“Papa, you should not tease my husband.” Elizabeth said, as she swatted her father on the arm.
“Very well, I will allow you to have an extra day off this week. But I will require assistance while I search for a new steward.” Mr Bennet smiled. He wished he could keep the young man at Longbourn, as, when William left, Elizabeth would be leaving with her husband. He would willingly keep the newlyweds at Longbourn so he would have his daughter nearby.
Mr Darcy smiled. “Thomas, I believe I might have a steward for you. There is a young man who has been training with my steward, and I believe he will soon be ready to take a position. I can send for him to come here, so you can meet him.”
“There is no need to rush, Gerald. You are welcome to remain in the area,” His new friend stated.
Bingley stepped closer to the men. “Mr Darcy, you are always welcome at Netherfield. And Miss Darcy is welcome to visit as well. Lord Matlock, you and your sons have an open invitation to stay with me anytime.”
“Are you thinking of taking the estate permanently then, Mr Bingley?” Mr Bennet inquired. It was not lost on him that the younger man turned to look at the eldest Bennet daughter. Mr Bennet was certain that there would be another wedding in the near future. He hoped his wife would have time to prepare the wedding she had been denied by Elizabeth’s, for his wife would be extremely disappointed if she was thwarted a second time.
Looking back at the gentlemen, Bingley felt his cheeks beginning to grow hot. “I have been contemplating that there is no other estate that would be as perfect as Netherfield. I have found the vicinity to be extremely comfortable, and the people are kind and welcoming.”
Lord Matlock chuckled. “And just how kind and welcoming are the people in the area?”
The color in the young man’s cheeks spread a vivid redness from his scalp, which clashed with his reddish hair, to where the blush was lost when it extended below his collar. “I…I…some have been extremely kind.”
Mr Bennet tried desperately to school his features. “Do you and I need to have a private discussion, Mr Bingley?”
Charles Bingley’s eyes shot directly to the elder man. “I swear, Mr Bennet, I have treated Miss Bennet with the utmost respect. I would never treat her in an improper manner. She is such an angel and is all that is goodness.” As he finished speaking, a sigh escaped him.
“Mr Bingley, I must warn you. After your friend’s rush to the altar with my second daughter, my wife will be in no humor to be unable to plan a lavish wedding for my next daughter to marry. So, if you decide you deserve my Jane, know that her mother might push your limit of kindness.”
“It would be worth spending the rest of my life with such a lady at my side.” Bingley had returned his gaze to the young lady who had captured his heart.
~~ ** ~~
William felt the warmth of his wife’s body next to his when he woke. He rolled in her direction, opening his eyes to take in the view of the beautiful lady beside him. Finding her eyes already open, he smiled. “Good morning, Mrs Darcy.”
“Good morning, Mr Darcy. How are you this morning?”
“I feel as if the world has just begun. It would be horrible to say this, but I feel I owe Wickham a bit of appreciation. If not for him, who knows if I would have ever come here, or met you. Is it wrong to be grateful that the murder of a young lady led me to find the woman I would fall in love with?”
“Though it would be wrong to claim such openly, between us, we can be thankful that, out of her death, we found love. Perhaps we should find some way to honor her memory.”
William nodded his head. “What should we do today? Should we make our way to the manor house?”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and the smile she gave him spoke of no desire to leave the room they were currently occupying. “Do we really need to go anywhere today?”
“We will require sustenance, for all our activity has left me ravenous.” As if to make his point, William’s stomach rumbled.
A chuckle came from his wife. “Oh, very well, I would not wish you to collapse from your husbandly duties.”
“My duties?”
He received a sheepish grin in response. “My mother spoke to me, prior to our wedding. She explained that her mother referred to the marriage bed as her duty to England, allowing her husband to take his rights due him. Mamma stated that some women feel it a chore they have to tolerate, yet, if the husband is kind and loving, other women feel that it is a cherished gift between a married couple. After last night, I believe it is the latter for me.”
A knock could be heard coming from the exterior door of the cottage. A voice reached them, identifying the person as Mrs Hill. “Miss Lizzy, your mother sent food and drink for you, so you will not have to come to the house. We will leave the items in the kitchen. There is plenty to keep you fed for the day. I will knock again as we leave, there is no need for you to be present.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks instantly blossomed in a shade of deep pink. She pulled the coverlet over her head, embarrassed at what had just happened. William began laughing. He called out to the housekeeper their appreciation and to relay their thanks to Mrs Bennet. Once they heard the knocking on the exterior door, signifying the exit of Mrs Hill, William pulled the coverlet from his wife’s face. “Come, my love, let us partake in the offerings your mother was kind enough to send.”
“I am so embarrassed.”
“I am grateful, my love.” He placed a kiss on Elizabeth’s lips, which grew, and the food was quickly forgotten for some time to come.
~~ ** ~~
The Darcys remained in Hertfordshire for several months, including Georgiana, who came to visit after finishing her classes. She was thrilled to meet her new sister and spend time with her. Mr Darcy and Georgiana were guests of Bingley’s at Netherfield Park. Lord Matlock left for some time, as he was required to visit Rosings Park, to assist with his sister. Lady Catherine had remained quiet for the day she traveled there with Richard, but the following morning, hearing of her daughter’s decision to marry the cousin she was not supposed to wed, the grand woman could not be silenced. Richard had even been pelted with cushions from a nearby sofa. When Lady Catherine began throwing figurines, she had to be restrained. Her nephew locked her inside her bedchamber, allowing no one to enter while the woman continued throwing things, breaking every figurine and knick-knack she could get her hands on. When food was delivered to her room, by a footman rather than by her maid, the food was soon added to the decor of the room. The ranting and raving at the top of her lungs was heard throughout the manor house for nearly two days, until she had lost her voice from abusing it, the shrillness and shouting took their toll.
