Kitty Bennet is going to be an auntie! With two of her sisters expecting at the same time, she anxiously awaits the day.

But moments of contentment only last so long. She has left her first love, Lieutenant Finlay, and is now at Matlock, where she is reunited with Colonel Fitzwilliam, with whom she still loves, and the feeling is mutual.

Now she must meet the colonel’s family, whose behavior leaves her overwhelmed, distraught and questioning her presence in his life.

However, she is not the only Bennet sister to be overwhelmed. Three people from Jane’s past have reentered her life turning into conflict at Pemberley, forever changing the emotional landscape.

This is the 6th chapter in Kitty Bennet’s journey, and she comes to a crossroad of decisions to be made and conflicts to be faced.

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Release Date: April 15, 2025
Genre: Historical | Regency

~ A Pink Satin Romance ~

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Excerpt

Chapter One

What would Lady Catherine say indeed!

The number ‘one’ has often been regarded as quite the lonely number. Two is always regarded as more profitable, for many common reasons. And in this circumstance, two would double our mother’s joys, and two would also double Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s agony.

For my sisters, Jane, and Elizabeth, by all accounts, had fulfilled another romantic plateau and achievement of marital joy: they had not only married two close friends on the same day, but they were also with child at the same time.

And now, here we all were, in Matlock, where Doctor Carney distributed the news. My own merriment was awakened, but my reactions would not be either lesser or greater than the rest in my company.

Mr. Bingley practically leapt out of his shoes, from mirth.

Mr. Darcy did not speak, but his face was overpowered, his sternness gave way, and there was a gentle exhilaration in his eye.

Mr. Atkins was very amused.

Arthur Philips clapped his hands in a way that reminded me of Sir William Lucas.

Enara, Georgiana, and Mary all gasped in excitement.

And Colonel Fitzwilliam turned to me.

“Two friends on the road to an even greater happiness,” he noted. “What say you to this?”

I gave him a naughty smile.

“I think I am the most perverse creature in the world.”

“And why so?”

“On this happy day, my mind wondered over to a joke. Now, I cannot fathom why in the world that was where it fell.”

“And where did your mind fall?”

I looked squarely at him.

“With every rise of good news that we have here, must look like a tragedy to Lady Catherine.”

I only uttered this to him, and it was enough to make Colonel Fitzwilliam guffaw. His eyes lit up, filled with mirth and, without thinking, I began to chuckle, touching his arm in the process. It was a small reaction—as organic and unconscious as anything. A gesture that is undergone, purely on instinct, is something of which we all are guilty. For as we chuckled to ourselves, I turned to see Lady Fitzwilliam looking upon us, with that familiar discerning eye that she possessed. Once more, it was neither a critical look nor a condescending one. On the contrary, it was simply the tendency of a woman who attended to, discerned, and observed more than she voiced.

Instinctively, I lowered my hand from her son’s arm, and I stopped laughing. However, I did not stop smiling. For, I have learned very late in my life, that the second that you put on a shameful face, when you have done nothing that is actually wrong, you will be wearing that shameful face forever. For we humans spend our lives often saying, ‘I’m sorry’. Sometimes the words need to be said. Other times, it’s said as a bit of a default, a reactive statement that we utter because we are trained to walk around always feeling wrong.

Well, I tired of feeling wrong just for merely existing. It did not do, neither to my heart or head to spend my life feeling shame. Therefore, I maintained my composure and gave into the jollity of the moment.

“My sisters are having children,” I professed, going to Mary and Georgiana. Taking their hands, I began to dance, forcing them to give way and we skipped in a circle. “We’re going to be aunts, Mary, and Georgie! We’re going to be aunts!”

“Yes, we will!” Georgiana laughed. “Now that will be the day.”

Everyone watched us for a moment, even Doctor Carney. However, feeling compelled to dispose of the truth, despite the spirit of the moment, Doctor Carney cleared his throat.

“This is a joyous event, and it is always lovely to see a family receive such news. Yet, a doctor must do his duty and distribute both the good news and the potential ill.”

“Potential ill?” Arthur commented. “What ill could come of this happy event?”

“A reality that every wife has to face, sadly. Both women appear to be healthy and full of vigor. Although, that does not always prevent the grim reality that, the first two months of a woman’s time is fraught with possibilities.”

“You refer to miscarriage,” Lady Fitzwilliam deduced.

“I do, indeed.” Doctor Carney turned to Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. “Sirs, while such an event cannot always be predicted, I still would recommend that you encourage your wives to not do anything strenuous at all these next two months. It will help their future child along, I daresay.”

