Chapter 19

19

M r. and Mrs. Bennet and their three daughters arrived late that afternoon. Mrs. Bennet, after complimenting Darcy on the stateliness of his house, intended to go straight to the nursery, as did her husband. The housekeeper showed Miss Mary quietly to her room. Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia insisted that they be allowed to go to the shops and make calls on Darcy’s wealthy neighbors as soon as they could change into their best day gowns. Elizabeth quickly put a stop to their nonsense.

“In case you have forgotten, Lydia, we are in mourning for dear Jane and Bingley. There will be no social calls for the next six months.”

Lydia stomped her foot, her lower lip in a pout.

Miss Kitty said, “I told you they would not let us, Lydia.”

Darcy was amazed at the ease with which his wife dealt with her sisters. Each day that he was in her presence, he marveled at his good fortune.

Elizabeth suggested, “Lydia, Kitty, we shall need you to join us when the Fitzwilliam family arrives to discuss how to keep Jane’s twins. It would help if you were well-rested and prepared to participate.”

“Us?”

Darcy did not dare laugh at the shock on the girls’ faces.

“You two are essential. I know of no other young ladies who better understand the power of the spoken word.”

Miss Kitty seemed to bounce on her toes. “Oh, we do, do we not?”

“Indeed,” Elizabeth said, then sent them to their rooms with a maid.

God in heaven, how I admire her spirit. Darcy then understood what proper pride was. “You are a clever woman.”

The corner of her mouth tipped up. “Never forget it, Fitzwilliam Darcy.”

Darcy accompanied Elizabeth to the nursery. Mrs. Bennet held Charlie while Mr. Bennet read Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 to Clara, taking liberty with the stanzas:

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day, Miss Clara?

“Thou art more lovely and more temperate than your sweet mother Jane, God rest her soul.

“Rough winds do shake the darling buds of February? Are there buds in London at this time of year, Miss Clara, or will we need to wait until spring like the bard suggests? Oh, you have no ready reply? Then, I shall continue.

“And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”

The baby cooed, enraptured.

Darcy bumped Elizabeth’s arm, tipping his head to her weeping mother.

“Are you well, Mama?” Elizabeth asked.

She sniffed.“Lizzy, I miss my Jane terribly. This is the first baby boy I’ve held in my arms since we lost our son the year before Jane was born.”

Stunned, Elizabeth said, “You had a son? Mama, how did we not know?”

Her father replied, “Lizzy, the loss was too great. We could barely speak of it between ourselves. Thomas was perfectly formed, though his heart and lungs were weak. He lived for a mere six weeks—six weeks of hope, delight, and relief. Then he was gone. Our heartbreak was complete.”

Her mother closed her eyes as she rocked her grandson. Speaking through her tears, she said, “The baby was not strong like our girls. Do you remember, Mr. Bennet?”

“How could I possibly forget.” Bennet gently ran the tip of his finger down Clara’s alabaster cheek. “We have discussed this Lord and Lady Armstrong situation at length. You know how the entail on Longbourn cannot be broken, which means that none of my daughters have the security of knowing they will live in their childhood home after I die. Therefore, the Bennet family no longer needs to be tied to the estate if there is another, better solution. And these two children are all we have left of Jane. She, the gentlest of my five daughters, would have moved heaven and earth for the twins. How can we not do the same? Thus, Mrs. Bennet, Mary, Kitty, Lydia, and I agree that we permanently lease Longbourn, using the funds to set up a house in Italy, where the climate is warm and more healthful for the twins. We would raise Jane’s children until they are old enough to choose their own guardian.”

Elizabeth gasped in wonder. “You would truly risk imprisonment to do this because Lord Armstrong would insist on nothing less if you were discovered?”

Her father shrugged. “I have been a selfish being all my life. This past week has forced me to face how little I have done for my family, and we all suffer for it. Charlie and Clara are my chance to right wrongs.”

“But…” Elizabeth asked. “What about us? Where are we in your plans?”

Her mother replied, “Your marriage is just beginning, Lizzy. You two need to forge a future you both desire. Being newly married is a challenge. Even two individuals as amiable as Bingley and Jane had difficult moments. In spite of having as much help as is available, having your days and nights held captive by these two little ones can starve a union of the attention it needs to be successful. You need time alone to nurture a strong relationship that will withstand all that life hands you. Eventually, you will have children of your own to love and cuddle. But these two? They need us. And we need them.”

