A Perilous Match

Epilogue

Three Years Later

Pemberley House, Derbyshire

Darcy looked out over the grand estate that was Pemberley, grateful to be home.

Parliament was not in session and he and his family had returned to their Northernmost estate a fortnight ago.

It had been heaven thus far.

He and Elizabeth had decided to hand Ashburn to the widow Swynford, wife of the marquessate’s heir and her daughters to live at for as long as they wished.

While he had grown to love the estate, that love had been tarnished by the events that had happened.

Likewise, he had given use of Darcy House entirely to Georgiana while he and Elizabeth had moved to Dorset House, as was befitting the Marquess of Dorset.

But for the time being, he was contented at Pemberley.

Elizabeth, now glowing with the anticipation of new life, wandered through the verdant gardens, her hand gently resting on the small swell of her abdomen.

Darcy smiled as he looked at their young daughter, Anne, a spirited girl of almost three years, skipping alongside her, chasing butterflies with all the carefree joy of childhood.

The estate, once again, resounded with the innocent laughter of children—a sound that brought deep contentment to its master.

From the nearby terrace, Darcy observed his wife and daughter, his heart swelling with pride and love.

The joy on Elizabeth’s face, framed by the golden afternoon light, was a balm to the memories of the hardships they had endured.

The estate’s beauty seemed to mirror the serenity they had found in each other’s arms.

“You look contented, brother,”

Georgiana said.

His younger sister had flourished into a confident and gracious young woman, in no small part because of Elizabeth’s influence.

He would miss her terribly once she left Pemberley to move into a house of her own, as the wife of Captain Henry Floyd, an esteemed, respectable young officer who had charmed her during Christmastide and intended to make her his wife by this coming Michaelmas.

“I am, Georgie.

I am indeed.

It is nice to have the family together,”

he said and smiled as he spotted Jane and Charles Bingley coming down the path to join Elizabeth.

Their son, three-year-old William—named after his godfather, Fitzwilliam Darcy—toddled along.

He was glad for his friend for he’d never seen Bingley happier than since he’d become a husband and father.

Of course, he and Georgiana were not the only ones who’d found marriage in their path.

Surprising as it might have been but the news of Richard’s marriage to Anne de Bourgh—conducted in a scandalous manner by eloping to Gretna Green—had shaken the Fitzwilliam family, thought Darcy had found it a rather wonderful match, for Anne had long admired Richard.

Anne, long overshadowed by her mother’s formidable presence, had bloomed under the colonel’s tender care.

Their marriage had been a quiet affair, marked by sincerity and mutual respect.

They had recently welcomed their first child, a son named Thomas, who was already the pride of both families and had served as a bridge between Anne and her mother.

Lady Catherine, who had found herself turning to Darcy and Elizabeth for comfort after Anne’s elopement, had relented and convinced Mr Collins to give up the entailment on Longbourn, which had brought great relief to the family and allowed Lady Catherine to expand her family immensely.

Indeed, she and Mrs Bennet had forged a rather peculiar friendship, which consisted of mostly passing judgement upon others while sipping sherry side by side whenever they saw one another.

‘You will be missed,”

he said and squeezed his sister’s hand.

“I shall be living in Sheffield, William.

I will be back so often you will not be able to stand the sight of me.

And I shall be at Ashburn for Christmas,”

she assured him.

“Ah look, there they are,”

she called then and pointed at the two carriages which were presently ferrying his Fitzwilliam family into the courtyard.

Swiftly, he made his way down the stairs and met Elizabeth, with little Anna on her hip.

“They are here,”

she said.

“We are about to have a very full house indeed.”

Darcy’s hand found hers, and he squeezed it gently.

“Indeed, we are.

And I would not have it any other way.

It is moments like these that make all we have endured worthwhile.

Pemberley has become our sanctuary, a place where we can live in peace and happiness.

With all our family.”

Elizabeth leaned into him, her voice filled with affection.

“I am grateful for it every day, Fitzwilliam.

We have been blessed with so much, and I cherish every moment we spend here.”

“I always knew you would make a wonderful mistress of Pemberley.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Lady Matlock and Lord Matlock.

Darcy was grateful for their support over the years.

Lady Matlock, in particular, had formed a close bond with Elizabeth.

The two women shared a mutual respect and understanding, and their friendship had grown strong and steadfast.

“Elizabeth, my dear,”

Lady Matlock greeted her warmly, embracing her with genuine affection.

“How are you faring? You look positively radiant.”

Elizabeth returned the embrace, her smile sincere.

“Thank you, Lady Matlock.

I am well, as are we all.

I trust your journey was not too arduous?”

“Not at all, though I could drink a cup of tea,”

she said and Elizabeth nodded, indicating for her to enter while Darcy greeted his uncle and cousin.

“Lord and Lady Aspen did not join you?” he asked.

“Frederick did not wish to leave Matlock, he is taking his duties of impending fatherhood as serious as I,”

Richard informed him, his wife, Anne smiled at him, with one hand on her rounded stomach.

“Being with child does not agree with Cassandra,”

she explained.

“Not everyone is as fortunate to have an easy term.”

“Indeed, Lady Aspen will be staying at Matlock for the remainder of the season,”

Lady Matlock continued.

“Cassandra never was one for travel.

Any sort of locomotion makes her ill, even a brief journey from Matlock to Pemberley and even more so now she is with child again.”

Elizabeth smiled faintly.

“I suppose we all have our ways.”

Darcy knew she’d never grow close to Lady Aspen, referring to her as such still to this day rather than the more personal Cassandra.

She was, however, close to both Georgiana and Anne.

And of course, Jane, who had moved into a nearby home with Bingley.

