Beginning, Previous Section, Section VIII
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Part 95
The apothecary had come, and he had declared that Caroline and the babies were in good health, but that they needed a lot of rest. Richard was very relieved that they were all right. It was already three o'clock when he could finally go to bed, but he was woken early by the babies, who decided they wanted breakfast. Caroline took care of that, but she told him she was a little hungry herself, so he offered to go down and get her something.
The whole family except Lady Matlock was sitting down to breakfast when Richard came in. Nobody knew he had returned, so they were all very surprised to see him. He gave a weary smile and a nod in reply to their greetings and proceeded to load a plate with food.
"Are you all right? Are you not sitting down?" Catherine asked.
"Yes, later," he replied and left the breakfast parlour with the plate.
"Why is he so strange? Is Caroline not with him?" Catherine wondered.
"Perhaps the food was for her," Elizabeth guessed.
"I wonder how she is!"
"Is something wrong with her then?" Darcy asked.
"Do you not know that she is with child?" Catherine asked in a surprised voice.
"No!" Darcy exclaimed. "But that would explain those incomprehensible letters we received. I suppose the good news happened after that I told him to stop mentioning Caroline in his letters."
"Georgiana and I knew," Elizabeth said. "But we thought she had another month to go?"
"You knew?" Darcy asked in surprise.
"Yes, she wrote to Georgiana."
Lady Catherine -- and Anne, but she was silent as usual -- appeared not to know either, and she and Darcy expressed their indignation at being deprived of such news at length, until Richard returned with the plate. He took another and loaded it with different things.
"Fitzwilliam," Darcy asked curiously. "What are you doing?"
"Expecting mothers have a different taste."
"Is she eating upstairs?" Catherine asked, but Caroline herself showed up and sat down at the table, much to Richard's surprise.
"I was so hungry," she said in reply to his look. "It is hardly damaging."
"Are you in good health, Caroline?" her friend Catherine asked.
"I am perfectly well, a little tired from the journey perhaps." She exchanged an amused glance with her husband. She was wearing a morning gown and her hair was hanging down her back in a braid, but she was positively radiant. Only the rings around her eyes betrayed her fatigue.
Lady Catherine De Bourgh had been remarkably silent until now, but she decided to make her opinion known. "You ought to be in bed in your condition. When I was in the unfortunate circumstance I made certain not to exert myself too much." She looked at Caroline's appearance and frowned in disapproval.
Caroline smiled back sweetly. "I am used to exertion." Poor Anne would perhaps have been less sickly if you had exerted yourself more.
A voice was heard in the hall. "Richard?" Lady Matlock appeared in a state of extreme agitation that lessened when she saw Caroline. "Oh," she said, and frowned. "I could have sworn I heard... But no, that is impossible if you are here."
Caroline put down her fork and rose with her plate in hand. "I have something to show you if you will come with me." A footman entered and announced the attorney was here to see Lord Matlock. "How strange. I did not know attorneys viewed the body of the deceased," Caroline remarked on her way to the door.
The rest of the family looked amazed as she left the breakfast parlour. They did not know how to interpret this comment. Did Caroline not know who the new Lord Matlock was?
Caroline followed Lady Matlock up the stairs with some difficulty. "I suppose you heard crying?"
"Yes. I wondered how that could be, since you are walking around."
"I am going to lie down soon, but your first guess was correct," she smiled at her mother-in-law.
"No!" Lady Matlock cried involuntarily. "When did this happen?"
"This morning. Richard helped me," she said proudly. "In the carriage. We arrived after midnight."
"Richard helped you? What do you mean?"
"There was no doctor," Caroline said matter-of-factly. "We sent for one as soon as we arrived here. He came as soon as he could, and he examined me and the children and declared we are in excellent health. He did say I should not walk, but I do not feel anything."
"More than one child?" Lady Matlock cried.
"Yes, a little boy and a little girl."
Her mother-in-law was stunned. This was incredible news.
"Richard got an old cot down from somewhere," Caroline gestured at the cot standing by the bedside. She got into bed and finished her breakfast, proudly watching her mother-in-law admiring her grandchildren.
