Dear readers: This story will be available until Friday, December 6th.

Chapter 27

Richard received orders to move north and take charge of the troops and their training. He should be there for at least six months and possibly a year. For that reason, he could travel very little, and before leaving, he wanted to speak with his cousin and wife to make sure everything was fine at Rosings. His cousin Darcy had promised that he would make his annual visit the following year to supervise the work of the new steward.

"Dear Anne, I promise I shall write to you as often as I can. Please do the same and let me know how you are. If you cannot write, tell Mrs. Jenkinson to write for you." Richard explained to Anne as he affectionately caressed her hand.

"Dear cousin, please do not worry so much about me. Ever since my mother learned I was a married woman, she has been a little calmer. Although she has not told me, I do not think she has disliked the idea." Anne had to rest a bit before she could continue speaking. She finally took a letter from her coat pocket and handed it to the colonel. "Richard, this letter is for the woman who will be your wife. I know you are not interested in anyone now, but when you are a widower, you will want to marry one day. I want your wife to understand the nature of our marriage. Do it for me, Richard."

The colonel accepted the letter and told his cousin. "Alright, Anne, I no longer want to discuss this matter. You are here with me, and you are my wife."

Richard spent a week with his aunt and cousin. Both women enjoyed his company. Almost two years later, Anne died in her sleep on a cold February night. Very few knew about Anne's marriage, so immediately after her funeral, Anthony de Bourgh asked to be legally established as the new heir of Rosings because Anne died single and childless. Great was his surprise when he learned that Anne had been married for more than two years to Colonel Fitzwilliam, and he was her sole heir.

That day, Lady Catherine thanked Richard for caring and protecting Anne and her legacy.

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Mrs. Davis invited a group of friends over for tea. Among those friends was the gossipy Mrs. Peterson. She was happy to attend a gathering full of women from the high society with whom she could share the latest significant gossip. She did not know that Mrs. Davis, the day before, had tea at Countess Matlock's house. She had an interesting conversation with her and her charming son, the Viscount.

"My dear friends, I must tell you something I have seen with my two eyes. It is not that I am a gossip, but I am telling you this because you need to know people very well before inviting them to your respectable homes. The new Mrs. Darcy is nothing more than a libertine. She is newly married and also is Mr. Clark's new mistress."

All the ladies reacted with apparent horror when, deep down, they were enjoying the juicy gossip. However, Mrs. Davis decided that she should clear up the misunderstanding immediately.

"My dear Mrs. Peterson, you are misinformed. The new Mrs. Darcy is Mr. Clark's sister-in-law; her older sister is the gentleman's wife."

"And then where do all these rumors come from?" Miss Smith asked curiously.

"This is all the work of the evil and immoral Lady Isabella. Everything started many months ago when that horrible woman's husband invited Mr. Clark and his new wife to a literary gathering. Mrs. Clark is one of the most beautiful women in London, charming and kind. Lady Isabella could not bear a woman superior to her in everything, so she tried to seduce Mr. Clark. He rejected her energetically, and since that day, Lady Isabella has not stopped pursuing him. She wants to destroy Mr. Clark's marriage because he is an honorable man who would never get involved with a woman like her. Imagine that Mrs. Clark is with child, yet that immoral woman insists on hurting the honorable Mr. Clark. She must have started the rumor about Mrs. Darcy, another beautiful and decent young lady. Sure, she is also jealous of her."

Mrs. Davis also told her friends that the Matlocks supported their nephew's new wife. She further related that Mrs. Darcy's other sister was married to Admiral Walker's youngest son. Lady Isabella had also tried to ruin young Captain Walker's reputation.

When Mrs. Davis finished recounting all the facts about the many faults of Lady Isabella and her puppet husband, all the women were outraged. They promised never to invite a woman like her into their homes.

For their part, Lawrence's Mother and Mrs. Gardiner alerted their friends, mostly wives of merchants, industrialists, and bankers, about how Lady Isabella had harassed Lawrence and tried to discredit him socially. They promised to alert their husbands.

As a result of all these interventions, Lady Isabella stopped receiving invitations to most of the important social events in the city. For his part, Lord Fleming, who urgently needed to recover financially, did not find any honest merchant or businessman who wanted to associate with him.

Lady Isabella was living a triple nightmare. Every time she had less money to spend, she found herself in a kind of social ostracism, and every night she dreamed of the only man she wanted and who despised her.

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Elizabeth was reunited with her entire family, celebrating her mother's birthday. The sisters had planned a wonderful dinner for her mother. Mrs. Bennet had suffered so much lately, and all her daughters wanted to see her happy. Elizabeth had always been very critical of Mrs. Bennet and her constant complaints. But when her father was dying, she understood Mrs. Bennet's persistent fears. In a week, she managed to feel what her mother had lived through for years.

