Apologies for the very late post - the journey back to the UK took longer than anticipated. Anyway, we are approaching the end of the story, so winding down and tying up a few loose ends.


Chapter Twenty-One


The Earl and Countess of Matlock visited Pemberley in the middle of June, bringing Georgiana and Mrs Annesley home at the same time.

Darcy was happily surprised by the cordial greetings his uncle offered Elizabeth, and the first evening of their short visit was far more enjoyable than he had hoped for. While Georgiana entertained them with some of the new music pieces her London master had recently taught her, Lady Helen and Elizabeth sat on a comfortable sofa in the music room, discussing the events the Countess wanted her new niece to attend while in London in the autumn.

Darcy took the opportunity to approach the Earl. "Thank you for looking after Georgiana and bringing her back here for me, uncle, I know she was glad for the opportunity to remain in London with her masters a little longer. It also allowed Elizabeth to discover Pemberley without any distraction."

Matlock shrugged. "I still think you could have done better as to fortune and connections, Darcy, but your wife has charmed both Cathy and Helen, which is a serious achievement. I have been told by my sister that I owe Richard's safety to Elizabeth and you as well; just for that, I would stand by you through any societal storm. Anthony is unhappy by the way, as your marriage has awakened your aunt's desires for grandchildren and as the oldest, he has to bear the brunt of her complaints."

Darcy chuckled. "I thought Aunt Helen would restart her campaign to get him married soon enough; my wedding may have encouraged her to think about it for the little season, but I doubt he would have escaped many more months even without."

Lord Reginald Fitzwilliam refilled his glass and sighed heavily. "I do not know what to do about him, William. You and Richard are easy to understand, and I can talk with you when we have disagreements, but Anthony… I do not know. He takes nothing seriously, not his small estate, not the one he will inherit when I pass, not his place in society or his future. I am at a loss. The boy is four-and-thirty, yet he still behaves as he did ten years ago. He gambles, although not yet to a dangerous extent; he races those scruffy horses of his; he doesn't think I know, but he maintains a mistress - a rather nasty greedy thing too, one of my men investigated her, there is nothing of gentility in that woman. I love my sons, both of them, but I worry that Anthony will never do anything to secure the Matlock line."

"I do not believe there is much I can do to help you, uncle, Anthony has never listened to me."

"Maybe you could invite him? I doubt seeing your marital felicity will have much of an influence, but getting him away from his useless friends and that woman may help." Matlock looked tired and sad, and Darcy could do nothing else than agree.


After the Matlocks' departure, Georgiana and Elizabeth settled into a new routine, with the approval of Mrs Annesley. The younger girl accompanied her sister during her visits to tenants or to the villagers in need of assistance each morning; her afternoons were still mostly spent in lessons while Elizabeth worked with Mrs Reynolds. The friendship that had started between them in London and Hertfordshire quickly evolved into the strong sisterly affection Darcy had hoped to see.

"Elizabeth," Darcy walked into the music room where his wife and sister were practising a duet, "I have received some answers to my enquiries about estates."

"Did you find any worthy of a visit?" She asked.

"There were several looking interesting on paper, but my agent has narrowed the list down to three properties. The first one is about thirty miles west of Pemberley, a little larger than Netherfield and in good condition; the second is a little further, but I am unsure about the size, as it appears only a little larger than Longbourn; the final one is the closest and would be my favourite. The house is very similar to Netherfield, both in size and style, although it will need modernising; but the land is extremely good, and some investment in the run-down farms would most certainly make it a very profitable estate. Due to the lack of care the property has received in recent years, the price is more than fair."

Elizabeth smiled at his enthusiasm. "Let us go and look at them when my brother and sister have settled in Pemberley then. I would suggest making a nice party out of it; you and Charles can look at the farms and land while Jane and the rest of us assess the suitability of the house." She turned to her sister-in-law, "I think this could be a very good experience for you and my younger sisters; if the three of you tour the main reception rooms, the kitchens and the servants' quarters without us, you can then tell Jane, Mama and I your findings and we can share ours to compare and discuss anything that has been missed."

Georgiana smiled, pleased to be included. "You do not think Jane would mind?"

"Not at all, and going as a family will allow her to evaluate how the houses will feel when filled with friends and loved ones."


Soon enough the Bingleys, Mrs Bennet, Mary and Catherine arrived, and for the first time since the passing of Lady Anne Darcy, Pemberley's hallways were filled with the sounds of a busy, bustling, happy family.

"William, Lizzy," Fanny Bennet addressed her son-in-law once her daughters had settled in their lovely rooms in the family wing, "I have a letter for you from Mr Fitzwilliam, and letters from Lady Catherine and dear Anne for you, Lizzy."

"How did you like Rosings Park, Mama?" Elizabeth enquired.