The gentlemen agreed with this quite easily.

“Oh, my goodness,” Bingley said, clapping his hands, “I feel so terribly nervous now.”

“A natural reaction,” Mr. Darcy assured him. “I myself...well, Doctor Carney, I believe that we may see our wives now? We desire to be with them.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Bingley repeated merrily. Darcy raised his eyebrow and gave his friend an amused look.

“Of course, sirs. I believe the women may be happy to see you as well.”

“Imagine if they didn’t?” Bingley voiced, chuckling nervously, “and scolded us for being presumptive?”

“We married perfect women,” Darcy responded, “you are imagining an event, Bingley, and I will not let you. No, friend, save any irrational behavior for when they go into labor. That is when a woman has the right to curse our very existence. I have often heard that women do so, when in the throes of such pain. And perhaps, they would be right to. They create, while we are the ones who stand there and be happy that we are spared such a fate.”

They all laughed as Darcy turned to Doctor Carney.

“I would request that you visit Matlock every other day while we are here and tend to Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Bingley.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Bingley repeated. And now we all were looking at him, amused. Seeing this, Bingley decided to defend himself. “My wife is with child. I have every right to sound quite nonsensical all that I wish.”

“No excuses are needed, man,” Lord Fitzwilliam said. “We share your enthusiasm.”

Both Darcy and Bingley went upstairs. Bingley always had an active step, but now, Darcy matched him. Soon, it became a competition, and both men were racing up the steps and dashing to their wives resting room.

We all were amazed.

“Did you see that?” I asked. “Did you actually see that?”

“Yes,” Mary said, equally marveled. “Yes, I did.”

 

* * *

 

“And what of us?” I asked Doctor Carney. “Can we see our sisters?”

“Yes,” Mary added, “wouldn’t they be expecting us to give our congratulations?”

“There will be no need,” Carney advised us. “In times like this, the husbands are the best sort of company, for they are only two in number. The ladies are still in a slightly delicate state, and being so very much overpowered by the circumstances, it will be well for them to rest, with only Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley as company for about an hour. Then, when they are prepared to receive more company, they can come down at their choosing, and you can wish them all the congratulations in the world.”

Turning to Mr. Atkins, Enara, and Arthur Philips, I arched my eyebrow, mischievously.

“Imagine if Elizabeth heard herself regarded as being too delicate to receive family? I wonder what she would say.”

“She would prove herself fit by walking a mile after her rest,” Mr. Atkins replied. “Unless I am mistaken, and do not know Mrs. Darcy at all.”

“Oh, contrare, you do.”

Doctor Carney turned to Lady Fitzwilliam, wondering if she had any servants in the household with any experience of tending to women who were early into their pregnancy state. Lady Fitzwilliam assured him that her servants, Vera, and Gabrielle, were adept to the service.

“Be rest assured, Carney,” Lady Fitzwilliam said, “Gabrielle and Vera have a few sisters who they supplied as being midwives whenever their siblings gave birth. They are experts on the matter.”

“I wonder if there is a Gabrielle and Vera in every house with extensive grounds,” Georgiana whispered to me. “I never think of such things until now.”

“I suspect that there is,” I replied. “At Longbourn, our cook, Henrietta, and Mrs. Hill, assisted in delivering three children each.”

“No! Truly?”

“Yes. As Henrietta once told us, she delivered her cousin’s child by morning, and then was returned to Longbourn to make our supper by the evening.”

“Really?”

“Yes. She did. This was when I was very young, so I never knew she did that. Hero in the morning and cook by the evening. Ah, the wonders of the common creature!” I looked at Georgiana, laughed and tickled her arm. “We’re going to be aunts.”

“Yes, we are.”

Then her face dropped to alarm and anxiety.

“I have no idea how to be an aunt.”

Ah, how contagious discomfort can be! At the fall of her expression, which transformed from excitement to fright, so did my will and way. I felt the suddenness of the change of having a niece or nephew quickly, and my brow furrowed, in the same style as hers did.

“No, nor do I.”

“Do not think another moment on the matter,” Enara coaxed us, “or do not do so in a way that it would cause you pain. No one knows how to be anything until they do it. You will learn to be kind, and you’ll even learn to exude a maternal air about you.”

“Besides,” Arthur Philips suggested, “you have been my mother’s companion very often when you came to visit.”

“That’s true,” I realized, “we did.”

