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Part 44
Caroline became aware of somebody speaking to her and holding her hand. It was Richard. She so much wanted to tell him that she was alive, because he seemed a little in doubt of that. He seemed to think she was dying when she was merely exhausted. How could he ever think that she would leave him with four children under two years old? It would be utterly selfish of her to die. It had been such an ordeal to wait for him and it had worn her out completely. It took all of her strength to become fully conscious and to open her eyes. She saw he had been crying. "Richard, I will not die," she mumbled, wanting to comfort him, but unable to do more than lift her hand to his face. Her hand was so heavy that she quickly dropped it. "Take good...care of the...children. I am so...tired. Must...go..." ...to sleep... Caroline had the words in her mind, but she did not know that she was too tired to pronounce them.
"Caroline?" She heard Richard cried in agony. "Caro? Do not leave me," he sobbed, burying his head in her chest. "Wake up. Wake up again. Show me you are not dead. Come back. Speak to me. Caro?"
Caroline really wanted to scream she was not dead, but she could not. Her eyes fluttered open once more, but Richard was not looking and she was even too tired to keep them open for long. My babies... was her last thought before exhaustion took over again. She did not know what had happened after the birth, but she felt they ought to at least have the decency to live after all the pain she had gone through.
"Lady Matlock," said the nurse anxiously. "The infants refuse to nurse with the wet nurse."
The Dowager Lady Matlock sighed. Is there no end to this family's misery? Is everyone on the brink of death? Will the little ones die because they refuse to be fed? Getting a wet nurse had seemed a good idea with the precarious condition Caroline was in, and one had been summoned from the village instantly. "Do they really not want to?"
"No," said the desperate woman. "I can see they are hungry, but they won't drink. We have tried for very long." Loud crying emanated from the adjoining room.
"Their mother is not conscious," Lady Matlock said finally. "If she does not wake soon, we must try her anyway." Do not die, Caroline, she prayed silently. They need you. They are such weak little things. She wondered where Richard had gone to. After she had pushed him out of the room, he had run away.
After sitting alone for a while, Richard had gone to look in on his eldest twins. He had missed them. They were crying in their beds because nobody had come before they went to sleep. They never fell asleep without Caroline or himself. "Mama," James wailed.
"Kiss," Julia joined his wails when she saw Richard.
"Jamie too!" James cried.
Richard embraced them and took a long time to calm them down. He could not explain it to them. They would not understand it yet. He wondered if it would help if they saw Caroline. He thought not. They would want her to wake up, but he had to do something. He realised that he had not even looked at the new babies after they had been clothed. He had been too concerned for Caroline. Perhaps Julia and James would like to see them too. Since they were wide awake from crying, he decided to take them. Holding a child by each hand he walked to the room they had prepared for the new baby. They had thought it would be better to keep the wild twins away from a little baby. The cot was empty and his heart missed a beat. He closed his eyes for a second. Do not let them be dead!
"Mama?" Julia asked expectantly, recognising that they were close to her mother's room.
Richard paused and looked at her. Why not? She has a right to see her Mama. He pushed the door to his bedchamber open with his foot, dragging Julia and James in with him. His mother sat there holding one of the baby twins. Relief washed over him, especially when he saw the nurse was holding another bundle, and both bundles started to wail pitifully, as if they could sense him enter.
"Gramma," said James excitedly.
"Come here," Grandmama beckoned them. "View your son, Richard. This is your brother, Jamie."
Julia and James looked at the bundle without interest. "Baby," Julia ventured.
"Very good, Julia," Lady Matlock praised.
Richard looked at his youngest son silently, and then glanced at the bundle the nurse was holding. She held it out for him to see. "This is the girl," she said.
"Again," Richard smiled wanly. His second set of twins had darker hair then the first. They must have more of their mother's hair colour. But they were so small and fragile that he dared not even touch them. Julia and James had been much bigger and stronger compared to these two, and yet they had been small. "They are so small," he said, even if they looked less tiny now that only their heads were visible and their little bodies were hidden under layers of cloth. He wondered if they would survive.
"Yes, they are extremely small. We have had to use two of your handkerchiefs for nappies. We have to keep them very warm."
"How is Caroline?" he asked, not daring to look at the bed in case she might be dead.
"Not awake," his mother shook her head.
Richard stared at the floor. It was to be expected. Mother would have called me otherwise.
"But Richard," Lady Matlock began, wanting to know how he felt about Caroline nursing the babies. "Do you think --"
"Mama!" Julia, not interested in siblings other than James, had noticed the person in the bed. She ran towards it and tried to climb on, erupting in tears when it proved to be impossible.
He looked at Caroline. Her eyes were still closed and her hands lay on the covers without moving. "Hush, Julia," Richard admonished. "Mama is sleeping." When Julia was inconsolable he lifted her up and placed her on the bed, keeping a close eye on his daughter. He did not want her to hurt Caroline.
"Jamie too!" James spouted his favourite words. He did not want to stay behind if his sister got to share a bed with Mama.
Richard sighed and placed him on Caroline's other side. She still had not stirred. The twins tried to open her eyes with their fingers and wrapped their small arms around her neck, looking back at their father helplessly when Mama did not wake after showering her with goodnight kisses. He swallowed and could not even tell them to stop being so wild. Life cannot go on without Caroline. I need her, the twins need her, and the babies need her. He realised that he could no longer speak about twins without specifying which set.
Caroline's eyelids fluttered a few times and then she opened them completely, looking around in wonder. "Mama!" James and Julia both cried in delight.
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Chapter 45
"Caroline!" Richard cried when he understood that his children had apparently seen something he had not and he grabbed her hand. Yes, her eyes are open now. If the twins had not been his children, he would have torn them away from Caroline, but now he left them with her, waiting impatiently until she would look at him.
Caroline's mouth twisted when she looked at the little bodies lying beside and on top of her, merely squeezing Richard's hand in reassurance, before she withdrew it to push herself to more of a sitting position. It proved to be more difficult than she had anticipated, and Richard had to assist her. He embraced her. She could feel he was immensely relieved. What have you been getting into your head? That I would die? The twins felt neglected and she felt them become restless beside her. She let go of Richard and smiled at them, pulling away the covers so they could lie next to her. She had seen they were dressed in their night gowns, even though she had no idea what time it was. "Babies?" she asked anxiously, when the twins had slid under the covers with contented faces.
"They are here," Lady Matlock said comfortingly. "Here is your little girl."
"Give," Caroline ordered, stretching out her arm. "Aww," she cooed when she received her second daughter. "How tiny!" She unwrapped the cloths around the baby and gasped upon seeing the tiny, weak limbs. It was not a pretty baby yet, but Caroline loved her and knew she did not want to lose her. She knew she would have to get stronger to pull this little one through. "Poor little thing to be born so early. Another girl," she said to Julia, who could not care less about anything as long as nobody removed her from her warm place beside her mother. "And that?" she indicated the other baby.
Lady Matlock handed her the other bundle. "And your little boy."
Caroline kissed the baby. "A boy and a girl," she smiled. "How do we do it? So small! Need a lot of help growing up. Sound rather hungry." Speaking was still an effort and with tired fingers she tried to adjust her gown so the new twins could nurse. The older twins were sleeping next to her, and even Richard lay down next to James and observed the family scene.
