Epilogue
W orried as he was that she would be angry, Elizabeth thought the story of Georgiana beginning their correspondence to be rather humorous. Most of the letters had come from Mr. Darcy, but after being assured his sister had written as he would, she forgave them both and kissed him again. Intelligent lady that she was, Elizabeth reasoned it was Miss Darcy who had first written to Mr. Bingley and resolved to thank her for her interference as soon as possible.
When at long last they did meet, Georgiana Darcy greeted her future sister bashfully, only to receive an enthusiastic embrace and words of gratitude. She and Elizabeth became instant friends, sharing secrets and a sisterly bond almost as strong as the one between Elizabeth and Jane. Georgiana surprised her soon-to-be sister with a kitten. This caused her brother to groan and Elizabeth to exclaim in delight.
Darcy accompanied Elizabeth back to Gracechurch Street and was introduced to her aunt and uncle. He was pleasantly surprised at their genteel manner and thought they were both just the sort of people with whom he liked to associate. Mrs. Gardiner, shrewd and intelligent as her niece, demanded an explanation. Elizabeth's feelings were so different from the previous autumn that it made it difficult to believe she had fallen in love in so short a time. When everything was revealed, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, though scandalized at the flagrant disregard for propriety, thought the entire thing a good joke. Everything had ended well. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were engaged, so what harm was there in anything now?
The second express to Longbourn in less than a week was sent on its way before supper. Darcy felt eager to gain Mr. Bennet's consent. Elizabeth had included a note to her father explaining everything and asking for his blessing. She seemed a little nervous about it, explaining to her betrothed that she was her father's favorite daughter, and he might not be willing to part with her. To counter resistance, a second express was sent to Mrs. Bennet, informing her of the engagement. Any hopes Mr. Bennet had of quietly refusing the match were squashed, for Mrs. Bennet wasted no time in informing her neighbors that not one but two of her daughters were to be married to wealthy men.
Colonel Fitzwilliam had Mr. Wickham arrested and sent to debtor's prison before news of Darcy's engagement reached the ears of Elizabeth's neighbors. Gossip whirled about his arrest, and soon tales of his wrong-doings spread throughout Meryton. Everyone was pleased to paint the officer as a villain, especially when news of Elizabeth's good fortune was widely known. It spoke well of Mr. Darcy that he would marry a local lady. The gossip grew until others insisted Elizabeth had hidden her courtship with Mr. Darcy to protect their privacy. Why else would she refuse Mr. Collins, who by all accounts was a worthy suitor as well?
Mrs. Bennet threw herself into planning a lavish wedding. Both couples insisted on waiting no more than a month, and so she flew into a frenzy, arranging everything properly. The ladies stayed in town until their wedding clothes were purchased. This served two purposes: they remained close to their respective betrothed, and could continue courting away from Mrs. Bennet's prying eyes and inappropriate comments.
Jane and Elizabeth Bennet married their respective gentlemen on a Friday in the second week of March. Resplendent in their wedding finery, their father led them down the aisle. Mary and Kitty stood up with their sisters, much to the annoyance of the youngest, Lydia. Already petulant because she would not be the first to marry, she scowled during the entire ceremony. Everyone cheerfully ignored her.
Miss Bingley and the Hursts did not attend. Bingley kept his word and did not inform them of the event until after it happened. Caroline, still believing she would be able to separate her brother from the unsuitable country miss, flew into a rage. Her resulting tantrum caused enough damage to the Hurst townhouse that Mr. Hurst demanded she be cast out. With nowhere else to go, she went north to stay with an aunt in Yorkshire.
As the carriages trundled away from the wedding breakfast, the fading echoes of celebration seemed to retreat into the distance, leaving behind a serene silence that enveloped Elizabeth and Darcy. The rhythmic clatter of the horses’ hooves was the only sound that marked the passing of time, and for a moment, it felt as though the entire world had faded away, leaving only the two of them to bask in the quiet joy of their union.
Elizabeth, her heart full, allowed her head to rest gently against Darcy’s shoulder, the comfort of his presence bringing a sense of completeness she had never before known. His steady warmth beside her, his strength in the simplest of gestures, filled her with a profound peace. She had long wondered if such a love —genuine, unpretentious, and deep—was ever truly possible, and now she knew it was. She had found it. They had found it.
"Love unfeigned," she whispered, her voice low but certain, as though the words were not just a reflection of her own heart but of the truth she now saw so clearly. "There is no other treasure so valuable in the world."
Darcy turned his gaze upon her, the weight of her words settling in his heart. His love for her was as vast as it was tender, and yet, it had not always come easily. She knew he had struggled at times to trust in the possibility of happiness, to believe that someone steadfast and genuine could ever truly be his. But in her presence, he had found a peace he had never thought attainable—a peace that had nothing to do with the expectations of society or the constraints of propriety, and everything to do with the simplicity of loving and being loved in return.
He pressed a kiss to her hair, his lips brushing the soft strands. She savored the quiet intimacy of the moment. "Yes," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "And we are most fortunate to be in possession of so rare a gift." He paused, his hand gently resting against hers, feeling the weight of what they had just promised each other. The vows they had spoken that morning were not just words—they were the foundation upon which they would build their lives, a testament to the love that had blossomed between them, steadfast and unshakable.
As they sat in the quiet of the carriage, a shared understanding passed between them. Neither spoke of it, but both knew that this love, this rare and precious treasure, would be tested. Life would bring its challenges, as it always did, but they now faced the future together. They would navigate the unknown with courage, side by side. There would be days of uncertainty and nights of doubt, yet they had vowed, in that moment, to meet whatever came with the same unwavering devotion they had promised each other at the altar.
The future stretched out before them, full of promise, but not without its share of unknowns. Elizabeth’s thoughts turned to the years ahead—the home they would make together, the family they might one day raise, the quiet moments of joy and the times of hardship that would shape their lives. She thought of their shared adventures, of traveling, of growing together, and of finding new ways to cherish each other every day. She knew, with a certainty that filled her heart, that no matter what life might bring, their love would be their constant.
Darcy, too, thought of the future. He spoke softly in her ear of the promise he had made to her—to always seek her happiness above all else. He vowed to protect her, honor her, and cherish her as no one ever had. "I will strive, day by day, to be the husband you deserve, to be a man worthy of the love you have so generously given me." In the quiet strength of her presence, he found a steadiness he had never known before. The weight of his past mistakes, the misunderstandings, the pride, the prejudice—all of it had led him to this moment, and he would do all in his power to ensure that their days together would be filled with peace, with laughter, and with the same unfeigned love they had discovered so unexpectedly in each other.
The future did indeed hold uncertainties, but in that moment, they both knew that together, they could conquer the world. Their vows would guide them, and the love they shared would be their foundation, their anchor, and their light.
As the carriage rolled on its journey, they sat in companionable silence, each savoring the quiet joy of the day, their hearts light with the knowledge that they were, at last, home in each other. And as the world outside moved on, Elizabeth and Darcy silently vowed that they would do everything within their power to deserve this rare and precious treasure—the love unfeigned that they had found in one another.