Page 124 of His Pride and His Prejudice

He returned Darcy’s kiss with a desperate and violent vigour, feeling the entirety of the love that ran through him. Alongside it was not an inconsiderable amount of esteem and respect, but also gratitude. Gratitude not merely for Darcy’s initial love, but for him loving Elliot still well enough to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of Elliot’s manner in rejecting him that first time, all the unjust accusations accompanying that rejection, and all the nonsense with Elliot’s family that he had not only borne but actively addressed!

How could Elliot have ever hoped for more?

How could he have ever imagined such a gift?

“Thank you,” he whispered as they broke apart, and far too soon in Elliot’s opinion.

“For what?” Darcy asked.

And Elliot told him all that he thought and all that he had hoped, and before long they were kissing again, and it took far, far longer to break apart the second time.

“Lady Catherine came to me straight after her visit to you,” Darcy eventually said. “It taught me to hope as I had scarcely ever allowed myself to hope before. I knew enough of your disposition to be certain that, had you been absolutely, irrevocably decided against me, you would have acknowledged it to Lady Catherine, frankly and openly.”

Elliot laughed as he replied, “Yes, you know enough of my frankness to believe me capable of that. After abusing you so abominably to your face, I could have no scruple in abusing you to all your relations!”

“What did you say of me, that I did not deserve?” Darcy asked. “For, though your accusations were ill-founded, formed on mistaken premises, my behaviour to you at the time had merited the severest reproof. It was unpardonable. I cannot think of it without abhorrence.”

Elliot reached out and ran his finger along Darcy’s face, where a frown line rested, smoothing it out. That he could do so, that it was allowed, thrilled him. “We will not quarrel for the greater share of blame,” he said. “The conduct of neither, if strictly examined, will be irreproachable, but since then, we have both, I hope, improved in civility.”

Darcy sighed. “You are too generous. I cannot be so easily reconciled to myself. The recollection of what I then said, of my conduct, my manners, my expressions during the whole of it, is now, and has been many months, inexpressibly painful to me.”

“My own recollections are equally as painful,” Elliot said. “I assure you that I have long been most heartily ashamed of how I rejected your proposal.”

“I will not have you in pain,” Darcy said. “Your comfort and happiness are everything to me now. Indeed, it will be my life’s work to ensure that you are content and always fulfilled.” He sighed in very clear satisfaction. “We must agree then that our painful recollections are in the past and I await now your response to this proposal.”

“I gave it, did I not?” Elliot asked.

“I wish to hear the words,” Darcy demanded, and he pulled Elliot to him once more.

“I am yours,” Elliot said softly.

“And I yours,” Darcy replied.

And it was so.

The Epilogue

Happy indeed was the day that Mrs. Bennet said goodbye to her two eldest sons, and happier still the days that followed where she visited Netherfield to her heart’s content and made sure all in Meryton and surrounding areas knew of it! Such good fortune in settling her sons—and settling them so well—might have produced so happy an effect as to make her a sensible, amiable, well-informed woman for the rest of her life, but perhaps it was lucky for her husband that it did not, and that she was still occasionally nervous and invariably silly, because those were parts of her that he most loved.

Mr. Bennet missed his sons exceedingly, but perhaps Elliot most of all, and his affection for his son drew him oftener from home than anything else could do. He delighted in going to Pemberley, especially when he was least expected, and spent hour upon hour in the library, often taking a trunk of Darcy’s beloved books home with him. He rarely if ever returned them!

Bingley and Jack remained at Netherfield only a twelvemonth. As anticipated, so near a vicinity to Mrs. Bennet was not desirable even to Bingley’s easy temper, or Jack’s affectionate heart. Bingley promptly bought an estate in a neighbouring county to Derbyshire, and Jack and Elliot, in addition to every other source of happiness, were then within thirty miles of each other, and after being gifted excellent horses and carriages by their husbands could visit as often as they liked. The arrival of not one but four Bingley children in quick succession only added to their happiness.

