{"id":3475,"date":"2019-08-06T09:58:43","date_gmt":"2019-08-06T13:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elizabethannwest.com\/author\/?p=3475"},"modified":"2021-12-17T12:50:06","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T17:50:06","slug":"chapter-17-21-miracles-of-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elizabethannwest.com\/author\/wip\/chapter-17-21-miracles-of-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 17-21 The Miracles of Marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

So my sister-in-law had her baby and so right after this book released, I was on baby watch and then had my little nieces! Everyone is safe and sound… I just lost time getting chapters posted. The book is already out and I hope everyone enjoys!\u00a0<\/p>

XOXOX, Elizabeth Ann West<\/p>

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Chapter 17 - The Miracles of Marriage, Book 5 of The Moralities of Marriage<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The weather cooperated most admirably on the last afternoon in Hertfordshire for the extended Bennet family. After the disastrous tea with Aunt Phillips ended with such disharmony, Jane and Elizabeth had planned a grand picnic. Invitations were sent to as many of Meryton\u2019s residents as possible who could attend such an event during the crucial harvest months. The previous year, Mr. Bingley had given a ball. And though the neighborhood was loathe to lose such an amiable addition, once married, there was less pain felt in his leaving with his wife and her family.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The Masters who ran the butcher shop closed their doors for the day, and many other merchants joined the grand festivities. Mrs. Long and her nieces came to wish the Bennet family well. Elizabeth sat close to Jane and Mr. Bingley, as well as the Phillips\u2019, with Higgins and Patrick just off to her side. The picnic was awkward without the presence of Mr. Darcy, but the ring on her hand and acceptance by the Phillips\u2019 and Bingleys went a long way in ceasing the wagging tongues regarding her status. Though a few refused to believe in the wondrous good fortune of the runaway Bennet daughter, most of the residents at least wished Elizabeth well.<\/span><\/p>

Still, Mrs. Long kept her nieces and herself at a distance and Elizabeth watched as Lydia and Mary laughed with the Long sisters.<\/span><\/p>

“I bet Pemberley is nothing but a drafty old castle. And Mr. Darcy took Lizzie there and she was so miserable that now she wants all of us to go so that we can suffer like she does!” Lydia earned the collective awe of the Longs while Mary Bennet merely shrugged her shoulders.<\/span><\/p>

But Kitty stood within earshot, utterly appalled her sister could say such things in public. That Mary did not check her was even worse. She politely abandoned her discussion of her paintings with Mr. Masters and his son, Albert, to intercede before her youngest sister embarrassed them all beyond repair.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

“Lydia, you have no right to insult the home of Mr. Darcy. He is being so kind to take all of us in. Without him and Mr. Bingley, we would have nothing.”<\/span><\/p>

Mary countered her sister with Scripture from the book of Timothy. \u201c<\/span>But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

But Kitty paid attention in church as well as Mary, and she continued the verse. \u201cFor the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Yet, I do not witness you here, Mary Bennet, standing <\/span>stark naked\u2014\u201d Kitty paused as the Long sisters began to giggle at the Bennet sisters arguing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cSo even you appreciate there is a difference between obscene wealth and basic necessities.” Kitty, the artist, was not so fantastical in her talents that she could not hold a practical discussion.<\/span><\/p>

“If Mr. Darcy is so very rich, why does he not give away his wealth to the poor?” Lydia inquired, with the Long sisters nodding in agreement to her ridiculous ideas.<\/span><\/p>

“You should be ones to encourage her.\u201d Kitty turned her attack on her sister\u2019s audience. \u201cOf all people who know what it is to rely on someone’s charity, you know the future we face is uncertain.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The Long sisters had been brought to Hertfordshire just five years ago when there father was thrown in the debtor’s prison and their mother died of fever. Both girls looked sheepishly at their benefactor, the aunt from their mother’s side, and hung their heads in shame.<\/span><\/p>

“You\u2019re such a bore, Kitty. You just don\u2019t want to lose your precious paints. Come on Amelia and Henrietta,\u201d Lydia said but her plans were ceased by a large commotion on the other side of the picnic.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth and Jane has been discussing the room arrangements at Pemberley, with Jane doing her best to follow along even though she had never been to the home. Mr. Bingley provided support to Elizabeth\u2019s plans, when to everyone\u2019s great surprise, Mrs. Bennet led a party including the Lucases and Mr. Collins to their area.<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Bingley hastily stood, placing himself between his wife and sister Elizabeth, and the incoming party assuming them to be well-wishers.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cSir William, what a pleasant surprise. I had hoped you would come to see us off. I have enjoyed your hospitality so very often, I\u2019m afraid it will be one home of many that I will miss of Hertfordshire,\u201d Mr. Bingley complimented.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWe do not come to wish you well, we come for satisfaction!\u201d Mr. Collins said, putting his father-in-law in the awkward position of discord upon arrival, a position two affable men like Bingley and Sir William abhorred.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI beg your pardon, Mr. Collins. I did not see you there, and I\u2019m terribly sorry of your family\u2019s loss,\u201d Mr. Bingley tried to smooth things over while Sir William Lucas struggled to speak.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth\u2019s cheeks grew flushed as she experienced an uncontrollable wave of anxiety spread across her body. Jane waved for Higgins, who rushed to Elizabeth\u2019s side, and tended to her mistress. The movement caught the eye of Mrs. Bennet, and she pounced on the opportunity to embarrass Elizabeth.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cLizzie, will you not greet your cousin, Mr. Collins? Stand and be polite. He is our family!\u201d Mrs. Bennet reached to grab Elizabeth\u2019s arm, who remained frozen in panic upon the blanket spread for the picnic. Patrick jostled for position to protect his mistress, and the unfortunate consequence of Mrs. Bennet and he trying to occupy the same space at the same time knocked Elizabeth\u2019s mother backward.<\/span><\/p>

Mrs. Bennet cried out and Lydia and Mary rushed to their mother\u2019s aid.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cMama! Mama!\u201d Mary yelled as Lydia began shouting that her mother had been attacked.<\/span><\/p>

Those who had seen the accident knew there was no malice, but they were outnumbered by those who had not witnessed the exact moment of Mrs. Bennet\u2019s fall. The long-time resident of Longbourn wailed and cried as Mr. Bingley tried to calm his mother-in-law and assist her to stand. Some began turning on poor Patrick.<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Collins sneered down at Elizabeth Darcy with Mr. Bingley out of the way as John Lucas stepped into the fray to address the footman. He was one of those without a clear view of the altercation.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cHow dare you place your hands on a lady!\u201d He started and the threat to poor Patrick made Elizabeth Darcy snap. She stood in front of her footman and challenged John Lucas directly.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cStop! Where is your sister?\u201d she demanded, and the sudden appearance of the short, but mighty, Lizzie brought John Lucas to a still.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cLizzie, out of the way, this doesn\u2019t concern you,\u201d John began, flustered, but Elizabeth remained. To her, it was though no time had passed, and while she never felt any romantic feelings forJohn Lucas in the slightest, they did have a long friendship since childhood. She repeated herself.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWhere is Charlotte?\u201d she asked, breathlessly. And John winced, rubbing his ear in annoyance.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cShe didn\u2019t wish to come, said she felt unwell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cDid you see her this morning?\u201d Elizabeth asked and Mr. Collins began to step forward, making Patrick vie to protect his mistress again. But Elizabeth held her palm flat to signal for Patrick to hold his ground. Mr. Collins stepped right up until his nose was practically touching Elizabeth\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cDo not seek to spout your lies, Cousin. No one here will believe your false witness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThey are not lies. They never were lies,\u201d an unexpected voice spoke up and many looked to Jane Bingley, who rose elegantly from the blanket to stand by her sister. \u201cJohn, if your sister is well, then Mr. Collins here will have no problem with you going home to see to her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

