Epilogue
Elizabeth was quite pleased with the married state. So pleased in fact that she had made it her mission to find the matches to her sisters’ marks. She had a wider circle of acquaintance now, so she did not think it would be impossible.
She had made a friend of Colonel Fitzwilliam, Darcy’s favorite cousin, and he would regularly tell her about men in his ranks or friends of his who had marks.
“Captain Walters might be promising,” he told Elizabeth over tea.
“I have not seen his mark myself, but I heard it was equestrian in nature. I also thought to see about Mr. Lawson, the younger son of Timothy Lawson. He has a small estate in Norfolk where he breeds thoroughbreds. He positively lives for horses. I know he is marked, but I do not know what with. I do know he is still unmarried.”
“Could you find out, please? Kitty will arrive in a fortnight and I would so like to have good news for her.” She rubbed her extended belly absently.
“I shall send a letter forthwith.” Fitzwilliam leaned back in his chair and looked at her fondly. “How are you faring, cousin?”
Elizabeth sighed. “Other than feeling like I am the size of a carriage, I am very well.”
Fitzwilliam laughed. “You are hardly that large.”
“I know. I should keep a good attitude as I shall only get bigger. That is what I get for marrying such a large man.”
“What do you get?” asked Darcy as he entered the room.
“Your wife was telling me how enormous she is and that it is all your fault for being such a great big buffoon.”
“Don’t you two start!” cried Elizabeth. “I no longer have the patience for your squabbles.”
“Yes, dear. Has my cousin brought you a good report?” said Darcy.
It was a joke amongst the family that Fitzwilliam had become Elizabeth’s private soldier, going here and there for her and finding out what she needed to know. The colonel did not mind the teasing, as long she promised to name her first child after him.
“He has. And what have you heard? How is Lord Seaton?”
“Nervous as a cat on a boat.” Darcy had followed through on his promise to speak with his cousin about his treatment of his wife.
Jeffrey had been affronted at first, but Darcy had refused to back down and eventually his cousin had seen his point.
Jeffrey had begun to speak to Minerva more gently and to be more patient with her.
In turn, she had begun to trust him and feel less nervous, and over time, the two became friends.
They were not a great love, but at least their relationship was amiable and they could enjoy one another’s company.
They were now expecting their first child and Minerva would be brought to bed any day.
To everyone’s surprise, Jeffrey was a nervous wreck.
“I shall go to him when she is brought to bed,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam. “He is likely to drive the household mad.”
“You will come back here after, will you not?” asked Elizabeth.
Colonel Fitzwilliam was her favorite of her husband’s relations—a title he bragged about freely whenever possible—and she liked to have him about as much as possible.
He was like a brother to her, only better, for he did not know any embarrassing childhood stories about her, but he knew plenty about her husband.
“You know Pemberley is my favorite place to spend the summer.”
“Claude will escort Kitty and Lydia here in a fortnight,” said Darcy. “He will bring the settlement if you would like to look it over.”
“I would, thank you.”
Claude had come to the house party the previous summer and he and Georgiana had become fast friends, as expected.
He sheltered her in company and made her laugh, and she grounded him and lent him a sense of gravity that he had been missing.
Darcy and Fitzwilliam had agreed that they could correspond as they were soulmates, but in deference to their young ages, they must wait at least a year to wed.
Claude had recently turned five and twenty, and Georgiana was seventeen.
She would be nearly eighteen by the time they wed that winter.
Darcy thought it was still young to be married, but Claude was well known to the family and more importantly, the mark would not be denied.
Georgiana was head over heels in love with him, and he with her.
There was no doubt that he would treat her well.
It also helped that his estate was only forty miles from Pemberley. Darcy could check on his sister any time he wished without too much fuss.
“Oof,” Elizabeth grunted and rubbed her belly, then changed positions in her seat.
“Are you well, dearest?” asked Darcy, kneeling beside her chair.
“Well enough. Could you help me up? It is time to take your son for a walk.”
Darcy helped her out of the chair and gave her his arm. “I shall escort you.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam shook his head. He never would have thought that Darcy, out of all people, would dote on his wife so. He was practically a mooncalf!
“Just you wait, Fitz. Your time will come,” said Darcy as he left the room with his wife.
The colonel merely scoffed and set to writing his letters.
The Darcys had decided that a summer house party would be a yearly occurrence.
Because of Elizabeth’s condition, they had limited this year’s guests to close family.
The Bingleys came with their daughter, as did Kitty and Lydia.
Darcy’s cousins Colonel Fitzwilliam and Jonathon Davies were in attendance, as well as Elizabeth’s cousin Claude, now engaged to Georgiana.
