Chapter 19 #2
Elizabeth grinned at him. “He will, and Mrs Hill will assist him.” Elizabeth held up a letter.
“She has written to me as well and is displeased with my father’s actions, or rather, inaction.
Mama is aware Papa owes a significant debt, but she does not know the extent of the debt, how he acquired it, or the threat to Jane.
Mama complains to Mrs Hill whenever she is upset, so she knows what Papa has said.
The girls do not know and are upset about the restrictions Papa has placed on them.
Lydia is particularly frustrated by the governess requiring her to attend lessons, as she believes she is too old for such ‘nonsense’.
” Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her husband as she told him about the letter.
“I know we agreed to allow Papa to tell the rest of the family without us there, but clearly, he believed he could keep part of the truth hidden and did not tell them the truth.”
Elizabeth stood and moved to the small writing desk he added to his study for her use. She wrote a letter replying to Longbourn’s housekeeper and then another to her uncle outlining their plan. She imagined the look on Mrs Hill’s face when she read the letter and struggled to hold back a laugh.
Darcy composed letters to his informants from Longbourn and another to Mr Bennet about his lack of communication.
When he finished those, he returned to the rest of his correspondence, although he frequently looked up to watch Elizabeth.
Each time he did so, he smiled, happy he could share his office with the most beautiful woman he knew.
Several hours later, they finished responding to the most pressing letters, leaving the rest for the next day.
Elizabeth went to speak to Mrs Reynolds about the Gardiners’ upcoming visit and the house party a few weeks after their arrival.
She found Georgiana and Jane on her way and encouraged both ladies to join the discussion, as she thought they would both have ideas to add.
That meeting lasted nearly two hours, and finally, the family gathered for tea in one of the smaller family sitting rooms. Georgiana and Jane had gotten along well while Darcy and Elizabeth were away.
Jane smiled as Georgiana peppered her brother and sister with questions about their trip to the Lakes and even managed to ask a few of her own.
Darcy and Elizabeth answered all the questions patiently, although the frequent glances between them silently expressed their desire for more time alone.
They thoroughly enjoyed their time at the Lakes, and it was proving challenging to return to Pemberley, where privacy was far more difficult to find.
The couple made it through dinner and sat with their sisters for some time after dinner before claiming fatigue and retiring to their rooms for the rest of the evening.
For the next few weeks, the days fell into a pattern of Darcy and Elizabeth breakfasting together in their sitting room before adjourning to his study to review correspondence together.
Then, they would separate to pursue individual tasks—Elizabeth to meet with the housekeeper and her sisters, and Darcy to meet with his steward or conduct other business.
If she could, Elizabeth would join him in the study until they joined their sisters for tea and dinner.
Some days, Darcy rode out on the estate with the steward, and when Elizabeth accompanied him, and his business was completed, they rode to another of those locations Darcy wanted to show her with a picnic lunch and a blanket.
Once there, Darcy would demonstrate to Elizabeth his purpose in seeking out these isolated locations.
A month after the Darcys arrived at Pemberley, the Gardiners came, bringing their children and Mary with them. Almost immediately, Mrs Gardiner noticed a change in Elizabeth and determined to speak with her privately as soon as she could manage it.
It took Mrs Gardiner a few days to manage a private conversation with her niece. “Elizabeth, you look very well,” she began. “Tell me, though, how are you finding married life?”
“It is wonderful, Aunt,” Elizabeth replied.
“William is such a good husband, and despite all the trouble with my family, he has been incredibly patient and generous. I know I wrote you about Papa’s reaction to our claiming his books as a forfeit for his failure to comply with the conditions of the loan.
The letter he sent my dear husband after that was almost contrite, although it held an undertone of bitterness.
“William has not been happy about Mama’s letters to me.
She is still angry with me for all the changes at Longbourn, but at least Papa is now making something of an effort on the estate.
I do not know if he has realised several people at Longbourn are reporting the goings on there, but he is taking more interest in the estate and attempting to restrain Mama’s vehemence towards me. ”
“I truly hate that you must endure this,” Mrs Gardiner told her.
“It was good of your Mr Darcy to loan your father the money, and I am very pleased it was a loan and not a gift. I know the two of you came up with these conditions for the loan and that you intend to make things better for them all in the long run, even if they do not understand it right now. Mary is doing very well with us, and she is much improved under the instruction of the music master. I think you will enjoy hearing her play.”
“Mary just needed someone to pay her some attention. I know I did not do enough, but she craved the attention of our parents, not her sisters,” Elizabeth admitted. “She told me she appreciates your allowing her to live with you and plans to stay as long as you will let her.”
“We are happy to have her with us,” Mrs Gardiner replied. “Now, I do not know how long we will remain alone, and I have a particular topic of conversation I want to broach with you.”
“Yes, Aunt, what is it?” Elizabeth asked, growing concerned at her tone of voice.
“It is nothing to worry about, my dear girl. I just have a few questions to ask you,” Mrs Gardiner said. “I notice you are only picking at your food, especially at breakfast, are sleeping later than usual, and appear tired in the afternoons.”
Elizabeth sighed. “William has noticed the same, and he is worried about me. I think I am well, although, at times, my stomach does not tolerate food well. I have felt like I needed to cast up my accounts a few times, but I have not done so, and the feeling eventually passes. Dry toast sometimes helps with that feeling.”
“Elizabeth, I think you are forgetting some of our conversations before you wed. Can you tell me, when was the last time you had your courses?” Mrs Gardiner asked gently.
Elizabeth thought for a moment. “Not since before we left for the Lakes. We deliberately waited until after that event so we could enjoy ourselves fully.” Elizabeth smirked at her aunt. “That was nearly two months ago, which means I have missed an entire month. Do you think …?” she trailed off.
“Yes, I do,” her aunt replied.
“Oh, William will be so happy!” Elizabeth cried. “But how will I know for certain? Should I tell him now, or is there something I should look for so I can know for sure?”
“Right now, you only suspect it, but it is likely,” Mrs Gardiner told her, then thought for a moment.
“If what you say is correct, you will likely give birth in mid-April. In another two months, you should feel the quickening. You can wait to tell him then, or you can go ahead and let him know what you suspect. He may begin to notice changes to your body, especially if you are intimate as frequently as you hinted.”
Elizabeth blushed. “What changes should I anticipate? Other than the obvious, I mean.”
They spoke for a little while longer before the others interrupted their conversation. Elizabeth decided to tell her husband what she suspected that very night.