Page 52 of Losing Lizzy
Darcy had thought Mrs. Bennet would have been shocked and would demand their immediate removal from her home, but she acted as if she were appalled by the decision her husband had made: As if she were incensed by the idea of Elizabeth being forced to leave in her condition. Perhaps, Darcy had misjudged the woman as easily as she had misjudged him. She would never be what could be called a “sensible” woman, but she had one admirable quality: She was willing to fight for the welfare of her children. On that, they could agree.
Elizabeth said, “Papa saw to my safety,” she said to the gathering. “Now, may we all go inside? You each require an explanation, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Sheffield, and I could use a cup of tea, and, I imagine, my child would enjoy a cake or two, wouldyou not, Lizzy?”
“She is a ‘Lizzy’ also?” Miss Kitty asked.
Mrs. Bennet said proudly, “The child is Elizabeth Anne Rachel Darcy.” She caught Elizabeth up in a quick embrace that appeared to embarrass both of them. “Thank you, Elizabeth, for presenting your daughter my mother’s name.”
“I wanted her to have a part of you, Mama,” Elizabeth said softly. “And a part of Darcy’s family. ‘Anne’ was the Christian name of Mr. Darcy’s mother.”
Darcy set Lizzy Anne upon her feet. She held back for a second when Mr. Bennet bent to offer the child his hand. “I am your grandpapa, and I have been waiting a lifetime to know you. Would you like to come with me and see the house where your mama grew up?”
Their child glanced up to him and Elizabeth. They both nodded their encouragement, and Lizzy Anne walked away with Mr. Bennet. All turned toward the house, and Elizabeth leaned against his side as he braced her steps to follow.
“Another Elizabeth has won your father’s heart,” Darcy said with a smile.
“We still must make our explanations as to how we married before Lizzy was conceived,” she whispered. “We must pray Mr. Bennet will cooperate.”
“As this scheme was half his idea, he has little choice.”
“Yet, at the time of the arrangement, we all thought you dead,” she reminded him. “The new reality for my father is that we will be living together under his roof, without the privilege of an actual marriage ceremony.”
Darcy glanced to where the last of the Bennets and the servants entered the house. “We will allow our daughter to soften Mr. Bennet’s heart. Now come along. They will be wondering why we tarry.”
“There will be many questions,” she reminded him. “Is this what you want?”
“I want you and my daughter. I do not believe I can be whole again until we are together as a family. As to the questions,we will answer them all,” he assured her as he placed her hand on his arm to escort her inside. “However,” he leaned closer to whisper, “there are two things you should know before we go inside.”
“And those are?” She paused on the steps leading to the threshold.
“First, like Bingley before him, Mr. Sheffield believes Miss Bennet has the look of an angel. Moreover, he blinked in pleasant surprise when your elder sister presented him with an impromptu embrace out of gratitude for tending to you.”
“Blinking is good, correct?” she asked.
“I blinked that way when my eyes fell upon you at the Meryton assembly,” he confided. “I felt as if my imagination was playing a trick on me. Thunderstruck. You had shaken my world to its core, thus, the reason I refused to dance with you. I did not know whether you were real or not.”
Her smile increased in size. “What a lovely explanation, although I am not yet certain you do not fool yourself in this matter.” Nevertheless, she went on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “And the second thing I should know?”
“Miss Bennet will be asking you questions, likely in private, which will go beyond the proof of our marriage. When I came searching for you, she reluctantly admitted to me that she had observed our leaving the Netherfield library on the evening we conceived Elizabeth Anne.”
Chapter Seventeen
They spent a fortnightwith her family. Darcy remained constantly aware he must be in Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire, to assume his position at the inn before Mr. Ruffe was to leave. He sent a message ahead to reserve a like room for Elizabeth and Lizzy. They would exchange their vows in the small town before heading to Derbyshire.
Although Mr. Bennet was not happy to have Darcy and Elizabeth sharing rooms, the gentleman swallowed his objections in order to maintain the ruse he had assisted in putting into place. Both Darcy and Elizabeth provided her father the assurances they meant to marry once they departed for Derbyshire. Darcy explained his plan for a quiet ceremony and how he had established his residency in Dry Drayton.
Each day, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet spent hours upon end with their granddaughter, taking the child into the village and telling anyone who would listen how he and Elizabeth had been married all along. Carrying their tale to Mrs. Phillips easily spread the story, not only tothose in the village, but to the neighborhood, as well. While he and Sheffield spent much of their time in Mr. Bennet’s library, Elizabeth proved the consummate hostess as visitors appeared often upon the Bennet’s threshold to behold both a quick glance at the marriage certificate, but also to hear Elizabeth repeat how she should have spoken the truth when their botched wedding occurred, but she was too distraught at thepossibility of someone bringing harm to him that she responded inappropriately. She claimed to have been embarrassed from foisting a sham upon her parents’ friends and neighbors.
“I have not noted any of the Lucases among those making social calls,” Darcy said well into their second week at Longbourn.
Elizabeth leaned closer to explain, “Mr. Bennet made a private call upon Sir William to explain Mr. Collins’s part in Lizzy Anne’s kidnapping and to offer his gratitude to Charlotte for convincing her husband to act with honor. Upset by the turn of events, Sir William and Lady Lucas set out immediately for Kent. I believe they mean to fetch Charlotte home for her lying-in, especially with the chaos going on at Rosings Park and Mr. Collins’s questionable future.” She drew her legs up beneath her to curl closer into the curve of his body and to steal his warmth. “Will the colonel replace Mr. Bennet’s cousin?” she asked when she was settled.
Darcy shrugged. “I left that decision to Fitzwilliam.”
“Has your aunt departed Rosings?” she asked tentatively.
“Fitzwilliam saw her off. Ironically, she left England at Queenborough Harbor rather than from London’s docks,” he shared.
“Do you know her destination?”
