Section I, Next Section
Part 1
Darcy would have preferred his mother to stay with his wife when she would have her baby, because he associated childbirth with mothers. Because he did not have a mother anymore, he had written to the next best substitute. That was not his mother-in-law, to be certain, and anyway, that woman had already announced that she would be coming without having been asked.
He had written to his aunt Matlock. He was sure she would come, and she would be calming nerves instead of complaining about them.
Elizabeth also dreaded her mother's visit. She did want her mother to come, but she also foresaw that Mrs. Bennet would not be of much use. Somebody young, with more recent experience, who would be able to stay calm would be much more useful. She knew someone like that who did not live too far away, and perhaps she could explain it to her mother in such a way that Mrs. Bennet would not be offended by Lady Matlock's presence. Mrs. Bennet would not dare to object to a countess.
She had written, and hoped that Lady Matlock's small children would not prevent her from coming. If they were ill, there was no way their mother would leave them.
"Oh," said the younger Lady Matlock as she put down a letter. Since her husband and her mother-in-law were engrossed in their newspaper and own letter respectively, nobody paid attention. "Oh," she said again, louder this time.
"We heard you the first time as well, dear," came from behind the newspaper.
"Then why did you not say anything?"
"Because I was waiting for you to elaborate. There is not much one can say to 'oh,' except perhaps 'ah' in return."
She ignored him. "Elizabeth asks if I can come when she is about to have her baby."
"Me too," said the Dowager Lady Matlock.
"Really, Mother?" Richard asked. "You forgot to tell us you were going to have one?"
His mother gave him an admonishing look. "You are very cheeky at this early hour. I meant that I have been requested to come as well, but by Darcy himself and not by his wife."
"I do not know about that, that is not what Elizabeth writes. She invites me and Mrs. Bennet invited herself," said Caroline.
"I am going to invite myself as well, if you are all going," Richard declared. "Why do they invite different people?"
"Because Darcy does not think I am capable," Caroline guessed. "Perhaps he thinks I shall be a bad influence."
"It is a bit silly to invite Mother then! He does not believe that Caroline's insanity is innate -" Richard held up his hands to calm Caroline when she opened her mouth. "So he must not believe that anyone is innately insane, not even me. He thinks you get your insanity from somebody else, so Caroline must have it from me. And therefore I must have it from you, and he invites you!" His mother now began to show signs of protesting. "No! I am not saying you are insane, Mother, but this is Darcy's line of reasoning...I was trying to point out how silly it was."
"You are not even certain that he is really thinking that," Lady Matlock protested.
"No, I am not," he said regretfully. "I should have liked to shoot holes in his reasoning."
"Perhaps someone ought to shoot some holes in your reasoning someday," Caroline said.
"My reasoning is one big hole already, and that was an awful lot of somes."
Caroline did not follow him. "Do you mean the whole is greater than the sum of its parts?" she frowned.
"What do you mean?" Richard asked. "Which parts?"
"Never mind. Your reasoning is too elusive for anybody to shoot a hole in it."
"If you say so. When are we expected at Pemberley?" he asked.
"You too?"
Richard did not like staying behind all by himself, even if the alternative was spending some time in a house full of nervous women. "Of course. One, somebody needs to entertain our children. Two, somebody needs to stand by Darcy. Three, I am not staying here alone. Four, Caroline needs me to --"
Lady Matlock interrupted him. "Enough." Whatever it was that Caroline needed him to do, she did not want to know.
Caroline looked at the letter again. "I think we ought to leave as soon as possible, in a few days. It will not be long anymore."
"Are they not a bit late with their requests then?" Richard asked. "They have known about this for several months!"
"It is probably a case of last-minute panicking," his mother suggested. "It is coming closer and closer. Perhaps they think they can no longer manage on their own."
Part 2
A few days later, the Fitzwilliams undertook the journey to Pemberley. Fortunately it was not very far, because James and Julia occasionally felt sick in carriages and everybody lived in fear of their throwing up. Though that did not happen, the state of the roads must have been particularly bad, because even Caroline felt nauseous for the first part of the way.
Richard was glad when Pemberley came into sight. He had had to be watchful all the time, because Caroline and his mother had closed their eyes, and James and Julia were very active. They insisted on walking through the carriage, which was of course impossible.
They could now walk and they could not be left alone anymore, not even for a second. In the few seconds that passed between setting James on the ground and lifting Julia out of the carriage, James hobbled towards the front of the carriage to look at the horses and the coachman had to place him at a somewhat safer distance from the horses' legs.
"That's an 'orse," said the coachman helpfully, when James seemed to be very interested.
Caroline had lifted James up so he could get a better look, although she was not wild about horses herself. "Horse," she whispered to James, so he would not learn the wrong pronunciation from the coachman.
The Darcys were very glad to see them. Georgiana especially was happy with the presence of other people who were not having a baby, and so was Elizabeth. Darcy was terribly nervous and concerned, and he wanted her to stay in bed all day, something that she abhorred.
"She has brought the whole family," Darcy uttered in surprise as he saw all of them alight from the carriage. He was referring to his aunt.
"Indeed! How wonderful," smiled Elizabeth beside him. She had expected that Caroline would bring the twins, but she had not been certain about Richard, and not at all about Lady Matlock.
Darcy shrugged. If Elizabeth did not mind, then he did not mind either and he welcomed them with a relieved smile. Finally there would be people who knew something of what was going to happen. They all went in and Georgiana immediately lured the twins away to play with them.
Elizabeth looked anxious. "I hope I made adequate arrangements for Julia and James."
"I do not know if it was such a good idea to take them," Richard cut in. "It would have been easier if you had travelled to Matlock." He saw far too many dangers when he looked around, and began to instruct Georgiana about which objects she should keep the twins away from.
Elizabeth did not know what to think of that. "Is he concerned or is he in a bad mood?" she asked Caroline.
"Bad mood," said Caroline, pulling Elizabeth away. "Do you not remember our journey back from London? Being confined in a carriage makes him rather grumpy."
"Indeed I remember that he was a little out of sorts, but I thought that was because Lady Matlock had said he could not share a carriage with you."
"I thought that was it too, at the time, but after today's trip I think it must be a Fitzwilliam thing. The twins have it as well. They kept wanting to walk through the carriage. And there they were, the three of them sitting opposite me looking very displeased. And the road was so bad that I was feeling rather unwell and I really could not get myself to entertain them," Caroline sighed. "Now, about the arrangements..."
When Caroline had taken care of all the practical matters with Mrs. Reynolds - as Elizabeth preferred to stay downstairs so as not to upset Darcy too much - she joined the others who had been having tea and talking. She observed the situation. There was an overturned sugar bowl on one of the chairs and a servant cleaning up the mess this had caused. Richard was ordering Julia to sit down and keep quiet - she had probably had something to do with the sugar - and he also tried to get hold of James, who was running around with a runny nose and spilling the contents of his cup over himself. Little stream of sugar kept running off Richard's trousers as he moved - she must have emptied it in his lap. Georgiana called after James, but he did not listen, Darcy looked as if his house had been invaded by a horde of savages and Lady Matlock and Elizabeth were chatting so agreeably that they did not notice a thing. They had blocked their ears to the sound of Julia's crying. And Mrs. Bennet has not even arrived yet.
Caroline wanted to scream. Is there nobody who saw that Jamie's nose needs wiping?" James came nearer. With one hand she saved Lady Matlock's gown from having James's drink spilled on it and with the other she caught a handkerchief with familiar initials embroidered on it that was being thrown at her.
"Do you have a bird?" Lady Matlock asked Elizabeth. "I could swear I saw something fly by."
"A bird? No, but perhaps one came in through the window."
Caroline wiped James's nose and threw the handkerchief back. It landed on Darcy and he carefully lifted it up with a disgusted look and deposited on Richard's lap. "I am going outside," he said with a clenched jaw.
