Thank you all for sticking through with this story and reviewing it! This will be the last chapter, the epilogue, but first I want to address some points made by Yolanda, who was quick to point out all the mistakes I made throughout the story despite her own poorly written comment.
It is comments like hers that make me hesitant to write.
So just encase anyone else was confused:
A) As stated in previous chapters, I am currently going through the story to fix the Bennett/Bennet mistakes, along with Longbourne and Longbourn. Word automatically deletes the e in Longbourne, and adds the second t in Bennet.
B) As for Sir William and Sir Lucas, well, I have no excuse so thank you for pointing it out.
C) As for the matter of the entailment. An entailment could be removed with both the heir and the current owner's agreement. In the story, I had alluded to Lady Catherine persuading Collins to sign away his rights before she became aware of his true nature. Another way to break it would be with enough political power and money, of which Darcy has both, so let's assume he bribed Parliament to get it done.
I understand constructive criticisms in comments, I welcome them in fact, as they help to strengthen your writing, but comments that are overly critical when they themselves lack basic structure and proper grammar are hypocritical. If you are going to comment on my appalling writing skill, please make sure that you are up to par on your own,
For example "Pity, another story with perfect premise but so wrongly executed. I am curious what will happen next but I am worried that I found more very disturbing mistakes. Sorry for being so rushed but I read JAFF for the reason and just cannot stand when people have no care about anything"-Yolanda
So, in conclusion:
If you are going to criticize me, please make sure you proofread and get the facts straight. And perhaps use your username instead of a guest name, don't be a coward!
Also, I am editing this entire story but it is a process, I have indeed read the Pride and Prejudice, and this is a fan fiction. I took certain characteristic liberties to better fit my plot line. This was a writing exercise, a creative outlet of sorts, not a work of literature I plan to publish as a work of regency literature.
Sorry this is so long! But here's part 1 of the 2 part epilogue, enjoy!
Epilogue: Part 1
Lizzy yawned and blinked open her eyes. Sunlight was streaming through the curtains into their guest chambers.
"Morning, love" William murmured from above her. He was awake and reading a book next to her.
"Morning" She mumbled. He lowered his book and smiled at her.
"Tired?" He questioned, still smirking.
"Twas a long ride yesterday" She remarked, pulling herself up to a sitting position. His eyes were drawn down to where her chest was exposed from the sheet falling off. She smirked now, "My face is up here, love"
"Of course it is" He continued to sweep his eyes over her body before reaching out and caressing her cheek. She smiled softly at him. "You are so beautiful, Lizzy" He whispered as he closed the distance between them with a kiss.
They were interrupted by a knock on their thankfully locked chamber door.
"Lizzy! Get up!" Jane was yelling, "We're going to be late if you do not get out of bed!"
"Hang on!" She yelled back, getting out of her warm bed and throwing on her dressing gown. William lay back against the pillows and opened his book again.
"Good morning sister" She smiled brightly at her harried sister as she swung open the door. Jane was dressed in a yellow dressing gown with a blonde child on her hip, "And good morning little Abigail"
"Auntie Lizzy" The child threw her arms around her while Jane tried to keep her from falling. The little girl, only a year and a few months younger then the twins, laughed.
"Lizzy, the boys are awake and the nurse is getting them fed and then bathed and dressed, and you have only two hours to get ready!"
"Two hours is enough, Janey," She told her sister, "Take a breath, your turning into mama"
"Do not joke" Jane told her, "I barely got any sleep last night I felt so nauseous"
"Morning sickness will pass. You are lucky you did not go through it in the past"
"It's all times of the day and night sickness" Jane complained, "But anyways, get going!"
"I am, I am" She tutted, laughing as her sister took off down the hallway.
"What did she want?"
"We are behind schedule apparently" She smiled, "Where were we?"
An hour and a half later both she and her husband made their way to the nursery to gather the children. Jane and Charlie apparently had the same idea as they found each other in the hallway.
"Oh, what a beautiful gown, Lizzy!" Jane exclaimed, fingering the satin green gown.
"I pale in comparison to you, dear sister, you are glowing" Jane flushed pink at the compliment. It was true though, pregnancy brought out a certain glow within Jane. The blue dress looked perfect on her blonde sister.
"Yes, you both look absolutely beautiful, but again, we will be late if we do not gather the little monsters" Charlie told them.
"Yours are monsters, ours are angels" William joked.
"No, no, it's the twins that are the trouble makers" Charlie retorted, "But that is what you get for being such a perfect angel as a child, eh Darce?"
"I was not perfect" He replied, "Close to perfect though" He grinned.
"Enough joking around. We are going to be late, again!" Jane exclaimed.
The four entered the nursery and were surprised with the sedate nature of their children. They were all playing quietly, not an argument or problem to be seen.