“Faith, I heard Lady Catherine finally persuaded that vicar to give up the entailment,”

Lady Matlock said then, the old dislike for her sister-in-law evident in her tone.

“It was about time.”

She glanced back at Richard and Anne before lowering her voice so only Darcy and Elizabeth could hear.

“I dare say, she almost drove her own daughter away, that battleaxe.

Good to see she has grown some sense.”

“My mother could scarcely contain her excitement when the papers were signed,”

Elizabeth recounted with a laugh.

“She spent the better part of a week planning improvements to the house and grounds, all the while declaring that she had always known Mr Collins would see reason.”

Lady Matlock chuckled.

“I can imagine.

It is a relief to know that Longbourn will remain in the family.

Mrs Bennet must be overjoyed.”

“She is,”

Elizabeth confirmed, her tone affectionate.

“It is as though a great weight has been lifted from her shoulders.”

“What are you gossiping about?”

Lord Matlock asked then as they all made their way to the drawing room.

From the corner of his eyes, Darcy spotted Jane and Charles Bingley still in the garden.

The two always preferred their own company.

Charles and Richard had never truly mended their falling out, after Jane chose Bingley.

It was not that they were outright enemies, but they were far from friends.

“Just your sister,”

Darcy said and his uncle waved his hand.

“Ah, that one.

She will turn every hair on my head grey yet.

Let us talk of more interesting things—such as how we are going to get support for our cause.

Catholic emancipation.

I am determined to make progress this year.

Norfolk will not stop talking about it.

Is he coming?”

Darcy shook his head.

“He and my grandmother are in Brighton.

As for our cause, the matter has taken longer than any of us anticipated,”

Darcy admitted, his brow furrowing slightly.

“But we remain resolute.

The passage of the bill is inevitable, though we must continue to navigate the political currents with care.”

Lord Matlock nodded in agreement.

“These things take time, that is true.

But the tide is turning.

We must remain steadfast.

I have put Wickham in charge of getting the support of Lord Maddox.”

Darcy’s eyes widened.

“Uncle, you know I do not approve of such methods.”

His uncle shrugged, “A little incentive has never hurt anyone.

Maddox is already in support of Catholic emancipation as it is, he just needs a little nudge.

I also need his vote if we have any hope of passing the law regarding the climbing boys.”

Darcy sighed.

Wickham and he would never be friends, but he knew that Wickham had tried his best to redeem himself.

To that end, his uncle had devised a cunning plan—he would use Wickham’s talents for deception for good.

Thus, he’d hired Wickham as his aid and Wickham did all manner of tasks for Lord Matlock, among them sleuthing out any hidden secrets political rivals might have so that Lord Matlock could use them to his advantage.

Wickham had shown himself to be adept when it came to such tasks and appeared to thrive with his new duties.

Darcy was not about to make a habit of including Wickham in family gatherings, but he had to confess the man had not done one dirty deed since revealing his true status as a Darcy.

A status that remained shrouded outside of the family.

However, the immediate family knew.

Their grandmother, shocked to learn of the existence of another grandson when she was nearing her eighth decade, had managed both the shock of Phillip’s deception and the arrival of Wickham with astute grace.

Phillip, never a favourite of hers at the best of times, had been transported to Australia with the Dowager Marchioness’s approval though she had done him the kindness of arranging an upgrade in his transportation and lodgings.

He was, after all, a Darcy, even if he had fallen from grace.

The Dowager had also sent along a guard who was to ensure Phillip did not come to physical harm—and to ensure that he did not leave Australia.

This punishment had effectively erased him from their lives.

No one spoke of him anymore; he was dead to the family, his name mentioned only in hushed whispers when absolutely necessary.

His mother, ashamed and heartbroken after learning of his connection to Wickham and his nefarious plans for Darcy and Elizabeth, had distanced herself from the family, retreating into a life of quiet seclusion.

“Wickham has proven himself to be reliable,”

Richard remarked, drawing Darcy back to reality.

“I never thought I’d see the day, but I believe he’s truly trying to make amends.”

Darcy nodded, his expression contemplative.

“It’s difficult to forget the past, but perhaps there is a measure of redemption to be found.

At the very least, Georgiana has accepted his apology, and that is what matters most.

Now, who is ready for a spot of tea?”

The day wore on, filled with laughter and conversation, as the families enjoyed each other’s company.

The children played in the garden until the last rays of sunlight faded, their laughter mingling with the gentle rustling of the trees.

As darkness fell, the group moved indoors, where a sumptuous feast awaited them.

Seated around the long dining table, the warmth of the fire casting a soft glow over the room, Darcy looked around at the faces of those she held dear.

Lady Matlock was deep in conversation with Georgiana, while Richard regaled him with tales of his latest military exploits.

Anne smiled contentedly, and Jane and Bingley exchanged fond looks across the table.

Darcy’s heart swelled with gratitude as he took Elizabeth’s hand beneath the table.

“We’ve come so far,”

she whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

Darcy met her gaze, his eyes full of love.

“We have, Elizabeth.

And we have so much to look forward to.”

She smiled, her eyes shining with happiness.

“With you by my side, I know we can face anything.”

Darcy raised her hand to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to her knuckles.

“Always, Elizabeth.

We are bound by more than just love—we are bound by our shared dreams, our hopes for the future, and the family we have built together.”

As the evening drew to a close, Elizabeth and Darcy stood together on the terrace, looking out over the estate that had become their haven.

The night was clear, the stars twinkling brightly above them, and the cool breeze carried the scent of roses from the garden below.

In the quiet of the night, surrounded by the love of their family and the beauty of Pemberley, Darcy felt a profound sense of peace.

The trials of the past had led them to a future rich with love and joy, and as Elizabeth rested her head on Darcy’s shoulder, he knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, there was nothing they could not achieve together.

THE END

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