After tethering Mabel, he thought he heard laughter as he approached Fox Hollow, and paused for a moment on the porch before knocking. The interior was lit by lamp and firelight; through the thick glass of its windows, he could see the hazy outlines of his dark-haired Elizabeth and her golden-haired sister, and little Edward bouncing up and down between the two with his usual visible excitement. He had not been mistaken—the soft laughter echoed from beyond the door, the murmurs of jovial voices.
Fox Hollow was gloomy and draughty, but any home where Elizabeth lived would always be a happy one. He knocked on the door, and immediate silence fell. Too late, he realised he might have frightened them with his late arrival.
“Elizabeth, it is me,” he called.
The door swung wide, and Elizabeth was there, smiling at him with her lovely smile, holding her hands out to draw him into the warmth.
“I used to think that Pemberley was the most beautiful place on Earth,” he said, unable to prevent the words from tumbling out. “Now, it is any place where you are.”
The look she gave him in response was worth more than any Darcy heirloom jewel. When Edward acknowledged him with a smile, he felt doubly glad—the boy had a tendency not to notice those who were not in the small circle of his loved ones.
“Is all well, Mr Darcy?” Miss Bennet asked, a little worriedly. “Did my aunt and uncle give you much trouble?”
“Nothing we could not deal with,” he assured. “They have returned to their very fine home in Meryton, and I expect them to remain there without further incident.”
“That is wonderful,” Miss Bennet replied. “Neddy and Iwill retire now. Come, Neddy.” Obediently, he took her hand and allowed her to lead him into the chamber Darcy knew he shared with Elizabeth.
“That was easily done,” Darcy said, allowing Elizabeth to draw him towards the settee. “Edward does not rebel against bedtime?”
“He is very pleased that Jane is staying. Now, tell me truly—how bad was it with my relations?”
Darcy shrugged. “Philips blustered, as was expected. However, I gave him to understand that we could do this the easy way—in which he returned to his own home, abandoning the idea of having any say in Edward or Longbourn’s future—or the more difficult, expensive way, if he attempted to challenge me. I made it clear that your mother had decided to support me, and without her backing, he would appear to have merely a selfish interest unlikely to impress any judge at Chancery. Your aunt protested that your mother’s mind could be changed, and suddenly Bingley spoke up, saying that he expected to soon be in a position to use his influence with her as a son might, and would encourage her to allow Edward and Longbourn to remain in my care. At that point, Mrs Philips seemed to realise that their case was lost. Her husband ranted a little longer, but Harrington convinced him that he was merely making a fool of himself. We urged him to leave Longbourn at once. The Hills, evidently, had begun packing the Philipses’ belongings almost at the outset, for trunks were ready for loading within an hour. By the time we escorted them home, they both seemed resigned to fate. I do not believe they will bother us any longer.”
In a move that surprised him, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him soundly. Eagerly he returnedher embrace, rejoicing in the ability to hold her close, and praying that they had a lifetime in which to continue this affection and intimacy.
Much later, as they sat nestled together, she asked him about Bingley’s declaration. “I was surprised to hear he expects to become one of the family,” she said. “Jane is convinced he has decided against her.”
“On the contrary,” Darcy said, and he related to her his former hopes for Georgiana and how Bingley was convinced he had found love with Miss Bennet.
“Georgiana? But she is so…so young!”
“I know that. It is only that after her experience with Wickham that I realised how vulnerable she is, how easily the wrong man might convince her of the rightness of his suit. Bingley is a fine man who will always be good to his wife. I wanted that for her.”
“Understandably. There are other good men, however. I love her like my own sisters now, and cannot imagine her in a household by herself yet. I hope we can keep her close to us, and that she will turn to us for advice and help in any such matters, in the future.”
He hugged her to him. “Yes. It seemed like I was doing what ought to be done—Georgiana had completed her education, and it was time for her to learn to set up a household. I hoped, rather than believed she was ready for that. I should have realised she was not.”
“You were alone in your decisions, and doing the very best for her that you knew. You will never be alone again.” She kissed him, sealing her promise with lips and tongue, and it was some time before he found the control to gentle their passion.
“This morning I went to St Albans for a licence,” he told her. “What would you say if I ask you to become Mrs Darcy tomorrow morning?”
She smiled the lovely smile he knew was exclusively for him. “I would say, morning cannot come soon enough for me.”
Epilogue
Pemberley, 1814
“William,” Neddy called beseechingly, poking his head into Elizabeth’s sitting room where she sat rocking her new son. “Want to go ride?”
Elizabeth laughed, cradling the babe in her arms. “William is far too young to ride horses, Neddy. He is a baby, and much too small, not a big boy like you.”
“Poor baby,” Neddy said, looking at his new nephew with great sympathy. He, obviously, could not imagine a life that did not include a great deal of time on horseback.
Darcy appeared in the doorway behind him. “Edward, Mr Dean and Mr Porter said you did well today with your lessons. Your uncle Fitzwilliam is having Prosper saddled for you. Go and change into your riding clothes, and he and Aunt Fitzwilliam will take you out for a good, long ride.”
Neddy’s whole body tensed with joy, his own peculiar wayof showing how happy those words had made him. Elizabeth smiled as her brother dashed off to change without another word. They had, through some trial and many errors, made great strides in teaching him speech and learning to reason. He could still wear out several adults with his high energy and required a lot of physical exercise, but he had grown to understand that good behaviour and attention to his lessons meant a much happier life. His greatest, most constant reward was riding his white mare, Prosper. He understood now that tantrums and physical aggression resulted in a ban from the stables—nothing was worse in his mind. They had found patient tutors and nurses who reinforced his daily lessons. He was still, probably would always be, a little different than others his age, but he had never stopped in his progress, and was an affectionate, happy child. He had been looking forward to this visit with Darcy’s cousin and his heiress wife, Sarah—they loved to ride almost as much as he did.
Darcy entered the nursery, stooping to kiss his sleeping son’s downy-soft head, adding a much deeper, more passionate one for his wife. “I cannot believe my good fortune sometimes,” he murmured. “He has been with us for eight short weeks, and it is already impossible to imagine life without him.”