The twins noticed them first.
"Mama! Papa!" The twins were now seven years old. They looked just like Fitzwilliam, save for William's green eyes.
"Must we wear these clothes?" William complained. He was the more active of the two. He hated his studies and loved to be outside. Bennet preferred reading and playing the piano.
"Yes, you must" Her husband told them as he ruffled their curly hair. There was no taming those curls.
"Mama!" Richard pulled on the hem of her gown, demanding attention. She picked up the five year old with a smile. He looked like her, his hair was lighter and his eyes were green.
"Hello little prince" She kissed his cheek. "Did you enjoy spending time with your cousins?"
"Charlie bit me," He pouted. Charlie was Jane's second child; he was four. Abigail, the eldest, was almost six years old.
"I did not" Charlie Bingley looked just like his father. He had a mop of reddish blonde hair and big blue eyes, and apparently a biting problem. Jane had warned her of it before hand, but she hadn't believed it.
"Charlie, apologize to Richey" Jane told him.
"I'm sorry," The little boy pouted. Jane ruffled his hair.
"Good boy" She praised, "Now, where is your other sister?" Abigail was standing to Jane in her pink dress, but the youngest was missing.
"Ellie and Henry are over there" Charlie told them, pointing. Elizabeth Bingley was two years old. She, like her sister, had white blonde hair and huge blue eyes. She looked like a doll almost. Henry, their fourth son, was just a few months older then her. He looked just like the Bennet.
The two toddlers were playing with wooden blocks in the corner. Her husband had noticed them first and was making his way over.
She watched as he knelt in front of them, tickling them both. Their laughter filled the room before William plucked them both up and brought them over.
"Are we ready to go?" He questioned. She leaned forward and kissed Henry's forehead.
"Now we are," She declared.
Together they made their way downstairs where two carriages were waiting for them. She ended up in a carriage with Jane, William, Abby, Richard and Henry. Ellie had refused to leave her Uncle's arms so she was in the other carriage with their husbands, Bennet, and Charlie.
The carriage ride to the church was quick and simple, even with all the children. Her mother and father were outside the church, her mother waving wildly to them.
"Oh! My grand-babies!" She called as the older ones raced to hug their grandmother. William reached her first, loudly proclaiming himself the winner. Mrs. Bennet hugged them all before plucking Henry from her arms. Ellie had refused to leave William's arms despite her grandmother's pleas.
She embraced her father warmly as her mother loudly exclaimed how grown everybody was.
She hadn't seen Henry or Ellie since their births after all.
"Well, I should hold him for the ceremony, tis my duty as grandmother" She told them. "Jane, dear, you look so well" She kissed her elder daughter's cheek, "And you as well, Lizzy" She kissed her too. "Now, come along, or we shall be late!"
"Is Kitty here, Mama?" Jane questioned as they entered the church.
"She's right there, a bit tired, but healthy," Mrs. Bennet pointed to where Kitty was sitting next to her husband. "She's got a few months on you, Jane"
"Family!" Colonel Fitzwilliam called out as they entered. He stood and embraced William and her before ruffling the children's hair.
"Kitty, you look beautiful," She told her sister.
"I look like a whale," She pouted. She was close to her first confinement. The Colonel and she had married three years ago. A year ago, after the death of both Anne and Lady Catherine, the Colonel had retired from the military and the two moved to Rosings.
Mrs. Bennet could not have been any prouder.
"Colonel, did you see Georgiana while you were in town?"
"Yes, we did!" Kitty exclaimed, "and she is positively glowing as well. Our children shall be great friends" Georgiana had married around the same time that Kitty did. She had met her husband in London, at a bookshop. He was purchasing a gift for his mother; Georgiana had found the courage to help him out.
As it turned out, he was Lord Andrew Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. The two met later on at a ball, and married a half a year later. William even approved of the match.
"I am glad. We haven't seen her in months" She told her sister. Kitty frowned then.
"Have you heard anything about Lydia?"
"We believe they fled to the America's after he went AWOL again" Lizzy sighed. She could not tell Kitty the truth; Jane did not even know the truth. Lydia was dead, long dead in fact. She had contracted the French disease years ago, and had slowly died from it. She refused to come stay with them, so they paid for her treatment in London. She died at the age of 20, utterly alone. Wickham had left her a year prior to her death.
William squeezed her hand gently.
"I am glad I came to my senses before I did something stupid like that" Kitty muttered.
"She made her choices," She said sadly.
"Sit down, sit down" Her father ushered them together, "It's beginning" They shared a brief smile as he sat next to her so that she was between her husband and father. Ellie was still in his arms and her father had placed Richard in his own lap.
The music started playing and the church doors opened.