John Lucas might have been persuaded by Mr. Collins against one of his childhood friends, but two made the young man waiver in his decision.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAsk your sister Maria to see Charlotte in her shift. There will be scars, I\u2019ve seen them,\u201d Elizabeth said, to the gasp of many near enough to hear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

John Lucas looked at his father, Sir William, who appeared very uncomfortable. He tried to change the subject back to Longbourn.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIf you are all so concerned for Charlotte, then you will understand why we are here. Yes, yes! Let\u2019s not forget that it is your dearest friend who will be the next mistress of Longbourn, and may that be far into the future. You must see to it the home is rebuilt! The legacy of the Bennets must live on! Surely your husbands\u2014\u201d Sir William was interrupted by both Mr. Bingley and Elizbeth Darcy.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cSir William, why don\u2019t you come inside and we can discuss\u2014\u201d Mr. Bingley managed before Elizabeth\u2019s more shrill and louder voice won out.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWhat is wrong with men that they cannot accept responsibility for their actions? You LEFT poor Charlotte with that monster and then you LIED about what you yourself witnessed!\u201d Elizabeth charged Sir William with all of the pure rage and frustration she had kept pent up for over half a year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAnd YOU,\u201d she countered, pointing a finger at the sulking Collins, who did not yet have his escape resolved, \u201cdeserve not a penny from Mr. Bingley or Mr. Darcy! I\u2019m glad Longbourn burnt to the ground, and when my father passes, you shall have all the burden and none of the benefit of an estate such as this. I wanted revenge on your treachery for so long, yes!\u201d Elizabeth cried, looking up to the blue skies above her, \u201cAnd I have been delivered. Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord,\u201d Lizzie began to hyperventilate and laugh at the same time as Mr. Collins tripped over his own two feet, down the hill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The Lucases hurried away as John confronted his father, and for a moment, Elizabeth wished should could be a little bird and watch from the window the salvation, hopefully, that Charlotte would receive. When her gaze fell to her mother being coddled and placated by Mary and Lydia, Elizabeth\u2019s heart grew cold.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI only wish others had been lost in the fire instead of the innocents who perished,\u201d she whispered, but Jane heard her.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cLizzie, surely you don\u2019t mean that,\u201d her elder sister admonished.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth looked at Jane with a blank expression. \u201cWhen you have the nightmares I do, you\u2019ll understand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The picnic ending in an even bigger disaster than the tea, Jane Bingley felt utterly defeated as she watched her sister walk away, attended by Higgins and Patrick. Her husband came to stand next to her as many of the guests took the outburst and leaving of so many parties as a signal for their own exit.<\/span><\/p>

Gently, Mr. Bingley\u00a0 reached out rubbed his wife\u2019s shoulder as she leaned her cheek against his hand.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIt was a lovely picnic, Mrs. Bingley,\u201d he complimented, and Jane laughed.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cRight up to the moment that my mother and sister ruined it,\u201d she said, nodding at various servants wordlessly indicating they should pack up the baskets and blankets.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYes, they are a bit volatile, aren\u2019t they? We do have our own carriage for the trip to Derbyshire, though!\u201d Mr. Bingley said, with good cheer, waving at Kitty who was assisting the nursemaid with little Charlie and Lynn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThat we do,\u201d Jane agreed, aching for her children as she spied them across the field. \u201cAnd Mama and Lizzie will be riding separately as well, so perhaps we shall still make it to Pemberley in one piece.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Miracles of Marriage<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

a Pride and Prejudice variation novel<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Release Date: July 25, 2019
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Book 5 in the Moralities of Marriage Series. Chapters posting now on Elizabeth’s site.

After the murder of George Wickham in the streets of London and the fire at Longbourn, Mr. Darcy and his lovely bride, Elizabeth Bennet, must cut their wedding trip to Scotland short. With the financial stakes of all families hanging in the balance of London’s politics, the Darcys will have to work together to see to everyone’s needs. But with so much tragedy and scandal, can Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam rely on each other, or has the trust between our dear couple worn to edges beyond repair?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chapter 18 - The Miracles of Marriage, Book 5 of The Moralities of Marriage<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For the better half of two weeks, Richard Fitzwilliam indulged his wife’s sudden need to dine at the table of her childhood. The dinners were tolerable. Richard ascribed Lady Catherine’s lack of open hostility to the surprising nature of his wife’s infiltration. And his predictions were satisfied nearly the moment familiarity reigned.<\/span><\/p>

“I am curious,” Georgiana Wickham began as she gazed across the table at her rival cousin for position, “what changed your heart to attend to your dear mother so prodigiously? When I arrived, you refused most of the invitations to the house, and I must say” Georgiana looked to her aunt for satisfaction,”if I had the choice to live in such a grand home as this, you would not find me laying my head down in that small cottage.”<\/span><\/p>

Although Anne Fitzwilliam was inexperienced in the art of polite rudeness practiced in parlors and dinners in London, she was older and better read than her nemesis. She relied on the witty repartee the heroines in her favorite novels always used against such dastardly relations.<\/span><\/p>

“I am happy that perhaps you did not suffer the early stages of nausea as I have. I feel them to be mostly behind me given the timeline Dr. Matthews gave me. I thought it best to return to my mother’s side. Women in her position can so easily be misled and taken advantage, that I know my mother relies upon me for support,” Anne finished, and then helped herself to a satisfying bite of her favorite dish, creamed spinach, with the same confidence of any London lady Richard had encountered.<\/span><\/p>

Observing his aunt, Richard felt a foreboding sense of dread as he watched the woman’s face alight with joy. She would not encourage or discourage her niece or her daughter, and instead basked in the glory of them fighting for her favor. The behavior made Richard feel ill, as it was the same expression he was forced to curry when he would visit with Darcy, just to ensure he could see his Anne.<\/span><\/p>

When he looked across the table at his wife, he saw her face suddenly full of distress, and he worried for her well-being. But then Anne spoke, and he soon realized it was not she who was in distress.<\/span><\/p>

“Georgiana? Are you quite well?” Anne asked, and involuntarily reached out her hand across the table, but it was far too wide for her to reach her cousin. Anne’s movement was all Richard needed to turn in his chair and notice the absolute panic in his cousin\u2019s face. Gone were the harsh lines of the jaded and spoiled brat who had usurped the sweet and kind young girl he had been guardian of for five years.<\/span><\/p>

