“I am more than happy for them Thomas, but I will still miss them. Kitty is departing with the Darcys on the morrow, and on Monday you will be taking Tom and James back to Cambridge When you return it will be just the two of us in this huge home,” Fanny replied forlornly.
“Do not forget, Fanny, that subsequent to Twelfth Night when we return from Derbyshire Georgie and Kitty will be with us and remain until they start preparing for their coming out next year.
Tom and James will be with us as well until I have to return them to university, and do not forget once they return from their wedding trip that Richard and Mary will be but three miles away at Netherfield Park.” Bennet reminded his wife of several of the positive events in her near future.
“I know all of that Thomas; I am just being silly,” Fanny smiled sadly.
“Do not say that about yourself, Fanny. You are the least silly woman I know. It is expected to miss one’s daughters when they marry and leave home, most especially when you lose three in four weeks as has just occurred for us. I have no doubt you are as happy for them as I am. Do you not think I am sad to see our girls leave Longbourn as well?” he looked down into her eyes.
“Not for one second do I believe that! As long as I have you, I will always feel safe and loved,” Fanny promised.
“And while I am taking the boys to Cambridge, I think you should look at what is needed in the nursery. I do believe the sooner you renovate it with all the grandparent allowed indulgences you can fit into it, the better,” Bennet suggested.
Bennet took his wife’s hands and kissed them and then walked with her back into the ballroom to celebrate the weddings with their friends and ever-expanding family. At least the Darcys would still be with them until the morrow.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As they were supervising the packing of their trunks, Elizabeth Darcy turned to her husband and said, “I would like to invite Charlotte Lucas to join us at Christmastide, William.”
“You are the mistress of Pemberley, my love, you are free to invite anyone your heart desires,” Darcy responded as he kissed his wife on her cheek. “To tell the truth, I was going to suggest it myself.”
“You were? Why? You hardly know her except as my friend,” his inquisitive wife asked.
“Have you not told me many times what a good person she is? How she is of unimpeachable character? If she has your affection and respect, there is not much more I need to know about her.”
“I agree, she is one of the best people and friends I know. That been said, why is it that you were going to make the suggestion?”
“Two reasons, my love,” he said with one of his dimple-revealing smiles that always made his wife go weak at the knees, “Firstly, I know she is your very good friend and you have told me how seldom she has a chance to travel outside of Hertfordshire. Secondly…”
“Yes, William, secondly?” Elizabeth’s curiosity was peeked now, what could her handsome husband be planning?
“You have heard me talk about our clergyman, a good friend of mine from school, who holds the livings of Kympton, Lambton and Pemberley, Mr. Patrick Elliot?”
“I have; you have given him a glowing character. He was married and his wife died five years ago, and he has a very sweet daughter of five years, Grace?”
“Yes, all correct, well I know recently, after so many years in mourning for his beloved wife, he has started to talk about the possibility of considering a new wife and mother for Gracie.”
“William, you are a matchmaker at heart!” his impertinent wife teased.
“Not a matchmaker my dearest loveliest Elizabeth, all I want is to facilitate a meeting, what they do after will be entirely up to them.” How he loved it when his beloved wife teased him.
“I think it a fine plan, William, I will send a note to Charlotte now inviting her for Christmastide, and as long as she would like to stay with us afterward.”
Mrs. Darcy wrote her note telling her friend they would send a carriage to collect her or organise things so she could ride with one of the groups travelling from Longbourn to join them for the holidays and sent it to Lucas Lodge with one of the Longbourn grooms who was instructed to wait for an answer.
About a half an hour later he returned and handed a note to the former Miss Lizzy from Charlotte Lucas. She opened the reply and read it aloud to her husband:
My dear Eliza, I thank you and your husband for your very welcome invitation. I would be happy to join you at Pemberley. I will be available to leave after Christmas as I want to celebrate the day with my family. If that is acceptable to you, I would love to see you in your new home. When I see you at your home there is a particular subject, I would like to address with you regarding my future. With my best regards and thanks, Charlotte
A note was sent back to Lucas Lodge informing Charlotte a Darcy equipage with an appropriate chaperone would arrive at her home the day after Christmas.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and the twins waved to the departing Darcys with Kitty accompanying them as their carriages headed up Longbourn’s drive to eventually join the Great North Road.
In another day or two, Bennet would take his sons to Cambridge and then for the first time since before Jane was born, the Bennet parents would be alone. At least they had Frank and Hattie Philips to visit and commiserate with them as well as a very good group of friends. They would be alone, but not lonely.
Chapter 24
The three Darcys, accompanied by Kitty Bennet, arrived back at Pemberley the Thursday following the double wedding. As this was Mrs. Darcy’s first time at Pemberley as the mistress, the housekeeper and the butler were waiting for them, and had most of the staff lined up in the entrance hall in anticipation of their arrival.
