The first carriage stopped by the front door of Pemberley and the door flew open.
Mr Bennet was the first one to disembark. Once on firm ground he turned and offered his hand to his wife and his daughter Miss Catherine, formerly known as Kitty.
When Catherine had realised how bad her behaviour had been in the past, with the very different methods that her sisters Jane, Elizabeth and Lydia had each used to catch themselves a husband, she opted to abandon Lydia’s faulty example and instead follow the two eldest’s.
The second carriage in the convoy brought Mr Bingley and his wife Mrs Jane Bingley who, like her sister Elizabeth was heavy with child. Once Jane alighted from the carriage her sister Mary was assisted down by her brother in law, Charles.
Charles Bingley, once he realised the foolishness of his past indecisions and cowardice, quickly proposed to his angel and became a loving husband and a loving brother towards his new sisters, as well as a great protector of the Bennets together with his brother, Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Like her sister Catherine, Mary had decided to change her life for the better. She had opted to live with the Bingleys, especially after Charles’ sister, the former Miss Bingley had eloped with a rake, a man cut from the same cloth as Wickham.
The former Caroline Bingley had chosen for a husband a scoundrel who had convinced her that he was the heir to the Earl of Merseyside, a tale which turned out to be a great lie.
The man, a Mr Beasley, had gone through most of Caroline’s dowry in less than two years, with his gambling, drinking and women. These exploits involved Caroline in all sorts of scandals, with less than honourable people in notorious house parties.
Finally, poor Mrs Beasley had decided to move to Canada, since she could not divorce her reprobate of a husband.
Even Lydia had done better than Caroline and for that shame the former Miss Bingley could no longer remain in England, especially after she had been so outspoken against the Bennets and the scandalous nature of Lydia’s marriage.
The third carriage contained Miss de Bourgh, Mr Richard Fitzwilliam the former Colonel of His Majesty’s Army, his wife Mrs Charlotte Fitzwilliam and their son Jonathan Collins. The boy was now a plump little two year old toddler who, although he was the spitting image of his father, was the cutest and most adorable child.
The caravan had started its trip to Pemberley that morning from Kinloch Falls Manor, Mr and Mrs Bingley’s estate, a manor happily located but twenty five miles from Pemberley, on the boarder of Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
The following day the party expected more additions: Lord and Lady Matlock, their oldest son Bradley Fitzwilliam, also known as Viscount Allenby the heir to the Matlock estate, with his wife and two sons and then finally Mr and Mrs Denny with their one year old daughter, Rebecca.
Elizabeth and Georgiana had been busy decorating the house for their combined two year anniversary ball that would happen the following week.
They had so much to celebrate; not only Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding anniversary but Bingley and Jane’s, Lydia and Denny’s, Richard and Charlotte’s and last but not least the complete recovery of Mr Bennet’s health. A recovery which came as a miracle, once the man received the combined news of Lydia’s return home, her appearance as a married woman and the subsequent engagement of both Jane and Elizabeth to honourable men.
Mr Bennet was not only fully healthy but also reinvigorated, for Miss de Bourgh had made her cousin, the second son of Lord Matlock, Richard Fitzwilliam her official heir. Therefore the young Mr Collins would not need to evict the Bennet widow or any unmarried daughters from Longbourn when the current master died.
For her part, Mrs Charlotte Fitzwilliam had promised that her son Jonathan Collins would wait until the last Bennet vacated the estate before moving into his inheritance, while the eldest son of Richard and Charlotte would then inherit Rosings Park.
***
One week later
Darcy extended his hand to his wife, “Mrs Darcy if you are not otherwise engaged; may I have this dance, madam?”
Elizabeth smiled at him, “William you know very well that husbands and wives should not dance at a ball, especially at a ball held in their home.”
He raised his eyebrows in challenge, “I never understood this silly rule, but since it is, as you said, my home, my ball, and my wedding anniversary I shall pay no attention to the foolishness of such rule, but will insist on dancing with my beautiful wife... come wife.” He held her by the elbow and gently guided her into the dance floor.
“Oh very well, you impossible man; how can I refuse you when you ask so charmingly and offer such excellent arguments?” She laughed.
“Exactly; I know when you are resolved to do something, Elizabeth Darcy, you stop at nothing. Why should I?”
“That is very true. But my resolve starts and ends with you, my darling.”
The dance was a Waltz and Darcy held his wife close to his heart and whispered in her ear, making her shiver, “Just you wait Mrs Darcy, my resolve to make you happy later on tonight is just as certain.”
She smiled and blushed, “Do your worst, Mr Darcy.”
He twirled her on the dance floor not caring who thought such scenes were inappropriate. As he said it was his house, his rules... and his wonderful wife.
The End
