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Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy married Miss Elizabeth Bennet at the end of June, and the pair moved to Pemberley after spending only a few days in London. Georgiana and Mrs Annesley remained in town, allowing the happy couple the privacy they deserved.

Miss Darcy travelled to Pemberley a month later, together with Mrs Annesley, Mr and Mrs Charles Bingley, the Gardiners, and the whole Bennet family, as well as Colonel Fitzwilliam, his brother the viscount, and the latter’s wife.

In another carriage, Mrs Crawford, with Libby and Janey — now fully recovered — holding her son Tommy, travelled to Pemberley as well. Georgiana had agreed to be Tommy’s godmother, and she had become exceedingly attached to the family. Mr Darcy had offered them a cottage with a small garden and the chance to work at Pemberley while being close to their relatives in Lambton.

From that year onwards, it became a tradition for the whole family to reunite at Pemberley in the summer as well as at Christmas. The tradition lasted even after Elizabeth and Jane each gave birth to healthy, beautiful baby boys.

Lord and Lady Matlock needed two years before they were willing to fully accept Darcy’s marriage and join the party; their change of heart happened only after Darcy’s heir was born.

The Bingley sisters managed to obtain their brother and sister’s forgiveness after a while, but for three years, they did not receive another invitation to Pemberley.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh refused to see Darcy or meet his wife. She blamed Mr Collins for not being capable of forcing Elizabeth to marry him and saving Darcy from that disaster. Mr Bennet found great pleasure in torturing his cousin, so he wrote him regular letters filled with details about Pemberley and his son-in-law Mr Darcy.

While always happy to share their good fortune with their family and friends, Elizabeth and Darcy needed only each other — and the little bundle of joy grown from their love — to enjoy the felicity they had dreamt of, and it was certainly worth waiting and fighting for.

The End