After having admired her grandchildren for a long time, Lady Matlock hurried down to find her son. He and the attorney were discussing matters over breakfast, with Lady Catherine still present to interfere. "Richard! Why did you not wake me?" Lady Matlock burst out.
"You have seen them," he beamed. "Are they not wonderful?"
"Why did you not wake me?" his mother repeated.
"I heard you had had so little sleep. I did not want to wake you up."
"You could have woken me."
"It was all a question of unfortunate timing, Mother. Everybody is sad. We thought it would not be very proper to be joyful..."
"I would not blame you, Richard," his mother said softly.
"I was rather subdued myself when I arrived here," he answered, and his mother embraced him.
"Do I understand this correctly?" Lady Catherine cut in. "Did she give birth?" Lady Catherine had not quite forgiven Caroline for throwing her out of her house.
"Yes," he answered.
Most people would have been happy and shared their feelings with the young father, but his aunt had more questions. "When did this happen?"
"Last night," he said with a smile.
She gasped. "Why is she rambling about the house in attire unsuitable for a lady in her position?" Lady Catherine pressed on. "Is she not aware of her duties as a countess?"
Richard looked slightly annoyed. "Really! I do not think Caroline realises it yet. And her duties as a countess come second to her duties as a mother." He looked at the attorney. "Shall we retire to the study, Mr. Pratt?"
Part 96
Caroline stayed in bed all morning and afternoon. She was tired and she knew it would be best to get some sleep, but it felt like every time she fell asleep her children woke her up. In the evening she was sufficiently rested to wonder why nobody came to visit her. She did not know that Lady Matlock had looked in several times when she had been asleep. She had not seen Richard since breakfast, and although she was used to that, she was still a little put out. Her preoccupied mind had not made the connection between the visit of the attorney and his absence yet. In all the hectic hours following their departure Caroline had not had the opportunity to sit down quietly and really let everything sink in.
She had pulled the cot close to the bed so she could look in on them. She never tired of looking at the sleeping babies, and when one of them opened his eyes she was thrilled. He started crying and Caroline lifted him out. "Shhh shhh... We have not even named you yet!" she realised in shame. The little girl started crying as well. "Oh, your sister is jealous. You come to Mama as well, dear." She could not believe she actually said that. It sounded so strange.
She was holding two crying infants now, trying to figure out why they were crying, when Robert entered. He advanced cautiously. "Have you come to see your cousins?" Caroline asked, pleased with any visitor.
"I heard crying. What is that?" he pointed at one bundle.
"It is one of your cousins." Would he know what a cousin was?
He stepped closer, but he still could not see anything. "I cannot see."
"Get on the bed." He jumped on. "Carefully! Now come and sit next to me."
"It is a baby! Two babies. Where did you get them?" he asked excitedly.
"Your uncle gave them to me."
"That was nice of him, but Uncle Fitzwilliam always gives nice presents," Robert said solemnly.
Caroline laughed. "Could you go and find him for me, please?"
"Richard, you look so tired, dear. Are you all right?" Caroline asked him when he came in. He looked very strained.
"There are many things that need to be taken care of," he mumbled. "I am sorry I could not come any sooner."
She motioned with her head to the bed because her arms were full. "Sit down." He stretched down beside her, and Caroline shifted both babies to one arm. She touched his face. "Stay with me now. Let someone else --" she broke off suddenly as she realised there was no one else who could take care of things.
Richard watched her. "Who?" he asked with a chuckle.
Caroline looked at him and frowned. "I do not know, but they can do without you for a while...we have not even named our children yet!"
He laughed. The penny still had not dropped, apparently.
"It is not funny. I am sure they will be very offended when they are older and they hear that they were not named until they were a day old." She was glad he was still able to laugh.
"I agree. I felt rather stupid when Robert asked me what they were called," he smiled. "He offered to help, but I declined his offer. He likes Fifi, Lulu, Bobo, and that sort of thing."
