Chapter 28
The days sped by, and the Friday after the Darcys arrived back at Pemberley the accoucheur and his two nurses arrived.
Darcy was paying a small fortune to have him and his nurses in residence until his wife delivered her babes, but to a man of his wealth it was a pittance and the peace of mind it brought him was priceless.
Sir Fredrick was not a tall man; he was maybe five foot seven inches and was rotund.
He was balding on his crown so the circle of baldness on the top of his head looked like that of a monk, except his baldness extended to where is forehead met his former hairline.
Darcy bowed to the accoucheur which was returned, and then the men shook hands.
He requested Mrs. Reynolds take the accoucheur and his two nurses to chambers in the family wing. He wanted them very close to his wife at all times. Sir Fredrick stated after he had washed and changed he would like to examine Mrs. Darcy.
Darcy was restlessly sitting in the shared sitting room while the accoucheur, with the help of his nurses, examined his Lizzy.
After the doctor washed his hands, he called Darcy into his wife’s bedchamber. “Mrs. Darcy looks very healthy, and I applaud you for making the decision to no longer use the stairs. I am not sure there are twins...” Sir Fredrick hedged.
Then why is my wife’s belly so large?” Darcy tensed, worry flooding in.
“As I was about to say, I am not sure there are twins, I suspect that there may be three babes that your wife is carrying,” Sir Frederick announced.
“THREE!!” both Elizabeth and Darcy exclaimed simultaneously.
“Possibly. When I listened to the heartbeats, I heard two clearly, and then I thought I heard a third, fainter heartbeat. Before you start to worry, that is not an indication of the health of the babe, it is more than likely position; his or her womb mates are making it hard for me to hear the third babe,” the accoucheur explained gently.
“Good Lord above, I knew you were needed here, Sir Fredrick.” Darcy tried to absorb this new, and troubling information.
“I believe God does not give us more than we are able to deal with. I will leave you two now and go and rest before dinner.” He nodded at them both and left their chambers.
After Sir Frederick left, a flabbergasted Mr. and Mrs. Darcy tried to absorb the news. The possibility of triplets did explain a lot. Mother Bennet had observed her daughter was a lot larger than she had been at the same point in time when she was carrying Tom and James.
“As much as I do not like being restricted, I am very grateful you had the foresight to ask me to stop using the stairs, my beloved husband. If I had been my normal obstinate self and had fallen...” she tried to collect herself.
“Lizzy, you are berating yourself for something that never did and will not happen.
You did not fight me at all, so deep down you knew it was the right thing for you to do.
Under normal circumstances, I would never suspend any pleasure of yours, but I have seen how hard it is for you to negotiate stairs, so there is no good reason for you to put yourself or our babes at risk.
“Your motherly instinct ruled your decision-making even before our babes are here. You will not be bored; Charlotte will visit you and bring Grace with her, and the Bingleys will come as soon as they are notified of the situation,” Darcy soothed.
“Will you please bring my portable escritoire to the bed so I can write to Mama and the rest of our family to prepare them in case Sir Frederick is correct in his assertion?” she asked playfully, his words having the hoped-for effect.
Once she was comfortably situated with some pillows behind her back Elizabeth Darcy started to write her missives, the first one to her mother.
16 May
Pemberley
My dear Mama and Papa,
I need to share some potential news with you, so you are prepared when you arrive here to join us for my lying in.
Please do not be alarmed it is not bad news, just very surprising, and William and I are still coming to terms as Sir Frederick Gillingham has this very afternoon shared his suspicions with us.
He examined me today, using his listening device to listen to the babe’s heartbeats.
He related that besides the two babes we have been told that I am carrying, he believes he can hear the faint heartbeat of a THIRD babe.
Yes, Mama and Papa, I did not write in error, he thinks he heard three, not two.
Before you start to worry, the fact the third one is faint is not indicative of the health of the babe, but more than likely the positioning vis-a-vis the other two babes.
He also told us it is very likely with two or more babes I will deliver earlier than the date range we were given originally after my first examination by a physician.
If you are able, please leave for Pemberley earlier than you had planned. William and I ask you bring Kitty and Georgie from Town with you.