"I am coming with you," Richard said quickly, pocketing his handkerchief. "I am going mad."
Fortunately the rest of the day had passed in a more orderly fashion. James and Julia had been taken away and they had not been downstairs after that. Darcy was glad. They would take some getting used to. He suspected they would grow into kleptomaniacs eventually, because whatever they found they would bring to Richard, including the sugar bowl. Darcy thought it was a dangerous habit. It had been sugar now, but it might have been coffee or tea and he winced at the thought. As he escorted Elizabeth to their bedchamber, he heard Richard shout "silence! I have had enough of it. It is past your bedtime!"
Darcy was shocked. "Is that how he treats her behind closed doors?" he whispered to Elizabeth, who giggled. She knew he must be addressing the twins.
A door was opened and Caroline peered out anxiously to see if nobody had overheard. She cringed when she saw the Darcys. "Did you hear anything?" she asked haughtily.
"No," Darcy said hastily.
"Get back here," Richard shouted.
"We did not hear a thing," Darcy assured Caroline, who cringed even more now. He suspected that it was some kind of joke.
By the light of two candles it was difficult to see the small face that had appeared near Caroline's knee, until it said "Mama."
"Hello there!" Elizabeth cried.
"Did Papa order you to get Mama back?" Darcy asked. "How lazy of him to let you do it," and they heard Richard laugh from inside the bedchamber.
"Goodnight." Caroline pulled the unrecognisable child in and closed the door, before Richard would get out of bed to prove to Darcy he was not lazy at all.
Part 3
"Where is everyone?" asked Lady Matlock the next morning at the breakfast table. Only Darcy and Georgiana were there.
"Elizabeth always takes her breakfast upstairs," Darcy answered. He usually did too, and he had only come down because he had guests. "And I believe the others are taking their little monkeys for a walk." He had seen them set off from an upstairs window.
"Fitzwilliam!" Lady Matlock exclaimed. "You are about to father a little monkey yourself."
"But mine will be well-behaved."
"Are you not taking sugar?" said Georgiana, who observed that her brother did not put any sugar in his coffee. She suspected that he did not want to take any sugar that had possibly been on the floor and therefore had chosen to drink his coffee without it today.
"No, but I might ask Fitzwilliam to shake some sugar out of his trousers for me," Darcy remarked.
"I thought they were very well-behaved," said his aunt.
"Aunt Matlock, you are their grandmother. It is impossible for you to find fault with them."
"As your aunt I am not supposed to find fault with you either, Fitzwilliam, but I am tempted."
"I am sorry," said Darcy. "I promise to give them a fair trial."
"You should have seen them sleeping last night after dinner. They looked very sweet," said the proud grandmother.
"Where were they sleeping?" Darcy had to know. "In their parents' room?" If they were, he suspected that they had not been as sweet as that.
"Yes."
Richard entered through the garden door and bade them a good morning. He looked like he had spent quite some time outdoors walking through the mud. Caroline was right behind him. "Come, wash hands," she said to the twins, who looked quite muddy and snotty. "Wash hands." They hobbled after her into the hall.
Richard stood observing the muddy trail they left behind. "I am sorry about your floor, Darcy."
"Do you still have sugar on you?" Georgiana asked curiously.
"No, just mud," he answered.
"What was the matter last night?" Darcy asked.
"I was testing my authority over women. It turned out to be non-existent. I had better go and wash my hands or I shall get another beating. See you in a minute." Richard walked out to the hall as well.
"Hmm," said Darcy. "Was he serious?" he asked his aunt.
"Oh, Fitzwilliam!" Lady Matlock cried, and left it at that.
He had to wait until Caroline returned. The twins had not come with her. "I should like to explain last night before you think that Richard is some kind of -- brute," she said to Darcy. Richard had apparently informed her of Darcy's interest. Lady Matlock and Georgiana pricked up their ears. "He was not calling me."
"Who was he calling then?"
"Oh, I do not know which one it was that ran to the door," said Caroline. "It was dark and they have the same height and the same voice. They were making a dreadful racket." She imitated their baby talk. "And we could not sleep, so Richard was fed up with them --"
"Fed up?" Darcy asked.
"You know, he had enough of them."
"I know what it means, but I had not thought it would be possible."
"Only rarely. But anyway, he ordered them to be quiet and they began to giggle. Poor Richard."
Richard had just come back with the twins to hear her say that. "And poor Caroline," he added as he gave them something to eat. "She was terrified that anyone had overheard, and she kept saying they would think ill of me, so she ran to the door to look if there was anyone near. While she was talking to you, I saw a little white shadow walk after her, so I ordered it to come back."
Darcy looked at the twins gnawing on their little pieces of bread while they held on to their father's legs. He rather liked them for giggling at Richard, but he feared the worst for Richard's disciplinary skills if they were already disobedient at this young age.
"Julia? Here is your drink." Caroline held out a cup and the left twin hobbled towards her.
"Dwing," said the right one, and followed his sister.
"Are they not clever?" Caroline beamed.
Part 4
Darcy came upon his cousin in the dining room. He had been wondering where to find him. Fitzwilliam looked introspective and serious, and he was twirling an empty glass in his fingers.
"Have you been drinking already?" Darcy asked. "It is not four o'clock yet. And why are you in the dining room?"
"No," Fitzwilliam sighed. "I have not been drinking." He held out the empty glass so Darcy could see it was clean. "I needed something to hold. And the glasses here are much nicer to hold."
Darcy's gaze travelled from the cut on Fitzwilliam's hand to a broken glass on the table. Apparently he meant much nicer to squeeze and he was about to squeeze another. Something is bothering him. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," Fitzwilliam said quietly.
Darcy was unconvinced. "This will not do," he said. "You are not going to ruin my entire glass collection." He took away the glass as if Fitzwilliam were a child. "Do you want to tell me about it?"
"I do not think you would understand."
"Try me."
"You have never had silly beliefs or fancy thoughts."
"Our definitions of silly might differ. Perhaps you would not qualify them as such," said Darcy. "But that does not mean I never had them."
"Have you ever woken up from a silly idea?"
"Yes, I have." Darcy had his first proposal in mind. "It was quite an eye-opener." He wondered what his cousin's silly idea was about.
"What did you do about it?"
"I reconsidered things."
"I cannot reconsider things," said Fitzwilliam helplessly. "This is a different sort of eye-opener. How did you reconsider things?"
"It might be helpful if you told me what it was."
"I cannot explain it properly. I was considering something, and I suddenly realised I had been very stupid to think this all along, because I had never given any thought to the practical circumstances. It was a 'how have I ever been able to believe that' sort of thing, and now I feel as if I am a terrible fool. It was unrealistic and unattainable."
"You still have not told me what it is," Darcy persisted. "Can you talk to Caroline about it?"
"Not until I have sorted myself out."
"By cutting yourself on my glass you are not exactly sorting yourself out, I should think."
"I cannot talk to Caroline about it," Fitzwilliam said.
"So it concerns her. Aha," Darcy nodded. He is contradicting himself.
"I am not saying that."
Darcy was silent while he pondered his cousin's dilemma, placing the glass out of reach.
"Well, actually it does have something to do with Caroline."
Darcy stared at the ceiling. So Caroline is involved. He could not conceive how, though.
"But anything would have something to do with Caroline, since she is my wife."
Darcy hit his fist on the table and the glass chinked. "Will you stop being vague or I shall think you are complaining for no reason!"
"Vague?" Fitzwilliam stared at him in confusion. "I am not complaining. I am merely reflecting on the matter and on the consequences it will have for the future."
"As an observer I see nothing in your situation you could possibly be distressed about, except perhaps spending some time here at Pemberley with us."
"It is not something that can be seen, but you can imagine it. What do you think would happen if we had six children? I used to like that idea before I started thinking. But six who had to sleep in our room? We would not get any sleep at all!"
