Page 34

It was discovered not long after the events in this story that Colonel Forster and his wife had been involved with Mrs Younge’s business affairs and they, too, were arrested.

Since a serving officer had been shot in peacetime by one conspirator, the army court marshalled Colonel Forster and pressed heavily for the most severe penalties that the courts of the land could mete out on the rest of the conspirators.

Mr Bennet was tried on charges of indecent assault, assault, murder, and treason.

He was found guilty of all charges and was hanged for his crimes within a month of his arrest.

As for the rest of the conspirators, Mrs Younge was found guilty of the same charges as Mr Bennet and hanged at her cousin’s side.

The rest of the conspirators were also hanged.

Many young women were saved by the actions of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, Mr Martin Darcy, Mr George Wickham senior, and Mr Phillip Bingley.

Mr and Mrs Mark Bennet had a long and happy marriage, with many children that followed.

Mrs Caroline Bennet gave birth to Mark’s son and heir just five months after their wedding.

Mrs Caroline Bennet had not been a beneficiary of her brother’s will, but after the death of Jane Bennet at Netherfield just a year after their wedding, Darcy had gifted Netherfield Park to the Bennets, making them the leading family of the area.

In memory of his sister, Jane, Mark and his wife turned Netherfield into a hospital and sanatorium, where their sister Lydia worked as a nurse and companion to the many patients that called Netherfield home.

In gratitude for everything Wickham had done to aid their family, Darcy and Fitzwilliam purchased him an ensign’s commission in the regulars.

However, sadly he died in the heat of Battle at Hougoumont, that sad day at Waterloo.

Wickham had turned his life around and lived a quiet honourable life and died with honour.

He never married, having never forgotten Georgiana.

When Georgiana Darcy had been removed from the clutches of Mrs Younge, it was too late.

She had been brutally abused.

She became afraid of gentlemen and chose to live a retired life at Pemberley with her brother and Elizabeth, to whom she most heartily apologised for her former wild behaviour.

Georgiana never married and died after a long life lived in the service of others.

To the descendants of Darcy and Elizabeth, it seemed sadly appropriate that Georgiana died forty years to the day before the news broke of the first victim’s murder by the Whitechapel fiend who would become known as Jack the Ripper.

As for Mr Martin Darcy and Mrs Bennet after the execution of Mr Bennet made Mrs Bennet an eligible widow, the two of them embarked on a short courtship and Mr Darcy married her under his assumed name.

The couple died in each other’s arms at a very old age.

Mr and Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy went on to become leading figures amongst the Ton.

The scandal that surrounded their family was quickly forgotten and as many sons and daughters followed one after another, nobody dared to insinuate that Elizabeth was anything other than their mother and wife to Darcy.

Colonel and Mrs Christopher Fitzwilliam had only two children.

Colonel Fitzwilliam was severely injured at the Battle of Waterloo just three years into their marriage.

While he survived, the injuries he sustained prevented the conception of any further children.

To the amusement and chagrin of the couple, Lord and Lady Matlock had a stipulation on their deaths the colonel and his wife were not beneficiaries of any of the Matlock lands.

Their children would, as the Matlocks' sole grandchildren, inherit equal shares of thirty thousand pounds.

When the colonel’s elder brother died, the colonel became the eighth Earl of Matlock.

It was a title that the colonel hated and he was pleased when he bore the title for a mere two years, before his death, passing the title to his son who became the ninth Earl of Matlock, doing the family proud bearing the title with dignity and distinction.

To their last breath, the two Fitzwilliam cousins remained steadfast in insisting that all around them call them both Fitzwilliam.

Both couples enjoyed the confusion that would ensue when the two men were confused for each other, but they were careful never again to court the scandal that had preceded so much trouble and scandal for their families.