Mrs Darcy (Complete)

Chapter 9

The following morning, I decided I would spend as much time as I could in the gardens while the sun was out. I was at the spot where Fitz had recently proposed to me and the flowers were blooming through spring and looked even better now summer was only around the corner. I noticed the primroses were looking especially beautiful beside the daffodils that made me instantly think of Fitzwilliam and his sweet proposal to me the previous evening. Then I though of Annabelle and her secret pregnancy and suddenly I worried for her in case mother or father found out. If father found out before my sister was married, he'd have her give away her baby. And nobody wanted that.

"Good morning, Miss Eve" I heard Fitzwilliam's unique voice say to me from a short distance away.

I looked up to see if he was standing next to me with his hands behind his back like he usually was when he watched me planting. But he wasn't there. I looked the other way and saw he was standing in the sun beyond the shade of the tree. My father and future brother in law stood with him. I stood up and instantly smiled as I saw the three of them. "Good morning" I replied. "Off on another adventure, father? I questioned and raised my eyebrows as I usually would on these types of days.

My father laughed and put his hands on Cedric and Fitzwilliam's shoulders heartily. "Yes, darling, the boys and I are just going riding in the countryside for an hour or two" He told me and motioned to the pair of pistols attached to his belt with his sword and the musket over his shoulder.

"Mister Baasch, I wondered if I might have a private word with your daughter before we leave" Fitzwilliam asked of my father who looked as impressed as always when the younger Mr Darcy addressed him about our family.

"Of course, dear boy" Father replied and turned to leave with Cedric.

Fitzwilliam came over to me and beamed as he did. But I couldn't help watch Cedric walk away with my father and I wondered whether he knew about his unborn child who was growing inside my little sister. "Hello, Eve" Fitz said and went to take my hands.

I put my hands behind my back and stepped back a little, my faced flushing pink. "No, dont. It's still a secret remember" I told him. Fitz controlled his actions, but kept smiling like an idiot. "Has my father told you where you're going?" I asked, glancing over to the two men walking away slowly.

"Back to my aunts to check how the new defences are coming along. If they are ready, you will be able to go back with your family" He said and I could see how much he wanted to touch me. I felt the same. I wanted to hold his hand and hug him, kiss his lips and claim him as mine, but to keep our discretion, we had to control ourselves.

"Come along, Darcy! Let's not keep your aunt waiting" Cedric called from the arched entrance to my garden. He smiled honourably at me and I did wonder whether he knew. He probably did.

"You should go" I said to my secret lover.

Fitzwilliam smiled and bowed to me then took my hand in his gently and brought it up to his lips to kiss tenderly as I curtsied to him and beamed. "Good day, Miss Baasch" He said and left. I waved to my father as Fitzwilliam walked towards him and earned a wave back before all three of them turned and walked out of the gardens.

I watched the men leave until they were out of my sights before I threw my hair over my shoulders and started walking back to the house.

A little while later, I found my mother and the elder Mr Darcy sitting peacefully together with George Wickham in one of the drawing rooms. I didn't really feel like speaking to Wickham as he creeped me out a little, so I tried to carry on in my path to nowhere. "Eve, darling" I heard my mother call to me which made me stop and face them. "Come here and sit with us"

I did as I was asked and sat down beside my mother on one of the sofas while the men were in two desperate chairs. "I was just telling your mother about how I came to be in the army, Miss Eve" Wickham said to me.

"How nice for you, Mr Wickham" I replied and clasped my hands together.

"Oh darling, call him George. I do" Mother nudged me and raised her eye brows. I wondered whether she had missed being in England so much that she had forgotten about all the bad things which had happened to us in Germany.

"Would you like me to tell the tale again?" Wickham asked the three of us.

"Yes!" Mother replied.

"No, thank you" I said at the same time and earned a simple but glaring expression from my mother. "I think I've heard enough of tales of military might and strategy for one day thank you, Mr Wickham" I told the room. I glanced over to the elder Mr Darcy who was smiling at me with shining teeth.

I made to get up and leave, but mother caught my wrist and stopped me. "Eve, don't be rude!" She said to me through grit teeth and burning eyes.

I tore my arm away from him and took a few steps backwards to turn toward the door, but my sister was standing in the doorway with tears filling in her eyes and her hands covering her stomach. "Annabelle...?" I whispered, quickly coming up with an idea in my head of why she was so tearful.

"Eve, baby. What's the matter?" Our mother asked behind me.

"Mother, it's fine. I only need Eve for a few moments" My sister replied with a straight face to our mother, then turned on her heel and walked out of the room at such a speed that she knocked over a vase on the table beside the door as she left. I chased after her.