Elizabeth leaned against her husband, gazing up at him in amazement. When did Francine Bennet become the voice of reason? When did my father look out for someone’s interests ahead of his own?

Later, after the introductions to his family were made, Darcy took control of the gathering. Quickly updating the Fitzwilliams and Bennets with what happened that day in Court, he asked for suggestions on how best to proceed.

His uncle spoke first. “It was readily apparent that a close relationship exists between Lord Armstrong and the Lord Chancellor. I will attempt to discover their history, how these two men came to know each other, and how they spend their time together. I might find something to drive a wedge between them.”

Richard added, “It was quite apparent how Lord Armstrong would go to any length to see you lose those children, Darcy. Having a reputed former friend spread harmful tales against you to influence the judge is a disgusting tactic.”

Miss Lydia spoke up. “Colonel, I know from experience that there is nothing like gossip to break up friends, especially if the words paint someone in a less than favorable light. For example, I was jealous when I heard that Mary King was soon to engage herself to one of the militia officers. After all, she is a freckled thing. So, when I first heard the rumor, I asked my aunt Philips, who enjoys nothing more than sharing details with others, how a girl could be so freckled when she spends the day sitting in her parlor waiting for visitors who never come. Well, the result was that none of the neighboring ladies wanted to be seen in Mary King’s parlor since they did not want to be singled out by visiting a lady that no one apparently admired. Miss King was so distraught that nobody celebrated her upcoming engagement that she left Meryton, leaving the officer behind.”

“Lydia!” Elizabeth burned with humiliation. What would Darcy’s family think of hers? “That was unkind.”

Tilting her head to the side, Lydia said, “True enough, Lizzy. However, the process works. For was this not what Lord Armstrong hoped to do with your former friend, use him to fabricate lies about Mr. Darcy? Why shouldn’t the same be done to Lord Armstrong?”

Elizabeth replied sternly, “Because we do not lie, Lydia.”

Her youngest sister harumphed. “Well, if you ask me, which apparently no one will, it works.”

Darcy’s aunt, Lady Matlock, a leading lady of the Upper Ten Thousand, said, “She is correct. More than one person has been shunned based on a careless whisper. I understand from my husband that three accusations would prevent Lord Armstrong’s petition from going through. It is public knowledge that he has not been accused or arrested for a crime. Nor is he an atheist, for no one sings hymns as regularly, loudly, and poorly as he does at church. This leaves us with the potential of his being egregiously immoral. It would take little to start a tale that would condemn him, though it leaves a bad taste in my mouth at doing so. I would hate it if someone did the same to me or my loved ones. Yet, it happens frequently in our set.”

Miss Lydia loudly whispered, “I am not sure what egregiously immoral is, but it sounds delicious. Do you know what they are speaking of?”

Miss Kitty shook her head vigorously.

Mr. Bennet stood and approached his youngest. “While I thank you for offering an effective suggestion, Lydia, I believe you can return to your chambers to rest from the journey.”

“But Papa!” the two girls wailed.

Mr. Bennet arched his brow, increasing Darcy’s respect for the man.

Once the girls bid His Lordship and Her Ladyship good night, giggled at Richard, and the door closed, Darcy reminded those remaining that he would not lower himself to the level of Armstrong.

“Georgiana, if you would prefer, you are welcome to spend time with the babies in the nursery or practice in the music room.”

Unlike Elizabeth’s sisters, Georgiana was painfully timid, so her response shocked him.

“I would like to remain, Brother, for I suspect that this ‘friend’ Lord Armstrong is using is George Wickham. If Lord Armstrong knows of my eager participation in Wickham’s plan to elope with me and steal my fortune, I must know how I can best protect myself from blackmail.”

“Georgiana!” Darcy and Richard spoke at once.

Her unexpected boldness fled from her like an early morning mist in the summer’s heat. Her shoulders drooped as she laced her fingers together.

Georgiana started to cry. “I beg your pardon. Should I go? I should never have come. Now, everyone here is aware of how close I came to ruination.”

Elizabeth quickly came to her aid. “Miss Darcy, I am grateful to you for sharing your experience. This serves as a reminder that we are not the only ones with something to lose if we are not cautious in our dealings with Lord Armstrong. This means that we cannot fight like for like. We will not use harmful gossip to our advantage, for we would not live easily with ourselves if we did.”

If he had not admitted it to himself already, Darcy would have been convinced that, at that moment, he would have fallen permanently and undeniably in love with his wife.