Section I, Next Section
The sequel to "Changing Principles".
Part 1
Caroline looked at her reflection in the mirror, wondering if everybody would think she still looked as if she was about to give birth. On the contrary, she looked just as she had done before she got married. Perhaps even better, since she smiled more often.
Richard and she had arrived in Town that day. Only Richard had been to Town since he had become the Earl, and Caroline had stayed at Matlock while he resigned his commission and arranged the transportation of their belongings to the north. The twins kept her in a permanent state of exhaustion, and traveling for two days with two crying infants would have taxed even Richard's nerves. That time was also the last time he had been able to sleep decently, for the children needed Caroline just about every three hours and he refused to move to a separate bedchamber far away from the nursery. He was glad they had a nurse too look after the babies, so Caroline would at least have a little time to herself in between feedings.
They had wanted to see their friends, who were now all in Town for the season. As much as they valued their new neighbours, they were all at least fifteen years older than they were. Caroline had not seen Charles for almost a year, and Louisa had come to visit once, so she was looking forward to meeting them. The Darcys would also be in Town, but they had seen each other more frequently, the distance to Pemberley not being such a great one. The two cousins were naturally desirous of their wives becoming good friends, and Elizabeth and Caroline were well on their way to achieve this after the first tentative attempts at friendliness. Elizabeth adored the little Fitzwilliams, and her fondest wish was that she would soon be blessed herself.
Tomorrow she would visit Louisa and Charles to show them how their niece and nephew had grown, she decided. Charles had not even seen them at all yet. "Tomorrow," she began.
"You will visit Louisa and Bingley," Richard said.
"I was not going to say that."
"No, of course not. You were going to say you had a great desire to see Mr. Hurst again." He came to stand behind her and looked into her eyes in the mirror.
"Richard!" she protested. "You know I would never admit that."
"Argh!" he cried melodramatically.
"Ssshh!" She turned and kissed him.
"I am betting a pound on Julia," he said in between kisses.
"You shall lose it this time," Caroline said confidently. Ever since he had begun to bet on which one of the twins would be the first to interrupt them, he had won twenty pounds already, and Caroline only four.
Since there were people who had turned looking out for new arrivals in Town into a full-time occupation, their arrival had not gone unnoticed. Yet, the people who called on Lord and Lady Matlock the next morning were sorely disappointed, because they only found Richard at home. Caroline had bundled up the twins, and she had left for a visit to the Hursts and the Bingleys. The Bingleys were staying with the Hursts for a while. Richard had preferred to stay at home. He had been up with her during the night to make up for the fact that he had won the bet again, and he was quite tired.
Caroline's arrival at the Hursts did not go unnoticed either, and a few hours later it was discussed in many drawing-rooms. It seemed incredible to some that Lady Matlock would actually take her nurse and children with her, and carry one herself too. But understandably she was eager to show them off to her relatives.
Caroline was happy to see her sister and brother. The twins were handed around among the interested, and naturally Caroline had to admire Alice's progress too. Alice had just begun to walk a little. For a while, the conversation was solely on babies, and Louisa and Caroline bored the male half of the party exceedingly, but Jane was very interested. She was very pleased that she got to hold one of the twins, even if she was constantly grabbing at her necklace.
Bingley had a lot of trouble seeing his sister as a mother, and kept giving her disbelieving looks. "They are real, Charles," she said to him in response to one such look. "And really mine. Can you not see it?"
Bingley wrinkled his nose and looked attentively from Caroline to James. "Actually," he said after a long while. "I cannot see it. They seem to smile a lot. Perhaps they look like Fitzwilliam. Where is he? What have you done with him?" The twins had attracted all the attention and everybody had quite forgotten about the father.
"He was tired."
"So his Lordship is not shunning us?" Bingley asked.
"Oh, no. He would not, ever! He read to me during the night when Julia was being difficult."
"You will find him asleep in the library when you return," was Mr. Hurst's only contribution to the entire conversation. He was rather puzzled by this reading business. Fitzwilliam was an odd fellow if he did not prefer to stay in bed when his child was crying. He himself always turned and slept on, and it had not harmed Alice one bit if one saw her walk.
"I should hope not!" Caroline had rather not that her husband took over Mr. Hurst's habits. "I shall bring him another time, if you wish," she offered.
"Perhaps I shall call on him tomorrow," Bingley said vaguely.
"Have you any engagements this week?" Louisa asked Caroline.
"I do not know yet, but I do not think we shall be able to accept very many invitations. I shall do only the necessary things because I cannot stay away from home for too long."
"At least you have a good excuse," her sister replied. "Although not everybody will understand."
"Pff," Caroline gave a snort of contempt. "What is everybody to me?"
"People are curious. I have been asked if you would be back in Town soon by a great many people who said they were acquaintances. I think they were very disappointed that so little news of you leaked down to London. One woman asked me if it was true that you were already expecting the second one."
"The second one?" Caroline cried. "I already had the second one! Did she mean the third one? And I wrote to all my acquaintances, so I cannot imagine who all those people would have been. What did you reply to that woman?"
"I said I had heard nothing of it as yet." Louisa looked at her sister. "There were also some less amiable inquiries."
"What were they?" Caroline asked.
"Oh, they were asked very politely, mind you. I was asked if you were capable of being a worthy countess, being descended from a tradesman and all that. Phrased differently, to be sure. It must be hard for your sister, not having grown up in such circles. Oh yes, she was quite sympathetic."
"Who was that?" Caroline demanded indignantly.
"I am not going to tell you that. Perhaps she was sincere, and I only mistook her meaning. You will find out soon enough."
Caroline looked forward to that. She had had very few chances to keep her tongue sharp at Matlock. Richard deserved it now and then, but she could never be too sharp with him. Perhaps she had lost it, she thought. Although some of her former friends had suddenly started writing to her again, she had considered this an insult to her intelligence, and she had not replied.
Part 2
When Caroline arrived home, she found Richard in the drawing-room with an elderly lady. The servant who had taken her cloak had told her that Lady Durning had come to call, and although she had never seen the woman, she recognised the name as belonging to some relative of her mother-in-law's.
"I shall be up shortly," she told the nurse, taking both infants into the drawing-room. Any female relative would insist on seeing the twins, she knew that for a fact.
Richard rose when she entered, stretching out his arms with a smile. "There they are, my two little angels."
"Nothing about Mama, do you hear that?" Caroline said to James and Julia.
He advanced to take one twin from her. "And my big angel," he said with a wink.
Caroline smiled. "Introductions," she whispered.
He introduced the ladies properly, and they sat down. Lady Durning was delighted to see the babies. "This one definitely takes after you," she said to Richard as she freed a part of her gown from James' grasp. "He disapproves of frilly gowns as much as you used to do, and still do, I see," with a look at Caroline's gown, which indeed did not have much a baby could pull at. She assumed Caroline would wear something her husband liked.
"I used to pull at frills?" Richard asked incredulously.
"Yes, they all had to come off. You were not called Ripper for nothing."
