This is it. Another story is finished.
I will leave the epilogue for you to enjoy, even after I pull the bulk of the story to publish it on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
I hope you enjoyed the very different journey of William Collins.
~MoL~
Epilogue
1812 – the endImmediately after the sumptuous wedding breakfast, Elizabeth and Darcy travelled to London where they would stay at Darcy House, enjoying only their own company, until the ball, introducing Elizabeth to society.
To give privacy to the other couple, the Gardiners went back to London, accompanied by Jane and Mary, who had both been invited to attend the ball at Matlock House.
A day later, the whole Fitzwilliam clan returned to London, where Colonel Fitzwilliam resigned his commission. Shortly after the Twelfth Night ball, he took possession of his new estate and threw himself into learning to be a landed gentleman.
At the same time his younger brother took up his apprenticeship to become a barrister. Henry surprised most of his family with the dedication he brought to his new profession.
A fortnight later, Mary returned to Longbourn to assist Charlotte in her new role. They were assisted part time by Jane, who divided her time between Longbourn and Gracechurch Street.
~O~
Mrs Bennet was delighted to settle into the Dower House with her youngest daughters. Her first visitors were her sister and Lady Lucas.
'What a charming home you have,' gushed Mrs Phillips. 'Who would have thought you would be so comfortably settled in a home of your very own while Mr Bennet was still the master of Longbourn.'
'I am also greatly pleased by how well everything has turned out,' said Lady Lucas. 'It seems a miracle that Charlotte has become the mistress of Longbourn.'
Mrs Bennet grinned. 'And no one could be more pleased than I am. It has been a long time since I could enjoy spending so much time with my dearest friends.'
Mrs Phillips returned the smile in equal measure as she commented, 'You were most fortunate that your husband preferred life at Oxford rather than Longbourn.'
~O~
If Mrs Phillips had known the gentleman's situation, she might have rephrased that remark, since Mr Bennet no longer enjoyed his life at Oxford as much as he used to.
The day after their return to that city, Mr Browning made good his threat and evicted Bennet, forcing that gentleman to find new lodgings.
While Bennet did find new accommodation, it was nowhere near as comfortable, cheap, or convenient to the Bodleian.
Almost exactly a year after he moved into the new premises, he was caught in the rain on his way home. As a consequence, he caught a bad cold, which eventually killed him.
When informed of his death, none of his family mourned him.
~O~
Over the six months after Darcy's wedding, Viscount Fanshaw spent a significant amount of time at Gracechurch Street or at Netherfield, depending on whether Jane resided in London or at Longbourn.
By the end of summer, he and Jane were very much in love, and they married in London with the full approval of his parents.
While once upon a time Mrs Bennet would have insisted on hosting the wedding breakfast for her most beautiful daughter, she was content to step aside to allow Lady Matlock the honour, as she felt out of her depth. Because the groom was a Viscount, the couple married at St George's in a society wedding.
The whole extended Bennet family, without Mr Bennet, of course, was hosted by the Darcys for the occasion. Elizabeth was proud of her family as none of them caused her to blush during the whole time they were in town.
~O~
During those same months, Bingley and Kitty were often in company and had many opportunities to talk and get to know each other.
By the time his lease came up for renewal, Bingley and Kitty were in full agreement. They loved each other dearly, but only as friends.
But those months had been good for him. Having the responsibility for the estate and the tenants, had matured Bingley. Not only that, but he had also discovered that while owning an estate had been his father's dream, Charles Bingley preferred living in town, just like his sister Caroline.
After Jane's wedding, Bingley and Caroline moved back to London, where he went into partnership with Mr Gardiner.
It was Gardiner who ended up buying Netherfield, to provide him with a place conveniently close to London, where his family could spend time when they wanted to get away from town.
They also did not wish to impose on the residents of Longbourn when they visited with Mrs Bennet.
~O~
Due to their family connections, Richard Fitzwilliam and Mary Bennet were in company every time the family gathered for various celebrations and holidays.
It came as no surprise to their siblings when two years after their first meeting they tied the knot.
~O~
That same year, Henry and Caroline decided that they had waited long enough.
Their wedding was a quiet affair and they settled happily into the townhouse which was their wedding present from the Matlocks.
The following year, Henry was admitted to the bar.
~O~
It was another two years before Charles Bingley met the love of his life. She looked nothing like his previous angels, but they were well suited in character and temperament. Although their friends thought it amusing that her name was Angela.
During those years the business of Gardiner and Bingley had greatly expanded, and Bingley had become rather sought after by ladies of the ton due to his wealth.
Even though Angela was indifferent to the extent of his wealth, it caused her father to agree to the match.
It was ironic that by the time Bingley married the daughter of a Baron, his sister Caroline did no longer cared about her rank.
~O~
Over the years, Lydia and Georgiana had become friends and they came out into society together when Lydia turned eighteen.
Neither of them was in a rush to get married, but eventually they each met their perfect match.
~O~
Kitty was the only Bennet sister who remained unmarried, by her own choice.
Thanks to Mrs Taylor, she had become an excellent artist who specialised in landscapes. She divided her time between visiting her sisters, producing paintings of the various surroundings.
After many years, she eventually retired to the dower house at Longbourn.
~O~
There were some changes at Rosings Park as well.
After the death of Mrs Hayes, Anne had spent much time supporting the curate and his young daughter. It seemed inevitable that the two fell in love and married.
Lady Catherine was thrilled when two years later, Anne presented her with her one and only grandson, Lewis Hayes.
~O~
The married ladies in the extended Fitzwilliam and Bennet families all produced one or more children of both sexes, making family gatherings a noise and cheerful affairs.
The Earl was thrilled that his first grandchild would carry on the Fitzwilliam name.
~O~
As the years passed, first Sir William Lucas and then Mr Phillips succumbed to old age.
Their widows were pleased to accept the invitation by their oldest friend to share her home. The inhabitants of Meryton thought it most appropriate that their three biggest gossips all resided under one roof.
The dower house became the centre of news at Meryton.
~O~
As expected, Charlotte Collins became an excellent mistress of Longbourn, where she was highly respected and much loved by the staff and tenants.
When their first child, a son, was born, William resigned the living at Hunsford in favour of Mr Hayes, as he wanted to spend all his time with his family.
They had two more children, and Mrs Bennet doted on all of them, becoming their honorary grandmother.
~O~
Darcy and Elizabeth also had three children, and he was pleased that they greatly resembled their mother in temperament.
Although on occasion he was heard to complain to Elizabeth, 'I shall be completely grey before my time if you cannot keep them out of the trees.'
On each of those occasions he was mollified when Elizabeth embraced him and reassured him, 'You shall be even more handsome and distinguished,' and went on to demonstrate he was as irresistible to her as the day they married.
By the time her job with the Bennet sisters was complete, Mrs Taylor was pleased to accept a position at Pemberley to educate the next generation of Darcys.
The oldest Darcy was named Collin, in honour of the master of Longbourn, who had had such a profound effect on the lives of the Bennets.
~O~
~MoL~
Master of Longbourn (working title) by Sydney Salier, Copyright © 2023