Darcy and Fitzwilliam: A Tale of a Gentleman and an Officer

Lizzy struggled to pick up her shoes, waddling out of the room with tears beginning to sting her eyes. I am supposed to trust him without question, and he does this. She was fighting emotions from anger, to hurt, back to anger again. How humiliating! How will I ever face Richard again? Ugh! My feet are killing me. She wanted to go pound on Fitzwilliam’s door so she could complain about her husband, but she realized that was not the best nor most logical plan at the moment.

Am I to have no friends at all? Is he allowed jealousy with no basis in reason, while I am allowed none, when he’s already admitted to a relationship with that woman? She walked slowly to their room, angrily swiping away her tears with the back of her hand. He looks very tired though. He looks tired and concerned. She stopped by her dressing room and pressed a hand to her heart. We’ll be home soon in London, and then we can relax and wait for the baby.

All will be fine as it once was.

It has to be.

***

For the first time in his life, he looked a mess. When he walked into her dressing room, he was barefoot, his hair wild, his eyes red-rimmed from exhaustion, his coat off, and his shirt pulled out from his pants, the tails hanging down from his waist. Their eyes met.

“May I?” he asked quietly. She had been standing before the immense French doors overlooking the garden, staring unseeing across the moonlit expanse, a brush in her hand. She turned to look at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she nodded, offering him the brush.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I find it hard to hit upon a comfortable position when I sit on that antique vanity chair, and I am so very tired tonight.” He tenderly took the brush from her hand and began to glide it through her soft, shiny hair, then set down the brush to loosely braid it for her. Quiet surrounded them.

“Shall I rub your back?” His hands lay warm and gentle at her waist.

She nodded, and when she looked up, she saw him watching her in the dark reflection of the window. He looks so sad and tired, and her heart broke for him. She placed her hands upon his.

“Forgive me, Lizzy,” was all he could manage to say as he pressed his forehead atop her head. She turned quickly and reached up, struggling onto her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck. They stood like that for a time, holding each other, then softly kissed.

He led her over to the bed, helping her up the two steps and onto her side to rest. Sitting next to her, he began to massage her back and hip through her night robe, a sad, embarrassed look upon his face.

Finally, he spoke. “I’ll apologize to Fitzwilliam in the morning. I don’t know what came over me; I think I may be losing my mind. I saw the two of you holding hands and…”

She turned on her back and placed a finger to his lips. “Hush! It is all right, William. I was crying, and Richard heard me, so he asked if he could enter. He was almost equally concerned, you see. I welcomed his company because it was frightening waiting alone for you with that storm blowing.”

Darcy lay down beside her and gathered her into his arms, pulling a coverlet over them. “I don’t think he sleeps well. Catherine is concerned and wants me to speak with him; it seems that some nights he just roams through the halls. I imagine he was lonely as well.”

“He is such a kind man, William. Truthfully, if you had come home an hour before, you would have seen a hysterical banshee instead of a wife.”

He took her palm from his face and kissed her soft hand.

“You’re tired, William, and you worry much too much. Let’s go to sleep. This will all be over in a few months.”

He grunted loudly. “I’ll collapse well before then,” he murmured in her ear.

***

The following morning, he found Fitzwilliam at breakfast early, as he knew he would. Fitzwilliam had to be off and on the roads to make London late the following day.

“Morning, Cousin. And how are we feeling today?” Fitzwilliam called out when he saw Darcy approach the breakfast room.

“ We feel like a complete ass, thank you very much, and how do you feel, Cousin?” Grabbing a cup of coffee, he sat down across from Fitzwilliam, stretching his long legs before him.