Assets and Liabilities: A Contemporary Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 32

Their new relationship brought them a joy that was only amplified by the miscommunication and angst that kept them apart so long. Their commitment and complete understanding and faith in each other were treasured. They wanted to stay locked together, safe from anything that may come between them again. However, they had to return to work and their families must be informed of their relationship before they heard gossip.

They decided that Gigi should be the first to hear their news. Fitz and Lizzie told Gigi of their engagement together over Skype. She was ecstatic and not at all surprised. Gigi was thrilled to see her brother so happy and overjoyed to have such a wonderful new future sister-in-law. She was eager to see Lizzie when she came home for a few weeks that summer. Lizzie was touched by Gigi's warm welcome and looked forward to spending more time together.

The newly-reunited couple invited all the Bennets and Charlie to go sailing the next weekend. Lizzie made Fitz promise not to jump off the boat no matter her family's reactions. She worried they might be very bad, but reassured herself that Fitz would love her anyway just like she still loved him despite some of his more difficult family and friends. Before the weekend came, they announced their news to a few special people.

They went to dinner with Charlie and Jane. The warmhearted couple was full of congratulations. Charlie said, "We both hoped it would work out for you, but we thought it was impossible! I'm glad you finally got Lizzie to come around!" Though Fitz made a snarky reply, it was clear they were all happy that the two couples had worked out. If all went according to plan, their children would be cousins and they would celebrate holidays together in the best of company.

Fitz stopped by Meryton and he and Lizzie told Rachel and Charlotte the good news. Both were unsurprised. Rachel thought it was the most natural thing in the world and Charlotte declared that she had known that it was an inevitability for the last year. In their talks, Lizzie had told Fitz that Charlotte had always been on his side and that she and Rachel were constantly singing his praises. Fitz thanked the women for their support and vowed that he would not be a stranger at Meryton.

Lizzie and Fitz called Rich later the same week. He was relieved to hear the news. "It took you long enough! I knew you were in love with each other since before our vacation!" Fitz thanked Rich for helping them find their way together. Rich declared that he expected to be the best man at their wedding and that, if he ever fell in love, to follow his dream girl on vacation and sing his praises. They assured him they would always be in his corner.

Lizzie prepared nervously for the sailing trip with the rest of the Bennets. Fitz assured her that everything would be fine, but Lizzie discounted his assurances because he really didn't know her family very well. She packed a picnic basket with a lot of alcohol and comfort food. She might need liquid courage and a bacon sandwich to bear her family's reactions.

Her family all arrived on time and in decent spirits. Once they were on the boat, Fitz and Charlie sailed them out and docked. Meanwhile, the Bennets dug into the spread. Lizzie decided the announcement should come before her family was too much in their cups. After he docked, Lizzie grabbed Fitz hand and spoke up. "Fitz and I have an announcement that may surprise you. We're back together and we're dating very seriously". She smiled expectantly.

The majority of the Bennets looked stunned. Only Jane and Charlie grinned and loudly congratulated them, hoping to set a good example. Francine eventually spoke, "I applaud your enthusiasm, Lizzie. It's good that you're finally interested in finding a husband. However, are you sure this man is interested in you?"

Fitz dipped Lizzie into a dramatic Old Hollywood style kiss. Lydia and Charlie hooted. Francine went into hysterics. Her father was delighted, though Lizzie couldn't tell if it was more for the unexpected drama or her future happiness. He laughed at them all, "Fitzwilliam, what a name! How dramatic for you to announce this on a boat when we have no way of escape! We're your captive audience. I might come to like you better than Bingley! He has made the dramatic promise to protect Jane for the rest of her life. Can you top that?"

Fitz spoke seriously, "Lizzie can protect herself, but I can promise that we will be partners in life. I will do everything in my power to be there for Lizzie and build a fulfilling and happy shared life".

Her father could not make a joke of that so only smiled. Lizzie's mother made up for her father's quietness. She had a great deal to say, "Lizzie, I always said you were the smartest of all my girls! Look at your score! I told you from the very beginning that even if Darcy did not like you immediately, that persistence would pay off. You followed my instructions and kept at it for the last year and even if he did break up with you a few times, you found a way to get him back every time! And now look at you sailing on his sailboat! My Lizzie! Very well done! All these girls who play hard to get have it all wrong."

Lizzie looked at her boyfriend with eyebrows raised. He smiled widely, "I like that version of our relationship very well. It's nice to imagine Lizzie chasing me around."

Charlie interjected, "Notice that Darcy said he has to imagine all this. I'm sorry to tell you, Mrs. Bennet, but you have it all wrong. Darcy was the persistent one. I think he never worked so hard on anything in his life. It took him months to get Lizzie to agree to go out with him in the first place and she broke his heart at least once."

"That's my girl!" the Bennet father smiled, clearly entertained.

Francine Bennet looked unhappy to be corrected and to hear that Lizzie had snubbed Darcy for so long. She cheered herself up at the thought that all was set to right now. Francine, already consumed with Jane's wedding was overwhelmed with joy at the thought of planning an even grander affair in about a year. Francine could not imagine herself happier.

Lizzie tried to further conversation between Fitz and her family. Now that he was dating Lizzie, they were all disposed to like him and even radical-feminist Mary came around eventually.

