May 1830

As the organ played, the door of the church opened, and a beautiful and radiant young woman entered the church arm-in-arm with her beloved Papa. She was wearing a pearl-colored gown embroidered with beautiful flowers and a pearl adornment in her blond hair. The groom was nervous but spellbound, for he had never seen his bride so beautiful.

In the front row, Mrs. Darcy and her children watched the ceremony with varying degrees of excitement. Of the four children that Elizabeth had with Darcy, there were three boys aged fifteen, twelve, and ten, and a girl aged eight. The youngest boy was looking at Mr. Silverston with little sympathy, while the oldest was happy that Bella was going to live near Pemberley. Little Georgiana was going to miss her dear older sister, but since Mr. Silverston was very handsome and 'good'[comma here] she was still glad that Isabella was marrying him.

The young couple had met three years ago when Isabella had her debut in London. Due to her beauty, lively character, and her money, she attracted many suitors, to the discontent of Darcy who adored his 'little Bella'. From the first time, Mr. Silverston met her at a ball, he was fascinated by her. After wooing her for almost two years without respite, he managed to both win her heart and convince Darcy that he was worthy of the older man's beloved daughter.

In the second row were the Gardiners, seated with the Thompsons and their children. Two years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had died and Edward had inherited Longbourn. Since he had not yet finished his studies at university, he spent very little time at the estate. In recent years, his uncle Darcy had been helping him learn to administer an estate and had also hired the son of Pemberley's steward - a very capable young gentleman - as Longourn's steward.

Although as a child Edward had been fascinated with Bella, over the years that fascination turned into a beautiful friendship based on deep affection and respect. Three years after Isabella's wedding, Isabella herself would introduce him to the young lady who would later become his wife.

Shortly after Elizabeth married Darcy, at the insistence of the Darcys and Isabella, the Gardiners moved to Lambton permanently. Although the Darcys insisted that the Gardiners move into Pemberley, they refused, as they had many friends in Lambton and were more comfortable living alone. However, it was quite common for the Darcys to fetch them in their carriage at least twice a week, and sometimes they spent a few nights at Pemberley.

In the third row was Sir Richard Fitzwilliam with his family. Over the years, and in part due to the support of his beloved wife and Darcy, his horse breeding business had expanded and was one of the most important in the Kingdom. He had saved enough money so that his children could buy a small estate like Sandstone. He had two sons, and both had the same love for horses as their father.

In the fourth row were Mr. Shaw and Mary with their three children. The Shaws were a happy family who had a comfortable life, although they went without great luxuries since Mary preferred to save money for their children's future. About five years ago, Mr. Shaw had been appointed Judge and their family had moved to London.

In the fifth row were the Dennys. Mr. Denny had been promoted for bravery at Waterloo, and due to his war injuries, he had resigned his commission. Since he was the second son of a gentleman, his father had taught him to administer an estate in case his older brother died. To help them have a better life, Elizabeth offered for them to live in Sandstone and requested they manage the estate. The profits from the farm were divided in half. Over the years, Kitty had become a sensible and practical woman, well aware of the realities of the world. She had only two daughters and, with much effort and the Darcys' support, had managed to save a dowry of £3,000 for each of them.

In the sixth row, Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Reynolds watched the tender scene with tears in their eyes. Mrs. Watson stayed with the Darcys and had been governess to all of their children; even now, in her sixties, she did not want to retire, despite the Darcys giving her a cottage to live in. Mrs. Reynolds had retired a few years ago with a very good pension, which the Darcys insisted she deserved. She was living in Lambton, but still had a close relationship with several of Pemberley's servants and unconditional love for all the Darcys, including Isabella.

When they finally stood at the altar next to the groom, Isabella looked tenderly at her beloved 'Papa', and with tears in her eyes, she hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear that she loved him and couldn't imagine a better father. Over the years, despite her mother and the Gardiners telling her many stories about her biological father and how much he had loved her, Isabella never felt his loss. There were times when she wished she had known him, for both her mother and the Gardiners said that he was a wonderful man and a loving father - but it was hard for her to imagine that there was a better father in the world than her beloved 'Papa'.

At last, Darcy, with a slight nod, kissed Isabella's forehead and placed her hand in Mr. Silverston's, discretely wiping away his tears. He looked with a smile at the first row where his beloved Elizabeth and his children were sitting, and then at Isabella. Since that chance meeting with Elizabeth in Hyde Park, eighteen years ago, everything had changed. Before then, he never thought he could be so happy, let alone have the family of his dreams. He owed everything to her, to his Elizabeth, his great love.

The End