by Lynne Robson
Bishop Peel came in to tell them it was time and to shake their hands, wishing them well. Both grooms entered the front of the church and Darcy looked around nervously seeing all his relatives smiling at him. Mrs. Bennet was literally beaming, as she sat with Mary, Kitty, Lydia at her side. The music started and he knew that his Elizabeth was now on her way to him.
Soon, he thought, we will be married and this part will be over, then they would be able to begin their new life together as husband and wife.
Mr. Bennet made his way down the aisle with both Jane and Elizabeth on his arms. Both women looked stunning. When Elizabeth looked up to see Mr Darcy, and Mr. Bingley she almost burst out laughing; there they stood looking dazed at the sight of there brides . Elizabeth looked up at her father and then at the grooms, Mr. Bennet nodded and he smiled, once at the altar, Mr. Bennet handed Jane to Charles, and Elizabeth to William then stood back.
Georgiana was bridesmaid for Elizabeth and Maria was bridesmaid for Jane; both looked beautiful in their pink gowns carrying the Fitzwilliam roses. Georgie and Maria had both been extremely nervous, and found courage by holding each other’s hands whilst walking down the aisle. The church smelled of lavender and orange blossoms, along with the smell of roses from the flowers each bride carried. The marriage service went extremely quickly for both couples and soon it was time to go to Matlock house for the wedding reception and garden party.
The Darcys and the Bingleys were staying the wedding night at Pemberley, and then the following day, an early start was made on their wedding journey to Mr. Darcy’s estate in Ayrshire, Scotland, for six weeks. The journey to Scotland would normally take them a week to get there, so Fitzwilliam and Charles had arranged surprises for their wives along the way. Therefore, this extended their journey to two weeks travel, as they made sure they stayed in some of the nicest places in England and Scotland on the way. Both couples had hoped to be able to go abroad to Italy or Venice for their wedding journey; but the passage between England and France was still not safe due to the war.
Both couples had a wonderful time in Scotland, the weather was beautiful and they enjoyed visiting much of the surrounding countryside. On their return Mr Bingley expressed that he would like to purchase an estate near to Pemberley as he knew his Jane would not be happy unless she was near her sister. Mr Darcy promised to keep his eyes and ears open for the news of any coming up for sale near Pemberley. Elizabeth and Jane were glad to hear of this as they hoped that any children they may have would grew up together.
As time went by, it became known to everyone that the Darcy’s of Pemberley had an unusually happy loving marriage, everyone could see the love and respect that they both had for each other, which deepened as they grew older. Elizabeth became one of the most sort after hostesses in London, and in Derbyshire, the tenants of Pemberley and the villagers in Lambton and Kympton, loved her for the caring way she treated them.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth were again at Matlock House accompanied by their twin sons, Edward and Thomas, this time for the marriage of Richard Fitzwilliam, to Miss Maria Lucas. Not long after his Aunt Catherine had informed him of his inheritance, Richard had resigned his commission and proposed to the young Miss Lucas. Like his brother and Mr Darcy, Richard had learned the best way to run an estate through his father. Being very close from their youth onwards, Richard relied on Mr Darcy’s advice and help in matters on his estate.
At the wedding reception Aunt Catherine smiled and said to Elizabeth,
“Well now, I have helped my nephews all find a wife, now I have my niece to help find a husband, and perhaps your younger sisters, if they will let me.”
“Lydia has finally finished at the school, my father sent her to. She has become a beautiful young lady, not silly and selfish like she was at one time. I think she has learned a hard lesson, that life is not a bed of roses to be trampled on. She was so sad when it was announced that Major Steven Denny was killed at Waterloo, not long after his well-earned promotion. They had both waited so patiently so that he could court her properly. I hope she will find someone else who will love her like Fitzwilliam loves me,” Elizabeth replied.
“And what about your other sisters’,” asked her Ladyship.
“Kitty is doing well, she is now taking her artwork very seriously. Because of this, I have hired one of the London masters for her. Kitty and Georgiana have become fast friends and write to one another regularly. When they come to Pemberley, I always know where to find Kitty and Georgie; both will be in the rose garden painting a single rose. They usually pick one bush that has a nice bud and go back every day; drawing each change, they see in it until it becomes a beautiful flower. Mary, well, we hardly ever see her since she went into the nunnery in Somerset, and she writes to us regularly and is allowed to visit our father for 3 times each year. She was always reading her Bible and quoting from it when she was younger. I am glad she is so very happy now.”