Caroline shook her head. "Fifi Fitzwilliam? Never! What was your father's name? It might be appropriate to name our son after him, provided that he had a nice name."
"James Edward."
"I like that. James. Do you?"
"Yes." He looked pleased that she was willing to name her son after his father.
"And your brother?"
He grinned. "Brace yourself -- Edward James."
Caroline shuddered. "How...imaginative. I suppose we must continue this tradition of uncreativity?"
"We are actually breaking it, by saving Anthony Richard for the next time."
"I beg your pardon?" Caroline cried. "Which next time?"
"Oh, do you not like Anthony Richard?" He looked disappointed. "That is right, of course. I forgot that your father's name comes next. Anthony Richard will be our third boy."
"Wait a minute," she cried.
"Only a minute?" he teased. "I thought you would at least want to wait a year or two." Caroline looked as if she did not know what to say and he took pity on her. "I am only teasing you. At the moment, two is quite enough. Whatever happens in the future should not worry us now."
"So this is James Edward?" she asked, handing him one of the babies.
"Or the other one," Richard said hesitantly. "They look the same to me."
"He is the boy. Really."
"How do you know?" He compared them, and they looked absolutely identical.
Caroline smiled. "I know! Look into his nappy if you do not believe me."
"No thank you," he wrinkled his nose. "I do not think I want to."
"I can tell by his clothes," she confided.
"Oh! And I thought you were being a terribly good mother."
"You were?"
He winked at her. "Yes, I was truly impressed. Well, one named, one to go."
Part 97
"Remember," Richard said. "No Catherine."
"To spite your aunt we could always call her Anne," Caroline suggested, not being serious.
"How about your mother's name?"
"My mother?"
"Yes. What was she like?" he asked. "If you remember."
"She was a bit like Charles, always cheerful and nice to everybody. And I remember that we always baked things with her when we were very little."
"Baked things? Like cooking?" he asked incredulously. It was difficult to imagine his wife in a kitchen. Caroline had lived at Netherfield for a considerable time, and yet she had not been able to find the kitchen in the dark.
"We did not always have a cook. I think we got one just before Mama died," she said as if this was something to be really ashamed of.
"Can you actually cook?"
"We were not always very rich," Caroline said evasively.
"Do not evade the question," he said in an amused tone.
"Not anymore, probably," she said quickly and he laughed. "Do you think it is amusing?" she asked in disbelief.
"Of course. It is extremely amusing to someone who knows you." And it would explain some of your oddities, he added silently. Caroline the cooking Countess, he thought, and he burst out laughing.
Caroline gave him an odd look. She had no idea why he was laughing.
"What was your mother's name?"
"Julia Alexandra."
"Julia Alexandra Fitzwilliam," Richard mesmerised. "Julia and James, James and Julia. They both have a J."
"I am sure they will not mind," Caroline said. "Charles and I both have a C and we never minded."
"Give me Julia for a while."
"She looks like you. They both do."
He smiled, and looked at his daughter's face. "I would say she looks like you, but with my colouring."
Robert had told his parents in very excited tones. "Uncle Fitzwilliam gave Aunt Fitzwilliam two babies for her birthday!" He had concluded that it had to be for Caroline's birthday.
"Say that again, Robert?" Philip asked.
"She has two babies!"
"Two?" Catherine gasped. "She had twins? When?"
"Are you sure, Robert?" his father asked.
"Yes."
"Mother!" Catherine called. "Where are you?"
"Did you call me, Cathy?" Lady Matlock appeared.
"Did Richard have twins?"
"Yes, last night. They are lovely."
"But we saw him and Caroline this morning and they said nothing! That idiot! Does he not know I want to know?" Catherine raved. "When can we see them?"
"Caroline was sleeping when I last checked, but I shall ask her when she is awake."
Darcy, Elizabeth and Georgiana were together when Lady Catherine finally located them to inform them of the good news. "The new Countess," she said stiffly, "has chosen to pollute the shades of my ancestral home."
"I have not the pleasure of understanding you, Aunt Catherine," said Darcy.
