His Uncle's Favorite
Page 55
Nine months later, in the middle of August, young William Darcy, a beautiful, healthy boy, claimed his place in the world and in the hearts of his parents.
Epilogue
Five years happily passed after Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley wedded Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, blessed with two daughters as beautiful as their mother, remained as kind and gentle as they had been when they first met. Their proximity to Pemberley allowed the two families to meet often and spend as much time together as they wished. Under Darcy’s wise supervision, Mr. Bingley’s estate became as profitable as it was beautiful, adding further to Mr. Bingley’s good name.
Mrs. Bennet could hardly bear the happiness of seeing Lydia and Kitty married—three years after her eldest daughters—to two officers about ten years older, handsome enough for the girls to be charmed and wise enough for Mr. Bennet to trust them. Even more fortunately, Mary developed a strong affection for Mr. Thornton, the parson who was offered the living at Kympton village, and she married him when she turned one and twenty.
Miss Georgiana Darcy had come out when she was seventeen, and since then, she had been greatly admired and courted by many eligible, London bachelors. However, she was in no haste to marry quickly as she set her mind and heart to accept nothing less than the love and happiness she witnessed in her brother’s marriage.
Two years after the Darcy’s wedding, the London ton was stunned by the announcement of Lord Matlock’s marriage to Mrs. Madeleine Gardiner. Though Mrs. Gardiner’s character and elegance were praised by anyone who knew her, her low situation by birth—as well as the fact that her father had owned a small shop in a village—were reason enough to raise gossip and speculation, which ended several months later when other subjects required the interest of the ton. Their unexpected marriage was shockingly blessed with a beautiful baby girl born a year later. Together with Mrs. Gardiner’s other children, she gave Lord Matlock the joy of a second youth. It was strange, however, that Lord Matlock’s daughter was a year younger than his granddaughter—the daughter of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne. And so, as he had long wished and prayed for, Lord Matlock, who always complained of not having enough beauty in his family, was gifted with a daughter and granddaughter to fill his life.
The young master William Darcy was followed by his brother, Robert—two years his junior—and his sister, Elizabeth Anne—born two years after Robert. The children brought blessed joy to their family, each of them taking particular traits from their parents, so they were much alike, yet completely different. However, they all had one thing in common—the unconditional love of their parents.
Five years and three small children did not change or diminish Elizabeth and Darcy’s love and passion for each other. Their bond only grew stronger, and their knowledge of each other’s heart and mind became so complete that they rarely needed words to express their wishes. For everyone who had the chance to meet them or see them together, it became a truth universally acknowledged that Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley and his wife—née Miss Elizabeth Bennet—were perfect for each other, and as Mrs. Reynolds told anyone within her hearing, they were indeed the happiest couple in the world.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue