“I had to admit, Richard, I had a difficult time keeping the smile which threatened to be pasted on my lips. Each mile made me more and more giddy, knowing we would soon be here and you would be pleased with our surprise.” Elizabeth could not contain her joy any longer.
Mary had turned, so her back was against Richard’s chest. “I must thank you, Lizzy, for all you did to assist in the plan. We have been busy, but I believe we were able to bring it all together. Lord and Lady Matlock have arrived, and, now that you have come, we are all here. We are planning to have a fine dinner this evening, to celebrate.”
“Ah, I see our final members have joined the party.” Lord Bentley said as he came down the stairs. “It was decided to allow you to marry from your new home.”
“Bentley, this is quite a pleasure. I could not imagine a better place to begin my life with Mary. I will even forgive my fellow travelers for their deception.”
~~ ** ~~ Everyone was gathered in the drawing room of Drummond. Darcy introduced his aunt to his wife, as she was the only one unfamiliar to Lady Matlock. At first, Darcy worried of his aunt’s feelings towards Elizabeth, as she had kept silent since Anthony’s death. But it only took a few moments before Lady Matlock was conversing easily with the new Mrs Darcy. Lord Matlock kept silent, as he was not prepared to resign his feelings completely.
It had been nearly a month since Lord Matlock had imbibed, and it was clear that he was still struggling with the desire to drown his sorrows in a bottle. But he had taken Anne’s words to heart. He wished to know his remaining son better, and that would mean putting his bitterness behind him. Having spent two days in the company of his future daughter in law and her family, Lord Matlock could see what attracted his son to his fiancé. She was strict, though kind and caring, her beauty more understated than that of her sisters, but showed through clearly to those who knew her.
~~ ** ~~ Elizabeth gathered her sisters in the sitting room which was attached to the bedchamber she was to share with her husband during their stay. “Mrs Hill has given us some treasures. She knew the places where Mamma and Papa hid some of their treasures. Knowing Mr Collins’ personality from when he visited us at Longbourn, before the… event, Mrs Hill saw to it that the treasures were removed from the hiding places and hidden elsewhere. What a wonderful woman Mrs Hill is.”
“And she is to stay at Longbourn, looking after the house for you?” Jane asked. “William and I asked Mr and Mrs Hill to move into the house, and take care of it for us. They sent an express to their son, as we offered him the position of steward. It will be a blessing for Mr and Mrs Hill to have their son and his family living near them.”
“To think of all that has happened in the past year. So much has changed, and yet, I am grateful for so many things which have come to pass.” Mary stated. “Though the loss of Mamma, Papa, and Lydia has been horrifying and painful, and the agony which was suffered when Jane, and then Lizzy, were injured, we should be grateful for what has been granted to us.”
“Indeed, Mary. Through all of the pain, there has been hope and love. And there have been new members added to our family, with William, Charles and Richard, not to mention Lord Bentley. I believe our parents and Lydia would be pleased to see us happily situated.”
“Oh, my, Hill, my salts!” Kitty imitated her mother’s usual response. Her sisters all laughed, as the imitation was quite authentic.
Elizabeth handed each of her sisters their gift from their parents, the gifts Mrs Hill had saved for them. In telling each sister about her treasure, memories flowed of family members long since gone to heaven. The conversation lasted long into the night.
There was no need to make promises to always be close to one another. It was forged into their very souls, through hardship and love, that they would always be a part of each other’s lives.
~~ ** ~~ Two days after Richard was surprised with the change of location for his wedding, he stood in the chapel near Drummond’s main house. At the altar, beside him, were the two men who were dearest to him. Darcy and Bingley stood beside the nervous man who was to become a husband.
It was Elizabeth’s turn to push Jane’s wheeled chair up the aisle, so that they could stand witness for Mary. Kitty and Georgiana took their seats next to Mrs Gardiner. Mr Gardiner guided his middle niece towards the altar, to the man who dearly loved her.
