Netherfield Park Quarantined (29 page)

“At times. Now that he is getting larger, he needs to stretch his arms
and legs about. What you feel is usually his feet or his hands.”

“You will be bruised inside by the time she is born, if she keeps this
manner of behavior.” Darcy leaned to the swell and gently kissed it. “You
must treat your Mamma with kindness. Be gentle to her. I know it is difficult,
as you are in such a small area wishing to move about. In that, you are very
much like your Mamma. But it will not be long before you are able to move
about freely. So, while you are safely tucked inside Mamma, treat her
lovingly.”

Darcy felt another kick, which he took as an agreement from his child.
~~ ** ~~

Each day which went by, Elizabeth felt as if she had grown larger and
larger. Rather than in minute increases, she felt she must be growing in yards.
There was a constant need for rest each day, which frustrated her. She had
never been so tired in her life, which restricted her ability to act as she
normally did. Darcy had an overstuffed sofa brought into his study for his
wife to nap on while he worked. The sight of her resting there, her midsection
growing as his pride in the sight grew.

At each meal, Darcy made sure his wife had enough to eat, and
especially her favorite foods. As everyone at Pemberley was thrilled with the
next generation of Darcys underway, the staff of the main house went out of
their way to ensure their Mistress’ comfort. The cook took great pride in
producing all of Elizabeth’s favorites, as well as being able to appease her
frequent cravings. No one took notice of some of the unusual requests
Elizabeth made, though her husband sometimes wondered how she could
stomach some of the combinations of food.

~~ ** ~~

Jane and Bingley had visited for a fortnight after their return from
Ireland. Jane brought many gifts for her niece or nephew, including a
beautiful christening gown.

The newlyweds also discussed the desire to move from Netherfield.
Though they liked the estate, it was inconvenient in its location. Being so
close to Longbourn allowed Mrs Bennet the opportunity to visit as often as
she desired, which, according to Jane, was daily, even in the absence of the
couple. Mrs Bennet had developed a habit of instructing the staff at
Netherfield on how things should be done. The Mistress of Longbourn had
even seen fit to make decisions on improvements to be made at Netherfield.
Her excuse was that she was assisting her beloved daughter, as a surprise.
“Besides, Jane will not know the best way to decorate, so she will need the
advice of her mother. I would not wish the neighborhood to think ill of her
due to an unwise choice.”

Darcy had expected such a choice by the Bingleys, and had already
begun to search for estates in the vicinity to meet their requirements. There
were three Darcy thought would meet Bingley’s needs, though his favorite
was only ten miles from Pemberley.

“Lizzy, we could be living so close to one another before the baby is
born. Would that not be wonderful?” Jane exclaimed.

“I would be so pleased to have you at my side, when the babe is born. I
do not wish Mamma to be here. She will only cause me to be frustrated and
nervous, and William will not appreciate such.”

“If necessary, Charles and I can host Mamma and Papa at our estate, so
they can be close by, but not too close by.” Jane said with a smile on her lips.

“Jane, you are wonderful.” Elizabeth embraced her sister. “Now, William
has told me of the estates he will take you to see. I agree with him, Thornhill
sounds perfect for you. He plans to take you there tomorrow to view it.”

“From the description he gave us, I cannot wait. He believes it will
require very little repair, so it will be ready for us to move sooner. I do dread
telling Mamma we are moving. She will have one of her fits, I am certain of it.”

“But you are a married woman now, Jane. You must do what is best for
you and your family, not what Mamma wishes.” Elizabeth stated clearly. “If
Mamma had her wishes, she would have moved here and taken up residence
in the main house as soon as she heard we were with child. She writes to me
constantly, hinting that I must need my mother’s advice and comfort in this
time of change. I have politely ignored her for the time being, but I know
there will be a time soon when I will need to address her demands to come.
Though she is free to advise me all she wishes, I do not have to take her advice
and do as she insists.”

“How is William adjusting to his impending fatherhood?”

