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“Thank you, your Grace,” Darcy inclined his head to show his thanks to the Duke. “If your family is home, I humbly request an audience with them so I can proffer my apology to the family.”

The Duke agreed to the audience, and Darcy followed him to the family sitting room where the family was assembled.

When they entered, everyone rose, and the expected greetings and courtesies were exchanged.

Darcy did not miss that Lady Elizabeth did not look him directly in the eye.

When the family sat, he remained standing.

“I would like to offer my unreserved apology for my behaviour when we first met. I cannot look back on the way that I held myself without abhorrence. I deserved every word that Lady Elizabeth…”

He was cut off by a very contrite looking Lady Elizabeth.

“Please do not repeat what I said then. I too owe you an apology Mr. Darcy, no matter who told me that I do not. Your behaviour was not what it should have been, but neither was the way that I acted. It was my way to rush to judgement, and I allowed my temper to get the better of me. I want you to know that I have forgiven you without any reservation.”

“I thank you sincerely for your forgiveness, Lady Elizabeth,” he gave her a shallow bow, “although I do not believe you owe me any apologies, I offer my complete forgiveness, nonetheless. What did you say that night that I did not deserve? I had acted in a way that caused Lord’s Tom and James to want to call me out!

No Lady Elizabeth, it is I that must thank you. ”

“Thank me?” the incredulous lady asked. She was shocked that the man would thank her after the way she humiliated him.

“Yes, my Lady. Without your reproofs and the added weight of my ostracization from society, I would not have been willing to look at my behaviour and make the changes that I have made, and will continue to make for the rest of the time that God grants me on this earth. My mother, sister, and my family have always loved me, but now they are proud of me like they never were before. So yes, Lady Elizabeth, I must thank you. I am a better man than the one that all of you first met in Hertfordshire, When I attempted to apologise at Longbourn you pointed out that talk is cheap, so I decided to act, not talk.” He smiled as he said the last, his dimples revealed to the Bennets for the first time.

The man standing before them in the family sitting room, other than physical resemblance, was not the man that they had seen in Meryton. For once in her life Lady Elizabeth Bennet was speechless, so it was left to her mother to respond for the family.

“Mr. Darcy, you have all of our unreserved and complete forgiveness.” Lady Sarah looked at her family and there was no dissention.

“We missed you at the wedding Cousin, we trust that there will be no more family events that you will choose to miss.” The Duchess raised her eyebrow in challenge as he had more than once seen Lady Elizabeth do.

“Thank you, your Graces, Lords and Ladies, I believe going forward we should look to Lady Elizabeth’s philosophy about the past for guidance,” he said as he looked at the lady who had a light blush on her face.

“I thank you for your graciousness, Mr. Darcy,” Lady Elizabeth said, “It speaks to your character that regardless of the possible punishment, you made the changes that you felt were needed. You could have sunk into an ennui or become despondent or become angry and vituperative, but you did not. I too add my sorrow that you missed standing up with Richard, but as you said, it is in the past Cousin . My hope is that all of us can start over and move forward without looking back. I think that as we are in fact now family, that you should address us as such.” There were nods of agreement from all of the Bennets.

“Your words are very meaningful, Lady…Cousin Elizabeth. I thank you and would enjoy being address as William or Cousin William by all of my new relatives.” Darcy felt the final weight lift off of his broad shoulders.

He had no illusions, his new cousin was very far from the possibility of having the same feelings for him as he already had for her, but they were now on a friendly footing.

He believed that as long as he kept to the narrow path that he had chosen for himself; he was confident that his friendship with all of his Bennet cousins would grow.

This was a good start to a better understanding between them, a very good start.

Before he left, the Duchess issued an invitation for the Darcys to join them for dinner after church on the morrow.

The party would include the Jerseys, Bedfords, Matlocks, and the de Bourghs.

Darcy thanked Lady Sarah sincerely and told her that he would send a note as soon as he had made sure that his mother and sister had no prior engagements.

He unknowingly gained more approval from the Bennets for stating that he would ask rather than assuming and accepting the invitation without consultation.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

At the Bingley townhouse on Gracechurch Street after church on Sunday, brother and sister were sitting and thinking of the people that they loved.