Lady Matlock waited a few minutes to see if her new grandchildren would refuse to nurse with their mother too, but her fears were ungrounded. It appeared they were merely particular about their source of nutrition. She sighed in relief, and hoped it would make them strong enough to live. "Shall I wait until they are finished, Caroline?" she whispered. "To help you put them in their cradle?"
"Cradle?" she frowned. "No."
"What do you mean, no cradle?" Lady Matlock was confused.
"I shall keep them with me. They are so small. They would feel lonely in a cradle."
Richard heaved himself off the bed and carried the sleeping James to his own bed. He trusted Caroline in this. After all, she was the mother and she had carried them for all those months. He returned and also took Julia back to her own room. They were best kept out of the way, and fortunately they were still too young to make a fuss or even realise that they had been dislocated in their sleep. When he returned, the babies lay next to her. "They will know I am here, now," she said. "A hot-water bottle is so impersonal."
"But it is also warmer."
"Oh, but they have one each, see?" Caroline lifted up the blanket covering the baby on her left to show him.
"Are you sure you will not crush them?"
"I am awake. Besides," she nodded at the nurse. "Mrs. Cox will watch me. She will remove them as soon as I fall asleep. Get some sleep too," she urged Richard.
"I do not need any sleep."
"Yes, you do. You have been ill."
"Alright. Somebody ought to protect the little ones from the big ones," he smiled tiredly. "Is it not funny that they are the big ones now? But I shall stay with them in the other room." He kissed her forehead.
When the physician returned he found Caroline in a much better state than before. He was not so doubtful of her chances anymore, although he did not expect the new baby twins to live. They were incredibly small. He was not pleased to hear that at one point four children had been in Caroline's bed with her. It was undoubtedly bad for the infants, but he could not say that she would probably not be able to enjoy their presence for long. He merely said she needed rest and quiet, and let her tend to the babies the way she chose. Caroline would have ignored him anyway, if he had said something else.
"Do you think they will live, Mrs. Cox?" she asked the nurse.
"I always find it very hard to tell."
"But...are they not very small?"
"They are very small," Mrs. Cox agreed. "Your other ones were early, but these are earlier, judging by their size."
"By how much?" Caroline wanted to know.
"That is something that is hard to tell when you do not know how far you were along, my Lady. But I do not think it will be very much." She held her fingers a short distance apart. "They were only about this much bigger, do you not remember?"
"Really?" Caroline smiled happily. "They will live, then."
Part 46
When Richard woke up the twins were gone from their bed, so he got up himself to find out where they were, though he could hear them not far away. He stepped into the nursery and saw four nappies being changed by four women, but not Caroline. He stared at the results of his own mass production in alarm for a while and then walked on quickly and found Caroline in her bed.
"They would not let me get up," she complained.
"Darling, I do not see why you mind that you do not have to change four nappies in a row." Richard cleared his throat. "Uhh...it made me think of something. Four, Caroline. Four! Can you do it, even?"
"Barely, I think."
"But not five, surely? Or six?"
"That would be a bit much," she admitted. "Though the eldest would be out of the nappies."
"But they would be into something else, like trouble."
"Richard?
"Yes?"
"Are you saying we should not have any more?" Caroline asked.
"Yes," he said gratefully. "For a while, at least. If you do not mind. It is of course very selfish of me not to want you to become over-exhausted by them."
Caroline curled his fingers around his. "No, I think it is very attentive of you, but I have one question. How selfish are you exactly?"
Richard smiled. "Very selfish."
"I knew you would have a way around the problem. And if whatever it is fails?"
"Well, then we shall be just as happy, but at least we tried."
She smiled. "Thank you. That is what I wanted to know. Now, Richard, I am going to take a bath and lie back to think of names for the babies once James and Julia are ready to join me."
"How can you have time to think when they are with you?" he wondered.
"Yes, that might be a problem, unless I involve them."
"Ha!"
"They are very clever."
"I know, but Caroline..."
"What? They will live," she said confidently. "They need names. I know we had some ready, but now I need to consider if they will suit them."
Julia and James tripped into the room in their bathrobes. "Bath?" said Julia expectantly, knowing what it meant when she was dressed in her bathrobe.
"Aww!" Caroline cried. "Are they not adorable?"
"Yes, I am very partial to them."
"I thought you always strove to be impartial? Or does that only apply to Bingleys?"
"Damn. Did you read my Bingley notes?" Richard asked.
"Why, yes. Darcy gave them back to me."
"Oh. And what did you think? Was I too severe on your family?"
Caroline snorted. "No, but wait until my Fitzwilliam notes come out."
Richard eyed her suspiciously. "Your Fitzwilliam notes? My family is not different enough for a comparative study."
"Oh well, my Richard Fitzwilliam notes then," she smiled.
"I cannot wait for that one line." He was not sure she could write anything about him, so he was not at all worried and looked at Julia tugging at his trousers. "Yes, dear? Do you want me to stop talking with Mama so you can have a bath? Good, I shall go and write letters then, because I do not think anyone has informed our friends and relatives yet. Hurry with the names, Caroline. It will save me a few letters if we can have it publicly announced in a newspaper."
Part 47
Richard sat down next to the babies to write his letters. They were now sleeping peacefully and he could hardly see them, well-tucked away as they were. He did not know which was which in any case. They still looked too much alike. He wrote one letter and then decided to copy it for everyone. It would be the easiest and quickest way.
After a trying time this father of four can finally inform you that we are all well. As you can imagine they are keeping us rather busy, though Caroline is an absolute miracle. I only have time to write you a short note, before Caroline and the big ones return and they will be mine for the rest of the day.
He also sent a note to the local newspaper so they could announce the births, as they were used to doing. It would save him from informing local acquaintances personally. No doubt some would come for a visit and bring expensive presents, which was all very nice, but he was not going to have his fragile babies passed around and kissed by all those strange people.
Caroline, James and Julia returned. "Have you been good?" he asked James.
"Yes."
"Really?" asked Richard, who knew James usually replied that, without always knowing what was asked.
"Really," said Caroline. "They were exceptionally sweet. Only one third of the bath water is now on the floor."
"Good! Perhaps I shall take them for a ballgame in the ballroom," Richard said.
Caroline sat down on his knee and leant her head against his shoulder. "I am tired. I shall not join you yet this week."
"Next week?" he asked hopefully.
"Perhaps. Meanwhile, I shall be stuck in bed," she sighed. "I do not like it."
"Perhaps we shall not go to the ballroom," Richard said pensively. "Perhaps -- yes." He smiled at James and Julia. "You will not like where we are going, but it is all for a good cause."
"What is? Where are you going?" Caroline asked.
"You will see when we return."
Richard took the twins to a bookshop and looked for a new book for Caroline, while they opened books at random, much to the alarm of the owner. "Could you keep an eye on your children, sir?"
