Chapter 29
The next few days were spent in the type of bliss that only comes when lovers finally acknowledge their feelings for one another. True to his word, Mr. Bennet did not reveal his knowledge of the intended courtship to his wife. Even though Elizabeth and Darcy were well-chaperoned at Netherfield with two married couples, it was just simply not done for a courting pair to reside under the same roof—and Elizabeth had no desire to leave her sister’s side.
During one walk around the gardens, Darcy was struck with a notion. “Elizabeth, what do you say to the idea of having Georgiana come to Netherfield? I must admit to feeling torn between being with her and remaining here with you.”
She looked at him in surprise, then bit her lip. “If I were mistress of Netherfield, I would not hesitate to agree to such a scheme. However, with Jane being so ill and Louisa about to begin her lying-in…”
Her voice trailed away, and he nodded. “I understand. I just can’t help but think that with Polly being so easily accepted in Meryton, as well as your sister, that this might be a good place for Georgiana to gain some confidence and meet people. London is too harsh, and Pemberley holds too many unkind memories.”
Understanding dawned, and Elizabeth said, “I will speak with Louisa today. If Georgiana isn’t too afraid to come to a new place with strangers—although having you and myself here will help—then I think both the Bingleys and the Hursts will understand the reasoning and welcome her with open arms.”
∞∞∞
The necessary conversations were held, and Bingley and Louisa could not have been more understanding. Both were horrified to learn of the severity of Georgiana’s mistreatment at her father’s hands, and they begged Darcy to send for her at once so she could be in a loving family environment. Soon Darcy was on his way to London to speak with Georgiana in person. As much as he was loath to leave Elizabeth’s side, simply telling his sister in a letter that she would relocate to a place she had never been and travel with only her companion would cause her to panic.
He found her and Mrs. Annesley in their usual place, the music room. He paused at the door and was pleased to hear the companion speaking encouraging words to her charge in a kind tone. Entering the room, he found the ladies bent over an embroidery pattern with Mrs. Annesley giving instruction on a particularly difficult type of stitch.
It took several minutes for Georgiana to look up, so absorbed was she in her work. “Vrother!” she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and dashing to his side.
“A lady does not run, Miss Darcy,” Mrs. Annesley said, though her face and tone were gentle and not harshly chastising.
“Very vell,” the young woman acknowledged before turning again to her brother. “Ve did not know oo vere coming.”
“I wished to surprise you,” he said with a smile, “and I have something very important to discuss with you.”
Her shoulders drooped. “Oo are here to tell me oo vant to send me avay.”
Darcy gaped at her. “Where in heaven’s name did you get that idea?”
She shrugged. “Mrs. Vounge alvays said that.”
“Well, as we’ve already established, she is a liar,” he said firmly. “In fact, it is quite the opposite. I want you to come with me.”
She looked up at him in astonishment. “Vhat?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Already I’m making a muck of things. Let me start at the beginning. Elizabeth’s father has given me permission to marry his daughter—”
Georgiana gave a small shriek of delight and clapped her hands.
“But,” he continued loudly over the din, “I have not proposed, nor are we even officially courting.”
“Vhy not?”
“Her sister Jane is still very ill and will most likely pass on in the next weeks or months. Elizabeth wishes to be there until the end. I, of course, would do the same for you. If she and I were courting or betrothed, we would not be able to both stay at Netherfield.”
Georgiana nodded her understanding, and Darcy continued. “I would like to remain there for as long as possible, either until her sister is gone and they go into mourning or until I am needed at Pemberley for the spring planting in a month. Or until Mrs. Hurst—Mr. Bingley’s sister—has her lying-in. But I didn’t want to leave you for so long.”
His sister’s eyes shimmered with tears. “Oo are the vest vrother in the vorld.”
“Then… you would like to go to Netherfield?”
Her face clouded. “Vhat if they are scared of me?”
He shook his head. “They won’t be. Elizabeth wasn’t, remember? These are friends of hers. They’ve also seen people like you before; remember Elizabeth’s maid—her little sister?”
She was silent for several long minutes, then looked at her companion. “Vill oo come too?”
Mrs. Annesley looked at Darcy, who gave her a tiny nod; then she put her hand on Georgiana’s. “Yes, my dear, I would be more than happy to accompany you.”
∞∞∞
Four days later, the Darcy carriage arrived at Netherfield, containing Darcy, Georgiana, and Mrs. Annesley. It had taken several days to prepare everything for the journey. Not only was Georgiana quite anxious, but the house in London needed to make preparations for the absence of its master and mistress.
