Epilogue
Pemberley, Derbyshire
Elizabeth
Elizabeth couldn't resist the temptation to peek from behind the lush shrubbery, hoping to catch a glimpse of what transpired inside.
Her husband and her children were inside the leafy enclosure for the past two hours, having requested her to wait outside or stay back in the house.
Two hours felt like an eternity to anticipate a surprise.
Indeed, if the awaited surprise did not live up to her expectations, she had every right to feel a hint of disappointment.
Shortly after their marriage, Elizabeth had asked her husband to have the gardener raise the shrubbery around her most beloved spot at Pemberley, their cherished bench.
The purpose was to create a secluded retreat, hidden from the view of the estate's windows.
By the following Christmas, her wish had been granted, and the place was transformed into a private sanctuary.
The southern direction remained open, offering a breathtaking view of the serene lake and distant hills, while the rest was discreetly concealed from prying eyes.
As she waited patiently for them to call her inside, Elizabeth's thoughts wandered back to that fateful day, ten years prior, when she sat upon that very bench, her heart heavy with sorrow as she grappled with his evident avoidance.
It had been a momentous occasion, one that forever altered the course of their lives.
Now, after a decade of loving each other and nurturing their family of four children - three sons and a beloved daughter - Elizabeth could reflect on those emotions with a lighter heart.
Yet, back then, she had sat upon that bench, gazing out at a future she feared would be filled with desolation and solitude, carrying the weight of her overwhelming love for him.
A great deal had transpired over the span of ten years.
Anne Darcy, their firstborn, came into the world merely a year after their marriage, followed by Bennet Darcy, the heir, William Darcy, and Robert Darcy, their youngest son of three years.
Elizabeth is currently expecting their fifth child, due to arrive in approximately five months.
Should it be a daughter, she hopes to name her Jemima Darcy, as a loving homage to her mother from her previous marriage.
Throughout the years, Elizabeth maintained close correspondence with the Goulding family, their connection enduring despite time and distance.
The Gouldings made multiple visits to Pemberley, and the Darcys returned the gesture, journeying to Hertfordshire whenever they travelled in that direction – a rare occurrence since Charles and Jane decided to sell Netherfield for a profit and acquired an estate much closer to Pemberley about seven years ago.
Jemima passed away in her sleep nearly two years past, marking the last occasion Elizabeth ventured to Hertfordshire.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had long departed this earthly realm.
Mr. Bennet met his end in his favoured seat in his study one morning, appearing to succumb to a stroke.
A year preceding this, Mrs. Bennet, too, passed away in the quiet of her slumber.
Elizabeth found herself taken aback when her father bequeathed Longbourn in her name.
However, with Fitzwilliam's consent, she chose to transfer its ownership to Mary and her husband, who now resides there.
Elizabeth, Jane, Lydia, and Georgiana often visited one another, as they resided within a half-day's travel from each other.
Both Georgiana and Lydia were blessed with three children.
Lydia has two sons and a daughter, while Georgiana, after years of barrenness, was joyously granted two daughters.
Two years after the birth of her second daughter, her long-awaited son, the heir to their estate, was born, bringing her immense relief.
Aunt Catherine still resides with them at Pemberley, accompanied by the now-retired Mrs. Reynolds as her companion.
Five years after Elizabeth’s marriage, Aunt Catherine requested Fitzwilliam to take her to Rosings.
Fitzwilliam, though surprised by this sudden request, accompanied her to Kent.
Thus, after a span of twelve years, she visited the place where her only daughter and husband were interred.
It was Richard who accompanied Aunt Catherine to Anne’s grave.
He had to walk away after seeing his aunt’s anguish as she finally apologised to Anne for making her life miserable.
The next morning, she requested to return to Pemberley, never to return.
Elizabeth maintained regular correspondence with Louisa, who gave birth to three daughters after George.
Two years after their marriage, Darcy sent the white pony, originally intended as a gift for Georgiana, to Hurst's estate as a present for George. Elizabeth only became aware of this through Louisa's letter. That night, she asked her husband about it, and he replied that it was payback for a service George had rendered him. Elizabeth didn’t receive an answer to her question about the nature of this service, even after multiple inquiries until one night, as they lay embraced in each other’s arms, he explained to her that George's midnight visit to the stable was the service, as it had led to his first glimpse of her ankle.
Elizabeth still remembers wriggling out of his arms and throwing a pillow at him.
Mrs. Elliot, formerly Caroline Bingley, still resides in Hull with her husband and their two children, a boy and a girl.
She sporadically communicates with Louisa and Charles, who reply to her missives.
Charles visited her a year after her son's death to forgive her for all she had done and invite her back to the family. On one occasion, she visited Bingley’s new estate, coincidentally at the same time when the Darcy’s were visiting.
Elizabeth distinctly recalls the shock on Mrs. Elliot's face upon unexpectedly encountering them.
However, after the initial shock, Mrs. Elliot composed herself and sought a private meeting with them.
She humbly asked for forgiveness, which they granted without reserve.
They have never seen her after that day.
Charlotte has also remarried, to none other than Mr. Archer, the healer from India who saved Jane’s life.
The joyous event took place at Pemberley during a summer when Elizabeth invited her friend and her daughter for a visit.
