Epilogue

August 1819, Woburn Abbey

T he Duchess of Bedford sat in the first pew to the right of the altar in the church in the Woburn Abbey Village. Her arm was linked with the lady who besides being family had become one of her best friends—the Dowager Duchess of Bedford—since their meeting after the disaster of epic proportions which had taken so many from her.

With this marriage the distant family connections between the Rhys-Davies and the Bennets would be renewed and solidified. It was to both matriarchs' way of thinking; poetic justice Charity would be the Duchess of Bedford one day—hopefully, far in the future.

"It is hard to believe it took Henry so long to come to the point," Priscilla said as she leant her head over so only Rose could hear.

"By the time Charity was sixteen she knew she was in love with Henry and no other would do," Rose smiled as she watched her soon-to-be son pacing back and forth near the altar, his younger brother trying but failing to calm him. "She did understand Henry needed to learn his new duties and become familiar with Birchington after he graduated from Cambridge, so she was patient, sure Henry would realise what she already knew."

"That they were perfect one for the other," Priscilla completed.

"Cilla, you well know men can be obtuse at times. There are occasions it does take them a little longer to understand what we ladies have known for much longer."

"Tom did not need as much time as his brother to know who his partner would be," Priscilla stated as she looked at her younger son as he managed to stop Henry from pacing. "By the time he completed his studies at Cambridge he already knew he was in love with Anna which is why he proposed the day after he turned three and twenty. Do you remember how many suitors Anna turned away? All because she was as determined as Charity not to be deterred. She knew Tom was the only man who would suit her. William was not unhappy that Anna was already two and twenty when she and Tom wed. Even then, and with four children, and Lizzy with child again, he was not overjoyed to be ceding Anna's protection to another man, regardless of how much he admired his younger brother."

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Elizabeth had presented William with a son, Bennet in July 1812. Ben, as he was called by all of the family, had turned seven recently. After Ben, she delivered twins in January 1815. They had been named Robert Thomas and Priscilla Anne. Prisci, as she was called, was one of the flower girls for her Aunt Charity's wedding. It was something the girl, who was the image of her mother and maternal grandmother, with the same spirit as the former, was inordinately proud of, even if she was sharing the honour with one of her cousins.

In October 1817, Rosemary Jane Darcy had been born, and was almost two. She was the image of her Aunt Anna with blond tresses and the Fitzwilliam blue eyes. Unlike her aunt, her hair was wavey like her mama's. Her name incorporated their beloved Aunt Rose and Elizabeth's sisters' names. The former had been extremely touched that a Bennet-Darcy child had been named for her.

Elizabeth had told William a few days before the current wedding that she had felt the quickening as she was increasing once again. If the child was a daughter, Elizabeth, with William's agreement, intended to name her Charlotte after the Queen who had passed away less than a year previously. At least once a year when they were in London, Lady Elizabeth and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy had been invited to take tea with the now late Queen at Buckingham House. Only a year ago, the final time they had taken tea with Her Majesty before she was called home, the Prince Regent had offered Darcy a title, which as he had before, was respectfully refused.

As much as they loved one another, as can be expected with two strong willed people who could both be rather stubborn when they chose to, it was not always plain sailing between Lizzy and William, but they never went to bed angry, and enjoyed the making up immensely.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

"You have the right of it," Rose smiled. "William had a hard time giving Anna away. But in the almost two years Anna and Tom have been married, he has been able to see he and Richard could not have given her away to a better man."

"And it is not like they do not see one another often. Each time Lizzy, William, and the children make for Town, they spend time at Netherfield Park in both directions, they are together in London, and we are all at Pemberley for part of the summer."

"A much safer tradition than the voyages Sedgewick used to love," Rose averred wistfully. More than eight years after losing so many family members, she still wore the muted colours of half mourning, something she would continue to do until God took her to her eternal reward to join her beloved husband once again.

Cilla saw the flash of melancholy cross her friend's face and took her hand, patting it soothingly.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Anna and Tom had secretly declared their love for one another when he was in his final year at Cambridge. At the time, they had discussed how to help Henry come to the point, but they had decided other than some subtle hints Tom would make, there was no reason to try interfering beyond that.

Thankfully for Tom, the Darcys and Fitzwilliams had been at Woburn Abbey to celebrate his birthday so he did not have to go far to seek permission and blessings from Anna's guardians. The fact she was already of age did not stop him making the requests to his brothers. That Tom was an earl, had no bearing on the decisions. They knew him to be an honourable man who loved and respected Anna, and she felt the same about him. As they would never do anything to impede Anna's happiness, Richard and William had granted the application without delay.

As much as Darcy would have liked to wait a year before giving Anna away, the wedding had been in mid-October 1817, a little less than six weeks after the engagement.

Now as Anna, Lady Georgiana Bennet, the Countess of Meryton, stood with her best friend in the world, and soon-to-be sister, she was well aware after a little shy of two years married to her Tom, she was with child having recently missed her third set of courses.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

"Prisci and Sarah will make beautiful flower girls, even if I am biased as they are my granddaughters," Priscilla smiled widely. Rose nodded her agreement.