“It hurts!” she uttered, as she cradled her protruding stomach. Richard followed her hands down and realized it was very likely that his cousin was going into the throes of labor.<\/span><\/p>

“Yes, dearie the business of bringing a child into this world is quite painful. But let’s not allow that to disturb our dinner,” Lady Catherine said, cold-heartedly.<\/span><\/p>

“Mother!” Anne chastised, as Georgiana huffed in relief that the pain had subsided.<\/span><\/p>

Lady Catherine glared at her ungrateful daughter. “Mind your tongue and remember at whose table you dine.” Lady Catherine motioned for the dishes to be cleared away and for the next course to be brought out. Even Richard sat stunned at the unfeeling manner in which Lady Catherine ignored the needs of Georgiana.<\/span><\/p>

Just then, Georgiana groaned and ground her teeth and grasped Richard’s hand. He marveled at the strength of her small bony fingers as they dug into his palm, fingers that had been strengthened by years of playing the pianoforte.<\/span><\/p>

Anne became disgusted, and threw her serviette at the fresh plate of food placed before her. She signalled for a footman to remove her chair, and her mother contradicted the order.<\/span><\/p>

“Do not move, I said we will finish our dinner and I meant it.” Lady Catherine did wave for the footman holding the decanter of wine to refill her glass.<\/span><\/p>

“Aunt\u2013” Richard began, but she glared at him with an equal expression of power.<\/span><\/p>

“As none of you at this table have had the experience of bringing life into this world, allow me to educate you on a few of the finer details.” She shooed away the footman once her glass was full, and lifted the red wine to her lips.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Georgiana continued whimpering in her distress every few moments, and then catching her breath in the absolute shock of what was happening. Lady Catherine made a grand show of cutting her meat, and then eating a bite while the other members of the table did not touch their food, nor say a word.<\/span><\/p>

“Your cousin has been experiencing these pains for weeks,” Lady Catherine said coolly and Georgiana violently shook her head.<\/span><\/p>

“Not like this!” She managed before her head drooped at the next contraction of pain and her moans became more guttural.<\/span><\/p>

“Do save the theatrics, you do not have an audience, and you will need that energy,” Lady Catherine rolled her eyes while Richard became agitated.<\/span><\/p>

“We should send for the midwife,” he began. Again, Lady Catherine shrugged.<\/span><\/p>

“She’s already here.”<\/span><\/p>

Anne looked at her mother in disbelief, as it was far easier to think of her as nothing more than the monster that cared for no one but herself.<\/span><\/p>

“And what about a doctor?” Richard asked uncertainly since the only doctor nearby was the same quack his aunt had used to keep his wife mostly unwell. Anne shook her head but her mother overruled them both.<\/span><\/p>

“He is already here.”<\/span><\/p>

Anne was still unable to reconcile this version of her mother with the one that she had known all of her life. “Then why is he not at dinner?”<\/span><\/p>

Lady Catherine was aghast. “Invite Dr. Smeads to dinner when he is here in my employ? No, certainly not. What may be done in other households will not occur here, at least not under my management,” Lady Catherine decreed.<\/span><\/p>

Both Anne and Richard had been so distracted questioning Lady Catherine that they had not noticed Georgiana’s distress growing. She no longer moaned but continued breathing heavily and then holding her breath in silence as another contraction hit. Anne was horrified to see any woman, even one that was her direct rival, make such a face in anguish.<\/span><\/p>

There was nothing to do but to cease talking so that Lady Catherine could finish her meal as quickly as possible when suddenly, Georgiana began to shriek.<\/span><\/p>

“It’s coming! It’s coming!” she shouted, and Richard in his panic stood up from his chair to assist Georgiana away from the table. A dark spot appeared on the Oriental underneath her chair, and fluid continued to drip from the edge of the seat.<\/span><\/p>

Lady Catherine groaned in disgust. “It is merely your waters, child. Please take Mrs. Wickham upstairs. I have lost my appetite,” Lady Catherine ordered. The footman instead helped Lady Catherine out of her chair so the woman might walk to the adjoining parlor and left the mess for others to handle before any helped Richard walk with Georgiana up the stairs.<\/span><\/p>

Every few steps they paused as the pains reduced Georgiana\u2019s abilities and her knees buckled.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAnne!\u201d Richard shouted, and the diminutive daughter of Lady Catherine and Sir Lewis de Bourgh used her adrenaline to move the heavy dining room chair out of her way.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cShhh, shhh\u201d she calmed Georgiana, feeling the movements of her own child in her womb. Immediately, as Georgiana\u2019s tear-stained face looked at Anne, she felt guilty that she could have ever been jealous of this girl\u2019s plight. Widowed, friendless, and young, there was no threat to Anne from sixteen-year-old Georgiana Wickham.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cHelp me,\u201d she whispered, and Anne kissed the top of her head.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cLift her, and follow me,\u201d Anne took command, knowing Rosings like the back of her hand. As she reached the second landing, a mischievous thought occurred and she led the men directly to the closest suite: the one hued in every combination of gold for the Sovereign should he ever visit.<\/span><\/p>

As Georgiana was settled in the bed and the midwife and Dr. Smeads arrived from a less than speedy footman\u2019s message, Richard and his wife followed a maid to her former rooms. There, they both availed themselves of the basin as Georgiana\u2019s screams filled the air.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI suppose there shall be a baby sooner than later,\u201d Richard noted and his wife seemed very contemplative. He recognized how very distressing this must have all been for her and he reached for her. \u201cI am just as frightened, my love, and I would give the world to never see you experience that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Anne shuddered. \u201cPlease, don\u2019t say that. I should experience that, I must. You heard my mother, the business of bringing life into this world is not painless.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Richard could not argue, though he felt excessively frustrated there was nothing he could do to protect his wife from harm.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWell, I am sure you\u2019re off dinners at Rosings, now, eh?\u201d Richard said as he walked over to Anne\u2019s old bed and cheekily flounced his full weight upon it, nearly breaking the ancient beams that held the ropes.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cDid you not attend the same dinner I did?\u201d Anne asked, as Georgiana\u2019s cries seemed to lessen. Perhaps they had administered a dose of laudanum. Anne wished she could be in the room, but she doubted such a thing would be allowed.<\/span><\/p>

Richard nodded, unsure of where his wife was carrying her thoughts. This time, he wanted to be ready to object if he needed to.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cMy mother could not have been any colder and calculating. Georgiana needs a mother,\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cCareful, she\u2019s becoming someone\u2019s mother. You cannot forget her choices and behavior that landed her in that birthing room,\u201d Richard suddenly recalled much of the angry, spiteful tantrums the girl had thrown in his and Darcy\u2019s presence. Thinking about Darcy, Richard felt the stirrings of obligation. He would need to write to Darcy and tell him of the birth, once the baby and Georgiana saw the labor through.<\/span><\/p>

Ann tentatively joined her husband as he reached for her. She snuggled in his embrace and he kissed her forehead. His hand came to rest on Anne\u2019s midsection that was now rounded most obviously on her small frame.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThere is nothing to do but wait,\u201d Richard said. But his wife corrected him.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWait and pray, my love. Wait and pray for their safe delivery.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Miracles of Marriage<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

a Pride and Prejudice variation novel<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Release Date: July 25, 2019
Pages: 306<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Book 5 in the Moralities of Marriage Series. Chapters posting now on Elizabeth’s site.

