Chapter 52 Life At Pemberley
When they reached the house, Elizabeth saw the servants lined up on either side of the staircase. She turned her gaze toward her husband. He was looking at her, a smile in his eyes, as he led her into the entrance hall.
Though usually a reserved man, Elizabeth could tell from his expression and the slight curve of his mouth that the welcome gratified him. He took great care to present her and her family to his loyal servants, especially his housekeeper.
Elizabeth realized this woman had likely, in many ways, filled the place of a mother after his own had died.
She took the older woman's hand and said, “I am very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Reynolds. I am certain you have been the heart of this household, and I shall depend upon your guidance as I take my place here at Pemberley.”
“You are very kind, mistress. It does us all a great deal of good to see the master so fortunate in a wife. Mrs. Nichols wrote to tell us of his happy marriage to a kind and beautiful young lady.”
Elizabeth was smiling when she turned her gaze upon him, and for a brief moment, their eyes held. He wore that rare, beautiful smile she cherished above all others, and she felt truly, blissfully happy.
The party entered the house, and Mrs. Reynolds showed them upstairs to their chambers. Elizabeth took the arm Mr. Darcy offered. He escorted her to her suite of rooms himself.
He opened the door to her bedchamber. The rooms had been newly refurbished in soft colors that reminded her of spring.
She turned toward him. He looked gorgeous, even after a long day in the saddle with his long, shapely limbs and broad shoulders.
Every inch the gentleman, his dark eyes were fixed on her, and standing so near, she caught the familiar scent of his cologne.
Drawing herself from her thoughts, she said, “It is lovely, Fitzwilliam.”
“I engaged a man much admired in town for his skill. I am pleased his work meets with your approval.”
She stepped farther into the room. “It is more than I could ever have wished for.” She walked to the window and gazed out over the valley below. “This is almost too much, Fitzwilliam. I can scarcely believe this grand manor is my home.”
Relief softened his expression.
“Sir, did you fear I might not like it here?”
“To speak honestly, darling, I feared you might find my northern home too isolated for your taste.”
She moved close to him and slipped her arms about his neck, rising onto her toes to brush her lips against his.
“Sir, anywhere is home so long as we are together. And since I am a girl, born and bred in the country, I find this place to be the embodiment of a fantastic dream.” His long-lashed eyes were fixed on her. She added merrily, “or a fairy tale.”
He relaxed and rested his cheek against the crown of her head. “All is well then, darling. I believe Pemberley is the loveliest place in the world. Now that you are here with me, I want for nothing more.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I must confess, Elizabeth, I have often been lonely. Had I realized I was longing for you, I should have gone out in search of you years ago.”
She pressed her lips to his and whispered, “And I should have known you at once.”
Reluctantly, they parted. Darcy went down to his study to review his correspondence while Elizabeth went to see to the comfort of her two sisters.
Georgiana had already taken charge of Kitty and was helping her settle into her room, which left Elizabeth free to devote her attention to Mary.
“My dear sister, your feet and legs are very swollen. Come with me. We shall walk down the hall and back, and then I will massage your feet and legs.”
She rang for Gibbs.
“Please find extra pillows for my sister. We shall take a short walk, and afterward I shall elevate her legs upon pillows. Let Mrs. Reynolds know that one of the upper chambermaids is to attend her during her stay with us.” Turning to her sister, she asked, “At what hour would you like your bath drawn? And shall you come down to dinner, or would you prefer a tray sent up to your room?”
Once the arrangements had been settled with an eye to Mary’s comfort, they completed two circuits of the corridor, then Elizabeth fell to the work of massaging her sister’s feet and legs. When she had finished, she left her in the care of the newly assigned chambermaid.
Elizabeth sought out the housekeeper and requested that arrangements be made for the midwife to call the following day. Having nothing further requiring her attention, she retired to her own chamber and enjoyed her first bath after six days of travel. It was a luxurious indulgence.
Afterward, she lay down to rest for an hour.
Mr. Darcy found her curled in her bed when he came upstairs to bathe and dress. He bent and kissed her.
“Darling, it is almost time to dress for dinner, unless you wish for a tray to be sent up.”