As Darcy helped his sister from the carriage, Elizabeth flew down the stairs to greet them. Mindful of the servants and aware that she and Darcy were merely friendly acquaintances, she gave him her hand, which he bowed over. She then turned to Georgiana, who gave a shy curtsy.
Elizabeth returned it, then laughed. “Now that we’ve satisfied decorum…” She drew the younger girl into a warm embrace that was timidly returned.
The three arrivals were then ushered inside, where a very pregnant Louisa greeted them. It had been decided in advance to not have Miss Darcy meet all the inhabitants of Netherfield at once, so as to not overwhelm her in the first moments of her arrival.
Upon spying her hostess, Georgiana cowered behind Elizabeth’s small frame, but due to the young girl’s height, the effort did nothing to obscure her face.
Louisa, to her credit, didn’t even blink as she met Georgiana’s eyes during introductions. “I am so glad to meet you at last, my dear Miss Darcy. What a refreshing change a young person like you will bring to our home! I look forward to endless hours of discussing music and the latest fashions with you.”
“Mrs. Hurst has much more patience for lace and ribbons than I,” Elizabeth whispered loudly to Georgiana, who smiled. “I daresay you will enjoy her company more than mine, and I just may lose status as best of friends to both of you.”
She gave a great sniff and wiped away an imaginary tear, and Georgiana became somewhat distressed. When Elizabeth followed her dramatics with a wink and a grin, Georgiana’s alarm melted away into giggles.
“You will have to learn that Elizabeth is quite the tease,” Louisa said, casually taking Georgiana’s arm and leading everyone towards the stairs to take them to their rooms. “It took me quite some getting used to, but now I have learned to not believe everything she says.”
“Come now!” Elizabeth cried, laughing heartily at this picture of herself. “You will teach my new friend not to believe a word I say! It is quite ungenerous of you.”
The merriment of the group continued throughout the day, putting Georgiana at so much ease that she barely felt any awkwardness or insecurity when she was introduced to Bingley and Mr. Hurst.
The only time she felt the slightest bit of discomfort was when she met Jane for the first time. She’d heard much of Mrs. Bingley’s beauty, and she was terrified at her scarred face being on display.
“It will be all right,” Elizabeth said. “Jane’s heart is as lovely as her face.”
Gripping her friend’s hand tightly, Georgiana stepped quietly into the dimly lit room with Elizabeth, her heart heavy with anticipation and a touch of nervousness. The room was hushed, the only sound the soft rustle of fabric as Georgiana approached the bed where Jane lay, pale and fragile beneath the covers. Her gaze softened as she took in the sight of the woman before her, so gentle and serene despite her obvious frailty.
“Jane, this is Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth said. “Georgiana, may I present Mrs. Bingley?”
Jane’s eyes, clear and bright despite her weakened state, turned towards Georgiana, a gentle smile gracing her lips. “Miss Darcy,” she said softly, her voice as sweet as a summer breeze. “How kind of you to come.”
Georgiana felt a swell of gratitude at Jane’s warm welcome, her nerves dissipating in the face of the other woman’s gentle demeanor. “It is vy vleasure to vake your acquaintance, Vrs. Vingley.”
“Please, sit down. And you must call me Jane, as Lizzy does! We are to be friends, after all.”
Georgiana nodded, returning the invitation, and Elizabeth beamed as the two women she loved best settled into conversation. The room seemed to brighten, filling with warmth of shared laughter and easy camaraderie.
Only once did things get awkward, when Jane innocently asked, “Are your scars very painful?”
Elizabeth froze, praying silently that Georgiana would not take offense. Thankfully, the young woman was able to answer with aplomb. “Not as much as when the surgery first happened. They itch and tighten, but Dr. Carson has given me a cream to use that can help.”
Bringing Georgiana’s wounds into the light of open conversation lifted a burden from the girl’s shoulders that she hadn’t known was there, and in that moment, Georgiana knew that she had found not only a friend, but a kindred soul whose presence would forever enrich her life.
∞∞∞
Thus the middle weeks of March quickly became the happiest that Georgiana had ever experienced. She was introduced to Kitty Bennet and George Wickham—who shared a few stories about Georgiana’s dear mother—as well as Charlotte and Maria Lucas.
Kitty was at first taken aback, both by Georgiana’s appearance and how openly it was discussed at Netherfield. She quickly regained her composure, however, and she was soon so accustomed to the situation that she hardly noticed its unconventionality.
Their welcoming arms gave her the courage to attend services her second Sunday, and she was amazed and delighted to discover that no one child went screaming from the building at the sight of her face. Nor did Dr. Fields condemn her from the pulpit and order her from the holy building.