Christian, to everyone’s surprise, became fast friends with Georgiana Darcy, and after spending time in society so superior to what he had generally known, his improvement was great, and his artistic skills became well developed to the point where he was much in demand. From the further disadvantage of Louis’ society he was of course carefully kept, and though Louis Wickham frequently invited Christian to come and stay with him, with the promise of balls and young men and women, Mr. Bennet would never consent, and over time Christian himself did not desire to go.

Marc was the only son who remained at home, but he did so willingly after being gifted a pianoforte of unrivalled perfection by his new brother Darcy and having time and space aplenty to master it. He did however visit Jack’s new estate often, and it was suspected by Mr. Bennet that Marc carried out a passionate affair with Mrs. Eleanor Hurst for many years, though little was ever said about the matter.

As for Wickham and Louis, their characters suffered no revolution from the marriages of Jack and Elliot. They were both quite overjoyed at the prospect of relatives who could make their fortunes and soon prevailed upon both brothers to fund their lifestyles which as well as being quite profligate, were as scandalous as ever. Both brothers ensured that Louis had whatever funds he needed whilst cursing that they were invariably funding Wickham also, but Louis accepted such as his due and consistently demanded more. Whatever passion had fuelled their marriage soon dimmed, but Louis was well able to carve a life surrounded by other passions for himself and was never unhappy.

Miss Bingley was deeply mortified by Darcy’s marriage but as she thought it advisable to retain the right of visiting at Pemberley, she made a concerted effort to cease all her resentment, was fonder than ever of Georgiana, almost as attentive to Darcy as before, and paid off every arrear of civility to Elliot to the point where they even formed a slight friendship. Mrs. Hurst—the one not in a deep tendre with Marc—behaved much the same!

Pemberley continued to be Georgiana’s home for some years, and the attachment between her and Elliot was exactly what Darcy had hoped to see. They were able to love each other even as well as they intended and before long, with Elliot’s support, Georgiana began to realise that her status within society should not hold her back and from there on in it never did. She went on to have many adventures of her own, adventures that could fill many more books.

Fitzwilliam accompanied her on some of those adventures but eventually settled in Ireland, on the estate that Darcy gifted him, where he married a local omega and had eleven children with her. They visited Pemberley annually, and the Darcys and the Bingleys often returned the visit. Many, many years later Jack’s oldest son became the fated mate of Fitzwilliam’s oldest daughter, thus uniting those branches of the family.

Lady Catherine was extremely indignant on the marriage of Charles—though he was no relation!—and then of her nephew, and the letter she sent was so very abusive in its language, especially of Elliot, that for some time all intercourse was at an end. But that ceased when Lady Anne arrived at Pemberley for an extended stay and refused to leave until her mother apologised. Eventually Lady Catherine did, her resentment giving way either to her affection for her daughter or for Darcy, or simply her curiosity to see how his new husband conducted himself. She condescended to wait on them at Pemberley, often accompanied by Mr. Collins and Charlie, who were frequent visitors in their own right regardless. Elliot and Charlie’s friendship remained firm and lasted for the rest of their lives.

With the Gardiners, the Darcys were always on the most intimate terms. Darcy, as well as Elliot, really loved them, and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing Elliot into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them. They, and their children, were regular visitors to Pemberley and many years later, when Anne gained an attachment to the oldest, there being just twelve years between them. Lady Catherine had no choice but to accept them all! Elliot and Darcy could not stop from smiling at the wedding and eventually the entire Gardiner family, with the exception of Anne’s wife, joined them at Pemberley in one of the larger apartments.

And for Elliot and Darcy, their happiness was such that everyone in their lives felt it. They were widely considered to be a couple that were so perfectly fated that many held them as an example of what the love between an alpha and an omega should be.

They too had many more adventures.

They too could fill many more books.

And perhaps they did.

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