Page 78 of Elizabeth's Self-Discovery

Within a year of their wedding, they were blessed with twins, a son and daughter. Then, less than two years lateranother son was born, followed by two daughters. By the time the Duke passed away in 1819, and then the Dowager Duchess in 1821, they knew the future of their family was secure and there were grandchildren, not only one child like they had had.

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The other family the Dowager Countess spent some months each year with was the Huntington family. Gigi had met Paul Huntington, the owner of a large estate in Staffordshire, at her coming out ball where he had dared to request, and she had granted, a second set. It had taken four months before he had worked up the courage to request a courtship, and three more before he proposed. They had married in May 1817. Huntington’s estate was less than forty miles from Pemberley which pleased his wife and brother-in law.

In February 1819, the Huntingtons had been excited to welcome a son, William Paul, into their family. A daughter, Annabeth, was born in June 1821, and Georgiana suspected she was with child again.

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The two youngest Bennets had both married well. Kitty, who when she had turned eighteen asked to be called by her full name of Catherine, married the son of Uncle Edward’s business partner. Her husband James, ran the company with Eddy Gardiner since the older Gardiner had retired to a small estate near his wife’s beloved Lambton in 1821.

Catherine and James had two sons, and as she was with child again, she was praying for a daughter.

Lydia married a naval captain, John Bertram. Until her husband retired from the navy as a commodore in 1819, when he and his ship sailed anywhere, Lydia was on board with him. With the great amount of prize money he had amassed, Commodore Bertram purchased a medium sized estate in Lincolnshire which overlooked the sea. He of course owned a sloop which he wouldsail when he had the time.

His wife and sons, they had three so far, would always join him as they all had a love of the sea, even the youngest one, who was not yet one.

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The one remaining villain, George Wickham, served his year at Newgate and then he was transported. He unsurprisingly angered a man, who happened to be more vengeful than himself, during the months’ long voyage. Somehow, no one could, or more likely would tell how, one night George Wickham had fallen overboard.

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Fanny was sitting off to the one side of the veranda with her good friend, Elaine Fitzwilliam, both sipping glasses of cool lemonade.

“Elaine, have you visited Mr and Mrs Reynolds in their cottage on this visit?” Fanny asked.

Pemberley’s former butler and housekeeper had retired in 1820, after both had served the Darcys for more than forty years. They had a large pension and comfortable home to live in for the rest of their days.

“I have. Mrs Reynolds was always more a family member than a staff member. My late sister Anne, found her indispensable,” Lady Elaine averred.

“As Lizzy felt about her as well,” Fanny mused. “The new senior staff members were thoroughly trained by the Reynolds before they retired.” Fanny looked at her friend who still wore the muted colours of half mourning, and would for the rest of her life. She was still very spry as she had been more than ten years her late husband’s junior. “Has it become even a little easier since Reggie’s passing?”

“Now that I am out of deep mourning, each day it becomes a little more bearable,” Lady Elaine replied with a touch of sadness she always felt when she spoke of her beloved husband. “I suppose the only good thing about your latehusband is you did not feel anything but relief.”

“You have the right of it,” Fanny owned. “His was a wasted life, other than the five wonderful daughters he gave me, that is. I mourned for only a week, and I do not regret Lizzy and William did not know of his passing until they returned from their honeymoon.” Fanny paused as she cogitated. “Things would have been very different for him and our family had he had the ability to look inward, to take a journey of self-discovery like Lizzy did. It was unfortunately beyond his capabilities. Besides,” Fanny inclined her head toward their shared family members, “everything worked out well without him.”

Unbeknownst to the two dowagers, Elizabeth and Darcy had heard their conversation. “I always said my mother could not be so intelligent for no reason, my love.” Elizabeth smiled widely; everything was just as it should be.

~~~The End~~~