Page 47 of Fitzwilliam Darcy An Honourable Man

In later years, Elizabeth and William would recall the day they renewed their vows as one of the happiest of their lives—in the same category as their wedding and the births of their children. And, by then, they had come to an understanding—while William still insisted that Elizabeth was the one responsible for filling their lives with love, children, and beautiful memories, she, in turn, insisted that it was he who had given her the chance to do so. As she so aptly pointed out, without his redeeming love, she would never have experienced any of it.

So it was that frequently William would find Elizabeth in the middle of some occupation, gazing into the distance with a certain faraway look in her eyes and a smile upon her lips. On occasion, he would question her woolgathering, and she would confess to recalling one thing or another. But more often than not, he preferred just to observe her beautiful face transform at some recollection, knowing that he had been instrumental in that alteration. And it was at those times that he would recall a special remembrance of his own, and his face would take on a wistful look as well.

With the arrival of Elizabeth Adelaide “Addie” Darcy in the summer of 1817, Will was no longer an only child. Named for her mother and Millie’s, she had Elizabeth’s dark hair and eyes, as well as her lively spirit. And while Mr. Williamson declared the baby to be the exact likeness of his Lizzybet when she was born, William was simply thrilled to have a smaller version of his Elizabeth to shower with everything he believed his wife should have had as a child; primarily, unconditional love.

Barely three years later, Evelyn Jane “Eve” Darcy was born, named for Lady Matlock and Elizabeth’s sister. She had lighter brown hair, her father’s blue eyes, and a quieter temperament, which suited her parents, as she complemented Addie’s exuberance.

Two years afterward, Alexander Gerald Fitzwilliam “Alex” Darcy made his entrance into the world, the very likeness of his father, resembling his brother, Will, though his eyes were dark brown like Elizabeth’s. And it was almost four years later that the Darcys learned they were to be blessed with a fifth and final child. Rosamond Elise “Rose” Darcy was born on William’s birthday that year, as her father proclaimed her to be the most delightful birthday present that Elizabeth had ever given him!

Richard and Jenny had two more children after David: another boy, Edward Nicholas, and a girl, Jenny Ilene. Richard was very pleased to retire to life in the country, leaving the army a distant memory. They, along with her little girls, Margaret and Mary, whom Richard considered his own, resided at Windmere in Derbyshire, which was less than one day’s journey from Pemberley. There Richard became a successful gentleman farmer under the guidance of his father and his cousin, the Master of Pemberley.

Georgiana gave birth to twins - a boy, Noel Darcy, and a girl, Anne Celeste - two years after Blake, completing the family that she and Evan had always wanted. Their little Millie became the happiest of sisters with their births, as she was a very good little mother and Blake was now at the age where he did not want to be mothered—well, at least not by a sister who tried to make him mind.

The Bingleys had one more child, Rachel Suzanne, the year that Peter was almost six. They lived as near the Darcys home as did the Ingrams, and all three families were frequently found at one estate or the other in the early years of their marriages. Elizabeth, Georgiana, and Jane felt the need to talk at least every few days, so there was a constant stream of carriages going back and forth, sometimes passing each other. At some point, William had insisted they make out a schedule of who would visit on which day of the week to reduce misunderstandings considerably. But, as with all things, the passage of time brought the arrival of more children, and because of the responsibilities that that entailed, the visits spread from weekly to monthly and then irregularly as circumstances dictated.

There were less frequent visits by their extended families, too, though the Gardiners were probably most frequently at Pemberley. Elizabeth loved her aunt and uncle and doted on her cousins, thus, they always visited Gracechurch Street whenever they travelled to London, and the Gardiners were among those always invited to Pemberley for Christmas.

As for William’s relations, Lord Matlock’s health began to deteriorate shortly after Will’s birth, making it difficult for him to travel. Therefore, the Darcys would go to London on occasion to visit with them. However, William’s cousin, Amelia, and her husband, Lord Fairclothe, often visited Pemberley bringing their three children. The viscount never married again, preferring to take a mistress, and upon his death at the age of forty, Richard became the earl, though he and Jenny continued to live at Windmere, eschewing a move to the larger Matlock estate.

Unfortunately, Anne de Bourgh continued to deteriorate mentally as well as physically and died only three years after William and Elizabeth married. Lady Catherine was distraught after the death and became a recluse, outliving her daughter by barely two years. In her will, Rosings was left to Darcy, as Lady Catherine had never changed the directive written when she assumed that he would follow her desires and marry Anne.

Father Williamson lived to see the birth of all the Darcy children except

Rose, passing away peacefully in his sleep only six months after the birth of Alexander. It was a great loss for Elizabeth and William, as they had both loved him as a father, and the children had always considered him to be their grandfather. But it had been comforting to know that his last years had been spent with them in the manor house, where his every wish was fulfilled, as befitted a well-loved member of the family.

As for the people who had touched their lives in a negative manner, with Mrs. Bennet’s death, Mrs. Phillips took in Lydia and Kitty, selling the house Stefano had purchased. She gave Mary a share of the proceeds, put aside a small portion for dowries and kept the greater part to offset the expense of seeing after the younger two. However, since neither Lydia nor Kitty aspired to more than securing a red-coat as their mother had often encouraged, each left town with a member of the militia the next spring. They were last seen heading in different directions and were never heard from again. Mary continued to live with her husband and two children in Meryton, inheriting the Phillips’s property when her aunt and uncle died. She lived there until her death, completely unconcerned for Lydia and Kitty or the sisters her mother had alienated—Jane and Elizabeth.

After being caught in a compromising situation, Caroline Bingley was forced to marry a York farmer. She had seven children and worked a small tenant farm with her husband until her death. Charles never saw her again. Her sister, Louisa, however, had a much more pleasant life subsequent to her sister’s departure to York. Bertram Hurst quit drinking after Caroline was no longer a large portion of their lives, and he and Louisa were blessed to have two children and live happily for the rest of their lives.

As for Mrs. Preston, after Elizabeth passed along to Lieutenant Marbury what she knew of Cecile’s involvement with Wickham in the thefts in London, he discovered several valuable pieces of jewellery sewn into the linings of her gowns as well as in the luggage Wickham left behind. Most of the jewels belonged to another of his noble clients, the Duchess of Rathburn, the last robbery victim in London. The discovery that Cecile had been a part of this scheme, along with her support of Stefano’s plans to kidnap Elizabeth, effectively sealed her fate and she was sentenced to live out the rest of her life in a penal colony in Australia.

Thus our story comes to an end with our dear couple living in Derbyshire, in close proximity to those they loved and those who loved them. It was a peaceful area where the Darcys and, indeed, all their brothers and sisters reared their children in an atmosphere of unconditional love and acceptance. They would support one another through a future that would include much happiness and, as is life, some grief.

The life that our devoted couple created for their own family was a world away from that of Elizabeth’s early years and the ugliness that had nearly swept her away from William forever—their story a constant testament to the power of one man’s honourable heart. For as William had once explained to his Elizabeth...

“ You never left my heart, Elizabeth. It would not let you go.”

Finis