Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice Sequel Bundle: 3 Reader Favorites (93 page)

The second day was no easier to endure than the one before, but with the covert aid of her husband’s soiled shirt, eventually Elizabeth made herself cease her obsessive
contemplation of what was and stopped brooding, at least aloud, upon that over which she had no control. Jane, perchance in want of diverting Elizabeth, or possibly because it could be put off no longer, recommended that they make final arrangements for the baby that Bingley’s woman (Elizabeth could not think of that loose woman in a less derogatory term) had birthed to be brought to Pemberley.

Logistics were a quandary, but in time, it was decided that Elizabeth, Mrs. Reynolds and Georgiana’s lady-maid, Anne (nervously idle since Georgiana’s disappearance), would go to get the baby. Approval of the arrangement had already been obtained, hence, the formality of bringing the bantling to Pemberley was all that was left to do. As Jane waited anxiously at the house, the other women set out in the coach.

It was less than a half-hour’s ride by road, but it was uncertain terrain and the bouncing of the coach made Elizabeth queasy. As they arrived and the others were handed out of the carriage, Elizabeth fled upon her own out the opposite side and very nearly retched upon her shoes. Her discretion was for naught, for when she raised her head from her knees, there stood Mrs. Reynolds proffering a handkerchief. The look the old woman bore supposed she did not believe her mistress was suffering from simple dyspepsia.

Elizabeth gratefully took the handkerchief and allowed, “Perhaps it was best that Mr. Darcy travelled without my company.”

Mrs. Reynolds only gave a single nod. But Elizabeth knew if a short coach trip made her ill, the rough waters of the Channel might well be lethal. Thus, her husband’s resolve to have her stay was re-evaluated. (Elizabeth found it was much easier to acquiesce in his absence.) Even the contemplation of the sea encouraged her nausea; hence, she turned her attention to the house.

When she gazed upon the cottage, she was reminded of the days she had spent at the crest of the hill overlooking it and its inhabitant. From a distance, it had looked neat, even pretty. But distance had lent its only beauty. In truth it was dingy and in disrepair, with fowl wandering in and out of a broken door. A vision of Bingley upon that dilapidated threshold crossed Elizabeth’s mind, but that thought was more upsetting to her stomach than open water and she hastily dismissed it.

It was an unspoken assumption that a woman of her station need not go into the cottage herself. However, Elizabeth abhorred the presumption of taking a baby from its mother without giving her leave to look upon the person who undertook her child’s life. Inside, various family members of the woman had gathered and stood in a reverent semicircle in front of the fireplace. Her father, hat in hand, introduced himself and his wife and then merely pointed to the room where his daughter lay. The young woman’s mother opened the low door to the bed-closet and Elizabeth dutifully followed her in.

Lying under a faded quilt was the woman that Elizabeth had seen from the promontory. Beside her was the baby. Much like the cottage, at a distance Bingley’s woman was pretty. But even in the dim light of the room, Elizabeth could see her shrunken skin and the incongruous glittering of the eyes that announced her lungs were stealing her life. Elizabeth was shocked at her appearance even though she knew her to be ill, somehow expecting her yet to look the part of a scarlet woman. She was
really only a girl and the only thing obscene about her was the handkerchief spotted with blood that she had held to her mouth.

The baby sat solemnly next to his mother, eyes wide, looking at Elizabeth. Contradicting his mother’s sickly pallor, the baby was rosy-cheeked and hefty. The girl’s mother lifted him from the bed and handed him to Elizabeth with an announcement.

“The boy’s name is Charles.”

“Charles?” Elizabeth repeated.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Mortified, Elizabeth was faced with yet another quandary. Her governing principle was not to cause any undo distress, but there was no way she was going to introduce this infant to her household under the name of “Charles,” even if it was a common name.

“Pray, does he have another forename?”

In fortune, he did.

“Hello, Charles Alexander,” Elizabeth said.

In answer, the baby reached out and took a firm hold upon her earring. At this audacity, his grandmother gasped. But Elizabeth only smiled tolerantly and unfurled his tiny fingers one by one until she was free from his grasp. Elizabeth did not know if Alexander’s mother or her family knew of her connexion with Bingley, but thought it probable (especially after the name conundrum). And they all appeared both terrified and heartbroken, so if they were resentful, too, it was difficult to determine. An awkward silence ensued and as all other topics were threadbare, Elizabeth inquired of the girl her name. She said her name was Mary.

Happy to rid the room of the lingering sound of the name “Charles,” Elizabeth told her, “My sister’s name is Mary.”

But their discourse was abbreviated, for when the young woman managed a smile at the coincidence, she was excited into a fit of coughing. That reminded Elizabeth how small the room and how dense the contamination of the air. Knowing they must take leave, not only in defence of their health, but so as not to prolong a grievous farewell, Elizabeth bid Mary adieu.

Careful not to employ past-tense, she said, “I shall make certain he knows how much his mother loves him.”