Elizabeth was also thinking about the present. Jane and Mary were accompanied by their husbands, who chatted comfortably with the family. At that moment, she would have liked her husband to be there. He did not have Lawrence's charm that made everyone laugh, nor Captain Walker's charisma to tell stories of multiple expeditions. Her Fitzwilliam was reserved and rather timid, but she did not care. He was her husband, and she loved him.

Mrs. Bennet was telling everyone that she was just as beautiful as Jane when she was young when Mr. Hill announced visits. "My dear Mr. Darcy, oh, Georgiana. What a surprise that you came to visit me on my birthday." Mrs. Bennet was visibly excited.

Elizabeth was stunned. She would never have imagined that her husband would come to greet her mother. "Mr. Darcy, Georgiana, what a great surprise." It was the only thing she managed to say.

Mr. Darcy and his sister greeted everyone present and exchanged polite words. After that, Mr. Darcy approached his mother-in-law. "Mrs. Bennet, my sister and I have brought you a gift. This was Georgiana's idea, and I did everything possible to make it happen. The problem is that we cannot bring the gift inside the house. You have to go out to see it."

"How compelling. It is such a big gift that it does not fit in the house," said Mrs. Bennet, surprised. She was puzzled and immediately wanted to leave the house. So, Mr. Darcy offered her his arm, and she was delighted to accept it. The whole family followed them outside.

Once in the street and in front of her house, Mrs. Bennet saw a beautiful carriage with two horses, a coachman, and a page. "Oh, Mr. Darcy, my nerves. Is this beautiful carriage my gift?"

"That is right, Mrs. Bennet. Georgiana told me that your last carriage was part of Longbourn and that you needed a new one. We made a few modifications to allow you to travel more comfortably. If you ever dare to visit Pemberley in this carriage, you can do more easily." As Mr. Darcy explained this, the coachman and the page opened the carriage doors to show Mrs. Bennet the inside of her gift.

After inspecting the carriage, accompanied mainly by Lydia and Kitty, Mrs. Bennet shed a few tears. Mr. Darcy produced one of the handkerchiefs Elizabeth had never given him and that Mrs. Bennet had made for him. "Mr. Darcy, you honor me by using my humble present," said Mrs. Bennet while she wiped her tears. Suddenly, Mrs. Bennet, totally overwhelmed by her emotions, hugged Mr. Darcy, and he responded to the hug. It was spontaneous and sincere. The gesture of his mother-in-law moved him. When he looked in front of him, he saw that all the Bennet sisters were smiling at him. Still, he especially noticed Elizabeth, who was looking at him excitedly.

Mrs. Bennet immediately planned to visit Lady Lucas and Mrs. Long and show them the gift, but Jane, with her usual serenity, soothed her. "Mama, today we have a celebration dinner with the family. That can wait for tomorrow or another day."

"You are right, Jane, but tomorrow I shall go without fail," said Mrs. Bennet. At this point, she could hardly walk.

Seeing that Mrs. Bennet was overwhelmed by everything she had experienced, Lawrence told her. "Mama Bennet, I think it is time for you to rest. You must be well tomorrow to show your gift to your friends." Seeing that Mrs. Bennet could barely walk, he took her in his arms again and carried her into the house.

The whole family followed them inside the house, laughing. Elizabeth took her husband's arm and said to him. "Thank you for all my love. It was a beautiful surprise."

"It is a little way to thank your mother for bringing the most wonderful woman into the world," Mr. Darcy replied to his pleased wife.

Mrs. Bennet was content and laughing in Lawrence's arms, and without anyone noticing, she whispered in his ear. "You are still my favorite son-in-law, my dear Lawrence."

"I know," Lawrence replied as he winked at her.

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After the commotion generated by the arrival of the Darcys and their gift, Mrs. Bennet went for a nap. Georgiana went to the music room to practice with Lydia, Maria, and Kitty some songs they were preparing for the party that night. Jane was coordinating everything for the evening's dinner with the help of Mrs. Gardiner. Mary had asked Charlotte's permission to show Longbourn to her husband, and she told them they could come at any time.

Elizabeth asked Mr. Darcy to accompany her to Oakham Mount. Of course, no one wanted to come with them, which made both very happy because they would have time to speak privately. They had not seen each other for two days and were eager to spend time together. When they reached the top, Elizabeth was excited to observe from there all the landscapes that had been part of her life until very recently.

Mr. Darcy approached his wife and took her in his arms. As they were completely alone, they kissed for several minutes. It was Elizabeth who broke the kiss. She had some important things to share with Mr. Darcy and wanted to take the opportunity to discuss them.

