by Jennifer Joy
As uttered by a true businessman. Darcy’s respect for Mr. Gardiner now equaled his estimation of Mrs. Gardiner. He was proud to call them family.
Darcy leaned forward, trying not to jump out of his skin when Wickham picked up the quill, dipped it in ink, and signed his name at the bottom of the page.
Before the ink fully dried, Darcy pulled the paper from the table, holding it so as not to smudge the writing. He would not give Wickham the opportunity to change his mind. When it was dry, Darcy folded the precious document and put it into his pocket.
Standing up, Wickham said, “I must leave if I am to depart on the next coach to London.”
He bowed, and with Mr. Hanslock, he breezed out of Pemberley.
When the entrance door closed behind the gentlemen, there was great rejoicing in the drawing room.
Elizabeth took Anne from Mrs. Bamber, twirling and dancing around and introducing the babe to her new relatives.
Grayson poured champagne, and Darcy ordered punch for the entire household. It was a day to celebrate.
Once the initial burst of excitement had settled, and they were reliving the scene in conversation again, Elizabeth admitted, “I am not completely satisfied. Wickham’s punishment ought to be more severe. I am overjoyed he gave us Anne, but he will leave here to marry his wealthy widow and live a life of leisure and luxury.”
To be fair, Darcy’s sense of justice was not entirely satisfied either. But they had Anne. He would have to be content with that.
Madame Givenchy clucked her tongue. “It is not over yet for Mr. Wickham, mes amis. He is not the only secret Lady Priscilla keeps.”
She had everyone’s attention.
Mrs. Gardiner said, “If she is the same lady I have been reading about in the papers, Wickham is in for a horrible surprise when he reaches London. I almost wish we were there to see it,” she said.
Madame grinned. “It is she.”
“What? What have you read?” Elizabeth asked.
“Lady Priscilla reported her diamonds stolen. It was in the paper this morning.”
“Why did you not say so earlier?”
Mrs. Gardiner smiled. “My dear, I wonder why you ask when you heard Mr. Wickham forbid me from speaking with your own ears. What else was I to do but hold my tongue?”
Elizabeth laughed. “I daresay he will find out soon enough.”
Madame chuckled. “A clever scheme. Lady Priscilla will use Mr. Wickham to ensure she gets the attention she requires. She does not love him as he believes. She will keep him busy in the courts, and he will keep her name in the papers. She will make him wish he had never been born.”
Darcy was satisfied. “She will use him for her pleasure as he has used others for his advantage. I find his upcoming punishment rather appropriate.”
It was a busy afternoon, and Darcy wanted Anne to have a full share in it. When the weather cleared, they went for a stroll with their party around the gardens, introducing her to everyone they encountered. Anne was the princess of Pemberley. Elizabeth was his queen.
Darcy felt very much like the victorious king with his princess cradled in one arm and his other hand holding his queen. He did not want to leave either of his precious ladies, and so they walked together with the Gardiners around the grounds and through the house. Anne’s favorite was the portrait hall where she pounded her fist excitedly against Darcy’s shoulder as she smiled at the painting of her mother.
“I wish Anne could know her,” Darcy said.
Elizabeth squeezed his hand. “Me too.”
His chest still ached, but it was bearable now. Darcy looked forward to telling Anne stories of her mother, to sneaking her into the pantry to discover which pastry she favored, and to witness her grow into a young woman Georgiana would be proud of. There was so much to look forward to in the years to come, the past lost some of its sting. Darcy had kept his promise, and now it was up to him to live up to the expectations that went along with it. He would do his best.
Wickham’s signature was still in his pocket, and after the evening’s entertainments had subsided (and the Gardiners had returned to the inn and Madame Givenchy had retired to her room) Darcy slipped away to his study. Opening his safe, he placed the precious document inside and closed it just as there was a knock on his door.
“Come in,” he said, sitting behind his desk.
It was Evelyn.
“Mrs. Darcy sent me. She wanted me to give you this. She said you would get the point,” the lady’s maid said, bobbing a curtsy and departing before he could properly see what she had placed on the desk.
A glint of green caught Darcy’s eye.
It was Elizabeth’s hat pin.
Epilogue
Three months later
Elizabeth rested her hand over her stomach, sipping her tea and taking in the endearing scene on the other side of her bedchamber window. It was one of the rare, brilliant days that invade winter, promising warmer months and spring flowers. William was trying to teach Anne to walk in the rose garden, holding her up by the hands as her legs wobbled and swayed between his feet. If Elizabeth listened hard, she could hear his praise and encouragement.
William made an excellent father.
Sighing contentedly, Elizabeth picked up her quill and wrote.
