Chapter 14 #2
“There is something to be said for the girl’s age, as Mrs. Bingley mentioned, though that jackanapes,” he poked Wickhams prone form with his boot, “looks as if he ought to know better by now.”
“He has been escaping one scrape or another by the skin of his teeth all his life,” Mr. Yates grumbled in agreement. “Old Mr. Darcy had been covering him for years, thinking it was just childish larks, but it has become much more since he passed.”
“The failure of many an otherwise intelligent man,” Mr. Walters grunted.
A hot fire was built by the grooms and the brand, a stylized “T” for thief was heated to red-hot.
Lydia squirmed and fought but in the end, her thumb was branded and she passed out from the pain and shock.
Wickham had woken and although relieved that he was not to die or be sent to the penal colonies, branding did not fit his lifestyle and he attempted to talk them out of it up until the last, when he wriggled free at just the wrong moment and received the brand on the unblemished side of his face instead of his hand.
No one accused the footman of deliberately missing his mark, but the man’s grin spoke for itself.
None of the servants were pleased with the bounder’s treatment of their kind mistress.
As they waited for the much lighter trunks to be brought, there was a rush of feet on the stairs and the maid called out that Jane was laboring and they needed to call the midwife and the Darcys.
Two of the footmen ran to the stables to retrieve horses and set off in separate directions while the maids ran about preparing clean linens and heating water.
Mr. Walters congratulated them all and declared that he would see to the criminals if he could borrow a cart and a stable hand.
Mr. Yates quickly agreed and the pair were forgotten within moments.
Two hours later, the Darcys arrived by horse and Elizabeth dashed up the stairs to relieve Mary, who, by her single status, had no business in the birthing chamber.
Mary was very relieved to be banished and retired to the library with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Yates who were playing a game of chess at a small table before one of the windows.
∞∞∞
Jane cried out as the pains became worse. It had been hours, though it felt like an eternity to her, and the agony had only gotten worse as the pains came closer together. Elizabeth sat beside her, wiping her brow as she breathed and squeezing her hand when the spasms began once more.
“He has not come, Lizzy!” Jane cried as the pain peaked. “Why has he left me?”
“It matters not, Jane,” Elizabeth soothed her. “I shall send Will to drag him home by his ear if you wish, but we need only bring your beautiful child into the world and then we shall worry about all else.”
“I do not believe I shall ever speak to him again!” she screamed at a particularly bad pain, bringing the midwife to her side to check her progress.
“It is nearly time to push, Mrs. Bingley,” she informed her. “You are progressing very well.”
Thirty minutes and four pushes later and Jane forgot every pain as she stared into the sleeping face of her beautiful daughter.
Elizabeth had left to retrieve Darcy and Mary to visit their new niece, and Jane treasured the sweet moment of calm.
When they entered, she reluctantly relinquished her precious bundle to Mary, who cooed and stroked the newborn’s plump, velvet cheek.
“What have you decided to call her?” Darcy asked, leaning close beside Mary and giving the babe his finger to hold in her tiny hand.
“Elizabeth Ursula Bingley,” Jane announced, smiling at her sister’s teary gasp. “I think will call her Ellie, for every day.”
“She is perfect,” Mary murmured, completely enthralled.
Darcy accepted her from Mary’s arms and cuddled her onto his chest. “She is lovely, Jane. And she shall have two protective older cousins who will adore her,” he assured her.
“They arrived several hours ago, so we will wait until morning to wake them. Kitty and Georgiana will be ecstatic as well. Kitty was most put out to hear Georgiana describe the twins as newborns as she had completely missed that stage. She will be pleased to enjoy Ellie’s first few weeks.”
“You will stay?” Jane asked, almost pleading.
“Of course we will,” Elizabeth declared, sharing a speaking look with her husband. “There is much to discuss once you are up and about again. Did you hire a wet nurse?”
“No, I planned to feed her myself,” Jane replied, yawning widely. “What of Lydia? Was she too horrible when they made her leave?”
“After the branding—”
“Branding!” Jane cried, suddenly wide awake.
“It is an old punishment, most do not practice it now that the Bloody Code has been enacted, but it was allowable for first offenses last century.” Darcy explained.
“I sent a letter to Wickham informing them that none of the family will ever give them further funds and if they wished to continue living in the relative luxury of the cottage I purchased, they would cease their demands upon everyone. I also threatened that if they imposition either my wife or yourself again that I would evict them from the house, and they would be required to shift for themselves on Lydia’s portion and whatever small income Wickham can earn.
He will likely bluster and threaten but he knows that I do not make threats without teeth. ”
“Poor Lydia,” Jane whimpered, wiping at her eyes with the sheet. “She must learn to act with honor, but I look at Ellie and think that Lydia was once that small and perfect…” she choked back her tears.
“Dear Janey, you are exhausted, sleep while you can, and I shall take Ellie in a few hours if she insists on waking.” Elizabeth placed a kiss on her sister’s brow and Darcy tucked Ellie into her cradle beside her mother’s bed before they left to enjoy a few hours of slumber as well.