"As one of the grandmothers of my namesake, I cannot but agree with you," Lady Sarah De Melville stated as she leaned forward from her seat behind the two duchesses.

Jane and Wes were seated next to the Earl and Countess of Jersey. Hearing Mama and Mother talking about Sarah, Jane glowed with pleasure. With her husband sitting next to her holding her hand, he looked as happy and proud as his angelic wife.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~ ~

Jane delivered her first son, Cyril Thomas De Melville, the future Viscount Westmore, just under a year after her marriage at the end of February 1812. He was followed by Sarah Priscilla in January 1815. In May 1816, Henry James and then October 1817, Philip Paul joined the growing family. Jane was with child again, and it was estimated the latest offspring would arrive in March or April 1820.

The only negative about living at Westmore in Essex was the distance to where Lizzy and William lived. Jane loved the estate, and never regretted, even for the smallest measure of time marrying her Wes, but she missed the physical closeness they used to have between herself, Lizzy, and Mary. They were still as they ever were, best friends to one another, but it was about five and thirty miles to Rosings Park, fifty to Longbourn, almost seventy to Woburn Abbey, and practically one hundred and eighty miles to Pemberley.

Thankfully, between family Easters at Rosings Park, summers split between Pemberley and the Abbey, Jane was often in her sisters' company, as were their children.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The three ladies looked across the aisle to the front pew where the Fitzwilliams sat. "Does not Robby look so very much like his father?" Priscilla observed.

"Do not forget that when he celebrated his turning seven he declared he was to be called Robert," Rose pointed out. "He takes his position as the eldest male cousin rather seriously, even though Mary's and Richard's boys do not seem to heed his commands." She looked a little further down the pew to where Adelle, who was almost twelve sat. She was a very proper young lady who was making the transition from childhood to womanhood. When she was three she had come to live with them. Her maternal grandparents saw her as much as they wanted until they passed away within days of each other in 1813. They never recovered from the loss of Rebecca .

Cilla smiled as she thought of Mary's and Richard's children.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

In June 1812, Mary delivered identical twin sons. They were named Christopher and Hartley, the latter for his father's middle name. Mary was not done with twin sons because in February 1814, Alexander and Richard, thankfully not identical, were born. In December 1815, a fifth son, Andrew, joined the family. Just when Mary despaired she would never be blessed with a daughter—which was not a reflection of the love she felt for her sons—Bethany Priscilla was born in August 1818.

They lived happily at Rosings Park with Lady Catherine and Anne who respectively acted as a surrogate grandmother and aunt to their children. Living under Richard's protection without the stress of having to manage her father's estate had allowed Anne de Bourgh to live years longer than doctors had predicted. Anne's health would never be capital, but she was as healthy as could be expected and she loved taking Mary and Richard's children riding in her low phaeton with her. Other times Mary would ride along with Anne to visit the Collinses at the parsonage.

Charlotte Collins had to date, not been blessed with living children, her first and only being a stillborn, but she and Mr. Collins enjoyed a felicitous marriage, accepted as part of the large extended family. At Easter, Charlotte always spent time with the three Bennet sisters and had become quite friendly with Marie Fitzwilliam when the latter would visit the parsonage with Mary Fitzwilliam.

Mary became as close with Marie as with any of her sisters by blood. The latter delivered a daughter in September 1813. She was named Rebecca Gwendoline in honour of two of the ladies lost at sea with so many others. Saul Sedgewick was born in November 1815. Marie and Andrew's youngest, Elaine Rose arrived in January 1817.

It was not only Mary among the Bennet sisters with whom Marie was close. She was quite close to Jane and Lizzy, but felt very warmly about the whole family, especially considering the way they had accepted her mother, younger sister, niece, and herself into their family circle without reservation, as if they had always been part of it.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Before Cilla and Rose could speak again, the internal vestibule door opened and Prisci and Sarah made their way up the aisle, spreading rose petals from Rosings Park as they walked, their respective parents beaming with pride. Once their baskets were placed on the bottom marble step leading to the altar, the two, feeling very proud with themselves, joined their parents.

Next Anna who was Charity's matron of honour glided up the aisle trying not to disturb many petals. There was no missing the way Tom's eyes locked with his wife's as he intently watched her making her way towards the altar. As soon as Anna stood across from her husband, the vicar gave the signal for the congregation to stand. Both doors at the rear of the nave were pushed open and Bedford entered the church with his ward, and very soon-to-be daughter, on his arm.

Henry was mesmerised by the vision of his bride as she approached him. Just before the bride and her guardian reached the point where Bedford would hand Charity to his eldest son, the latter stopped next to her mother sitting in the first pew. She took her mother's hand and squeezed it while looking lovingly at her. As soon as she released her mother's hand, Charity nodded to her guardian who made the few steps to where his eldest son stood in anticipation.

Once Bedford had kissed his ward's cheek, lowered her veil, and handed her to his heir, Bedford joined his wife and family in the pew, taking the open seat between Cilla and Jane .

