Epilogue
L ady Anne lived another twenty years. She set up a school for the tenant children, and used the income from Cresston Hall, as well as her own pin money, to hire teachers and purchase supplies. Her son would have been glad to provide funds, but Lady Anne wished this to be her own project. When her health eventually failed, she was tended carefully and lovingly by Elizabeth, who she regarded as a beloved daughter.
Elizabeth gave her husband five children, two boys and three girls. The eldest son was named Bennet, of course; the second son was Henry, after the Earl. The three girls were named Anne (after Mr. Darcy’s mother), Frances (after Elizabeth’s mother) and Victoria (after no one in particular).
Jane had four children, all boys. Her mother railed against fate for several years; why was she given all girls and Jane all boys? There was no fairness in this world, that was certain.
Kitty and Lydia were invited to Darcy House whenever the Darcys were in residence. Mr. Darcy settled three thousand pounds on each of them, enabling them to marry respectable gentlemen.
Georgiana’s dowry and connections made her a person of interest during her Season; her shyness caused her to regret it. Lady Cowper did not forget Mrs. Darcy, and she presented both Mrs. Darcy and Miss Darcy with vouchers for Almack’s, ensuring their social success.
During her second Season, Georgiana met Robert Babcock, the second son of the Earl of Ravenscroft. The Honourable Robert Babcock was a highly regarded performer on the violin, and he and Miss Darcy were asked to entertain at many a London drawing room. It was his suggestion that the two of them practice duets together at Darcy House; it was his suggestion that they meet together at the Argyll Room to hear concerts; it was his suggestion that they marry and make beautiful music together forever. Georgiana agreed with all his suggestions.
Mrs. Bennet did not survive her husband, as she had long feared; she was taken to her heavenly home about ten years after having the pleasure of seeing her youngest girls marry. Mr. Bennet discovered, much to his surprise, that he did not enjoy living alone (he had evidently become accustomed to a certain amount of noise and silliness) and so he invited the Collins to live with him at Longbourn, with the stipulation that they take on the last name of Bennet. Mr. Collins might have fought against this, had his wife not become heartily weary of the goings-on at Rosings Park and argued successfully that the name Bennet had been long respected in Hertfordshire.
This arrangement had the great advantage of allowing Mr. Bennet to teach Mr. Collins how to run the estate – happily, the man was able to learn how to do so! – which then allowed Mr. Bennet to spend his days with his books. Charlotte managed the household with her usual calm efficiency, seeing to it that Mr. Bennet was given the respect and comforts he deserved for the remainder of his life.
The Fitzwilliams purchased a small estate in Derbyshire, so Elizabeth and Mary saw each other frequently. Mary gave birth to two children, both boys. Her husband lived up to his promise of treating her as a partner and consulted with her on all decisions of import. Mary wished mightily for a girl, so that she might teach the girl about Mary Wollstonecraft, but it was not to be. Instead, she bent her efforts on the Darcy daughters, who grew up with a fine understanding that men were certainly not more intelligent than women.
After a few months in Bath, Caroline Bingley returned to London, knowing full well that yesterday’s on-dits were soon forgotten. She was fortunate in attracting the notice of a gentleman who thought as well of himself as Caroline did of herself . Thus, they had much to talk about with regard to the inferiority of those around them, and soon married, though Caroline thought their townhouse to be in a rather second-rate part of Town.
Anne de Bourgh married an impecunious baron; the expectation of income from Rosings Park was exactly what was required to please his creditors. He did not hesitate to remove Lady Catherine to the Rosings dower house. Lady Anne received many letters of complaint from her sister until Lady Catherine died three years later. Anne bore one child, a son, who would be the heir to Rosings Park. Anne almost died in childbirth; unwilling to endure such a harrowing experience again, she locked her bedroom door every night thereafter. Her husband did not repine the loss of her affections.
THE END