"Oh," said Richard carelessly. "I shall buy whatever they ruin." Julia folded a page of a book on anatomy and he added it to his pile when he saw the owner flinch. "I think Mama will be very pleased that you chose this for her, Julia. Come James, we are leaving." He saw James was completely in love with a small volume with drawings of animals, and he sighed. "James?" He tried to lift James up, but the boy started screaming when he had to leave the book behind, and Richard had no choice but to buy that one too.
He had the books taken to his carriage, except for James's book which he was clutching happily, and then they strolled past other shops.
"Lord Matlock!" a female voice cooed as if she knew him very well.
"Lady Tansley," Richard acknowledged.
"We have not seen you here in town for at least a month! We were all wondering how you were and if you had gone to London, but we thought that unlikely, considering Lady Matlock's condition."
He tried not to be annoyed that they had been discussed. "We shall stay here for the next few months, perhaps even until they can walk."
"But they walk," pointed Lady Tansley to the standing children. "And where is their nurse?"
"I am their nurse."
"You really ought to hire somebody for them, Lord Matlock. Somebody of your standing should not have to be dragging them around. How thin you look. But I understand. You need something to lift your spirits," she said sympathetically.
"I do not understand you, Lady Tansley."
"We heard," the lady nodded. "And we were all deeply grieved."
"Grieved?" he asked with a puzzled look. "What for?"
"For the loss of two such young and unlived lives --"
"Anthony and Lucinda? But they are not dead! And they have no intention of dying either." He wondered how this news had spread.
"I am so glad! You must be so happy," said Lady Tansley, who could not wait to spread this news among her acquaintance. "My sincerest wishes! May call on Lady Matlock soon? Is she well enough to visit?"
"If you stay very briefly." He did not think Caroline would be able to bear her for very long. "She is still very tired."
"Oh, naturally, naturally. Well, goodbye," she curtseyed. "I shall go and buy them a little something."
Part 48
"He is not wearing black," said a lady watching Richard through the window of a little tea shop.
"No, he is not," another one agreed. "Do you think Lady Tansley will return here?"
"Of course. She has not yet finished her tea, but I suppose it will be cold by now. Oh yes, there she comes again. Full of news, I hope." The ladies waited in anticipation.
Lady Tansley returned and purposely said nothing immediately but sipped her tea first. "I just had a word with dear Lord Matlock."
"We know!" said one of the ladies in irritation. The woman knew very well that they had all been watching her.
"Lady Matlock had more twins, as we had heard, but they are still living, but I suppose only barely."
"Oh, dear," said one of the ladies. "I am happy for them, though."
"Dear Fiona, of course I hope that they will keep living, but the odds are heavily against it. Did we not hear that from Mrs. Bell who heard it from the physician's wife? I shall go for a visit tomorrow, but what think you all of Lord Matlock playing nursemaid to his children? I should think he is rich enough to hire one. And why were the children not sent away when their mother was lying in? I should gladly have taken them for a few weeks."
"Ha," said Fiona. "My dear Lady Tansley, I cannot see you walking the streets of Matlock with two infants."
"Infants should not be walking the streets of Matlock. They should be in a nursery."
"It seems to me that Lady Matlock's nursery is a bit crowded now."
"Did you know that Lady Matlock is related to the Bingleys of Nexford?" Lady Tansley knew when to switch the subject.
"Who are the Bingleys of Nexford?"
"Exactly, Emma! Who are they indeed? I know Mrs. Mew took the Misses Bingleys to London when they were young and she introduced them to society. They are hardly one of us, are they?" This was directed as much at Fiona as at Caroline, for Fiona had dared to say some reasonable, opposing words, and Fiona was not really part of Lady Tansley's circle either, since she had also married 'up.' "But I shall explain it to Lady Matlock tomorrow. A good word of advice from a friend whose children have already grown up."
"Look what we got you," said Richard. He deposited a few boxes and packages on the bed.
"Will you open them for me?" Caroline asked James, because he was already on the bed and she had her arms full with the new babies.
James, however, displayed a sudden interest in the babies, and Julia tore off the wrapping paper with Richard's assistance.
"Thank you for thinking of me," said Caroline, looking at the gifts. She kissed them all in turn. "Did you see anyone while you were in town?"
"Oh, yes. It seems that people keep track of when I visit and when I do not come, they start gossiping. The first visitors should be on our doorstep tomorrow."
"I had counted on that. I knew you would probably see somebody. More gold and silver spoons," Caroline remarked. "I wonder why nobody came today? Matlock almost beats London when comes to the speed of gossip."
"They thought the babies were dead."
"Nothing could be more wrong," said Caroline with satisfaction. "Look, they even have their eyes open." She handed Richard a baby and it began to cry. "Sshh. This is your Papa. They must get used to you still. Here, take them both while I look at those books."
Richard kissed the babies and wondered if it was possible that they had grown already. They looked bigger now. James observed him closely and kissed the babies too. He then noticed that Caroline was looking at his book, and he crawled over to take it back.
Caroline held it away from him when he held out his hands with a whine. "Stop being so demanding, James. Richard, umm...who chose these books?" Two of them were very odd indeed.
"The ones that puzzle you were most likely James and Julia's fault."
"Oh, you gave into them? Quiet, James," she said aside.
"I had to."
"Animals of Africa? Illustrated in colour, that is nice, but I hope he does not want me to read it to him."
"Wait until you see Julia's book. It is in Latin."
"I had noticed. What is it about?"
"Bones."
"Bones? Strange children," Caroline commented. "But the one who chose those other books, chose well."
James slid off the bed when he concluded that whining was not going to get him his book, and he walked over to his sister, who had discovered that she could open drawers.
"Where is my mother?" Richard asked. "I have to see to some neglected estate business and I was wondering if she could watch the children."
"She went into the village with Betty. Leave them with me. They have been up all day so they should be wanting their midday nap now."
"Not until they have emptied your dresser first."
Julia had thrown out a few stockings and she had climbed into the drawer. James rolled on the floor and laughed, and then threw all the stockings back in. Julia lay down in the drawer as if it were a bed.
"James seems to be a tidy sort of child," Caroline remarked appreciatively. She looked at her bed, which was covered with shreds of wrapping paper. "James? Come here. Come!" James dribbled over. "Throw this," she held up a piece of wrapping paper. "In that basket there," she pointed at a basket. Caroline got out of bed and demonstrated it a few times.
Part 49
The next day Caroline was indeed visited by Lady Tansley, who came so early that she had the greatest chance of being the first. Caroline had got dressed and she was stretched out on a sofa in the west drawing room with the babies on top of her. They were all resting after breakfast. When Lady Tansley was announced, Caroline sat up straight. She greeted her visitor politely.
Lady Tansley leant forwards to look at the babies. "They are beautiful," she commented.
"Thank you," said Caroline, who knew how little of them was actually visible. She accepted the gift Lady Tansley had brought graciously. More spoons, just as she had thought.
"Should they not be in a cradle?"
"They like to stay with me when they are awake." She pulled away some of the cloth that enveloped one baby and took his little hand. "Is that not so, Anthony?"
"They are so small and they have such long names," Lady Tansley said. "Perhaps John and Anne..."
"They will grow into them. Besides, there is already an Anne in the family."
"Lord Tansley's family contains several William's and they were all very honoured that my son was named after them."