“No indeed, sir. It is too late to change dinner plans. I do not wish to distress Cook.”
He brushed his lips against hers. “Such sweet lips, Elizabeth.”
He lowered his head and brushed a trail of kisses from her throat to the rounded swell of her breasts visible above the edge of her bodice.
His nearness sent delicious shivers coursing through her very depths, and she pressed herself closer to him.
His touch awakened a sweet longing. For the short while that remained before they must dress, Elizabeth held the whole of his attention.
It was the last week of May. One month had passed in quiet contentment.
Elizabeth strolled through a meadow bordering the kitchen gardens.
Left in its natural state, it was bursting with wildflowers and fresh spring grasses.
She was grateful to have her two sisters with her at Pemberley.
She had not anticipated how fully estate matters would occupy Mr. Darcy during the day.
During the past weeks, he and his steward had inspected drainage ditches, fences, hedges, gates, and roads, determining what repairs the winter weather had made necessary.
More recently, his attention had turned to the hay meadows, for the harvest would begin in June and preparations had to be completed beforehand.
He expressed satisfaction with the condition of the livestock and often, in the evenings, spoke to her of the lambs and calves.
His chief concerns were preventing disease outbreaks among the flocks and ensuring adequate pasture for them throughout the summer.
Tonight, as they lay in bed, he told her that the head shepherd had expressed concern over a pack of wild dogs that had been worrying sheep on a neighboring estate.
“The western farms here at Pemberley lie nearest to where the attacks have occurred. The dogs have already killed several of Selkirk’s lambs.”
“What shall be done about this pack, sir?”
“Selkirk and I intend to organize a hunting party and track them down. Fortunately, they have not breached any of our fences or barns, but it is only a matter of time.”
Her brow furrowed.
“What is it, darling? Why do you look concerned?”
“Sir, I fear a hunting accident. Who shall accompany you? Are they all properly trained, so that no one is injured by an errant shot?”
“You need not worry, Elizabeth. I have hunted since I was a boy. The Miller brothers, my gamekeeper, and his underkeeper shall accompany me, and Selkirk will bring experienced men as well. We shall take the hounds, and if fortune favors us, we shall bring down the pack within a day or two.”
She rolled onto her side to better see his face. “Sir, I am not given to fears, at least no more than most, yet I cannot help feeling anxious for your safety.”
He drew her closer, and she rested her head upon his shoulder. “I take every precaution, Elizabeth. I do not trifle with my safety. You need not fear for me.”
“I understand with my head, sir, but my heart refuses to be persuaded. Can you not send the others and refrain from joining the hunting party yourself?”
He angled his head to better see her face. “Did your father not hunt upon his estate?”
“He did, but generally in company with Sir William Lucas, and on foot. It was a very deliberate affair, with little danger to the hunters.”
“So, your father never hunted on horseback?”
“No, sir. He keeps only the animals necessary to work the farm and those that pull the carriage. He has a riding horse, and there is old Nellie, whom my sisters rode.”
“So, you are imagining every manner of misfortune will befall us during this hunt? There shall be no more than ten or eleven men, myself included. We are all experienced in the use of firearms, and we shall remain together, and within sight of one another, so there is little danger of an accidental injury.”
She nestled closer and ran her hand along the smooth planes of his chest. “Very well, sir. I shall endeavor not to worry while you are out hunting these feral dogs, and I shall offer a prayer for all of you.”
He brushed the tip of his nose against hers before claiming her lips in a kiss. Thoughts of feral dogs and damaged fences fell away. She rested secure within his embrace, his strong body pressed close to hers, and abandoned herself to his tender embrace.
On the midwife's advice, Elizabeth walked with Mary three times each day.
Their walks were brief, alternating between the rose arbors and along the banks of the brook bordering the formal gardens.
Between the walking and the massages, the swelling lessened enough to bring some relief.
The family approved of Miriam, the midwife, a lively and capable woman.
She eventually confirmed that Mary carried twins.
The pregnancy would be more complicated, for if twins are born too early, they could perish from immaturity of the lungs.
“Mrs. Collins, I recommend that you write to your husband and send for him no later than the first or second week of June. By the look of you, I doubt you shall carry the babies much longer than that.”