"Her father was in trade," Lady Catherine spat in contempt. "She is completely unfit for the role of a countess. A disgrace to the family! The blood of the Fitzwilliams has been polluted forever! To be walking around a mere twelve hours after giving birth."
"She gave birth?" Elizabeth interjected.
"When?" Darcy asked.
"Where?" Georgiana said with wide eyes. She had seen Caroline this morning at breakfast, twelve hours before that occasion Caroline had not even arrived at Matlock yet.
"I do not know any particulars," Lady Catherine had to admit. "But Fitzwilliam does not recognise the responsibility of his new position. He had the audacity to tell me that her duties as a countess came second to her duties as a mother. No doubt she got him to say such things."
Unfortunately her audience was not too inclined to agree with her, and she soon left them to vent to Anne and Mrs. Jenkinson, who could be counted upon to make the right kind of noises at the appropriate times.
"That is wonderful news!" Elizabeth said. "Your cousin must be really pleased. No wonder we did not see much of him yet."
"Where did it happen?" Georgiana was still mulling over the place of birth.
"I still have problems imagining it," Darcy said.
"They treated us abominably ill this morning," Elizabeth remarked. "By not saying they were parents. Did they not want us to know? Strange! I had thought Caroline would be really smug about becoming a countess, and behaving with condescension worthy of Lady Catherine, but instead she comes to breakfast with her hair undone."
"Did you not hear her say that thing about the attorney and the body of the deceased?" Georgiana asked. "I do not think she knew."
"I do not believe that for one second," Darcy said. "That she had become a countess would have been the first thing to enter her mind."
"Do you not think she has other things on her mind?" Georgiana asked, and she walked away to find her other aunt to see if she knew more. Her brother and his wife were always jumping to conclusions, especially about Caroline, and sometimes it really annoyed her.
"She must have," Elizabeth agreed. "I hardly recognized her! I had not seen her since they brought you back to Pemberley eight months ago. I knew it was Caroline, because no one else was expecting in this house, but her face looked different too, somehow."
"Eight months," Darcy repeated with a puzzled look. "They have been married for eight months and already..."
"It must have been an early delivery," Elizabeth guessed. She did not know it had been twins, yet. "I do not think..."
Darcy frowned. "Georgiana and Fitzwilliam were here in the week before our wedding, and before that, he was in London."
"That does not make sense, because Caroline was at Netherfield," Elizabeth said. They looked at each other, but dared not voice their thoughts. "Was Lady Catherine correct? Is Caroline really polluting the shades of Matlock? It must have happened at Netherfield," she said finally. "But with whom?"
"That must be why she got my cousin to marry her," Darcy thought out loud. "I have never understood it before. Oh," he looked shocked. "In case you are wondering, it was not me!"
"I had not thought it. You would not wait until just before your wedding, but you would have taken your chance sooner if you had been so inclined," Elizabeth said dryly. "Why would the Colonel assent to such a scheme?"
"I do not know," Darcy sighed. "I thought I knew him better than that."
"He did not look very happy this morning," Elizabeth stirred up the fire a little more.
"What man would?" Darcy said indignantly. "It was not his child."
Part 98
The twins were back in their cot, and Richard had dozed off. Caroline was eating a little off the tea tray that had been brought a few hours earlier. Lady Matlock came in to see if Caroline was awake. "Would you want dinner sent up, Caroline?" she whispered.
"Not for me, but perhaps for Richard... He is so tired."
"Does that mean that you will be coming down?"
Caroline nodded. "Yes, I am beginning to be bored to death here. I shall come down briefly."
Lady Matlock walked over to look at her grandchildren once more. "The others would really like to see them. Is there any time you could receive them?"
"After dinner?"
"Have you named them yet?"
"Yes," Caroline leant half out of the bed. "This is Julia Alexandra, and this is James Edward."
"James Edward." Lady Matlock's voice quivered slightly, but Caroline could see that she appreciated it. "Lovely names." She gave her sleeping son an affectionate glance. "My poor boy. He had to arrange so much today, and after such a night... It is no wonder that he cannot keep his eyes open. Perhaps we should not wake him for dinner?"