They sat on the terrace after an afternoon of croquet on the lawn, listening to Jonathon tell stories of his recent travels.
“Would you believe it, he had a mark covering his entire arm!” he cried, telling them of a man he had met on a ship near Gibraltar. “It was the most colorful thing I have ever seen. A bright green vine covered in flowers. I tell you, it would have been feminine on another man.”
Lydia perked up when she heard him speak of flowers. “Was there a name on this mark?”
“I do not know, but he did tell me the strangest thing. The mark was changeable!”
The Bennet sisters all sat up straighter. “What do you mean?” asked Kitty.
“He said at first it was only a vine, for years I believe, then one day, out of the blue, it sprouted flowers! Not only that, but they would come and go. I’ve never heard the like.
It suits him though, as he is always taking samples of vegetation wherever he goes.
The man is a walking hothouse—quite literally now! ”
Lydia sat pale and wide eyed. Thankfully, Darcy stepped in.
“Who did you say this was again?”
“Frederick Eastham, a younger son of Sir Anthony Eastham, out of Sussex I believe.”
“Do you have a way to contact him?”
“Yes, he gave me his direction. Why do you ask?”
“I have heard of a lady with such a mark. He might wish to meet her,” said Darcy smoothly.
“Have you? Well that is lucky! I shall give you his direction.”
“Thank you.”
“Can you believe it? We may have found Lydia’s soulmate!” cried Elizabeth once they were settled in her private sitting room.
“Let us wait until we know more. They may not be a match,” said Darcy reasonably.
She looked at him skeptically. “How many marks have you heard of that behave as Lydia’s does?”
“I grant you it is unique, and this is a promising lead, but I do not wish to get our hopes up unnecessarily—nor Lydia’s for that matter.”
Elizabeth sighed. “I know you are right. But it is exciting all the same.”
There was a knock on the door and Darcy bade them enter.
“Cousins, this has just arrived.” Colonel Fitzwilliam brandished a piece of paper in the air.
“What is it? A letter?” asked Elizabeth.
“Even better. Mr. Lawson has responded to my inquiry. His mark is a horse, just as I thought. He even sent a sketch of the image. Turns out he is quite the artist in addition to being a fine horseman.”
“Let me see!” cried Elizabeth, reaching for the paper. She looked at the image closely, gasping when she saw a colorless replica of the mark on Kitty’s leg.
“He is eager to meet the lady if her mark is a match. I did not tell him Miss Kitty’s name, of course,” continued the colonel.
“Fitzwilliam, look,” called Elizabeth, holding out the paper. He had never seen Kitty’s mark with his own eyes, owing to its location on her person, but he had seen Jane’s sketches of it.
“It is very like,” said Darcy.
“I knew it!” cried the colonel. “Do you think she will name their first son after me? I did find the match, after all.”
“I thought you wished our son to be named after you?” remarked Elizabeth.
“I do. I want an entire generation of Richards. Just think of it!”
Elizabeth laughed as Darcy rolled his eyes at his cousin.
“You will have to make more than one match for an entire generation, Fitz,” he said drily.
“Still, I am well on my way,” replied Richard with a grin. “I shall leave you to yourselves now. I am meeting Davies for a bit of sport.”
They wished him a good afternoon, then sat together on the sofa, looking at the sketch their cousin had brought them.
“I cannot believe it. Both my sisters’ matches in one day!” cried Elizabeth.
Darcy started to speak but she cut him off.
“I know, Lydia’s is unsure, but it is promising. And Kitty’s is as good as made.” She gestured to the paper on the table.
“I will agree it has been a productive day,” said Darcy. “Shall we have a nap now?”
Elizabeth had grown inordinately tired in the last month, and Darcy insisted she lie down for an hour every afternoon. She hated to do so on her own, so he had taken to lying with her and reading while she dozed.
“Help me up?” She held out her hand and he tugged her to her feet, leading her into the bedchamber next door. He helped her climb onto the bed, noticing she was becoming more ungainly every day.
He lay down beside her, a hand protectively over her belly. “Sleep well, my sweet.”
“Do you think they will be as happy as us?” she asked.
“Who? Your sisters?”
“Yes.”
“I do not see why not.”
She shrugged and closed her eyes, snuggling into her husband’s side. “I cannot imagine anyone loving her husband as I love you.”
Darcy smiled and stroked her hair. “I am delighted you think so, my dear, but do not say such to your sisters. Jane especially would not like to hear it.”
Elizabeth smiled sleepily. “Very well, I shall not. It will be our secret.”
“What is our secret?”
“That we are the happiest couple in the world.”
The End