29

Elizabeth and her husband smiled at one another as she entered the drawing room, a cup of hot tea in hand.

“You look refreshed, my dear, and very lovely in lavender.” Olly glanced down at his waistcoat, which was nearly the same shade. His smiled flickered. “I had not forgotten.”

She set her teacup down and brushed his cheek with her hand. “I should have known you would remember.”

Elizabeth extended her hands toward him, and he pivoted one side of his body toward her as gently handed her their sleeping daughter. She cradled the baby in both arms, smiling down at that perfect face. The infant blinked up at her with eyes just like Olly’s, and Elizabeth made a few silly faces before saying, “I visited your grandpapa today, Sophia. Yes, I did. I showed him the portrait you posed for so nicely with all of us.”

She smiled at Olly again. “I hope you do not mind – I left it there for him. It was clever of William to think of the enamel, so it shall withstand the weather.”

“He and Kitty have grown quite the pair of artists together, who would have thought it! Well, they should soon be obliged to paint another anyhow, at the rate the twins are growing! Only a month old and they are twice as heavy at least. No miniatures next time, we shall require a very grand portrait, is that not right, little Ben?”

As Olly bounced little Bennet Lucas in his arms, he looked back at his wife and asked, “How was your visit to the grave?”

Elizabeth gave him a sad smile. The turning of the leaves had not saddened her as it had done the previous autumn. And it had been her first country ramble since well before her confinement two months prior. It was just what she had needed. “I saw Mary there – she brought flowers, and I brought the miniature. She told me – that is, she wished Papa to be the first person she told – but she believes she is with child.”

Olly brought Ben nearer to Sophia, and the twins instinctively curled their tiny, perfect fingers together. “You are to have another new cousin ere long, you lucky little creatures,” he cooed at them. “William Collins is a clever man indeed. Suggesting his former curate for the living when it came available, and then serving him up on a silver platter to your sister.”

Elizabeth let out a burst of surprised laughter, though how his nonsense could continue to amaze her was anybody’s guess. “Teasing man, he did no such thing!”

“Oh yes, he did,” Olly snorted, sipping from her teacup as he reveled in his own impertinence. “There is no way even a fellow like your cousin could not have been aware of what a fine looking fellow he brought amongst us; I am sure the entire parish was loosening their purse strings after that first Sunday! Maria almost fainted! I believe Collins even outdid your mother in putting Mary forward and remarking on her new gown and talent at pianoforte, and immediately issuing a dinner invitation! I thought Kitty would die of laughter.”

“Mr. Collins is always full of praise for everybody,” Elizabeth replied.

“Your mother ought to have brought him to Yorkshire with her, if her aim is to find a beau for Lydia,”

“If!” Elizabeth fairly snorted. “She would do better to wait until after Christmas and let Aunt Madeline bring her out properly. Even I could do it, if you wished to be in London for a few months.” For the last year Olly had divided his time between London and Netherfield, but Elizabeth knew that would soon change.

“I do not care where we reside when I return, though I hope sponsoring your sister will not tire you overmuch, for I hope by then we might set about giving these cherubs a brother or sister. We cannot let the Collinses have all the fun.” Olly grinned rakishly at his wife, before his expression darkened. “I had an express from the Office of the Admiralty this morning while you were walking. We set sail in three days.”

“So soon,” Elizabeth gasped. “Do you know how long you will be gone?”

Olly averted his gaze. “Not long,” he murmured. He let out a sharp breath, and then looked back at her. “There is something you must know. If I do not return….”

Elizabeth placed a hand over little Sophia’s ear as if to shield the babe from such talk. “Do not say such things!”

“I must tell you,” he said, his voice gravelly. He looked as if he wished he had a drink, and stared down at Ben for a moment before looking back at Elizabeth. “I saw Captain Darcy in Town last month. He did not marry Lady Amelia.”

“I surmised as much when I saw an announcement of her betrothal to Sir Samuel Birch in the papers last month.”

“You know I do not read such things – I would never have imagined you to have any interest in them.”

Elizabeth grinned. “In this case, I found the news quite satisfactory.”

“Wait – is he not that hideous fellow from Brighton who was always licking his lips at you?”

“I shall have to write to Madame Piedmont and ask if he does the same on his wedding day,” Elizabeth chortled.

Olly fixed her with a wry expression. “You are turning the subject because I mentioned Will.”

It had been no small feat to purge the memories of Captain Darcy from her mind when she had come to live at Netherfield, and Elizabeth had no wish to face the specter of him now. But Olly was wearing his seldom-seen serious face. “If you wish to tell me of him, I have no objection to hearing of him,” she said.

“We did not speak beyond a civil greeting. I will only say that… that if I do not return to you, you have my blessing.” Olly held her gaze, as if wishing to impart more than she could understand.

“Oliver, I do not like the turn of this conversation. I have but three days with you,” Elizabeth said, using his full name as she only did when she was cross.

“I have but three days to ensure that my affairs are in order. To make certain that those I love shall be looked after.” Olly took Elizabeth’s free hand in his, stroking the back of it with his thumb. “I am going to see your Uncle Phillips this afternoon. If anything befalls me, I have a letter I wish you to give to John Drake. Netherfield and Lucas Lodge will of course both someday belong to our Bennet, and you and Sophia will be well provided for. And Charlotte, even if she is a late sleeper.”

The couple looked up as Charlotte entered the room. “What a strange look the pair of you have,” she drawled.

“Olly had just been advising me to run off to Captain Darcy when he perishes at sea,” Elizabeth quipped with a scowl. She had let go of that sad affair, had finally gotten color back in her face that spring, and she would not trade her loving family or peaceful life for all the world. A small piece of her heart would always belong to Captain Darcy, but she did not appreciate the reminder of what she had suffered on her first day out of mourning for her father.

Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “And who am I to marry? I hope I shall not have to wait until you go on to your eternal reward.”

“Or punishment,” Elizabeth grumbled. Olly only grinned at her in a way that she could not help but reciprocate.

“Perhaps Mr. Collins has another handsome vicar waiting in the wings,” Olly teased.

Charlotte gave an exaggerated cringe. “He would be reading Fordyce to me before bed every night, that would never do! I have been reading that filthy book you left sitting out in the library, Lizzy, and now I believe a pirate would suit me much better.”

“I beg your pardon?” Elizabeth looked quizzically at Charlotte before turning a satirical eye on the true culprit.

Olly began to cough. “Forgive me, sister, I did not hear you. At any rate, you may do with your booty – er, dowry – as you choose.”

“I shall do nothing of the sort, because you will come back to us,” Charlotte said, earning a nod of approbation from Elizabeth. “And then, retirement – you will settle down once and for all, or Lizzy and I will beat you as we did when we were children.”

Olly smiled and shrugged his shoulders, as little Ben cooed in his arms. “You have my word, after this I shall settle down for good.”

But this was not to be, for on the tenth of November, upon returning to Netherfield after Kitty had delivered her second child, Elizabeth was presented with a letter rimmed in black. She knew what it said even before she opened it, and read the missive with tears in her eyes. Captain Oliver Lucas was reported amongst the casualties a fortnight prior, at the Battle of Trafalgar.