"No, we had better not."
Caroline descended the stairs slowly. She had changed for dinner and her maid had done her hair, so she looked very presentable. Catherine and Anne were in the drawing room, and Catherine immediately embraced her. "I heard the news! How wonderful! What are they? Boys? Girls?"
"One of each."
"Oh! I want to see them as soon as possible!"
Anne quietly offered her congratulations as well. She had met Caroline once before and she had not liked her, but she liked her cousin and trusted his judgment more than her own. In fact, she trusted anyone's judgment more than her own, but over the past few years she had begun to doubt her mother's. The ridiculous rage with which she had reacted to her nephews' marriages, and the subsequent search for a proper husband for her daughter had only enforced this. Anne had heard that Caroline had thrown Lady Catherine out of the house, naturally, and she had been impressed. She wished she had the strength to stand up to her mother and speak up when she did not agree with her.
Caroline, pressed by Catherine, told them of the birth. To Anne, who had been kept ignorant of most matters, this was enormously interesting.
Soon they were joined by the rest of the party to wait for dinner. "Caroline! Can I see it?" Georgiana asked immediately with an excited look on her face.
"It, Georgiana?"
"Your child!"
Caroline smiled. "Which one?"
"What do you mean?" Georgiana cried, and the other relatives who did not know it had been twins looked equally surprised.
"We had twins."
"Ohhh! How adorable! I want to see them," Georgiana begged.
"I shall take you, and anyone else who wishes to see them, up after dinner. They are sleeping right now and they need a lot of sleep, since they were born too early."
"Too early?" Elizabeth repeated.
"Of course they were too early. They are twins," Caroline said defiantly.
"Who do they look like?" Catherine asked.
"They look like they take after Richard," Lady Matlock answered. "Would you not say so, Caroline?"
"Yes, that is what I thought too. He said they looked like me, but I know he only said that because he was pleased that they looked like him."
"Where is he, Caroline?" Catherine asked. "We have not seen much of him all day."
While Caroline was explaining to her sister-in-law, a footman came in. "The Viscount requests his mother's presence upstairs."
Caroline had heard it, but the message made no sense to her, and she continued talking to Catherine. The servant disappeared and nobody went out.
"Caroline, dear," Lady Matlock said finally. She was surprised that Caroline did not go.
Caroline looked round at her.
Lady Matlock looked at her carefully. Either Caroline did not know the message had been intended for her, or she had not heard it. "Richard would like to see you."
"Where?" Caroline asked, looking puzzled.
"Upstairs."
"How do you know? I did not hear anything."
"Did you not hear the footman just now?"
"Yes, but he was talking about a Viscount?"
"James."
"James who?" Caroline knew only one James. He was upstairs and it did not occur to her that they were talking about him.
"Your son," Lady Matlock said with an amused smile.
"James?" she cried.
"Yes, he is the eldest son of an Earl, Caroline."
Caroline paled. James? Of course! How could I not have realised? Richard was the next in line...he is the new Earl, and I am the Countess...Lady Matlock...and my son is a Viscount... She paled even further, and there seemed to be a buzzing in her ears. She sat fixed in her seat and stared at her mother-in-law with wide eyes.
Lady Matlock saw Caroline's shock, and raised her eyebrows. Caroline really had not known, and Richard knew it, otherwise he would never have summoned her like that. She wondered what his purpose had been.
"H-h-he c-c-could have told me!" Caroline said with difficulty.
"Is it not obvious? You are by no means lacking in understanding," Lady Catherine snapped.
"I did not know! Honestly," she whispered, looking very dazed. "I had so many other things to think about..."
"Go to him," Lady Matlock said gently. "James might be crying."
Caroline rose slowly, still with a dazed look on her face.
"I cannot believe that a scheming fortune-hunter like her did not know," Lady Catherine said when she had left.
