The Plight of the Darcy Brothers Read Online Free PDF Page A

mattresses provided ample soft surfaces on which to bounce—something Darcy found his son quite ready to take advantage of. He rolled over, squinting in the (undoubtedly very) early morning light, as his eyes focused on the image of Geoffrey Darcy, still in his nightclothes, jumping up and down on Lizzy's side of the mattress with such ferocity as to shake the whole bed. Whether Geoffrey intended towake his father—or even cared if he did—was not obvious from his expression.
    “Geoffrey,” Darcy said in the most commanding voice he could muster, which, at that particular moment, was not very commanding. “Come here.”
    His son finally stopped jumping and crawled over to his father as if he expected a joyous celebration of his achievement.
    “Now, Son, allow me to explain this to you in the best way that I can at this hour in the morning—and while I hold back my desire to thrash you,” Darcy said. “It is considered very improper to enter your father's private chambers uncalled.”
    “ Mother sleeps here!”
    Darcy put his head back into the pillow and groaned. His son was technically correct. Darcy was so used to sleeping in Elizabeth's chambers that the habit tended to continue even in her very seldom absences. “While you are technically correct, I will say that the same holds true for your mother's chambers. In fact, especially for your mother's chambers.”
    His son cocked his head and said curiously, “Why improper ?”
    “Because a gentleman is expected always to act with the most proper of manners. Believe it or not—and at this moment, I do find it a bit hard to believe—one day you will be a gentleman, and that behavior will be expected of you.”
    “Do I havta be a gentleman?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why?”
    Darcy sighed because he knew already where this would lead—down the endless road of whys. He would have to think of something very clever to avoid that, and he was not in the mood to be clever. He was in the mood to call for Nurse to takehis son out of the room by his collar so he himself could go back to sleep. “Because.”
    This was thoroughly confusing to Geoffrey, who stood towering over his father. In fact, he actively climbed onto his chest and said, “Because?”
    “Yes. Because. See, I can give one-word answers, too!” He grabbed his son to lift him up. “Now stop vexing your father so early in the morning!” He added, as he set Geoffrey down, “And don't ask if you can do it any other time of day. See, I knew you were going to say that. Your father is very wise.”
    Geoffrey did sit down on the bed, at least temporarily. “Are you smarter than me?” he asked his father.
    Darcy sighed. Geoffrey was a rather precocious two-year-old, and while the family marveled at his early speaking ability, Darcy found this to be more trouble than it was worth at the moment. “I hope not. Perhaps you will not make all of the stupid mistakes I've made in my life. None of which you are old enough to hear about, so don't ask.”
    “Are you smarter than Mother?”
    “No,” Darcy said. “Definitely, definitely not. I think my whole life will consist of her outwitting me.”
    “Are you smarter than Uncle Bingley?”
    “Are you going to go down the list of everyone you know and ask how I compare myself to them?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then do you want to sit inside all day and practice your reading instead of going outside and playing with Georgiana?”
    His son was horrified. “No!”
    “Then I suggest you cease this line of conversation and let me sleep!”
    Geoffrey hopped off the bed and scurried out of the room with exceptional speed, even for him. Darcy let out a contented sigh and stared at Elizabeth's empty pillow. “It's from your side of the family, you know,” he said, and turned back on his other side.
    But he did not, in fact, go back to sleep. Before long the rooster crowed, and Darcy slowly drifted in and out until his regular time for waking. Since his marriage, the servants no