Epilogue
The summer sun lay warm upon Pemberley, and the lawns, alive with laughter and music, bore witness to five years of unbroken felicity.
Squeals from children, splashes, cries, and more laughter spoke of the good company of beloved friends and the happiness of being together.
Within, however, Elizabeth Darcy paused at the door of the library, her hand resting lightly upon the frame as she searched for her husband before joining their guests.
She found him standing by the window, his countenance thoughtful, almost grave, in contrast to the gaiety beyond. How well did she know this posture and how endearing was it to her!
“You are missed, sir,” she said gently, stepping towards him, “and I cannot believe Georgiana’s happiness would cast such a shadow.”
Darcy turned, managing a faint smile. “Not her happiness, never that. My interview with Mr Crawford has satisfied every rational objection I once held. He is, as I always believed, worthy of her — steady, honourable, and sincerely attached.” He paused, his gaze softening.
“Yet I find it no easy task to relinquish her entirely, even though he has proved himself to me — and to her — these nearly five years now. My reason is at peace, but my heart still fears to lose her to some misfortune. Unreasonable of me, I know.”
Elizabeth slipped her hand into his. “It is not unreasonable. We all know the depth of your affection and care for our family, even for those that do not always deserve your kindness,” she whispered, gently caressing his face.
“But you must trust yourself, as well as Georgiana and Thomas. This time, she has made a good choice. You will certainly not lose a sister but gain another worthy brother. You certainly need one more besides dear Charles since you have so many sisters and a hardly tolerable mother from my side.”
“True. I am pleased that Bingley purchased that estate only thirty miles from Pemberley, and Crawford has asked for my assistance to find a property for him too.”
“How wonderful!”
He smiled, still a little reluctantly, then brought her fingers to his lips.
“And speaking of your stepmother, five years of our blissful marriage must have shown you that she cannot be compared with my aunt Lady Catherine.”
Elizabeth laughed, shivering at the touch of his lips on her skin. Five years together had not changed her feelings whenever he was near her.
“I cannot decide which of them is the greater annoyance. Lady Catherine would probably win, but she has Lord and Lady Matlock to keep her under good regulation. Just as Mama has Aunt and Uncle Gardiner to temper her. And Papa is not as tolerant of her as he used to be.”
“Indeed. Fortunately, Anne had the strength to separate from Lady Catherine, just as Lydia and Kitty stepped away from your mother. That was a great benefit to all three of them.”
Elizabeth placed her hands on either side of his face, willing him to look her in the eyes.
“You conveniently forgot to mention that all three of them are under your protection, one way or another. Anne mentioned to me that her income has increased impressively in the last two years, thanks to you.”
“And to Mr Gardiner,” he replied, still unable to accept praise, his gaze deeper and his smile broader. “He and Mrs Gardiner are truly accomplished at finding excellent husbands, not just for you but also for your younger sisters. He is proficient at everything he undertakes.”
“I agree. I am so deeply grateful to see all my sisters happily married, and now dearest Georgiana has become engaged! I hope Anne will find her match soon too.”
She paused a moment, then continued, “Though, considering Anne is a woman in possession of a great fortune, and she is not in need of a husband, I do not blame her for prudence in accepting suitors. If I had not met you, I might have been unmarried myself to this day.”
“Well, you were forced into that marriage, if I remember correctly,” he whispered, closing his arms around her.
“Not at all, sir, I assure you,” she replied, while his face leant closer to hers. “I might have been persuaded, but never forced. And remember that I admitted to your aunt that you being exceedingly handsome was a strong inducement for my acceptance.”
Her mischievous smile was soon crushed under a tender kiss that took her breath away, which he broke before tenderness turned into the usual ardency.
“We should attend to our guests,” he said, pressing his lips upon her palms, while she tried to regain some composure.
Then, as if recollecting himself, he reached for a small box upon the desk. “I had meant to speak of this sooner. It is a trifle, perhaps, but one that has occupied my thoughts, and I finally completed it with Mr Gardiner’s support.”
Elizabeth arched a brow with playful curiosity. “A trifle from you is seldom insignificant.”
He opened the box and handed her the papers within. “It is a settlement — an addition to what she will one day possess. For our daughter, from her mother, the intact legacy of the grandmother she never met. As I promised.”
Elizabeth’s expression softened, while her heart melted with affection and gratitude. She locked eyes with her husband for a long moment of meaningful silence before she began to read. As the words unfolded, her surprise gave way to warmth.
“For our little Melly? You know she is only four,” she teased him to hide her deep emotion, knowing how little Darcy cared for diminutives.
“For our Amelia Elizabeth — Miss Darcy — for her future security,” he replied, though his voice carried a deeper note.
“She is our eldest child, but Alexander will be the heir.
I would have her enter the world with every advantage, and—"he hesitated,"—with none of the uncertainty that once troubled those I most love.”
Elizabeth closed the box and looked up at him, her heart full of all the love that had continued to grow over the years.
“My Fitzwilliam, you are incorrigible in your care for us all. Is it not too early for such settlements? Our daughter can scarcely yet command her nursery, though her bravery and obstinacy are not to be doubted. She has no resistance from Alexander, who has been following her everywhere since he learnt to walk, just as she has no resistance from any of our family or the servants.”
“Because everybody at Pemberley adores her, just as everybody adores her mother. From young master Alexander to Mrs Reynolds, the tenants and even the people of Lambton. Of course, nobody more than I do.”
He paused, embracing her again, their eyes locked.
“You, my love, have brought liveliness and joy to Pemberley, and our daughter will continue your legacy. And to answer your question — no, I feel it is not too early to ensure her safety.”
“Very well, then. I shall certainly support your desire to prepare for her triumph in society, Mr Darcy, and greatly anticipate you dancing with her at her first ball.”
A hint of laughter returned to him then, easing the last of his melancholy.
“You are teasing me, my love. Am I being unreasonable? I think I already asked you that a few moments earlier.”
“And I already answered you. You are exactly as you ought to be,” she said, quickly pressing her lips upon his one last time, then drawing him towards the door.
“Come, sir. Your sister is to be admired, your children are to be boasted about, and your guests are to be charmed. You cannot hide in the library on such a day.”
And with that, she led him back towards the brightness of the gardens, where joy awaited them both that afternoon and for many years to come.
The End