“Yes, you did.” His expression became wonderfully wicked. “And how would you feel if I decided to punish you for not thinking of her?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t, Arthur! You had better do no such thing. Aunt Philips has been a great mentor for me.”

“As well as Aunt Gardiner,” Mary added.

“Yes. I only forgot them in this moment, but I will remember them in the next. There, Arthur, you had better not put me on the spot so horribly, will you?” I appealed to Enara, despite that I knew this was all spoken in jest. “Enara, convince your new beau that he is being too unkind.”

“He needs no convincing from me in words,” Enara acknowledged. “I sometimes have a habit of pressuring him with a look. Come, let us look sternly at him and see what happens next.”

Mimicking her, we both looked serious at Arthur.

“Very well,” Arthur replied, with a faux expression of contrition, “I give into the ladies, and will not bring you to the court of judgment, Kitty.”

I touched Enara’s arm.

“You do your service very well by being a wife.”

“It is my way. Thank you for noticing.”

 

* * *

 

After an hour of us all sitting around, discussing the future of the children, we were all granted entry to the bedroom where Jane and Lizzy were.

Lady Fitzwilliam proved herself to be the ultimate matriarch because she immediately found the comfort of ordering everyone around as if we all had known her for our entire lives.

“I will only let two people visit the ladies at one time,” she instructed. “This way, they will not be overtaxed. They are at the special time in their lives where too much activity, or even conversation, can be detrimental to the child.” Lord Fitzwilliam chuckled. “Are you laughing at me?”

“Never, dearest. Oh, very well, maybe a little. They are not altogether invalids, you know.”

“When you deliver a child, then I defer to you on the matter. But since I was the one who succeeded at bringing three sons into the world, I must believe to being the authority on the subject. Besides, are you forgetting that, when I was first with child, you never let me walk more than three steps without ordering a servant to fetch something for me.”

Lord Fitzwilliam slapped his lap, feeling found out.

“I was worried that you would bring that up.”

“Yes, I did bring that up, Lord Fitzwilliam. And I would do it again, gladly.”

Lord Fitzwilliam turned to the rest of us, taking out his newspaper.

“Single and newly married men, this is what you have to look forward to: your wife will keep minute details of everything, and then bring it up every few years, to remind you of what you used to be like.”

“You like it, Father,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said, “don’t even deny it. You love it when Mother brings up the past.”

“Yes, I do have a fondness for looking back. But teasing is important to any marriage, mark my words. Truly, take out a pen and set this down. Teasing helps a marriage vastly.”

We all laughed.

“And here I tease you by taking control over the situation,” Lady Fitzwilliam voiced. “You may own this house, my dear, but I have the joys of running it.”

“I’ll sit in this chair and make myself smaller, while you make yourself larger.”

Lady Fitzwilliam smiled at us.

“He actually likes it when I rule our domain. It gives him the joys of sitting by the fire and having little to distress or vex him. Oh dear, now we talk in circles.”

“I prefer circles. Going in a straight line is so unproductive.”

Colonel Fitzwilliam rubbed his forehead.

“Mother and Father, at any other time, your witticisms would be welcome. We younger folk love when you older sort begin to speak so much and say very little to the purpose. You make up for when we have nothing to say. But once you allow us all to take our turns and wish the young ladies our congratulations, then you can go back to your public teasing.”

“Very well, we will save our delicious nonsense for after I give instruction,” Lady Fitzwilliam acknowledged. “Georgiana and Miss Bennet are the two sisters, so they shall be the first to see their sisters. Then Mr. and Mrs. Atkins, since Mrs. Atkins is another sister. Afterwards, Mr. and Mrs. Philips, you may follow. Then, Richard, you may go with me.”

“Sound listing,” Colonel Fitzwilliam announced.

Georgiana and I immediately rushed to the stairs.

“But you ought to stay for only five minutes before I send up the next set,” Lady Fitzwilliam declared.

“Only five minutes?” I asked.

“Yes. Believe me, you will have many other days to talk with them about it more. Nine months full of it, I assure you. Now get along with you both.”

Georgiana and I walked up the steps. While we did so, we overheard Colonel Fitzwilliam say, “Now Mother and Father, I believe you may return to your witty nonsense. For we truly do enjoy listening to it.”

When we were on the upper landing, we finally felt like we could speak.

“So, Lady Fitzwilliam...” I began.

“Yes, that is my aunt,” Georgiana responded. “Is she not a character?”

“I think I might grow to like her for it. Unless she proves not to like me. But we shall see, Georgie. I might be able to pass through this house and make no enemies. That would be very refreshing.”