Caroline giggled.
"Ripper?" he cried. He looked at the baby he was holding. He was sure the hands of such a young child were not strong enough to rip anything. "I must have been exceptionally strong," he said doubtfully, taking Julia's little hand in his.
Caroline giggled again.
"To be truthful, I must say that the only thing you ever managed to rip off was something that was already half loose," Lady Durning said.
"That is disappointing," Richard answered with a grin.
"Are you not relieved, though?" Caroline asked him. "I was beginning to think you had quite a bad reputation..."
"My dear Lady Matlock," the older woman said in a confidential tone, "one incident was quite enough to get him a reputation."
Caroline laughed at Richard's face. "It is a myth," he declared. "A myth my aunts conjured up so they could tease me back."
She was still smiling when she took the twins upstairs.
"My aunt thought they were lovely," Richard said to Caroline when he joined her later. "We have been invited to a ball on Thursday." They had become used to arriving late and leaving early because of the twins, and they did not see this as much of a problem anymore.
"I like her. We must accept. Where are you going?" Caroline saw he looked rather restless.
"I am going fencing," he said. "To tire myself out so I shall sleep through any sound tonight."
"I rather like it when you are up with me," she protested.
Part 3
Richard went to the Darcy townhouse to persuade his cousin to join him. "Darcy! You look well. Go fencing with me," he greeted him when he was shown into Darcy's study.
"It is nice to see you too, Fitzwilliam," Darcy answered. "Are you in a hurry? Will you not have some tea with me and the ladies?"
"Tea? No! I have had enough tea this morning already. I want to do something or I shall go mad. Are you coming?"
"Why will you go mad?"
"Because!" Richard answered.
"I do not understand."
"I shall either go mad or fall asleep, and neither would please Caroline. No, I must tire myself out so I will sleep tonight."
"I find it very hard to imagine that your wife would prefer you to be asleep at night rather than during the day."
"Well, that is what she prefers. She hates the sight of men stretched out on the sofa."
"She hates the sight of Hurst stretched out on the sofa," Darcy corrected. "I do not think she has anything against you lying on it," he smirked.
Richard looked at him searchingly. "Yes, Darcy? Say what you mean."
"It was at Matlock one time. We had just gone up, but you two were still down and I had forgotten my book. I came back to fetch it, but decided against it when I opened the door."
"Why? Was I stretched out on the sofa?"
His cousin smirked again. "Both of you were. On the same sofa," he added. He recalled the sight of Richard talking to Caroline lying on top of him.
"Of course," Richard said matter-of-factly. "I hate to raise my voice to call out to the opposite chair or sofa, you know. We can discuss matters much better when we are so close."
"And you are afraid that you will go mad?" Darcy asked incredulously. "I think you already are!"
"Do not let that bother you. You do not have to live with me, only to go fencing with me, so get your things ready," Richard ordered.
While Darcy went off to prepare his things, slightly overwhelmed, Richard greeted Elizabeth and Georgiana.
"Is Caroline not with you?" Georgiana asked.
"We are inseparable, I know, but I have not yet been able to interest her in fencing. I have to make do with Darcy."
"But she is in London?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes." He wondered how she could ask that.
"Is she well? Are the twins well?" Georgiana wanted to know, but she did not give him time to answer. "Perhaps we could visit, Elizabeth? I should so much like to see them again."
"Yes," Elizabeth agreed. "Is Caroline at home?" she asked Richard.
"I assume she is. No, I know she is."
Part 4
Elizabeth and Georgiana arrived at the Fitzwilliam townhouse just when it was time to bathe the twins. Caroline appeared at the top of the stairs. "Do you want to witness my favourite event of the day, or are you prepared to wait an hour?" She came down to embrace them. "It is good to see you," she smiled.
"What is this favourite event of yours?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
"It is bath time, and James does not really like it."
"Yes!" Georgiana cried. "Can we see it?"
"I must warn you; James does not really like it."
Caroline was not exaggerating. James burst out crying when he was put into the water. Elizabeth and Georgiana wished they could plug their ears. Elizabeth wondered how Caroline and the nurse could remain oblivious to the crying. Julia, who was still dressed, joined in too, to make it even worse. Nevertheless, Caroline had a very contented look on her face. While the nurse washed James, Caroline held him and talked to him, leaning close.
"He looks so sweet," Georgiana said adoringly.
"Aunt Georgiana says you look sweet, Jamie. Sweet boys do not cry so."
"Will talking to him help?" Elizabeth asked.
"A little. It gives me a back ache from bending over, though." James had noticed the visitors, and he forgot to cry. "Good boy!" Caroline got herself wet by giving him a kiss and a cuddle.
After James it was Julia's turn. She obviously loved her bath, because she was smiling all the time. Caroline did not bother to bend over to talk to her.
"Would James like it better if he could take a bath with you?" Georgiana asked when they had gone downstairs.
"With me? I have never tried that," Caroline mused. "How did you know we had arrived?"
"Richard came to abduct William to go fencing," Georgiana said. "He was a bit strange, I thought. Has he really tried to get you interested in fencing?"
"No, did he say that?"
"Yes."
"Perhaps he wants to teach me then," Caroline said.
They talked for a while longer, and the ladies parted with a dinner invitation for Wednesday. Caroline changed for dinner and went down to the library to read a book while she waited for Richard. She had instructed that dinner was only to be served after he had arrived, but he was taking an awfully long time, and she dozed off. Suddenly she heard Richard talking to her, far away, and reluctantly she opened her eyes.
"I hate to wake you, but dinner is being served," he said.
"Dinner?" Caroline blinked her eyes.
"I am sorry to have kept you waiting. It was rather busy on the streets. Please do not have me flogged," he smiled. "Everything hurts already."
Caroline took his arm and accompanied him to the dining room. "Poor you," she yawned. "But you wanted to go exercising yourself."
"And it worked, because all I want to do is lie down and close my eyes. I do not think I will last until supper. Did Georgiana and Mrs. Darcy stop by?"
"Yes, they did, and I have invited them to dinner --"
"Tomorrow, I hope?"
"Yes, actually. Why?"
He smiled tiredly. "Because I invited Darcy for tomorrow, but it would not have mattered. I am sure we could stand them for two days, although Darcy would perhaps have me certified."
"Is that because you told him you were going to teach me how to fence?" Caroline asked.
Richard looked surprised. "I never said that."
Part 5
He saw her slightly disappointed look. "Caroline!" he said involuntarily. "You would not!"
"Yes, I would."
Richard laughed. "I should have known, since you join me in almost all of my other pursuits."
"For the sake of the pursuits, not for you," she said defiantly.
"Of course," he smiled, properly humbled. "Well, it can be arranged, at home. In private, naturally."
"Thank you."
"You are welcome, as always. But Caroline, aiming is not your strongest point."
Caroline shrugged. "Perhaps I shall improve that." She ate on, while Richard was trying to imagine how Caroline would be fencing. "You know how James always cries when we bathe him," she said suddenly.
