Chapter 36 #3
“Ahh, early. Well, they never really know precisely, do they? It is all just a guess, so they were off some weeks for her. In any case, I have been through this twice now, and believe me, the best is for us to occupy our minds with something else. Now, do you remember Mr Robert Archer? He would have been two years behind you at Cambridge, and he married a Miss Cantwell, who was from…”
With that, Bingley was off and running, keeping up a steady monologue of pointless on dits and twaddle, told for the sole purpose of attempting to remove Darcy’s mind from the agonising pain his wife was in and the possibility that she might be, even at that moment, facing death.
Darcy was grateful to him for it; it did not work, of course, but it did serve the purpose of passing time.
It was not until later in the evening that things became truly difficult.
Bingley, Darcy, and Georgiana had dined together, or rather, Bingley and Georgiana had dined, while Darcy pushed food around on his plate and wondered why gentlemen could not be permitted to attend their wives during the birth of their own children.
Mrs Reynolds had faithfully reported to him nearly hourly, but it would seem that the progress had stalled, and the ladies anticipated a difficult night.
After dinner, Darcy had gone to the nursery, where Georgiana was assisting Bennet in preparing for bed. Not wishing to disturb his son’s nightly routine, he settled in to read to him.
When Mrs Reynolds appeared at the door, he knew instantly something had gone wrong. Her face had lost its eagerness, which was replaced by concern and fear. He was up and out of the room almost before he knew he was in motion.
“Mr Bingley has already gone for the doctor.” She matched his rapid stride down the hall to the room wherein Elizabeth lay.
“You must not worry. There is just a little difficulty, but it will be well. Things have stopped moving along, and Mrs Darcy…Mr Darcy, sir, you must not go in. A birthing room is no place for a gentleman.”
Darcy cared nothing for that. Having reached the door, he knocked and began to push it open simultaneously. Jane met him, looking surprisingly stern. “Everything will be well, Darcy. Her pains are exhausting her, and the baby is not moving. It is very common.”
“Please let me see her?”
Jane was shockingly firm, putting her hand on his arm and pushing gently to remove him from his wife’s room. “If you are here, then she must worry about you too. At the moment she needs to focus on herself and your child.”
He spoke vehemently, “If something were to happen to her, I would wish her to know how very loved she is. Please, Jane, just five minutes. You must permit it.”
“Jane?” It was Elizabeth’s voice but very weak. “A few minutes cannot hurt.”
His first thought as he approached the bed where she lay was of how very wretched she looked.
Her hair was laden with sweat, her face was pale, and her eyes were bloodshot.
His heart ached to see her so, even as fear pulsed through him.
He sat next to her on the bed, and a tear fell from his eye as he took her hand, using the other to smooth away the sweat-drenched curls.
“I would do anything to take this from you.”
What she might have replied was lost as a pain hit her at that moment. Nurse Harriet said hurriedly, “Sir, you will want to—”
But it was too late. On the crest of birthing pain, Elizabeth clenched his hand.
Darcy very nearly emitted a shriek as she gripped his hand with such a ferocity that it felt as though she broke it.
Her grasp tightened as she pressed her face into his chest, tears flowing freely down her face, and rode the pain to its completion.
Darcy disregarded the pain in his hand, welcoming it and wishing it could somehow lessen that which Elizabeth experienced, though he knew it did not.
When her pain eased, she released his hand and leant back into her pillow, her eyes closed and her face sweating. “I am so, so tired. I just need a little rest.”
Leaning down, he kissed her face, taking a nearby cool cloth and wiping her brow. He smoothed her curls back, and whispered, “You can, my darling, you can do this. Look at all you have done. You are a wonderful, remarkable woman.” He gently kissed her brow. “I love you so very much.”
“Bennet did not prepare me for this. This is much, much worse than before, I must admit it.” She laughed weakly. “You see, I told you that he was so easy, our next would be a terror. It begins already, just as I said it would.”
