Chapter 12 #2
“I have foregone the betrothal ball as it is. If I rest well and keep off my feet, it will not be a hardship. I already had to cede my duties to stand up for you to Georgiana, but unless I enter my final confinement beforehand, I will be at your wedding, Lizzy,” Jane said with determination.
“It was very good of you and Will to ask William to officiate at your wedding; I know that he is much honoured by the request.”
“The twentieth of June cannot arrive soon enough. Speaking of which, I am missing my betrothed so very much,” Elizabeth shared.
Just after she spoke, Perry and Bennet entered the drawing room after the former had been showing the latter some new first editions acquired for the estate’s library. And while it too did not rival Pemberley’s, it was larger than Snowhaven’s and a bookman’s haven.
“Tammy and Lizzy, are you ready to depart? Do not forget we are expected at Pemberley for dinner tonight,” Bennet pointed out. Within an hour, the carriage and security were on the road back to Pemberley.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Richard returned to Snowhaven a few days later, having made sure, more than once, that everything was ready to receive his betrothed and her family in about a sennight.
He knew that being separated from Loretta would be trying, but he never expected it would be so hard as this.
He thought of her anytime he was not busy with an occupation and missed her more than he could have imagined that he would miss someone outside of his immediate family.
He knew in a roundabout way that what he considered at the time was his sister’s officious pleading with him to leave the military had led him to the happiness he had now.
Until he resigned his commission, he had not allowed himself to be open to a future with a lady.
He could not imagine making someone a war widow if it came to that.
He thought about the conversation he had with Lizzy the day of his return to his brother’s estate.
“Lizzy, may I speak with you?” Richard asked as he entered his sister’s sitting room where her legs were curled under her as she read a book with Aggie snoring at her feet.
“You know I always have time for you, brother,” she replied as she marked her place and put the book on a side table.
“Do you remember when you beseeched me to resign from the army Lizzy?” he asked.
“How could I forget!” she cried. “I must apologise profusely, Richard; it was not my place…” Richard leaned forward and placed his finger on his sister’s lips to stop the verbal avalanche that he could see she was about to launch.
“First, let me say that you did overstep, Lizzy. If mother wanted to say something about my service, it was her place, not yours. You could have talked to me about your feelings and worries alone. Although my first reaction was to resent you and reject your words for talking to me about duty to family, given how duty has always been a driving force in my life, once I took the time to honestly think about your words, I concluded that I was staying in the army for the wrong reasons.” Elizabeth had looked at him questioningly.
“When I decided to choose the army, it was for the right reasons; I felt a calling as I told Mother and Father at the time.
“After Father was murdered, there was a little voice telling me that it was time to take up my estate, but I stubbornly refused to acknowledge what I knew was the correct path for me. You are not the only stubborn one on the family, Sprite,” Richard grinned.
“After you spoke to me, I could no longer pretend not to hear the voice.”
“You do not resent me for begging you to leave the Dragoons, Itch?” Elizabeth asked tremulously, “I sincerely apologise for overstepping and talking for others when it was not my place to do so. I allowed my worry to overrule my good sense.”
“Your apology is accepted without reservation, little sister; and no, I do not resent you at all. On my honour, unless it was a path that I decided that I wanted to take, wild horses would not have dragged me and forced me to do that which I refused to do. You actually did me a favour by making me listen to what I knew was right for me,” Richard told a relieved Elizabeth.
“Retta?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes, Loretta. If I were still in the army, I would not have considered her or anyone else as my life’s partner; so in the end, it is the reason that I, in fact, want to thank you for waking me up out of the malaise that I had allowed myself to enter.
” Richard hugged and kissed his sister on her cheek before scratching Aggie behind the ears and then departing his sister’s sitting room.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Bingleys and the Hursts arrived at Pemberley a day before the de Melvilles were expected.
Martha Bingley had not accompanied her son, daughter, and their families as her mother was too frail for long-distance travel, and she did not want to leave her side for a few weeks, so she sent her apologies to her son.