"Yes. The whole house knows," he replied dryly. "He has this tendency towards exaggeration that I have observed in many Bingleys."
"That sentence itself proves that the tendency is more a Fitzwilliam trait," Caroline retorted. "How many Bingleys do you know anyway?"
"Oh, I know enough of them to be considered quite an expert on the species," he said solemnly.
"The species?" Caroline snorted.
"Yes, the species. I have devoted my life to studying them."
"What have you discovered so far?"
"That they are very compatible with the Fitzwilliam species, and if you cross the female Bingley with the male of the aforementioned Fitzwilliam species, you get something known as Twins. I think you were about to tell me something about them. I am all ears. Perhaps this will bring me closer to a definition of the Bingley species."
Caroline laughed and slapped his hand. "On Saturday I am going to bathe the twins when I bathe."
Richard tried to imagine this. He would love it. He wanted to take one into his tub too. "What about me?" he exclaimed.
"Do not be ridiculous, Richard. The two of us do not fit into the tub."
He thought he was going to choke on his dinner from laughing after this slightly disapproving answer. He had not meant that. "I love your mind!" he choked.
Caroline looked puzzled. "I am glad you find me amusing, although I do not understand why."
He laughed even louder.
"It is going to take me ages to bathe with one child first and then with the other. If I have to bathe with you as well, it is really going to take me forever," Caroline explained.
"That is why I offered you my help," he hiccuped.
"Pray tell me how sharing a bath tub with you is going to be of any help to me?" she asked.
"Not with me!" Richard blurted out.
"I honestly like seabathing with you," said Caroline, fearing that he might be offended. "Especially at your family's private beach. I did not even mind that you dragged me in completely, but I draw the line at sharing a bath tub. It just cannot be comfortable." When it had been hot in London, Richard had taken the heavily pregnant Caroline to his family's house on the coast, where his father and brother had liked to fish. The house had a private, secluded, beach, and that had been reason enough for Richard to try out how far he could push Caroline with regards to going into the sea. As soon as she found out that she was almost weightless in the water, he did not even have to drag her in anymore.
"Is it not even comfortable if I share it with a baby?" he asked.
Caroline stared. "You?"
"Yes, although you jump to very agreeable conclusions. You may always call on me, should you ever feel so inclined," he grinned.
"I could have known that you wanted it too."
"What? To take a bath with you?" he teased. "Yes, that is what I want. Each night I pray --"
"Ha ha!" Caroline said emphatically. "Now I know that whatever will follow is fabricated by your imagination. You never pray."
"Well, then I wish. And I am not fabricating anything. I wish that -- no, wrong. Each night I wish that...you -- no, I..."
"It is as I thought," Caroline said with a self-satisfied smile. "You are making up your rant as you go along."
"I always do that, and you never find me out, but I am so tired now..." he complained.
Part 6
The rest of the week passed quickly. They dined with the Darcys on Wednesday, and Richard had a card party on Thursday. Initially he had thought it would be the day of his aunt's ball, but that was the following week. Their nurse was off on Saturdays, so Caroline always had to bathe the twins herself that day. Caroline had thought Richard had better take Julia because she was easier, but he said he preferred James, so she took Julia.
She loved it, and Julia too, so they stayed in rather long, Caroline thought. However, when they were both dressed and ready, there was as yet no sign of Richard and James. She was pacing around a little downstairs with Julia on her arm when the housekeeper came up to her.
"How did it go, my Lady?" The housekeeper was obviously rather amused by the whole thing.
Caroline smiled. "It was very nice."
"I wonder how the Master has progressed."
Caroline sighed. "He insisted on taking James, whereas it would have been easier for him to take Julia. Jule is always happy during her bath, are you not?" She cuddled her daughter. "I had better go and see how our men are faring," she said with a mischievous look at her housekeeper.
"Would you need me to look after Julia?" the other woman asked eagerly.
Caroline did her a favour and left Julia with her. There was never a lack of willing baby-minders in the house, except when they had to be bathed. She went upstairs and came to the door of Richard's dressing room There was no crying behind the door, and she paused. Quietly she opened the door to a crack. She could see Richard sitting in his bathrobe with his back to her, dressing James. He was chanting "Jamie, Jamie, Jamie," and suddenly he started talking. Caroline had to listen to what he was saying. They were such an endearing sight.
"That was fun! On the one hand, I am very proud of you, my boy. You liked it, you little rascal. How come you always cry when other people bathe you? Because they do not tell you such interesting things as I do? On the other hand, when the good news leaks out to your Mama... Shall we men stick together and lie to her, James? You have not known her for very long, but I know your Mama is a very clever woman and she will realise the implications of the fact that you did not cry in less than a second. And she knows I am just as clever as she is, so she knows I know the implications too. Therefore, Jamie, she will not ask me anything. She will only look at me and I will do it. Does that make me a fool? My only consolation then is that she cannot refuse me anything either. So you see, Jamie, both your parents are fools, well-suited fools. Your Papa is bathing a baby and your Mama wants to learn how to fence. And you will have to grow up with these people! You father has lost his mind over a woman. It is perhaps best that he left the army. The things he is doing now... They would certainly have been frowned upon, and he used to frown upon these things too. And yet he is enjoying himself. Is this all your Mama's fault? Your poor Mama...every time she has figured out how to refer to me to which person, I change the way I should be addressed. Pretty rotten of me! And then she is even lucky to have missed out on my younger years. I do not think I have gone by the same name for more than a few years at a stretch. Ripper, Richie, Richard, Fitz, Fitzwilliam, a whole variety of army ranks, Uncle, Lord Matlock, Papa. It is all greatly confusing what I should answer to."
James saw Caroline, and he let out a small sound. Richard saw him look turned his head. "Hurrah! It is Mama! Albeit fully dressed, that is a pity." He clapped James' little hands and they both made a few unintelligible sounds.
"Are you having a slight identity crisis, Lord Colonel Ripper darling?" Caroline stepped forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. She bent forward and kissed both their cheeks.
"Yes, Lady Mrs. Caroline dearest. How much did you overhear?"
"From when you said you were proud of James. I am proud of you. How did you do it?" Caroline asked.
"To get his hair wet, you should hold him upside down."
"Upside down?" Caroline cried in shock. "Do not be so rough with him."
"No, actually you should hold him close to your chest and hold interesting monologues about the meaning of life," he grinned.
"Are you serious?" she asked skeptically.
"No, I have had my daily five seconds of seriousness already."
"Please?"
"Hold him, talk to him, and just generally behave like a complete idiot. Am I late for breakfast?"
"Yes, but I can take James and then you can get dressed."
"You did not say anything about James' next bath," Richard remarked.
"I thought you were expecting a look? I just heard you say so. But if you specifically want it expressed in words..."
"Well..."
"I shall continue to tell you when it is time for the twins' baths. Whether you decide to act upon hearing these words is entirely up to you. I am already impressed by this one time."