"We find that confusing."
"We?"
"My husband and I."
"Oh," said Lady Tansley. "I saw poor Lord Matlock in town yesterday. He was accompanied by your elder twins. Do they not have a nursemaid?"
Caroline stared at her. "He is not poor."
"Lady Matlock," Lady Tansley hasted to say. "I do not mean he has no money. I meant --"
"I know what you meant, and I assure you that he is not to be pitied."
"I always sent my children away when I was in danger of lying in. I do not think it is something they should be aware of."
"The only thing they would be aware of is that we would not care for them anymore."
Lady Tansley put down her cup of tea to stress the importance of her words. "But Lady Matlock, everybody does it."
"We are not everybody."
"I cannot believe that my good friend Maria did not say anything to you. Is she at home?"
"My mother-in-law is entertaining the twins."
Lady Tansley did not see any point in visiting her then. "Do you not have a nursemaid?"
"Yes, but she is busy with clothes for the babies. They drown in almost everything."
"She is mending the other twins' clothes," Lady Tansley nodded.
Caroline looked at her. She wondered if the woman really thought the babies would not grow into James and Julia's clothes at some point. "No, she is making everything anew, but then in a smaller size."
Part 50
Lady Matlock, who had heard of the visit, returned with Julia and James. She greeted Lady Tansley and placed the children on the sofa.
"May I congratulate you, Maria, on your wonderful new grandchildren?"
"Thank you."
"Will you be attending Emily Witherspoon's ball?"
"No, I do not think so," said Lady Matlock, smoothing Julia's dress so it looked more lady-like. "Caroline?"
"I have not spoken to Richard about that invitation yet. I calculated that we could put in an appearance for about an hour, which might not be worth the trouble," Caroline smiled sweetly.
Of course Lady Tansley knew from the previous time that Caroline nursed her babies herself, but it still struck her as eccentric. It was incomprehensible to her that Caroline should choose this rather than engage a wet nurse so she could attend to her social obligations. "We see very little of you, Lady Matlock."
"I know, but as long as they are small, it cannot be helped. I doubt that Mrs. Witherspoon's ball will only be a success with my presence." Caroline was not prepared to go only to do Mrs. Witherspoon a favour.
Lady Tansley never neglected her social duties and she had more calls to make, so she left shortly afterwards, not quite satisfied with the outcome of her visit. The young Lady Matlock had been polite but stubborn. She wondered that the elder Lady Matlock had not talked some sense into her daughter and told her how she ought to conduct herself.
Caroline placed the babies in their cot. "And now she is off to spread the news."
"Which news?" her mother-in-law asked.
"Oh, I do not know. That I am strange, proud, not condescending enough, perhaps." She adjusted the blankets and hot-water bottles around the babies.
"Caroline dear, you are not strange."
Caroline sat back down and folded her arms. "Would I have received as much criticism if my marriage had been supervised from the beginning, instead of the way it was, with Richard and I taking the logical way out of a problem, which was not always the same as the conventional way?"
"Supervised?" Lady Matlock asked with raised eyebrows. She did not feel like a supervisor.
"Lady Tansley hinted that you should tell us -- me -- how to behave properly."
"Oh no, dear. I prefer to watch you and Richard muddle through. I only interfere when things get out of hand. Do not tell me you would have liked a mother interfering in the very first days of your marriage."
"Well," Caroline hesitated. "We did have some questions. We were wondering -- we knew some people shared a bedchamber and others did not, so we wondered -- what was the usual thing -- and there were not enough closets and dressers, and then Richard suggested --"
"Ahh," said his mother knowingly.
"He suggested that I use the closets in the adjoining room --"
"But not the bed," Lady Matlock predicted.
"He said it would keep the costs of the laundry down if we slept in the same bed," said Caroline innocently.
"Oh, oh, oh, Richard. And what did you say?"
"Laundry costs money, that much I knew, but I had never tried to economise on bed linen, so I think I said nothing and just stared at him."
Another visitor was announced, a Mrs. Fiona Maxwell. Caroline vaguely remembered that the Maxwells had introduced themselves two weeks ago, but her mind had been elsewhere and she remembered very little other than that Mr. Maxwell had just purchased an estate in the vicinity and that they had not been married for very long. Apparently he was Lady Tansley's second cousin's son, or some obscure relation like that. Caroline feared she had not made a very good impression on the new neighbours. Her visitor seemed to be around her age, perhaps a year or two younger, with a pleasant face.
Mrs. Maxwell greeted them politely. "I apologise if I am causing you any inconvenience by calling on you, Lady Matlock. I know you have been through a trying period. Are your family all recovered now? Lord Matlock seemed pretty well from afar."
"Did you know he was ill?" Caroline could not recall having told the Maxwells about Richard's illness. In fact, she could not recall having told the Maxwells anything. Perhaps she had been a completely silent hostess. She wished she had not asked that question. It was terribly impolite to let somebody know you had not paid attention during her visit.
"Perhaps you do not recall that Geoffrey and I called on you two weeks ago?" Mrs. Maxwell asked tentatively. "You were a little absentminded."
"I remember the visit," Caroline frowned.
"You told us your husband was ill," Mrs. Maxwell helped. "We quite understood your preoccupation."
"Did I say anything else?" Caroline wanted to know. "Or was I very impolite?"
"It does not matter. Nobody else was there," Mrs. Maxwell shrugged. "Was that Lady Tansley's carriage I saw leaving?"
"Yes, did you not meet her?" Caroline was glad that her guest seemed to forgive her.
"I come from another direction, if you do not mind my using a shortcut through your park. I would, of course, take the main drive for an official visit. Are your babies also well? There are all kinds of rumours going round in Matlock, and being new, I am sure I only hear a fraction of what is being said. I wished to see for myself, and also to renew our introduction now that your husband's health should no longer worry you."
"We had gathered as much, about the rumours." She got up and folded back the blankets a little so Mrs. Maxwell could see the infants. "They are not big, as you see."
"Two in a cradle!" Mrs. Maxwell said delightedly. "I had been wondering about that. Oh, I am sorry! I always wonder about very strange things." She looked from one pair of twins to the other. "I see you have one of everything. A girl with dark hair and one with fair, and a boy with dark hair and one with fair hair. And so close in age! I am sure they will all be very happy with each other in a few years."
Caroline beamed at this first person who did not automatically have her reservations about the baby twins' future. "Do you have any children?"
"No, I have only been married for a short while. We only got married when Geoffrey knew he could buy this house. We were engaged for three years, though! But we had to wait until he had enough money for a small estate and he spent a lot of time looking for one, and then his aunt or whatever she is -- not his favourite one, anyway -- knew of this small estate coming onto the market, and he went for a look and when he returned, he said 'Fiona, you will like it,' and we set a wedding date after I had seen it too."
"Goodness," said Caroline, surprised to hear of so much preparation.
"It is a very pretty house," said Lady Matlock. "The previous owner took good care of it."
"It is perfect, I think. It is big, too. Not as big as this, but I should get lost in here!" said Mrs. Maxwell. "I am not used to so much grandeur. My father was a drawing master. I think Lady Tansley wishes that Geoffrey's sisters had never had drawing lessons, because that is how I came to know him. She thinks we ate with our hands at home and she thinks she cannot invite Geoffrey and me without me disgracing her at the dinner table."
