Author's Note: Thank you all so much for coming along on this journey with me! And for your patience with how long it has been - this is the longest it's ever taken me to write a book, over a year. Good grief.
I'll be leaving this up here on FFN for a few weeks for people to read for free until it comes back from the editor and is ready to go on Amazon, where it will be available on Kindle Unlimited, like all my other stories.
And I've already got the next one churning in my head... complete with the title. Be prepared for Fine Eyes and Beastly Pride, coming soon!
And let me know if I left anyone out in the epilogue. I tried to get all of the characters. Honestly this book could use a sequel lol.
Epilogue
Elizabeth Darcy sat at her dressing table in her rooms at Pemberley, taking the pins out of her hair. It was the one year anniversary of her marriage to Darcy, and Cook had celebrated the occasion with a delicious feast for their dinner.
She had dressed in the gown that she had been wearing when Darcy had proposed to her - and when he'd returned to Netherfield. The warmth in his eyes when he'd first seen her come down for the meal told her that he'd remembered it as well.
Lying on the bed was the same nightdress Louisa had convinced her to wear for her wedding night. Although she'd been mortified to wear something that - at the time - had seemed so scandalous, it was now quite modest compared to her normal bedtime attire.
"Will you be needing anything else tonight, Mrs. Darcy?"
"No, thank you. You can be excused for the night; go and find Jamie."
Elizabeth smiled at Penny, who gave a quick curtsy and left the room. Penny and Jamie had only been in London for a few months before deciding they missed the country. This coincided with Elizabeth needing a lady's maid due to her new position as Mrs. Darcy, so the pair relocated to Derbyshire. Jamie was given the position as schoolmaster in Lambton, but they shared a small private chamber in the servants' quarters.
Having Penny and Jamie in residence helped Georgiana and Elizabeth adjust to their new circumstances. Georgiana had not been in the habit of frequenting Lambton, yet Elizabeth was determined for her new sister to be as social as she had been in Meryton.
Their first excursion, however, nearly proved to be disastrous. They had entered the milliner's shop, and two middle-aged matrons took one look at Georgiana and gasped in horror. One began to fan herself, while the other loudly proclaimed her horror at letting such a person in society.
The new Mrs. Darcy had been about to sharpen her tongue on both ladies when a young gentleman stepped forward and said, "Now, ladies, do you not remember what the Good Book tells us? When the prophet Samuel went to find the next king, he was told very clearly that the Lord looketh not on the countenance, but on the heart. Which, do you think, would He find uglier in this moment?"
The piercing gaze he gave the two women caused them to freeze. He then stepped forward and said, "Miss Darcy, I am very happy to see you again. You may not remember me, but we have met once before."
"I remember," Georgiana whispered, blinking furiously to hide her tears.
"Sister, will you introduce me?" Elizabeth asked, reaching out and squeezing Georgiana's hand. "I would like to meet this acquaintance of yours who clearly not only knows God's word, but also lives it."
She had spoken loud enough for the two ladies to hear, which not only informed them of her identity as Mrs. Darcy, wife of the largest landowner in the county, but also as a person who would not tolerate mistreatment of any kind.
The young man had turned out to be the curate of the Kympton parish. He had recently been ordained and was under the supervision of old pastor. In the last year, he had proven to be a good friend of the Darcys, and Elizabeth had secret hopes for a match between him and Georgiana once he had come into a living of his own, perhaps when the current incumbent retired.
Elizabeth rose from her dressing table, having finished brushing out her hair. She usually slept in braids to keep it from becoming a tangled mess in the morning, but she knew Darcy preferred it loose. As she put on the dressing gown, she thought about the most recent letter she'd received from her sister, Mary.
Mr. Bennet's indolence had made Elizabeth's worries for her mother a thing of naught; his attempts to read a book after indulging in too many glasses of port while taking the stairs to bed caused him to fall and break his neck just two months after Elizabeth's marriage.
