“You must know that Georgiana has a large dowry.”
“Yes, I do, but I intend that money should be hers.” His smile was wry. “I’m not being as generous as it seems. With my incomes and hers from painting, we have more than enough, even without her dowry. It’s my hope she’ll put it aside for any children we may have.”
Darcy was pleased, on all counts. Though he wished his sister would return to respectable society, he couldn’t begrudge her the happiness and success she’d found. Maybe she would permit him and Elizabeth to take any children she might have under their wing. Anne and little Fitzwilliam would love to have more younger cousins. The Bingleys decided not to buy Netherfield Park, but bought a home just three hours from Pemberley. The families met often but Anne Darcy still complained that she didn’t have enough cousins nearby. “Then we’re agreed, not that you need my permission, in truth. Georgiana can, and will, do as she pleases.”
Greyson offered a smile. “Yes, she will, but it makes both of us happy to have your blessing.”
Darcy stood, offering his hand, which Greyson shook. He called for a drink and toasted his new brother, and Greyson’s and Georgiana’s happiness. A short time later, he bid Greyson farewell, knowing he would go straight to Georgiana with the news.
Late that evening, when Darcy lay in bed, one arm about his wife, he recounted the meeting. Elizabeth listened attentively, as she always did. She asked several questions, and seemed pleased with the whole affair.
“I’m glad Georgiana will be happy,” Elizabeth said, her head resting on Darcy’s chest. “Mr. Greyson seems like a good man.”
“He does,” Darcy agreed. “And he seems to feel, at least, that they’ll have children.”
“That will be nice.” Elizabeth’s tone was wistful. “It’s too bad Richard and Anne have none.”
“Considering Anne’s health, that may not be a bad thing.” Darcy was not certain Anne could survive childbirth.
“Richard would make a good father,” Elizabeth murmured. “I wish I’d done a better job introducing him to Kitty. I still think . . .” She shrugged, her smooth skin moving against his.
“That was years ago, and you aren’t to blame.” Richard wasn’t ready to fall in love again, and opted for marrying for money.
“I should have waited, is the thing,” she said. “Richard was still in love with Jane, and Kitty was still upset over Wickham. It wasn’t the right time.”
“There may never have been a right time.”
“Perhaps not, but it was two years before she married,” Elizabeth replied. “I could have tried again. If she’d wed Richard, she wouldn’t be quite so far away.”
“I think she’s happy in Scotland,” Darcy said. They had decided to visit Elizabeth’s Aunt Beth, making a point of staying at The Sleeping Cat on the way. They took Kitty, who met and married a neighbor of Aunt Beth’s.
“Yes, she does seem happy, and Aunt Beth enjoys having one of her English nieces so near. I’m glad my sisters married well.”
“That they did. Especially Lydia.”
“To everyone’s surprise,” Elizabeth said with a smile.
Darcy returned her smile. Mary and Kitty had made respectable marriages, but Lydia had refused two reasonable offers of marriage. When she was twenty-four she accepted the proposal of a wealthy widower, who had bought Netherfield Park. Most people agreed he proposed because of her domestic skills. She was now helping raise his two daughters, along with her son, who was almost a year old.
Mrs. Bennet had been nagging Lydia for years to get married, but decided she had planned it all to allow her daughter to catch such a wonderful husband. She even planned that the Bingleys leave Netherfield Park to allow an eligible man to come to the neighborhood.
“I have to admit that she has grown up a great deal since I met her.” Darcy kissed the top of Elizabeth’s head. He was growing a bit tired of talking. Their son and daughter were long since asleep. They had no house guests at the moment. They were alone, in their chambers, and Darcy could think of far more entertaining occupations than talking about relatives.
“Yes, she has. Although I have to wonder if she loves her husband or if he loves her.”
“Is it so important to you that your sisters find love?” he asked, smoothing her hair back from her cheek.
Elizabeth angled her face toward his. Her eyes glowed, filled with a look Darcy knew was only for him. “I just want them to have the same happiness I’ve found.”
Looking into Elizabeth’s beautiful eyes, Darcy could only think of one way to answer that. Giving her a smile that matched her own, he kissed her.
~ The End ~
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By Renata McMann and Summer Hanford
The Second Mrs. Darcy
Georgiana's Folly (The Wickham Coin Book I)
Elizabeth's Plight (The Wickham Coin Book II)
The above two books have been published in a single volume as:
Georgiana's Folly & Elizabeth's Plight: Wickham Coin Series, Volumes I & II
The Scandalous Stepmother
Poor Mr. Darcy
A Death at Rosings
Caroline and the Footman
Mr. Collins’ Deception
Mary Younge
Lady Catherine Regrets
The above four stories (and two additional stories) are collected in:
Pride and Prejudice Villains Revisited – Redeemed – Reimagined A Collection of Six Short Stories
Entanglements of Honor
From Ashes to Heiresses
The Fire at Netherfield Park
Courting Elizabeth
Epiphany with Tea
Miss Bingley’s Christmas
Her Final Wish
Believing in Darcy
By Renata McMann
Heiress to Longbourn
Anne de Bough Manages
Three Daughters Married
The Inconsistency of Caroline Bingley
Pemberley Weddings
The above five stories are collected in:
Pride and Prejudice Variations: A collection of Short Stories
By Summer Hanford
Ladies Always Shoot First Half Hour Reads Series Page
Included are:
Captured by a Duke
To Save a Lord
One Shot for a Gentleman
Anything for a Lord
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From Ashes to Heiresses
In the wake of a devastating fire at Longbourn, Elizabeth and Jane are taken in by their aunt and uncle in Meryton. Concerned about their situation, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley come to Hertfordshire, but not before Mr. Wickham attempts to use Jane’s heartache to his advantage.
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About the Authors
Renata McMann
Renata McMann is the pen name of Teresa McCullough, someone who likes to rewrite public domain works. She is fond of thinking "What if?" To learn more about Renata's work and collaborations, visit www.renatamcmann.com.
Summer Hanford
Summer Hanford writes Regency, fantasy and Pride and Prejudice variations. In May of 2017, her half-hour reads series, Ladies Always Shoot First, was released by Scarsdale Publishing. The first four books in her five book Thrice Born series are: Gift of the Aluien, Hawks of Sorga, Throne of Wheylia
and Plains of Tybrunn. Book five is forthcoming in 2017. Shorter works appear in various magazines and anthologies, including Aoife's Kiss, Something Wicked Anthology Vol. II, Daughter of Icarus, The Ampersand Review and Nightmare Walkers and Dream Stalkers Vol. II.
Starting in 2014, Summer was offered the privilege of partnering with fan fiction author Renata McMann on her well-loved Pride and Prejudice variations. More information on these works is available at www.renatamcmann.com. Additionally, in 2016, Summer was lucky enough to be asked to join Austen Authors, a great place for fans to get more Jane Austen. To explore Austen Authors, visit www.austenauthors.net.
Summer is currently working with McMann, providing content for, creating and managing websites, and is the fantasy and science fiction faculty member at AllWriters' Workplace and Workshop, LLC., an international creative writing studio. She lives in Michigan with her husband and compulsory, deliberately spoiled, cats. For more about Summer, visit www.summerhanford.com.
Foiled Elopement: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 20