Elizabeth giggled. “He is over the moon delighted. He has daily chats
with our child, has bought enough toys and clothing for at least a dozen
children, and is a mother hen on everything I do. But I cannot imagine a
happier time in our lives. My husband has determined the type of father he
wishes to be, and is looking forward to our child being born so he can hold the
babe himself. William said it is unfair that I have such a connection to the
babe, feeling every move and sensation. There are times I wish he could trade
places with me. Especially when my stomach was queasy and when I have to
refresh myself frequently.”

“Will you have a midwife or has William sent for a physician to attend
you?”

“Actually, he insisted on both. Mrs Buckley will see to me with regular
visits to ensure my health and that of the child. Then, at the end of July, a
physician from Town will be arriving to stay until a fortnight after the birth.”

Jane smiled. “That sounds like William, ensure all will be well.”
~~ ** ~~

By the end of June, Jane and Bingley had purchased Thornhill and were
moved into their new home. Elizabeth was thrilled to have her dearest sister
so close, and Jane made frequent visits to Pemberley.

When the Bingleys’ moved, Mrs Phillips decided to move with her niece
and nephew. She was fed up with her sister’s behavior, especially her
wailings over her eldest moving from Netherfield and her next born not
having extended an invitation for Mrs Bennet to stay at Pemberley. Mrs
Phillips had been close to Jane, so when Jane and Bingley offered for her to
join them, she jumped at the chance. It also gave the widowed aunt a chance
to spend time with Elizabeth as well. Never having had children of her own,
Mrs Phillips was pleased to be able to be a part of her niece’s life at such a
time.

This added to Mrs Bennet’s frustration with her eldest two daughters.
To appease their mother’s nerves, Elizabeth agreed to host her parents and
sisters at Pemberley beginning the first week of August, and they would
remain until a fortnight after the babe was born. Mr Bennet was excited to see
the famous library of Darcy’s, planning to spend most of his time there.

~~ ** ~~

The month of July became one of the wettest in Derbyshire. The rains
continued to come, causing many to worry for the crops, hoping the rains
would not wash away the plants. Darcy rode out each day, checking on the
conditions of the estate, ensuring to the safety of his tenants and staff.

An urgent message arrived one morning in the third week of July.
Bingley was in dire need of his brother’s assistance, as the bridge over the
river which flowed through Thornhill had collapsed and several tenant houses
were flooding. The collapsed bridge was causing the already high river waters
to flow out of control. He also stated Jane and Mrs Phillips were preparing to
come to Pemberley, as the main house at Thornhill was in danger if the waters
continued to rise.

Though hesitant to leave his wife for such a long period, as he was
certain it would take days to manage all the problems, and he prayed that
Pemberley would not suffer similar. He spoke to his wife immediately.

“You must go to Thornhill, Charles needs you. I am sure he would not
have sent for you, knowing your desire to be with me at this time. There is no
reason to worry, I will be fine. As large as I am, I cannot walk very far, so I will
most likely spend most of my time in our rooms. Jane and Aunt Phillips will
be here to keep me company. But you must promise me to be careful and also
to watch over Charles.” Elizabeth said as she kissed her husband’s cheek.
Darcy’s arms wound around her, holding her as close as her swollen
midsection would allow.

“We will be fine, my love. Are you sure you are well? You are sure
everything is well with the baby?”

“Yes, William. We are more than fine. Your child has been extremely
active today, and we still have three weeks before the baby is expected. So go,
help our brother.”

Darcy nodded his head, though he was loathed to release his hold on his
wife. “Please, be careful, Lizzy. Do nothing which could harm you and our
daughter.”

“We will be safe and sound here. Now go.”
~~ ** ~~

Jane and Mrs Phillips arrived shortly after Darcy had left. Tears were
welling in Jane’s eyes as she informed her sister that one of the tenants of
Thornhill had died when attempting to release the pieces of bridge which
were damming the river, causing the flooding.

“It was horrible, Lizzy. Mr Leighland was newly married, and now his
wife is widowed. And to think, my own husband is out there, attempting to fix
the problems. I could not stand to lose Charles, it would be too much for my
heart to take.”