"Oh!" Caroline exclaimed with a smile. "I think Lady Tansley should see my family at the breakfast table."
"We know of one Viscount, do we not, Caroline?" Lady Matlock asked. "He always makes a frightful mess."
"Indeed he does," said the Viscount's mother, and held him upside down to his great delight. "They like this. They like this so much." She liked her new neighbour. "You must come to dinner one of these days."
Part 51
Richard returned to find his housekeeper treating James and Julia to hot drinks and apples. He gave them a kiss and a pat on the head. "Where is everyone?" he inquired.
"They are all looking after the babies," Mrs. Neal explained.
Richard did not think it was fair if everybody ignored Julia and James, so he sat down and accepted a hot drink and an apple himself. This was an excellent opportunity to see if there were still some matters that had to be cleared with the housekeeper. "Are things still going according to plan? I know my mother probably did not have as much time as usual." His mother would have taken over from Caroline, so it was useless to ask if Mrs. Neal had been speaking to Caroline.
"I consulted your mother when she was available, and when she was occupied I took the liberty of making a decision myself, my Lord. I hope you do not mind."
"I trust your decisions, Mrs. Neal, and so does Caroline," he said to reassure her, but he knew she needed no reassurance.
"She has invited the Maxwells for next Tuesday. Would you know if it will be a formal dinner?"
"Who?" asked Richard, who had never heard of them.
"The people who recently moved into Mr. Jordan's old house."
"Oh. I had no idea anyone was going to buy it. Well, if Caroline feels she is equal to receiving unknown guests already...-- but I do not think it will be very formal. What sort of people are they?"
"They came to introduce themselves two weeks ago and Mrs. Maxwell was here today too."
"Really? How old is she?"
"In her twenties."
"Hmm," said Richard as he remembered something. "I think I saw her walk through the park. I wondered who it was." Julia said something. "What did you say, Julia?"
"Have," said Julia, stretching out her hands.
"Have what?" He gave her his apple when she tried to grab it. "Jamie too?" he anticipated the reaction, but James did not say anything and merely climbed onto him with a yawn. "Oh, he is tired. Want to go to bed?"
Julia disappeared under the table so she would not be sent off to bed.
"Alright then. You stay here while I get rid of James." Richard carried James upstairs and placed him in his bed fully clothed. The ladies would probably admonish him for it, but he was too lazy to undress his son for a short nap at the moment. "But I do take off your shoes," he remarked with satisfaction.
Richard then peered into the babies' room. It looked as if they had been bathed, for the tub was still on the table. The fire was blazing and it was very hot in the room.
"Oh, Richard! They grew!" Caroline cried excitedly. "We weighed them." She was holding a baby in a yellow gown that fit much better than what they had been wearing before. He guessed it was new. The nurse had the other one, and it was dressed in light blue. "Anthony has the boyish colours," Caroline explained.
"I am glad for the colour coding," Richard replied as he gently pulled enough clothing away from Lucinda's body to examine the apparent growth. "I cannot tell them apart. James is in bed, by the way, but Julia is still eating."
"I shall put these to bed too and then we can do something nice."
Shortly afterwards Julia was brought upstairs, because she had been tired, despite her demonstrative protest of hiding under the table. It amused Richard to see that she was taking after Caroline.
"What are you grinning at?" Caroline asked when all four little Fitzwilliams had been put to bed.
"Family resemblances."
Caroline embraced him. "All four asleep at the same time. It is a miracle. Let us take advantage of it and go for a walk."
"Are you sure you can walk? Yesterday you said you were going to spend the whole week in bed."
"It is so boring in bed. I must get some exercise. Besides, if I cannot go on, you will carry me, will you not?"
"I heard you feel well enough to invite guests," he said when they were walking in one of their gardens.
"Just an informal dinner to get to know our new neighbours," Caroline answered, enjoying the fresh air after having been indoors for so long.
"Are they nice?"
"She is nice. I do not remember him," Caroline admitted. "I would not have invited them without consulting you, otherwise. She knows about the babies and things," she said vaguely. "So she would not find it odd if I had to leave the room for half an hour."
"How do you like being a mother of four?" Richard asked quietly, when they were sitting on their favourite bench for thoughtful conversations.
Caroline sat in his lap and rested her head against his shoulder. "It keeps me busy," she smiled.
"Do you not regret marrying? I mean, it was not just me you received. Look what else you got."
"The interest?"
"Of two hundred percent."
"No! Fifty. Four in two years."
"You are right," Richard said. "But it is not quite two years. Seventy-five percent."
"I like sitting here with you. It is a bit like in the beginning, only then I would be bored when we returned home, and of course we were less cuddly."
"Less?" Richard was amazed.
Caroline grinned. "We had more opportunities during day, with no mother, nurse, maids, children and other people present. We did not have to save it up for an occasion such as this."
Part 52
After a few days the replies to the letters Richard had sent started to come in. He began to realise that his note had not been very clear as he read what everyone wrote.
Where did you get four children and what are the big ones and who will be yours for the rest of the day? Jane congratulates you.
Your brother,
Charles BingleyPS. I congratulate you too of course. I simply forgot. To write it down.
More PS. How do you do it? Am I doing something wrong?
Fitzwilliam,
I could not make head nor tail of your letter, but I decided that it meant that you probably had another child, or possibly two, if you did not have three already. I know you had two children that you let us know of, but one can never tell in these days of moral corruption (that last bit was added for the benefit of Louisa, who was reading over my shoulder what I wrote, which I did not particularly like, and who is now angry with me for her sister's sake, but no longer hanging over my shoulder.) I hope you are not flooding the world with more Bingley women. They have tempers. I wish you luck with the expansion. I suppose you need not add another wing to the house. Louisa is pressing me to buy a country estate, because she thinks her sister will not be able to visit us anymore with her huge family.
Yours,
T. Hurst
Dear Richard,
I received your letter and I am so delighted! Our sincerest congratulations to all! I am glad you are all well. But dear brother, you forgot to specify if you got boys or girls or both. I should dearly like to know. Until then I shall keep fantasising about which combination is better, and what they look like and so on. Please reply to me with the details as soon as possible. Even the weight and length and hair colour and other such small details. I want to know! (And you can confide in your sister with regard to the 'trying time' you spoke of. Had it something to do with the early birth?) Please tell me they are alright.
Your loving sister,
Catherine
Fitzwilliam,
That was a rather mysterious letter you sent us. Congratulations on the new additions to your family.
Yours sincerely,
Darcy
Dear Caroline,
We are so glad you are well! (If we understand your husband's note correctly). Please write us a letter yourself and tell us everything. We had not expected you to give birth yet. What happened? Please write us that you are in good health.
