The Ashes of Longbourn (41 page)

             
“You were amazing, my dearest love.” Elizabeth raised his hand to her lips, placing a kiss on each of his knuckles.  “I am so very proud of you.  Oh, but you did not say. Our daughter was born first, but you never said whether the second babe was a son or a daughter.”

             
Smiling, Darcy placed a gentle kiss on his wife’s lips. “Of course, our son is a gentleman. He allowed his sister to come first before joining her.”

             
“A son and a daughter, how perfect.” Elizabeth said as she rested her sleepy head on her husband’s shoulder as he lifted her from the floor and carried her to their chambers. 

             
Once Elizabeth and Darcy had cleaned up and Elizabeth was tucked into bed, Jane and Georgiana carried the twins to their mother.  The new aunts had seen to their charges being cleaned and examined by the surgeon, who then came to ensure Darcy of their being healthy.  After the surgeon proclaimed Elizabeth well, the men left the room to allow Mrs Reynolds to assist Elizabeth in nursing the babes for the first time.

             
When Darcy returned to the bedchamber, he was amazed at the sight of his sleeping wife, with a babe latched on to her breast.  He could think of no more wonderful sight in the world; his family, safe and sound, in his bed.

             
Carefully, he climbed in the bed beside Elizabeth, lifting the infant from his mother and covering her with the blanket.  Darcy placed the babe to his shoulder, patting his son on the back and speaking softly to him.  “You are a very honorable young man, allowing your sister to go first.  You must promise to always protect her and see that she is safe. I love you, my son.”

             
A soft voice came from the other side of the bed.  “We need to decide on names for our children, Mr Darcy.”

             
“Yes, we do, Mrs Darcy.  And what names do you have in mind?”

             
“Rose Anne Frances Darcy for our daughter.  And for our son, Bennet Gerald Fitzwilliam Darcy.  They would both be named for their grandparents and parent of the same sex.”

             
Darcy smiled and raised his son to place a kiss on his forehead.  “What do you think, Bennet? Do you like your name?”

             
When the baby made a gurgling sound, both of his parents took it as a sign of his approval.  Darcy placed Ben on the bed beside Elizabeth, and then walked to the cradle which had been placed beside the bed, lifting his daughter from the swaddling.  “And you, my Sweetling, do you accept the name your mother has chosen for you? Do you like the name Rose?” Seeing what he swore was a smile on his newborn daughter’s face, he declared that his daughter agreed with her name.

             
The family snuggled into their bed together, each parent holding on to one of their newborns.  And this was the way the staff would find the Darcys many times in the future.

             
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Epilog

             
Rose Darcy Fitzwilliam stood on the hillside, looking down on the estate of her family.  It was a view that her parents always loved to see, especially when returning home from any trip.  It was still as breathtaking as it was from her childhood.  Her husband, Randolph Fitzwilliam, son and heir of Richard and Charlotte Fitzwilliam, held onto her hand.  “Your mother and father always gasped at the view, no matter how many times they saw Pemberley from here.”

             
“Mamma always said that she could not believe that she lived in such an enchanted place.  And Papa always said that seeing Mamma’s reaction to his beloved ancestral home was breathtaking.  Of course, everything that Mamma did incited Papa to say it was breathtaking.”

             
“My parents always said that they were the most romantic lovebirds that they ever knew.” Randolph said with a smile. 

             
“Your parents were not far behind them.  Papa and Cousin Richard were so very much alike in the way they loved their families.”

             
The couple made their way down the hill on their horses, arriving at the main house.  Ben came out to welcome his sister home.  “Rose, I wondered when you would arrive.  The others are already here.”

             
The siblings embraced, with Rose placing a kiss on her brother’s cheek.  “How are you, Ben?”

             
“I am as well as can be, Sweetling.” 

             
Rose smiled at her brother’s use of their father’s pet name for her.

             
Entering the house, they found the many members of their family gathered.  Ben’s wife had passed on several years before, though they had a long life together.  They had three children; the eldest was Bennet Jr. who was currently running the day to day operation at Pemberley. Rose’s and Randolph’s four children and their children had arrived as well.

             
After the twins, Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy had three more children.  A son was born next, Thomas Edward, followed by two more sisters, Eleanor Jane and Helen Georgiana.  They had all married and had children of their own.  All in all, with the children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren of Darcy and Elizabeth, there were forty five descendants gathered.

             
As Rose and Ben gathered their siblings together, they all spoke fondly of their parents.  Just four days prior, the couple had gone to bed in their cottage on the estate.  Both had passed away in their sleep, holding each other in their embrace. 