Part 7
Caroline took James and rearranged his clothes. Richard was a dear, but it was all too obvious that he had never played with dolls in his youth. While she was busy she wondered about many things. Did James only want to bathe with Richard? What had he done to reassure James? Would Richard want to do it again? Did he really think he was a fool? Would he want to keep it a secret? She left James for his father to carry, and went downstairs to Mrs. Foster, who had followed Richard when the housekeeper of his parents' townhouse had decided to retire.
"Thank you for watching her, Mrs. Foster."
"It was my pleasure. Was everything all right upstairs?"
"Yes," Caroline said proudly.
Mrs. Foster smiled at the pride in her voice. She had had her reservations about Caroline in the very beginning. The Colonel had gone away for three weeks only, and he had come back with a wife. Mrs. Foster had been astonished. Colonel Fitzwilliam was far from being ugly and unpleasant, so that women liked him was not surprising, but whenever she had discreetly inquired if he would not want a wife soon, he had never given her reason to think that he was interested in marriage. And suddenly he had brought a Mrs. Fitzwilliam who looked exactly like the pretty, fashionable snobs he always made fun of. The housekeeper had not known what to make of it, since they had so obviously married without thinking of the consequences. She had come to like the new mistress in the eight months that the Fitzwilliams had lived in London, however, and she had been thrilled to hear that they would be coming to Town with the children she had not yet seen.
Since the twins now ate some real food as well, and with their nurse being away, they were seated on their parents' laps in the breakfast room. They had a plate with mashed banana, which they liked very much. Caroline and Richard could not eat undisturbed, however. Caroline had to feed James and herself. If she did not pay attention, James would grab at Caroline's food, put it in his mouth and spit it out on Caroline's gown. This had happened before, and Caroline was very careful not to have it happening again when they had both just bathed. It was Richard's first time to feed one of his children, though, and he was having some trouble with it. When James had finished eating, Julia had still not swallowed anything. "My breakfast is getting cold," Richard grumbled.
"Poor you," Caroline said, and she sat James down on the carpet with something to play with. The twins could now sit up without assistance. She sat down next to Richard, and he was ready to hand Julia over, but she shook her head. She started cutting his food, and he wondered if she was going to eat it. He was about to protest that he still wanted it even if it was cold, when she lifted a spoon to his mouth.
They continued for some time, until Catherine and Robert were shown in. "The babies are being fed, I see," she cried out cheekily, laughing at her brother. "Are you still at breakfast at this hour? You have an interesting way of eating, I must say. Why can Caroline not feed him or her, whoever it is?"
"That had not entered our minds yet. You are so clever! Are you really my sister?" Richard asked. He handed Julia to Caroline. "We had better try out if that works better."
"I can see it will!" Catherine commented, eyeing the messy table in front of her brother, and the clean side of the table where Caroline had sat. "Leave that sort of thing to us women."
"Well," he began indignantly. "I will have you know that I am better than Caroline at --" he stopped suddenly.
"At what?" Catherine asked.
Caroline looked at him with interest. Would he tell his sister?
"I take that back. It would be unfair to say so," Richard said.
"Better at what?" Catherine asked again.
"Nothing."
Catherine changed the subject because she thought he was rambling again. "We only have a few minutes because we are due at Grandma's, but we wanted to see how you were. Are you all well? Physically, that is? I had better not ask about your mental health. I do not think I want to know."
"We are all in good health," Caroline smiled. "Both physically and mentally."
"Hmmm," said Catherine. "Perhaps you could spend the day with me tomorrow. Do you have any engagements? We could catch up on everything then, and Richard could come for dinner. Or maybe he could join us earlier, but I do not assume he would want to hear all the gossip."
"No, I do not have anything yet," Caroline replied. "I would love to come, but it is rather difficult with the twins. Could you come here?"
Richard frowned slightly, wondering if Caroline had forgotten which day it was tomorrow. He had not.
"Yes, I could do that," Catherine said readily. "Oh dear, Richard does not look too enthusiastic about it. Well, brother, lock yourself away in your library and you will not have to hear a thing we discuss."
Part 8
"Have you forgotten what day it is tomorrow?" Richard asked when Catherine had left.
"Tomorrow?"
"You will be twenty-seven."
"Oh...do you mind? It is better not to draw too much attention to any birthday over twenty-five in any case," Caroline said.
"Is that why you gave me that present for my thirty-first?" She had spent quite a lot of money on his first birthday after their marriage.
"It is different for men. It does not matter if people know how old they are, but women over twenty-five, no twenty even, well...they had better conceal their age."
Richard groaned. "Are you fishing for compliments? I hand them out on request. Just tell me what you wish to hear praised. Your face, your body, your mind, your wit, your sweetness?"
"I would hardly be qualified as sweet," Caroline said dryly.
"Oh, of course not. That must be why I included it in the list! But if you do not mind having visitors..." Richard said.
"No. Do you?"
"No," Richard answered slowly. He could give his present when they were alone, before or after Catherine's visit. Probably before, because he would not be able to postpone it another day, and Caroline would wonder if he was getting her a present or not.
He had had something made for her that he knew she would like. His mother had once suggested that he have the twins painted, but he had thought it more fun if he could surprise Caroline with it. He had taken great pains to conceal it, and he had had to take one of the twins into the village almost every day to pay short visits to the local painter. The people in the village joked that Lord Matlock automatically received the baby basket when he was handed his coat and hat, so rarely was he seen without it.
Half the village probably knew about his little secret, as usual, but a word to the right person had ensured him of their secrecy. The wife of the proprietor of the local pub had been told -- after some subtle inquiries on her side -- that it was a present for Lady Matlock, and she had spread the news in the pub. That was where it was mainly discussed, and since Caroline setting foot in a pub was a highly unlikely event, Richard did not fear that she would get to hear of it. She did not come to the village very much, unless it was with him or his mother, because the twins took up a great deal of her time.
The painting had been sent to London when it was finished, and Mrs. Foster had hidden it away for him. It had been so difficult to keep this secret, and he feared that there would come nothing of hiding it at Matlock. If it was far away, he would not be so tempted. There had been times when he had been on the point of disclosing it. Sometimes she had asked him where he had been with James or Julia, and he had had to lie. He hated to lie to Caroline, and he was sure she knew he was making something up.
Caroline saw a small smile play across his lips when he thought of the painting, but she did not ask him about it. It was probably something to do with her birthday. If it was, she did not want to know about it in advance. She had not noticed anything at Matlock. Richard had taken the twins with him an awful lot, but she knew he liked that so she did not suspect anything. After the first time when she had practically had a heart attack, she had never even been worried when she went to check on the children and there was only one left in the cot. He would always dutifully return within an hour or two. The one thing she did make sure of was that he did not take the same baby with him all the time, but that he alternated between his son and daughter.
Part 9
The next morning, when Caroline was nursing the twins, Richard went downstairs to have the painting hung up in the breakfast room so she would see it when she sat down. When it hung properly, he returned upstairs because he was too fidgety to sit down. What if she did not like it?