"I liked it very much, the park is magnificent; Cathy's gardeners do wonderful work in the formal gardens, and the walk to the folly is simply stunning."

Elizabeth laughed. "What have you done with my mother? It sounded like her voice but the words were more akin to something I would say."

Georgiana and Catherine giggled, and Mary shook her head. "Wait until you see Kitty's drawings, you will understand why all of us were charmed by the beauties of Kent in spring."

Darcy thanked Mrs Bennet for the letter and added. "Richard and I used to visit Rosings each year for Easter. Perhaps we should start a new tradition and meet up at Rosings for the month of April each year; all of us, Darcys, Bingleys and Bennets or whatever names my sisters end up adopting in time. I am certain Richard would welcome us without any hesitation; Anne and Aunt Catherine would be delighted."

The hopeful faces of all the young ladies turned at once toward Mrs Bennet and Catherine nearly begged, "Could we, Mama? I loved staying there so much already, but with Lizzy, Jane, Lydia and Georgiana too, it would be simply divine!"

Her mother appeared hesitant, "We will need to decide where we will live first my dear. Your uncles are looking for a small cottage for us; once we are settled we can decide on when we will go and visit our friends and family."

Elizabeth went to sit next to her mother and took her hand before speaking. "Mama, William, Georgie and I have spoken about it and we would like to have you, all of you much closer to Pemberley. I love this estate, and I suspect we will spend a lot of our time here, but I will miss you terribly if you are living in a cottage near Meryton."

"Then perhaps, we could look for a cottage in Derbyshire." Mrs Bennet sounded uncertain, "But then Jane will be alone."

"No, Mama, Charles will not renew the lease on Netherfield Park. Lizzy and William have been looking for properties closer to Derbyshire for us to view in the next few weeks." Jane stated cheerfully.

Fanny looked at each of her daughters in turn, "Then it is decided; the Bennet ladies will move to Derbyshire. William, could you help me look for a suitable cottage? My brother Gardiner can confirm all the financial details if you write to him."

Elizabeth squeezed her mother's hand. "We already have somewhere in mind, Mama. Pemberley has a very pretty dower house, and it is large enough for each of my sisters to have their own room, with guest bedrooms for my aunts and uncles too. And of course, we have plenty of space here if you invite everyone at once."

Too emotional to say anything, Mrs Bennet nodded and Mary answered for her. "Thank you, Lizzy. And William too, thank you. Could we go see it tomorrow? Is it far from the main house?"

"The dower house is close to Lambton, on the edge of the estate. It is only a few hundred yards from the village and about two miles from here. I think you will like Lambton, as it boasts of a very well-stocked book and music shop and a very good selection of every possible goods altogether." Darcy answered.

"Is that the town where Aunt Margaret lived for several years?" Catherine asked, recognising the name.

The conversation moved to a complete description of the town, which would have to be visited as the shops must be patronised as early as may be. Mrs Bennet did not participate, her heart being too full to allow her to do more than look at her family with relief and hope.


The days following were filled with activity and excitement. The dower house was quickly approved of, being a well-proportioned house with six family bedrooms and comfortable accommodation for a full contingent of servants. It was built in the same style as the main house and freshly redecorated in neutral tones. The gardens surrounding it were relatively bare, but could easily be filled with the ladies' favourite flowers, plants and herbs.

Darcy sent expresses to Mr Phillips and Mr Gardiner to inform them of their sister and nieces' new home and arrange for their possessions to be sent from Meryton to Pemberley; the ladies would remain in the main house until everything arrived.

"Darcy, what did you think of Crowhole House?" Bingley asked at dinner a day or two after visiting the last of the estates Darcy had selected for his consideration. "I know it needs work, but I really liked the style of the building."

"I believe we all saw your reaction to the place. You were like a small boy in a sweet shop." Darcy teased, "On paper, it was a good proposition, decently sized and priced low for a quick sale. There is a little more work than I expected on the main building, but the farms are in good condition, better than I hoped for, and all have tenants in place. The woods are healthy, and I think Elizabeth's idea about setting up a small brick manufacture on the north side of the estate, where the land cannot be farmed is worth exploring further."

"And it is the closest one too, meaning I can see my sister whenever I want as well," Elizabeth added playfully.

"Georgie, Mary and I had a brief walk around the local village while you were riding to check the farms," Catherine said, "With Adam and Mrs Annesley of course. Anyway, the village is not very large and not as prosperous as Lambton. We think if you buy the estate, Charles, you will need to see how to help Crowhole and its inhabitants."

"That is very insightful, Kitty," Mrs Bennet commented proudly, "You girls are correct, By using the tradesmen and skilled workers from the village to help restore the estate to its former glory, Charles and Jane, if they decide to buy it, will help the larger community too. After all, the village and the estate share the same name."