Yours,
Georgiana and Elizabeth
My dear sister,
Why did your husband address his letter to Thomas? Does he not know that Thomas never opens his letters until two days later and that he has absolutely no interest in childbirth? I had to press him to open it when I saw where it came from, because I was naturally very worried about your condition. Imagine my surprise when we read the letter! It puzzled us a great deal. It was not at all joyful? Did anything happen? Yet he wrote you are all well. And if he is a father of four, you must be a mother of four! Oh Caroline! Reply quickly, so I will know for certain. I apologise for the shortness of this letter, but I just sent you one two days ago and nothing has happened since.
Your affectionate sister,
Louisa
"What on earth did you write to them?" Caroline asked when she had read them all.
"I do not remember, but it probably was something unamazing and short."
"Richard! Did you not know that productive in one field means productive in others?" she teased.
He stared at Bingley's letter and grinned. "Bingley asks what he is doing wrong. That must be it. He needs to work on his correspondence."
"There is even one from your aunt, although she addressed it to me," said Lady Matlock, who chose to ignore that her son and daughter-in-law were lowering themselves to something as juvenile as giggling. "And amongst other things that I shall not let you read, it contains congratulations and inquiries. What did you put in your coffee? Rum? Brandy? Whiskey?"
Part 53
After having eaten and having nursed the babies, Caroline sat down to reply to at least one of the letters. She did not think she would manage to write back to all of them. The elder twins were playing in the nursery with Betty, so it was quiet in the room.
Dear Louisa,
I do not know what Richard wrote to you, and he says he does not remember, so here is my account of events, which I hope will answer any questions his letter might have left you with.Richard fell ill at the end of February. It was serious enough for the doctor to forbid me to see him. You can guess how I took this, and I was not doing well. I was terrified when I felt the pains begin and his condition had not improved. Thankfully he recovered just in time, but the waiting had worn me out so much that I sunk away into unconsciousness and he thought I was dying. As you see, it was very distressing. The doctor thought the babies would not live long, because they were so tiny, but they are perfect and only want a little flesh on their bones. They even have hair and it looks like they might have my hair colour, or at least Lucinda does. Anthony's hair seems a little lighter. It is too early to tell whose features they have, because they are still very baby-like of course. Julia and James have not shown very much interest, as I had not expected them to do, but they begin to be naughty when their brother and sister receive too much attention.
I am excessively tired, even though they are such sweet and long-sleeping babies. It feels as if J&J always wake up right after A&L have fallen asleep and my "Mama sleep" is always countered by "Mama play," and Richard of course loves that. Men are just as simple as babies. Just like J&J can never get enough of that silly book, Richard never ceases to be delighted by those two words.
Come and visit me soon. You are not bound to London, are you? I shall not be travelling to Town any time soon. A few days at the coast in summer, but perhaps not even that.
Your sister,
Caroline
"Richard, I am tired. Can you reply to the rest of the family?" Caroline asked as she laid down the pen.
Before he could reply, a footman came in to announce that Miss Darcy had arrived. "Miss Darcy?" Richard said in surprise. "Well, that is one less reply I have to write. Show Miss Darcy in, please."
"Congratulations," Georgiana exclaimed when she came in and embraced Richard. She almost ran to where Caroline was stretched out on the sofa. "Why are you lying down? Are you unwell?" she asked in a concerned voice.
Caroline pushed herself up a little. "I have just exhausted myself by writing a letter," she replied. "We were not expecting you. What a lovely surprise."
"Ha! Do you think I could stay home when you had more twins? I adore twins! Are they in there?" she looked at the cot.
"Do not take them out, please," Caroline warned. "They are too small."
Georgiana looked a little disappointed, and Richard lifted enough of the blanket to show her their little faces and hands. "Amazing," Georgiana whispered. "But they have fingers and everything."
"Yes, they come fully equipped," said Richard seriously. "Though they have not yet discovered how to use most of it, except --"
"Richard!" Caroline interrupted before he could say something improper.
He grinned. Luckily Georgiana did not seem to have understood or heard him. She was still enthralled by the sleeping infants. "Where are the twins -- the other twins, I mean?" she asked.
"Asleep," said Caroline in relief after she had looked at the clock and she had seen that it was time for their midday nap.
It puzzled Georgiana. "Do you not love them anymore?"
"Of course I do!" Caroline exclaimed. "It is the same as with Richard. I am glad to see him asleep too."
"The feeling is mutual," he replied.
"What is happening?" Georgiana cried.
"Dear, I am only teasing him. I know he is very tired and I prefer not to see him yawn --"
"Not because she does not like my teeth, for my teeth are excellent --"
"But because yawning is infectious," Caroline finished.
"Oh," said Georgiana doubtfully. She stood up straight. "Must you now travel in two carriages?"
Richard shook his head. "Not yet. Not if James and Julia sit on our laps. In a few years we shall have to, however."
"Perhaps there shall be even more of you then," Georgiana suggested. "Perhaps you shall be needing three carriages."
"I think not, unless you come to live with us," said Richard. "I have heard you take an inordinate number of trunks when you travel. Or was that Caroline? Let me give you a tour of the house before Caroline finds it necessary to throw something at me."
"I am too tired," Caroline said lazily. "I think I shall sleep a bit."
"A tour of the house? But I know the house perfectly well!" Georgiana protested.
"We made some changes here and there," Richard explained.
Part 54
"We have not made many changes, but we have two nurseries now," said Richard, leading Georgiana towards them. "This one used to be my dressing room, but it is now where the little ones sleep at night. How do you like it?"
"I like it, but how many cots do you have?" asked Georgiana, thinking that her little niece Victoria's nursery looked much more like a nursery, whereas this looked like a dressing room with a cot in it, basically. "Two? Or one for each room?"
"Two. This one, and the one you saw downstairs." He led her through the other rooms to the other nursery. "And this is the room of the big ones as you can hear quite clearly. They must just have woken up." He opened the door and showed her Betty trying to pull James and Julia apart. They appeared to be fighting over a key-ring. Richard pulled James off his sister. "James! We do not hit girls."
Georgiana had never fought with anyone, let alone with her brother, and she looked on with huge eyes.
Julia looked triumphant when she got to keep the keys, but she soon started to cry when Betty took them away from her. "I have brought Miss Darcy for the purpose of assisting you especially, Betty," said Richard, when the fighting parties both sought consolation from the same source and he was suddenly immobilised. He had other plans, however.
"Oh?" Georgiana said in alarm. "I do not know if I can --"
"Of course you can." A few tickles sufficed to free his legs and Richard bowed. "Good day, ladies."
"Do they like music?" Georgiana suggested shyly after looking at the twins sitting on the floor for a while. They looked rather sad anf forlorn when Richard had left them, and music always lifted her own spirits, so perhaps it would lift theirs too.
"I do not know, Miss Darcy," Betty said almost as shyly.
They sat in silence for a few minutes. "I do not know anything about small children," Georgiana said worriedly. "I did not know they fought. How can my cousin leave me here when they fight with each other? I should not know what to do." Betty seemed to be her age. "Do you know what to do?"
"I look after them often. By now I think I know," Betty reassured her. She was glad that Miss Darcy was not a commanding sort of person. "They do not fight, really. I think they just want the same thing, always, so we must always give them everything double. If I had two key-rings, they would not fight. Perhaps they would like to play in the ball room. They always like that."
"Umm...what do they do there?" Georgiana wondered if the twins would dance.