"Is that what worries you?" Darcy asked. "Did it occur to you that not all six of them would be a year and a half old? And therefore they would be old enough to have their own rooms."
"Yes, but -"
"I think you should have stayed at Matlock," said Darcy. "No, wrong idea - then I would not have had another man here. I think you are slightly overwhelmed. Let us go riding. It might clear your head."
Part 5
The two men been riding for a long time when they halted at a point from where they had an excellent view of Pemberley's façade. A carriage had just stopped in front of the house and Darcy narrowed his eyes while he tried to discern who it was. "I believe that is our dear Mrs. Bennet. Fitzwilliam, you would not mind another round?"
"I much prefer being out of doors," Richard replied. "To the crooked tree and back?" And the gentlemen rode off again. "Well, Darcy," he said to his cousin when they returned to the same spot an hour later. "I think you are a dreadful coward. What makes you think your mother-in-law would pay any attention to you at all? She is probably more interested in her daughter."
"And your bandage is slowly colouring red," Darcy observed.
"Oh," said Richard, disinterestedly staring at his hand. "I must have held the reins too tightly."
"What are you going to tell Caroline?"
Richard's careless expression vanished. "That depends on what she says about it."
Caroline appeared to have been waiting for them when they arrived. She looked unusually excited. "Was it not Mrs. Bennet who arrived?" Darcy asked hopefully.
"No, it was her." She barely gave him a glance, but focused her attention on something behind him. "Richard! Richard!"
Darcy thought she looked like an impatient child, almost jumping up and down. Fitzwilliam did not seem to equal her in excitement, because Darcy heard her call out again. Fitzwilliam was stalling in the stables, he assumed. Come on, Fitz! She is going to ferret you out if you do not come out soon. He made his way to the house, glancing back over his shoulder. His cousin was coming out of the stables rather slowly. "No, I am not going to watch this," he told himself.
However, when he had reached the stairs he could not ignore the window that gave a perfect view of the stables. Caroline was looking at the bandaged hand. "Oh, I just gripped the reins too tightly," he said, pretending to be his cousin. He quickly walked on. I am not interested.
On the next landing, where there was another window, he paused again, scolding himself. Fitzwilliam Darcy, is there any special reason why you chose to take these stairs? They were still standing opposite each other, but they did not appear to be talking. Did I miss the opening line? Darcy worried. Ah no, there it is, I believe. Caroline said something and Fitzwilliam bowed his head, looked away and looked at the ground again. Darcy saw Caroline say something again, but still there was no reaction from his cousin. "Argh!" Darcy cried. "What did she say?"
"Is that you, dear?" Elizabeth called out from around a corner. "You have been out very long and you missed my mother's arrival," she said with a laugh in her voice. "Who are you speaking to?"
Darcy coloured and very quickly resumed climbing the stairs. He arrived at the top of them at the same time as his wife.
"Who were you speaking to?" she asked curiously.
"Nothing," he assured her quickly. "I mean, no one. Myself."
"Oh," Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. She looked in the direction Darcy was continuously glancing in, but all she saw were the empty stairs and a window that gave onto the stable area. From where they were standing they could not see all of it. "Or perhaps it was a ghost? Will you come down as soon as you are changed? I think you have been absenting yourself long enough," she said with a twinkle. "Both Georgiana and I saw you very clearly as you were observing us greet my mother, who has been awaiting your arrival for at least an hour."
"I hope you did not tell her you saw me."
"I did not, but do hurry. Caroline and your aunt have been entertaining her while she sent me up to have a short rest."
"And Georgiana?" Darcy asked. He rather approved of Mrs. Bennet's orders, but he cringed at the thought of his aunt being exposed to the woman.
"Georgiana went out to see Miss Dean, as she had agreed to do several days ago."
"Oh, yes. I remember now. I shall be down as soon as possible," he promised.
Elizabeth walked downstairs with care and found her mother engaged in conversation with Lady Matlock. She hoped Mrs. Bennet had not embarrassed her too much.
"Mr. Darcy has returned," Mrs. Bennet informed her.
"I know," said Elizabeth, who wondered how her mother knew.
"You know? Good. The younger Lady Matlock saw them approach and she went out to greet them."
William did not mention that, thought Elizabeth. "Did she?" I bet she could not wait to run away.
"I cannot wait until my grandchild is born," said Mrs. Bennet excitedly. "I am sure you feel the same," she said to Lady Matlock, who looked slightly puzzled, but then nodded out of politeness.
"But Mama -" Elizabeth wanted to say that Lady Matlock was not Darcy's mother.
"I know what you are going to say, Lizzy. She already has several and our cases are different, but I am sure you are happy with each new one, are you not, your Ladyship?"
"I am indeed."
"I have two other daughters married," Mrs. Bennet continued. "But they have no children yet. One is married to Mr. Bingley - I am sure that name is very familiar to you, your daughter-in-law and my son-in-law are brother and sister, you see - and another is married to an officer. And I have two more daughters still at home. Jane and Mr. Bingley hosted such a wonderful ball the other night," she said to Elizabeth. "Kitty was never without a partner, and even Mary danced one dance."
"Poor Mary," Elizabeth muttered. One dance was probably more than Mary could bear.
"Yes," Mrs. Bennet agreed. "It was a pity that there were not enough gentlemen to have her dance twice, and that Mrs. Long's niece, who is not as pretty as Kitty, surely, monopolised all the attention. But still, Mary danced with one of Uncle Philips's clerks. You must know the one. He wears glasses and my sister Philips says he is a dreadful bore because he does not like playing at lottery tickets. The Miss Harringtons got married one after the other, very suddenly, and very suspiciously too, I must say, because when I saw them next, one of them, the one with the yellow curls, had this glow. And nobody can deceive me. I know what the glow means. I have a very fine eye for that sort of thing. So I said to her that it was not visible at all yet and she pretended not to know what I was saying. Of course not! I said it was suspicious. It seems all the fashion to pretend ignorance out of modesty, but it all comes out in the end. Oh dear! That was a most unfortunate remark! But I shall say no more on the subject. Except that nobody can fool me, that is what I always say. Such matters do not go unnoticed by me, no matter how much they deny it. But I am always discreet with my inquiries."
Elizabeth and Lady Matlock had only partly been listening. The latter was thinking that it was getting rather dark and that Georgiana had not returned yet, and the former was half-dying of shame and wishing that her mother would stop talking.
Darcy descended the same stairs he had gone up on. He paused at the window, but Fitzwilliam and Caroline were gone, which was no wonder, because it was drizzling. They had not joined the others yet when he entered the drawing room. "Fitzwilliam, where is Richard?" Lady Matlock asked. "And Caroline?"
"They are..." He did not want them to start any search parties. If Fitzwilliam and Caroline were not here, then presumably they wished to be left alone. He had not exactly hurried himself, so his cousin should have been able to get changed by now. "...umm...getting changed." No one would bother them while they were changing. "And umm...busy with...oh, I do not know...busy."
Part 6
"Richard?" Caroline said.
"Yes?"
They stood for a while opposite each other before Caroline spoke. She did not know what was wrong with him, but he did not seem in good spirits. He usually smiled at her, but now he was doing everything not to look her in the eye. "You will never guess what Mrs. Bennet said to me. She kept hinting that I was expecting, for some reason."
Richard bowed his head and looked away.
"Well?" Caroline asked. "Do you not think that is amusing?"
He said nothing.
"You are awfully dull today. Is something the matter?"
Richard lifted his eyes. "Why did Mrs. Bennet think that?" he asked quietly.
"How should I know? She likes to unnerve people, I suspect. I told her it was not so, of course, but she gave me this very knowing wink and babbled something about modesty."
"If it were so, would you be happy?" he asked seriously.
"Are we going hypothetical again?" she inquired.
"No."
Caroline frowned. "Richard, why are you being so serious? I do like you when you are serious, but you do not usually come off your horse wearing such an expression. You look as if something awful is imminent."
"There might be."
