Epilogue Chapter 2
Drawing Room
Netherfield Hall
Fresh greenery adorned the mantel above the hearth and the lintels above the windows, while a decorated Christmas tree stood in its accustomed corner.
Caroline looked slowly around the room, taking in the sight of the decorations with contentment and pleasure.
When first she had arrived at her brother’s rented estate of Netherfield Park, she had never imagined one day becoming the mistress of the estate.
Yet here she sat in the drawing room that now had truly become her own.
It had been Darcy’s idea, actually, in the weeks after their marriage when they had been preparing to depart Pemberley for London.
Darcy had recommended that the newlywed Fitzwilliams lease an estate of their own, and suggested Netherfield, which was empty after the departure of Charles and Georgiana Bingley.
Netherfield Hall was conveniently close to the Bennets, along with being close to Town.
It would produce an income for Richard and Caroline as well, and a country house, even if they chose to spend much of their time in Town.
Caroline had found that she liked the idea quite well, and after two years of leasing, they had chosen to purchase the estate outright.
That had been more expensive than even her significant dowry could bear, but the Darcys had contributed a substantial portion of the purchase price, with the agreement that when Mr. Bennet died, the Fitzwilliams would take in any of the Bennet ladies who needed a home.
Caroline had happily agreed, as she liked all the Bennets very well, even the occasionally vulgar matron of the family.
Moreover, she genuinely loved this part of fair England.
She enjoyed the glitter and society of London, but she had come to love sleepy Meryton and its comfortably welcoming four and twenty families.
Netherfield Hall was also delightfully convenient to both Pemberley and Town, and had the added benefit of many happy memories.
It was here where Caroline had broken off her unwanted engagement and here where she had met the man who had become her husband, her darling Richard.
Of course, becoming mistress of her own household at roughly the same time as becoming mistress of an entire estate had not been without its challenges.
It turned out there was a great deal involved in the running of an estate that had not been addressed at finishing school.
Correspondence with Elizabeth and Georgiana had proven invaluable, and even Mrs. Bennet’s visits were enlightening at times.
Now, Caroline flattered herself that she had become adept at running the household, caring for the tenants, and extending hospitality to even challenging guests.
“When will Lord and Lady Matlock be arriving, Caroline?” Lady Bingley asked eagerly.
Caroline Fitzwilliam smiled at her mother and said, “Tomorrow, Mamma. They intend to stay here for two days before traveling north to Greenhaven.”
“Oh, Caroline,” her mother cried out, “you were so very wise to marry Mr. Fitzwilliam, and then to birth two sons! Given that the viscount has only sired a daughter, you might be a countess one day. My dear Caroline, I am so very proud of you!”
Caroline looked upon her mother ruefully.
Six years ago, when she had broken her engagement with Darcy, her mother had been so furious that Charles had been forced to throw her from the house.
Then had come Caroline’s engagement to a mere second son, and even though that second son’s father was an earl, Lady Bingley had been so indignant that she refused to attend the wedding.
Five years had passed, and Caroline and Richard were now parents to two sturdy sons, while Richard’s older brother’s only child was a daughter.
There was still hope that the viscountess would bring a son into the world, but Lady Bingley was correct; one day Caroline might be the Countess of Matlock, and her elder son, Joseph, the heir to an earldom. It was a peculiar thought.
When her mother had sent a letter asking for reconciliation, Caroline had been surprised but pleased. She had been determined to marry on her own terms, but yes, she had missed her mother in spite of the lady’s stubbornness and fits of vitriol.
“There will be other visitors in the next few days as well, of course,” Caroline remarked, changing the subject.
“Elizabeth’s sister Lydia is married to Simon Lucas, heir to Sir William Lucas in Meryton, while Elizabeth’s sister Kitty is married to Viscount Langford, and their family will be traveling from London on the morrow, along with Mary Bennet, who is currently staying with them. ”
“Miss Bennet is still unwed?” Lady Bingley asked and shook her head with a sympathetic sigh. “She is neither rich nor pretty, so perhaps that is no great surprise.”
Caroline was thankful that she and her mother were alone in the room after such a statement.
Mary was a wonderful lady, and given her connections and a reasonable dowry from her brothers by marriage, she had received several offers in the last years.
The truth was that with four sisters well married, the middle Bennet daughter did not need to accept a man whom she did not like or respect, and thus she had chosen to remain single, at least for the time being.
