If Elizabeth had any expectation as to the extent of her future family, her fortune was to take a different turn. In the early years of her marriage, Elizabeth had been sadly grieved that she and Mr. Darcy continued childless. Not of a nature to give herself over to lamentation and bitterness, especially over a circumstance that was in the hands of Providence, Elizabeth sought other employments to fill her hours. She had always been a great reader, and took pleasure in walking in the Pemberley park, driving out with her husband or sister, and visiting the other families—particularly the poor—within Pemberley’s parish. And, although she was a married woman, she saw no reason to neglect her music, her correspondence, or other accomplishments she had pursued with pleasure before she was become Mrs. Darcy.

To add to her better resignation on the subject was Mr. Darcy’s own philosophy, that repining over the inevitable was foolish. To his credit as a rational man and a compassionate husband, he assumed the disappointment of childlessness on himself:

“Elizabeth,” he said, “your family have their share of children; it seems an habit of my own family to produce few offspring: Lady Catherine has one child, Colonel Fitzwilliam has one brother, and I continued an only child for many years. I have always been of the opinion that our lack of issue was no fault of yours, but rather the propensity of our line to be parsimonious in the family way. If no other source of consolation is available,” he added with a smile, “we may look to Dr. Malthus for approval.”

With her husband’s solemn assurances that he did not regret his marriage to her as the cause of no heir, his generous and reasonable reflections on the matter, and his half-jest that, “should Georgiana never marry, one of the Bingley boys will do very well,” Elizabeth could have no further cause to repine. She had daily the very pleasant female society of Georgiana, and could visit the Bingleys whenever she chose. Mistress of her days, spent in the informed intercourse and agreeable companionship of her husband and his sister, Elizabeth regarded her own as the best of blessings. Elizabeth was as happy as even the wife of Mr. Darcy should be.

CHAP. 2.

IT IS WISDOM long-accepted that a man cannot serve two masters; it must be considered equally improbable that there exists an house in England of sufficient size to serve two mistresses. Yet despite the common expectation, Georgiana and Elizabeth Darcy not only shared Pemberley, but found great happiness in doing so. When Elizabeth was first come to Pemberley, all order had been nearly over-thrown by an unusual punctiliousness for the feelings and consequence of the other lady, each wishing to shew the greater deference and courtesy.