"Yes, a shower. It is beginning to rain. Let us go inside," Caroline said. When they were safely inside and climbing the stairs, she said, "let us go somewhere quiet. How about here?" She opened the door to Georgiana's sitting room. "Georgiana is out anyway. Well, sit."
Richard sat down. "You have not answered me yet."
"What was your question? Maybe you could ask it again." In fact Caroline did remember it, but she did not like to be ordered.
"Would you be happy if Mrs. Bennet were right?" he repeated.
Caroline folded her hands and stared at the floor while she thought. She did not think she would be unhappy, so it followed that she must be happy, although it was difficult to imagine this hypothetically. "Well, yes..."
"Yes?" Richard could not quite conceal his horror.
She observed him closely and frowned. That was not the sort of reaction she had expected. "I thought you would like the idea?"
"When I was still young and foolish, I would have. But now..."
"But now?" Caroline wondered when he had stopped being young and foolish.
"Do you not think it is too much?" Richard asked.
"Nothing is ever too much for you," Caroline protested.
"But we would be increasing trouble by a third!"
"And fun would be increasing by a third too. Come now, the argument of fun must appeal to you. And as for trouble, would that thing about the diminishing returns not apply?" She wondered what was the matter with him. The twins must have seriously tried his patience yesterday, poor things. And they were not even naughty. They were merely out of their normal rhythm. Perhaps they should sleep in another room tonight.
"What do you know about that?"
"I have ears," she said simply. "I hear many things. But I do not see why you are worrying over something hypothetical."
"Is it hypothetical? The woman might have been right, you know. Were you or were you not unwell yesterday morning?"
"Is this a cross-examination?" Caroline rose in annoyance. She sat down again in another chair.
"Is that supposed to be a strategic diversion? It would work much better if you kept the sun in your back."
"There is no sun. I just like to try all of Georgiana's chairs. Listen," Caroline stood up again. "There is no point in discussing this with you today." He is not going to change his mood and he will only influence mine. If I give him a day to calm down, he might even return to his normal self. It is not like him to say it will be too much! If he is like this, I do not even want to think whether it is true or not. "You may broach the subject with me tomorrow." She walked towards the door.
"I may?" Richard gasped. "Come back here!"
Part 7
Caroline walked back and stood before him. "What is it?" she demanded.
"You cannot start talking about something and then walk out on me. Why did Mrs. Bennet think that?" Richard leant back in his seat and looked at her figure. There was nothing, no bulge or anything, to be seen.
"She said I glowed." Caroline raised her eyebrows. "It sounds a bit silly to me."
He stared at her face. "Considering that I appear to have been keeping you aglow for the greater part of our marriage, you must excuse me for not seeing it anymore," he said sarcastically.
"Oh! Do not be so grumpy!" Caroline exclaimed. "I do not see it myself either."
"No, that is because the same reason applies to you too," Richard said in a wry tone.
"The children shall sleep in the nursery tonight, even if it is so far from our room." They were supposed to sleep there at first, until Caroline had seen how far away it was. She hoped this would lift his spirits.
"Actually," Richard began. "Next time we should keep them with us until they are five or so." He was used to talking about his children in the plural. "It will space them out better."
"Aww!" Caroline cried with a concerned expression. "I think you need to lie down for a while. You are not yourself." She placed her hand on his forehead. "Are you ill?"
"No." Richard let Caroline stretch him out on the sofa. She placed a pillow under his head. "But this is Georgiana's sitting room!" he protested weakly when Caroline sat down beside him on her knees and kissed him. "She might object." But he certainly did not.
"I shall leave you for a while. Come to your senses."
"No, stay with me." Richard gripped her arm. He gave her his most winning Fitzwilliam smile.
"But no more of this moroseness," Caroline warned him. She could not resist the smile, as usual.
"No."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes. Because you do not want it."
"I believe I trained you well," Caroline remarked appreciatively.
"And I you," Richard smiled and pulled her onto the sofa.
"Oh," said Caroline as she made herself comfortable on top of him. "Well, tell me what is bothering you."
Richard closed his eyes. Caroline was doing something to his hair, but he did not really care, because it felt nice. "Would you mind shifting a little?" he asked. "You are pressing a button into my stomach."
"Argh!" Caroline shifted. 'Is that better? We would not want to have any imprints on your divine body."
"What do you want?" Richard asked sceptically. She was flattering him, so she must be wanting something.
"I want you to be happy."
"Am I supposed to be stupid or do you think this flattering really works on me?"
"I do not know. Does it? Do you feel better?" Caroline started working on another lock of his hair. "I am really trying to control my tongue, you see."
Richard's lips curved in a smile. "I agree. It is much better to use your hands. What would Georgiana think if she entered her own sitting room?"
Caroline smacked his face softly. "What would Georgiana think indeed?" Richard's hair stood up from his head in little braided spikes, and although she thought he looked adorable, Georgiana would probably scream at the sight.
Georgiana returned a while later from her visit to her friend, and she went upstairs to change for dinner and to put away a book she borrowed. She had heard that Richard and Caroline had disappeared, but she had not expected them in her room.
"Sorry," Georgiana said in embarrassment when she saw them lying there, but then she saw that they did not stir. They had fallen asleep. What happened to his hair? She moved closer and nearly burst out laughing, or screaming, and she pressed her hand to her mouth. If only everybody could see this! They shall! For I am going to sketch it. Quickly she got her sketchbook ready and sat down to draw.
Part 8
Georgiana was no great artist, but she managed to make a tolerable sketch. When she was finished she wondered what to do with it. Should she show it to the others? Perhaps Richard and Caroline would not appreciate that. She decided to keep it for a while.
Richard stirred and yawned. "Caroline?" She gave no answer. I wonder what time it is. Caroline was blocking his way to his pocket watch, so he opened his eyes. It was already dark in the room, so it must be evening. We must have missed dinner, he thought, and his stomach rumbled. Carefully he tried to get out from under Caroline without waking her, but she woke up anyway when he moved.
"Have I been sleeping?" she asked. "Where am I?"
"We are in Georgiana's sitting room. And why do you not glow, my dear? I thought Mrs. Bennet said you glowed. It is dreadfully dark in here. We could use a bit of light."
"I am not a walking candle."
"That is a pity. It would have been very useful."
"What do we do now?" she asked.
Richard's stomach rumbled again. "Was that mine? Or yours?"
"Yours, as usual. I suppose you would like to go down for something to eat."
"Yes."
Caroline got to her feet and straightened her gown. "You are still dressed in your riding clothes," she remarked. "You must change first."
"That depends on the hour. I am not going to change into my evening clothes and then again into my night clothes because it is three in the morning."
"Is it that late?" Caroline asked worriedly.
"I do not know. Why does Georgiana not have a clock?"
"Or a candle. Where is the door?"
They stumbled to the door and exited into the sparsely-lit passage. A servant girl let out a frightened scream. "It is only us," Richard reassured her. "Do you have a candle for me and do you know what time it is?"
"It's just past seven, my Lord."
"If I change very quickly, we can be down in time for the last course." Richard changed quickly, aided by Caroline, and for the final touch he looked in the mirror. He did not scream out loud when he saw himself, but he was a little taken aback when he saw his hair. "Most interesting," he commented as he fingered the small braids. "I think my hair wants cutting if this can be done to it."
"They are not even a finger long," Caroline protested. "Half a finger!"
"But still..." Richard touched his hair again. "How do I get them out?" he asked helplessly.
"The same way they go out of my hair," said Caroline, but she helped him anyway. Richard's hair refused to stay down, and she frowned. "You cannot go to dinner like that."
"Oh," said Richard, trying to brush his hair down with his hand. "It wants to stay up. I shall keep it down with water."
"And what happened to you?" Lady Matlock cried when they entered the dining room. As Richard had predicted, they were just in time for the last course.
His hair is normal again, Georgiana thought with disappointment. "I do not want to know, Aunt."
