What can I say about what happened next to all our characters?

Firstly, let’s consider the short-term events.

When Mr. Darcy after freshening up, went back downstairs, he asked his butler if his sister and the Bingleys had come back and if Miss Bennet had come down. On hearing that the formers were in the drawing-room but that Elizabeth was still upstairs, he decided to wait for her at the bottom of the staircase. When she appeared, he was, as usual, overpowered by his feelings for her, but this time, knowing that she cared for him, a glow of happiness flourished on his face. She went down the stairs and he watched her with the same eager expectation that would be his on her walking up the aisle in the Meryton church.

When they entered the room, three pairs of eyes studied them and no question was asked but congratulations immediately flew. Indeed, Elizabeth was holding his arm, their eyes were sparkling and their smiles were jubilant. Jane and Georgiana had told Charles of their schemes so he wasn’t anymore surprised than those two ladies. Even for themselves, the three of them were very happy with the match. Georgiana was winning the sister she had longed for, Charles was becoming brother with his friend and Jane could be truly happy, now that her sister was so as well.

It was decided to go back to Meryton as soon as possible. Mr. Darcy wanted to ask Mr. Bennet’s consent to be able to be publicly close to his betrothed, and Elizabeth thought that explaining to her father the evolution of her feelings for Fitzwilliam would probably be a smart thing to do. Charles sent an express to his housekeeper in Netherfield to inform her of their return for the next day, with two guests, and to ask her to send a word to Longbourn. They decided, nonetheless, to honour their engagement for the evening and have dinner in Grosvenor Street. Elizabeth was so eager to share the good news with the people that mattered to her that they paid a call on the Gardiners in the afternoon.

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were thrilled. They had come to like Mr. Darcy and to understand that he would be a perfect match for their niece. Lizzy acknowledged some guilt for revealing her good news to her uncle and aunt before her parents, but Mr. Darcy told her that the Gardiners were much more able to understand the happiness of such an event than the Bennets. As it was, indeed, the absolute truth, she felt better.

Since it was pretty sure that Charles wouldn’t be able to keep the secret, and as Elizabeth didn’t feel like bearing with Caroline’s usual behaviour towards her future husband, they also decided to inform Louisa, Caroline and Mr. Hurst about the engagement. This was a terrible blow to Miss Bingley and she excused herself during the dinner because of a headache. All the ladies, including Elizabeth, felt compassion for her and the Darcy party came back early to Holland Park avenue.

Then, in Hertfordshire. At first, all in Longbourn were surprised by Lizzy's early return. But her looks and mood had so much improved in those few days in London that Mr. Bennet was very happy. His shock was deep when, on the next day, Mr. Darcy paid a morning call and asked for a private interview. Elizabeth had told her betrothed that her father might be very disconcerted by the news, so the young gentleman tried not to be too forward. Once, he had told her father that Lizzy had indeed agreed to marry him, the man she had so scorned a year ago, Mr. Bennet gave his consent; he was, afterwards, comforted by his dearest daughter’s confession(1). Mrs. Bennet’s behaviour and opinion suddenly changed on Mr. Darcy’s behalf. The lovers had several serious conversations about their past and their future and numerous light exchanges that often ended abruptly and tenderly. As for Georgiana, she met Lizzy’s sisters and found out that Kitty, particularly, would be an agreeable companion.

The marriage was quickly organised as the engaged couple felt that they had waited long enough, indeed, and, on a grey March day, they were joined in holy matrimony. Apart from their close family, all Mrs. Bennet’s neighbours were present as well as the Bingley sisters, Mr. and Mrs. Collins, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had finally come back from Spain and his parents, who had been close to the Darcys since their parent’s death. Curiously, neither Lady Catherine nor the Wickhams attended the ceremony. The sun showed some of its rays while the newlyweds made their way back to Holland Park Avenue.

And what about fencing and writing a novel? When he had been told that his friend and his sister in law were engaged, Charles had noticed that, had it not been for that novel, this happy ending might not have happened. Jane had agreed and asked if she would ever be able to read it. Lizzy had answered, smiling, that she would never have tried to publish it, as improper as it was for a lady. She had also added that, now that she would be a married woman, she would not have much time for writing; Jane had smiled broadly remembering Lydia uttering those very words.

In fact, Elizabeth did finish her novel, in spite of the numerous very interesting new things she had to do. Taking care of her husband, his houses, his son and his two daughters, their sister’s coming out, her parents, etc. took indeed a considerable amount of her time, yet she wrote it and offered it to her dearly cherished spouse as a token of their love. And, as he had promised on the morning when they had found their happiness, they never gave up their fencing practices; and, as by his second pledge, she mastered the Darcy thrust. That this event happened before the end of the next year was quite remarkable; indeed those practices of theirs proved to be often distracting, and she gave birth to Bennet Darcy in the meanwhile.