The vows were said, and the ring placed on Mary’s finger, though Darcy chuckled as he had to remind Richard when he was to speak. The poor man was beguiled by his beautiful bride and could not concentrate on anything else.
Soon the announcement was made, they were Mr and Mrs Richard Fitzwilliam. Richard could not take his eyes from Mary, and his smile grew wide. “My wife. My beautiful, loving wife. How did I ever become so blessed?”
“Richard, you are being silly. I am not nearly as pretty as my sisters.” “No, my dearest love, you are far prettier than any woman I have ever known, for your beauty is both inside and out. You are the perfect lady for me.”
Finally able to make their way from the chapel, the newlyweds returned to their home, followed by their loved ones.
The staff of Drummond out did themselves with preparing the wedding breakfast for their new Master and Mistress. Mrs Vaughn had seen to the
decorations, as well as the freshening up of the private chambers which would become those of Richard and Mary, having received a letter over a fortnight before as to the tastes of the couple.
It was decided that the others would move on to Pemberley, allowing Richard and Mary some time to themselves. Lord Matlock agreed to join his wife at their nephew’s home, as he had decided he wished to know his son’s new family better. Just before leaving Drummond, Lord Matlock took his son aside. “I have spoken to my solicitor, before coming here. I have taken the liberty of repairing the damage I had done, and you will now be my heir. When I am gone, you will be the next Lord Matlock. Forgive me for my foolishness. I should never have treated you, or any of the others, so wrongly.”
“Thank you, Father, for the apology. I have never wished for the title, as it was always to be my brother’s. But I will accept it, when the time comes, as it will one day be passed down to my future son. I never stopped caring about you, Father. I hope you understand, I felt I could not allow such horrors to happen to someone who was so innocent.”
“I do understand, Richard. Once I stopped drinking my sorrows away, and took notice of the truth in what was happening, I realized Anthony was responsible for his own death. He refused to curtail his gambling and frivolous lifestyle, which could only lead to ruin. I plan to speak with Darcy as to the best way to rebuild Matlock, to make it what it should be. Enjoy your life, Richard. Be happy in your marriage. Mary is a wonderful lady. I am proud to call her my daughter.”
~~ ** ~~ It was only a year since Richard and Mary were wed, and so many things had changed in their lives, and those of their loved ones.
The first of those events was the announcement that there would be a new Darcy in the coming year. Elizabeth was with child. The news was thrilling to Darcy, as he was overjoyed at the thought of being a father. He spent many hours in pampering his wife, for which he received many teases.
When the half year mourning period for Miss Bingley was over, Jane and Charles were wed. They were quite pleased with their new home, especially its closeness to Pemberley. Only a month before the first anniversary of the Fitzwilliams, the Bingleys were overcome with happiness when they learned Jane was with child. The physician had been correct, she would be able to carry children, even though she was paralyzed. The entire family was grateful for the blessing which had been granted Jane and Charles.
News had arrived at Pemberley of Charlotte Lucas’ engagement. During his time spent in Meryton, investigating all concerning the Bennet family, Mr Sheridan had become quite taken with Miss Lucas, finally making an offer for her hand. Due to the generosity of Lord Bentley and the Bennet sisters, Mr Sheridan was able to purchase a small estate located near Lucas Lo
dge, where he and Charlotte would live. The comfortable living from the estate was more than adequate for the couple.
Anne de Bourgh only survived her mother by a few months, when she was weakened by a fever and her frail body succumbed. Her cousins had known for some time that she would not live long, but the news of her passing was still painful. The Darcys and Fitzwilliams made their way to Rosings to pay their respects to the young lady who had never really had a chance to live life.
Lord and Lady Matlock grew closer after the wedding of their son. After speaking with Darcy and Mr Gardiner on the best ways to restore Matlock, Lord Matlock remained at his estate, devoting his time to his wife and their land. With new crop planning, some aid from Darcy and financial advice from Mr Gardiner, Matlock was beginning to turn itself around. Lady Matlock became fond of riding out with her husband, overseeing the improvements being made, and meeting with their tenants to discuss their needs. Darcy informed Richard that if his father continued as per their plans, Matlock would once again be an estate of which to be proud.