"Now, Catherine," Lady Matlock said in a sharp tone, "she is my daughter-in-law, and I would appreciate it if you could refrain from criticising the poor girl in future. And she is not a fortune-hunter. If she had been, she would hardly have been interested in Richard, because he hardly had any money. Caroline has had a hard time in London after their marriage. It is not very agreeable to discover that your old friends were not really friends, and that you are with child when you do not want any children."
Lady Catherine did not look pleased with this reproof.
Elizabeth felt guilty for misjudging Caroline. She tried to imagine herself in Caroline's position and bit her lip. It had never occurred to her that Caroline might have had a difficult time. "Does she not want her children?" she asked softly.
"She does now, but you should have seen her when she had just begun to suspect that she was expecting..." Catherine giggled. "Richard told me he had to carry her into her sister's room to look at her niece, when she refused because looking at the baby made her sick."
"He never told me that!" her mother exclaimed.
"No, of course not! You would have chided him for carrying her inelegantly! But since they are awake, I am going up right now!" Catherine announced.
"Cathy! Just wait a few minutes," Lady Matlock tried, but Catherine was gone already.
"I am coming too," Georgiana cried, and Anne and Elizabeth followed her as well.
Part 99
Caroline entered the bedchamber. The children were silent. Richard lay on the bed, and he grinned at the look on her face. She made herself comfortable beside him. "Why are you awake?"
His eyes sparkled mischievously. "Lady Julia and our little Viscount woke me up."
Caroline groaned, and rested her head against his shoulder. "I cannot believe I did not realise. You must think I am half-witted."
"No, I think it is very touching that you did not know."
"It was not the nicest way of letting me know," she reproved him.
"No, but I am sure it was highly beneficial to your image," he smiled.
"How are you going to make it up to me?"
Richard gave her a kiss on her lips. "I shall not do it again, Lady Matlock."
"Not enough," she murmured, and he kissed her again.
"Was that enough?"
"Well..." Caroline said pensively.
Catherine stuck her head around the door. "Can we come in?" she cried.
"Cathy, we are busy," Richard complained. "And can you not knock?"
"I knocked, because I thought you might be busy, that is why I am keeping the others out," Catherine grinned. "Now, are you going to deny your sister and cousins the sight of your offspring?"
Caroline sat up, straightened her gown and pulled a demure face, but Richard kept lying on his back with his hands behind his head. "Will you sit up?" she asked. "People are going to think it was you who gave birth and not me, if you are the one lying down."
"Well, I was assisting," he protested.
"And very well, if I may say so."
"You may," he grinned.
"Thank you, but I would have said it anyway."
"Yes, but it feels better with my approval, does it not?"
"Extremely," she said dryly.
"Not?" he cried.
"Ha!"
"Ha?" he repeated with a puzzled frown.
"Yes!"
"Hello!" the impatient Catherine interrupted. "Did you forget about us here?"
"Do come in," Caroline said demurely, noting the familiar sparkle in the blue eyes beside her. It bode ill, but she was not sure in what way.
The ladies crowded around the cot. Richard rolled his eyes at the noises they made. "You sound almost as bad as Caroline," he commented.
"You do not have to stay," his wife replied, and he blew her a kiss. She reached into the cot and lifted one baby out. "This is Julia," she said as she handed her to Catherine after the ladies had moved chairs to sit next to the bed.
"Julia! What a lovely little thing you are," Catherine crowed. Her brother imitated her.
"And this is James," said Caroline, and handed him to Elizabeth, while directing a stern look at Richard.
"They are dressed the same," Georgiana commented. She was seated between Catherine and Elizabeth. "How can you tell them apart?"
"They are not. James has a blue line, and Julia a pink line on her clothes."
Richard still lay with his hands clasped behind his head. He is expression was very innocent, too innocent.
"James has pink too," Elizabeth noticed.
Caroline looked puzzled. "How did that happen?" She checked, and they were indeed wearing the exact same.
"James spit on his clothes, and on mine. That is why I called you," Richard volunteered. He was only wearing a shirt, and no coat.
"James? Why? Jamie? Which one is Jamie? My poor little thing!" Caroline cried, looking at both infants.
