She was still wearing the muted colours of half mourning. Her mother, Lady Sarah Lucas, had slipped in her home and struck her head on the corner of a sideboard and never been conscious again. The terrible accident had occurred toward the end of March 1821. Charlotte, her husband, and their children had spent a month at Lucas Lodge consoling her father.
With the proximity of the former colonel’s estate the friendship between Charlotte, Jane, and Elizabeth was as close as it had ever been. Even though there was no official bond of family, they were as close as any family could be.
Less than a year after her wedding, Charlotte had been blessed with her first son. For the next five years, there had been nothing and then in 1816, Charlotte’s daughter had been born.
“How is your father coping?” Elizabeth asked.
“As well as can be expected. He is more relaxed since he turned the estate over to Franklin and Mandy—the Lucas heir had married the former Miss Long. With both Maria and John married he feels like he is needed by Franklin and his children,” Charlotte averred.
“I am still amazed John has taken over my late Uncle Frank’s law practice, I thought he was fixed in London at a large firm of solicitors,” Elizabeth observed .
Frank Phillips had passed away over a year past and thankfully John Lucas had been able to purchase the law offices in Meryton. Even though she had sufficient funds from her widow’s portion combined with the proceeds from the sale of her husband’s law practice to live independently, Hattie Phillips was living at Netherfield Park with the Gardiners.
With his two sons running the business, Edward Gardiner had effectively retired from his concern some three years past. Bingley was still a silent partner; however, he held a smaller stake having sold about half of his shares back to Gardiner at a very good profit.
The eldest Gardiner daughter and son were each married to well matched spouses. The younger son had not found a woman to catch his interest yet, and the youngest, a girl, was being courted by a man with a good sized estate.
The Gardiner parents spent a number of months in Derbyshire each year—to Madeline Gardiner’s delight. She had grown up in Lambton and thought Derbyshire the best of shires.
Except for the eldest son, the extended Gardiner family was expected in two days. Edward the younger would join his parents, siblings, wife, and daughter a fortnight later .
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
In case you were interested in the remaining villains:
George Wickham languished eight years in King’s Bench debtor’s prison. With the family’s agreement, Darcy and Richard had gone to see him with a onetime offer. One choice was to volunteer to move to Australia with the understanding if he ever returned to England he would be re-arrested. Alternatively, he could remain where he was for the rest of his days.
Wickham chose Australia and was sent off with one hundred pounds and the warning that the people there would not be so forgiving if he tried his usual tricks on them.
He was never heard from again, much to the pleasure of those he had bedevilled in England.
Caroline Bingley elected to be set up in her own establishment after a year under her aunt’s thumb. She made the mistake of thinking she could re-establish herself in London. She discovered with great speed she was still very much ruined in Town so she had returned to Scarborough cursing Eliza Bennet all the way. She categorically refused to call her Elizabeth Darcy.
She lived as a bitter spinster for almost ten years in her own apartments. One morning when her maid of all work reported for duty in January 1820, she found Miss Bingley in her bed, not moving or breathing.
Other than her brother, sister, and brother-in-law, no others attended her funeral.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The next night, with all of their children put to bed, the adults of the extended family were seated in the largest of the drawing rooms enjoying tea, coffee, and some of Cook’s delectable shortbread.
As they always did, Darcy and Elizabeth were seated next to each other ensuring they were close enough so there was much contact between their bodies. More than ten years since they married, the fires of the love and passion had not diminished; if anything the flames burnt higher and with more heat than they had ever before.
“Elizabeth, if I had not had a change of heart and proceeded with what I planned in London, do you think we would be here together now, sublimely happy?” Darcy asked next to his wife’s ear so only she would hear.
“The path may have been more fraught with obstacles, but I do believe we would have found one another—eventually,” Elizabeth responded softly. “Do not forget you are not the only one who had a change of heart.”
The Darcys looked around the room and saw not a few present who had in their own changes of heart which also had far-reaching consequences.
“As you usually do, you have the right of it, my dearest, loveliest, most beloved Elizabeth.” Darcy drew his wife’s hand to his mouth and bestowed a lingering kiss.
The family members were used to seeing such displays of affection from the Darcys when in company with others, so no one commented on what they had seen.
Fanny Bennet was sitting surveying her family with a smile. ‘Yes, God has been inordinately good to us.’
~~~~~The End~~~~