The deed was done in the blink of an eye as Lady Charity Rhys-Davis became Lady Charity Bennet, Marchioness of Birchington. When the couple returned from the registry, with the requisite swollen lips, they were mobbed by their family members who had remained to bestow their congratulations. Soon enough everyone made the one mile carriage ride to the Abbey.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Once Mr. Hill—he and his wife were to retire in a month, they had worked more than the planned five years before retirement as they had wanted to see all of the Bennet offspring married—announced Lord and Lady Birchington, Charity and Henry began to greet their friends and guests who had come to share the day with them.

At the first table they reached they found Alicia and Lilly Winston.

The new Duke of Hertfordshire, Roger Winston, had two sons, separated by less than a year and a half in age. Alli and Lilly—who over the years had formed as close a bond as any sisters by blood—had come out together in the season of 1816. They had met the brothers, who were then seven and twenty and five and twenty, a month into their first season. It was six weeks later the Marquess of Hertford was at Jersey House asking for Alli's hand while his younger brother, Lord David Winston was at Gardiner House making the same request for Lilly to be his wife.

Both fathers had demanded a long engagement, and in April 1817, the best friends married the brothers in a joint ceremony. Each had a child, Alli a son, and Lilly a daughter, who were a little over a year and close to that age respectively.

At an adjacent table sat the Gardiners with Eddy, Peter, and May. The latter was thirteen and had become a close friend with Adelle Rhys Davies. In a few years, when Adelle would be nineteen and Eddy six and twenty, they too would marry .

Gardiner had ceded control of his business to two partners, but he still guided certain investments, and retired to Clover Dell some four years past. Using some of his vast wealth, he had bought an adjacent estate from its profligate master, as well as some other available land and tripled the size of his estate. A medium sized estate in Nottinghamshire had been purchased for Peter.

The final transaction Gardiner had overseen before he left the business was the sale of the Dennington lines. Given the pain associated with the shipping line for many friends and family, Bedford put it up for sale. As would be expected, Gardiner negotiated a sale price for more than the amount Bedford had been willing to accept.

At the next table were the Collinses, Lucases, and Philipses. Elias Philips had married Maria Lucas in early 1815, and had two sons so far. The former now ran his father's law practice, taking over when he had retired a year ago. Mr. Frank Philips had been a widower for more than three years.

The change in Lydia Forster had been transient and soon she returned to her old ways. In early 1814, she ran off with an officer in a curricle they borrowed in the dead of winter. Going round a bend far too fast, the wheels slipped on ice ejecting the two occupants. From the time Hattie Philips learnt of her daughter's end, she never left her bedchamber until she passed away in 1816.

Sir William and Lady Lucas were as they ever were, and the former was even more proud of being the friend of a duke than he was of his own knighthood.

A few tables away, the newlyweds found Jane and Lizzy speaking to their friends Louisa Hurst and Caroline Ashby. As she had suggested they should to her then fiancé, the former Caroline Bingley had used some of her fortune, with some help from her sister, to purchase the estate of River Run in Surrey, which bordered Winsdale, the estate Louisa and Harold Hurst owned. Ashby left the practice of law in mid-1812, and his wife delivered a daughter before the end of that year. Two sons had arrived since then.

The Hursts were blessed with a son and a daughter, securing the line of succession for Winsdale. During the summer, the Hursts and Ashbys spent a few weeks at either Pemberley or Woburn Abbey with the Bennets and their extended family.

Of Charles Bingley no word was heard, and no one, including his sisters, repined that fact.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Bedford and Cilla, seated next to Rose, watched as their children graciously stopped to talk to each invited guest, regardless of the rank or wealth of the persons. The three knew the dukedom, when the time came, would be in the safe hands of the younger generation.

They had recently discussed how the late Henry Bennet, as he had been called before he changed his name to Sedgewick Rhys-Davies, was spinning in his grave at his spectacular failure. What an epic surprise it would have been to him had he been there to see the dukedom, which was an earldom when he lived, was now, and would be for generations to come, held by a Bennet.

After all of his machinations driven by irrational envy, only two who bore the Rhys-Davies name, Ladies Rose and Adelle still lived. The latter would resign it when she became a Gardiner in the future, which would only leave Lady Rose. When she was called home—hopefully many years in the future—the line the spiteful man had created out of whole cloth would be at an end.

When they had spoken, they were sure the late Earl of Bedford who had made sure the line would survive, along with those family members lost with The Rose , were smiling down on them from heaven .

The three were drawn from their musings when Prisci Darcy pointed out that Aunt Charity was going to change in preparation to depart for the wedding trip.

Along with the others of their generation, the three stood and prepared to farewell the Marquess and Marchioness of Birchington. As would be expected, the honeymoon would be in England and would not involve sailing on a ship.

Soon enough the group of close family members were waving to the departing couple.

Cilla hung back with her husband. "All of our children are married to partners they love and respect. Thomas, God has been very good to us."

"Yes my beloved Cilla, He certainly has."

~~~The End~~~