“I could not agree with you more, Fanny. As far as the Viscount is concerned, if Lizzy has two boys one will be the Pemberley heir, Viscount Rivington, and the other will be Viscount Meryton. Lizzy has gifted Bennet Park to be my heir’s seat. Even if she births three girls, as long as she is healthy, I care not!” Lord Longbourn said with deep feeling and worry for his second daughter.
The Fitzwilliam grandparents could not but agree that little Elly was perfect, serene and beautiful like her mama. The plethora of aunts and uncles could only fall in line as they took turns holding her. When Mary and her niece sat down in the nursery, she met her niece’s eyes and the young lady ceased fussing.
“My love, you may have the hardest of tasks if you too inherited the Bennet blood, but you have the exact mother whose example you should follow. Should you be slightly less able to be so serene, you will have my character. You may come to my house and I promise to help you express yourself and find your own way as I will my own daughters. Do not be afraid of yourself as I was. If you are very lucky you will be a mix of myself, your mother and your Aunt Lizzy,” she said as she smiled at her niece. “Your mother deserves only the best version of all of us in her children.” She lifted her niece and kissed her, cuddling her protectively in her arms.
Unbeknownst to the Marchioness, her father was standing and listing as she held and spoke to her new niece, “As for your father and uncles, there is some debate on which of your aunts is happiest but if they have their way, I can promise you this: You will be locked in a tower until you are thirty and assuredly rich but on the shelf. You will also be given a horse that men will drool over as much as they will you…” she started her list and Lord Longbourn’s laugh filled the nursery and spilled out into the halls; Mary suddenly became aware that she had garnered the attention of the household.
Kitty walked up to her mother from behind and wrapped around her, resting her chin on her mother’s shoulder. “I would love to have three Lizzy’s running around my house, but without one Mary my house would not be complete. How did I ever not see her…” she tried to stem her sadness after all the dismissals she had given her middle sister.
“She was not ready to be seen, Kitty,” Hugh soothed his sister-in-law, smiling at the scene. He appreciated his Mary more every day, with her eyes watching all, a keen intellect, and a sense of humour he could not get enough of.
“I feel I must warn you about your father,” Mary sighed. “Actually, your father and both of your grandfathers fall into this category so listen well. They are often teasing, so you have my leave to cross verbal swords with them as you dare,” she said as she gave her father a playful look. “Your Uncle Darcy needs a hundred hugs a day and with the brood your Aunt will have, there will be a few needed from you as she will only be able to give him ninety or so. With your Uncle Hugh, I fear that if you have my disposition, he will also be yours to command at will…” Mary smiled when she heard his laughter behind her, surprised when she turned to look and saw all their family.
“When in Longbourn, unless the door is closed your conversations are for the ears of all,” Mary added drolly, gaining the laughter of her family as she kissed her niece while hugging her close. The next moment Kitty was at her other side and was hugging Mary and patting their niece. Mary rested her head atop Kitty’s and the rest of the family left them alone as Mary started to explain why she had needed some extra time before she was able to become closer with her sisters and that she looked forward to spending more time with her younger siblings this visit.
As Lizzy was essentially on bedrest, she could not be present for Elly’s birth so she had to wait a sennight before the proud papa brought her in to meet her Aunt Lizzy for a short time.
“I hear tell that you had quite the talk with your Aunt Mary. Probably a longer one than any of us have been blessed with, maybe ever.” Elizabeth kissed and cuddled her niece. “You cannot imagine how loved you are, Elly, and Aunt Mary was right, Uncle William does need a hundred hugs a day. I would be most happy for your help!” She stated softly, tears dropping on her niece’s cheek. “You have the very best of mothers, truly, and you have a bevy of aunts that will be desperate for you to come visit, a slew of cousins who will want your time, and a whole lot of uncles and grandparents, some of the heart only, that will be vying for your attention and to spoil you. But if you are your mother’s daughter, then you will be the best example for all of our children to follow. You will be outgoing if you follow the personalities of Aunts Helen, Lydia, or Kitty; truly angelic if you have your mother’s disposition or that of Aunt Charlotte’s or Anne’s, but if you are as your Aunt Mary? You, Elly, will be a true gift to us and one we will not fail to see.” She hugged her niece in tight.