Although the discussions and deliberations lasted a few days, Bingley did buy Crowhole House and immediately set to improving the house while remaining at Pemberley until at least the kitchens and the family wing of the house were ready for the new inhabitants.

In the end, at Elizabeth's urging, they all agreed that the whole family would remain at Pemberley until the end of August when Lydia would join them; the Bingleys would move to their new home the first week of September, at the same time as the Bennets relocated to the Pemberley Dower House.


"I thought Rosings Park was the most wonderful place to heal, but I think Pemberley is even better," Mary told her sister one morning as they walked together around the lake.

"I felt the same about Kent, which is why I was so happy when you all went there after my wedding," Elizabeth replied, "but Pemberley is home. More than Longbourn ever was. And it is your home too now, for as long as you wish it. I am so glad Mama agreed to stay here with us, I would not wish to have you so far from me, Mary. How do you feel now?"

Mary sighed. "My wrist is fully healed, and I am no longer scared to walk out on my own. I had nightmares for a time, you know; I kept dreaming that he was holding me, but Adam and Sam did not come, and I would wake up so scared. But then Anne told me of her own bad dreams after her father died, and how she got better with time, and with some herbal tea Mrs Jenkinson would brew for her whenever she woke up frightened. It helped me. And Mr Fulton, the new parson at Hunsford, helped too; we spoke about trials and forgiveness. I can forgive Mr Goulding, not for him but for myself. I will be well now."

Elizabeth held her sister for a moment before answering. "I am so glad, my dearest Mary. Although it will not stop Adam from joining your household. You need a footman who knows the area around Lambton, and he volunteered. I think he feels quite protective of you. Did you know he has a sister called Mary who is only a year older than you? She works at Darcy House, in London."

Mary chuckled. "I will be happy to have him escort me on walks if Kitty or Lydia are not with me. Not because I feel unsafe, but because Pemberley is so large, I am very likely to get lost on my own."

"I know exactly what you mean. I thought William was being overprotective at first when he insisted I never entered the woods on my own until I knew the park better, but less than a month after I first came, we were together on the far side of the lake when the weather changed so quickly and within minutes I could no longer see the house. Had I been in the woods on my own, I would have been unable to find my way back."

Mary took her sister's arm again. "Let us go back to the house then. I am sure your amazing staff here will keep us safe, but I will keep William's warning in mind for the winter."


Without any notice, Lord Anthony Fitzwilliam, Viscount Farley, was announced by the butler as the family was enjoying a small performance from Mary and Georgiana at the start of August.

"Well, isn't this quaint?" He asked contemptuously. "Have all your wife's relatives decided to mooch off you that early in the marriage, cousin? I thought they would have had enough of the family after spending months with the old dragon in Kent."

Frowning at the sneer on his cousin's face, Darcy remained polite and performed the introductions. "While you are welcome at Pemberley, Farley, I would ask you to behave better with my family than you do with your dissolute friends. We have invited our family to stay with us while their new homes are being prepared for them."

The Viscount shrugged. "I was told to come to Pemberley by my old man. If you let me stay a couple of weeks and then write him a nice letter saying I am all reformed and deserving of my full allowance, I will be out of your hair."

"Bingley and I will be riding out to his estate tomorrow to check on some of the work. I will make sure you are awake in time to join us. You might as well make yourself useful while you are here." Darcy replied.

Sensing the tension building between her husband and his cousin, Elizabeth interrupted. "My lord, Mrs Reynolds has a room ready for you if you wish to refresh yourself after your journey."

With another shrug, the man followed the housekeeper out of the room. After a few moments of stunned silence, Mrs Bennet started laughing. "Oh, William. Your Aunt Cathy and Mr Fitzwilliam spoke about your eldest cousin, but I simply did not believe them. I will have to write and apologise this very day."

"Are you sure we want to take him with us to Crowhole? I doubt he will be much help." Bingley asked.

It was Darcy's turn to shrug. "He is very unlikely to be helpful, you are correct, but I won't let him laze about. I owe it to my uncle to at least try and get through Anthony's thick skull. I doubt I will manage, but I will attempt it nonetheless."

Elizabeth smiled at her husband. "While you men are busy checking on progress and keeping an eye on His Lordship, we will try and think of ways to challenge your cousin for you. I am counting on Georgiana's insights to help us."

Georgiana shook her head vehemently. "Oh, no, I do not have any idea how to deal with that cousin. I am happy to spend the day with you all and talk as much as you want, but I do not think anything will get through Anthony's head. It's a lost cause."

Most of the occupants of the room laughed at such an impassioned speech from the normally shy young lady. Perhaps there would be no solution to the Earl's problems with his son, but Miss Darcy was correct on at least one point; the ladies could enjoy a nice day filled with friendly chatter while the men were away working.