Richard laughed, but his smile turned into disbelief when Caroline took over the child Catherine was holding, and started to look at it with a concerned expression. "Goodness, Caroline. You can really tell them apart."
"Of course I can. I know I said this was Julia earlier, but I did not look properly. How much did he spit out?"
"Not much, but enough to soil my coat."
"Did Susan not know James cannot wear the same as Julia because otherwise you cannot tell them apart?" Caroline asked.
"I am sure Susan knows."
"Then why did she not pick out something else?"
"Because she had nothing to do with it," he grinned. "It was my fault. I had dressed him up very carefully when I noticed they were wearing the same thing. It had taken me so long that I was not really up to doing it again. Julia is the one with the inkstain on her sleeve and the slightly less than expertly refastened nappy. I had to check who was who, because I forgot which side I had put James."
The other ladies laughed, but his wife was appalled. "Richard!" Caroline cried. "You mark your children with a pen? Why do you not go ahead and write their names on their foreheads?"
He looked as if this was a really stupid suggestion. "Because their heads are too small!"
Part 100 (The Long Overdue End)
The next day was the funeral. The clergyman who had married Richard and Caroline also led the funeral service. They were standing around the graves and he was ready to begin, when he noticed a female figure approaching. Just when he was about to inform the woman that this was a funeral, he saw that it was the new Lady Matlock. She caught his look and gave him a challenging stare that disencouraged him from taking action. He could not send away his new patroness, even if she had absolutely no business there. She would not go. He knew the look. Naturally he had heard in the village -- news spread quickly -- that she had given birth yesterday. He wondered why she had come. Lord Matlock had seemed to take things very well so far. Granted, he looked very rigid, and rather different from his usual self, but there was absolutely no need for the new countess to come and hold his hand like she was doing now. But when he saw Lord Matlock's expression upon feeling his wife's hand slide into his, he changed his mind.
After the service, he was not even surprised when Lord and Lady Matlock stayed behind. Emotions should be kept private, he agreed. Neither was he much surprised when his Lordship looked much relieved when he saw him later.
Richard sat in the library with one baby in his arms, while Caroline was upstairs feeding the other one. He had taken one down, because Darcy and Philip had not seen the twins yet.
"Which one is it?" Darcy asked after a while of staring at the baby. He could not tell, and he wondered if this was his fault. At the dinner table last night the ladies had been full of it, so he knew there was a James and a Julia. Furthermore, it had been just about the only subject Elizabeth had been able to talk about.
"Uhh, this is uhh...let me see...James."
"He looks just like Robert," Philip remarked. "But then Catherine looks like you. By the way, Robert informed me that he was quite amazed that they were so small."
"So was I. I had seen the Hursts' child, and she was much bigger. I pulled Julia out and she was so small, and of course I had no idea that was because there was a second child--"
"I beg your pardon?" Darcy interrupted. "You were present at the birth?" he asked incredulously. He had always been brought up to believe that this was not for the husband to watch.
"Well, who else?" his cousin answered, baby in one arm, and holding a glass with his other hand. He looked perfectly comfortable. "The coachman?"
His two companions gasped. "It happened on the road?"
"Yes, so I had to do it myself," he said in a very matter-of-fact tone.
"I would have ridden to the nearest village," said Darcy. "And fetched someone."
"Oh Darcy, that is what you think now, but I can assure you that you will stay with your wife," Richard grinned. "Especially," he sobered up, "when she is a month early. I am not sure what I would have done if I had lost her too..." his voice trailed off.
The other two were silent. "What did you do to her?" Darcy finally asked. "She has changed." He liked Caroline now, and he was certain that she would be good for his cousin. He had been very surprised to see Caroline show up at the funeral. He did not know if she had said anything afterwards, but her presence had certainly helped Fitzwilliam. Not only did she have some influence on him, and good influence at that, but he was also sure she would be running his house very well.
"Are you finally convinced that I chose right then?" Richard asked playfully. He knew he had.
"You made the perfect choice, Richard," Darcy said gravely. "Perfect for you, that is," he added quickly, and they laughed.
THE END!