Beginning, Section II

Part 8

Posted on 2010-11-07

Darcy had started bright and early the very next day, after the best night's rest he could remember, to lay out everything that needed to be done for the momentous occasion of the Master of Pemberley's nuptials. He had scheduled a meeting for the next day with his attorney to give him precise instructions to change the will to include the new Mistress once they were wed. He was delighted to think about his 'wife' as a certainty not a remote possibility.

His first priority was to ensure that anything to do with Elizabeth was taken care of and that all would be in place soon if Mr. Bennett agreed to a short engagement as both of them hoped he would. This was something that was weighing heavily on his mind, what to say to Elizabeth's father when he went to request her hand in marriage was crucial. She had told him he had to be honest about his feelings for her, but how far should he go in this honesty. Should he tell Mr. Bennett that if he didn't marry his daughter soon he ran the risk of not being able to court her properly?

Probably not! But he had to bring home the point of how much they needed each other and how difficult the separations were getting. This was not a lie; it was honestly how he felt. He couldn't tell her father that all he wanted was to have her in his bed with him, but he could try to make him remember back to when he got married, but he really did not want to think about that in those terms. He shook of the image that he had planted in his mind as best he could and tried to get back to the other business at hand.

He would also have to leave precise instructions for his steward on how to handle a few issues that he currently was dealing with. He would have to lay out all the possibilities so that he could act without having to bother him. He did not want any kind of interruption for at least two weeks after their wedding, if not more. Mr. Richardson had been with his family for years and he had benefited immensely when he had taken over the business of running his estate after his father passed away, so he trusted the man blindly and he knew that giving him the proper direction he would be able to take care of any situation.

He had penned a letter to Mrs. Reynolds giving her the wonderful news and instructing her to start preparing the Mistress's chambers for Elizabeth. He liked the sound of that enormously. Elizabeth Darcy, Mistress of Pemberley, it sounded perfect. He wanted everything to be taken care of when they finally arrived home. He told Mrs. Reynolds to change everything in the dressing room and bedchamber to colors of Elizabeth's liking, which he would inform her of once he discussed it with her. They would redecorate if she so pleased afterwards.

As for his bedchamber, he had some ideas, but wanted to discuss them with his fiancé first. He hadn't put this topic to his beloved's consideration yet, he didn't want to rush her, but he was hoping that she would want to sleep in his bedchamber as opposed to hers, like his mother had. He knew he had to bring this up with Elizabeth soon, but was nervous and unsure as to how to tactfully bring up the subject of their future sleeping arrangements. He was banking on the fact that she was so passionately in love with him and that she would not want to be apart, but was still doubtful.

It was in the middle of all these ponderings that Georgiana knocked and peeked her head in the room. "Come in Georgiana! I am sorry I have not spent more time with you, but you can imagine all the things that weigh in my mind at the moment. I do not want any detail to be left unaddressed you see. Once Elizabeth and I are married, I want all my time to be dedicated to her." He beamed and his sister had to return a brilliant smile.

"Brother, I am so ecstatic to see you happy! I do not recall ever seeing you smile like so, it warms my heart." He stood up from his chair and came to give her a hug and kiss; they held each other for a few moments. When he pulled away he said, "Come and sit next to me, I need a break anyway." He let out a laugh. "I did not realize getting married would entail such work, this is harder than getting Elizabeth to say yes." She laughed at that and said, "I see the benefits of your relationship with Elizabeth, you have never teased me so, and I absolutely adore seeing those dimples on your cheeks."

He looked at her frowning and replied, "Are you trying to make me blush little sister?" he smiled impishly. This exchange had been the most relaxed conversation Georgiana had had with her brother. Ever since she could remember William had been almost like a father, more than a brother. She looked up to and respected him, she would have never thought of laughing and teasing him like this before this week. She did not even realize he had dimples; he smiled so seldom, even though he did it with her and Richard more than any other people. But he always had a shyness and sadness about him that would not be overcome, until Elizabeth said yes!

"So have you decided when the wedding will take place and where? I am anxiously awaiting the news so I can buy my gown for the special day!" he laughed out loud. "That is the only interest you have in me getting married, to buy a new gown. I see."
She looked at him enjoying his light mood. "In all seriousness brother, it pleases me so to finally see you happy.