“Georgiana is blooming into a beautiful, confident, young lady under your guidance, Elizabeth. I am so happy to see her so, both Rebecca and myself used to feel that she needed someone her own age. Now tell me, how are your beautiful young boys doing? I know that they are only six months old, but they look much older. William tells me you have fed them both yourself as they were quite small when they were born. I can see that it has made them healthier children, and that they are growing into two very handsome young boys.”
“Yes, I did feed the Edward and Thomas myself. I did not like the idea of sending them out to someone else to look after them. I felt that because they were so small, they needed their mother’s care and attention,” Elizabeth replied seriously.
“How is your father? Has he gotten over your mother’s death? It was such a dreadful accident, I am glad that none of your sisters had gone to Meryton with her. Did they find out what caused it?”
“Yes Aunt Catherine, my father informed that one of the axel pins had broken and that caused the wheel to come off. The carriage then rolled, throwing her out of the carriage and into a tree, which broke her neck killing her instantly.”
“Oh dear, your poor mother. I am glad that your mother did not suffer in any way. How your poor Father must have suffered to hear of what happened,” Lady Catherine exclaimed.
“My father was at Pemberley at the time as I was pregnant with the twins at the time.” Elizabeth told her ladyship sadly, “My mother had not come to Pemberley due to her just getting over a very bad bout of influenza, preferring to stay at home rather than passing it on to us at Pemberley. That day she had decided that a bit of fresh air would do her good, so she decided to go to see her sister, my Aunt Phillips.”
“How is your Aunt Phillips, I hear that she has been very distraught over her sisters’ death. It must also have been a dreadful shock to your father as well.”
“Yes, it was a shock to all the family but most of all to Papa. At first Papa blamed himself, for not getting a new carriage, like my mother had wanted him to do. It has taken my father a long of time to get over the shock, but I think he is finally coming to terms with it. Every time he travels he checks everything himself as he does not want another accident, or he will come by horse, or post which does not do him any good at his age.”
“I can understand how he feels, I suppose checking everything personally, before he travels helps him to feel a lot easier, after what happened.”
“Fitzwilliam and I have told him that we will send one of our coaches for him when he wants to travel, we have asked him to come and stay with us permanently, at Pemberley. He could rent Longbourn out for a time and live a comfortable life with us in Derbyshire. I just wish he would consider it.”
“Give him time my dear and you will most likely find that he will agree to it sooner than you think.”
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Richard Fitzwilliam and Maria Lucas Fitzwilliam went for their wedding journey to Italy then home to Rosings, where Lady Catherine had mov
ed into the Dower house. They lived a happy life at Rosings Park with their two children; Charlotte and Mr Collins had two boys and lived a long happy life at Hunsford. Mr Collins stayed on at Hunsford preaching and pontificating not only to his wife but also to a new generation of Fitzwilliams’. The shock of losing Longbourn did not upset him at all, infact he was quite relieved. Jane and Mr Bingley after a year in Hertfordshire moved near to the Darcy’s, at an estate called Pennyacres, 30 miles away in Yorkshire, they had a family of two boys and a girl. Mr Bennet eventually took up the offer from Mr Darcy and Elizabeth and moved into Pemberley living out the rest of his days happy and contented. Georgiana eventually married the young handsome Duke of Essex, moving not far from her home to Peveril Castle and over the years gave her husband three boys and a girl. Kitty married a good friend of Mr Darcy’s a young man called Mr Manley whose small estate was near to Pemberley where they lived a quite life with their only child. Lydia eventually married a young Colonel who swept her off her feet; Colonel Davidson owned a large plantation in India where they lived out a long and happy life with their several children. As for Mary she lived her whole life in pure happiness doing what she had always dreamed of, her life in the nunnery soon expanded to missionary work travelling to many different places in the world. As for Mr Darcy and Elizabeth, lived long and prosperous lives, lovingly content in everything thing they did together, over the years, Elizabeth gave her husband four sons and three daughters. Both lived to a ripe old age of 80 and 88 passing away within a week of each other.
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As for Lady Catherine, she lived out the rest of her happy life amongst her family and friends. All were very sad the day she passed away many years later. On her headstone, they inscribed “Beloved of many, a Great Woman and Friend, Catherine Alexandra Fitzwilliam de Bourgh, Very Sadly Missed.”
***THE END***
