Reunited at Rosings (Sweet Standalone Pride and Prejudice Variations #5)

Chapter 8

December 5

The visitors from Rosings came without fail. The following day, Mr Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Georgiana kept their promise to call. For Elizabeth, the wait had seemed endless. When she finally spotted them walking over the green, her heart fluttered excitedly in her chest. He has come!

Elizabeth went to the little mirror and smoothed down her hair. She had never been one to primp and preen, but these matters seemed to have taken on a different cast since she had come to Kent.

“You look beautiful, Lizzy,” Charlotte said, stitching away on her embroidery of a little Christening outfit for the baby. When she looked up, her eyes twinkled with mischief.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and came to sit back down beside her. “Thank you,” she replied. “So do you.”

Charlotte waved her away with a laugh. “Lying does not become you, Lizzy dear.”

“I know. That is why I do not lie,” Elizabeth said with a smile.

A knock soon sounded at the door, and their guests were admitted to the small parlour that had been set aside for Charlotte’s use. The gentlemen came in and were immediately pulled into a discussion about the improvements that Mr Collins had made since they had last been to the cottage. Maria and Miss Darcy went off to the far corner of the room to visit, availing themselves of the window seat that looked out on the little wood Maria had spoken of the night before.

Elizabeth stayed close by Charlotte’s side, inviting Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam to join them. Lady Lucas dominated the conversation much of the time. On this occasion, Elizabeth found herself rather grateful to her, for she had no objection to remaining silent. She was sure she would not have been able to think of an intelligent thing to say, with Mr Darcy looking at her with his fathomless eyes. What was he thinking? Elizabeth both hoped for and feared the chance to speak with him.

Finally, Elizabeth found herself left alone to converse with Mr Darcy when Lady Lucas took Colonel Fitzwilliam off to see the newly refurbished library. On the far side of the room, Charlotte pursed her lips as she continued to work on the Christening outfit.

“Have you been well since you left Derbyshire, Miss Bennet? I was so worried when you received the letter from your sister at the inn that afternoon,” Mr Darcy asked, lowering his voice so they would have some semblance of privacy.

Elizabeth took a deep breath, folding her hands in her lap and attempting to keep her voice even. “Yes, that was quite the event, was it not?” she asked with a sad sigh. “As soon as we arrived home, we found my father had gone to London to try to find Lydia and Mr Wickham. Of course, by the time we had heard anything more, we knew it was already too late. But then, we received the letter informing us that Lydia and Mr Wickham had been married —”

She halted, not wanting to offend him by mentioning Lydia’s slip of the tongue. And yet…Elizabeth took a deep breath, hardening her resolve. She felt she could not go another moment without thanking the man who had saved her sister, and indeed her entire family. “I know who brought it all about, Mr Darcy. You must not blame my aunt, for Lydia revealed the secret to me quite by accident. And I am so very glad she did, for it must not be that you have done so much for my family and received no proper expression of gratitude at all. I cannot begin to thank you enough for what you did for Lydia,” she whispered furtively. Despite how much she tried, she could not keep the tears from filling her eyes. “How can I ever repay your kindness?”

Mr Darcy glanced at Charlotte, looking as if he wished he might pull her out of the room so they could talk in private. “Surely, you must know —”

“Oh!” Charlotte squealed suddenly, making them both jump. Elizabeth reached for her, touching her arm gently. Charlotte’s hand flew to her abdomen, her face scrunched in pain. “I beg your pardon,” she said through clenched teeth. “I —” She blew out a breath, then closed her eyes.

“Charlotte, are you well?” Elizabeth asked. Her heart was racing now, and not just because Charlotte’s cry had frightened her. Had she imagined it, or had Mr Darcy been about to declare himself? She rose from her chair and knelt before Charlotte. “Are you in pain?”

Charlotte did not answer for several seconds, holding her breath. “Ahh, yes, that was quite painful.” She looked up at the doorway where Mr Collins, Lady Lucas, and Colonel Fitzwilliam had disappeared a few moments before. “Will you go for Mr Collins, please?”

Elizabeth called Maria over and told her to fetch Mr Collins. Elizabeth was not about to leave Charlotte’s side. A moment later, another pain overtook her, and Charlotte gripped Elizabeth’s hand with a strength that threatened to crack her bones. She did not complain, instead coaxing her friend to breathe and remain calm.

Mr Darcy had risen from his chair and had moved back a few paces. “I fear we have overstepped in calling so close to Mrs Collins’s time. Please, you must allow me to bring the doctor.”

“Yes, please, that would be very helpful,” Elizabeth said. She turned to meet his gaze before things descended into chaos. He looked at her so tenderly, and with a mixture of fear for Charlotte, that her heart clenched. If only she could hear what he was thinking.

“Oh, my dear! I told you going to that dinner last night was a mistake! Oh, my goodness. Oh, my heavens!” Lady Lucas said as soon as she cleared the doorway. Elizabeth stood to give Charlotte some space but remained close.