The only negative reaction came from Lydia, who, upon first seeing Georgiana at church, declared loudly, “La, if my face looked like that, I daresay I’d never go in public again!”
Mr. Bennet, who happened to overhear the comment, immediately ordered the girl to the carriage. He then personally apologized to both Georgiana and Darcy for his youngest daughter’s impertinent remarks, and he was quickly forgiven.
∞∞∞
“I think, Vrother, that I could live in Hertvordshire all vy life,” Georgiana said to Darcy one evening. “The feefle are uncovvonly kind.”
“You may find this extremely difficult to believe,” he said, “but many of the residents of Derbyshire and Lambton are of the same ilk. One or two residents even have similar marks as yours, and yet not a one has ever been treated as anything different.”
“Vut the maid said—”
“Which maid?” he asked sharply.
“The vun oo took care of Nanny and be.”
“Ah. Well, Georgiana, she was a lazy girl who took advantage of the fact that our father was a cruel man. She would not have wanted you to get to know your neighbors, for then you would have learned that she was not earning her wages. She lied, Georgiana, just as Mrs. Younge did.”
“How vill I ever ve avle to know the difference vetween a liar and an honest verson?” Her voice was so forlorn, Darcy could not help but feel the urge to punch something or someone.
“That is what you have me for, and Elizabeth, as well as Mrs. Hurst. The more time you spend with other people, the more practiced you will become at discerning between people who care for you and those who do not.”
∞∞∞
That conversation was one of many such topics that Georgiana had with her brother, Elizabeth, and others at Netherfield. In many ways, Georgiana was like a child learning how to walk for the first time, even though she was nearly as old as Kitty.
Louisa and Georgiana spent many an hour poring over fashion magazines and looking at fabric samples. After a few days, Georgiana was persuaded to allow the local seamstress to come to Netherfield to take her measurements for new gowns.
“For you are nearly the age to come out, my dear,” Louisa said, “and your dresses should reflect that. Besides, every girl should be fitted for dresses whenever the opportunity arises!”
Kitty came that day to join in the merriment, as she was also making purchases for her trousseau, and Darcy was never so pleased as to hear his sister’s giggles when he walked by her chambers during the consultation. Even if the woman had the worst stitches in England, he vowed that he would pay whatever the cost for the joy it brought his sister to be so included.
∞∞∞
As March came to a close, Louisa became more and more uncomfortable, which is something she hadn’t thought possible. One evening, as she reclined on a plush settee in the shared sitting room between her chambers and her husband’s, she felt a sudden rush of warmth between her legs.
“Oh dear!”
Hurst, who had been sitting on a chair at her side, reading his book, was instantly on his feet. “What is it, Lou?”
“I think… I think I might have… urinated on myself.” She flushed a deep red and wished she could sink into the floor.
She’d been struggling with controlling her bladder as the babe grew, which Mrs. Fields had assured her was entirely normal. Still, it was one thing to barely make it to the chamber pot, and it was another thing to have your husband witness such a repugnant act.
“Could you call my maid, please?” she whispered, keeping her eyes firmly on her clasped hands in her lap.
“Of course!” Hurst rushed to the bell pull, then immediately returned to his wife’s side.
“You needn’t stay, you know,” she said quietly.
“Nonsense,” he replied firmly. He then lifted her chin gently until she was looking at him. “You have nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, Louisa. You are carrying our child, and I can’t imagine there’s room in there for much else. You have seen me at my absolute worst and stood by me, and I shall do the same for you.”
Louisa felt her eyes water, and she pressed his hand to her cheek. “Thank you.”
Her lady’s maid came into the room and, assessing the situation, said, “Oh dear, missus. Let’s get you up from here and into some dry things. Never you mind about anything else.”
As Louisa rose to stand, she felt a sudden sharp pain along her abdomen, causing her to double over. “Oooh!”
“Louisa?” cried Hurst. “What’s the matter?”
The maid let out a gasp. “Missus, I think yer waters are broken.”
The pregnant woman looked down at her gown and where she’d been sitting; the damp spot was tinged pink as opposed to yellow. “What does that mean?” she asked, frightened.
“It means your baby’s coming,” the maid said. “We’d best send for Mrs. Fields and Mr. Jones and get you into the birthing bed.”
A comfortable cot had been placed to one side of Louisa’s chambers, with fresh linens and comfortable cushions for the delivery. As the maid helped her mistress slowly towards her room, she looked back at Hurst, who was gaping at his wife. “Mr. Hurst, the midwife—now!”
