Mr. Darcy's Bride

Chapter 34

Two Years Later

Elizabeth stopped to rest, her hand on her swollen stomach. She had thought that her pregnancy with little Fitzwilliam had been exhausting, but she had since realized that the condition was much more difficult when one already had an active toddler to chase.

Fitzwilliam continued to make his way down the hall, running with as much abandon as his coordination would allow. He looked like a miniature version of his father, but his demeanor favored his mother much more: he was interested in everything and utterly fearless. Elizabeth recognized those as good characteristics, but a child of that sort was tiring to mother, especially as Fitzwilliam's brother or sister kicked her repeatedly.

Fitzwilliam's path took him near Darcy's study. Darcy heard his son laughing down the hall and stepped out of the study to scoop him up.

"Are you deviling your mother, little man?" Darcy asked, tossing Fitzwilliam in the air. The boy whooped in delight.

"You do know that if you drop him I shall never let you forget it," said Elizabeth, teasing him.

"Nor should you," said Darcy. "Thankfully I have no intention of dropping him."

The baby in Elizabeth's belly landed a solid kick, and she gasped and leaned against the wall.

Darcy was at her side in a moment. "Are you well?" he asked.

"I am," she responded. "I think the little one just wants to come out and play with her brother."

"Her?" Darcy said, raising an eyebrow and setting the boy down. "Is it a girl, do you think?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Of course I do not know, but I felt very different when I was carrying Fitzwilliam. Perhaps that is a sign."

"You are so beautiful," Darcy said, reaching out to caress her cheek.

She laughed, and said, "If you find me beautiful now, you must truly consider me to be. My feet are so swollen that none of my shoes fit, and this belly certainly does not flatter the newest fashion statements."

"You are the most beautiful like this, with our child growing inside you," he said. "I am a most fortunate man."

"I would say that we are all the most fortunate," said Elizabeth, smiling down at their son. "But there is much to do before the Colonel arrives, so Fitzwilliam and I must be off."

***

The Darcys had planned a small, intimate dinner to celebrate Colonel Fitzwilliam's engagement. During the ball two years prior, in the midst of the confusion over Wickham and the Duchess, Colonel Fitzwilliam had made the acquaintance of Miss Maria Davies, who was the only daughter of a wealthy merchant. She had been charmed by him from the moment that he had asked her to dance, and he was equally as entranced by her. Their courtship had begun that very night.

Now, they were to be wed. Elizabeth thought that she had rarely seen a couple better matched than the Colonel and Miss Davies. What he lacked in capital she more than made up for, and his social connections opened doors that might otherwise be closed to her. Together they made a wonderful match.

Lady Catherine was, of course, scandalized by Colonel Fitzwilliam marrying a tradesman's daughter. Elizabeth considered that to be yet another propitious sign for their marriage.

Miss Davies was quite as lovely a young woman as anyone would want to meet. Her eyes sparkled with joy and humor, and she dearly loved to laugh, so she and Elizabeth got on wonderfully. The two of them kept quite a correspondence, sending one another letters and the most recent novels that they had read. Anne de Bourgh also corresponded with both of them often. Elizabeth was glad to have two additional allies in the family.