             
“Mamma’s heart finally gave out, after all these years.  The physician said that she would die more than twenty years ago, but Mamma was never going to settle for his diagnosis.” Rose said, tears flowing down her cheek.

             
“Papa always said that when Mamma died, his heart would stop as well.  How he died the same time as she did, I will never know.  But it is the way that they both would have wanted it.” Bennet said.

             
The other siblings agreed, it was the way of their parents.  Eleanor smiled.  “I am glad that we were all here to celebrate their seventy fifth anniversary last month.  The gathering was wonderful, and they both seemed so very pleased to have everyone here.  It had been so long since we could all be together.”

             
“Mamma was pleased with photographs of everyone.  It was wonderful to have the group photos taken, with Mamma and Papa with us.” Thomas said. 

             
“Did you bring it with you, Rose?” Helen asked.  Seeing Rose nod her head, Helen smiled.  “I am glad.  Now, tomorrow is the service.  Bennet and I agreed, and we hope that you will agree with our decision, but we had them both placed in the same casket.  They were inseparable in life; we felt that they should not be separated in death.”

             
All five of the siblings nodded in agreement.  Bennet spoke, his voice cracking.  “Papa said to me many years ago that he could not imagine spending eternity resting in a place without his beloved Lizzy resting her head upon his shoulder, just as she did throughout their life together.  We had the undertaker place Mamma on her side, her head upon Papa’s shoulder, and one hand on his chest.  Papa’s arm was wrapped around her waist.” 

             
Through their tears, the siblings smiled.  All of their lives they had seen their parents in such a position when they rested.  It had always been touching to their children that Darcy and Elizabeth had held such a close bond in their marriage.  It made each of their children only settle for love matches for their own marriages, as they wished for the same loving relation that they had grown up watching.

             
The rest of the evening was spent with the family members sharing stories of the grand couple, sharing laughs and tears until the wee hours of the morning.  Very few found rest before the funeral service was held. 

             
Other relatives had come as well.  The Bingley family members had arrived for the service, two of Charles and Jane’s children and many of their grandchildren and their offspring were there.  Jane had passed away more than ten years previous, and Charles had left his beloved five years before that.  Randolph’s siblings and their families attended as well. Richard had survived until he turned seventy, with his beloved Charlotte joining him the following year.  Matthew had been a widower since the twins turned ten, never marrying again.  He had two children from Frannie, an heir and a spare.  They had taken over the Fitzwilliam family estate at Matlock when Matthew died three years after his brother.

             
While visiting Richard and Charlotte, Georgiana had fallen in love with John Lucas.  The couple was not blessed with a long marriage though, as Georgiana had followed her mother’s example, dying in childbirth of her second child.  She left behind a son and a daughter to be raised by John and the rest of the family.

             
The Gardiner children had long grown up, and, amazingly, Mrs Helen Gardiner was still alive.  She had just celebrated her one hundred and third birthday.  Though she could not attend the service for her beloved niece, she sent her granddaughter, who lived with Helen, with a letter for each of Lizzy’s children.

             
The service was short, with Bennet speaking on behalf of the family.  Through his tears, he looked out at the legacy of Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy.  “Mamma and Papa would be so proud of all of you.  We never knew any of our grandparents, as they had already died before our birth.  Only our parents, Aunt Georgiana and Aunt Jane remained of their immediate families when Mamma and Papa married. And now, Pemberley is filled with the sound of laughter and children’s voices.  That always meant so much to our parents.  Remember, always, that you come from a love that was stronger than anything else in the world, a love that would last throughout the generations.  Be proud of that legacy.  Pass it on to your own family.”  He then turned to his twin.  “Sweetling, would you come here.”

             
Rose stepped beside her brother, taking hold of his outstretched hand.  She smiled at her brother as she spoke.  “Mamma made a request seventy five years ago of Papa.  She wished to have a piece of Longbourn placed on the grave when she was buried.  Papa told her that she could have her wish only if they were married for one hundred years.  Of course, Papa was only teasing her. He could never deny her anything she ever asked for.” The five Darcy siblings gathered together, each taking a turn pouring some of the contents from the canister that Rose had brought with her.  “Everyone in the family knows the story of before Mamma and Papa married, the fire that destroyed Longbourn and killed Mamma’s parents and younger sisters.  Mamma wished to have a piece of her family with her in the grave.  So, Mamma, as you asked, you have your ashes of Longbourn.”

             
                                          THE END

             
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