After the murder of George Wickham in the streets of London and the fire at Longbourn, Mr. Darcy and his lovely bride, Elizabeth Bennet, must cut their wedding trip to Scotland short. With the financial stakes of all families hanging in the balance of London’s politics, the Darcys will have to work together to see to everyone’s needs. But with so much tragedy and scandal, can Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam rely on each other, or has the trust between our dear couple worn to edges beyond repair?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chapter 19 - The Miracles of Marriage, Book 5 of The Moralities of Marriage<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Thomas George Lewis Wickham was born in the wee hours of October 3, in the year of our Lord 1812. Like his mother during the pains of his labor, the boy came into this world screaming and thrashing every limb under his control. He was healthy and stout, and when he was swaddled in a set of clean blankets and presented to his mother, it was love at first sight.<\/span><\/p>

As the midwife and maids helped Georgiana expel the last of the afterbirth, the new mother laid next to her son and feathered his face with the lightest of fairy kisses. Such affection was one of the only things she could ever remember about her own mother when she was a young girl.<\/span><\/p>

“Don’t worry, little Thomas, the world might be set against us. So long as we have each other, we will be free.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The exhaustion and work of his birth overwhelmed her and she fell into a deep sleep. When they tried to move Thomas away from his mother, the boy howled until they set him right back again, and then he settled. A maid was ordered to watch them both. She was to make sure that Georgiana did not bleed out, and the babe was not crushed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

And so it was midmorning before Georgiana had been fully cleaned from the mess of birth, and Thomas, too, sponged. When at last she could sit up and hold her son in her arms, she immediately attempted what she had thought should come natural between any mother and child. She moved her shift aside and urged the child to feed, but his lips remained stubbornly closed. Very little, if any, milk was coming from her breast. As Georgiana grew frustrated, she began to cry, which made the child cry, and the midwife took pity on them both.<\/span><\/p>

“He does not know, missus, rub his lips just so they part, and then give yourself a wee pinch before brushing down, then back up into his mouth. He’ll suckle,” she advised. Georgiana attempted to do as the woman instructed.<\/span><\/p>

The first latching hurt, and Georgiana immediately pulled her breast away, but Thomas had tasted his mother’s nectar, and he did not like being denied. Her second attempt was another failure, as the boy was getting so upset, he would not latch on again. Again, the midwife helped.<\/span><\/p>

“Use your finger first, lovey.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Georgiana tried once more. This time, Thomas calmed. Georgiana took a deep breath, and when his lips parted, she pinched her flesh so that it lay practically flat, then brushed his lip again with her skin before pulling up into his mouth. The latch stayed true, and though the sensation was an odd one, it did not hurt.<\/span><\/p>

“There you go, I knew ye would get it,” the midwife said as she beamed at her young charge.<\/span><\/p>

Although Mrs. Wickham found the connection to her new son novel, she was not so bad at math that she could not calculate she would soon become a slave to the child’s feeding unless he was given over to the wetnurse.<\/span><\/p>

“I shall do this feeding, but I should like the nurse to come as soon as she is able,” Georgiana said and the midwife looked at her, rather quizzically.<\/span><\/p>

“The nurse?” The midwife asked as Lady Catherine had been most clear there was no need for a wetnurse to be called when she had inquired. Therefore, the midwife had not made any arrangements with the local women. Mrs. Wickham was on her own.<\/span><\/p>

“Yes, the wetnurse. Surely no one expects me to become a common cow?” Georgiana asked the midwife who shrugged. She did not wish to be the recipient of Mrs. Wickham’s ire when she learned that there was no extra expense being paid for her or the child.<\/span><\/p>

“Let me go see where she can be found?” The midwife asked, confident that Mrs. Wickham was well on the road to recovery and no longer needed her services. Knowing what she knew of her ladyship, the midwife would seek to get her payment as soon as possible before some grievance of her service could be found.<\/span><\/p>

Downstairs, Fitzwilliam Darcy had arrived at Rosings, rather shocked to find Richard and Ann breaking their fast in the dining room. When Richard saw Darcy, he forgot his manners, stood from the table to rush at his cousin and greet him like a brother.<\/span><\/p>

“How did you know to come?” Richard asked, rather impressed that Fitzwilliam could hold such foresight as to arrive on the very day Georgiana gave birth.<\/span><\/p>

“Was I to be summoned?” Mr. Darcy asked. Anne and Richard looked at each other before nodding. “Why, what is wrong?” Fitzwilliam asked to spy involuntarily the empty seat where Lady Catherine usually sat. Before he could feel too much\u00a0 excitement and begin assuming the worst for his aunt, Anne quickly answered that Georgiana had been delivered of a son that very morning.<\/span><\/p>

That was not entirely good news to Mr. Darcy, as he had hoped to stymie any request of hers to go to Pemberley as it being too close to her time for travel. Then again, she had just given birth that morning. There would still be many weeks until she was churched, and he could use the argument if he was pressed.<\/span><\/p>

Richard suddenly grew suspicious. “If you did not come because you thought Georgiana’s time was near, what brings you to Rosings?” Richard asked and Darcy grew slightly uncomfortable.<\/span><\/p>

“I stopped at the Dowager Cottage first, but they said you two had spent the night here. So I came straight here to beg for an interview, I’m afraid,” Mr. Darcy explained.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0The three cousins retired to a small library on the main floor for any hope of privacy. They all knew they could not trust any of the footmen in the dining room, so yet another meal at Rosings was cut short, and Richard was beginning to think his plans of eating all that he could were becoming a fool\u2019s errand.<\/span><\/p>

To Ann, being in the library once more with her two male cousins felt equal parts thrilling and adventurous. For once, she was as much in the dark as her husband, and she couldn’t wait to learn what intrigue Fitzwilliam was bringing to them.<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Darcy paced as Richard and Anne took a seat on the one sofa in the room. He watched as their forms naturally fit next to each other and he felt a stabbing ache of missing Elizabeth. Still, all of this was for her sake as well, as they were all in danger.<\/span><\/p>

“I could have sent a letter, but gauging by your last one, I did not think you would come. Your father and I are asking you, begging you to come back to London,” Fitzwilliam said<\/span><\/p>

Unfortunately, Darcy had not worded the query quite well, and Richard assumed the invitation only extended to him.<\/span><\/p>

“You can tell my father I am not at his beck and call! And I am not leaving my wife\u2019s side again while she’s in such a delicate condition. I fetched Georgiana for you and brought her back,” Richard was about to add that Darcy could not ask him to do that which he was unwilling to do, but that argument would hold no water. Darcy was very clearly present and Elizabeth was nowhere to be found. So whatever the task was, Darcy had indeed stepped up to do some of the work himself.<\/span><\/p>

