“Then how have I unhinged your composure?” Edward pressed, his mouth’s corners turned down. “Tell me what you truly want, Georgiana. Whatever it is, I’ll move the heavens to make it so.”

She gave him a chagrined smile. “If anyone could fulfill my dreams, it would be you; but I’m no longer a little girl. A new doll shan’t satisfy me.” She gave herself a good firm shake. Impulsively, Georgiana rose on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I came to offer my gratitude for your arrangements for the skating party. It’ll be a grand entertainment.” With that, Georgiana scurried away, making a point of adding a sway to her hips. After all, Edward was watching.



Elizabeth briefly closed her eyes and brought forth her husband’s image. “You may question my intelligence when I tell you that it took Mr. Darcy some six months to make inroads into my prejudice against him.” As she spoke, Elizabeth kept an eye on the mantel’s clock. Spotting the curious rise of Mary’s eyebrow, Elizabeth nodded. “It’s true: I tried desperately to dislike the man.”

“A man of Mr. Darcy’s consequence?” Mr. Joseph asked as he adjusted his wife’s position.

“Oh, quite so,” Elizabeth said playfully. “My father’s a gentleman; I’m a gentleman’s daughter; in that respect, Mr. Darcy and I are equals. But where the late Lady Anne Darcy was an Earl’s youngest child, my maternal aunts and uncles are country lawyers and clergymen. Our consequence is quite below that of Mr. Darcy’s family, and I allowed my own insecurities to blind me to my husband’s goodness. In those early days, with conceit, I thought my judgment impeccable.” Elizabeth paused to observe Mary’s reaction to her latest contractions.

“Go on,” the woman gasped and clung tightly to her husband’s hand. “Tell us more.”

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip and went through a mental list of what to expect next. She tried to remember all the details of Jane’s delivery. “I shan’t bore you with the specifics of our coming together,” she began before adjusting Mary’s position again. “Let’s say there was a great deal of drama, as well as some laughable moments.” Elizabeth continued her recitation to distract Mary from the current situation’s dire possibilities. “But you didn’t ask how we found each other. You asked how I knew that Mr. Darcy owned my heart. It was my husband’s sense of honor that solidified my admiration.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Joseph said breathily as his wife jabbed him in the ribs.

Elizabeth thought this the most bizarre conversation of her memory, but she did not hesitate to keep it going. “Please don’t confuse honor with respect. Respect is given because we like a person, and we can withhold it from someone who displeases us, but that’s not what the Bible teaches us of honor.”

“Honor thy mother and thy father,” Mr. Joseph stated.

“Exactly,” Elizabeth declared. “That’s how I knew Mr. Darcy would be a wonderful husband and father. I witnessed how my dear Fitzwilliam has devoted his life to honoring his own parents.” She shot a quick glance toward the room’s door. She had no doubt that Darcy remained outside in the darkened hallway. He considered it his province to protect those he loved. “And Mr. Darcy has served as his sister’s guardian for the last eight years. Miss Darcy blossoms under her brother’s administrations.You should hear him praise Georgiana’s potential.”

Mary grimaced, but she managed to say, “Honor has a… a language all its own.”

They all paused to allow Mary to work her way through another spasm. “That’s good, Mary,” Elizabeth encouraged. She handed Mr. Joseph a damp cloth to wipe his wife’s face. With everything settled again, Elizabeth returned to her story. Everything was coming together. From the beginning, she had found Mary to be a woman who loved a good tale. That’s why Elizabeth had asked her husband to read to the woman earlier. During that time, Mrs. Joseph had progressed through the stages of her delivery in a relaxed atmosphere. Now, this discussion on honor served the same purpose. Instead of fighting the pain, Mary embraced it. Elizabeth actually began to believe that together they would see this child to a healthy entrance.

“When Mr. Darcy speaks, my husband speaks honorably. His servants and his tenants accept the honor he freely gives them, and they respond with a sincere desire to help Mr. Darcy achieve his vision. My husband is the type of man who speaks with a person rather than to him, and when he speaks of someone of his acquaintance, he does so to the person’s face. Therefore, those who know him serve Mr. Darcy with passion.”

“Honor is God’s greatest gift,” Mr. Joseph observed.

“Honor elevates,” Elizabeth whispered as she turned her gaze toward the door. “It speaks with affection.”



“Lieutenant, do you have a moment?” The colonel had found his aide in the billiards room playing a solitary game.

The officer had come to attention. “I’m at your service, Sir.”

“No need for military protocol, Southland.” Edward chose a cue stick from those displayed. “How about a game?”

“Of course, Sir.” The lieutenant gathered the balls and placed them in the rack. “Have I done something to displease you, Sir? Your expression says you’re troubled.”