Little Harry Hurst was almost two and a bundle of energy who seemed to like to run wherever he went and did so as soon as his nursemaid lowered him to the ground from the carriage.
He was brought up short when he ran into Aggie, who looked at him with something akin to amusement as he fell onto his rear end after bouncing off the huge dog.
Will and Lizzy were just returning from a walk when they saw the little boy’s collision with Aggie but smiled widely as Harry sat on the ground and stared in wonder at the huge dog that was sniffing him, so fascinated that he even forgot to cry at his unceremonious fall.
“Darcy, Lady Elizabeth, you both look well,” Bingley intoned in his affable way as he saw the couple approaching the courtyard.
“Bingley, Mrs Bingley, Hurst, and Mrs Hurst, on behalf of my family, allow me to be the first to welcome all of you to Pemberley,” Will returned. “I trust your journey was not too hard?”
“It was a good trip, thank you Mr Darcy,” Louisa replied as she watched her son’s face being washed by Aggie as she licked him. Even more amusing was how tentative the nursemaid was, for she wanted to retrieve her charge but was not about to get too close to the enormous dog.
“Aggie, heel!” Elizabeth commanded. After one last lick of the giggling boy who seemed to be quite enamoured with Aggie, she trotted to her mistress and plopped herself down next to Elizabeth’s feet.
“Charles shared your letter, Mr Darcy, about how Aggie was the hero when that disgusting man tried to importune Lady Elizabeth,” Mandy Bingley stated.
“Please call me Lizzy; there is no need to stand on ceremony,” Elizabeth requested.
“Thank you, Lizzy; please call me Mandy,” She replied. “I have long loved your sister Jane as she often came to spend time with us.”
“I am truly gratefully to have my sister and am glad you, who needed her most, were able to have her close by.” Elizabeth again marvelled at her sister’s ability to soothe those whose hearts were hurting.
“As you can see, Aggie is a gentle giant until someone threatens my betrothed. Should we continue this discussion inside?” Darcy suggested.
After the arriving guests greeted their host and hostess, they were shown up to their chambers on one of the guest floors by Mrs Reynolds while the nursemaid with little Harry was directed to the guest nursery by a maid.
Harry was not happy that his new ‘fweind,’ as he called Aggie, was not to accompany him but brightened when Elizabeth promised he would get to play with Aggie to his heart’s content later.
The Bingleys and Hursts returned to the drawing room after washing off the dust from the road and changing out of their travel attire.
While they were up in their chambers, the Bennets arrived with Lady Elaine accompanying them.
The ladies sat together as the men made for the billiard room, except Bennet, who headed straight to the library.
“How is my friend Martha?” Tammy asked Louisa.
“She is well, Mrs Bennet. She would have liked to be here to see Lizzy marry, but she will not leave Grandmama’s side,” Louisa explained.
“How does your grandmother Beckett do?” Tammy asked.
“She is as well as can be expected, but there was no question of her making such a journey as this one. She no longer travels, so Mama’s siblings all come to visit at Netherfield now.
It has been many months since the last time that Grandmama made the trip to her beloved Yorkshire,” Louisa explained.
“I understand from Tammy that both you and Mrs Bingley have joined the Meryton Committee and have been active in the endeavours around the Hertfordshire area,” Lady Anne stated.
“We have,” Mandy confirmed. “My sister and I have found the work very fulfilling, have we not, Louisa?” Louisa nodded vigorously.
“It is sad how much need there is for the services that we offer. Mama told me about the update that was received from the Derbyshire Committee; it seems that you have made much progress.”
“We have, and you are correct; there is much need; we will do what we can do, but until it becomes a national priority, it will always be a drop in the bucket,” Lady Elaine told the ladies.
“How are the Black children faring?” Elizabeth asked the question she had wanted to from the time the discussion began.
“They have adapted fully to their new surroundings and are flourishing,” Mandy replied, “In fact, there is an adoption for them on the horizon.”
