Chapter 4 #2
“Is all well with our…” Andrew stopped himself as they had not made a public announcement yet.
“There is no need to be coy, big brother. If you think that any of us are not aware that my sister is with child, then you are deluding yourself. We have all seen the signs but would never approach either of you until you were ready to make it official,” Elizabeth informed the couple with a huge smile on her face.
“Our child just moved!” Marie exclaimed.
“I will have to make an announcement at dinner,” Andrew said as he grinned.
“Should I inform the family that they should all look surprised?” Elizabeth teased her brother and sister.
“Just you wait, Sprite!” Andrew rubbed his sister’s head playfully. “I will get you back when you least expect it.”
“When will Itch arrive?” Elizabeth asked; she was concerned that they had not seen much of Richard lately.
“He will arrive the morning of Christmas Eve. The generals have been getting nervous. There is a French general, a Corsican, who has risen through the ranks extremely fast and is a charismatic man. Napoleon Bonaparte is his name, I believe. The high command is concerned that he has higher aspirations than that of being a general, and his eye is cast beyond France’s borders, which is very possible based on speeches and comments that have been attributed to him,” Andrew explained.
“Please let us work on our brother to resign and sell his commission before there is a war,” begged a worried Elizabeth. “He has Brookfield that earns a healthy income, so he does not need to be in the Army.”
“It has never been a need for Richard, Sprite,” Andrew reminded her gently.
“He told Mother and Father once that he felt a calling. He would not resign to escape going to war, nor would I disrespect him by asking him to. He will leave and take up full management of Brookfield when he is ready and not a moment before.”
“If anything happens to Itch, it will devastate me,” Elizabeth stated the obvious. That would be true for the whole family if, heaven forbid, that event ever came to pass.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
In his chambers, William Darcy was holding up his calendar for 1798. He looked with satisfaction at the last sheet of parchment, which boldly pronounced ‘December 1808’ at the top of the page. He took his pencil and blacked out the first and twentieth day of December.
He then picked up and looked at the next calendar for 1799; there were three important dates circled in red ink.
First was the ninth day of January—the day they would all return to London.
Next, the sixteenth day was circled—the day that Lizzy officially joined society and made her curtsy before the queen.
Last, though, was the most important date of them all.
Friday, the eighteenth day of January 1809—the day of Lizzy’s coming out ball.
Will had approached Andrew a few days before and remembered the conversation vividly.
“You asked to see me, Will?” Andrew inquired.
“Yes, Andrew. I need to ask your permission to ask Lizzy something.” As he suspected, Andrew jumped to the wrong conclusion if his face was anything to go by.
Will saw the mounting storm clouds, so he continued quickly.
“No, Andrew, not that question; I know and honour your restrictions.” Will saw his cousin visibly relax.
“I would like to request three dances from Lizzy. The second, supper, and final sets.”
He watched as the emotions played across Andrew’s face.
“I was about to refuse you, but I remember how being in love with Marie before I was allowed to declare myself,” Andrew sighed.
“You may request the sets, but after this ball, no more than two sets per ball until, and unless, she accepts a courtship or betrothal from you. Either I, Richard, or one of our other male relatives will open each ball with her that she attends. If she grants them, you are free to request the supper and final sets with her.”
Will had been elated by the answer, thanked his older cousin profusely, and then set out to find the woman he loved. He found her sitting quietly in Longbourn’s library with Miss Annesley across the room from her, out of earshot but able to see all.
“Lizzy, may I have a moment of your time?” he asked. She placed a bookmark, set the book on the table in front of her, and then looked up at him expectantly. “I would like to request some sets at your coming-out ball…” She interjected before he completed his request.
“If they are the second, supper, and final as we discussed some months ago? I am mistaken as I had thought it was understood. As it seems you were in doubt, let me remind you that they are already reserved for you, Will,” she replied with a blush at being so forward.
He had given her a dimple revealing smile, and had he been allowed, would have kissed her there and then; he could not wait until he could do that.
“Thank you, Lizzy. I have Andrew’s permission, for we previously agreed on three sets at your coming out, but no more than two after that until we have an understanding—if we have one in our future.
He was encouraged to see his cousin blush, nodding that she understood, then again picked up her book.
As he stared at the calendar, he counted the days, only seven and twenty more days to the ball. Less than a month, which was but a small wait considering that he had started crossing days off almost two years ago.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Andrew made the announcement that surprised no one at dinner.
That everyone suspected in no way diminished the level of well-wishes the couple received once it had been shared.
After dinner, when the ladies were sitting in the music room, and Georgiana and Kitty entertained them with a duet, Jane beckoned Elizabeth to join her on a settee away from the body of the ladies.
“Promise me that what I am about to tell you will not pass your lips until I tell you that the news is public.” Jane opened.
“You have my complete discretion, sister, on my honour,” Elizabeth promised.
“You are the next to know after Perry, I missed my second month’s courses, and we believe that I am with child,” Jane revealed to her younger sister. Elizabeth enfolded her sister in her arms and hugged her at length.
“It means so much that you chose to share this news with me, after Perry,” Elizabeth whispered in Jane’s ear, hugging her tighter in appreciation.
“If you had grown up at Longbourn, I am sure that we would have shared confidences with one another all the time and would have been the best of friends for many years now; so naturally, you were the one to be told. Once I feel the quickening, I will tell my Mama and Mother Rose before Perry makes an announcement to the family. By then, my mother-in-law will be an old hand at being a grandmama, but I am so excited for Mama and Papa to be able to enjoy their first grandchild,” Jane explained quietly.
“You are too good, Jane,” Elizabeth stated.
“Until you make me angry,” Jane warned with a smile.
“Lizzy, if you and Jane are finished conspiring, the courier brought a bag of post from Town today. There has not been a single ‘no’ to the invitation for your coming-out ball. Your dance card will be full as soon as the receiving line is over,” her mother shared.
“It is already half full, Mama,” Elizabeth owned.
“With whom?” Aunt Anne inquired, relatively sure that her son’s name would be mentioned more than once.
“Andrew will dance the first dance of the opening set, Father Bennet the second dance, Will follows, then Itch, William, Uncle George is next. I have one open before supper and then Will for the supper set. Perry is the first after supper, followed by Ian, then the rest are open until the final set, which is reserved,” she informed the ladies, hoping that no one would ask the identity of the partner for the final set. She had no such luck.
“Who is the lucky man to dance the last set with you, Lizzy?” Aunt Anne asked, fairly sure she knew the answer to her question.
“Your son,” Lizzy admitted, uncharacteristically shy as she did. Georgiana, who was sitting next to her cousin and best friend, gasped.
“You are dancing three with Will!” she blurted out.
“I am,” Lizzy’s courage rose.
“There will be a roar of speculation, and it will be widely reported in the gossip rags,” her mother pointed out.
“Let them talk!” came the defiant response. Before anyone could comment, the men re-joined the ladies.
“Did we miss something?” Will asked as he went to Lizzy, who had looked at him in a fit of pique. Try as he might, he could not fathom why his ladylove looked peeved while the rest of the ladies in the room were very much diverted.