“You are being ridiculous, Kitty.”

“I’m sure I am. Yes, I’m sure that I am.”

We reached the door, knocked and Mr. Darcy opened it. When he did, we saw something awe-inspiring. His eyes were smiling. The sight was enough to knock us backwards.

“You look happy,” Georgiana managed to utter.

“I suppose I do, don’t I?” he said, his voice cracking somewhat. “I am going to be a father. I might really be so.”

“Yes, you will,” I said, a little wispy, “it looks good on you already.”

“And what of us?” I overheard Elizabeth say over his shoulder. “Darcy, let us see our sisters. You hold them in custody by keeping them in the doorway.”

Darcy moved aside and allowed us entry. Eagerly, Georgiana and I walked up to Jane and Elizabeth, who were no longer laying down, but sitting in chairs by the window. With the sun behind them, they looked radiant.

“Our sisters are going to be mothers!” I cried, as we rushed up to them and took their hands. Mr. Bingley only had time to immediately shift out of our way as we sprinted past him to get to our kinswomen. We embraced Jane and Elizabeth, giving our congratulations repeatedly.

“My my,” Jane said, “you are too good, you both. Oh, I don’t know that I have ever been so happy. Except on our wedding day, Mr. Bingley.”

“No offense was taken, my love,” Bingley responded, “this is an event that eclipses even our day of tying the knot. Now that I think about it, where does that phrase even come from?”

“Tying the knot is an ancient wedding tradition,” Darcy answered simply, and rather instinctively, “it was an ancient Celtic practice, which dates back to the medieval era, where it literally binds couples together in matrimony by tying knots of cloth around their hands.”

“You know everything, don’t you?”

“I try to make it my habit.”

I looked between the husbands and their wives.

“This is truly a blessed day, isn’t it?” I asked, rhetorically.

“As conceited as this sounds,” Elizabeth said, “I agree with you. This is the first time that I can say that being conceited is a look that I like to wear.”

“And you wear it well,” Georgiana assured her. “How lovely you both look. Oh, you give us such joy. You make aunts of Kitty, Mary, Lydia, and me.”

“Oh,” I said, amazed when hearing my one-time favorite sister’s name.

“What is it, Kitty?” Jane asked.

“It’s strange, but it’s been so long since I thought of Lydia. And to wonder, what would she think of this now.”

“Either she would think that being an aunt would be a good joke and she would die from laughter,” Elizabeth inferred, “or she would be upset for not being the first one to be with child.”

“I am sure that she would be happy for us,” Jane said, diplomatically.

“Jane and Lizzy,” I said, “do me the honor of thinking that I know what she would do. After all, we were bosom friends, weren’t we?”

“Very well,” Jane said, “what do you think Lydia would say?”

“I think you are both right. Lydia is more complex than she sometimes lets on. She would he happy for you both. That would be her first reaction. Her second reaction would be to laugh and say what a good joke. And then she would secretly harbor a bit of jealousy for not being the first to conceive. She is capable of having three separate reactions to the same bit of news.”

“True.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

“And which one of us will have to write her?”

They both turned to me.

“Very well,” I said, “I can take a hint.”

“Well,” Georgiana said, “I suppose that you both will not be able to dance at the ball at Verity Park near the end of our stay here.”

“And that is the only negative aspect to our situation,” Elizabeth said. “For I find dancing to be the best way of encouraging affection, even if one’s partner is barely tolerable.” Here she looked archly at Mr. Darcy. He rolled his eyes in turn.

“You tease me,” he said.

“A wife’s province.”

Georgiana turned to me.

“Did we not see a similar scene downstairs?” she asked me.

“Yes, I believe we did. My goodness, it does feel like we are now part of the cycle that is conversation.”

There was a knock on the door.

“Kitty and Georgie!” Mary called from the other side. “It’s our turn.”

Georgiana and I kissed our sisters, offered our congratulations to the happy couple once more, and then we went downstairs, for our five minutes was over.

As I came down the stairs, Lady Fitzwilliam gave me a significant look, that was masked by the others speaking in the room. I was not left to suffer under her scrutinizing eye for very long, because Colonel Fitzwilliam approached me. Georgiana seemed to marvel at being interested in speaking to everyone else, because she left my side, immediately.

“Well,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said, “how did you find your sisters? Did the joys of newly found maternity render them even more beautiful than they already were?”

“The sun was shining behind them,” I explained, “and the sun was jealous. Well now, twice the conception, twice the happiness.”

 

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