Mrs Darcy (Complete)

Chapter 28

As a mother, I wanted my daughters name to be special, festive and unexpected by my family. Father suggested a queen's name like Victoria or Anne, saying that she is a baby of royalty in his eyes, whereas my mother just wanted a traditional German forename. But Annabelle and I had been speaking of baby names all week and j had narrowed it down to a couple which I loved. If only Fitz was around for me to tell him my thoughts.
I was sitting up in bed with the baby cradled in my arms as I fed her from my breast. She had a strong grip on her tiny hands and her fingernails were sharper than mine. I trimmed them lightly with a small pair of scissors and didn't harm her as I thought I would. Suddenly, the sound of voices started from the other side of the bedroom doors, where the guards were still stationed. It sounded as though some servants were trying to come into my room, but the guards would not allow it. I wanted to know what was going on but I didn't want to shout over my baby and make her cry. But eventually, the doors opened and I pulled my legs up beneath the covers to shield my breastfeeding from who ever came in.

Luckily, it was only my mother and some servants. And they brought in a wheelchair with them to make me more mobile during the day which is what I wanted. "Hello darling" Mother said to me as she came straight over and kissed me on the forehead. "Aw look at his little one. It's she precious!" She said and went to take the baby from me, but I moved my arms away so she couldn't take the baby from me just yet.

"Wait a moment, mother. She's having her breakfast" I spoke as a sudden silence came over the room. Breastfeeding was frowned upon for women of our status and it was the job of the wet nurse to basically raise my baby, but I dismissed her and refused to have my baby leave my side. "Have you heard anything from Father and Fitz?" I asked her as she gave in and sat on the side of the bed, all the while the wheelchair was being prepared with a nice pillow and some blankets from my room.

"No darling. Not since two days ago when they arrived. Although they did say that we should be expecting a white Christmas in the next few days" Mother replied with some composure.

"Alright" I replied, troubled by my husbands lack of appearances since the birth. "Will you hold my baby for a second please, mother?" I asked as she stopped sucking and moved her head away.

"Yes, darling" Mother said happily, leaning forward from her position on the edge of the bed to take a hold of my baby in both arms and support her head in the crook of her elbow. She was an expert at handing babies, having had two of them herself and being trained as a nurse helped. I started slowly making my way out of the bed for the second time in a week. I hadn't even been able to go to the window to look out at the beautiful sunsets. A servant helped me steady myself on my feet and I used her arm to slowly walk across the room to the screen in front of my wardrobe to where some servants were already waiting to dress me. I had a bath last night which was the first time I had gotten out of bed and my sister held my baby. I changed into a beautiful long blue dress, put some shoes on and sat myself down in the wheelchair, at which point I was given back my baby and there were two or three blankets placed over my shoulders and tucked beneath my arms. The baby would definitely be warm beneath all of that. "Right. Now that's done, Lady Catherine requests that she see you as soon as you are able, darling" Mother told me as I was wheeled out of the room, still cradling my baby.

"Alright" I replied and gave a hint that I wanted to see Lady Catherine to the servant who was pushing me. But when it came to the staircase, almost half a dozen footmen appeared and lifted the wheelchair off the ground to carry it down the staircase. "Is this really necessary? I can walk down the stairs" I spoke.

"Madam, the doctor said you need rest" The wheelchair pushing servant replied from behind me.

"Yes, but what will some stairs do to me? I am fine" I added just before I was almost dropped down the stairs. Obviously I was too heavy. As I was placed on the floor and turned to face the next part of the stairs I kicked my legs out and went to stand up. "Oh for heavens sake" I cursed to myself as I used the banister and walked down the rest of the stairs like I usually would whilst holding my baby. The footmen carried the wheelchair along behind me and put it down on the floor at the bottom as I looked down at my little girl still nameless in my arms. "Come on then" I said to the servant who would wheel me the rest of the way as I sat back down in the wheelchair. She started to adjust the blankets around my shoulders but I slapped her hand and simply said, "Stop, if you touch me again I swear I will call the guard" and she stopped bothering me by just pushing me and wheeled me into Lady Catherine's throne room to where she was sitting adorning her usual status beneath her purple canopy. "Lady Catherine" I spoke and bowed my head where I sat.

"Ah, my dear niece-in-law!" Catherine said, as though she had missed me. "How are you feeling?" She asked me, and motioned to the wheelchair.

"I am fine, Lady Catherine, but it is everyone else who is not fine with me" I replied truthfully.

"Lord Darcy, Mr Baasch, and Mr Darcy, Lady Catherine" The footman at the door announced, to which I instinctively stood up from the wheelchair and glared at the servant as she went to pick up the blankets which had fallen off my shoulders.

"Go away. I don't need you anymore" I told the servant, who curtsied and placed one of the blankets on a chair near me before wheeling the chair away at a speed.

"My favourite nephew!" Lady Catherine spoke to Fitz as he entered with his father and father-in-law. "Any work from the canal?" She asked.

I saw Fitz eyes fall upon me standing tall and strong in the throne room, at the side of the purple carpet on the floor. He gave me a loving smile as he stood formally with his hands behind his back. The elder Mr Darcy replied with the news. "All the bridges have been destroyed, my dear sister, except for Hingham bridge which is now the soul entrance and exit to the In-between" He said with a strong London accent.

"Really. That has been expected for years though. And has our favourite king George finally gone mad?" Lady Catherine asked with humour evident in her voice.

There was a low chuckle humming in the room for a second before my father answered this time. "Yes, ma'am. Although he has courtiers to go mad for him anyway" He laughed and made the room laugh.