“Oh, right! Of course, at once!”
∞∞∞
The next sixteen hours were agonizing for both Mrs. and Mr. Hurst. Darcy immediately sent an express to London to fetch Dr. Carson in case the expertise of Mrs. Fields and Mr. Jones was insufficient for Louisa, although there was every possibility the child would be born before he could arrive.
Darcy and Bingley kept Hurst company throughout the awful ordeal. Louisa’s screams of pain could be heard throughout the entire manor. Never before had Hurst felt the urge to drink than he did at that time, but he forced Darcy and Bingley to promise they would not allow him to touch a drop of alcohol, no matter how wretched he felt.
Elizabeth did her best to keep Georgiana and Jane calm. She reassured them that this was a natural part of life, and that most women forgot about the pain as soon as they held the baby in their arms. “Just you wait; she’ll be wanting another one within a year. That’s how Mama always was!”
She neglected to mention that one reason for her mother’s desire to have more children so close in age was due to the entail and the desire for an heir to inherit the estate.
At last, Dr. Carson arrived. He immediately went to Louisa’s chambers, where he was updated by Mrs. Fields and Mr. Jones as to the progress of the delivery. Within five minutes, he came back out to the library where the gentlemen were waiting to speak to Mr. Hurst.
“It appears, sir, that the baby’s shoulder is caught on your wife’s… hip bone, in layman’s terms. Mrs. Fields and Mr. Jones have done all they can to manipulate the child’s position but have been unsuccessful. With your permission, I would like to do a relatively new procedure where I will cut the opening to make more room for us to turn the baby and for the baby to exit.”
All three men stared at him with wide eyes. Finally, Hurst said, “Cut her? What… what happens if we don’t?”
“Then she and the baby will die.”
As one, the men gasped and jumped from their seats. “Do whatever it takes,” Hurst rasped.
Dr. Carson nodded and rushed back to his patient. The room was silent for a quarter of an hour as the three gentlemen paced the book-laden walls that had been slowly filled since Bingley had initially taken residence. The only sound came from Hurst’s lips moving in hushed prayer and Louisa’s cries of agony.
Then, finally, at long last came the blessed sound of a baby’s wails.
Hurst broke into noisy sobs, and collapsed to his knees on the ground. Bingley slowly sank into an armchair, repeating over and over, “Oh, thank you, God.”
Darcy let out a slow, measured breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He ceased pacing along the shelves and moved to the window, where he could look out over the fields. The noon sun shone brightly, as if in celebration of the new life that had come into the world. Like his mates, he said a silent prayer of gratitude for the child’s live birth.
A knock on the door revealed Mrs. Fields, who gave them a tired smile. “Mr. Hurst, if you are so inclined, your wife and child are ready to see you now.”
Without even responding or taking his leave, Hurst raced from the room and up the stairs to his wife’s chambers. Not even bothering to knock, he thrust the door open. “Louisa! Louisa!”
There she was: his beautiful, brave, marvelous wife. She sat in her bed, looking wan and tired, but in a fresh gown and her hair brushed and pulled back. Leaning against several pillows, she cuddled a small bundle to her chest.
“Reggie,” she said, her voice weak and scratchy, “come and meet your daughter.”
“A girl?” he whispered, frozen in the doorway, unable to move.
“Yes,” she said, biting her lip. “Are… are you disappointed?”
The hesitation in her voice broke through the haze and compelled him to step forward until he was at her bedside. Falling to his knees, he reached a trembling hand out towards the swaddled babe in her arms. “Not in the slightest, my love,” he said hoarsely.
Her eyes lit with stars, and she gently pulled away some of the wrapping to reveal the beautiful child’s face. As he looked upon his daughter for the first time, he blinked back the sudden moisture that clouded his vision. He didn’t want to miss any part of these precious moments.
“I thought we could name her Emma Jane,” Louisa said. “For your mother and our new sister.”
“What about your mother?” he asked, timidly extending a finger to delicately stroke the little one’s cheek.
Louisa made a face. “Mother wasn’t the most… nurturing of women,” she said. “I would like our daughter to follow the example of women who bring happiness and joy to those around them.”
“In that case, I think she should be called Emma Jane Louise Hurst.”
He lifted his focus from his sleeping daughter to his wife’s face and held it there. She returned his gaze with tear-filled eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Louisa. Thank you for giving me the most wonderful gift. I am truly humbled by your strength and courage in bringing our child into the world.”
He leaned over and kissed her brow, and the new little family basked in the serene glow of the moment, their hearts intertwined in an unspoken promise of love, protection, and togetherness.