“Jane, dear, your sister is not in a condition in which such discussions
should be held. Remember, her husband is with yours.” Mrs Phillips gently
stated to her eldest niece. “Now, instead of worrying unnecessarily, let us
discuss the preparations for the baby. Lizzy, have you finished the quilt you
were making with Mrs Reynolds?”

“Yes, it turned out very nice. I am so grateful for her help, or I would
never have been able to do such stitching. Mrs Reynolds is wonderful with a
needle and taught me some new stitches. If you would like, we can go to the
nursery and I will show you the new items.”

“Has your husband bought even more for the baby?” Mrs Phillips
laughed. “I cannot imagine any child needing all William has purchased for
your babe. I realize he is hoping for more children in the future, but goodness,
you could start your own toy emporium with all he has purchased.”

Elizabeth smiled. “I believe he is planning to live vicariously through
our children. His parents were the standard society parents. They loved him
and Georgiana, there is no doubt about that. But they were the sort that the
day to day raising of children was left to the servants. Once William was old
enough to spend time with his father, he was off to school. It was difficult, as
he was extremely shy around strangers.”

“I am pleased we were a part of Mamma and Papa’s daily life.” Jane
stated. “I would never leave my child to the servants, to expect them to pretty
much raise the child for me. No, I wish to be a part of my children’s lives.”

“So do I.” Elizabeth said as she patted her belly.

The ladies made their way to the nursery, before joining each other in
the private sitting room which was connected to the Mistress’s suite. Mrs
Reynolds had the midday meal sent to the sitting room, allowing the ladies to
eat in comfort.

After their meal, Jane and Elizabeth decided to rest. Mrs Phillips
decided to find a book to read, taking it to the music room to enjoy it.
~~ ** ~~

The rising water was continuing to cause frustration for all at Thornhill.
The water was beginning to enter the main house. Besides the death of Mr
Leighland, two other men were injured. And the rain continued to fall,
bringing more and more water to add to the problem.

It had been nearly two days since Darcy arrived, and still, the problem
grew. Many of the women and children of Thornhill estate were evacuated to
Pemberley, where they were hosted in the ballroom, which was set up with
cots and bedding on the floor. Some of Pemberley’s tenants were also
struggling with flooding, and were required to evacuate their homes, as the
steward searched for ways to prevent further damage. The ladies were kept
busy seeing to food and drinks at the ready when the men came in to rest from
their seemingly endless task of battling the raging waters.

The other duty for the ladies was to keep the children from boredom.
Elizabeth smiled at the thought of the endless supply of games and toys which
were in the house, though she knew her husband had planned the items for
another purpose. Knowing that many of the children, especially those from
Thornhill, had either lost or were in jeopardy of losing all of their worldly
possessions, Elizabeth felt justified in giving such simple items which would
give some comfort or joy to the children. Laughing to herself, she knew it
would also give her husband an excuse to shop for more items for their babe.

~~ ** ~~

Darcy was growing exhausted by the end of the third day, and there was
still no end in sight for the flooding. There were several inches of water in the
first floor of Thornhill’s main house, and most of the tenants were evacuated
from their homes. The devoted servants who remained at Thornhill, prepared
what food they could on the second floor of the house, utilizing the hearth in
the dining room to cook. Once Darcy and Bingley had devoured the helping of
stew they had been given, the two men prepared to return to the river, as they
were still determining the best way to remove the debris which was causing
the course of the river to flow upon the land.

One of the men had just returned from Pemberley, where the steward
had given him some of the dynamite which was carefully stored at the estate.
Darcy had ordered it as they were planning to remove some tree stumps with
the explosives.

The careful placement of the dynamite was discussed, and then the
operation began. When the sticks of dynamite were in place, the fuses were lit
and covered from the rain. The men then took cover behind a nearby boulder.
Suddenly, Darcy heard a deafening sound, as a blinding light robbed him of his
sight. Lightning had struck a large tree behind the boulder, splitting the tree
in half. Half of the tree came crashing down, directly towards the men and the
boulder. Bingley jumped away, though he did not realize his brother had his
senses disoriented by the lightning. The tree landed against Darcy, knocking
him down, pinning him between the boulder and the tree.