The door opened and a respectful servant stood there.

‘The carriage is at the door,’ he said.

‘One minute,’ said Elizabeth. She signed her letter, then folded it and wrote the direction. The servant stepped forward to take it. ‘Thank you, but I will post it myself,’ she said.

‘Very good.’

Darcy came into the drawing room, looking happy and carefree.

‘Are you ready?’ he asked. ‘The carriage is waiting. It is not as comfortable as our own coach, but I was lucky to be able to hire anything at such short notice, so far away from a city. We will not be travelling with it for long. We will soon be on board ship and heading for England.’

‘England and Pemberley,’ she said. She let her gaze wander for one last time around the hunting lodge and then she took his arm. ‘Then let us be off. It’s time to go home.’