They began to court in January 1812, became engaged in February of that year, and were married in April. When Catherine had asked her sisters if they thought Jane would be happy she was to marry the man Janey had loved before her passing, all three opined in the strongest terms they were sure Janey was smiling on Catherine from heaven. At that moment, a gust of wind pushed the curtains aside and blew into the room. Elizabeth had been sure it was their beloved sister bestowing her blessing on the union.
Until Mary and Richard sold Rosings Park and moved to Derbyshire, the Bingleys lived at Netherfield Park, where their first son, Arthur Charles, was born in June 1813. Their next child, a daughter, Janine Louisa, was born at the estate they purchased in Cheshire in May 1815. Falcon Woods was just across the border with Derbyshire, and a little more than thirty miles from Pemberley. Their second son, William Thomas was born in October 1819.
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As the girls were so close to one another in age, Lydia and Giana had come out together during the season of 1813. They had been sponsored for their presentation before Queen Charlotte by Lady Matlock. Both had enjoyed their season immensely, but had rebuffed more than one man each who had requested to call on them.
They returned to London to partake in the little season of 1813, where Lydia had met Lord Wesley De Melville at a ball given by the Earl and Countess of Matlock. Viscount Westmore, heir to the Earl of Jersey, had been fascinated by Miss Lydia Bennet, but her initial response to him was tepid at best. Over the next month the Viscount managed to work his way into her heart.
By March 1814, Lydia had resigned the name Bennet and was Viscountess Westmore. She was well pleased that Wes’s estate of Westmore was located in Leicestershire. With Catherine in Cheshire, Lizzy and Mary in Derbyshire, it could not have been a better way to keep the four sisters physically close to one another. In June 1816, Lydia presented her husband with an heir, and in September 1819, another son. Lydia had felt the quickening recently and was praying she and Wes would be blessed with a daughter this time.
At the same ball Lydia met her viscount, Giana was introduced to David Cavendish. She was aware it was the family name of the dukes of Devonshire, but she did not feel she could ask him if he was related to them if he did not volunteer the information himself.
For David Cavendish, the Earl of Burlington, it was greatly refreshing that Miss Darcy did not seem to be aware he was the heir to the Duke of Devonshire. He hated being hunted for his title and wealth and was intrigued by the slightly shy beauty who seemed to enjoy him for himself.
A month after Lydia and her Wes married; Giana became Lady Cavendish, the Countess of Burlington. When David hadtold her the truth of his lineage prior to asking for a courtship, she had understood his need to be liked for himself and not his family and titles. Having been hunted for her dowry and knowing of her brother’s experiences prior to meeting Lizzy, rather than berate him for not telling her who he was right away, she understood why he had done so.
Their first child, a daughter, was born in March 1815, followed by a son and heir in January 1817. Another son joined the family in September 1819.
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“When will the Parkers arrive?” Mary asked her sister.
“I believe they will be here this afternoon. Diana and Aaron should have arrived at the parsonage this morning,” Elizabeth replied.
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Charlotte and Arthur Parker could not have been happier. They had four children, three daughters and a son. Parker had never reconciled with his other brothers and sister because they had rejected any attempts by him to do so.
Diana had married Aaron Goulding in July 1811. They lived happily at Haye Park, and to date had two sons and a daughter. Before she had married her Aaron, Diana had been as close to Charlotte as sisters by blood could ever be.
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“We know the Gardiners are at Lambert Hills. They will all arrive here a few days before Easter,” Mary related.
“Having Aunt Maddie and Uncle Edward living just outside of Lambton is wonderful,” Elizabeth stated.
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After Eddy graduated from Oxford, and reached his majority, Gardiner turned most of the day-to-day running of his business over to his son. He still guided which investments they chose, but that was all. They had found a mediumsized estate, Willow Run, for sale just south of Lambton, and Gardiner had fulfilled his wife’s wish to move out of London to be near to her family in the north.
Lilly had been married for three years and had already gifted them a grandson. May still lived at home and Peter was at Oxford and also lived at home…at least he did when he was not at university.
Addie Lambert was being courted, but was in no hurry to marry. Henry was at Cambridge, Rory at Eton. Rory and Joshua Fitzwilliam were still the best of friends and shared a chamber at Eton. No one knew the future, but some years hence the future viscount and earl would marry May Gardiner.
The Hilldale Fitzwilliams had added three more children after their son and daughter. Two more daughters and a son. Lord and Lady Matlock, both still spry, loved the many grandchildren they had, and in the case of the Darcys, surrogate grandchildren.
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There were no surviving villains who had bedevilled the family in the past.
George Wickham had resorted to petty theft to try to get by, and since his face was so disfigured, the only way he could have a woman was by paying for her or forcing himself on her. He had attempted such with the daughter of a smithy in a small town south of London. He had never been heard from, or seen again after said smithy had dragged him off his daughter.
Caroline Wickham caught what she thought was a trifling cold at Bedlam after having been a resident for three years. She refused to allow anyone to assist her. In an ironic twist, it became pneumonia which ended her life.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh never spoke a word after that day at Rosings Park and was as docile as a lamb. Not long after she was told her daughter had passed away in June 1814, she began to wither away. She shuffled off the mortal coil twomonths later.
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