Chapter 27 #4
“So there is no more Mrs. that or Lady this, I am Lizzy,” she then pointed from lady to lady, “my mother Fanny, my Aunt Maddie, my sisters Jane, Mary, Kitty, Georgiana, and Louisa. Did I miss anyone?” The ladies all shook their heads, so Elizabeth Darcy said with an impertinent smile, “Now the floor is yours, Sarah.”
“Where was I?” she drawled, laughing with the women then nodded at Lizzy with amusement.
“Oh yes, we met when Mr. Allenton accompanied Ian home for a term break when I was but twelve. He was a shy young man and hardly ever paid any attention to his friend’s baby sister.
” At this, both Kitty and Georgiana gave her looks of understanding, “The next time I saw him was two years later, I was fourteen, and he was the new curate for the living that belongs to Ian’s estate.
“He was no longer shy and was as handsome as you see him now. I had a young girl’s infatuation with him, but he still paid me no heed. I have not seen him since until we came here to see Ian and his fiancée.” Lady Sarah blushed as she completed her recitation.
“I think he notices you now, Sarah,” Lizzy opined.
“I am sure you are wrong, Lizzy,” Lady Sarah replied as her blush deepened by many shades.
It was then the men re-joined the ladies, and mortified by her blushing, Sarah dashed to the pianoforte and started to play the first piece of music she found.
Her mortification increased when Graham Allenton asked to be allowed to turn the pages for her, but she steadied herself and gave him a nod of agreement.
The ladies who had heard what Lady Sarah had said about the pastor gave each other knowing looks and were relieved Lady Ashbury was not unhappy. She knew Allenton’s character and she would not be opposed if her daughter accepted him as her potential husband.
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Monday morning dawned and a very excited Anne de Bourgh, who had not slept much due to anticipation and not nervousness or dread, was ready to be Mrs. Ashby already.
She had to admit the conversations she had had with her aunts and married cousins the previous night still left her a little worried about the wedding night, but after the ladies all told her the act, when done between two loving partners, was nothing to be afraid of and was, in fact, a source of pleasure, any doubts and fears Anne had were eased.
She was looking forward with pleasure and not trepidation to her wedding night.
She would follow their advice and not be shy to ask her husband what he liked and let him know the same about her. Lizzy reiterated this was the most important part, and her words had been echoed by Jane and Mary.
When her maid entered and told her that her water was ready, she sprang out of bed and was soon soaking in a luxuriating bath. Once she was finished, she was joined by her Aunts Elaine and Fanny, who oversaw the processes of turning Anne de Bourgh into a glowing bride.
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At the extravagant wedding breakfast, the new Mr. and Mrs. Ashby flitted around accepting wishes for joy and happiness from the assembled revellers. Anne Ashby was overjoyed as she had just gained a mother, father, brother, and two sisters, along with nephews and a niece.
She was incandescent with happiness. On some level, she was sad Lady Catherine was not present to witness the true joy she had found in her life and her love match, but that was but a fleeting moment, and she determined it would also be the final moment she had any regrets about Lady Catherine.
The woman had hurt her in too many ways.
After staying at their wedding breakfast for a little more than two hours, the newlyweds departed for their wedding trip, which was to Seaview Cottage.
The cottage that had had so little use each year prior to Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy’s wedding was now, to the pleasure of the servants working there, in very regular use and had become the wedding trip destination of choice for members of the family.
In addition, members of the family were starting to visit as individual families and as groups for vacations not tied to weddings. There was now so much use the Darcys had determined to keep the cottage fully staffed all year round.
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The following day, the now expanded family headed toward their respective estates and homes. The Darcys first headed to Hertfordshire for two days at Netherfield Park to be hosted by the Fitzwilliams.
Kitty and Georgiana, along with their companions, travelled to Town with Lord and Lady Matlock and the Gardiners. Before the Ashbys left, Graham Allenton asked to take a walk with Lady Sarah, where he requested and was granted a courtship by her and received her father’s permission.
After a two-day sojourn at Netherfield Park, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy started the planned five-day trip home to Pemberley. Elizabeth was ready to get home. While at Netherfield Park she had been visited by many of the local matrons who all opined on her pregnancy and how enormous she was.
Elizabeth could see a significant difference in her belly just in the little over four weeks since they had left the sanctuary of Pemberley.
As they were more than halfway through the month of April, Elizabeth Darcy knew it would not be too much longer but felt she would not be unhappy if she had birthed her babes already, so long as they were healthy.