"Fitzwilliam, I need to tell you a few things." That was all she could say because he kept kissing her. Finally, she managed to free herself from his embrace. "Fitzwilliam, please. I have some important things to tell you. Frankly, three important things."

Mr. Darcy said resignedly, "All right, but be quick. I have missed you so much, and I want to kiss my wife before we return to Meryton."

Elizabeth could not help but laugh, but she started to speak. "First, I want to tell you that this courtship period is over. When we return to London, I want to be your wife again." As soon as she finished, she saw that her husband would take her in his arms again, and she ran off to hide behind a tree. As she fled from him, she laughingly said. "Mr. Darcy, please let me finish saying everything I have to say."

"Fine, evil minx. But how do you give me news like that, and you want me not to kiss you?"

A little calmer, Elizabeth approached her husband. He took her hand and kissed it. "I promise to behave until you have finished saying everything you have planned. After that, be prepared!." Mr. Darcy said to Elizabeth, and she could not stop laughing.

"The second thing I wanted to tell you is that you do not need to stay overnight at the Inn. My mother's house is indeed full, but my Aunt Phillips said she had prepared her guest room for us. I understand if you prefer the Inn," said Elizabeth while her husband stared at her without saying anything. "Besides, I need to sleep at my aunt's house because she is a good gossip, and if I stay at my mother's, she will say that I left my husband alone. And I do not want all Meryton to say I am not an excellent wife." Elizabeth finished.

"So far, I have behaved exceptionally, and I think I deserve a price," said Mr. Darcy as he stole a quick kiss from his wife. "And I agree with you. We cannot allow rumors. So, for the sake of the reputation of our marriage, I shall make the sacrifice of spending the night with you at your aunt's house." After he finished, he tried again to steal another kiss, but Elizabeth stopped him.

"Do not kiss me now, please. I still need to tell you the third important subject—the most important thing that has happened to me my whole life." Elizabeth became very serious. She could not help but shed a few tears.

Mr. Darcy immediately became concerned. "Elizabeth, is something wrong? Please tell me if I did something wrong. Do not worry; whatever it is, we can settle it together".

"My love, I am with child" was Elizabeth's only statement.

Mr. Darcy froze for a few moments, but when he comprehended the situation, he hugged his wife tightly and kissed her on the cheek and forehead. Entirely overwhelmed by deep emotions, he could only say, "My love, my sweet love. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Fitzwilliam."

They returned home before dark, talking about their future and the family they were starting to build

During dinner, when the family was toasting, Elizabeth shared the good news, and they all congratulated them sincerely.

Georgiana was happy to learn that she would be an aunt and have the opportunity to share with such a large and cheerful family. That night, she slept with Kitty. They talked until very late about everything she had experienced that day.

Elizabeth slept in her husband's arms after a long time. They were both delighted to be together and to know that they were going to be parents. Mr. Darcy kept his hand on Elizabeth's belly the entire night as if he could feel and protect his child that way.

The next day, the Clarks, the Gardiners, and the Darcys returned to London, except Georgiana. She had asked her brother for permission to spend a few days with her friend Kitty.

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For Elizabeth, that would be her first appearance at a public social event as Mrs. Darcy. More than six months had passed since her father's death, and she had left the mourning. She was going to wear a new dress made for the occasion. She wanted to make a good impression and make her husband proud.

They had been living together for over a week, and everything had been fantastic. Mr. Darcy was once again the caring, loving husband who was always looking to please her. The only problem was that he had become highly overprotective because she was with child.

That night, in addition to her new dress, she would wear the jewelry that her husband had given her a few months ago. After tonight, they could finally go back to Pemberley. They would fetch Georgiana and return to their home. They were not interested in spending the season in London, especially because she was pregnant.

Mr. Darcy paced while he waited for his wife. He was glad he could go to the theater with Elizabeth but did not enjoy knowing that thousands of eyes would be watching them. Elizabeth was more sensitive, and she should be calm. He only wanted to go to Pemberley with his wife and wait for their child.

"I am ready, my love. I think it is time to go," said Elizabeth to Mr. Darcy. He was delighted to see his beautiful wife wearing the jewels he had given her with so much love.

"You look beautiful, Mrs. Darcy. If our families were not waiting for us in the theater, I would have preferred an intimate dinner with you a thousand times." Mr. Darcy kissed his wife's hand.

"Fitzwilliam, I want to thank you for this beautiful gift. I am sorry I did not do when you gave it to me," Elizabeth said, showing the beautiful necklace.

"My dear, do not worry about it. We have already cleared everything up, and there is nothing to apologize for."

Lawrence entered the theater with his wife. Jane was more beautiful than she ever had, especially in her husband's eyes.