"They run."
"I think Lady Matlock would like it if they exhausted themselves." It seemed to Georgiana that they would be less bother to Caroline if they were tired.
"I think so too."
"Shall we take them there?" Georgiana asked. They each took a child by the hand and led them to the ball room, where the twins immediately began to run around.
Richard returned to Caroline and found her asleep. He was rather tired himself, but a sofa was not his idea of a comfortable place to lie down on, so went back to his bedchamber. He told himself that he would only close his eyes for a minute, and then he would reply to a few of those letters.
Part 55
Richard opened his eyes and was rather surprised to notice that he had slept for over two hours. He sat down to reply to the letters.
Dear Bingley,
I thank you for your congratulations. We were very pleased to receive a letter from you. However, I must ask one thing: how do I do WHAT? I cannot tell you if you are doing something wrong, if I do not know what you refer to. It does not mean I do not speculate, and I have a fairly good idea of what you meant, but of course you understand that I cannot go into the matter right here.The essential, basic thing is to have your correspondence in order. I have been told that proficiency (or productivity, as you will), generally manifests itself in more areas than one, and Bingley, I hate to say it, but your correspondence skills are below the required minimum. If you would now zealously work on that and become a diligent and accomplished correspondent, perhaps you will be making progress in the other areas that you seem to have problems in. Remember that I am always available for advice. Do not hesitate to write me with any questions you might have (but do mark PRIVATE BUSINESS on the outside of your letter).
Your brother,
Matlock, also known as Fitzwilliam, also known as Many Other Things
Hurst,
I think Louisa will have a hard time persuading you to buy an estate in the country, and tell her that if she ever needs assistance, she may call on me. It would be a good thing for you and the country is not half as boring as London. All you have to do is get Alice a few more sisters or brothers and I guarantee that you will never know a moment of boredom for the rest of your life.
Dear Catherine,
I am very happy to announce that you have another nephew and niece, called Anthony and Lucinda.
Richard remembered that he had not given Bingley and Hurst that information yet. He changed his signature.
Richard, Caroline, Julia, James, Anthony, LucindaPS. They are not all MY names.
Dear Catherine,
I am very happy to announce that you have another nephew and niece, called Anthony and Lucinda. Their birth was not without some trouble -- actually the actual birth WAS, for it all went rather quickly -- but I mean the time preceding it, for I was ill and Caroline was not allowed to see me. I really felt terribly bad, and nothing the doctor prescribed worked at all. I felt rather guilty for being ill, but fortunately I recovered just in time (no exaggeration) and the babies were born, but that was not the end of it, for Caroline fainted. I suppose she was worn out, but I thought she was dying. There I was, with a dying wife and two babies who looked as if they could not even breathe by themselves, and then two more crying babies who wanted good-night kisses. Perhaps I shall tell you about it another time. It all turned out well, and the little ones have already grown a little. I do not think they shall be fair-haired like the other two, but it is always difficult to tell. I hope they shall not, because then it would perhaps seem as if we have quadruplets if they look too much like each other. I do not know what else to write, so I shall depend upon Caroline to give you a full report of their weight and other things she keeps track of.
Your brother,
Richard
He laid down his pen and wondered if he should write back to Darcy, but decided against it, for Georgiana would return home in a few days and she would be able to say much more than he could write, and whatever he would have written would by then already be outdated information. He wrote a few letters to some of his friends and distant relatives that he had neglected before.
When he had enough of writing, he saw that it was almost time for dinner and he changed his clothes and went downstairs. Caroline was still nursing the babies, and he took one and walked around with it when she was finished. Little Lucinda had her eyes open and he talked some nonsense to her as he walked up and down the hall.
"Who are you speaking to?" Georgiana appeared with Betty and the bigger twins.
"To Lucinda."
"Oh," Georgiana squealed and moved forward to get a closer look at the new baby, whose face she had not yet seen clearly. "She is looking at me! By the way," she said hesitantly. "Were you expecting me for dinner?"
Richard eyed her curiously. "Had you planned to return to Pemberley tonight? I thought you came to stay for a few days."
"Yes, I have come to stay, but...I should like to eat in the nursery for once. Would that be...alright?"
"Of course you may eat in the nursery, if that is what you like. Will we see you after dinner or will you go to bed at the same time as they do?"
"No," Georgiana assured him. "I shall come downstairs then."
Part 56
"Julia speaks so much now!" said Georgiana enthusiastically when she joined the others in the drawing room. "She was talking incessantly, but Jamie said nothing. Can he not talk yet?"
Lady Matlock exchanged a look with Caroline. "He takes after Richard," she said solemnly, knowing that Richard was always afraid that his eldest son was not as quick as his daughter.
"What does that mean?" asked Georgiana in confusion. "Richard can talk."
"Oh, he can talk now, but you should have seen him when he was little."
"Women are always more talkative," Caroline added. "It is no wonder that Julia should be so chatty."
"Julia is not a woman," Richard protested. He could not remember when he had begun to speak, and he was not entirely sure that his mother was in jest.
"Oh, no? I think it is time you changed her nappy again. I think next time I shall be too indisposed to do it, so you will have to do it."
"She is a girl."
"Girls and women are the same. They are equally talkative."
"But James is Julia's twin. They should be the same. They were born on the same day. They receive the same attention."
"All the more reason for them not to be equally talkative. I suppose that one of them has offered to be spokesman for the both of them, because to say everything twice would be rather a waste of effort," Caroline suggested. "Their efficiency is praiseworthy."
"But what if he never learns to speak because his sister always opens her mouth first?" Richard asked worriedly. He would only find it praiseworthy if James opened his mouth to say something.
Lady Matlock smiled at the ease with which they could start Richard worrying. "Perhaps Julia is only voicing James's opinion. Perhaps he tells her what to say."
"Women!" Richard muttered, and left the room, much to their hilarity.
"Is he upset with us now?" Georgiana asked. She hated to see anybody upset with her.
"Not at all," said Caroline.
"Why is he leaving us then? Where is he going?"
"Upstairs. What do you think, Caroline?" Lady Matlock asked, and they laughed. "We are really bad, Georgiana. We like to tease Richard. What did James say? Did he really not say anything?"
"No. He did not say anything at all. Can he really not speak?"
"Of course he can," said Caroline. "Only this morning we had a very long conversation."
"Why is Richard upset then?"
"Men," said Caroline. "They do not quite think along the same lines as we do, I think. What did you do with the twins?"
"We ran around in the ballroom. I am rather tired now," Georgiana sighed. "I can imagine that you are always very tired if you have to do that every day."
"Twice a day," Caroline nodded. "Before I had the other two, that is. I took a little break from that activity now, but in a few days or so I shall resume the exercise, otherwise they will not be tired enough for their mid-day naps, and if they do not take mid-day naps, I cannot take them either."
"Shall I stay a few days longer?" Georgiana offered. "Perhaps it would give you more time."
"Why, it would. Thank you," Caroline smiled. "Are you sure you would not be missed?"
"I think they can spare me for a week."
Part 57
While Richard was crossing through the hall with no specific destination in mind -- for he had left the ladies without knowing where he was going -- the doorbell rang, and thus he could witness the door being opened to a stranger.
