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“Here is the shocking thing. He opines, with good evidence, something he only recently recognized. He believes he and Georgiana have suffered from loneliness all their lives. He was an only child for a decade and spent most of his time with Mr Wickham, then just when he got a new sister, he was sent off to Eaton, then his mother died only a few years later. Then just after he finished university and returned home to get to know the family, his father died. Georgiana went to school because everyone told him it was the way it was done, and they both became even more isolated. His sister cannot remember having a mother and barely remembers her father. William has spent his life feeling lonely while surrounded by people.”

Jane frowned, “I never thought about it like that.”

“Neither did I. Who would have thought that boundless wealth would do that? But it has. So many of the people he deals with every day just want money, or consequence, or investment, or assistance, or something he can give them. Even our family looked to him as our salvation. He says he hopes to fill Pemberley with children and make it a happy, noisy place as it was during his grandfather’s day.

He is, however, an impatient man. He suggests we can make it such a place at once by simply filling it with noisy Bennets! ”

Jane howled in laughter, loud enough to draw Mary in, as she had been wandering past the door.

Elizabeth explained what they had in mind to both sisters.

“The season ends in June, and I will need to be presented before that. William suggests the two of you and Anne live with us in about a month when we return from our wedding trip. We can be presented and enjoy the season together. The two of you will find beaus or not, as you choose, since you are both welcome to remain with us as long as you like. Next year, we will launch Georgiana, Kitty, and Lydia.”

Mary laughed. “You may well have a child by then.”

“We will manage,” Elizabeth said with a smile.

“That would be a good plan if you manage to get dressed and coiffed on time for your wedding, which seems unlikely at the moment.”

With a laugh they all went back to work.

~~~~~

Fitzwilliam Darcy gasped in delight when he saw his bride entering the church on her father’s arm. He stared in astonishment and might well have stumbled without the steadying hand of his cousin, who was acting as witness along with his soon-to-be sister, Jane.

He found himself with just a moment to feast his eyes on his intended, while reflecting on the tremendous number of good things that happened in and around that church.

It seemed his life up to that point had all been geared toward placing him in the luckiest of places at just the right time.

He superstitiously awaited his bride in the exact spot where he had made his apology six weeks earlier, even though it was on the wrong side of the chancel, and he would have to move aside for her.

Through the open door, he could see the spot in the courtyard where he made his personal apology and received his first bit of forgiveness and the first of many genuine smiles from the woman he wanted to court.

Between him and his bride he could see all the people who were most important to him.

Georgiana stood with the Bennets, his cousin Fitzwilliam was standing as witness, and his good friend Bingley was looking wistfully at his soon-to-be sister.

The Bennet sisters were arrayed in the new gowns they had purchased, looking quite handsome, if he did say so himself.

His bride was escorted by her father. Darcy never quite warmed to the man, but they had established the sort of detente that men formed when they had to be in company but had little to say to each other.

He did not dislike the man per se but had a tough time respecting him.

His offer to host the Longbourn ladies was met with a curious level of indifference, as if the man just expected the world to solve all his problems. That said, if the father was examined in a prudential light, one could easily argue he was right—the world had solved all his problems in the form of one Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Considering what he was gaining, Darcy just thought he would accept his father-in-law as he was, since even if he did visit extensively, he would spend most of his time in the library.

His ruminations ended abruptly when Elizabeth locked eyes. His bride was the most stunning woman he had ever seen, and the smile on her face lit up the whole room. Nothing in his life had prepared him for the heart-pounding excitement of seeing her walk up the aisle with her father.

In what seemed only seconds, Mr Bennet placed Elizabeth’s hand in his.

The bride whispered, “I never knew I could love someone so fiercely!”

The groom replied, “I never knew my life had not even started yet!”

Mr Turner cleared his throat, and whispered, “Shall we proceed?”

At a nod, he began the ceremony with the traditional, “Who giveth this Woman to be married to this Man?”

Mr Bennet nodded assent, and Darcy suspected the man thought his parenting duty to be essentially complete…

but that thought only flew into his head and disappeared like a wisp of smoke, because all his attention focused on his bride.

He imagined he must be making a complete mooncalf of himself if his look of adoration matched Elizabeth’s, and every word spoken by the three felt sacred.

In time, the ceremony was complete, the vows were spoken, the union was solemnized, and Mr Turner raised his voice and said, “I now present Mr and Mrs Darcy.”

A great shout appeared from the assembled crowd, and Darcy felt like the luckiest man in the world.

He had been astounded that this little market town, whose residents he had openly disdained when he arrived, had crowded around him in protective assistance.

Not a word of his apology, or the bad behaviour that preceded it had made it to London’s gossip rags.

Not a person in the town held a grudge, and everyone treated him with more respect than he deserved.

He suspected he might eventually buy Netherfield just to keep in touch with his friends and family.

The wedding party proceeded to the registry where Elizabeth signed the name of Bennet for the last time, next to Jane and the colonel. Darcy wondered idly what sort of man Jane and Mary might find in London, but that thought made no more than a brief visit.

The wedding breakfast was elegant and tasty, and Darcy had to admit that his new mother-in-law certainly laid a fine table.

They left in good time to bring the new mistress to Darcy house in London to take up her duties along with the new year, although he doubted much of the first fortnight would be dedicated to duty to anyone except each other.

As they left Longbourn’s drive, Elizabeth sat demurely beside her new husband (more or less), and said, “You were very wrong, husband. I hope you know that.”

“I have erred more times than I can count, wife. Perhaps, you could be more specific?”

“You were wrong about my family. As it turns out, it must very materially increase our chance of marrying men of any consideration in the world.”

Darcy had no idea whether to howl in laughter or kiss her within an inch of her life. In the end, one last stray thought put him on the right path.

Why not both?

~~ FINIS ~~

[1] An Easter Egg reference to my first story, “Boys and Men” on FanFiction.net.