"Very wise," said Darcy.
"Why is your hair wet, Richard?" asked his mother.
"I had a bit of a problem with my hair," he said, while he and Caroline were served the first course. "I might have it cut shorter one of these days."
Georgiana giggled.
"That is fighting the symptoms, and not the cause," said Caroline.
"I wonder what could be done about the cause?" he asked pensively.
"Nothing. Some things are just beyond a person's control."
"True," Richard conceded. "And the worst of those things begins with a W."
"William!" Georgiana cried.
"No, he is still within my sphere of influence. I advised him on the purchase of that coat he is wearing, and I also convinced him that he ought to like spinach when he was nine, or else he would be very childish."
Darcy had his mouth full, so he could not interrupt, and with resignation he realised that if a person did not interrupt immediately, the conversation would have changed so much that the interruption no longer made sense. He would get his cousin back another time and tease him about the ghost in the attic.
"Richard, I thought you were hungry, but you are talking instead of eating," said Caroline.
"I have not finished yet,' Richard protested, but he began eating all the same.
"Women?" Georgiana guessed.
"No, because you are also in my sphere of influence. As I am one of your guardians, you always show me every work of art you produce, so I can see if you do not sketch any inappropriate things."
Georgiana gasped. Was this a lucky guess or did he know?
Part 9
"Oh, Richard!" said Caroline, who was completely unaware of having been sketched. "Do not be so morally upright. It does not become you."
Richard was very amused.
"Do you really show everything to him?" Darcy asked.
"No!" said Georgiana. She stared at her cousin in confusion, and he smiled back at her. "Do you mean I should?"
"Why, yes."
"But do you not trust me?" Georgiana said with large eyes.
"I trust you, Georgiana," said Caroline reassuringly.
Richard looked even more amused. "I do too, to a certain extent. It is more a question of curiosity. Caroline has taught me how to appreciate works of art," he smiled. "She learnt that at school, you see, and I did not."
Caroline frowned. Richard had never been interested in anything of the sort.
"To a certain extent?" Darcy asked. "That is not very much. Show him some of your watercolours after dinner, Georgiana."
"I am not very good at appreciating watercolours," Richard said a little anxiously. He did not want to look at watercolours at all.
"I shall teach you," said Caroline.
"How could you -" Do not work against me! Your dignity is involved as well!
"I beg your pardon?" she asked.
"Never mind."
Everybody had finished eating, except Caroline and Richard, who were still busy with the first course. "If Fitzwilliam does not mind, I believe they can finish their dinner without me," said Lady Matlock. "There are too many courses still to come and they are wasting too much time on conversation for me to be able to sit through it all."
"Yes, of course, Aunt," said Darcy. "I do not object."
"Shall we retire, ladies?" she suggested, and Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet and Georgiana followed her.
"What was that nonsense about Georgiana's paintings all about?" Caroline asked Richard as soon as Georgiana had left the dining room.
"I was teasing Georgiana," he replied in between bites.
"Do not tease her too much. She is no match for you," said Darcy.
Richard snorted.
"I have a question," said Caroline to Darcy. "Would you object to having our children in your nursery?"
"Ahh," said Darcy to Richard. "You do not want them to wake you up, so now I get them? It is within hearing distance of my bedchamber."
"That is why I did not put them there in the first place," Caroline reminded him. "But I thought it would be polite to ask you first before we put them there."
"Perhaps we should not," said Richard. "He should enjoy his last few days of undisturbed sleep, and so should Elizabeth. Who am I to be so selfish as to refuse to take responsibility for my own actions?"
"Really, I do not mind," said Darcy, remembering the state his cousin had been in earlier. "You seemed rather bothered by the whole situation and I would not want to see you fall prey to nerves. I am not a light sleeper."
"Thank you," said Caroline. "But if they misbehave, you must inform me and I shall have something else arranged."
When she had finished eating, Caroline went upstairs to look at her children. They appeared to be doing very well, and they were almost ready for bed. She arranged for them to be moved to the nursery, which pained her because it was really a long way off, kissed them goodnight and joined the other ladies.
"Caroline, where were the two of you hiding?" Lady Matlock asked. "Nobody could find you anywhere!"
"Did you have something serious to discuss?" Georgiana asked innocently. "Or was Richard having problems with his hair? I did not know he ever had problems with it."
Caroline looked at her sharply. They had been sleeping in Georgiana's sitting room after all. She felt a little sick. What if Georgiana saw us there? "I would rather not tell you." Georgiana's little smile almost proved her suspicions. She knows where we were. "And if you can guess, then keep it to yourself. It was family matters."
Part 10
"I had thought you would bring the children down," Lady Matlock sounded a trifle disappointed.
"No, they went to bed," Caroline answered. "They are in the nursery now," she said for the benefit of anyone who felt like saying goodnight to them before going to bed. Before anybody could bring up a new topic of conversation, Caroline was called away again, because the twins did not like sleeping in a strange room without their parents.
"Do we have to move them back now?" she sighed. She could hear them cry as they came closer to the nursery. The poor little things were so upset that Caroline thought of moving them back to the two rooms she occupied with Richard. "Why are you crying? At home you do not sleep with Mama either, do you?" she asked gently when she was seated with both of them clinging to her. "Do you not like this room? I know it is a bit dark, but that is because Uncle Darcy does not like bright colours like you do. Do you want to sleep in Mama's room again? But you must be good, and stay in bed, and not make a noise and not run around with Mama's hairbrush when you do not know what it is for yet."
James and Julia were listening attentively.
Caroline was not sure that they understood anything of what she was saying, apart from the few words they knew, but her tone had calmed them down very well. "I know you will never learn to sleep alone if I keep giving in to you, but I do not know if you are old enough to learn it anyway. Perhaps you could sleep in the room we are not using to sleep in -- the one Papa would have to sleep in if Mama should decide that Mama wants the bed to herself. But she does not. You can sleep there. And we shall leave the doors between the rooms open. When it is light you will even be able to see me. But no talking, or we are going to have to keep you apart and one of you would have to sleep with Mama and the other one with Papa."
The two gentlemen joined the ladies while Caroline was still upstairs. Georgiana wanted to find out whether Richard had been awake, but she did not want to bring the subject up, or he would demand that she give him the drawing. As soon as he and Darcy came in, she moved towards the pianoforte and began to play.
This did not deter Richard, and with a gleam in his eyes he moved in on his prey. "Georgiana," he said, leaning on the pianoforte. "What are you going to play? Do you need anyone to turn your pages?"
"No, thank you," Georgiana declined politely.
"Do you wish me away, Georgiana?"
"Not at all, but perhaps you would find it more agreeable and less tiresome to sit while you listen to me play, rather than stand."
"I do not mind standing and when I get tired I shall pull up a chair."
"I thought you would prefer sofas," Georgiana said sweetly.
"Caroline is not here. You must know I have nothing to do when she is not here," he apologised.
"Why are you not with her then?" Georgiana avoided his stare. The fact that he did not show any inclination to leave her seemed to indicate that he was after the sketch. So he knows. Is he angry with me for having sketched him?
"Because I have some business down here that only concerns you and me," Richard said it and wanted to bite off his tongue immediately for revealing that Caroline did not know anything about it.
"So Caroline does not know, does she?" Georgiana played a confident tune on the pianoforte and a little smile played across her lips. She could have fun with this! She could tease Richard mercilessly by threatening to show the sketch to everyone, because he knew Caroline would be mortified, and Georgiana knew that he could never do that to Caroline. Not that I would ever show it to everyone, but it is amusing to see him beg.
Why did I let that wicked girl force me into a defensive position? You had her cornered, you fool! "No, she does not, and she never will," he said sternly. He was really beginning to doubt himself. Damn! This icy stare still worked when I was in the army! What happened to me?
It did work, but Georgiana was a good actress. She laughed. "I love business! Nobody ever talks business to me. And I am very honoured that this business concerns you and me only. To be so high up in your esteem!"