“She was right about your grandfathers and papa. They truly are jokesters. Also, what she may not have gotten around to? Your grandmothers? All six or seven of them? They are the backbones of this family. The men who have chosen us are special, they want us to be truly the best version of ourselves, and as the first grandchild I fear you will be spoiled most assuredly. Do not tell any of your other aunts and uncles, but you already have a room assigned just to you at Pemberley for when you are out of the nursery. I am having it painted in a beautiful rose and cream colour scheme and your bed will have so many pillows and dolls you may not be able to squeeze into it.” She kissed Elly again, nodding when her husband chuckled and saw that they were also being listened to by quite a crowd.
“Your Aunt Mary was right about conversations and open doors,” Lizzy laughed brightly for the first time in days and Darcy’s face lit up at the hearing of it, the baby cooed loudly as she looked up at her aunt. “I hope that you have company soon as this brood is out of me. Then, Elly, you and I will have a propertête-à-têtewith tea.” She kissed her niece and handed her back to Richard who was waylaid by Darcy.
“For that laugh, Elly, I will be buying you the best horse we can find in the country. I will be in for my hug soon,” Darcy kissed his niece and went to his wife’s side.
“These children may make us paupers if you are buying them all the best horses in the land every time one makes me laugh,” she teased her husband whose countenance lit up at her doing so.
“Since it will be her father’s line it comes from, I am hoping for discounts,” he joked, making her laugh until she gasped for air, waving away his concern and smiling at her family.
“You have all been too maudlin around me of late. Elly is truly the blessing that her mother is. I need laughter and to be positive, and it is hard when I am the only one who laughs.” She slid her hand into her husband’s. “While it is true this will be difficult, I am my mother’s daughter and while she gifted Mary and Jane with her depths, she gifted Kitty and me with her fortitude, Lydia and me with her sense of humour, Lydia and Kitty herjoie de vivre, and all of us her beauty and ability to love without reservation. If any woman can handle this trial, it is I, William,” she reminded him gently.
“You are of course right, my beloved. I too was too caught up in concern. No one tell Mary or Jane,” he scowled at the group playfully and when Mary cleared her throat he winced and Lizzy erupted in laughter no one could resist.
“Oh, William,” she smiled up at him, the colour of her cheeks and the brightness in her eyes all the livelier as they had been absent for weeks, “I love you more each day, my beloved husband.”
“Do refrain from kissing my second daughter as you intend until I am at least unable to watch,” Lord Longbourn groused, pleased beyond measure that Elly had gifted all of the household with much needed joy, just as her mother always did. He retired from the field, taking his Fanny with him to slip out to the church where they would give thanks to God and offer their prayers on behalf of their second daughter.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
It was on the eighteenth day of March, that the Darcy brood let their mother know that it was time for them to meet the family. Night at Longbourn was very quiet until after midnight. The first sign that something was happening was when Darcy yelled for one of the footmen stationed in the hall near the Lavender suite and instructed him to wake Sir Frederick, his nurses, and the midwife. It was a matter of minutes before everyone was wide awake except for the younger Gardiner children, who were all asleep in the nursery and blissfully unaware.
Lady Longbourn entered her daughter’s bedchamber where she was already being attended by the midwife and the accoucheur with his nurses assisting as needed. She looked at her daughter and could immediately tell that she was in labour. Fanny was followed in by Rose Rhys-Davies, Madeline Gardiner and Sarah De Melville. Jane and the rest of the Fitzwilliams were at Bennet Fields; they would soon be woken and make their way to Longbourn.
“Oh my, what is all this wetness?” Elizabeth demanded, holding tightly to William’s hand while he looked on nervously.
“That, my dear Lady Elizabeth, was your waters,” said Sir Frederick with authority. “Mr Darcy, it is time for you to go join the men downstairs, in the library I assume.”
“Unless my Lizzy wants me to leave, I am not going anywhere!” He stated daring someone to gainsay him.
“But sir, it is not done,” Mrs Richardson frowned.
Sir Frederick smiled; he should have expected this after he had gone through unsuccessfully trying to eject Lord Fitzwilliam Darcy from his wife’s examination in London.
“Unless mywifedoes not want my presence, it will be done,” he countered. Anyone who knew Darcy could tell from the steel in his voice that he would brook no opposition.
“I want William to stay with me. Propriety be damned! If I am giving birth to three babes,IWILL HAVEWilliam here!” Lizzy yelled out, daring anyone to argue with her.
“William will stay, Lizzy. No one will ask him to leave for as long as you want him here with you.” Lady Longbourn soothed her daughter with a cool cloth to her face and a gentle promise.
