Epilogue

 

 

Pemberley, Six Months Later

 

“Is that a letter from your cousin Anthony?” asked Elizabeth as she settled next to her husband on the sofa.

“Yes. Sarah is expecting a child in early autumn. He is beside himself with pride,” said Darcy.

Elizabeth smiled and curled up next to him. “Can you blame him?”

“Of course not.” He was unable to resist kissing her rosy cheek, regardless of their location in the morning room. “You know, it is strange,” he added thoughtfully.

“What is strange, my dear?”

“Anthony sent me a letter while I was at Netherfield telling me how he had recently become engaged to a woman in the next parish. He was astounded at his good fortune—that he had found so worthy a woman, that she had an equal affection for him, and that they were able to marry, even though he was but a vicar.”

“He is hardly a pauper! He is the son of an earl.”

“True, but he believed she would have loved him regardless of who his parents were. I can admit to you now that I was terribly jealous.” She looked at him in surprise and he continued, “First sons are often pursued heavily, and it is not because they are more worthy. As an only son who had already inherited, I had seen more than enough drawing room machinations.”

She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. “You poor dear! How hunted you must have felt.”

He ignored her tease, as he often did. “As I sat there, reading Anthony’s letter, I couldn’t help wishing that I would know such love, such pure affection for myself. I wished for it most fervently,” he added in a soft tone with a kiss to her hair. “But I could not think how it could happen. When would a woman ever be close enough to me, when would I allow her close enough, to learn to love me? I would have never spent such time with a woman for fear of raising her expectations.”

Elizabeth raised her head from his shoulder and leaned back to look at him, her face reflecting incredulity and a dawning horror. “You wished for a woman to learn to love you?”

He touched his finger to her nose gently. “I would say my wish was answered most satisfactorily.”

Elizabeth burst into laughter.

 

The End