Anne placed a calming hand on her husband’s forearm. “Dearest, I don’t think Darcy meant only for you to go to London,” and threw Mr. Darcy a chance of redemption, and her cousin seized it.<\/span><\/p>

“Forgive me, I have been traveling so many miles, that I forgot myself. No, the invitation is not only to Richard. It would be infinitely better if the two of you would come to London and stay with your father.”<\/span><\/p>

Darcy finally took a seat and laid out everything for Richard including the attack on Darcy House and the unfortunate morning at the gaol. Anne listened carefully, but held her tongue as the two men sparred back and forth with various ideas of the motives and machinations afoot.<\/span><\/p>

Finally, when the two of them had exhausted what they thought to be every scenario, their fairer cousin offered an angle neither one of them had ever considered.<\/span><\/p>

“You keep talking about all these men as though this is something they wish to do. But what if the Duke\u2019s son and Lord Strange\u2019s father are caught up in something neither one of them condone or wish to be involved in?”<\/span><\/p>

Darcy looked at Anne as though she had not followed the point, but her husband gave her respect and urged her to continue.<\/span><\/p>

“You mentioned briefly today, and a long time ago when I eavesdropped, that the Earl of Derby wanted Georgiana to marry his son, yes? But the man laid it out as a financial transaction. Lord Strange and Georgiana had never met,” Anne said and her cousin Fitzwilliam began to understand the angle that his cousin could see that none of the men could.<\/span><\/p>

“So you think forcing a marriage to my sister was going to be the first way of solving the problem of his son running amok,” Darcy theorized and Anne nodded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Richard added to the theory.<\/span><\/p>

“Remember, your contact at the docks said that the elder Lord Stanley never came when the scheme was presented to the sailors. And Lord Stanley, the Earl of Derby, took away your shipments to give them to Carmichael.”<\/span><\/p>

“Yes, rumor had it that he was sleeping with Carmichael’s wife, she was his mistress,” Darcy said, very agitatedly. And that was when Richard laughed.<\/span><\/p>

“What do you find so funny?” Darcy asked and Richard howled. Then he kissed his wife’s hand and stood up.<\/span><\/p>

“I was with you that night, oh what a fool I was! I was so caught up in my own life, that I didn’t realize that was the tack you were on when you needed to find Derby. Mrs. Carmichael is no more Derby’s mistress than I am the King of England,”<\/span><\/p>

Darcy did not follow, so Richard continued to explain.<\/span><\/p>

“You refused any discussion to Derby about your sister, and he was a desperate man. When you went quiet and Georgiana went missing, he had no choice but to find funds as soon as possible. Everyone knows ships are hard to come by, and the Carmichaels, well, they\u2019re the future of your relations the Gardiners, if they continue to do well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Darcy rubbed his eyes as he could see it now, what Richard was laying out for him. The easiest explanation for how so many disjointed people and lives had come altogether was the dueling aims of Lord Strange to get out from under his father’s control,\u00a0 and the Duke of Northumberland, who took every opportunity he could to embarrass the Crown. But such action was unfavorable to his son, Baron Percy, as he was rising in the ranks of the Tory politics.<\/span><\/p>

“So you think we might still be able to salvage this mess if we approach the Earl of Derby, and Baron Percy?” Fitzwilliam asked and his two cousins nodded.<\/span><\/p>

But Darcy didn’t say anything more as neither one of them had agreed to come to London. He waited as husband and wife looked at each other and seemed to communicate without words. Then Richard broke the silence.<\/span><\/p>

“In London, we can get you the best care and never have to deal with your mother,” Richard said, not leading with the fact that moving back to London would please him most of all for the diversions and entertainments. He had fled the country for adventure as a young man, and his short experience at Rosings had proven to him he was a man of town, through and through. Or at least a man of action, until such time as he could have his own small plot of land to rule.<\/span><\/p>

“But what of Georgiana and the babe? I can’t in good conscience leave her with Mother,” Anne said and the two men slightly groaned.<\/span><\/p>

But Fitzwilliam was not uncaring. Now that the child was born, the three of them could very easily live in Darcy House as Fitzwilliam could trust his cousins to keep her in check. He was willing to try once more for her to demonstrate her maturity, eventually establishing her own residence, even though the last attempt had been a costly mess.<\/span><\/p>

“I can stay for a few days. We can talk to Georgiana together. The three of us. If we have to, would you be opposed to leaving your mother alone at Rosings?” Fitzwilliam asked as he wished to remain sensitive to Anne’s feminine perspective. But on that account he had nothing to worry about.<\/span><\/p>

“Must we leave her at Rosings? What if we drove out to a field and left her there?” Anne suggested and the three cousins laughed most heartily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Once again it felt as though they were turning the tide set against them. If they all worked together, they could preserve the future for the next generation or Darcys and Fitzwilliams.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chapter 20 - The Miracles of Marriage, Book 5 of The Moralities of Marriage<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The long caravan of Bennets, Bingleys, and Mrs. Darcy travelled at half the pace a much smaller grouping would accomplish. By the fourth day, Elizabeth had grown utterly sick of the inside of a carriage. The constant jostling and rocking made it very difficult for her to keep anything she ate down. Kitty and Higgins, who she rode with, did their best to distract her, but Elizabeth was one of the chief reasons they stopped so early in the day when there was still much light available to continue on.<\/span><\/p>

The other reason of course, was Mr. Bennet. Though Mr. Bingley had graciously hired a coach for Mr. and Mrs. Bennet so that Mr. Bennet may lay upon the bench, they could not put him completely to sleep, only manage his pain. The risk of falling was too great as his immobility made it impossible for him to steady himself. The road conditions were quite treacherous for it to be late in the travel season. Many of the inns they rested at had few rooms, and more than once Elizabeth and Kitty had been forced to share a room Mr. Bingley and Jane and the twins, while the younger Bennet sisters remained with their parents.<\/span><\/p>

“I’ve never seen the inns so full. I wonder why we are having such difficulty when we sent our plans well in advance?” Elizabeth missed her husband terribly who always seemed to find a way to fix these minor grievances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Jane shrugged. Only Elizabeth held the experience of traveling up and down practically the entire length of England. Jane did not feel so educated as to remark on the popularity of where they had chosen to stay.<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Bingley had an answer. “It would appear that Parliament has been recalled. Many are on their way back to London from their country estates. The crowds should lessen as we get closer to Pemberley.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth thanked him for the information. Just as the long train of two coaches, three carriages, and numerous wagons and carts was to continue, Mr. Holbein, Mr. Darcy’s longtime driver, braved approaching his mistress.<\/span><\/p>

“Pardon my intrusion, ma’am. But might I have a word, Mrs. Darcy?” Mr. Holbein held his top hat in his hands while Elizabeth excused herself from the Bingleys.<\/span><\/p>

“Certainly, Holbein, whatever is on your mind, please speak it. How can I help you?” she asked.<\/span><\/p>

