Epilogue

Epilogue

26 November 1823 Pemberley, Derbyshire

Dearest Jane,

Thank you so much for sending me the packet of my old letters from the year twelve. It was such a difficult year, but all our lives pivoted around it. Fitzwilliam and I shared the letters and were laughing so much the children came to check on us. I swear it was the most diversion we have had since Bennet invited the hounds to Kitty’s wedding breakfast.

My favourite was the one from when I saw him at Gunthers, and he gave me ‘the most intense look of hatred I have ever seen.’ Can you believe I wrote that?

Naturally, he said, “Was it like this?” and gave me the exact same look.

This time I could not misinterpret it, as his eyes practically caught my dress afire. What a silly goose I was back then! Maybe I tripped getting into the coach because my eyes were blinded by the smoke.

It took us quite some time to get back to the rest of the letters, but since they are a decade old, there was no rush. Today is exactly ten years since the Netherfield ball, and they seem to have gone by in a trice.

Mama is doing well enough at the dower house, and I recently heard from Charlotte that all is well at Longbourn. I am very happy that I finally repaired the relationship with Mama, as she is now quite the favourite of all the grandchildren. Who would have thought ?

I find it extremely ironic, now that I can laugh at such things, that Mama set her stated goal in her life as having all five of her daughters well married, then proceeded to nearly destroy every chance of that happening. In the end, more through luck than anything else, we all ended up marrying quite well and all five are happy.

The world is certainly a strange place, and I think the goddess of fate must be off somewhere laughing her head off.

Your loving sister, Elizabeth Darcy

~~ Finis ~~