"If you value that position, my dear Georgiana, you know what you should do."
"Yes," she smiled brightly. "I must be a very accomplished young lady."
Richard inhaled deeply. "Whose accomplishments shall not be known to anyone but me."
"That is extremely narrow-minded of you," Georgiana complained.
"Give it to me, Georgiana."
Georgiana stopped playing. Richard was a little frightening, the way he was looking at her. She wondered if he was angry with her. But the Darcy pride forbade her to give in. She was glad that her brother joined them.
"What are you two discussing so seriously?" Darcy asked. "And why did you stop playing?"
"We were discussing accomplishments," Georgiana answered.
"Abolish them," Richard said bluntly. "They are not an asset."
"What a civilised opinion, Fitzwilliam," Darcy remarked. "I thought your absence earlier today had cured your bad mood."
"On the contrary, certain events have exacerbated it." Richard gave Georgiana another stern look.
"Well, then let me suggest that Georgiana play for us to lift your spirits," said Darcy, taking his cousin by the arm and leading him towards the rest of the group.
Part 11
"But..." Richard spluttered, but he let himself be pulled along and with a frown he sat down. Georgiana began to play and he started wondering how he could get his hands on the sketch. Perhaps he could slip out unnoticed to search her room, but there was something utterly ridiculous about that idea. While he was considering it anyway a footman came in and handed him a note.
JJ did not like the colours of Darcy's nursery. We could
- leave them there and let them cry
- put JJ in our other room
- put J in our other room with you and J with me
- put JJ in with me, and you in our other room
- put JJ with us
- put JJ with you, and me in our other room
C.
Richard was sure she had already made a choice. He scribbled a message underneath. I hope you had some assistance when you moved them to our other room. R. He handed the note to the footman and after about ten minutes he received a reply.
They carried their own pillows. My children are exceptionally clever. C.
Richard smiled. I am still amazed when I see how much they take after me. R. The footman took the note to Caroline again and Richard leant back in his chair in anticipation of her answer. It would probably be something indignant.
I wonder if this means that a gentleman of nearly thirty-two years of age is crying about being parted from me just as loudly as a gentleman thirty-one years his junior? C.
Richard had stopped paying attention to the music. In the second drawer on the right you will find a clean pile of handkerchiefs. R. He dipped his handkerchief in his glass and handed it to the footman. He was not at all surprised when the footman returned with the note and a dry handkerchief. He unfolded the note.
I beg you to hold your tears for a few more minutes. JJ have almost exhausted themselves. They should be closing their eyes very shortly. C.
Richard pocketed the handkerchief and concentrated on the music. If Caroline was to come down soon, he saw no reason to send her another note. Perhaps the footman would be grateful for a break from running up and down as well.
Caroline returned fifteen minutes later. She had had to wait until both twins were asleep before she could free her gown from the grasp of their small fingers. She had been sitting between them and they had fallen asleep curled up against her. After watching them for a while, she had decided it was safe to go, wondering what Richard had been doing and if nobody had found it strange that he kept receiving and writing notes.
He was still sitting at the writing desk and he smiled at her when she came in. He put his finger across his lips and beckoned her over. The others had smiled at her by way of greeting, but they had not spoken because Georgiana was still playing a difficult piece. Caroline pulled another chair up to the table.
"Where are they now?" Richard whispered.
"I thought you knew? I thought you were hideously clever and you were only guessing? They are in the other room."
"I could not be certain."
"You could have come up to help me and then you would have been certain. You were obviously not very occupied here if you could send me notes."
"I should not want to be thought to have very little faith in you," Richard said. "Or thought to be so attached to you that I could not even spare you for a minute. But I shall do it tomorrow, if you wish."
Georgiana had finished playing and Elizabeth signalled to Caroline to come and sit beside her. "I wish it would begin," she whispered. "I have had enough of it."
"Do you feel anything yet?" Caroline asked.
"Not really."
"Not really, or really not?"
"Really not. What is the matter with your husband?" asked Elizabeth, who, due to her relatively immobile state, had plenty of time to observe everything. "He seemed rather vexed by Georgiana."
Caroline looked vexed herself. "Was it Georgiana? We keep being interrupted when he is about to tell me what is bothering him. First it starts to rain and then he falls asleep."
"Is that why you nearly missed dinner?"
"Yes," Caroline said slowly as she realised why Georgiana could have been vexing Richard. He could have discovered that she knew where they had been. "Perhaps I should talk to Georgiana. Richard really does not need her help. He is vexed enough as it is." She sat down next to Georgiana while Mrs. Bennet started quizzing her daughter about what Caroline had said. "Georgiana?"
"Yes?"
"Do not give Richard such a hard time, please."
"Me?" Georgiana asked innocently.
"Yes, you. He is already vexed enough. He does not need you to make it worse." Caroline sounded serious.
Georgiana sulked. "I shall give it to you." She thought Richard had been talking to Caroline about the sketch while she was playing. Caroline had no idea what she was talking about, but she thanked Georgiana anyway. "Come with me," Georgiana said curtly. She led her to her bedchamber where she handed the puzzled Caroline a roll of paper. "Here. Burn it. I am sorry about it, as I did not mean for you to be angry with me."
Caroline unrolled the sketch and stared at it. "Ahh," she said at last. "Now I see why Richard was vexed."
"Yes," Georgiana said in a small voice. "He must have woken up. I was only teasing him. I was not really going to show it to everybody else."
"I would have -" Caroline looked at the sketch again. "I would have died." Of either embarrassment or laughter, or both. More likely both.
"He knew that."
"Thank you, Georgiana. It is...umm...well-drawn. I am glad I do not have my mouth open, though. I hope this will improve Richard's mood a little."
"Why would it not cheer him up completely?" Georgiana asked tentatively now that Caroline did not seem angry with her.
"Oh," said Caroline dismissively. "He is not himself today, but every little bit helps."
"I am beginning to be impatient," said Darcy.
"For the fun to begin?" Richard asked. "And it will be such fun."
"To have it behind you is always better than to have it before you."
"Hmm."
"Did you not think so?"
"Well, I kept wishing she would hold it up, but of course she would not."
"Oh," said Darcy with a doubtful look. "I did not know you could exercise any control over it."
"You cannot. I could not even say that was wishing for a delay, because she would have screamed at me. That reminds me - are you planning on witnessing the event? In which case you would have to prepare yourself for some nasty screaming."
"I do not think I shall."
"Oh," said Richard. "Well, I suppose we are all different." Apart from not being able to stay away himself, he doubted that Caroline would allow him to be absent the next time. Which reminded him to find out whether the next time was going to be within the next few months. Perhaps Darcy's physician could see Caroline when he next came to the house.
"Why did we not put them here in the first place?" Richard asked as he looked at his children sleeping sweetly.
"Because then I would not have anywhere to send you if you were impossible," Caroline teased.
"I would never do that to you," Richard declared.
"No?" Caroline sounded pleased.
"No." His eyes twinkled. "I would put you on the sofa."
In the middle of the night there was a knock on the door. Caroline answered it. "I am sorry to disturb you, my Lady, but Mrs. Darcy is asking for you," said the maid. Caroline slipped on a dressing gown.
If Richard was awake he showed no signs of it and she suddenly remembered that she had not told him about the sketch yet. It had completely slipped her mind. Before she left the room, she hastily flung the sketch onto the bed, from where it dropped to the floor when Richard stirred.
Elizabeth was in her bed. The room was well-lit and full of people, it seemed. Caroline blinked against the light with her sleepy eyes and saw that it was only two maids, the housekeeper and herself. There was no sign of Mrs. Bennet or Lady Matlock, which was rather surprising. Elizabeth saw her curious glance and smiled when she sat down beside the bed. "Thank you for getting up. Things are not crucial yet, I think, but I cannot sleep. There is enough time to get nervous later on. That is why I decided not to call William and the other ladies yet."