The driver stammered for a moment and then grimaced. He gently shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s not me who needs the helping, you see. A few of the lads overheard Miss Lydia and Miss Mary. And while I shan\u2019t repeat the words, as I feel such gossip is rarely helpful, I only wish to say that I’m afraid the coachmen didn’t take too kindly to hearing such words about their mistress.” Mr. Holbein waited as he allowed the intelligence to register. But Elizabeth had long known that Lydia and Mary were turncoats, and so she urged the driver to continue.<\/span><\/p>

“Pray, what have they done?” Elizabeth hoped whatever happened was not nearly the level of when Patrick had accidentally knocked her mother down. Elizabeth had interceded for the safety of her staff once, and though she would gladly do it again, she prayed fervently that she would not have to.<\/span><\/p>

“Well, everyone is being loaded, and I believe you’ll find the basket of comforts and treats for Miss Lydia and Miss Mary have been removed to your carriage, ma’am.” The old driver winked as Elizabeth nearly burst out laughing, when she remembered where she was.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Across the way, Lydia and Mary were fussing with their mother as her father was being loaded into the coach Elizabeth smirked with mirth at the prank of her coachmen.<\/span><\/p>

“Thank you, Mr. Holbein, please thank the coachmen on my behalf. Tell them they have my favor and at the next inn, make sure you all have an extra pint as well,” Elizabeth ordered, utilizing her newly minted Mistress of Pemberley voice. Mr. Holbein replaced his hat upon his head so that he could ready the entire caravan for departure.<\/span><\/p>

Kitty reached Elizabeth, and Elizabeth whispered into Kitty’s ear so that she too joined in on the fun, then she ran off to their shared carriage. Elizabeth planned to leave it all to the mischief, but she knew in her heart that the next leg of their journey would be quite grueling as the landscape would become hilly. Against her better judgment, Elizabeth Darcy followed Lydia and Mary to their carriage until her presence was noticed as they were about to board the vehicle. She caught up with them just as Mary sat inside, and Lydia stood on the rails.<\/span><\/p>

“Go away, we don’t want you to ride with us,” Lydia said as she threatened to slam the door, but Elizabeth grabbed the handle and held fast.<\/span><\/p>

“You may wish to reconsider how you speak to me as you board a carriage that my husband and I own,” Elizabeth said quietly but Lydia only stuck her tongue out at her sister, and flounced back onto the seat, leaving the door open.<\/span><\/p>

Almost all were ready for departure, and it was Mr. Holbein watching his mistress standing outside the younger Bennet girls\u2019 carriage that held up the command to leave.<\/span><\/p>

“What I mean to say,” Elizabeth said, closing her eyes for a moment. She had not intended to rub it in their faces once more that she was rich and they were not. “What I mean to say is that I am terribly sorry the past year has been horrible. It was horrible for me in many parts as well, but then it was wonderful all the same. The moments I was with Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth explained, but Mary was not obliging.<\/span><\/p>

“You cannot buy our affections, Lizzie.”<\/span><\/p>

“Is that what you think happened to me?” Elizabeth started, but then dismissed the question just as quickly as now was not the time or the place. “Tell me Mary, what exactly was supposed to happen? Would you have been happy if I had married Mr. Collins when you so desperately desired his attention every time you were in his company? Don’t think I didn’t see you throw yourself at him. I found it laughable as I knew the man had no value, not in areas that matter such as character and a good nature.”<\/span><\/p>

The window to the coach for the Bennets opened. Mrs. Bennet peeked her head out to stare down the line and see Elizabeth harassing Lydia and Mary.<\/span><\/p>

“We are at your pleasure, Mrs. Darcy!” Mrs. Bennet shouted, and then pulled her head back in and slammed the window down.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth grew so agitated, she threw her hands up and abandoned Lydia and Mary to their smug positions of being defended by their mother. She marched forward to join Higgins and Kitty in her carriage.<\/span><\/p>

There were still a few moments before all the checks were made and the line of vehicles slowly continued on their lengthy journey to Pemberley.<\/span><\/p>

As they reached a speed that Kitty now recognized as the top limit they could manage on a good road, she braved asking Elizabeth to share her frustrations.<\/span><\/p>

“I tried!” Elizabeth said, exasperated. “Just approaching them made them insult me. Lydia claiming she did not wish for me to ride with her, as though that was my aim,” Elizabeth said and Kitty raised her eyebrows, then pulled out her sketchbook. When Kitty said nothing, Elizabeth felt as though she might be missing something, so she begged her sister to speak to her.<\/span><\/p>

“Do you promise not to get angry with me?” Kitty asked. This took Elizabeth aback as she had thought they were on good terms.<\/span><\/p>

“Why ever should I get angry with you?” Elizabeth asked, her tone still highly electric from the distressing conversation with Lydia and Mary.<\/span><\/p>

Kitty shook her head, and gave a few lines of her sketch her most particular attention. “Perhaps you don’t realize how forceful you speak to everyone,” she said and Elizabeth did not argue against her, but merely listened.<\/span><\/p>

“I know your heart is in the right place. But to Lydia and Mary, you got to break all the rules and have the happily ever after. And me, well I’m a traitor for leaving the house all over silly paints, in their minds.”<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth dropped her jaw in awe of such a twisted view of events.<\/span><\/p>

“Have you spoken with them?” Elizabeth asked and Kitty shrugged.<\/span><\/p>

“Some, but mostly it’s things that I have seen and heard them say when they think that I’m not paying attention.” Kitty wiggled her sketchbook earning a broad smile from her elder sister.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Lizzie knew that she too was guilty of ignoring Kitty in a room when she was busy with her drawing, she assumed that Kitty would not like the conversation.<\/span><\/p>

“Did you know that Lydia was sweet on one of the soldiers in Colonel Forster’s outfit?” Kitty asked and Elizabeth shook her head. “You wouldn’t, because most of it happened after you had left.” Kitty did not say thrown out, even though that was the more accurate term. “It was because of scandal and the gossip you see, that she was sent home from Brighton.”<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth frowned. She knew what it was like to feel all hope was lost over the man you thought you loved. But Lydia was only sixteen she pointed out, and Kitty reminded her she was but a few years older.<\/span><\/p>

“To Lydia, if you can run away with your beau, why can’t she?” Kitty asked as though running away to get married was such a commonplace way of accomplishing the deed.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth felt uncomfortable, and Kitty seemed to sense as much. So she turned her sketchbook to show she had been drawing her formidable older sister, in profile, with an expression of sheer fortitude on her face.<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth grinned of the likeness, then asked Kitty who else she was sketching.<\/span><\/p>

“I sketch all of you. Sometimes you\u2019re crying, sometimes you’re brave. But I find that the days of all of us being together are likely very short. I should always like to be able to sketch my sisters, even when you are away.” Kitty’s voice cracked with emotion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth used Higgins\u2019 hand to cross the carriage to sit next to her younger sister and embrace her as she too felt the enormous weight of all that had transpired.<\/span><\/p>

She could not offer words of consolation to Kitty as her sister was correct. The days were numbered for how long the Bennet family would remain under one roof. Eventually Lydia and Mary would find men to marry and they would leave, as would Kitty. And Jane, already married, would be searching for a home as soon as they arrived with Mr. Bingley.<\/span><\/p>