Dear Jane,
We were delighted to hear of your engagement to Mr. Bingley! You will make a happy couple, I am certain of it. William agrees, and so it must be true. He is an excellent judge of character, and I am pleased he thinks so highly of my dearest sister.
Pray tell Father we will be away when he proposed to visit Pemberley. Since the news of Anne has spread, we have had several visits from William’s family. As I told you in a previous letter, the Matlocks were lovely. However, I cannot say the same of his aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh. But that is for another, lengthier letter.
What I will say is that we are in desperate need of a family outing, and William has proposed a trip to the Matlocks’ nearby estate. I would have preferred the coast, but William will hear nothing of it. I suppose I ought to be grateful he is allowing me to travel at all. I shall not be able to venture far once my confinement becomes noticeable, so we really must go now if we are to go at all. I will write to Father when we return to make arrangements. If his remorse is satisfactory, perhaps we shall make amends, too.
Anne is growing more beautiful every day. I cannot wait for you to meet her, Jane. She is absolutely perfect and so intelligent. I suspect that any day, she will say her first word. Oh, the conversations we shall have! Right now, William is showing her how to walk. It is the sweetest thing you could see and gives me the most marvelous glimpse into how happy we shall be as our family grows.
Mrs. Reynolds is decided that our first child shall be a girl. I would never contradict her, but I know — I do not know how, but I know it all the same — that it is a boy. My dreams are full of names worthy of our son. Too bad Knightly is a surname.
Speaking of heroes and villains … I am including a newspaper clipping from this morning’s paper. It is not one to be missed. Lady Priscilla has remarried — to an Italian count, no less — and she has badgered Mr. Wickham so much, the poor, tormented soul means to leave England for good. I am glad you never had occasion to meet that horrible man. I do find it ironic he chose to flee to Australia. Vile serpent that he is, he will feel welcome surrounded by the country’s enormous snakes. Maybe one will eat him. One can hope…
A tap interrupted Elizabeth’s thoughts, and she looked up to see William enter her room with Anne in his arms.
“She made a step mostly on her own today,” he said with immense pride. “We came to see if you would like to go with us for a drive.”
Elizabeth stood and kissed Anne’s chubby cheek. “It is too lovely a day to waste indoors. I would love to join you.”
Anne squealed and squashed her face against William, shocking them both when she clearly said, “Dada.”
William’s chin quivered. He grinned as wid
ely as he had the day Elizabeth had told him she loved him; as he had when she had told him she was with child. Come to think of it, William had been smiling a lot lately.
They cheered for Anne, as parents do. Elizabeth cherished the moment. She had many moments to cherish with William and a lifetime more to anticipate. They loved each other. They were happy. Their family was growing, and with it, their love and happiness would abound yet more. What they no longer had were secrets. Those were banned from the Darcy household.
No longer did Elizabeth look back on the events leading to her marriage with resentment when she could not imagine her life any other way.
Over the past three months, she had made thousands of promises — promises to William, to Anne, to her unborn child, to herself. Some spoken, some whispered in her heart. All of which she intended to keep. Time was a gift, and every day spent together was a blessing.
William had lived up to his vows. Elizabeth was confident he always would. She trusted him.
Lady Gwendolyn could keep her Sir Knightly. Elizabeth loved Fitzwilliam Darcy — the keeper of promises, the guardian of her heart.
Thank You!
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About the Author
When Jennifer isn't busy dreaming up new adventures for her favorite characters, she is learning Sign language, reading, baking (Cake is her one weakness!), or chasing her twins around the park (because … calories).
She believes in happy endings, sweet romance, and plenty of mystery. She also believes there's enough angst on the news, so she keeps her stories light-hearted and full of hope.
While she claims Oregon as her home, she currently lives high in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador with her husband and two kids.
Other Books by Jennifer Joy
Historical Romances
Darcy’s Ultimatum: The Cousins Series, Book 1
Anne’s Adversity: The Cousins Series, Book 2
The Colonel’s Challenge: The Cousins Series, Book 3
Earning Darcy’s Trust
Accusing Elizabeth
Love Never Fails
Win, Lose, or Darcy
The Elizabeth Conspiracy
The Honorable Mr. Darcy: A Meryton Mystery, Book 1
The Indomitable Miss Elizabeth: A Meryton Mystery, Book 2
The Inseparable Mr. and Mrs. Darcy: A Meryton Mystery, Book 3
The Immovable Mr. Tanner: A Meryton Mystery, Book 4
The Remarkable Miss Darcy: A Meryton Mystery, Book 5
Fitzwilliam Darcy, Traitor
Fitzwilliam Darcy, Poet
Sweet Contemporary Romances
Written in the Stars: Starlight Terrace Proposals, Novella 1