"It might take another while," Caroline agreed.
"Have you got something amusing to tell me?" Elizabeth asked. "It would help to pass the time."
Caroline laughed. "If you promise to keep it a secret, I could tell you something."
"I promise," Elizabeth swore solemnly and Caroline told her about the sketch.
Richard woke in the morning to the sound of crying. It was too close to his bed to be normal, so he sat up straight. "How on earth did you get here?" he asked the crying James, who was sitting on the floor trying to grab a piece of paper away from Julia, who wanted it for herself. "I thought Mama had done everything to make sure you would not be able to fall or climb out of that bed? Where is she? Stop crying, James. Where is your cap?"
James walked over and had himself lifted onto the bed, speaking some unintelligible words.
"Yes," Richard soothed him. "You will have your fun with that piece of paper too, my boy, but your sister has it now and you know what girls are like. By the way, you look like a girl. Your hair is far too long for a boy. What do you say to having it cut before your Mama notices she can do things to it?"
Julia noticed that James was being cuddled and she came to the bed for her share, bringing the sketch with her.
Richard burst out laughing when he saw what Julia was holding, and the twins looked at him in wonder. "I wonder how this came to be here? Did Georgiana give in? Where did you get it?" he asked Julia, but she kept looking at him blankly. Richard saw it was barely seven, and he assumed that Caroline had been called away. I shall be sent for if needed, so there is no point in getting up already. "Sleep?" he suggested to the twins. He hauled Julia onto the bed too, put his arms around the children so they would stay put, and closed his eyes.
Caroline had entertained Elizabeth for a few hours until Darcy took over. He looked a bit put out that his wife had not called him first, but Caroline explained that he had not missed anything and that he would have plenty of time to stay with her later on. She went back to her room, but found that there was no place in the bed anymore with Richard and the twins sprawled across it. She smiled and got into the twins' bed, clutching a toy for lack of a husband.
Mrs. Bennet had managed to usher Darcy out of the room, saying that he was only in the way. Surprisingly, Elizabeth had not protested. She would rather not have her mother get over-excited already, and she was glad that Lady Matlock had arrived to tell her stories about when Darcy was little.
Richard rang the bell for someone to dress the children while he got dressed himself. They were going out for a walk, followed by a bath, because they were bound to get dirty outside. James and Julia seemed to be very fond of animals and mud. Their progress down the stairs was slow, because their legs were too short to take such big steps, and one was always slower than the other, so he had to stop frequently. He was glad that Darcy appeared to help James down the stairs. "Are you coming for a walk with us?" Richard asked.
"Where to? I cannot go too far. I must stay here in case..." Darcy said nervously.
"Is she screaming yet?"
"No."
"Well, then you can safely come for a little walk with us. How far do you think these little ones can walk? We shall go to the stables, give them a chance to roll in the mud and then we are back inside."
Darcy hesitated. Going outside might actually be very agreeable. He was going mad inside and he did not know what to do. He could not even swallow his breakfast. But he did not want to be outside when it happened. "Are you certain that it will not happen when I am outside?"
"Fairly certain." Richard did not see any nervous people running about and everything was still quiet. It did not look like there was going to be another Darcy within the next hour or so. They donned their coats and let the twins loose outside. They immediately ran off in separate directions.
Darcy looked alarmed. "What do we do now? Will they come back?"
"Of course they will not. They are not dogs! You take this one. I take that one," Richard said. "You do not have to carry them," he called when Darcy lifted James up. "Just walk after him and see that he does not get hurt."
Two of Darcy's dogs bounced towards them and Darcy quickly lifted James up again, much to James's displeasure.
"Jamie loves dogs," Richard reassured him. "You can put him down. He is not afraid."
James gave little excited cries when he was set back on the ground so he could pet the dogs. "Dog," he said, or something that sounded a great deal like it, but Richard was very certain that it was indeed "dog.". After playing with the dogs, Darcy took him to the stables, because he knew which horses were friendly enough to be approached. Julia preferred running after her father and the only time she fell was when she slipped as she was running through a puddle. By then she was tired enough to give up the game, and James too, so they were carried off towards the bath, while Darcy went upstairs quickly to see if he already had a son, or daughter, at which Richard laughed inwardly, because he could not imagine it happening so quickly.
Caroline was in the process of having her hair done when she heard a commotion in the hall and a few moments later the two dirty twins came running towards her. Since she had just put on a new gown, she screamed and stood on her chair. "Not now, darlings," she tried to explain to the confused twins. "You will make Mama dirty."
Richard raised his eyebrows when he followed them into the room. "Did you see a mouse, Caroline?" he asked. He thought she looked rather silly on the chair.
Caroline looked embarrassed. "Could you undress them, Betty? And wash their hands?" she asked one of the two girls who were doing her hair.
Betty obeyed dutifully, for she was very fond of the twins, and Richard laughed at Caroline. "You look ridiculous on that chair." He stepped forward and lifted her off.
"Richard!" Caroline cried in distress. "Do not put me down!"
"Down? Who said down? No, I shall keep you out of reach, like this," said Richard with one hand under her knees. "Let me show you. Julia, grab Mama. See? You are too high for her. I believe you have grown a little heavier, though."
Part 12
"If we are to believe Mrs. Bennet, it is no wonder that I have grown a little heavier," Caroline said gravely.
"What? How does she know? Has she attempted to lift you up as well?" Richard inquired. He tried to imagine it, and as always, he did not fail.
"No, she has not."
"How long will it be before I have a valid excuse to forbid you to climb onto chairs?"
"Forbidding is off, my dear. However, you may warn me of the dangers and so on, so I can pretend that I am making my own decision."
"Naturally. If I ordered you to get off that chair and you jumped off instantly, I should have you examined."
"I shall have myself examined in this case," Caroline announced. "Since you are not likely to order me to do it because I did not jump off."
"I was thinking of suggesting it to you..."
"Why only thinking? And please put me down, so I can have my hair done," said Caroline, who saw that the twins' hands were now clean.
Richard put her down. "Because I was still in the thinking stage, and not yet in the acting stage."
"Not because you might hear something you would not like?" Caroline sat down on the chair again and turned her head towards him.
"That was yesterday. How could I not like something that comes from you?" he whispered in her ear. He still was not very good at saying such things in the presence of two maids, even if they probably knew everything already. He took the hands of the twins, who had been stripped down to their nappies. "We shall take a bath."
Richard took them away and afterwards his manservant cut both his and James's hair, in the same style. "We look good, do we not, Jamie?" Richard said with satisfaction as they observed themselves in the mirror. "Now go to Betty for your bathrobe."
Caroline's hair was almost done and from the corner of her eye she saw Richard walk in wearing his bathrobe. He had had his hair cut so short that she would not be able to braid it anymore and she grinned. After he had found what he was looking for, he left again to get dressed in the other room.
She looked in the mirror and suddenly saw him come in again, but the mirror must be distorting his figure, because he was very small. He was about James's size. If she had not known James did not have such hair and such a bathrobe, she would have thought it was James. How odd, though, that Richard appeared so small. He had not shrunk, had he?
Caroline gasped when another copy of Richard appeared in her mirror. This time he was about four times as big. "What is wrong with this mirror?" she exclaimed, and turned around. She nearly died. There were two of them. One was indeed several times bigger than the other one, but they had the same hair and the same bathrobe and the same grin. "Argh!" Caroline cried. She placed her hands before her eyes and took them away again, but the vision remained.
Caroline's maid smiled. She knew all about the bathrobes, what with her sister having made them.
"Do you not like our hair?" Richard asked. "I did not think it was as awful as that."
"I thought it was you," she brought out with difficulty. "You scared me!"
Richard beamed. "Do we not look wonderful?"
"I thought you had drunk from the fountain of eternal youth or something like that!"
