“You know that you need not ask. You will be more than welcome,” Lady Sarah shook her head at their children, amused at the request.
After informing the Bennets of the good news, Richard and Loretta returned to Matlock House. The de Melville's accepted an invitation to stay for one of the family’s impromptu dinners. Cook just shook her head good-naturedly and sent a boy over to Darcy House to coordinate with her now extended staff, as hers was theirs.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As scheduled, while the Fitzwilliams were still in Town, the Darcys and the extended Bennet family departed London for Derbyshire. The Bennets, Phillipses, and Gardiners were to be hosted at Pemberley; the official reason being that with Marie entering her confinement and a wedding to be held at Snowhaven, it would be easier for the three families to stay at the Darcys’estate.
On the first day of travel, Elizabeth was staring out of the window at her ever more handsome betrothed as she recalled the conversation that they had with Father George a few days before their departure from London.
Elizabeth and Will had been asked to meet with his father in the master’s study at Darcy House.
“Once you two are married, would you not prefer your own home rather than a suite of rooms at Pemberley?” Father George had asked.
“Will and I have discussed this, Father George, and we will be happy at Pemberley with you, Mother Anne, and our brother and sister,” Elizabeth responded.
“That was not the question that I asked you. The question is what you would prefer, not what you would be happy with,” Father George insisted.
“What are you thinking, Father? I know you would not ask such a question unless you had something in mind,” Will asked, smiling at his father’s quick grin.
“You have the right of it, Will. You have visited our estate Rivington in Cheshire on numerous occasions, have you not?” he asked.
“Yes, father, I have. Are you suggesting we should live at your second estate?” Will asked.
“Not atmysecond estate, but atyours.Your mother and I are gifting you Rivington for your wedding. Before you object, one day, when God calls me to Him, it will be yours anyway. You will be welcome at Pemberley any time, but this way, you two will start your married life in your own home,” Father George explained.
“That is too much!” Elizabeth had exclaimed,“That estate clears over eight thousand a year.”
“When, please God, you two have your own children, you will see that this not too much. Unless you tell me you prefer not to live in your own home, it is done.” He sat back to wait.
After a brief discussion, Will and Elizabeth gratefully accepted. As the estate was just over the western border of Derbyshire, less than twenty miles from Pemberley and not more than fifteen from Snowhaven, it would not make it too far away to see their family when they desired to, as had been their plan after their marriage.
A day later, when sharing their good fortune with Jane and Perry, the latter had pointed out that as Longfield Meadows was in the West Riding part of Yorkshire, it was just over thirty miles, making Rivington’s location that much more attractive.
Elizabeth was brought out of her reverie when she heard Aggie snore. As it was just her mother and herself in the carriage, Aggie was lying on the floor between them.
Richard was not happy that he would be parted from his betrothed, but he consoled himself with the knowledge Loretta would be arriving in Derbyshire in less than a fortnight. Her family was being hosted at Pemberley, and that was no obstacle given the short distance between Brookfield and Pemberley. He was very much looking forward to showing Loretta and her family her future home.
Thomas Bennet had no complaint that he would beforcedto be at Pemberley and near the library that he occasionally saw in his dreams. On the third day of travel, the caravan of coaches came to a halt at Snowhaven.
The footmen who opened the doors all seemed to be smiling; their questions were answered when Andrew stood in the doorway of the manor house with a little bundle swaddled in pink in his arms. If the baby’s grandmother had been younger, she would have run, propriety be damned, but befitting her age, she walked gracefully at the fastest pace she was able to where her beaming son was standing. No one thought of usurping the second-time grandmother’s right to see her new grandchild first, though they were all anxious to meet her.
“Welcome home, Mama; I present to you Tiffany Rose Fitzwilliam; she was born on the two and twentieth when you were already more than halfway home. By the time a messenger found you, you would have been hours away from Snowhaven anyway,” Andrew soothed his mother’s frown when she glared at him for not having informed her.
“How is my daughter?” his mother asked. By now, everyone was converging on Andrew, so he made the wise decision to retreat to the nearest drawing room where little Tiffany’s nursemaid was waiting.
“Marie is doing as well as the doctor and midwife have seen anyone do after more than twelve hours of labour. She is expected to make a full recovery and should be well enough to see people on the morrow.” Andrew relayed as his family crowded around him to get a glimpse at the sleeping babe.
She had a tuft of golden blond hair, and according to her Papa, she had the hallmark blue eyes of the Fitzwilliams, but those could change as she got a little older. According to Lady Anne, little Tiffany was approximately the same size as Georgiana was when she was born.
“My best wishes on your betrothal, little brother,” Andrew said as Richard admired his new niece.“Buck up, Richard, it is barely a fortnight until you see her again,” Andrew ribbed his brother, who gave him a look that said,‘just you wait.’
“Has my nephew met my new niece yet?” Elizabeth asked as she admired the newest member of the family.
“Reggie is not two yet, so he does not know what to make of the little bundle he met earlier today,” Andrew relayed.“I give him another year or so before he becomes a protective older brother.”
“I will commiserate with Tiffany then,” Elizabeth smiled,“I know all about having protective older brothers, who,” she added,“are the best big brothers a girl could ever ask for.”
“Were Jane and Perry not supposed to stop on their way?” Andrew asked.