Caroline eyed him curiously as he paced their bedchamber, sat down, and started pacing again. She thought he had to be very hungry, so she hurried with putting on her jewelry. They went downstairs without speaking, and Caroline became even more curious.
He pulled out her chair for her and Caroline sat down, but before Richard could sit down himself, she was on her feet again. "Oh, Richard," she said in a small voice and threw her arms around his neck. "It is beautiful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. When?" she asked, blinking her eyes because she seemed dangerously close to crying. "When did you have it done?"
Richard looked delighted and he was grinning from ear to ear. She likes it! "Why, at Matlock of course."
"But I was there! How come I did not know?" The painting was very good, and the painter had captured the twins' expressions perfectly. They were the most beautiful babies she had ever seen. Caroline gazed at the painting with love and pride.
"Because I took them into the village to get painted."
"When?"
He chuckled. "Almost every day."
Caroline gasped and tore her gaze away from the painting. "How did you manage to keep this concealed from me?"
"I...obscured the truth somewhat now and then."
He sounded so apologetic that she gave him a hug. "Thank you again. For giving me this, for giving me the children, for giving me you, for giving me me, for everything," she said earnestly.
"And I thank you," he said a little indistinctly.
Caroline put her head on his shoulder and sighed while she looked at the painting. "I am the happiest person on earth."
"So am I..."
She ran her hand through his hair. "I have the most perfect daughter and son anyone could have..."
"So do I..."
"And I have the most perfect husband," she said with a mischievous look on her face that read 'you cannot repeat that.'
"No, you do not..."
"Why not?" Caroline sounded puzzled.
"Look what you have done to his hair," he winked.
"Who cares if anyone's hair is perfectly arranged?"
Richard eyes sparkled. "I second that. Why should anyone care about another person's hair?" He loosened her hair so it fell down her shoulders.
Caroline shook her head with an exasperated smile. "Incorrigible..." she mumbled.
He kissed her softly. "Unsurpassable," he grinned.
"Irredeemable."
"But I like you anyway," Richard said.
Caroline looked confused.
"Were you not talking about yourself then?" he asked very innocently, and he kissed her again before she could say "argh!"
Everybody who visited in the next few days had to admire the gift. All women declared it to be a wonderfully thoughtful present, and all men groaned inwardly, because it would be very difficult to come up with something equal for their own wives.
In the next few days Caroline shopped for the ball. She could not find a gown that pleased her at such short notice, so she decided she would wear her wedding gown. It was suitable, and she looked good in it.
She paid a visit to Mrs. Daley too. Mrs. Daley was a bit daunted by her friend's new title at first, and she was rather surprised that Caroline would still want to come.
Part 10
Colonel Marsden looked up when Lord and Lady Matlock's entrance in the ballroom was announced. Colonel Fitzwilliam had been a good friend of him before Marsden was sent to India. Not only were they both colonels, but they were both younger sons. He thought he could ask the Matlocks about their son, since he had not seen him in the past two years. He looked over and was greatly surprised to see his friend instead of Lord Matlock. Or did this mean that Fitzwilliam was Lord Matlock? And who was the vaguely familiar lady by his side? Surely Fitzwilliam could not have gotten married! As he stared at the couple in surprise, he became aware of people talking around him.
"They are awfully late."
"Yes, I suppose they think they can afford to now."
"Perhaps it was the children," someone suggested.
"Do they not have servants to take care of their children?"
They have children? Fitzwilliam has children? Colonel Marsden thought. How old are those children then? I have only been gone for two years. He felt very out of touch with everything. He had come back thinking that only minor things would have changed, and here he was looking at the former bachelor Colonel Fitzwilliam who had developed into a married Earl with several children.
"I heard Lady Matlock nurses them herself."
"No, really? How completely unlike Lady Matlock. She only had those children to snare the Colonel. If she really is nursing them, she should time it better. I am willing to bet that she came late on purpose to make a grand entrance."
"The title has gone to her little head. She was always a vain creature. Such arrogance for a trademan's daughter."
"Indeed! He only married her for her fortune. Look at the pick of nice, well-bred young ladies he had! The Miss Stantons were quite wild about him."
"Instead that Bingley cat got her claws in him with her vile ways."
Bingley? Marsden racked his brains. Oh, not that one! he said to himself as he recalled Miss Bingley. She had been as wild about Darcy as the Stantons were about Fitzwilliam -- a lot of show, but no substance. The kind of admiration that would be easily transferred to someone else if a better object came along. Fitzwilliam? Had that happened? Finally? Fitzwilliam told me she had met him and Darcy at the same time. He also told me she was rather amusing. He studied Lady Matlock. She was indeed hanging onto her husband's arm as if she had her claws in him and did not want to let him go. There was no sign of her wanting to make a great entrance, however. And as for her being a cat, he would call her a contented cat.
"She snared him with the oldest trick in the book."
"She may have money, but she has no background, no proper breeding. She must be thrilled to be a countess."
"His new position and wealth have gone to his head too," came another voice.
Colonel Marsden knew Fitzwilliam to be a very level-headed man. A suddenly inherited title would not go to his head and give him airs, and neither would anything else. His friend had married money. It was some very good-looking money, to be sure. He did not blame Fitzwilliam for finally succumbing to money -- he perfectly understood a younger son's need to consider finances, and if the money came in the guise of the present Lady Matlock, it would be very appealing. He wondered how Fitzwilliam had come into the title. That was a sad thing indeed.
"Oh, indeed they have! They do not condescend to pay calls, and they are never home when anyone calls, only for the selected few."
"Look how she ignores Mrs. Hindley."
That chickenhead, Marsden said to himself, who liked to ignore her himself.
"No more than a stiff nod and a curtsey."
"Oh yes, Mrs. Hindley is not good enough for her Ladyship anymore."
"Well, we shall show her her proper place."
"Yes, let us teach the vixen some humility."
The lady did not look like a vixen, and he felt concerned for her. He wondered if she would be up to dealing with these nasty ladies here. Apparently he had been staring, because Lady Matlock, who had been scanning the room for familiar faces, looked at him intently and whispered something to Fitzwilliam. His friend looked around and when he saw him a big smile spread across his face. Immediately he pulled his wife along to where Colonel Marsden was standing.
"Marsden!"
"Fitzwilliam!"
"So good to see you again," Fitzwilliam smiled and they clasped hands. "You survived India."
"I am very happy to be back home," Marsden replied, and he glanced at Lady Matlock, who was looking on with an interested expression.
"May I introduce you to my wife? Lady Matlock, Colonel Marsden."
The Colonel bowed, and Caroline curtsied. "It is a pleasure, your Ladyship." He directed an inquiring glance at Fitzwilliam. "When did you get married?"
"A few months after you had left. We already have two children," Fitzwilliam said proudly.
Lady Matlock smiled indulgently. "I hope you like babies, Colonel, because they are a recurring topic in my husband's conversation."
"How did you get two children in a year and a half?" Marsden was baffled, and also by Lady Matlock's statement that Fitzwilliam talked about babies.