Mary and Fitz fell into a conversation about music. They both had an interest in folk music and Darcy offered to get three tickets to an upcoming band. Lizzie became worried when Mary suggested that she was inspired to compose a song about Darcy and Lizzie. Lizzie tactfully suggested that the song may be better as an instrumental.

After a long day, Fitz and Lizzie returned for some quiet time at Fitz's home. Lizzie let out a sigh of relief, "The hard part is over! I think that went pretty well all things considered!"

"We still have to tell the rest of my family. I think it will go just as smoothly. They liked you at my birthday and now that you're officially my girlfriend, I'm sure they'll love you as much as I do".

"Maybe not quite as much as you do," Lizzie joked. "I look forward to seeing them again and getting to know them better."

Fitz looked falsely serious, "We also still have to inform my Aunt Catherine".

"If we must, I'll leave the confession to you," Lizzie teased. "She likes you much better".

"I'll have to thank my aunt for her assistance in bringing us together. If she hadn't sent Gary to Thailand, we would never have had those weeks together in the Virgin Islands and if she hadn't confronted us about our relationship, we may never have talked about our feelings. Despite her atrocious behavior, we owe our happiness to my Aunt Catherine".

The Darcys lived out their days quite happily. After six more months of dating, Fitz proposed in the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Their wedding was beautiful, their five children were brilliant scamps, and their careers flourished. Their love and respect for each other's intelligence and character only strengthened over time. All their friends and family loved to visit them at home and see their happiness. Fitz was sometimes possessive of Lizzie's time and affection, but they had a wide social circle and frequently threw parties at home. Though they were overwhelmingly happily married, their tempers were such that they still challenged each other to be their best version of themselves.

The Bingleys were just as blissful, if less intense. They had four sons who all followed their mother around devotedly, just like their father. They lived a tranquil life focused on family and altruism. Jane eventually went part-time at her job in physical therapy and became big fish on the nonprofit scene, obtaining seats in the boards of directors of two worthy nonprofits. She was known both for her generosity and her judgement. The whole family loved to visit their Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Fitz where the parents would joke and drink too much wine and the children would play rambunctiously in the backyard. The children's Bennet grandfather would often come over to tell the children ghost stories or ask his daughters and sons-in-law about their work.

Francine Bennet's anxiety settled after her two eldest daughter's marriages. She was forced to concede that women over thirty could make good matches and put considerably less pressure on her two youngest daughters. She gloried in her many grandchildren and occupied her time in knitting baby blankets for her grandchildren instead of worrying over her children. Over time, she became good company for her husband and daughters and a beloved grandmother.

Mary earned her PhD and got an excellent position as a tenured professor at a liberal arts school. Her students were enthralled by her radical ideas on gender norms. Mary enjoyed this attention more than the allure of any romantic relationship. Her confidence rose and she wrote a book that would become the book on women's expectations in hetero-normative relationships. Lizzie and Jane were very supportive of Mary, but thought that certain portions of her book were based on their marriages. Some of these examples showed them in a favorable light and others in a poor one. Though both felt the negative stories were taken out of context, exaggerated, or misunderstood, the older sisters were not petty about it. Instead, they joked that it was nice to be such an inspiration to a generation of young feminists.

Lydia grew up and matured. With Lizzie and Fitz's help, she did develop a social media lifestyle company that was amazingly successful. With her professional success came a more serious outlook. She cared less and less about her lipstick color and more about the business world and matters of substance. After reading Mary's book, Lydia insisted that she did not believe in marriage. She felt she had more power in a partnership instead of a marriage. She met a man who did not mind much as long as he got to be with Lydia. Their partnership would be life-long and full of life.

Gigi Darcy spent the next few years at college building her confidence, increasing her knowledge, and cultivating true friendships. Her brother and sister-in-law could not be more supportive and could not set a better example for marital bliss. Gigi had her fair share of the obligatory scrapes and adventures of a twenty-something, but eventually fell in love and settled down with a dashing, if nerdy, engineer. Her Aunt Catherine emphatically disapproved of this match, and Lizzie joked that her disapproval was only confirmation of Gigi's good choice.

Charlotte, Rachel, and Lizzie continued to be the power-trio running Meryton. Under their guidance, the nonprofit opened new locations around the country. Charlotte, as head of business development, spent a great deal of the year traveling for work. This allowed her to stay in a relatively-happy marriage to a relatively-idiotic man. She saw so little of him that she could imagine him smarter, better looking, and more interesting than he was in reality. Gary was, despite his failings, an excellent and devoted father. Charlotte had been lucky that with so short a courtship, she had been able to find a man that would give her a stable marriage, a beautiful child and support her career goals.

Even Aunt Catherine and Caroline Bingley came around when they saw Lizzie was there to stay. Lizzie, though not as angelic as Jane, wanted to be on good terms with her extended family. She offered an olive branch and slowly built fledgling friendships with both women. She did make it clear that Aunt Catherine would need an invitation before coming to her home and that Caroline would not be allowed to flirt with her husband.

Lizzie treasured her marriage and made sure to see Fitz's strengths instead of faults and let go of her pride when they disagreed. After suppressing her feelings for so long, Lizzie was determined that he know how much she loved him after all.