He chuckled lightly but quickly sobered. Speaking in a low voice, he said, “Promise you will not leave me. I must have your word on this. You are tired, I know, but you cannot give into it, please. Have strength, love, please.”
She looked into his eyes, hearing the voice of the doctor outside the door. “I promise you,” she whispered. “I said I would not leave again, and I shall not.”
With one last kiss, he allowed Jane to shoo him from the room.
Despite every effort of the doctor and Nurse Harriet, the baby, Arthur George Darcy, was not born until the wee small hours of the next day. Darcy was drinking his third pot of coffee, and Bingley was snoring peacefully on the chaise lounge in his study when Mrs Reynolds came to tell him the news.
“However, you will not go to her just yet, sir. Mr Blackmore believes there is another.”
His own fatigue rendered him witless for a moment. “Another what?”
Mrs Reynolds laughed. “Another baby.”
“Another baby? Can she manage it? Is she well?”
Mrs Reynolds grew sober. “I cannot lie. She is very weak, but I think she can do it, sir. She is staying strong.”
It was not more than an hour later when Amelia Jane Darcy chose to make her entrance into the world. Mr Blackmore went to Darcy in his study while Nurse Harriet finished attending Elizabeth.
Darcy felt as thankful as he ever had in response to the man’s news that Elizabeth, although exhausted and in a great deal of pain, was alive and as well as could be expected. “Mr Blackmore, I am very grateful to you.”
“It was not an easy birth and having twins is always complicated for the lady. I would not be surprised if there were no more after this. But they are strong and healthy children, and you have much to be thankful for.”
Darcy smiled with relief, bidding the doctor adieu and nearly running to his wife’s room.
Nurse Harriet had left the door ajar as she left to dispose of some of the linens, and he pushed it open gently. Elizabeth was sound asleep on the bed, the babies asleep beside her.
Silently, he joined them, gazing down at his precious family, feeling all of the rapture of the moment fill him. He pulled his babies into his arms, looking at them and thinking of nothing more but how very impossible it seemed to love someone so ardently who you had only just met.
He knew not how long he sat there, but seemingly at once, it was morning, and there was a gentle knock at the door. Georgiana had brought Bennet to greet his brother and sister, and his cries even managed to rouse his mother.
Darcy settled the twins carefully in their mother’s arms and pulled Bennet onto his lap. He smiled. “You kept your promise.”
“Always,” she vowed.
Bennet was disappointed to learn that Arthur was not going to be able to play with him that day or, in fact, for many days.
It would seem he had expected a baby of Thomas Bingley’s size to be born, but Darcy told him he must be patient, that it would not be so long until Arthur would play right alongside his older brother.
Bennet then set his eyes on his sister. “She is pretty, like Mama.”
“Yes, she is,” Darcy agreed.
“Will she play with Arthur and me?”
“It will take her some time as well, but soon enough, you will have two friends in the nursery to enjoy games and schemes with.”
Bennet studied his sister carefully. “I do not wish her to be a dull girl like Liza,” he pronounced, referring to young Elizabeth Bingley.
Elizabeth laughed at him. “Your cousin is a sweet girl. She simply enjoys playing indoors and doing ladylike sorts of things.”
Bennet shrugged. “All she does is smile.”
He shifted his seat to look at his new sister a bit more closely. Amelia opened her eyes and looked at him, so he spoke to her directly. “Amelia, you will not scream at bugs or be afraid to get dirty.”
Darcy laughed. “Yes, well, if she is anything like her mother, then I believe you may depend upon it.”
Bennet wanted to touch his brother and sister then, and Elizabeth asked for some assistance in moving herself up on the bed to make room for Bennet. Soon they were situated, a beautiful mother and her three children, and Darcy was overwhelmed by his happiness at the sight of them.
Elizabeth smiled up at him inquiringly as Bennet gently patted his new brother and sister.
“You have given me treasure beyond compare, my wife.” He bent and kissed her. “Never misunderstand how much I love you.”