"They are twins," Fitzwilliam explained. "A boy and a girl. Julia looks like me, and James looks like Caroline. They are seven months old --"
"Richard," Lady Matlock interrupted. "I am sure Colonel Marsden would agree with me if he saw our children. Julia looks like me, and James looks like you."
"Since they are only seven months old, they probably look like neither," Marsden commented, trying to avoid a squabble.
"You are still as tactful as ever, Marsden. Perhaps I should warn you not to antagonise Caroline by saying such things," Fitzwilliam grinned.
"Are you dangerous, Lady Matlock?"
"Not anymore. I have been tamed, you could say."
Colonel Marsden saw the playful look that passed between the Matlocks. It seemed as if Fitzwilliam had married more than money.
"I shall leave you to talk," Lady Matlock said, squeezing Fitzwilliam's arm. "I shall be walking around somewhere."
As soon as she turned around, she was accosted by one of the malicious ladies Marsden had overheard. Marsden looked on in concern, and Fitzwilliam held his breath. With a false smile the woman curtsied. "Lady Matlock, it is so good to see you. May I compliment you on your looks?"
Lady Matlock curtseyed in return. "I had not thought you would remember me, Lady Geraldine. I recall an occasion a year ago on which you seemed to have forgotten you knew me."
"I am sure I did not!" Lady Geraldine exclaimed.
"Perhaps it is easier to remember the name Lady Matlock than the name Mrs. Fitzwilliam. It would make sense, since fewer syllables take up less space in your brain, which is already challenged by the amount of acquaintances you must remember, I am sure. I quite forgive you for dropping those in lower social circles to keep enough room for the people that really matter. Only, I demand a small favour of you," Lady Matlock said.
"Of course, Lady Matlock. What can I do for you?" the woman said, eager to make a good impression.
"You must not blame me for doing the same." After a polite curtsey Lady Matlock walked on, leaving a speechless Lady Geraldine behind.
Fitzwilliam let out his breath. "That is my girl," he said in relief. "She has not lost it."
"I can see what you meant by antagonising her, Fitzwilliam. And she did not even overhear what I overheard some people say about her when you came in."
"She knows whom to take at face value, and whom not."
Marsden smiled. "I think I like this wife of yours. You saw it very well four years ago."
"Four years ago?"
"Oh yes, when you met this extremely silly girl at Pemberley. I heard the story at least ten times. I can almost recite it word for word. I went to Pemberley with my brother, and Darcy had his friend Bingley and Bingley's sisters over. One of them is married and she is not interesting anyway, but the other one," Marsden stressed a few words, "I do not understand how anyone who is obviously not stupid could be so silly. Do not tell me that did not mean anything. You were talking about the lady who is now your wife."
Fitzwilliam looked surprised. "Could you be the only one who saw it coming?"
"I did not see it coming, but looking back, I would say it was there."
"What was?"
"Attraction."
"You are making it sound as if this was love at first sight, and it was not. Marsden, you are a hopeless romantic," Fitzwilliam protested.
Part 11
Caroline walked around for a while, but she did not know where she was going. She hoped Richard would not disapprove of her snub to Lady Geraldine, but she really thought the woman deserved it. Suddenly her path was blocked by a woman. Caroline looked up and saw that it was Lady Catherine De Bourgh. She greeted her as politely as a less agreeable aunt of her husband deserved to be greeted.
"It is such a great condescension to honour London with your gracious presence," Caroline said, still slightly annoyed by Lady Geraldine and the looks she was receiving from other people. "What brings you to Town, Lady Catherine?"
"My dear Lady Matlock," said Lady Catherine. "Anne must mingle with society more. There is no need to become impertinent."
"I like it," Caroline answered coolly. When did I become 'dear' to Lady Catherine? Or was that meant to put me in my place? And why is she -- of all people -- telling me there is no need to become impertinent? Lady Catherine, Mistress of impertinence? I suppose 'mingling with society' is a euphemism for finding a husband? Poor Anne.
Lady Catherine was used to being taller than other ladies, but Caroline was tall too, so she could not use her height to inspire awe. "Lady Geraldine --" she began, looking stern instead.
"Lady Geraldine," Caroline cut in, "must learn she cannot insult my family and my understanding. They are not to be trifled with. I am sure you understand me, Lady Catherine. You are not a woman who wishes to be trifled with either."
"Do not flatter me, Lady Matlock, but you are right, of course." She looked Caroline up and down. "You seem to be taking your new position very well, and at least you have the sensibility to defend the Fitzwilliam name -- which is dearer to me than the name of De Bourgh -- to vain creatures like Lady Geraldine. And of course you have done the family a great service by providing Fitzwilliam with a male heir."
Caroline did not know if this was praise coming from Lady Catherine, and how she should take it. "I did not marry him to provide him with heirs," she said through clenched teeth. "That is all of secondary importance."
Lady Catherine spoke on. "How is the Viscount?"
"James is his name. James. If you say Viscount, I shall not know whom you are talking about. And why do you not ask me about Julia? I shall not answer any questions regarding my children until you ask me about both of them."
"Very well," Lady Catherine huffed. "How are the children? Are they growing prosperously? Are you giving them enough attention?"
"I should think so."
"A child takes up a lot of time, and you have two."
Caroline gave a slightly condescending smile. "And they have two parents to give them attention. I do not think they are in any danger of being neglected."
"One cannot depend on men," Lady Catherine contradicted.
Caroline shrugged. "Perhaps you could not depend on yours, but I certainly can on mine. Despite your obvious envy of my position, I should think you must feel a sense of pride in all this, since he is a Fitzwilliam? To be aunt to such a paragon!"
"Fitzwilliam a paragon? A paragon would have complied with his aunt's wishes!" Lady Catherine snorted.
"My dear Lady Catherine," Caroline lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I understand that you are desirous of Anne making a good match, but alas, your nephew was my destiny and not Anne's. And anyway, marriage between cousins is probably not a good thing. I have been told by a farmer on our estate that it is a bad thing in animals, and he should know because he makes a living out of it. However, I will do anything in my power to find Anne a good husband. I have access to a great supply of unmarried friends of Richard's, and if you could just tell me what a good son-in-law should be like, I could keep my eyes open for possible candidates."
Lady Catherine was speechless at first, but then she looked pensive.
Caroline had only spoken in jest, and Lady Catherine's considering look surprised her. Was she really giving it serious thought? "Will you accept my assistance, Lady Catherine?"
Part 12
"I shall not accept any assistance, Lady Matlock, but you may keep your eyes open," Lady Catherine admitted grudgingly.
"Of course, Lady Catherine."
"Anne is very delicate. Her constitution is not sound."
Caroline wondered exactly how true this was. Was Anne really delicate, or was this only in her mother's imagination? "I shall remember that."
"It must be a man worthy of Rosings," Lady Catherine reminded her furthermore.
"But naturally."
"Very well, Lady Matlock." Lady Catherine curtsied with great stiffness, like one who is not accustomed to doing so, and she walked away.
