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Jane’s mouth curved into a slight smile. “And how do you know she is deliriously happy?”

It was Charles’ turn to smile. “Because she has loved Darcy since she first saw him. Did not her letters attest to that? And now they are married. How could she not be happy? I know what it is to be married to the love of your life.”

With those words, Jane’s tears instantly ceased. Charles was right! It was time to forget the past and look to the future. A future that included her most beloved sister!

She reached to cup Charles’ face with her hands. “Are the servants ready to leave? Do you think we have time?”

“We have as much time as we wish,” Charles murmured, leaning in to capture her lips in a quick kiss. “After all, we are the masters of our destiny!”

Her giggles were stopped by an all-consuming kiss, which was interrupted moments later by Peter’s cries to be fed.

“Well, perhaps not the masters of everything!”

~~~*~~~

Chapter 44

Pemberley

Six Weeks Later

“Jane! You cannot hit the ball by holding the mallet in that manner!”

Elizabeth smiled as the ball went scurrying to the left of the wire loop and all the way to the small fish pond, where it dropped unceremoniously below the water. “That makes two!”

Everyone laughed including the perpetrator. “Were I not so huge and cumbersome, I am sure I could do much better. You do remember that I was good at this game when we were young, Lizzy!”

Elizabeth winked at Georgiana surreptitiously before answering, “I remember that you knocked the balls into the weeds then, as opposed to into the pond now!”

“Lizzy!” Jane cried, putting her hands on her hips. “Surely you jest! I won nearly half our games as I remember. But now that I cannot see my feet, when I swing I am fearful of where the mallet will land!”

“It is not the mallet I fear for, dear Jane, but the ball!”

Georgiana was giggling uncontrollably as she lined up her next shot, but she managed to interject, “She has a point, Lizzy! I have never played Pall Mall with anyone who was as great with child as is Jane, though I did play with Marjorie Witt, who is grossly overweight, and it was just as diverting!”

Jane dropped her mallet and made her way to the cushioned chair brought onto the lawn just for her. It was impossible for her to sit on the ground now that she was eight months along, and even this slow game was making her exceedingly tired. Sitting down and heaving with the effort, she began wiping her brow with the lace handkerchief she drew from her pocket, feigning sarcasm as she replied, “I am so pleased that I could entertain you. I believe I shall just sit and watch now, as I shall knock all the balls in the pond if I take my turn.”

Laughing, Lizzy dropped her mallet as well and walked over to sit down on the colourful quilt spread out on the lawn on this unseasonably warm day, and just as she did, Jade came from out of nowhere to lie in her lap. Then she lay back and studied the glimpses of blue sky through the limbs of the large oak tree that shaded their resting place while she stroked the orange cat’s soft fur.

Georgiana dropped her mallet and joined Lizzy, lying on her back as well. “Perhaps we should just make an end to it! We have played three rounds, and none of us has won without cheating. Besides, Brother had the hoops set up too close to the fish pond. It is much too easy for the balls to go astray.” She giggled. “I shall never forget the look on Mr. Cravets’ face as he waded about the pond last week, trying to retrieve the ones that we lost then.”

“You mean the balls that I lost last week,” Jane replied, her face expressionless, causing a new round of giggles by her company.

A sly smile began around Georgiana’s mouth. “Well, if we are to do nothing but rest, what shall we talk about?” She loved it when Elizabeth made her sister blush with her observations about married life.

“Lovemaking!” Elizabeth announced with such enthusiasm that Jade jumped up and ran down the lawn.

Jane looked about nervously for evidence of any men in hearing distance. “LIZZY!”

“Why, it is a perfectly natural part of marriage, Jane,” Elizabeth said as the corners of her mouth lifted. It was not easy holding back the broad smile that threatened, as she delighted in making her staid sister blush.

“Yes, but not one we should be discussing amongst ourselves!” Jane continued, mopping her brow which was suddenly flushed. “That is private, only to be talked about between husband and wife.”

“I was not suggesting we discuss the mechanics of the act, only such things as the average number of times. And how are we to know if we are achieving the average if we do not know what is average?”

Georgiana could barely control her laughter as she joined in, “Indeed!”

“Three!” Elizabeth proffered.