Let it be known that this is a reward for invaluable service to King and Country and a personal, immeasurable debt of gratitude from his Highness, the Regent.
For a moment, Caroline felt her anger bubble up. If she had known this, she could have moved among the first circles, and she would not be in Scarborough married to a tradesman.
She caught herself and calmed down as quickly as her anger had intruded upon her equanimity. She loved her husband, and that had nothing to do with his rank, and as she patted her still flat belly, she suspected she was with child.
The realisation hit her that although she did not have the life her mother had insisted she would have, Caroline had the life which made her happy. She did not miss the irony that everything their late mother had dreamed of had come to fruition in her older daughter, who she had dismissed as not worth her effort.
Caroline was aware, thanks to a visit with her Martin to Winsdale this past summer, that her sister and brother-in-law were far wealthier than they had let on and that Harold was anything but an indolent, drunken sot. She had been shocked when she had seen the actual manor house and discovered that what she had thought was the house was actually the dower house.
Another revelation for Caroline had been how much she enjoyed spending time with her niece and nephews now that she allowed herself to know them.
Not only was she sister to a countess, but through Charles marrying the former Mary Bennet in August past, she was related by marriage to the Fitzwilliams, Ashbys, and Darcys. She had finally met Miss Darcy at the wedding. They were not friends, but Miss Darcy had been friendly to her. It had been humbling to see the Bennets’ connections on display. They never boasted about them, but there were multiple nobles and many others from the circles Caroline had lusted after joining at one time. She had not fawned over any of them, and in turn, they had treated her well.
She was looking forward to the summer of 1813, as the extended family would be meeting at Pemberley. Even though it had been a long time since she had coveted that estate, Caroline was interested to see it and to see if the reality compared to the fantasy she had formed in her mind. Also, she was inanticipation of seeing the Darcy son or daughter, due to be born in November or December of this year.
She looked at the notice once again, and this time Caroline smiled contentedly. She was happy for her sister and brother-in-law and found she felt no envy for what she did not have.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
July 1813
“Welcome Jane, Andrew, Robby and Henry,” Elizabeth enthused when the footman opened the door to the Hilldale travelling coach. Henry Richard Fitzwilliam was only three months of age, but as it was less than forty miles from Hilldale to Pemberley, and the weather was warm, Jane and Andrew had decided that it was safe to travel with their newest babe. As far as Elizabeth remembered, they had planned to stop as often as needed to make the short journey as easy as possible.
“Lizzy, you look like you always did before you surprised us all with the twins,” Jane enthused once she saw Andrew take Henry from Nurse.
Elizabeth had known she was large but had not had an inkling she was carrying more than one babe. She had given birth in October rather than November as expected. Bennet had arrived, a little small but otherwise healthy. The pains had begun again and rather than the afterbirth, Annabeth had come into the world, seemingly very angry that she had been evicted from her home. Much to William’s delight, Annabeth had been born with a mop of raven-coloured curls, which Mamma confirmed was just the same as Elizabeth had at birth.
William’s joy had been complete when, just after the twins reached the fifth month of life in the world, his daughter’s eyes changed to become the same colour as her mother’s. His prayer for a daughter who looked just like his Elizabeth had been answered. Annabeth, named for his mother and his beloved wife, was called Bethie by all, and his son and heir, Bennet, was Ben to everyone. Much to his wife’s pleasure, Ben was a much smaller copy of her husband. He had the Fitzwilliam deep, piercing blue eyes, and once he started to have hair at three months; eventually, it looked just like Darcy’s as well. After his mother’s death delivering Gigi, Darcy was as worried as can be, but his Elizabeth had been blessed and made a full and quick recovery.
The only thing that had caused some argument was his insistence on a wetnurse to help with the nighttime feedings. After a few weeks of being tired all the time, Elizabeth agreed that William’s plan was a wise one.
She shook the memories from her head. “And you, Jane Fitzwilliam, look the same after delivering two children, which I dare say will be as it is if you deliver twenty more,” Elizabeth teased.
“Do not even jest about so many children,” Louisa said as she approached the Hilldale coach with Ignatius holding her hand. He would be three in December.
“Hawo Wobby,” Ignatius greeted excitedly as soon as he saw Robby, who had turned two in June past. “You wanna pway wif me?”
“Mamma, I go pway wif Iggy?” Robby pleaded.
Louisa indicated the nursemaid waiting behind her. She nodded to Jane.
“Yes, Robby, darling, you may go and play with Ignatius. You must listen to Nurse and have your nap without argument,” Jane stated with a smile.
“Awight, Mamma, I be good,” Robby promised.
Soon, the nurse was walking quickly to keep up with the two toddlers on their way to the nursery.
“Have the party from Longbourn arrived?” Jane asked.
“Yes. Papa is in the library, Catherine and Lydia are with Gigi, and Tommy is riding with our husbands.” Elizabeth cocked her head to Louisa. “Of course, Arthur is with them on his pony.”
“Excuse me, ladies, I do not want to interrupt your catching up, but I wanted to greet you and to tell Jane I am taking this little man up to the nursery before he wakes,” Hilldale stated. “When he wakes, will he need to eat? If so, I am not equipped for that task.”
“I will follow you in a few minutes,” Jane told her husband.
After his sister-in-law and Louisa greeted him, Hilldale made his way up the stone steps into the house on his way to the nursery.
“Louisa, where is your sister? Is Mrs Phishman here?” Jane enquired.