Lawrence sensed Jane was tense and said, "Do not worry, my dear. Remember that I shall be by your side all the time."

Jane smiled to let him understand that everything was well. When they entered the theater, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were accompanied by Mary, Roland, and Admiral Walker. Later, the Earl, Countess, and Viscount joined the group.

Lady Isabella arrived at the theater with her husband a little before Lawrence and Jane. As soon as she saw Lawrence enter, she asked her husband to come over to greet their friends. But when she tried to approach the group, the countess gave her a direct cut, which everyone witnessed. She was furious and tried to seek support from other people, but they all avoided her and her husband's company.

Lord Fleming had always known that his wife was a flirt and had more than one lover. But he had always preferred to look the other way. However, rumors had also reached his ears, and he was aware of everything his wife had done and how she had been pursuing Lawrence Clark. One thing was that his wife had a lover as a distraction. A completely different story was his wife chasing a man younger than him, like a lunatic in love. He would not tolerate that kind of humiliation and less in public.

So, when he saw his wife following Lawrence during intermission, he decided to follow her.

Lawrence went to get refreshments for his wife and Elizabeth. Unfortunately, someone came across his path.

"Are you so afraid of me? Why do you have to protect yourself with your friends so I cannot get close to you? Why do you not admit that you love me as much as I love you, Lawrence?"

Lawrence could not believe his bad fortune. Luckily, when he turned around to tell her to leave him in peace, he saw her husband behind her, and she had not noticed his presence.

"Isabella, I think it is time for us to return home," Lord Fleming yelled loudly. By then, a large crowd had gathered and were watching the scene. Lawrence returned to the Darcy box without saying anything.

"My Lord, never raise your voice to me like that again."

"Cease making a fool of yourself chasing that man, Isabella. Do not you see that he despises you?" Lord Fleming took his wife by the arm and led her out of the theater. Everyone murmured and laughed at their expense.

From that day on, Lord Fleming accompanied his wife everywhere. Their social life was limited to visiting the few friends her husband had left, all older men who talked about dull subjects. Besides, no man wanted to be her lover anymore because there were rumors that the lady suffered from more than one illness due to her promiscuous past life. For her part, Lady Isabella continued dreaming that one day, Lawrence would realize they were in love and would elope together to enjoy their passion.

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Lydia, Kitty, and their mother began to travel frequently, thanks to the carriage that Mr. Darcy had given them. That way, they could be in permanent contact with the London family. They planned to travel to Pemberley to meet Elizabeth's baby.

For her part, Georgiana spent many months in Meryton to give Elizabeth and her brother the chance to be alone for a while to enjoy the honeymoon they had never had. She was happy with her friends and Mrs. Bennet. She had become more independent and less shy without her brother's constant attention.

Mrs. Bennet was glad that she had finally managed to feel safe. She finally had her home, which no one could ever take away from her. Living in Meryton made it easier for her to access everything. She also had her sister as a neighbor. She visited her daily and was her best company.

Mary and Roland set out on a six-month trip. The young captain was in charge of defending the ports in different islands of British possession in the Caribbean Sea. Mary was fascinated with the landscapes, and that inspired her to write more than one piece of music that her husband listened to with delight.

Lawrence further consolidated his business after the Lady Isabella episode. Many men decided to invest in his company upon learning of his faultless moral principles. Jane was delighted with her new life and felt very fortunate to have met Lawrence, the love of her life.

Mr. Bingley welcomed his sister after learning all that had happened to her in London. He knew she had behaved in a despicable manner, but she was his sister, and he could not leave her alone. Finally, as his father's dream had been, he bought an estate in Derbyshire and kept in close contact with his friend Darcy. He married the daughter of a neighboring gentleman, and they were permanent visitors at Pemberley. Caroline eventually married a businessman and emigrated to Canada, where she lived for the rest of her life.

Elizabeth was looking out the window as the snow fell outside. Dante was lying next to the fireplace. She had just read a letter from Jane who would soon give birth to her nephew or niece.

"What are you thinking, Elizabeth?" Mr. Darcy asked his wife as he hugged her and caressed her belly.

"It was excellent that we settled all our differences before this cold weather started. If I had to read my letters to the bench in front of the little lake now, " she indicated to Dante so her husband could see him, "I am sure I would have to go alone."

They both laughed, and Mr. Darcy kissed his wife as they continued to watch the snowfall.

FIN

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Thanks to everyone who leaves supportive comments and enthusiastically follows the story. Special thanks to everyone who pointed out where I made mistakes. English is my third language, and even though I try, I sometimes write inaccurately.

This story includes an epilogue! 😀

See you soon!

Saludos,

Yo