Consequently, Mary Collins and her husband removed to Longbourn, and their presence - along with Mary's subsequent delivery of a baby boy to end the entail - restored Mrs. Bennet to her usual spirits. Without her husband to berate and deride her, and no fear of the hedgerows hanging over her, Mrs. Bennet's nerves seemed to disappear entirely.
Mary wrote to say that Mr. Collins had agreed to christen the baby with the surname of Bennet, provided that his first name was Collin. This would allow the Bennet name to continue at the estate. Mary also wrote that Charlotte Lucas had at last accepted Dr. Carson's proposal; she had been undesirous of being a physician's wife living in his sister's home, but apparently he was able to persuade her. Hopefully Elizabeth would hear more details in Charlotte's next letter.
Everything was resolving as it should. Kitty was deliriously happy with Wickham, who had been promoted to a Colonel with the help of his new brother's influence. Knowing he would remain safe in England with the militia as opposed to going to the continent eased her mind considerably.
Bingley had given up his lease at Netherfield, following the Hursts to Mr. Hurst's estate, which was not far from Pemberley. He had come out of mourning a few months prior, and Elizabeth was hopeful that he would soon meet a woman who could appreciate him. Goodness knows his sister Caroline never would. She was still sending horrible letters; even a year with the Quakers had yet to humble her.
Most surprisingly of all was Lydia. When Elizabeth told Darcy about Lydia's astounding abilities with mathematics, Darcy wrote to his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Although Darcy had been mostly estranged from his mother's side of the family after his father's behavior, they were slowly becoming acquainted. Knowing that his cousin worked for the Home Office at times, Darcy wondered if there might be something that Lydia could do to keep herself more occupied than with needlework or sketching.
Darcy had only imagined that Colonel Fitzwilliam would recommend some course of study for mathematics, or perhaps a few books of puzzles. Instead, the Colonel decided to send an exam - under the guise of being games for fun - that was given to promising young scholars to test their aptitude for code breaking.
When Lydia was able to complete the problems in record time with unusually high accuracy, Colonel Fitzwilliam was dispatched to speak with Mr. Gardiner - Lydia's current guardian - about his niece's remarkable talents with mathematics, especially given the fact that she had no formal training.
It was with great astonishment that Lydia was then relocated to London, where she would live in a boarding house of sorts with other women who worked for the government. Already her character had improved dramatically; she had something to do that was of worth, and she was in a place where she was treated with respect.
Elizabeth reclined on the soft feather mattress, waiting for Darcy. She smiled as she thought about her family and how wonderfully everything had turned out for them all over the past year.
And what a year it had been. Their marriage had been filled with countless moments of joy and laughter, of quiet moments shared by the fireside and stolen kisses beneath the stars. It seemed that fate had smiled upon them all, blessing each sister with the love and happiness they so richly deserved.
As Elizabeth's thoughts turned back to the present, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and her heart quickened with anticipation. The door to her chambers swung open, and there he was: Fitzwilliam Darcy, her beloved husband, his face alight with love and affection as he crossed the room to join her on the bed.
His eyes darkened with passion when he saw what she was wearing.
"I recognize this," he murmured huskily, slipping a finger under the strap at her shoulder.
As always, her breath quickened at his touch. "I thought you might."
"Happy anniversary, my dear Elizabeth," he whispered, his voice soft and tender as he wrapped his arm beneath her and pulled her close. "One year ago today, you made me the happiest man alive, and every day since then has only deepened my love for you."
Tears welled in Elizabeth's eyes as she looked up at him, her heart overflowing with gratitude for the man who had captured her heart so completely. "And I you, Fitzwilliam," she replied, her voice filled with emotion. "I thank the Lord every day for bringing you into my life."
As they embraced, the flickering candles casting shadows across the room, Elizabeth basked in the arms of the man she loved, surrounded by the warmth and comfort of their shared love.
And as they celebrated their anniversary together, she felt a sense of fulfillment and peace, knowing that because of her most beloved sister Jane, she was exactly where she was meant to be.
THE END