"Lord! I should hardly want to spend the rest of my life as an inarticulate toddler," Richard shuddered. "Although I am very fond of them."
Another one in the same bathrobe appeared, but this one had longer hair. "Another one!" Caroline cried.
"Do not expect more. There are not any," said Richard. "Yet."
"Why are you all wearing the same bathrobe?" Caroline wondered.
"I thought James looked like a girl," Richard began. "So I bargained with Betty and Susan about a pair of breeches for James, which they were to put together on a free afternoon when I was to keep an eye on the twins. I thought it was an excellent plan, but they very tactfully suggested that it would perhaps not look as wonderful as that with his nappy under it, and so they made these."
"Betty made them," said Susan, who had only gone along to buy the fabric.
"Aww," said Caroline to Betty, who had appeared to get the twins dressed. "Thank you, Betty. I love them."
Betty looked very pleased. She liked sewing, and she would have gladly made breeches for James if she had not thought he would look slightly ridiculous in them, so she had suggested a bathrobe, because that seemed to be the only thing they could both wear and because she had had bad experiences with wrapping the twins in a towel after their bath. The Master had given them money to purchase the fabric, and due to Susan's excellent understanding with his valet, they had obtained his other bathrobe to study the pattern. She took James and Julia out.
Richard disappeared to get dressed himself, because he was rather hungry and he would like to have breakfast.
"Aww," Caroline said again. "I really thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."
"They are very much alike, my Lady," Susan agreed.
"Would breeches really look silly?" Caroline asked pensively. "I know his father would love that, but when I imagine him with a nappy under his breeches, I see that it would perhaps look very silly indeed."
Susan was very sure that it would, but she did not say so. "Perhaps Betty could try, anyway," she said, to placate her mistress. Besides, little James did not care yet if he looked ridiculous, and if Lord Matlock would not mind that he did, there was no problem.
Soon after, Caroline was called away to sit with Elizabeth, and after eating breakfast Richard befell the task of keeping the nervous Darcy and Georgiana company, until Elizabeth was safely delivered of a baby girl. This was more difficult than he had expected, since he was not supposed to enlighten Georgiana by comforting Darcy, and he had to watch his words very carefully. Darcy was then allowed into the room to see his wife and daughter, and as he went in, Caroline came out, looking less green than after Louisa's lying-in, but still not quite a healthy colour.
"Bucket, Caroline?" Richard asked sympathetically.
Georgiana looked on curiously. She had no idea of what had happened and she did not understand where the bucket came into things.
"Oh," Caroline said. "I am glad I have enough time to forget about it again before it is my turn." She fell into his arms.
"Are you sure you do not need a bucket?" Richard asked suspiciously. "You may only embrace me if you do not need one."
"I do not need one. It was a pretty baby, not as pretty as ours, naturally, but reasonably pretty all the same. I am hungry. I have been in there for ages."
"I am hungry too," said Richard. He, Darcy and Georgiana had not gone down for meals, but food had been brought up to them, and since Darcy had not been able to swallow anything, Richard had felt a bit awkward about eating very much himself. When things had been made proper enough for him and Georgiana to see, so that it appeared that the baby had come from nowhere without any trouble - which he found rather silly, since he knew exactly what had happened -- they went in to admire Darcy's firstborn.
The parents would have been happy with either sex, he assumed, but Mrs. Bennet seemed overjoyed that it was a girl. The reason for that escaped everyone but Mrs. Bennet and Caroline, but her opinion was quite different from Mrs. Bennet's.
Part 13
"She will be such good friends with your children," Mrs. Bennet said to Caroline. "They are nearly the same age and they do not live very far apart. They will be seeing each other so often."
Caroline smiled politely. There was no way that she was going to encourage a match between her son and a granddaughter of Mrs. Bennet's. "There are many children of nearly the same age in our family. Little Miss Darcy will have plenty of companions, I am sure."
"How many?" asked Mrs. Bennet in a slightly alarmed tone.
"Oh," said Caroline, turning her eyes to the ceiling while she pretended to think. "Richard..." she tugged at his sleeve. "How many children will there be in our family in two years' time?"
"Our family?" Richard answered. I would say three or four, at the rate we seem to be going, but surely Caroline could figure that out herself as well? He did not quite understand her.
"Including cousins and such."
"Oh! Well, in that case, with six couples -" Richard counted. "Of whom four couples have already brought forth Robert, Alice, Julia, James, Edward and this unnamed baby, and four couples in the position of adding to this number, and who indeed might already be adding to it without your knowledge - let us say that these four couples all do so within the next two years - that makes ten children, or perhaps more, in case the two who are not able to do anything in the short run will do so in the long run - and let us not rule out Aunt Catherine. She might surprise us all. I would predict anything between six and thirteen." It surprised him a little himself to see how many there could be. They were in for many noisy Christmases.
Mrs. Bennet was completely baffled by all the numbers and predictions, and decided to concentrate on the existing children. "Who are all these children you named?"
"Julia and James are my children. Alice is Caroline's sister's child. Robert and Edward are my sister's children," he explained. "In fact Edward might make the best companion for your granddaughter. He was born two months ago, but he lives in London, so that would probably count against him. How is the situation with your other daughters? Are they married yet?"
"I have two daughters still unmarried," Mrs. Bennet said regretfully.
"Well, good luck," Richard said encouragingly. "I know how difficult matchmaking can be, and I have given up on it entirely." He turned around and winked at Caroline. Elizabeth caught his wink and he cringed. He sat down beside her. "I hope you did not find me too impolite."
"Not at all," she smiled. "I was merely wondering when you had tried your hand at matchmaking, and why you have given up on it."
"It was really Caroline who was matchmaking, but she promoted me to her accomplice. Only the two people involved took matters into their own hands and made the match themselves. I believe that is the best way, too."
"Ha," said Georgiana. "If Catherine and I had not interfered, dear cousin, would you have got married yourself?"
"Perhaps not," he admitted.
"Why did you offer Caroline a bucket when she came out of the room?" Georgiana whispered when she saw Caroline was busy looking at the baby together with Darcy.
"A bucket?" Elizabeth looked puzzled.
"I was afraid she was going to be sick. She cannot stand bl-" Richard shut up suddenly and looked alarmed that he had almost said blood. Georgiana was not supposed to know that.
"Bl--?" Georgiana asked.
Richard shot Elizabeth a helpless look.
"What is bl--?" Georgiana asked again. Something is being hidden from me again.
Richard went over all the words that started with bl-- in his head, but he could not find anything suitable. "Blue."
"Blue? Blue what?"
"Blue...uhh...rings," Elizabeth helped. "From -"
"Do not tell her!" Richard urged, to throw Georgiana off balance. "Caroline would -"
"Tell me!" Georgiana said. "Blue rings? From what? Lack of sleep? That makes Caroline sick? Some people worry about the strangest things."
Richard breathed a little more easily. "Yes," he shrugged apologetically. "What are you going to name the baby?" he asked Elizabeth. "Have you decided yet?"
"Not quite, although we have some names ready."
"We should leave you to discuss that in private. I can imagine everyone interfering and saying they like this and not that and such." He rose. "But do not take anything I would take."
"Why?" Elizabeth laughed. "Have you claimed certain names?"
"A man has got to look ahead," he said solemnly.
Caroline came to his side. "The last time you looked ahead, you got a serious case of nerves, but you seem reconciled to the future now?"
"You should face the future with your head held high," Richard oracled. "And run into your own children because you are not looking down. What a worthless piece of advice that is."
Caroline whispered something in his ear and he nodded appreciatively. "I like that one." He whispered their choices to Elizabeth. "Those names would not sound good if followed by Darcy, Mrs. Darcy."
Darcy approached holding his daughter. Somehow he could not put her down. He looked slightly amused. "I hope you have not claimed all decent names from A to Z for remotely possible use?"
"No," Richard reassured him. "We only go to L. M to Z is all yours. Is that not generous? You even get two letters more than we do."