This brought another laugh from Elizabeth. “It is. It never crossed my mind to imagine Longbourn too small for comfort—but it is not in fact a lack of rooms.”
“No?” Her friend raised her eyebrow.
“Youare well acquainted with all of the parties to the question, except for Mr. Darcy—but when I say that he is reserved and fastidious, and takes time to become close to people, in general, although he was quick to fall into easy habits withme, you will know all that there is to know upon the subject.”
“I think it isyouwho seems to find more difficulty bearing up than Mr. Darcy.”
“My mother,” Elizabeth replied laughingly, “is very much in awe of him—and a few words to her, suggesting quietly things that he particularly dislikes hearing, has done wonders to the tenor of our connection in the drawing room. I think she does not understand the scope of freedom that proper settlements give to a woman and thinks that I ought to be far more afraid of Mr. Darcy than is reasonable.”
“No, she is right. To offend a husband is not a small thing.” Charlotte said seriously, “It is a matter I have given much thought.”
Elizabeth also gave it some thought. “I…I suppose, in neither marriage, have I felt anyfearof my husband. I knew how to manage Wickham, and while I do not think I can manage Mr. Darcy so easily, there is no need with him to worry.”
“You trust him then.”
This struck Elizabeth.
Trust?
She had thought it was impossible to trust a man again after how thoroughly she had been disappointed by Wickham.
With a widening smile, Elizabeth replied, “I do, completely.”
“Youhave been very fortunate,” Charlotte said. “I know youmustassume that many odd things are said about your marriage, and that—”
“I will say it again; Mr. Darcy did not kill Wickham for my sake.”
Charlotte laughed. “I referred to the notion that you are a fortune hunter. But it is clearly not true—and not simply because that is not your character.”
“I paid a great deal of attention to prudential considerations in accepting Mr. Darcy.”
“Yes, but you also did so because you like him.”
“And because I trusted in his good character,” Elizabeth replied.
“Only a fool would pay no attention to prudential considerations twice,” Charlotte said. “I observed that there is a strong mutual attachment between him and the children.”
Elizabeth smiled happily at that notion. “It is delightful to watch—for a week he would glow from within, as though he had been given a treasure worth a thousand pounds, every time George called him Papa Darcy—I did not let George say that until we actually were married.”
“You do not wish him to simply call Darcy ‘Papa’?”
“A boy ought to know his true antecedents,” Elizabeth replied. “George and Emily will always know that they had another father, a father who had a mix of good and bad traits, but sadly the bad traits predominated. To do anything else would be lying. Wickham liked to lie, and he would lieabout small things more often than about great ones. What was worse, he often came to believe his own dishonest words. I shall always tell my children the truth, and deal with what consequences may come—I do not fear that this will undercut the affection that has grown between Darcy and the children. The whole may seem odd to them when they are older, but there is nothing that we could saynowthat would prevent that.”
Both women were quiet for a little. They started another circuit of the yard.
Charlotte had a thoughtful frown. “Do you mean to invite Mary or Jane to go to Derbyshire with you? Mrs. Bennet has been most certain that she could convince you to do so—though your father always said thathedid not expect it.”
Elizabeth involuntarily glanced towards where Georgiana played with the children, and when her eyes returned to the path, Charlotte exclaimed with half a laugh, “Ha, I guessed right!”
“What?”
“I believe that there is a compelling reason for why you would not wish to have a stranger amongst your family circle during the next, perhaps eight months?”
Elizabeth sharply looked at Charlotte.
Her friend smiled. “It is not a thing that can be kept a secret easily. Everyone will suspect it—at least everyone who is not convinced that your husband murdered your first husband so that he could marry you.”
“In these stories am I chiefly blamed as the one who instigated the whole,” Elizabeth asked, “or am I seen in the light of a fortunate victim?”