The carriage fell into a pattern of rocking that lulled Elizabeth Darcy into a light nap. As she felt herself drifting off into sleep, she resolved that she would grant all of her family members more grace than they deserved. After all, such a concept was never something given when it was earned, but when it was needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

And if Elizabeth Darcy did not want to live a lifetime of regret, she would do better to remember she had so much and her younger sisters had so little. Their swipes and insults were a buzzing little bee when she stood in a field full of gorgeous flowers.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chapter 21 - The Miracles of Marriage, Book 5 of The Moralities of Marriage<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cThis is not to be borne! She is your sister!\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Darcy made a mock bow to his aunt, rather enjoying her frustrations. \u201cAnd you took her in, Madam. I shall authorize funds from her dowry, but no more than half the interest per annum,\u201d he explained, firmly.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWhy not all?\u201d Lady Catherine de Bourgh slapped the fan in her hand impatiently. Her nephew remained silent. \u201cWhy not all? I demand an explanation!\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Darcy shrugged his shoulders as Richard stood next to him, also unwilling to further discuss the matter. The two men had conducted business in Lady Catherine\u2019s \u201ccourt\u201d enough times to know the woman argued in her drawing room, but held no power over them. Neither guardian of Georgiana would admit her dowry one of the few ways to both control the wayward young woman and provide a buffer should the mining scheme go against the family.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYou should be grateful to Darcy, I suggested only a quarter,\u201d Richard Fitzwilliam said to their aunt, earning a scowl in return. When it appeared there was nothing more to discuss on the matter, both men excused themselves to the hall.<\/span><\/p>

Glancing around for footmen, and spying none, they took a moment to coordinate their efforts.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cDo you think it wise to leave tomorrow? I worry we are leaving too soon,\u201d Richard speculated.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI am going above stairs now to discuss the options with Georgiana. I am sensitive to her condition, but time is of the essence. Parliament is already being called to session. We have perhaps one or two months to learn all that we can.\u201d Darcy sighed, thinking of the danger he had narrowly escaped in London. \u201cAnd it is best for her and the child if they remain out of Town,\u201d Darcy reasoned and his cousin, Richard, nodded.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIt just feels as though we are abandoning her, once again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Darcy realized he and Richard held reversed positions from eight months\u2019 prior. When Georgiana was first found with George Wickham, it was Richard who wanted the harshest existence for the two, and Darcy had relented. Now, Richard pleaded for mercy on Georgiana\u2019s account, but her brother recalled her viciousness toward his wife and others, plus the distressing reports from Mrs. Potter in London concerning a young footman named Jack.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Darcy hadn\u2019t dismissed the lad, as he had been quite clever and helpful in defending the Darcy home in London when it was attacked. But young Jack was in a very tenuous position. Darcy\u2019s last instructions to Mrs. Potter had been to give the man a reference, but suggest to him it would be best if he sought a position elsewhere as soon as it could be arranged.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWe are protecting her, and perhaps that is one area we misstepped before. We gave freedoms she should not have had, and the result is apparent. She should be safe here and out of trouble. Until we know. . . \u201d Darcy trailed off and Richard had to admit he was correct. There was too much uncertainty in every corner; the last thing they needed was a young mother running around London boasting of her son\u2019s birth when sharks circled to feed.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI shall go see that Anne is packed.\u201d Richard grasped Darcy\u2019s forearm in solidarity and wished him luck above stairs.<\/span><\/p>

With a heavy heart, Fitzwilliam Darcy climbed the worn carpeted stairs up to the second floor of Rosings. Visions of his beloved Elizabeth when she’d been so grievously injured just a few months prior in the spring flashed through his mind. Thankfully, Georgiana would not be in the same suite, as no one had moved her from the golden lodgings.<\/span><\/p>

Taking a moment to inventory his dress, tugging his coat sleeves down, smoothing the back of his hair, Darcy reached for the door handle and then thought better of it. Gently, he knocked on the door and heard a small voice bid him to enter.<\/span><\/p>

A beautiful tableau of his sister sitting in bed greeted him. Her hair fell in loose locks down to her shoulders, which were bare as her child was at her breast. Mr. Darcy looked away, while Georgiana reassured her brother.<\/span><\/p>

“Just a moment, he’s almost finished,” she said. His tight little left fist held his mother’s first finger, and Darcy watched as mother and child continued to gaze at one another. His heart broke for in that moment he saw that the girl his sister had been was long gone. In her place was a young, courageous woman who had become someone’s mother.<\/span><\/p>

“I should be happy to return, truthfully, I came to offer you my farewell and congratulations, he looks to be very bonnie young man.” Darcy complimented both his sister and his nephew. Nervously, he ran a finger between his neck and collar, and thought to tell Simmons to loosen his cravat tomorrow before travelling.<\/span><\/p>

“Farewell? I thought we would stay at least for the baptism. I had hoped to ask you to be his godfather,” Georgiana remarked, but Mr. Darcy knew such an event was impossible.<\/span><\/p>

“I should be happy to be godfather to the boy, you can have me named in absentia,” Darcy said, and he watched his sister flinch. She took care of the necessities of ending little Thomas\u2019s feeding, while Darcy turned to look around the room and find something of usefulness that he could do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Spying the child’s cloths folded neatly on a table across the room, he brought a fresh one to assist her and then retreated. Darcy could help, but he would not take the soiled laundry to the pile.<\/span><\/p>

“Whatever made you decide on the name Thomas?” Mr. Darcy asked and his sister shrugged.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI just liked it,” she explained and Darcy nodded.<\/span><\/p>

“Elizabeth’s father’s name is Thomas. It is a good name,” he said. Georgiana broke her gaze from her son to look directly at her brother.<\/span><\/p>

“When can we come home to Pemberley?” Georgiana asked, but Mr. Darcy shook his head.<\/span><\/p>

“At the moment, it is not possible\u2026. Perhaps if you apologize\u2013”<\/span><\/p>

\u201cApologize? She wished me dead!”<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Darcy held up his hands hoping to keep Georgiana calm. “I am not certain why you say that, unless you are speaking of the ill-fated letter that she sent from Scotland.”<\/span><\/p>

Georgiana nodded. “Yes! She said she hoped I joined my husband soon. What other meaning could she possibly have intended?”<\/span><\/p>

Mr. Darcy closed his eyes and covered half of his face with the palm of his left hand. He wondered how much he should tell his sister of the private communication between himself and his wife. On one hand, the truth was always preferable, however his sister may not be so fully reformed that she could not use the information against him and his wife at a later date. Still, Mr. Darcy opted to be a man of integrity over a man of intrigue.<\/span><\/p>

“It is my fault. While we were on our wedding trip, I did not wish to distress Mrs. Darcy. So I spoke vaguely in giving her the news about your husband and she assumed he merely ran off. When she was hoping for you to join him, she was praying fervently for reconciliation of the marriage she thought had splintered. I can assure you, your sister-in-law has your best intentions in mind. Actually she convinced me to allow you some of your funds,” Mr. Darcy explained, but any hope he had of such an explanation making Georgiana happy, he was sorely mistaken.<\/span><\/p>

