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In a matter of hours, the family would begin to arrive.

She knew that Thomas, Sarah, and Rose would be travelling with Georgiana and James, and that they would arrive by midday.

Thomas had conveyed the running of the Dennington Lines to his sons and was no longer taking an active role, and was giving control of Longbourn and the Hertfordshire ducal estates to James as he and Sarah spent time travelling to and arriving at one of their son’s and or daughter’s homes unannounced.

The Bennet matriarch and patriarch spent a good amount of time with each of their children’s families, but Pemberley’s library was one of Thomas Bennet’s favourite places to be.

Their family at Brookside, which currently included her sister-in-law Elaine with Jane and Richard and their children would likely be the first to arrive.

The current Earl and Countess of Matlock would arrive in the morning on the morrow as Andrew had some business to settle and could not leave until it was completed.

The Phillips’, including Frank and Hattie, and the Bingleys would arrive that afternoon.

Caroline had born two sons after her daughter, while Franny had born three more girls and then just a year before had been blessed with a son.

Under Charles Bingley, Gardiner, Bingley, and Associates had gone from strength to strength.

Bingley had invested heavily in steam technology, and it had paid off handsomely.

Edward Gardiner was now receiving more than double the income he received when he owned twice as many shares.

Lily Gardiner had married the son of the heir of a neighbouring estate and was with child for the first time.

After Oxford, Eddy had gone to work in the business and although he was an interest to many young ladies, he was not ready to settle down yet as he had not found a young lady that excited that kind of interest for him.

Peter was just about to graduate Harrow and make his way to Oxford, and the youngest Gardiner girl, May, would have her come out in the upcoming season.

Lady Anne was brought back to the present as she heard Ben ask, “Mama and Papa, may George and I go for a ride this morning?”

“I would like to ride, too,” Beth interjected hopefully.

After looking to his wife for agreement William replied, “Yes, you may,” at the excited exclamations he raised his arm to stay his three eldest, “as long as Biggs and Johns accompany you with two grooms.”

“Yes, Papa,” Ben answered, knowing that this was non-negotiable.

“I want you back before eleven as the first of the family will arrive by midday,” Elizabeth added. “I would like a clean young lady and gentlemen to greet the family, not three dirty children smelling of pony.”

“Aww,” George said with disgust. “Does that mean that I will have to bathe again?” Both of his parents nodded in the affirmative.

“Grandma Anne?” George hoped that Lady Anne would intercede.

“Sorry, George,” the beloved grandmother said, “but I agree with your parents.”

The three left with George bringing up the rear sulking at the prospect of another bath, leaving the adults amused at his antics.

“You know where he gets that from do you not, William?” Lady Anne asked with a smile.

“No mother, I most certainly do not,” he answered with a little haughtier.

“Lizzy, before your husband became the fastidious man that you know, he hated to bathe and would object with more creative excuses than your son,” Lady Anne relayed. Her smile grew as she saw her son’s reaction.

“If you want to tell stories about my childhood…” William said with mock severity. He had forgotten that until the age of eight he had an aversion to bathing just like his son.

Elizabeth signalled for a footman to call one of the nursemaids who would take the three youngest Darcys up to the nursery.

“Is Tony doing well as the steward of Falconwood?” Lady Anne asked.

After graduating, Tony álvarez had worked under Pemberley’s steward for a number of years as an under-steward.

Tony had displayed a clear aptitude for the work, so when Falconwood’s steward had retired four years ago, Tony had accepted the position with pleasure.

A year after accepting the position Tony met the local solicitor’s daughter, Maude Davidson, and they had married some eight months later.

Mrs. álvarez was with child, the couple’s first. Even though William’s friend Patrick Elliot and his family had moved back to his expanded estate, Riverhills in Shropshire, Tony had remained in contact with them and always would.

Once the three adults had completed their meal, Lady Anne went up to spend some time with her grandchildren in the nursery while Elizabeth and William retired to the mistress’s and master’s study.

In the second year of their marriage, the couple had decided to expand the master’s study to accommodate both of them.

A smaller version of the mistress’s study remained for those times that the master and mistress needed to separately meet with people at the same time.

William locked the door and took his wife in his arms and kissed her soundly. “What was that for,” Elizabeth asked. “I love your kisses anytime, but I was wondering if there was any special meaning behind that one.”

“Just a husband who loves his wife more than life itself,” William responded as he kissed her again, more thoroughly this time.

“Fitzwilliam Darcy,” Elizabeth said breathlessly, “what you do to me. Do not stop it, my love, I can never get enough of you.”

“We have been married for twelve years, my dearest, loveliest Elizabeth,” he said punctuating with kisses as his hands roamed over her body. “And I love you more than I could ever conceive that one could love another.”

“As I love you, William,” she said as she returned his kisses in full measure.

Then she pulled back, and a contemplative look took over her face.

“I am the luckiest women in the world that you loved me with all of the faults I had then, my love.” He was about to protest so she placed her finger on his lips to stay him.

“I was selfish, judgemental, and spoiled, William. I judged you when I had as many faults as you did.”

With his arms still around his wife’s waist, William thought for a minute as he was wont to do when considering weighty issues.

“You rushed to judgement and were harsh…

but it was no less than I deserved. I cannot think of how I was then but with abhorrence.

I was also judgemental, then add to that arrogant and haughty.

“My mother told you then, when you wanted to remove all of the strictures that I needed the time to find myself again, and she was right Lizzy. I will always regret my behaviour then, but I will never regret that you forced me to give myself a long, hard look in the mirror.”

“I too examined my behaviour and did not like what I saw, William,” she said softly. “I had to look in the mirror of self-reflection as well and I pray that I have learnt my lesson well. It seems that we both had to change to become the people who fit together like hand in glove.”

“It has been many years since you spoke about our inauspicious beginning, my beloved wife, so why now?” William asked.

“No special reason,” Elizabeth admitted.

“I suppose I was thinking of how wealthy we are, and no I do not mean in the material sense. Look at our loving family, immediate and extended, that is the wealth that will endure for generations. Material wealth will ebb and flow, but the bonds of love are unshakable.”

“I agree my love,” William said. “The day that I met the Duke’s Daughter was a seminal moment in my life.”

“My life changed forever when I fell in love with the son of a duke, even if I did not know that he was not a peer at the time.” She smiled warmly at him.

“I would not care if we were poor so long as we had one another, Lizzy,” William nuzzled her nose with his as he lowered to recapture her lips.

“As long as I have you and our family,” Elizabeth shared, “I am the most contented woman in the world, William.”

~~The End ~~