“Have you both seen a physician?” Lady Jersey asked after a hearty round of well-wishing.
“Yes,” Jane interjected, “both Lizzy and I have seen Sir Frederick Gillingham. He confirmed our states and said that from what he can see all is normal.”
“As I have a slight swell already, I asked him if that was normal so early on,” Lizzy reported, “and he said it is when there is possibly more than one babe. I may be carrying twins. It is not sure; he will not know until he can use his listening cone and hear heartbeats months from now. Until then it is but conjecture.”
“I shall be driven to distraction with so many grandchildren born so close together,” the Countess of Longbourn almost fidgeted in her seat, “I hope that my girls bear their husband heirs and not only daughters as I did.”
“It is in God’s hands Mama. Whatever He grants us, as long as the babes are healthy, we will be well,” Lizzy said as she smiled at her mother. “Remember Mama, none of our estates are entailed so even if we are blessed with only girls, all will be well.”
Once the men joined the ladies in the music room, the young ladies there exhibited culminating in a song by all of the Bennet and formerly named Bennet daughters playing and singing together.
Darcy walked over to his beloved wife and asked her if all was well. She informed him that the not so ‘secret news’ was known to all the women present and it would not be long before their husbands would be informed, as like the Darcys, none of them kept confidences from their spouses.
After the guests left, the three Darcys retired for the night. Carstens had his master changed into a nightshirt in short order and was dismissed, taking Darcy’s hessians with him to polish and buff. When he walked into his wife’s chambers he saw her Abigail brushing her mistress’s hair.
“Unless you have something else for Arseneault to do, I can finish brushing your hair, my love,” he offered, looking at the dark chestnut curls he so loved.
“Goodnight, Jacqui. I will ring for you in the morning,” Elizabeth smiled up at him. As her husband brushed her hair in long, strong strokes, Elizabeth let out a groan of pleasure. She heard him clear his throat, which always indicated that he was thinking about something he wanted to say.
“My dearest Elizabeth, I have a question for you,” he paused and cleared his throat again. “One I have wanted to ask you for some time now. When did you fall in love with me?”
“I must date it back to seeing your wonderful grounds at Pemberley,” she teased him and he playfully flicked her shoulder.
“Be serious, my love. I did not ask this sooner, I was remiss, but I would like to know. It will not change my love and affection for you, it is just for my edification.” He kissed her soundly to make his point and felt her respond in kind.
“How do you expect me to answer when you kiss me so, Husband?” She took some deep breaths to get her rapidly beating heart under regulation. “I will answer your question seriously. However, after I answer your question, I ask that you recount how you fell in love with me, William.”
“You know I can deny you nothing that you ask of me my Elizabeth,” her husband nodded his ascent.
“I cannot fix a date or time and I would not admit it to myself, but I started to fall in love with you after you humbled yourself with your apology to me and my family at Gardiner House, not caring about your humiliation in front of us. It was the action that told me that you were not the proud and arrogant man that I had believed you to be, so I could perhaps fix it to seeing your willingness to change and better yourself.
“Your letter made me look at myself almost as much as I analysed the wrongs I saw in you. For the first time I saw pride and prejudice that I accused others of, in myself. I had allowed the slight that I heard at the assembly to cloud my judgment! My normal discernment was absent as I overlooked the glaring inconsistencies in that man’s tale of woe that I now know was all lies, but for a kernel of truth. The truth is that I was never indifferent to you. If I was, I would have laughed the comment off and never given it a thought. You are the most handsome man I had ever seen; I believe that there was an instant attraction which made your comment hurt that much more and led to my wanting to find out anything about you that painted you in a negative light.
“You have heard me say only think of the past as it gives you pleasure?” He nodded. “I was holding myself back from allowing myself to admit I loved you because of the past.” She saw that her husband was about to defend her actions so she continued before he had a chance to object. “You had already proved over and over again that you were no longer that man I had met in Hertfordshire but I ignored the facts and used that as an excuse to prolong our courtship. I realised I too was a hypocrite.
“After I admitted to my own hypocrisy, the love of you was almost overwhelming. My Papa spoke to me before Charlotte and I left with Aunt Maddie and Uncle Edward and I admitted that I was in love with you and all I needed was to see you in your natural environment, at Pemberley. I allowed that once I had, I intended to give you the sign that I was ready for you to renew your addresses. The rest you know, so in a way my tease has some truth to it. It was seeing how relaxed and at ease you were at Pemberley that allowed the last small shred of doubt to flee my mind.” She blinked away the last of her tears.
“I will forever be grateful that you agreed to visit Pemberley and that you brought Charlotte with you. My friend, Elliot, is forever in your debt, as their happiness now attests,” he smiled back at her. “You asked me to answer when I fell in love with you?” He swallowed dryly and she nodded, wanting to hear his accounting of how it happened. “After that insult that you overheard, which truly was never intended for you, I scanned the nameless faces and found myself lost in your flashing, angry eyes. When I truly looked at them and the rest of you, I saw the most beautiful woman I had ever come across and that those eyes belonged to her. I was rooted to the spot as I had never been attracted to any woman before.
“I was in the middle before I acknowledged that I was in love with you, but my feelings cemented at Lucas Lodge when you were teasing Colonel Forster about holding a ball and then asked me what I thought of your conversation. I was already entranced; then you did something no other had ever done, you refused a dance with me. When Charlotte importuned you to play and sing, I was irrevocably yours. I could tell that you were holding back, but even still, I had never heard anyone play with as much feeling as you did. Then you began to sing, and I thought that I was listing to one of the choirs of herald angels in heaven. It was then that I forgot myself and admitted to Miss Bingley that I was attracted to your fine eyes and very pretty face.”