“I am a widowed mother. I should have access to all of my funds, for both my sake and my son\u2019s.” Georgiana said with her head held high, sitting straight up in the bed. For a moment, carrying herself with a regal air like the strong aristocratic women in her ancestry, Georgiana startled her brother. But he could not fall for such false vignettes. There were far too many livelihoods at stake.<\/span><\/p>

“I am afraid that it is for you and your son\u2019s protection that I restrict your access at this time. You shall have \u00a350 per month, with Aunt Catherine requiring \u00a310 pounds for your room and board.”<\/span><\/p>

“She’s charging for room and board? Like I am some common woman upon the street taking her charity?” Georgiana asked to Mr. Darcy\u2019s chagrin. Even he thought that their aunt was being rather obtuse and rude. Then again, he had lived with Georgiana in recent memory; she was not the most pleasant houseguest.<\/span><\/p>

Georgiana continued her touch of sweetness. She carefully rose and carried Thomas to the small bassinet, that look positively ancient, but served well in the circumstances.<\/span><\/p>

“Why is everyone being so unfair to me?” Georgiana asked with a strain into her voice.<\/span><\/p>

“I believe you possess a skewed view of how well your family has taken care of you,” Mr. Darcy explained, coming to stand next to his sister so that he could take a better look at his nephew. The boy had a round cherub face and looked very much like his mother had when she was a babe. Inwardly, Darcy felt relieved. It would be far easier to love a relation that looked like his sister rather than Mr. Wickham. Darcy continued in helping his sister see reason.<\/span><\/p>

“We’ve given you so many chances, from helping you patch up your reputation with a marriage to even granting you use of the London town home. And you sold the contents,” he kept his voice low so as not to wake the child, but his displeasure was apparent.<\/span><\/p>

Georgiana turned around to stare at her brother. “You have no idea how evil Wickham was\u2026” she hissed and Mr. Darcy took a few paces backward, away from his sister.<\/span><\/p>

He held up his hands in a signal of surrender and grimaced. “There, see? You still refuse to take any responsibility for your actions. Who chose him? You.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

“Because you for had forsaken me!” Georgiana’s voice raised and she took an advancing step toward her brother.<\/span><\/p>

“I was working!” Darcy said, immediately regretting taking his sister’s bait as Thomas let out a cry. Both Darcy siblings hushed their argument as they waited to see if the child would go back to sleep. Thankfully, he did and Mr. Darcy realized it was time to end his interview that had ended in a stalemate.<\/span><\/p>

“I am annoyed that Aunt Catherine has brokered such a deal, but take some time to rest and raise your son. The money should be plenty to provide you with a personal maid for your needs and a nurse for the boy.”<\/span><\/p>

“What will I do here?” Georgiana asked, contemplating the enormous weight that motherhood would place upon her without the support of a husband.<\/span><\/p>

Carefully, Darcy approached his sister, and held out his arms to embrace her. He did not force such affection on Georgiana though, and when she took a half step in his direction, he crushed her with all of the relief he felt that both she and the child had been delivered safely. Such an outcome was an answer to his prayers.<\/span><\/p>

“Raise your son, your beautiful son, Georgiana. Remember that this is his grandfather’s land. Let him come to know his legacy, whether it be for a few years of his early childhood, or Fate should decide that it is he who is to inherit all,” Darcy’s voice cracked on the last part of his speech, because to utter such words was to acknowledge that if Anne Fitzwilliam and her child perished, Georgiana\u2019s son would become the rightful heir of Rosings. No one wished such misfortune on another, but truthfully, Rosings was a more appropriate home than Pemberley for Georgiana Wickham and her son, Thomas.<\/span><\/p>

After helping Georgiana back to bed so that she might rest, and then bending low to place a kiss upon his nephew\u2019s forehead, Fitzwilliam Darcy left Rosings for the Dowager cottage with a reluctant feeling of relief.<\/span><\/p>

Georgiana would be provided enough funds to live comfortably at Rosings, and he would also make sure to send some gifts for both her and the child. But until his sister embraced some humility of her position, bringing her to Pemberley was ill advised. There were plenty of puffed up hens in the Bennet family likely already in residence. The last thing Mr. Darcy wished for was to add a greater burden on his wife\u2019s shoulders.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Miracles of Marriage<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

a Pride and Prejudice variation novel<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Release Date: July 25, 2019
Pages: 306<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Book 5 in the Moralities of Marriage Series. Chapters posting now on Elizabeth’s site.

After the murder of George Wickham in the streets of London and the fire at Longbourn, Mr. Darcy and his lovely bride, Elizabeth Bennet, must cut their wedding trip to Scotland short. With the financial stakes of all families hanging in the balance of London’s politics, the Darcys will have to work together to see to everyone’s needs. But with so much tragedy and scandal, can Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam rely on each other, or has the trust between our dear couple worn to edges beyond repair?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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+ 23 additional Pride & Prejudice variations are available at these fine retailers . . . <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Audible\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead on Scribd\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Google Play\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Nook\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Paperbacks\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Amazon\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Keep Reading Chapters Below! <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapter 1 The Miracles of Marriage\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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Since the murder of George Wickham hit The Times in August 1812, the street outside Darcy House in London buzzed for weeks with abnormal activity. Without the family in residence, the front path before the door contained a motley mix of men from sailors to coppersmiths, alternating in yells and jeers for most of the day. They stayed on the street side of the iron gate, blocking the walk and oftentimes congesting traffic….<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapter 2 The Miracles of Marriage\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Darcy carriage traveled efficiently from the happy frolicking days of the couple’s Scottish wedding trip to the daunting mantle of family responsibility waiting for them in the south. Elizabeth Darcy sat on the bench across from her husband and insisted her maid, Higgins, join them for much of the journey. <\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapter 3 The Miracles of Marriage\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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Charles Bingley’s lease on Netherfield Park would end in October after an emergency extension was agreed to by the parties. Jane Bingley stared at the long list of tasks left in her charge. Even with the extension, it would be a difficult feat to accomplish. The list ranged from a final inventory of the furnishings to help her uncle close out the property to convincing Kitty that some of her larger works of art should remain behind in the attic. <\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapter 4 The Miracles of Marriage\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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Within an hour of leaving the last inn, the surrounding countryside inspired a wave of nostalgia to overtake Elizabeth Darcy. A result from their temporary truce, she enjoyed her husband’s comfort while the carriage returned her to Hertfordshire for the first time as a married woman. Thinking of home, she errantly worried that the carriage might not go past Longbourn if the driver chose the longer route to Netherfield Park through Meryton.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapter 5&6 The Miracles of Marriage\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mrs. Darcy enjoyed tromping through the crisp autumn fields with her husband. Despite the difficulties of all around them, Elizabeth\u2019s heart felt lighter that she and Fitzwilliam still made happy memories on their own terms. <\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tChapter 7-11 The Miracles of Marriage\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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Lady Catherine de Bourgh found her niece Georgiana Wickham lacking in good sense, good company, and any respect for her mother’s sister.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

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