“Your parents will not take offence if we tell Mama first, will they?” she worried her lip.
“No love, they will understand that the first person that you would want to tell is your mother.” He kissed her forehead and cheeks. “We will all be having dinner at Jersey House on the morrow so we can tell the rest of the family then, but after we share the news with your parents, we will go to see mine at Rhys-Davies House so they know within minutes of one another.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On the way to Jersey House the three Darcys were discussing their joy that the whole family had accepted the invitations to come to Pemberley for Christmas. Anne and Ian would make the trip to join the Bennets, Gardiners, Rhys Davies, De Melvilles, and the Fitzwilliams for the family to celebrate the birth of the Son. The Elliots would join them, although for them it was but a short walk from the parsonage to the great house. The Darcys were scheduled to leave town at the end of the month.
Once the school term ended, Lord and Lady Longbourn and the three unmarried daughters would make the journey, along with Ladies Tiffany and Loretta and Lily Gardiner and their companions, into the wilds of Derbyshire and the frigid temperatures found there at that time of the year.
Lord and Lady Hilldale, Lord and Lady Matlock, Sir Edward and Lady Gardiner, and Sir Richard and Lady Jane would follow four days later. The Ashbys, Rhys-Davies, and De Melvilles would arrive a sennight before Christmas.
“If Jane felt the quickening in the past sennight, then when should you feel something from our daughters, Lizzy?” Darcy asked, renewing the ongoing playful disagreement.
“You mean when will our sons make their presence known?” retorted his impertinent wife.
“You may both be correct; it could be one of each could it not?” Georgie interjected, playing the adult finding the middle ground.
“Yes Georgie, that is a possibility. It could also be that I only carry one babe and I am just adding weight thanks to cook’s sumptuous food,” Elizabeth arched her eyebrow in challenge as she said the last.
“Come now, dearest, you know that is not true,” her husband scolded her for talking about herself in such a manner.”
“By the time that we return to Town toward the end of January our babe or babes should make their presence known. Once I feel the quickening, I will see Sir Frederick and hopefully he should be able to hear the heartbeats with that cone device that he uses,” Lizzy winked at Georgiana.
The Darcy carriage came to a halt at Jersey House. After being relieved of their outerwear by the footmen, they were shown into a large drawing room where they noted that they were the last to arrive. The Countess of Pemberley took one look at her younger sister sitting between their mother and the Duchess and she knew exactly what the glow emanating from Mary meant. She said naught, waiting for an announcement to be made if that is what her sister and brother decided to do.
Lord and Lady Jersey thanked the Darcys for the invitation to celebrate the Christmas season at Pemberley and the Twelfth Night ball that would follow.
At dinner, Lord Hugh announced that his Lady Mary was with child, about two to three monthsenceinte. The announcement was a surprise to few. All of the mothers and mothers-to-be had seen the signs just as Elizabeth had as soon as they saw Mary.
Tim Jacobson still had to pinch himself to make sure that he was not dreaming about having such a large extended family. The thing that impressed him the most is that none of them ever lauded their titles over anyone and he was made to feel part of the family without reservation, just as had happened when their dear departed father had asked the Bennets to become Helen’s guardians. Tim was sitting between Lydia and Helen, as he always seemed to be regardless of conscious thought or not.
He felt drawn to Lydia in ways that he could not explain. He knew that there were two large impediments to dissecting his feelings. There were still four months left to mourn his Papa and close to two years before Lydia would come out. He was determined to behave within the bounds of propriety and never have his character questioned, so he buried the feelings. He was friendly and obliging, but nothing more. As was befitting to honour their father, until they reached half mourning in a few weeks, Tim and Helen only attended family dinners outside of the home.
Tim Jacobson would be one of the party to travel to Pemberley, and he was looking forward to seeing that estate. He had been impressed by the Bennet’s three estates in Hertfordshire where the topography was not dissimilar from the area around Janet’s Well. He loved exploring and was anticipating seeing the snow-covered Peaks, especially now that he knew that some were an easy distance from the Darcy’s estate.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Lord Pemberley was a worried man. His rather petite wife was increasing at an alarming rate. Being one who liked to study whatever he could from his books, he had made himself very nervous after reading about a case some ten years ago where the woman had a strange growth in her belly that made her increase rapidly and ultimately both mother and babe perished. As he did when he was worried, he got tunnel vision and missed all of the other symptoms listed that accompanied that case, which his wife displayed none of. He was close to calling off the trip back to Pemberley he was so concerned.
Thankfully before he took any action; he discussed his concerns with his wife, as he had promised her a partnership where he would consult her rather than making officious decisions without her input. He was worried, but he was also a man of his word. It helped that there were two sisters who would descend on him like avenging angels if he started to panic without thinking again.
His obviously calm wife had suggested that they call on Sir Frederick before leaving Town so that they could make an informed decision. Darcy saw the logic in what his beloved wife suggested and they had an appointment with Sir Frederick that afternoon. They were shown into the waiting parlour and when his wife was called, Darcy stood, took her arm, and marched into the examination room with her.
“M-my Lord, p-please wait in the parlour until Sir Frederick has completed his examination of L-Lady Pemberley,” the nurse squeaked out, already intimidated by the look on Darcy’s face.
“Unless my wife asks me to leave, I will be with her,” he looked at his wife with a pleading question in his eye.
“It is my desire that Lord Pemberley remains with me,” Lizzy’s smile was both playful and unexpected by the others in the room.
Sir Frederick had no objection as long as the lady did not. Darcy told him about the case that he had read of and his worry that his wife may have the same problems. After his wife was helped into a long robe by the nurse, the accoucheur started his examination. He asked many questions as he poked, prodded, and listened with his conical device. When he was complete, he asked the Darcys to join him in his study once her Ladyship was dressed. Not ten minutes later the nurse showed the couple into the accoucheur’s study.
“Lord and Lady Pemberley, please be seated,” Sir Frederick nodded at the two chairs.
“Please do not keep me, er us, in suspense Sir Frederick,” the Earl could barely breathe.
“I see no trace of the issue that you read about, Lord Pemberley.” The accoucheur paused as his words sunk in, “I consulted about that case about ten years ago. The lady in question had a cancer, which is what caused the growth. There weremanyother symptoms of the disease that presented themselves before the lady started increasing rapidly due to the growth. While I examined your wife my Lord, I saw nothing that was indicative of anything but a normal and healthy pregnancy. I am now convinced that your wife is carrying twins, at the very least.”
“AT THE VERY LEAST?” Darcy blurted out at full volume.
