Page 84 of Her Favourite Daughter

Fanny and Amelia stood back watching their daughter and new son-in-law accept wishes of happy from those waiting. “I never showed it to my other daughters, but do you know that Lizzy was always my favourite daughter? As Bethie, she belongs to both of us,” Fanny said in sotto voce so only Amelia would hear.

“No matter her name, and notwithstanding she is my only daughter, Bethie is my favourite daughter as well,” Amelia said with a wide smile. She took Fanny’s arm. “We need to make for Leeds House to be ready to receive the many guests.”

Knowing she would have time with Bethie at Leeds House before she and William departed, Fanny joined Amelia as they went to collect Thomas.

‘Yes,’ Fanny thought, ‘God has been very good to us.’

Epilogue

Buckingham Palace, May 1833

Even with twenty-two years of marriage behind them, William and Bethany Darcy looked very much as they always did, other than the beginning of streaks of silver in her hair and greying around the edges of her beloved husband’s locks.

Bethany was very thankful that Mother, who would reach the age of eighty next year, although very frail, was present to witness the upcoming ceremony. Mamma, who was eleven years younger than Mother, was also present. For many years, her two mothers had been best of friends, and in the last few years, they had become inseparable. All Bennet grandchildren, called Mother, Grandmamma Amelia, so rather than just the six Bethie had delivered, she had as many as her best friend, Fanny.

This day, the sixth day of May, they stood before King William IV and Queen Adelaide, and Bethany could not have been happier that the day had arrived. The reason was that His Majesty was about to touch their oldest son, George William Darcy Osborne—they had named him George[17] as Mother had said that Father had always planned to call his son by that name—on his shoulder, making him the sixth Duke of Leeds. He had been born on the fourth day of May 1812, just over a year after they had married, and Saturday past, he had reached his majority. Hence, under the terms of the patents governing the Leeds Dukedom, as soon as her son’s investiture was completed, Bethany would no longer be the duchess. In a matter of minutes, she would be the Countess of Holderness, and that was more than enough for her.

William had become the sixth Earl of Holderness when his father went to his final reward some seven years previously. Their second son, Bennet Robert, born two years after George, had become Viscount Conyers. It had been very hard for Mother Anne without her beloved Robert. She had, after her loss, put all of her emotional energy into the bevy of grandchildren.

Unfortunately, Robert Darcy had not been the only death in the family over the years. Sir William Lucas had been called home in the same month, only two years after King George III passed in 1820. Grandmama Beth Bennet went to be with her beloved James in heaven in September 1824. By the time she was called home, she had a gaggle of great-grandchildren. A year after his brother-in-law passed away, Lord Reginald Fitzwilliam went to his final reward. That elevated Andrew and Jane to be the next Earl and Countess of Matlock, and their firstborn son became the new Viscount Hilldale. Lady Elaine had contracted influenza the winter after her beloved was taken, and it was a month later when she joined him in heaven.

The last of the extended family to be called home to God was Thomas Bennet, Baron Meryton, in June 1831. His title passed to his son, Lord James Bennet, the new master of Longbourn and holder of the title. The dowager baroness was very pleased to cede her position to her daughter-in-law, Lady Georgiana Bennet.

By the time Thomas Bennet went to meet his maker, all of his children were married and had begun contributing grandchildren to the steadily growing horde.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Giana had her first season in 1814. By that time, James was about to turn four and twenty. As soon as he noticed—a year prior to her coming out—that Giana viewed him as much more than a brother-in-law, he allowed himself to acknowledge the tender feelings he had for her.

A few days after her coming-out ball, James, who had been in love with her for some months, spoke to Giana and told her that as much as he wanted her to be his partner in life, he was not ready to take that step yet. They decided they would court unofficially and, as long as they both desired a union between them, become engaged on Giana’s nineteenth birthday in March 1815. Robert and Anne Darcy had been more than pleased that they would have their ‘baby’ daughter with them for one more year before she cleaved her life unto James.

Seeing that everyone in the extended family had been aware of the feelings flowing between the two, even before they admitted it aloud, there had been no one surprised when they became engaged on the first Monday of March in 1815. The date of the marriage was decided to be the nineteenth day of May; the day James would reach the age of five and twenty. Giana had, of course, married from Pemberley.

With a one-year courtship and more than two months before the wedding, none of the jealous society harpies could accuse the couple of having a hurried patched up marriage.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

By the time James’s father left the mortal world, he and Giana had been blessed with three children, two sons and a daughter. The heir had been named Robert Thomas for his two grandfathers.

Mary was married to Lord Winston Chamberlain, the Marquess of Hertford, in days after Twelfth Night of 1812 from Longbourn. He was the only son of the Duke and Duchess of Hertfordshire. They had met at events in London and Hertfordshire before, and then, especially after Mary and Petunia came out in April of 1811. Winston requested a courtship once Bethie and William had left their wedding breakfast for Conyers House. Four months later, he asked for her hand, which Mary granted without delay because she loved and respected him as much as he did her.

Before the previous Duke of Hertfordshire went to join his most beloved wife in heaven in 1821, Mary and Winston had three children, two sons and a daughter. Lord Archie had died happy knowing he was to see his darling wife and that the continuation of the dukedom was assured. Since then, Mary, Duchess of Hertfordshire, had delivered a third son and another daughter.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

When she had turned eighteen, Kitty had asked to be called Catherine. She, thereafter, came out in the little season of 1812. After not seeing him for a few years, Catherine met Sir Charles Bingley at a ball in London during the season of 1813.

The two became very close, and after a courtship and engagement, married from Longbourn in February of 1814. As all of her sisters had married men with their own estates, when Catherine married she brought Netherfield Park with her as part of her dowry. Even with that, Sir Charles purchased a larger estate, Rolling Hills, about fifteen miles northwest of Meryton. To date, Sir Charles and Lady Bingley had one son and three daughters. When they were blessed with a second son, he would be the heir to Netherfield Park, and if not, their eldest daughter would inherit the estate.

When Catherine and Sir Charles married, William and Caroline Collins were very pleased to become brother and sister to all the Bennet offspring.

By the time Catherine married, Petunia Smythe had met, become engaged to, and married Lord Wesley De Melville, Viscount Amberley, heir to the Earl of Jersey. Even though at the time, Petunia suspected she was with child, she had stood as Catherine’s matron of honour—the two had become very close over the years.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The Younges still owned their inn in Tickhill. They had met and married their partners some years past and were very content with their situation. Ever since they learnt the truth of their mother and George Wickham, they had never looked to blame anyone else for any ills in their life.

Over the years when Kiveton Park was occupied by any of the family, they made sure to give the Younges’ inn as much business as possible.