Her husband reminded her that Sir Fredrick and his nurses would be arriving at Pemberley within a sennight of their return. Darcy did not have to tell his wife to curtail her walking any longer as she could only go a short way before needing to sit and recuperate.
Her mother and Aunts Maddie and Elaine would arrive towards the end of May, and the rest of the family was joining them in mid-June. As much as she loved having family around, she had a feeling, as she neared her lying in, she would not be too social.
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After what seemed like the longest five days in her young life, Elizabeth was very relieved as they crested the hill, and she could see their magnificent home.
When the carriage came to a halt at the entrance, Mrs. Reynolds and Elizabeth’s lady’s maid were there to help the master assist the mistress into the house.
“Welcome home master and mistress. Good Lord above mistress, your belly has got so much larger in the five weeks since you left.” Mrs. Reynolds looked at her in surprise.
“I agree with you, Mrs. Reynolds. I thought twins were normally smaller than a single birthed babe, but maybe these will be large babes as their father is quite tall,” Elizabeth agreed with a thin smile.
On the way up to the master suite, they had to pause four times for the normally energetic Mrs. Darcy to rest and get her wind back.
Once they reached the mistress’s suite, Jacqui helped her mistress change out of her travel attire and then, along with her husband, she was gently lowered into the oversized bathtub to soak and relax.
After she was dried off and dressed, her husband assisted her to their private sitting room. He helped Elizabeth lower herself onto a very comfortable settee and then lifted her legs and placed them on the settee as well.
“Lizzy, we need to talk,” Darcy stated gravely.
“I love to talk to you, my dear husband.” Lizzy offered a smiling reply. She had a very good idea of what he wanted to talk about but refused to make it easier on him.
“You know what I mean, my love. I think the time has come for you to no longer negotiate the stairs. Even with assistance, I do not believe it is good for you, and heaven forbid something happens and you fall, and the babes are hurt, or even worse…something happens to you.
“You know I could not live without you, my dearest, loveliest Elizabeth, so I beg you to agree with me. Before we married, I promised you a partnership and I will always keep that promise. In keeping with my oath to you, I am asking you, not demanding your obedience.” Darcy asked softly.
“Under normal circumstances, I would rebel against restrictions such as the ones I have to live with until I birth our babes, but after my battle today, with the help of three people mind you, I believe you are correct William my love, it is time,” Elizabeth agreed easily.
“Thank you, my Lizzy, you do not know how much it relieves me that we are in agreement about this.” Saying this, Darcy rewarded his wife with a long and passionate kiss.
“If you desire exercise, you can walk in the halls. The house is big enough that you can walk without ever having to go up or down stairs.”
“What about our meals, William?” she asked, not wishing to cause a problem for the staff.
“That is easy, my love. We will take our meals in these chambers. You did not think I would eat in the dining room while my beloved wife dines here alone, did you?” he responded, so relieved she had agreed he would do anything to reward her.
“I knew you would not, William, I just needed to know what you thought was the best plan for us while I am confined to this floor of the house.” Elizabeth smiled sadly. She knew it was the right thing to do, but she would miss her freedom.
“If it would please you, I can have Mrs. Reynolds turn one of the unused chambers in the family wing into a dining room so when we are more than the two of us, you will be able to dine with more people at a time. Does that meet with your approval Lizzy?” he asked thoughtfully.
“Oh yes, William, that would be perfect!” She rewarded her husband with some more very deep kisses.
“Be careful,” he winked at his extremely pregnant wife, “kissing me like that is what got you into the state that you are now in.”
“And all the while I was under the impression it was the actions that followed the kissing that got me like this!” His impertinent wife stated saucily with a look of feigned innocence.
“You are lucky you are so heavy with child, or I would tickle you mercilessly now if you were not,” Darcy replied huskily.
“Then I will thank God for small mercies like you not tickling me in this state,” she teased.
He kissed his wife again then went into his room to pull the bell to summon Mrs. Reynolds. In a very short while she arrived, and Darcy informed her of the decision regarding his wife and the stairs.
He added they would be taking all of their meals in the private sitting room until after Mrs. Darcy’s lying in and recovery after the birth.
At the news about the stairs, both of the Darcys could see the housekeeper’s obvious relief.
He then proceeded to outline the plan to convert one of the large, unused suites into a dining room for when it was more than him and his wife dining.
Once he was done explaining what he wanted, Mrs. Reynolds bobbed a curtsy to the Darcys and then left the sitting room to start implementing the instructions she had been given.