Mary wiped tears away with the back of her hand and tried to smile, but Elizabeth was too overcome with grief upon her behalf to return it. Business taken care of, Mary’s mother herded Elizabeth back out the door, but at the doorway Elizabeth stopped. Impulsively, she pulled both her earrings free and put them upon the table by Mary’s bed. She feared it could have been construed as a crass gesture, buying a baby if you will, but the look upon Mary’s face was one of gratitude not offence. Albeit they were modest by Darcy standards (and once belonged to Darcy’s grandmother), the earrings were worth a great deal. They could provide for a family for a long time. And they were the last things the baby’s mother saw him touch.

Having been contemptuous of her morals at one time, Elizabeth could no longer. The family’s destitution was obvious. Elizabeth could not say with absolute certainty that had their positions been reversed she would have lived with more circumspection. The only contempt she felt at that moment was for Bingley. If he had given the woman and baby any support, it was niggardly indeed.

Elizabeth relinquished the baby to Anne’s needy hands and as mightily as she tried not, tears burned her eyes. She blinked them back and reminded herself that it was a kindness to Mary for her not to worry for her child. Nevertheless, she entered the carriage not unburdened, for the ache of the loss of a child was one with which she was all too familiar.

Once upon their way, Elizabeth chanced to look upon Alexander’s face (already the detested appellation of Charles was forgotten) more fully than she could in the darkened cottage. The bright daylight revealed him to be blonde, but of darker colour than Jane’s children. If there was a Bingley family resemblance, it was not profound. Hence, she breathed a small sigh of relief. Any scandal resulting from this entire event at least would not be embarrassingly overt.

The boy looked healthy, but sat very still on Anne’s lap with a lost look upon his face. Elizabeth put out her hands, waggling her fingers and smiling encouragement for him to come to her. He sat determinedly sucking on his two middle fingers and did not make a decision at first. Thereupon, as if he had taken her due, he slowly reached out. She took him upon her lap and kissed the top of his head. It would be good to have a baby upon whom to shower attention and love. At least this chance-bairn would have a home, she told herself, and endeavoured not to think about the lot fate drew for poor John Christie.

Elizabeth expected Jane to be waiting in the vestibule when they returned, but she was not. Hence, Elizabeth sent Mrs. Reynolds to find her whilst she and Anne took the baby up to the nursery.

Mrs. Reynolds search was to be fruitless, for there in the nursery sat Jane anxiously fingering a tiny lace bonnet. Looking neither at Elizabeth nor Anne, Jane’s eyes lit upon the baby and, arms extended in acceptance, went directly to him. With an instinct known only to babies, Alexander immediately reached out for Jane, whose countenance reflected an expression of anguished love that was difficult to witness.

Elizabeth and Anne quietly left Jane to have her time with Charles Bingley’s son without benefit of audience.

Late that day, a rider coming fast was called. Before the
estafette
could pull his horse to a lathered, skidding stop, Elizabeth met him in the courtyard. The express was from Mr. Darcy and was characteristically brief. He had found a ship, and by the time Elizabeth received the information, would have set sail. That he was upon a ship bound for hostilities was trepidation enough. However, Bingley returned from Portsmouth with the news of neither time nor place but that the
Barrett
was one of the ships shot from the water by French cannons. Thitherward, the house of Pemberley was shrouded with an impenetrable foreboding.

Elizabeth drew her shawl about her, set her jaw and waited.

T
he
Barrett’s
outward-bound voyage was uneventful except for briefly becoming entangled in an unusual influx of sea-wrack. The only true engagement with the enemy was upon the
Barrett’s
approach to land, necessitating the dodging of a bombardment of cannon fire from French ships anchored along the shore.

It had taken six hours and the cover of darkness to find even so dangerous a place to dock as they had north of Calais. As chancy as was their landing, had Darcy known the
Barrett’s
fate upon its return it would have been no great surprise. Their disembarkation was no more expeditious than a regiment of untrained infantrymen could manage. Darcy edged around the chaos, hoping to find a horse to buy or hire before it was conscripted into military service. The possibility that a horse lurked about seemed unlikely. There was but a small fishing village adjacent to the wharf, quite empty of animals save for a few bleating goats. Determined to find some sort of transportation, he walked up the slight incline that led away from the hubbub of the men and ship. Once cresting the hill, he heard the unmistakable nicker of a horse.

That propitious sound granted him renewed gratitude that if he had to chase Georgiana to the ends of the earth, it was with his hearing intact. Whilst he took the time to give that thanks, he included one, too, for the fortuitous stabling of a horse. (Conducting his search for Georgiana upon foot would be neither efficient nor agreeable.) He rapped upon the door of the nearest house, rousing the owner from his slumber. The man (apparently slumbering through a rather noisy enemy invasion) was unhappy to be kindled from his bed and issued several colourful Gallic curses as he bumped into furniture upon his trip to see who incited such a late-night disturbance. Flinging back the door, he hurled a few more invectives in Darcy’s direction for good measure.