Page 35 of One Night with Mr. Darcy
He turned his gaze down to hers, smiling gently. “No, no, that is not your way. You don’t have a manipulative bone in your body, do you? You are a very straightforward sort of woman. You say what you think and feel and you sometimes face consequences for that sort of thing, but you aren’t one for artifice.”
“Lady Catherine said I was getting better at lying for the sake of politeness,” said Elizabeth. “But she always laughed at me, even so. Said I was hopeless in that manner.”
Now, he laughed, a gentle, fond laugh. “Yes, I can well see that. So, I supposed she liked that about you. From a certain point of view, the two of you are very much the same.”
“She always said that, too!” Elizabeth drew herself up. “I have never thought so.”
He laughed harder.
“Stop it,” she said.
He bowed his head, struggling to get his laughter under control.
“All I am saying is that we mustn’t make it about me,” she said finally. “I am well taken care of now, and I—as you say—need nothing from you. It must be Willie that we think of, both of us. We do this for Willie, who needs a proper papa.”
At this, the door swung open, pushed by a chubby hand, and a small little bright-eyed boy toddled inside, letting out a scream of laughter. “Proper papa!” he declared. “Proper papa, proper papa!”
Elizabeth was alarmed. She shot to her feet and hurried over to snatch up little Willie. “Darling,” she said. “You cannot say that anymore.”
Mr. Darcy was on his feet too, but wavering, looking at the little boy. “He can climb out of his cradle?”
“Oh, he can climb like a little monkey,” she said.
“Mama bed,” said Willie. “Bed, bed, bed!”
Elizabeth turned to Mr. Darcy. “He wants me in my bed. Usually, when he wakes up, he climbs out of his bed and crawls up into mine.” She balanced Willie on her hip and addressed the little boy. “You, my mister, are not supposed to be awake yet.” She touched his nose for emphasis.
He giggled, liking that.
“You, my mister, are supposed to be asleep in your own bed for hours yet,” she said. “Then you can sleep with Mama in the wee hours of morning.” It was typically around 3:00 or 4:00 that Willie would join her. “Let us put you back down.”
“Mama bed!” said Willie, shaking his head back and forth. “Bed, bed, bed.”
“Elizabeth,” said Mr. Darcy. “You… this is not your job.”
She turned to look at him. “Oh, no?”
“No, doesn’t the child have a nurse? If you would like me to do so, I can ask about for some recommendations. I’m sure my aunt, Lady Matlock, would be able to get a list of the brightest and best sent here. If we need to make an advertisement for services, she’d best know how to word it—”
“I like him having him close at night,” said Elizabeth.
“Yes, well, that’s not done,” he said.
She glowered at him. “Itisdone, since I am doing it.”
Mr. Darcy rubbed his forehead. He shifted on his feet. “I’ve angered you.”
She sighed. “Perhaps you should go.”
“Proper papa,” said Willie, pointing at Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy’s lips parted, and he gazed at Willie with a singular kind of intensity.
Willie gave him a wide, bright smile. “Proper papa?”
“Don’t, Willie darling,” said Elizabeth. “You know who your papa is. That is Mr. Darcy.”
“Mr. Darcy,” repeated Willie. “Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy!”
