Page 24 of Chasing Shadows

Boxing Day brought with it more than the usual gifts.

That morning, Mr. Bingley, glowing with happiness, requested a private word with Mr. Bennet and soon after secured Jane’s hand.

When he returned to the parlour, Jane’s blush and his unfeigned joy told the tale at once, and the Bennet household was all delight.

Darcy had accompanied his friend on that call, and when the moment was proper, he too sought Mr. Bennet's ear.

With quiet dignity, he declared his wish to pay his addresses to Elizabeth, formally and with all due respect.

Mr. Bennet, startled though he was, gave his consent, for he could not be blind to the subtle affection that had grown between them, nor to how Elizabeth had consistently defended Mr. Darcy since her stay at Netherfield.

The Bennet sisters' joint wedding was celebrated at the end of January.

It was a grand affair that brought together the whole neighbourhood.

Meryton and its neighbouring villages rejoiced, for it was the first time in many months that the people gathered in unclouded happiness.

The shadow that had once lain upon the town was wholly gone, replaced by music, laughter, and merriment.

Not all the guests were equally pleased.

Mr. and Mrs. Collins attended, though his solemn air bespoke a sense of duty rather than joy.

His wife, however, was overjoyed for her friend's happiness.

Mr. Collins's loyalty to Lady Catherine prevented him from offering open approbation, and though her ladyship did not attend, she sent a letter of protest in which she warned Darcy against marrying "a lady so far beneath him in station.

" Her words carried no weight, for by then all Hertfordshire was united in goodwill towards the matches, celebrating both unions with equal warmth.

Darcy’s uncle and aunt, the Earl and Countess of Matlock, also attended.

They expressed both delight in the match and surprise that Darcy had not written sooner.

They confessed they had scarcely heard a whisper of the dreadful business in Meryton and chided him gently for bearing it alone when they might have lent their aid.

Yet their joy in his marriage was plain, and they spoke with real warmth of Elizabeth, welcoming her into the family with every appearance of genuine pleasure.

Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana were among the most delighted attendees.

The Colonel bore the good-natured teasing of several guests who declared that his wedding should be celebrated next, responding with nothing more than an enigmatic smile that neither confirmed nor denied their predictions.

Georgiana, radiant with happiness, could scarcely contain her joy at her brother's choice.

She declared to all who would listen that not only had Darcy gained a wife, but she had gained both a sister and a dear friend—a sentiment that brought tears of happiness to Elizabeth's eyes.

The Bingley sisters were present as well, whispering their disapproval behind their fans, but Bingley paid them no heed. With warmth and firmness, he declared that their opinions mattered little compared to Jane’s happiness or his.

In due course, justice was served. Samuel Reeds—known also as John Younge—was convicted of five murders, and of attempting the lives of Mr. Darcy and his sister.

He was sentenced to death by hanging. During the trial, Colonel Fitzwilliam observed that even the name Younge might have been an invention, shared between brother and sister as part of their long imposture.

Little could be proven of their true origins, and Reeds himself remained obstinately silent in prison, carrying his secrets with him to the grave.

Yet those dark matters were now behind them.

For Elizabeth Darcy, seated in the drawing room at Pemberley with the winter sun streaming through the tall windows, the shadows that had so long clouded her mind were at last dispelled.

The future stretched before her—secure, untroubled, and bright—with Darcy at her side and the trials of the past left only as memory.

The door opened, and Elizabeth looked up as Darcy entered. His step was quiet, but his eyes, when they found hers, carried all the warmth of a man whose happiness was secure. Crossing the room, he bent to press a kiss upon her brow, his hand lingering upon hers.

“You are content, my love?” he asked gently, searching her face.

“Entirely,” she replied, her smile soft. Then, glancing toward the window, she added, “When is Georgiana to arrive?”

“The season is ended,” Darcy answered. “She will be here before the week is out.”

Elizabeth’s voice grew tender. “Strange to think that last Christmas I trembled for her safety—and for yours.”

He clasped her hand more firmly. “Those days are over. Georgiana is safe, and you, my love, are safe and content too.”

She held his gaze, her heart full.

He drew a breath, his eyes steady upon hers. “It seems, my dearest, that at last we have ceased chasing shadows.”

“Yes,” she whispered. “The shadows are gone, and what remains is all our own.”