“All seven of them?” Elizabeth asked in disbelief. Her first inclination was to think how they would never live near her, but that was but a moment as she knew adoption by a loving family would be the ideal for the children.
“Yes, all seven,” Louisa confirmed.
“When did this come to pass?” Tammy asked, “I had no notion of this development until you mentioned it just now.”
“Do you know Mr and Mrs Goodridge from Middlesex?” Louisa asked.
“Yes, they have a nice sized estate, Ashford Dale is the name, I believe, and no children,” Tammy recalled.
“The very same,” Mandy confirmed. “Evidently, they had wanted to adopt for a while now.
They have no living family on either side and have never been able to have their own children.
They visited the home where the Blacks are situated a little over a month ago, and evidently, they fell in love with them.
Since the first visit, they have been back once or twice a week.
They took the two oldest boys with them to see the estate the week before we left, and the two praised the situation to the sky when they returned.
“The Goodridges were preparing their home to receive the seven when we departed. I expect it will be just days until the children move to Ashford Dale permanently. They will be recognised as sons and daughters by the couple and take the Goodridge name. The oldest boy will be made the heir.”
By the end of the recitation, Elizabeth had tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. “I could not have imagined a better outcome for them.”
The discussion then moved to the upcoming wedding.
As the conversation swirled about her, Elizabeth felt something akin to euphoria.
One different decision and the boys would have ended up in gaol, and the other five would have been left to starve.
She would see them occasionally, she was sure, but she knew that she would never have to worry for their futures again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Where is Fitzwilliam, Darcy?” Bingley asked after he took his shot.
“He returned to Brookfield today, and his betrothed and her family arrive there on the morrow. I never imagined that I would ever see him so besotted,” Will replied as he lined up his shot.
“If that is not the pot calling the kettle black, then I do not know what would be,” George Darcy ribbed his son.
“Are you saying that my friend walks around mooncalf, Mr Darcy?” Bingley asked with a grin.
“That would be an understatement, Bingley,” George responded, grinning at his son’s discomfort. “You raised the subject of one being besotted with his betrothed, son. If I was inaccurate, you are welcome to correct me.”
Will gave the three grinning men his best scowl. “May we just return to the game, please?”
“Peace, son. Have you informed Lizzy where you will go for your wedding trip yet?” George asked his son.
“No, I have not, Father; it is a surprise for her,” Will replied.
“What are you planning, Darcy?” Hurst asked.
“I will share the information as long as you swear that you will not allow my wife to wheedle it out of you.” Both Bingley and Hurst swore on their honour.
“Perry has agreed to allow us to use his private vessel, which is berthed in Southampton.
We will travel there from the wedding, and we will sail to the Italian peninsula.
Lizzy was always fascinated by my descriptions of the area from when I was on my grand tour.
If it were not for the war, I would have taken her to the Kingdoms of Portugal and Spain.
“I know she would also love to see France, but as the Great Terror has not ended, albeit it is less now than it was, I will not take a chance with my new wife by setting foot on any French lands.”
“Given Lady Elizabeth’s insatiable thirst for knowledge, I am sure that she will approve most heartily of the wedding trip,” Bingley opined.
“All I need to do is make it until our departure without her drawing the information out of me,” Will winced.
“You will hold strong while she uses her charms on you to loosen your lips, Will,” his father stated.
“I truly hope so,” Will replied. He wished his lips were otherwise engaged, for the word conjured many instances of their stolen kisses. He could not get enough of her lips, and when they kissed, he was at his most vulnerable but had managed to stop himself from revealing his plans—so far!
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Richard had never been so nervous before.
He had never ridden into battle, but he believed that he would have been calmer than he was as he waited for his love to arrive at his estate.
He had gone over everything with his senior staff multiple times, and each time they had indulgently answered his questions as they assured him all was in place for the visit and that Brookfield would be displayed most advantageously.
He knew all was as it should be, but that did not quiet the inner voice of doubt that told him that Loretta would disapprove of his home. There was naught he could do now, for the de Melvilles would arrive on the morrow, so he could only pray that all would be well.