Caroline had a great desire to laugh, but she controlled herself. She was in much better spirits when she reached the table with the refreshments than when she had first arrived.
"Will you not dance?" Lady Durning said to her when she drank a little.
"Dance..." Caroline said vaguely. "Yes, I suppose I shall need to remind my husband that this is a ball. He seems quite engrossed in conversation," she said, casting a look at the other side of the room. "We should dance at least one dance before the little ones request our return home again."
"As long as you enjoy yourself. You must enjoy this little time away," Lady Durning told her, and Caroline smiled. She walked back to where she had left Richard. Now and then somebody would nod, or exchange a brief greeting.
"Perhaps we ought to be dancing," Richard said to Colonel Marsden. He knew it was probably very impolite not to mingle, but he had not seen his friend for so long that they had a lot of things to talk about.
"There is plenty of time to be dancing later on," said Marsden, who had already seen many hopeful eyes turned in his direction, and who was in no hurry at all.
"For you, not for me." Richard took out his watch. "I can dance about one dance, two at the very most. I have children who need attention."
"Do not sound so pitiful, because you love saying it," his friend stated. "But there your wife comes again, to whisk you off to the dance floor, no doubt."
Richard turned around, but Caroline was being detained by some people. "Are you not going to dance, Marsden?"
"Perhaps, if I see a nice lady."
"Well, I am sure I could find some nice ladies for you."
"Oh no," said Marsden decidedly. "No matchmaking. I shall pick one myself, because I have already noticed that the popularity of a younger son has risen dramatically for some mysterious reason."
"As you wish," Richard grinned, but he resolved to keep an eye out for his friend. He did not want him to fall prey to matchmaking mamas who hoped that Marsden's life would take the same turn as his own. "Would you like to dance, Caroline?" he asked the approaching Caroline.
"I see you have not completely forgotten that we are at a ball."
Richard took Caroline to dance, and he could see she had something to tell him. "What is it?" he asked. "Was your last comment a reprimand?"
"No. It is your aunt."
"Did she upset you?" Richard asked.
Caroline smiled. "No, she amused me."
"How is that possible?"
She decided not to tell him. He would probably stop inviting his friends if he knew she was planning on saddling one of them with Lady Catherine for a mother-in-law. "I think she has finally accepted me."
"Either there is something you are not telling me, or I am exceptionally dense today," he said, eyeing her doubtfully. "Your expression and your words are not in complete accordance."
"What? Oh, you mean what I say is not funny enough to be smiling so?"
"Exactly."
"I could never call you dense," Caroline said, looking away from his eyes.
"And you are not going to tell me what you are smiling about," he remarked, giving his voice just the right amount of self-pity.
"Richard!" Caroline had a desire to slap him somewhere for exercising his manipulative charm. "You are determined not to have me keep any innocent secrets from you, are you not?"
"Oh no, you may keep secrets from me," he said in the same pitiful tone. "After all, who am I but the man --"
"I fall for it every time, but not this time," Caroline said confidently. "No monologue today."
"Good," he smiled. "It is no fun at all if you succumb so easily. Victory is much sweeter if she is not accomplished by the mere battering of an eyelid."
"Really! As if you could do it with the battering of an eyelid!"
"You know I can, Caroline."
"Really! You are vexing me on purpose."
"Certainly."
"I will have you know that whatever I am not telling you is of complete unimportance or uninterest to you, so you really do not have to bother," Caroline said.
"Really, Caroline! As if I am interested in what you are not telling! I am only interested in getting you to tell it," Richard grinned.
"Does this apply to everything I tell you?" Caroline said sadly. "That would be a fine compliment indeed. Very well, I shall not speak another word if it does not interest you."
"No!" he groaned. "I did not mean that. You know what I meant. It is only a game."
Caroline said nothing, enjoying herself while she still had the strength to vex him in return. She knew it would not last for very long.
"Caroline, talk to me," he begged.
Caroline smiled angelically, but kept her mouth shut.
Part 13
After the dance Caroline looked around. "Where is your friend?"
"Why, did you want to dance with him?"
"No, but I thought you would have wanted to finish your conversation with him."
Colonel Marsden appeared to be talking to two ladies Richard did not much like, so he was not very eager to go over and join them. They were approached by Lady Catherine, who seemed only to be walking around the whole evening. She was with Anne this time. "Take me for a walk around the ballroom, Fitzwilliam."
"No dance, Aunt Catherine?" he asked.
"Certainly not, Fitzwilliam. I am above such behaviour."
"Very well. Have you asked my wife if she will permit me to parade the ballroom with another woman, Aunt Catherine?" Richard asked, and he felt Caroline dig her fingers into his arm.
"Fitzwilliam! I shall do no such thing," said a very indignant Lady Catherine. "Do not be so ridiculous. I am your aunt."
"If you will not ask her, I will. Oh Caroline, will you allow me?"
"I am not sure it is wise, but if you promise me to behave yourself, I will allow you," Caroline said.
"Thank you, my dear."
Caroline saw in his face that he would behave himself, so she turned to Anne. "Shall we sit down over there? How have you been?"
They sat down, and Anne replied. "I have been a little ill lately."
"You must tell me how you come to be ill so often."
"I do not know," Anne said helplessly.
"You must come to stay with us, and I shall not be surprised if you are much less ill," Caroline declared. "We shall not fuss over you, and you shall be quite free to do whatever you wish, except that we shall force you to spend a good deal of time walking."
"You are very happy, are you not?" Anne said wistfully. "I wish I could ever have your happiness."
"You can!" Caroline turned in her chair to look at Richard and Lady Catherine, but they were out of sight. "I shall tell Richard that we must invite you."
Richard was walking with his aunt. "To what do I owe this honour, Aunt Catherine?"
"You are just as insolent as Lady Matlock," Lady Catherine snapped. "She was talking about honour and condescension too."
"We have one mind..."
"Do not talk such nonsense, Fitzwilliam."
"It is true," he objected.
Lady Catherine decided not to tell her nephew what she had discussed with Caroline. He was only a man, after all, and he would probably groan or laugh at it, in spite of the fact that he seemed to be such a paragon. She snorted indignantly upon recalling Lady Matlock say that. She would not agree at all. When Fitzwilliam was at Rosings he was always with Darcy, so she did not know how he would behave on his own, but Lady Catherine suspected that her nephew had either very little respect, or very little understanding. He could never listen to her without interrupting her to say something senseless. When he did not interrupt her, he probably had not been listening at all. Now his wife, that was something entirely different. She understands that I am not to be trifled with. But she is rather insolent... "The Countess," she began.
"Who?"
"Lady Matlock."
"Oh!"
"She is still a trifle insolent, Fitzwilliam."
"Is she?" he sounded surprised.
Lady Catherine ignored that. "But she has much improved. I thought that she could perhaps invite Anne."
Richard had no objection to Caroline inviting Anne, as long as his aunt stayed at Rosings. It would be rather insolent to say so, so he left this for Caroline to deal with.