"Forgive me for calling upon this house at this late hour," the stranger apologised to the servant who opened the door. "But my horse was crippled not far from this house. I made my way to the lit windows I could see from afar, although I have no idea where I am. My horse cannot go on and I am stranded. I was hoping you could perhaps point me in the direction of the nearest village where I could procure myself another horse or another mode of transport. Could you tell me where I am?"
"You are at Lord Matlock's estate," the servant replied.
"Near the town of Matlock?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. I am headed there."
The stranger's accent indicated that he was a gentleman, and quite young. Richard stepped forward. "You are very welcome to be my guest for the night," he bowed. "Your horse will be taken care of in my stables." He had a better look at the stranger now and saw he was wearing regimentals. "Captain."
"I thank you," the captain bowed. "Lord Matlock, I presume?" Richard nodded. "Captain Henry Riley, my Lord."
"Welcome to my house, Captain." Richard gave the servant orders to take care of the captain's belongings and his horse, and then he led him into the drawing room. The ladies looked rather surprised at his entrance, for they had not heard the doorbell. "May I present Captain Riley? My wife, Lady Matlock, my mother, Lady Matlock, my cousin..." he paused.
"Not Lady Matlock," Riley guessed as the ladies curtseyed in turn.
"Miss Darcy," Richard smiled and Georgiana blushed at having the captain's attention fixed on her for a moment. She wished her name was Lady Matlock too, so she would not have to be singled out.
"I say, Richard, you did not find the captain especially for the purpose of continuing our argument?" Lady Matlock asked.
The captain looked rather taken aback at being landed in the middle of an argument.
"I would not want to bother a stranger with our oddities," Richard replied. "Captain Riley's horse had an accident and he was forced to break off his journey."
"Where were you headed?" Caroline asked politely.
"To my brother in Matlock."
"Does he live there?" Caroline did not know any Rileys residing in Matlock.
"No, he is only there for a month. He has taken lodgings in __ Street."
That did not mean anything to Caroline, who did not know the names of the streets apart from the main shopping streets, but Richard and Lady Matlock recognised the name as belonging to a street in a highly respectable part of town. "Is he expecting you this evening?" Lady Matlock asked. "If he is, we shall send a servant over with a message."
"That would be very kind of you," the captain said gratefully. "I doubt that my brother would worry, but his wife -- you see, they have no children, and my brother is eighteen years my senior, and his wife has adopted me and her dog as surrogate children, more or less."
"Her dog?" Caroline echoed.
"A rather spoilt creature called Jingle."
"Jingle?"
"It has a little collar with a bell," Riley said apologetically. "So she knows where it is when it is out of sight. The jingling will betray its whereabouts. It happens to be a rather naughty little dog."
Caroline looked at Richard, whose mind she could see was already working in a certain direction, and she gave him some meaningful looks.
"Are you married, captain?" Lady Matlock asked, when she saw that the captain was confused by the looks.
"No, my Lady."
"A word of advice -- do not pay too much attention to married people," she said in a low voice. "They are sometimes difficult to follow."
Part 58
The young captain was pleasantly surprised to hear that Lord Matlock was a former military man, and they were having an agreeable conversation on that subject, when Caroline saw it was time to remove herself and the babies, who had been inconspicuously present in a basket next to the sofa she was sitting on. One suddenly began to cry, alerted by the sudden movement of the basket, and Riley nearly jumped. "What was that?" he exclaimed in confusion.
"A baby," Richard explained.
"I -- I had no idea it was there. Forgive me," muttered the bewildered captain as he stared at the basket.
"Of course. When they are silent even we tend to forget about them," Richard reassured him.
"Please excuse me for a while," Caroline said, and disappeared with the babies.
"Have you been in the area before?" Richard asked, when he saw his guest was still a little discomposed.
"Er...no. This is my first time. We are from the south, but my brother is visiting here, and he wrote that the surroundings were quite interesting and he invited me over."
"Will you be staying long?"
"A week, or two if I particularly like it here. Not more, because I must return to my duties."
"What interests you most when you travel? Nature, people or buildings?"
Captain Riley considered the question. "Nature shapes the people, and people shape the buildings...so I think they are all related."
"But it is not necessarily local people who shape the buildings," Georgiana spoke up for the first time. She coloured when they looked at her. "I mean that the buildings are not always related to their surroundings. I know of a terrible monstrosity of a house that was built by someone who was not from the area it was built in."
"Pemberley?" Richard asked in an interested voice.
"No, Matlock Hall," Georgiana shot back.
"You must be talking about Oakfield," Lady Matlock commented. "That is indeed a monstrosity, and rather inappropriately named for there was not one oak in the vicinity."
"And the few saplings they planted afterwards all died," said Georgiana.
"Some people do not mind seeing things singled out," said Richard. "Some people are really strange. I once met a man who made a study of public houses and inns."
"Of the outside or the inside? I know a few who make studies of all the different varieties of ales," Riley smiled.
"Indeed," Richard agreed. "Before I married --"
"You were one of them?" his mother asked incredulously.
"Let me finish my sentence, Mother," he laughed. "Before I married I knew several of those fellows. After I married my wife would of course no longer let me associate with them, or witness ale contests."
"Ale contests?" Georgiana frowned. "What are they?"
"You do not want to know, Miss Darcy," said Captain Riley. "It is a kind of amusement that would not appeal to a lady."
"Oh, but I do want to know. I am eighteen. I am out."
"She is out," Richard mocked. "But you know your brother would not be very nice to me if he discovered that I told you what an ale contest is. I do not think he would consider it an appropriate part of a young lady's education."
"I wonder why it is always gentlemen who decide what is appropriate and what not for young ladies. They are not young ladies, are they? I shall ask Caroline."
Richard laughed. Caroline would have no idea.
"You know, it was almost as if you had dug up the captain to side with you in the debate we were having," Caroline said sleepily. "Which we would have found rather strange."
"Which debate was that?" Richard asked just as sleepily. He blew out the candle.
"I knew you would not feel so strongly about it," she said with satisfaction.
"In case Georgiana should approach you with a question about ale contests," he said, taking a preventive measure, for Caroline would certainly come to ask him if he did not tell her, and if he had not told her, she would even reproach him for it. "Tell her you do not know anything about them." Perhaps she was not interested.
"Will she approach me before or after you have told me what they are?"
Richard considered the question. "I do not think she will come here in the next minute or so, which would be, I take it, about the time that --"
"Yes, I suppose so."
"It is a variety of particularly silly games that involve drinking."
"How came you and Georgiana to talk about it, I wonder? It must be the presence of another man, although I have not seen him for very long and I cannot judge his character."
"Oh, I think you need not worry about his character."
"No?" Caroline asked sceptically. "Nobody would behave like a cad when he is dependent on his host. It is difficult to discover the character of your guests."
"True," he mumbled. "Unless you share a bed with them. I wish you would discover my character and knew what I want right now."
"I know that is your terribly exaggerated 'I want to go to sleep' mumble, and it means I shall not speak another word."
"Very good," Richard said in his normal voice and he chuckled.