Elizabeth can still recall Aunt Catherine's sudden burst of laughter upon encountering Charlotte, who immediately rose with reverence upon her entry – their first meeting after many years.
During Charlotte's stay at Pemberley, Mr. Archer, who was a frequent visitor and friend by that time, had the opportunity to meet her.
He was greatly impressed by her practicality and intelligence.
As a widower himself, he sought an unofficial courtship with Charlotte, and they spent a delightful week strolling around the estate before making their betrothal official.
It was in Elizabeth's favourite spot, the bench near the lake, that Charlotte and Mr. Archer became engaged.
After that special occasion, Elizabeth chose not to permit Charlotte to visit the spot again, as it held a sacred place in her heart, and she wished to keep those cherished memories to herself.
Her reverie was interrupted when she felt a gentle tug at her gown.
Looking down, she saw her youngest son, Robert, grasping her hand and encouraging her to follow him.
Elizabeth allowed the boy to lead her inside the leafy enclosure.
She had high expectations, but upon entering, she found nothing out of the ordinary.
Her cherished bench was there, and her most beloved people, her husband and children, were also present.
Yet, she couldn't discern anything unusual.
Perplexed, she placed her hands on her hips and cast a questioning gaze at her husband, whose expression was notably mischievous.
Am I missing something here?
She glanced around once more, seeing nothing.
Her husband and children struggled to contain their smiles, and Elizabeth had reached her limit of patience.
She immediately went to her youngest and started tickling him until he pointed to the shrubbery behind the bench.
Elizabeth gazed there without seeing anything.
She was going to turn back to her youngest to tickle him again, when a golden flash caught her eye.
Her surprise was carefully concealed within the first layer of the bushes, fully hidden by verdant leaves.
It was wrapped in golden-hued paper, elegantly bound with a delicate blue ribbon.
The package was rectangular, measuring approximately five feet in length and four feet in width.
She cautiously attempted to retrieve it, and her husband joined her, providing assistance.
The delicate task of extracting it without tearing the meticulously wrapped paper presented a challenge, yet they managed to do it eventually.
Elizabeth untied the ribbon and unwrapped the package, revealing a striking portrait of their family.
The portrait had been drawn from the very spot they stood in at that moment.
Fitzwilliam occupied one end of the bench, Elizabeth the other, with Anne seated in the middle.
Bennet and William were perched on Fitzwilliam's lap, while Robert rested in Elizabeth's embrace.
The artwork was exquisite, with every detail skillfully rendered.
Elizabeth had never sat for a portrait in her life. She certainly didn't sit for this particular one. She looked up to her husband in confusion.
“How? Who drew this, Fitzwilliam? We never sat for this.”
It was her children's pointed hands that gave her the answer.
"You drew this. How? When? I have never seen you draw before.
How could one even do this? Drawing the likeness with such perfection without even sitting for it.
Why has no one known about your talent? Why did you hide this from me?
" Elizabeth's questions tumbled forth in a flurry, her mind awash with wonder and excitement.
The gift before her had utterly consumed her senses.
Her husband stepped closer, his large hands gently cupping her face, while their children gathered around, showering her with loving embraces.
"Elizabeth, I used to draw in my childhood days, until my mother passed away.
Mrs. Reynolds knows about this, and I confided in Richard when I needed to draw a likeness of Lydia while searching for her.
No other living soul, not even Georgiana, knows about this.
Though I never had a master, I avidly studied various drawing techniques from around the world.
The idea for this portrait, this gift for the most important person in my life, came to me around the time you informed me that you were carrying our child.
As you started taking afternoon naps, I would quietly retire to my secret chamber to work on your gift.
It took several attempts and many ruined canvases, but I am pleased with how it finally turned out. "
Elizabeth, overwhelmed with emotions, wished her children weren't present at that moment; she longed to kiss him passionately.
She had always known her husband to be a private man, keeping his thoughts and talents hidden.
It took four years after their marriage for Fitzwilliam to reveal the fate of Mr. Wickham, who had written to her husband on the eve of his execution, seeking forgiveness and requesting to be buried near his father's grave – a dying wish her husband fulfilled.
Even that revelation occurred when she accidentally stumbled upon the said letter.
But this was completely different. Her husband was seriously talented, and Elizabeth knew he would never want his talent made public to anyone. The last thing he desired was for people to seek him out to draw their likeness.
Elizabeth remained silent for a long time before thanking him and her children for this gift.
She requested to take the portrait to their bedchamber and hang it there.
Ideally, it should be displayed in the public gallery, among the other family portraits drawn by well-known artists.
It was that good. But she was certain her husband would never want that.
That evening, the portrait found its place on the northern wall of their shared chamber.
A year later, a larger depiction succeeded it, now graced by the presence of six-month-old Jemima Darcy, their final child.
There, it resided in their intimate sanctum for five more decades, witnessing the ebb and flow of time.
Eventually, the hands of fate dictated a new chapter, and the portrait was relocated to the public gallery, by Mr. George Bennet Darcy, then the master of Pemberley.
This transpired after his venerable grandparents, Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth, both yielded to life's final call within two months of each other.
Their union, a jubilant matrimony that lasted six decades, now lay eternally sealed in cherished memories.
End