So, Lord Matlock was on hand to move his sister to her new home, the dower house on the grounds of Rosings Park. During the first week, Lady Catherine marched daily to the manor house, demanding on entering the house. When she was refused entrance, the woman found stones and began throwing them through windows. When she threw one directly at her nephew, striking him in the forehead, Lord Matlock’s patience with his sister was finished. He sent for a physician from Town to come and examine his sister. Doses of laudanum were used to subdue her until the physician was able to arrive. The physician was able to diagnose the woman as being difficult and delusional. The decision was made to keep Lady Catherine at the dower house, with nurses around the clock, and keeping her medicated, rather than place her in an asylum.
Richard and Anne wed a month later, with Lord Matlock on hand to witness. Rosings underwent a dramatic change, as the ornate and gaudy decor was replaced with comfortable and cheery. The difference in Anne was considerable, as she was not as delicate as her mother had insisted she was. Being able to go outdoors when she wished, eat foods she preferred, and enjoy activities which brought her pleasure had combined to strengthen Anne. She took walks in the park surrounding the house, and hired masters to teach her to play the pianoforte and the harp. Life blossomed in Anne, and her future finally came brighter. Under
Richard and Anne’s guidance, Rosings would become a productive estate.
While his father and sister stayed with Bingley at Netherfield, William and Elizabeth continued living in the stewards’ cottage of Longbourn. Gerald had sent for the young man who had been training under the Pemberley steward, and Mr Bennet found a different cottage in which the young man could live. The newlyweds were comfortable in their private world, as they spent most of their time away from the rest of the world. William was thrilled for his cousins, wishing Richard and Anne all the best for their future. In their letter announcing their wedding, Richard and Anne included an open invitation for William and Elizabeth to visit Rosings.
One of the reasons for the Darcys to remain in the area was Elizabeth’s desire to be near her mother as Mrs Bennet’s confinement approached. Being the only married daughter, Elizabeth was the only one who would be allowed to be at her mother’s side when the blessed event came. Mrs Bennet had a blessedly simple delivery, and was beaming when she introduced her husband to his heir. Thomas William Bennet was a welcome addition to the family, and was adored by his sisters as well as his parents. The entail was broken, and Longbourn would be in the hands of a Bennet for generations to come.
Charles Bingley finally asked for the hand of Jane Bennet. His sisters had joined him at Netherfield, and the younger sister, Caroline, was extremely disappointed in learning of Fitzwilliam Darcy being married. Her aspirations of being the next Mistress of Pemberley was destroyed, but she refused to lose the connection to the grand family, so she encouraged her brother’s engagement with Jane. Caroline knew that having her brother married to William’s sister in law would guarantee her invitation to balls and dinners she would otherwise be denied entry.
Mr Bennet decided to send his youngest daughters to school, and with the assistance of Gerald Darcy, found a fitting school for Kitty and Lydia. Mary had come to the attention of Mr Phillips’ clerk, and she was soon being courted. It was obvious that she would be the next of Mr Bennet’s daughters to marry. When the clerk finally asked for Mary’s hand, Jane suggested that the sisters marry in a double ceremony. Mary agreed, and Mrs Bennet was delighted to plan a wedding fit for her girls. As predicted, she would not be deterred in her desire to put on an event to beat all events in the county. Elizabeth and William were grateful for their avoidance of such a grand affair.
~~ ** ~~
Fitzwilliam Darcy handed his wife down from their carriage. “This is Pemberley.” He stated, motioning to the view of the estate below them. “This is one of the best views of the house and grounds.”
Elizabeth gasped. She knew the estate was large, far grander than she had ever seen before. But this was beyond what she could have imagined. “I am to be Mistress of all of this?”
William smiled. “My Lizzy, you are up to the task. And Mrs Reynolds will be glad to help you as you learn the estate. She has been caring for the manor house since my mother’s death. You only need to perform the duties with which you are comfortable.”
She placed a hand over the swell that was forming in her belly. “I am afraid that I will not be able to learn all that is needed before our addition to the family arrives.”
“I insist you not overwhelm yourself. You are not to cause any unnecessary stress for yourself. The main duty you are to see to is caring for yourself and our babe. We want you healthy and safe, so nothing else matters.” He lifted her hand to his lips, placing a kiss on the tender flesh.
Elizabeth smiled, lifting her other hand and placing it to cradle his cheek. She loved the man more than she could put into words. “To think, all of the wonderful changes that have come to my life, simply for meeting Fitzwilliam Darcy, fugitive from the law.”
THE END
~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melanie Schertz is the author of many Jane Austen Fan Fiction stories, all of which can be found at Amazon.com. She is a proud member of Austen Authors and posts on DarcyandLizzy.com. Her personal blog can be found at www.melschertz.com and you can find her on Facebook at Melanie A Schertz (author page) or Melanie Schertz (personal page).
Melanie is the mother of one daughter by birth and two daughters by choice, and four grandkids by choice. She is also a mother of fur children, and has fur grandchildren.
Fitzwilliam Darcy, Fugitive Page 15