She and Mary wrote to one another moderately frequently, and Caroline had noted how often Mary mentioned a gifted music master by the name of Mr. Dewhurst. She thought it quite likely the pair would make a match of it.
At this moment, a distraction arrived in the form of the returning worshipers.
The majority of the household had been attending the Christmas morning service in honor of the Christ Child.
Caroline wished that she had felt well enough to attend, but the weight of her own child and the fatigue that had set in as she neared the end of her pregnancy made such outings inadvisable.
She had stayed home to entertain her mother instead, as Lady Bingley was largely confined to a chair with her foot well-wrapped against the gout afflicting her toe.
Elizabeth had been with them early in the morning but had soon excused herself to the nursery, where her young son needed her frequent attention.
It was nice to have the rest of the party back, Caroline thought happily, watching family and friends pouring in through the door and arranging themselves comfortably around the room.
Richard stepped through the doorway, and his eyes sought her own, lighting in a smile when he found her.
Caroline’s heart warmed with affection, and she smiled back.
This was happiness worth waiting for, she thought; a cordial family and good friends, a beloved husband, two sons, and another child who would be born soon. Yes, they were happy indeed.
***
Elizabeth Darcy’s Guest Bedchamber
Netherfield Hall
Elizabeth Darcy lifted her infant son to her shoulder and patted his back.
The heir of Pemberley burped obligingly and then settled his mostly bald head against her shoulder.
She felt a thrill of joy at the babe’s warm little head and body against her own and closed her eyes for a moment to praise God above for his gift of a healthy son.
“Shall I take him and put him in his crib, Madame?”
She turned her head to observe Polly, Samuel’s nursemaid, and she smiled gratefully and said, “Yes, please.”
Polly carefully lifted the sleeping child from his mother’s arms and then went, on quiet steps and with a slightly rocking gait, into the adjacent sitting room, which had been transformed into a nursery.
Samuel was only three months old and needed his mother frequently, so it was sensible to have him nearby rather than settled in the attic nursery with the other children.
High-pitched, happy shouts from outside of the house drew her attention, and she walked over to push the heavy curtains aside.
The window was a trifle frosted, but the heated air from the fire quickly melted the ice, and Elizabeth wiped the pane with a sleeve so that she could look through the glass and into the back yard of Netherfield Hall.
The sight made her smile. Snow had fallen the previous day, and the ground was white.
Numerous children danced and twirled and jumped in the snow, with their nursemaids in attendance.
Elizabeth quickly spied her own young daughters, Madeline and Susannah, who were running races with the younger Gardiners, and Jane’s two older sons, and Lydia’s firstborn, a small but rambunctious daughter, along with the older of Richard and Caroline’s sons. It was a delightful sight.
“Elizabeth?”
She turned in surprise and smiled at her husband, who had entered the room unnoticed and was standing a few feet away from her.
“I am watching the children,” she explained, stepping back and gesturing toward the window. He grinned and walked over to look outside for a minute, and then he stepped back and said, “They look very happy.”
“I am certain they are,” Elizabeth replied, reaching forward with gentle fingers to guide her husband to the sofa in front of the roaring fire. “It is the first time since my father’s death that all of us former Bennets have been together, and obviously that was a somber occasion.”
Darcy sat down, pulled her down next to him, and wrapped a long arm around her shoulders. “Yes, it was. This is the first time you have been at Netherfield since Mr. Collins became master of Longbourn. Does it bother you?”
She tilted her head thoughtfully and then shook her head.
“Truly, it does not, but mostly because of Charlotte. Mr. Collins is rather silly, but he at least chose a very sensible wife, and I am confident that the Collinses will prove better overseers of Longbourn than my parents ever were. Mamma was always extravagant, and Father was lazy.”
“I cannot argue with you about that,” Darcy said and then planted a kiss on her head before continuing, “I know many worse landowners, of course, who refuse to repair cottages or fences, who wring every penny out of the land and fail to invest any of it in the estate. Longbourn was left in reasonably good condition, and that is a fine thing.”
“It is,” Elizabeth agreed. She was tired, as the baby had been up the previous night, and she leaned against her husband’s reassuring bulk and her eyes fluttered shut.
She always loved the Christmas season, with the joyous festivities and constant reminders of God bringing them together.
Within a minute, she had drifted off to sleep, safe in her beloved’s arms.
The End