"However, there is one condition," Lady Catherine said.
Oh no. Richard tried to summon up enough reasons to convince his aunt that her presence was needed at Rosings at all times.
"Your wife shall not tell my dear Anne any more of those ghastly birth stories, because the poor child was all upset."
Caroline has been telling her birth stories? Of course that would rattle Anne. If I had been as ignorant as Anne, I would have been upset with everyone for not enlightening me any sooner, too. "I shall have a word with Caroline," Richard assured her. Does that mean you will be staying at Rosings, aunt Cat?
"What is a ball but an occasion to talk to relatives?" Richard said thoughtfully when Lady Catherine and Anne had departed because her Ladyship had decided it was time for Anne to leave.
Caroline marveled that he was in a profound mood, but she was soon cured of her folly.
"They left even before we did. Do you think Anne is still being nursed as well?" he asked her in a perfectly serious tone.
"Richard!" Caroline choked.
"Or perhaps one of them has children we do not know anything about. Think of it. Nobody would ever know if Anne were expecting a child. Illness is a permanent condition with her."
"I need to get away from here. The terrace," Caroline gasped.
"Not the terrace. It is too cold there, but the hall will do nicely." He steered her towards the hall, smiling politely at all the people who thought Caroline was having a fit. They sat down on a bench and he let her laugh.
When Caroline had recovered somewhat, a lady in a dangerously low-cut gown came nearer. She was fanning herself vigourously despite the cold, and she had an expression on her face that Richard did not quite like. "Lord Matlock, Lady Matlock," the lady said, blinking at him seductively. Caroline introduced her as the Duchess of so-and-so.
"Caaaaaro! I have not seen you since your good fortune!"
"Indeed you have not, Annabella."
"It is a pity that you live so far away, or I would have visited!" Annabella said, wondering why Lord Matlock did not eye her more appreciatively.
"You are most welcome to call on me in London and look at the children," Caroline said.
Annabella wrinkled her nose in distaste and let out a high-pitched giggle. "You are so amusing, Caro! I pity you, poor girl. You must have been devastated to hear you were having two of the little monsters. What a drag. Did you do anything wrong? There are ways, you know. Not that I would know anything of it," she said demurely, with a sly look at Richard.
Part 14
Caroline was seething after these words. How dare she call my babies monsters? How dare she ogle Richard like that? What a stupid, conniving, malicious.... She was as yet too speechless to say anything, but her face spoke volumes.
"Caroline, go tell my other aunt we are leaving," said Richard in a tone that made it clear he did not want to be contradicted.
Caroline was surprised at his tone, but she obeyed when he gave her an insistent push, glancing back over her shoulder. Richard had risen to face Annabella, and she was very curious, but it was better that she left, or she might become very rude. It took some time before she had located Lady Durning, who looked rather surprised upon seeing the murderous look on Caroline's face.
"Is something the matter, Lady Matlock?" she asked in concern, leading Caroline to a place where they could not be overheard. Caroline gave her an incoherent reply, and all Lady Durning understood was that it had something to do with monsters, and that they were leaving.
They walked into the hall, passing a visibly upset Annabella who ran off in another direction. Caroline led Lady Durning to where she had left Richard, and he was still there. He looked rather flushed.
"Is something wrong?" Lady Durning asked. "I could not make sense of what Lady Matlock was saying."
"We have to go home," Richard said. "The twins will be waiting. Aunt, I am sorry if you should hear complaints about my behaviour, but it was well deserved." His aunt frowned in a puzzled manner, but he did not elaborate.
"What did you do?" Caroline asked as soon as they were in their carriage. "It had better be something good or I am going back to give her her just deserts. Why did you send me away?"
"I did not claw her eyes out, like you would have done, but I was abominably rude nevertheless. I did not want you to witness such ungentlemanlike behaviour," Richard said.
"You were rude?" She looked a little less murderous.
"Yes, my dear. I am not capable of insulting people in a subtle manner."
"You can insult people? You insulted Annabella?" Caroline asked incredulously.
"In no uncertain terms, I am afraid. I disgraced you terribly."
"And you sent me away?" Caroline cried.
"You do not even mind my disgracing you, but you only mind that you were not there to witness it?" Richard said disbelievingly. "Of course I sent you away! And I am not going to tell you what I said."
Caroline laughed softly. "I believe you enjoyed it."
"I vented all my grudges against her and against society and now I feel quite relieved," he smiled. "Forget that stupid...whatever. Did you at least enjoy yourself the rest of the evening?"
"Yes, I did, even though the person I talked to most was you and we might just as well have done that at home," Caroline said. "Like you said earlier that we only speak to relatives at balls, when I thought you were going to follow it up with something deep."
"Did I disappoint you then?"
"No. Well, I would have liked to hear your views on balls and assemblies, actually."
"The theory of the provision of external stimuli at balls and assemblies?" Richard asked.
"Yes, please acquaint me with the particulars."
"Ahh," he began. "Though we would find it very satisfying to talk to each other at home, balls provide us with a different, supplementary kind of subjects to talk about."
"Do you mean that at home we only hold very satisfying, but not very deep conversations about babies?" Caroline asked.
"We might."
"Richard," Caroline said with a roll of her eyes. "At balls we only hold very satisfying, but not very deep conversations about relatives! What is the difference?"
"The difference is the carriage ride home," he grinned.
"Can we then not just cancel the ball altogether and only drive around in a carriage, if that is where the deep conversations take place?" she teased. "That would be rather bizarre."
"Are we not bizarre then? Darcy certainly thinks we are, because he has seen us engaged in deep conversation in the drawing room once."
"Oh no," Caroline groaned. "He saw us? Oh! You have just disproved your own theory. We are very capable of holding deep conversations at home. I think you should alter the place where we are unable to hold deep conversations into 'a situation which allows both partners to run away, because they are not in a confined space or not being manually kept close to the other person,' and then it will be better."
"Point taken. I shall note it all down, and when I have lots of theories, I shall publish them. But you shall have me wondering every time whether I am being manually kept close to you or not, and whether this means I can start a deep conversation."
"Was this deep?" Caroline asked suddenly.
They were both silent for a while.
"I do not know. It was supposed to be deep, but we drifted upwards a little," Richard answered. "Or did we not?"
"I think you are confusing deep and serious. Pfff! I am glad we are home, where we can go down to baby level!" Caroline cried happily when the carriage stopped.
"And Aunt Catherine wanted you to be a good influence on Anne?" Richard shook his head.
"Now, now, Richard. Who made that comment about Anne still nursing?" Caroline stuck out her tongue, and then entered the house sedately because there were servants around. "Did Lady Catherine really say that?"
"No, she said you should invite Anne, for some obscure reason."
"Oh, I know why."
"Why?" Richard asked as they climbed the stairs.
"You are going to discover it sooner or later. Because you might have friends worthy of Rosings."
"Oh dear."
"That is exactly why I did not tell you," Caroline said, and then she picked up one of the twins and started talking on baby level.