A/N - Here we are, the last chapter! Thank you so much for reading along with me - I hope you have enjoyed this fun little festive tale :)

I'll be back posting in the new year - a follow-up to "Suitably Wed" - and would love for you to come and read along. I am planning some changes in 2018 with different ways to share stories - but at the moment I'm not planning on taking anything down that's here. As before, all of my books are also available in finished/edited/polished form if you want to purchase any to keep from wherever you like to buy ebooks.

Hope you all have a really wonderful Christmas. See you in the new year! xxx

"Well, this has been a very merry Christmas indeed!" Mr Bennet smiled benevolently over the dining table at Longbourn.

"Indeed it has, Mr Bennet!" his wife announced, beaming at the five young folk who sat together and garnered most of her interest. Darcy had not intended to sit as close as he was to Elizabeth, but could not help but be grateful to Georgiana, who had determined she wished to sit with Miss Elizabeth on one side and her brother on the other, and would not be argued with, on this of all days.

"I had such a peculiar dream last night!" she declared, after Mrs Gardiner had paid her sister-in-law a particular compliment upon the serving of their dinner, and thus captured Mrs Bennet's attention away from their small party.

"Oh dear, are you not comfortable at Netherfield?" Jane asked, with a sympathetic frown.

"Very comfortable!" Georgiana replied. "It was mere imagination that kept me awake, I am sure partly due to my excitement at spending Christmas here, amongst such friends as yourself." She smiled at Jane, and Darcy felt a warmth in his chest at the way his sister had so taken to their neighbours, and how thoroughly she had been welcomed into their circle.

"Well, Georgiana, does the dream bear repeating?" Charles asked, with a grin. "What nonsense forced you into wakefulness at so early an hour?"

"It was not nonsense!" Georgiana protested. She could barely contain a smile and Darcy felt his suspicions rise as she cast a sly glance at him. "In fact, brother, you were its chief character."

"Oh dear. I am quite sure I do not wish to hear it, in that case!"

"No, you must, for I am sure you shall find it as amusing as I do, upon reflection." Georgiana set her cup down, surveying her friends until she was sure she captured their whole attention. "For I dreamed you were married."

"Married?" Charles exclaimed. "Darcy?"

Darcy concentrated on remaining nonchalant, but even then he could not prevent his gaze from straying towards Elizabeth, who was taking particular interest in the remnants of her plum pudding.

"Do you not care to ask to whom?"

"It seems you care to tell me, sister."

"It was to Miss Elizabeth!" Georgiana clapped her hands. "You were married, and living at Pemberley. It made for a delightful picture."

"Delightful?" Lydia Bennet had angled her ear towards their corner of the table in time enough to hear this pronouncement. She snorted with laughter. "Mr Darcy and Elizabeth? I wonder at your calling it a dream, Georgie dear. Surely it was a nightmare!"

Darcy frowned, turning to set the young Miss Lydia straight, until he felt a hand on his shoulder, and realised Elizabeth stood behind him.

"Actually, Lydia, Georgiana's dream may have been fiction but it need not remain so." Her voice faltered a little, and Darcy rose to his feet, taking on the challenge of speaking.

"Mr and Mrs Bennet, Mr and Mrs Gardiner." He cleared his throat. "It was not my intention to raise this matter on Christmas day - or at the dinner table - but it seems providence, or my sister, had another notion in mind."

"Is something the matter, Mr Darcy?" Mr Bennet asked.

"It is merely the matter of confessing to you that I wish to marry your daughter, Elizabeth."

Mrs Bennet's cutlery clattered noisily to her plate.

"Lizzy?" she squeaked. "You wish to marry Lizzy?"

"I do." Darcy warmed to his topic as he spoke. "We do."

"How did you decide this?" Mrs Bennet wailed. "When?"

"I would imagine it was when you arrived back from London and saw us by the road, Mr Darcy, or sometime near then?" Mrs Gardiner's eyes sparkled with fun, and not a glimmer of surprise. "Why else would you be so eager to return straight away to Hertfordshire?"

Darcy had no answer to give, but fortunately at that moment, Georgiana let out a delighted laugh and silenced any need for further words.

"My dream will come true, in that case. And here I thought dreams were of such little consequence as to be scarcely worth remarking upon!"

Darcy turned back to Elizabeth, gathering her hands in his.

"I would not say that, Georgiana. I think in dreams we often see things far more plainly than we might manage in wakefulness, if only we have the courage to act on what we see…"

"Two daughters to wed in the new year!" Mrs Bennet hissed, in a voice that was neither quiet nor subtle. "And to think, Mr Bennet, you declared that this Christmas would be a very dull affair. How wrong you have been! I could never have dreamed of a better!"

The End