Darcy and Elizabeth had recently returned to Pemberley, after spending time in Town. Darcy House took nearly half a year to rebuild, but when it was done, it was a treasure to its Master and Mistress. Gone were the haunted memories of his painful youth, and the memories of being forced to remain inside to be protected from Armstrong. The newness made Darcy House their own, and brought the couple joy.
The other item which kept Darcy and Elizabeth in Town for several months was the opening of Bennet House for Young Ladies. Armstrong’s home had been remodeled to accommodate many young ladies, some with children, who had been brutalized by men, and forced to make their way as ruined in the eyes of society. At Bennet House, the young ladies were fed and housed, and trained to some sort of work which would allow them to become self-sufficient. Once trained, the employees of Bennet House would assist the young ladies in finding proper work with decent employers. When an employer was found to be the sort to take advantage of a young lady, the employees of Bennet House would take measures to make the man known publically, bringing shame to the men who had before lived free of any blame for their behavior. Elizabeth was proud of the service which was provided for young ladies who had found themselves in the same difficulty as she had been, and she was even prouder to be friends with Lucy Armstrong. Miss Armstrong decided to remain in London, rather than travel. Between her and her aunt, they worked tirelessly with the Darcys to make Bennet House a success. And the dedication which had been shown by the butler and his family was rewarded, giving them permanent employment in a caring townhouse, and paid a generous bonus when the Darcys learned of their being behind the missive which had led to Elizabeth’s rescue from the townhouse. With the bonus, Mr Lars was able to send his grandson to school, and would see to his education to be a physician, as the young boy had declared he wished to be.
The Gardiners were fortunate in their association with the family which had built around them. With Mr Gardiner’s business savvy, they were able to build their client list quickly, and were well on their way to making a fortune of their own. They remained living with Kitty at her estate, assisting her in preparation of her coming out the following year. It had been decided that Georgiana and Kitty would have their coming out together, so the younger Darcy spent much time with Kitty and the Gardiners.
Lord Bentley was always pleased when any of his cousins came to visit him in Town. His health was declining, but the year spent with the Bennet sisters and their family had brought him great joy.
As a surprise to Lord Bentley, his cousins and their relations decided to gather together. Everyone made the journey to London, wishing to bring their cousin a happy birthday. Between Darcy House, Matlock House, and Bingley’s townhouse, everyone was able to secretly gather before descending upon Lord Bentley’s home. Prior arrangements had been made with his staff to assist in surprising the earl, as his staff were all fond of the man.
Welcoming first the Darcys, Bentley was soon surprised to learn of the arrival of Lord and Lady Matlock, Richard and Mary, Charles and Jane, Kitty, Georgiana, and the Gardiner family.
“Why, I am quite surprised to have you all here together. I had not expected to see you until next month at Drummond.” Lord Bentley announced.
“We decided to surprise you, Cousin.” Elizabeth said, proud that they were able to achieve their goal. “You cannot know how precious you are all to me.” Lord Bentley said, his voice shaking with emotion. “I have been truly given the greatest gift ever. I was given a family, filled with love and happiness.”
“We have all been given a treasured gift.” Darcy said as he placed a hand on Bentley’s shoulder. “How could any of us have ever known how so much good would come to us all, simply by our saving Elizabeth Bennet?”
THE END ABOUT THE AUTHOR Melanie Schertz has a Bachelor ’s Degree in forensic science, minoring in photograph. For 15 years, Melanie was a crime lab/crime scene technician for a local police department. She is a devoted mother and grandmother, to
both 2 legged and 4 legged family members. Besides writing Pride & Prejudice variations, Melanie is addicted to reading other P&P variations. She also makes jewelry and has a booth in a farmers
market during the summer/fall seasons.
Saving Elizabeth Bennet Page 24