Your loving daughter,
Elizabeth Darcy
Similar letters were written and sent by express to all the extended family.
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It was two days later in the evening when the Darcys’ courier delivered the missive to the Bennets. On reading the missive, Fanny Bennet almost had an attack of her long-banished nerves, but as it had been for these many years, her rational mind prevailed.
She knocked once on her husband’s study door and entered without waiting for his summons.
Once he read the missive, he agreed they would leave at dawn on the morrow for Town to collect the girls and then for Pemberley.
Bennet wrote missives he sent by his express rider to the Inns they would stay at, and to make sure there would be horses available for changes along the way.
The Bennets called the Hills and informed their long-serving butler and housekeeper they would be leaving on the morrow so the couple could issue the necessary orders for all to be ready and the Bennets could leave without unnecessary delay in the morning.
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The Bennet carriages and outriders arrived at Matlock House a little after eight in the morning. To their surprise, they saw much activity and two coaches being prepared in front of the house. Once they alighted, they were shown into the house by the butler and were met by the Countess.
“Welcome Fanny and Thomas, we expected you as we assume you received Lizzy’s missive yesterday as well.” Elaine smiled as she hugged Fanny and accepted a kiss on the cheek from Bennet.
“That we did, Elaine. We are here to collect the girls. We noticed your carriages being prepared, are you and Reggie returning to Snowhaven early?” Fanny smiled at her dearest friend.
“No, Fanny, we are to Pemberley. She is your daughter, but she is my niece, and we want to be there to help and support William and Lizzy wherever we can.” She stated airily knowing neither would do anything different if the roles were reversed.
Bennet went off in search of the Earl and within an hour the caravan of conveyances was on the road heading north. Fanny had told Elaine that Mary and Richard would not be joining them as Mary was on bed rest for the next three to four weeks.
Mary had experienced some light bleeding, and although Mr. Jones did not think there would be a problem, he suggested the bedrest as a precaution. Elaine was thankful to hear the news as the post had not been delivered yet, so she had not known about her daughter-in-law until Fanny told her.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On the third day after the travellers had left London, they pulled up to the entrance of Pemberley where a swarm of footmen started to unpack their trunks and convey them to their rooms. They were met by Darcy, who informed them Jane and Charles and Marie and Andrew Fitzwilliam had arrived the day before, and that Jane, Marie, and a newly with child Charlotte were visiting Lizzy in their shared sitting room.
When he explained on their return from the Easter trip, they had decided there would be no more using stairs, both Lizzy’s parents and her aunt and uncle were very relieved, all knowing how much she loved to exercise under normal circumstances.
After hugging their brother hello, Georgiana and Kitty took off up the stairs to go see their sisters, and friend.
Elizabeth was reclining on a chaise in the master suite sitting room when two very exuberant young ladies burst into the room.
The two caught themselves as Mrs. Darcy looked at them with an arched brow.
“We are so sorry, Lizzy, but we have not seen you since Easter at Rosings and we have been missing you.” Georgiana walked closer at a more sedate pace.
“I appreciate the sentiment, Georgie, but I am sure you did not think too much about your pregnant sisters while you were both having a grand old time in London preparing for your season,” Lizzy teased them.
“Hello Jane, Marie, and Charlotte. Lizzy, do not tease us so,” Kitty affected a pout, “you know we love all of you and missed you while we were away.”
“Relax Kitty; you know I was teasing you and Georgie. I am very happy to see you both. Before someone else informs you, Sir Fredrick suspects that I am carrying three, not two babes,” Elizabeth added nonchalantly.
“THREE! Oh my goodness Lizzy, no wonder you are so very big.” Georgiana Darcy clapped her hand over her mouth at her exclamation but relaxed when she saw all of her older sisters and Charlotte Elliot smile.
“There you both are, you ran up the stairs so fast. What happened to the young ladies that were with me in Town these last months? I had just told Fanny how well-behaved you two had been,” the Countess teased her nieces she loved as much as she did her daughters.
“Sorry, Aunt Elaine, and you too Aunt Fanny, but we could not wait to see Lizzy. We are sorry Mary was not allowed to travel, but we will see her, Richard, and hopefully a new babe when we return to town for the little season,” Georgiana explained.