Bingley was envious that he had to wait to find his happiness, but in no way envied Caroline her happiness and that she was already betrothed to the man that she loved while he was not allowed to declare himself for another six weeks.

His envy was only about the timing; he could not have been happier for his sister.

Bingley loved his kind and generous younger sister as much as any brother could love a sister.

He was aware that her change for the better was connected to Lady Anne taking Caroline under her wing, but no more than that.

Frankly, the details were not important.

He would be forever in Lady Anne’s debt for the magic that she had worked on his younger sister.

Said sister was sitting on a settee lost in her reverie. ‘ If you had told me that my life would be like it is now, even before Charles leased Netherfield, best thing he EVER did, I would have thought someone had lost their mind.

‘Here I sit, friends with Lizzy and all of her sisters; accepted by the Bennets and all of their family; and soon I will marry the man of my dreams. I, the daughter of Harrison Bingley, tradesman, is warmly welcomed in the houses of dukes and earls. Thank God this is not just a dream.

‘I cannot wait for Monday morning to get here, I am joining Lizzy, Louisa, Lady Anne, Aunt Maddie, Lady Loretta, Georgie, and the younger Bennet twins and we are going to Madam Chambourg’s shop to look at designs for my wedding dress!

Who would have guessed that the Bingley daughters once so snubbed are clients of Madam Chambourg and she, the most exclusive modiste of the Ton, is making my wedding dress!

After the modiste, we will go to Gunter’s, and lastly to Harding, Howell, and Company.

How exciting it will be to be in a store with departments so we can see wares that would normally need five or six shops to accomplish.

‘Uncle Edward has offered for me to look through his new bolts of material for my trousseau and my wedding dress. All of the ladies will join me to turn the warehouse upside down on Tuesday. What fun we will have! ’

The Hursts were soon expected and would spend the rest of the day with their brother and sister. The Hursts went to the church in the parish where Mr. Hurst’s townhouse was located. It was not long before Harold and Louisa Hurst arrived and joined them in the drawing room before dinner.

In Mayfair, the Darcys had just arrived at Bennet House where the butler and a footman had relieved them of their outerwear.

Darcy had noticed a young boy outside, seemingly watching Bennet House, but he did not think more of it as it was not uncommon for poor waifs to beg on the square hoping for some largess from one of the wealthy residents of the area.

All three Darcys were warmly welcomed as they joined the large party in the drawing room.

Georgie went to sit with Ladies Kitty, Mary, and Loretta while her mother gravitated toward their sisters, the Duchesses and Lady Jersey.

Anne de Bourgh was conversing with Lady Elizabeth.

Darcy envied his cousin talking to the only woman who had ever interested him beyond mere civilities.

The two Dukes and two Earls had retired to Lord Thomas’s study for a pre-dinner brandy.

Darcy decided that he hoped to get to know the two Marquesses better, so he joined the group that included the two Bennet brothers and their cousin, his now as well, Wesley de Melville, Viscount Westmore.

“Welcome, Cousin William,” Lord Birchington, as the eldest of the three, spoke first.

“I thank you Cousin Tom. Cousin James, I trust you are well?” Darcy did know who the third young man, also a new cousin, was, but as the lowest ranked man it was not his place to ask for an introduction.

“Tom, would you introduce me to our new cousin, please?” Lord Wesley requested with no little amusement.

“Wes, this is our cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, who is called William, Cousin William, Lord Wesley de Melville, Viscount Westmore.” The two shook hands.

“You are the one who was on the receiving end of Lizzy’s ire were you not,” Lord Wes said with a smile.

“Yes, Cousin Wes, the very one. I can honestly say that I am a better man for the experience!” Darcy said with a smile.

“Can we drop the ‘cousin’ before our names? We all know what our relationship one to the other is. I for one do not need reminding each time we address each other.” Tom suggested and all four agreed.

“William, Richard informed us about your skill with the foil and pistol after Tom and I threatened to call you out,” James assessed Darcy. “When I returned to Cambridge, I found the awards on the walls of the clubs. You were unbeaten with a foil!” James said the last with reverence.