“We must bring the doctor!” Mr Collins said and shuffled over to his wife. “What do we do?”

“We will go for the doctor. You attend to your family,” Mr Darcy said to Mr Collins firmly. “I shall have the doctor here with all possible haste.”

“Here, let us get her up to her room. Thank you, Mr Darcy,” Lady Lucas said rather absently, for she had little attention to spare for anything but the wellbeing of her daughter. They walked out of the little parlour, and Elizabeth followed close behind in case anything was needed. Before heading up the stairs, she gave one last longing glance toward Mr Darcy. Whatever he had been about to confess would have to wait. But she knew she would not be able to sleep and would be able to think of little else until she saw him again.

“Oh!” Charlotte cried again, bringing her mind back to the task at hand. Elizabeth joined Lady Lucas in helping Charlotte up to her room while Mr Collins paced in the hallway, mumbling under his breath.

“My dear, why do you not go outside and wait for the doctor so that you may bring him to me as quickly as possible?” Charlotte suggested.

“Oh, yes. Of course, my love! Of course. Don’t go away, I shall be back with the doctor directly!” Mr Collins said and hurried back down the stairs.

Charlotte laughed and then was overcome with another pain. Thankfully, they had been able to help her change into her nightdress in preparation for the doctor. Charlotte gripped Elizabeth’s hand as soon as she was settled on the bed. When the pain had passed, she had Charlotte sit forward and propped another pillow behind her. “There, is that better?” she asked.

She wiped Charlotte’s brow tenderly. Small beads of perspiration were already standing out on her forehead.

“Yes, thank you,” Charlotte said. “I do not care if dinner last night was what brought on my labour. It was good to see you and Mr Darcy talking as you did.” She gave her a knowing smile. Lady Lucas was pacing next to the door, and she followed her mother with her gaze for a moment, lowering her voice. “Perhaps it will be your turn next.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “Do not worry yourself about that right now. Focus on your breathing.”

Charlotte nodded, then winced as another contraction took over her body. The doctor soon arrived, and Elizabeth was glad she could at least do something by staying with her friend and holding her hand. As Charlotte’s pains increased throughout that long, frosty night, Elizabeth would wipe her brow with a damp cloth and speak soothingly to her. “You’re doing well, Charlotte. Just think how wonderful it will be to meet your baby girl or boy.”

Charlotte grunted, pushing as the doctor instructed.

It seemed an age before the baby came squalling into the world. But Charlotte’s face showed it was all worth it when the doctor had cleaned off the infant and settled him in his mother’s arms. “A boy —” Charlotte breathed, her voice hoarse from the long hours of crying out in pain. “It’s a boy,” she said in wonder.

Elizabeth knelt beside her and gazed in awestruck wonder at the baby’s face. “He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Elizabeth replied.

Elizabeth helped Charlotte get cleaned up and settled her back in the bed. When everything was ready, the doctor opened the door and invited Mr Collins in. He inched inside as if he would break the child by merely creaking the floorboards with his weight. “My love?” he asked tentatively.

“Come and meet your son,” Charlotte said. Her eyes drooped with sleepiness, but she wore a contented smile. She held the baby up so Mr Collins could see, and he sat down gently on the edge of the bed, barely moving the coverlet.

“A son?” he asked, his voice weighted with reverence. “Oh, my dear, he is as beautiful as his mother.”

Elizabeth was touched by her silly cousin’s response to his son. Despite all his idiosyncrasies, she could see that he loved his wife and child with all his heart.

Mr Collins leaned close and kissed the baby’s forehead. “What shall we call him?” he asked.

Charlotte thought for a moment, brushing the back of her fingers down the side of her son’s cheek. “Thomas,” she said after a long while. She looked up at her husband, whose face broke into a smile.

“Thomas. Yes, I like that,” he said.

Charlotte handed the baby to him after a while and he stood for a second, looking stricken, as if he were afraid he might drop him. But after several seconds of cradling the baby, he straightened from his usual bent-over posture and seemed to come into a more confident air. He beamed at Elizabeth. “I have a son,” he announced.

Elizabeth went over to him and touched him gently on the shoulder. “Congratulations, cousin. I could not be more happy for the both of you.” She let her hand fall to her side and nodded to Charlotte. “I will leave you with your wife now.” Charlotte had nodded off to sleep as the sun was peeking its head over the Eastern horizon. It was a beautiful way to start a new day, with a new life coming into the world. She headed for the door and peeked around the edge at her friend, just in time to see Mr Collins snuggling in beside her on top of the coverlet. Elizabeth could not envy Charlotte her happiness — particularly not when Mr Collins was involved. She only longed to know for herself the happiness she had this day. Mr Darcy’s face flashed before her eyes, as she had not allowed her mind to wander in his direction so she could focus on Charlotte in the birthing chamber. But now his face appeared in her mind’s eye, making her heart yearn for him.

She turned and gently closed the door, smiling to herself. Maybe someday soon, she would know this kind of happiness, too.