With Jane’s hearty endorsement, Bingley had made an offer on the estate which had been accepted. The selling family planned to move at the end of July, meaning the estate would be theirs from the first day of August. Thankfully with their uncle being the landlord at Netherfield Park, he had released his niece and nephew from the remainder of the lease without penalty.
As soon as the Bingley’s moved out, the Gardiners began to move into their estate.
In mid-November 1811, Francine Elizabeth Bingley arrived, born at her parent’s estate. Little Franny, as she was called by all, looked very much like her mother in all but her hair colour. She had the same strawberry blond colour as her father.
In August 1813, Charles Thomas Bingley joined the family. He had his mother’s blue eyes, but his hair was the same colour as his Aunt Lizzy’s. Charlie was one day less than exactly one year younger than his cousin, Ben Darcy. The two were inseparable when they were together, which was often.
Jane and Bingley were blessed with three more children, a little more than two years separating their births. A daughter, Louisa, was born in 1815, the next daughter Madeline in 1817, and then the babe of the family, Arthur was born in 1819. Like her next younger sister, Jane was with child again.
Both sets of married Bennets had been hosted at Meadowbrook for the last ten days and would arrive at Pemberley with the Bingleys that afternoon.
Fanny and Bennet still lived at Longbourn—technically—but only spent a month or two a year there. With all of their daughters married and a growing brood of grandchildren, the older Bennets spent their time between each of their daughters’ homes—even though Bennet used to loudly decry travel. It was no surprise to anyone, given the attraction of the library, that Pemberly hosted the Bennet parents for more than three months each year.
Mary and William Bennet and their three sons also resided at the Bennet estate of Longbourn. Their first son Thomas Caleb, called Tommy, had been born in April 1813. The next, Edward William in May 1816. The third son, Collin Philip—his name a nod to his father’s former family name—had joined the family in November 1818.
Not long after Kitty and Lydia married brothers in a double ceremony in June 1815, Bennet had gone to visit his daughter and son-in-law in Hunsford and proposed they take up residence at Longbourn and assume the roles of mistress and master.
William Bennet had informed his patron and patroness, Richard and Anne Fitzwilliam, of his decision and recommended the curate who filled in for him when he was away be preferred to the living.
Richard and Anne had wished the Bennets well and duly appointed the curate to the living.
With the recovery of Anne’s full health, she had welcomed the prospect of being a mother rather than dreading being with child as a death sentence. She and Richard had been blessed with a son and daughter.
Their son was born in September 1815. Even when the doctors had pronounced his wife fully capable of safely bearing children, Richard had wanted to wait for some more time to pass. It had and they had been blessed with James Lewis. Their daughter had been born in October 1818. She had been named Elaine Anne, called Ellie.
Due to complications of the birth, during which Richard had thought he would lose his Anne, she would never be able to bear another child. The Fitzwilliams would arrive from Kent on the morrow. Richard and Darcy were still as close as brothers.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Giana, are your sons napping?” Elizabeth asked when she entered the music room and saw her sister sitting at the instrument which had been hers until she left Pemberley as a young bride.
“They are, Lizzy,” Georgiana responded while she allowed her fingers to brush over the familiar keys.
She had, with her brother and sister’s blessing, delayed entering society until the season of 1813. Ben, at almost one, was old enough to travel so Elizabeth and Darcy were able to be with Giana and attended the season with her.
Kitty had shared the season with her best friend—such they had become soon after Lizzy married William—and neither had found anyone who interested them in their first season.
Lydia had come out during the season of 1814, and at her coming out ball Giana had met Lord Sed Rhys-Davies, the Marquess of Birchington and heir to the Duke of Bedford. At the time he was five and twenty and she nineteen.
A whirlwind courtship had ensued and by July 1814, Giana was the Marchioness of Birchington. She had borne two sons so far. An heir was born in January 1816, named Sedgewick per the family tradition. Robert William had come along in February 1819. Giana had felt the quickening a few days before leaving Birchington to travel to Pemberley and she sincerely hoped she would be blessed with a daughter this time.
“Our husbands are out riding; I expect to see them home before it is time for the midday meal. I am sure you will be pleased not only Kitty and Lydia and their families arrive on the morrow, but Tiffany and the De Melvilles as well,” Elizabeth enlightened her sister.
At a ball some weeks after Lydia’s coming out she and Kitty had met the Wellington-Smythe brothers. Their grandfather had been an extremely wealthy shipbuilder who had purchased an extensive estate in Devonshire for his son.
The brothers’ father had inherited the vast fortune when the grandfather had passed away. It was such he had taken a small portion of it and purchased the neighbouring estate for his second son who was less than fourteen months his brother’s junior. The two were much like Jane and Lizzy, not only siblings, but best of friends as well.
It had been perfect. They met two sisters, the older brother began to court Kitty, while the younger, Lydia.
After lengthy courtships and engagements, the Bennet sisters married her respective Wellington-Smythe brother in June 1815. So far both sisters had a son and daughter. In January 1817, Kitty delivered a son; in February the same year Lydia delivered a daughter.
In April 1819, the reverse happened. First Lydia bore a son, and a few short weeks later Kitty bore a daughter. In addition to their friendship with Giana, the two youngest Bennets had become close friends with Tiffany.
Lady Tiffany Fitzwilliam had come out in 1812, but it was not until the little season of 1813 when she finally accepted a courtship from Wesley De Melville, Viscount Westmore, heir to the Earl of Jersey. They had married at the end of the season of 1814. To date Tiffany had delivered a son, followed by a daughter, and then another son in 1815, 1818, and 1820.
The Fitzwilliam matriarch and patriarch were at Hilldale with Andrew, Priscilla, and their five children. They would join the rest of the family in a sennight. It was the eldest grandchild’s fourteenth birthday and she had wanted to celebrate at Hilldale with her grandparents knowing she would celebrate again at Pemberley with her aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Elizabeth loved how close the extended family was, which included some who were considered family even while they were not. As if her thoughts conjured her, just then Charlotte Forster entered the drawing room .