"You know when you first came back from Kent I used to pray every night before going to sleep for God to bring my brother back, and he must have listened, you came back and then some!" he touched her cheek tenderly and said, "Well, yes I am very, very happy, ecstatic, honestly at the prospect of marrying Elizabeth. I can not even fit it in my head that it will actually be so. I was so used to just dreaming that maybe someday she would give me another chance to show her how I had changed that it all seems unreal now." He looked away for a moment as if recalling those terrible days and nights after her refusal.

Shaking the bad thoughts away and getting up he said, "We must arrange for a fitting for you for that new gown. Maybe while I am gone to Longbourn Mrs. Annesley can accompany you. I will also need your opinion on an engagement ring for Elizabeth…" he said with bright eyes. "Mother gave me a ring to present to my future bride and of course I will do that, but I want her to have something made especially for her, so tonight when you two talk maybe you can subtly ask her some pointed questions." He was still smiling when he finished.

"Of course brother I will try to talk to Elizabeth about it, but I sense she is not into jewelry so much, she is so modest and simple and I do not mean this in a bad way. On the contrary, it is almost as if she does not need to wear anything because she is so beautiful, she has the liveliest eyes I have ever seen." Darcy had become thoughtful as if transported to another world. Noticing that Georgiana was finished speaking he said, "Those eyes stayed with me all these months, you understand now why I was so depressed, I knew I could not live without looking at them…"

"I am sorry William I did not mean to bring back painful memories, let us forget about that and I promise I will talk to Elizabeth about jewelry tonight at dinner." At that moment Richard appeared at the door and found them both sitting quietly. "Am I in the right place? I thought I would see a whirlwind of activity when I came in the room!" Georgiana got up to kiss her cousin and he returned her kiss with one of his own and a hug.

"So why the somber mood?" he inquired quizzically. "It is my fault cousin, I was bringing back some bad memories for William, but we are finished with that. How was your meeting?" Georgiana replied, Richard had approached the brandy decanter and poured himself a full glass. Darcy and Georgiana shared a curious look. "What is it Richard? asked Darcy. "Nothing, it is just that the Sergeant and I have a major disagreement and I was not happy at what he had to say, but to hell…., sorry Georgs. I am afraid I will not be civil company my dear cousin, so maybe I should skip dinner at the Gardiners."

"Nonsense! What are you talking about? You were invited and you are coming with us like it or not. Besides what will you do here? Finish that bottle of brandy all by yourself, I will not allow it to go to such waste." Richard had to laugh at the forcefulness of Darcy's words. "Alright, but I need to relax before doing anything, a terrible headache is threatening to show its ugly face if I do not cool off from the earlier yelling. So if you will excuse me?" And he turned around and walked out of the room.

"Poor Richard." said Georgiana and she sighed, "He will be alright little sister, do not worry. You should be getting ready to go to dinner too as will I. So I will see you soon, I have a need to see Elizabeth right now." And he smiled one of his new bright smiles. "Do not take long, it will be time to go soon!" he said as he was walking away. She smiled and thought what a different life they would have from now on. With Elizabeth in their lives everything would be better. A sister! She had always wanted a sister that she could confide in and giggle with. She sighed happily and skipped up the stairs to get ready.

The visit to the Gardiner's had been most enjoyable. Bingley had decided to propose to Jane as well and of course she had accepted. It was something everyone had been expecting. The newly engaged couple was beaming with happiness and received the congratulations of all in attendance.

Darcy could not be more pleased with this news. After all, it had been his doing, the pain and suffering his friend gone through in the past months. So he wholeheartedly congratulated Bingley and Jane on their engagement.

It was agreed that they would all travel together to Longbourn and that an interview with Mr. Bennett would be requested immediately. Darcy insisted in the fact that they wanted to marry as soon as possible and he assured Mr. Gardiner that all the proper arrangements could be made in a month at the most. He hated the idea of having to wait four weeks to marry Elizabeth, but it seemed there was no other option.

Darcy was somewhat distracted with all that was weighing on his mind at the moment and Elizabeth had noticed, she was not sure if he was upset about something or merely preoccupied and since they did not have any time to be alone together there was no way of asking him.

She separated herself from the group and went to talk to her aunt,"Aunt Violet, may I request a favor of you?" she asked her. "Of course my dear, what is it?" her aunt replied. "Well I have noticed Mr. Darcy seems to be worried, upset or preoccupied about something and I am not sure what it is. Do you think we could go into the study to have a few minutes of privacy, so I can ask him? I do not like to see him troubled in any way aunt." She finished and her aunt smiled at her last statement.

"You do love him very much, do you not Lizzie?" she asked her niece sweetly. "Yes I do and having already caused him so much pain, I will not stand by and see him distressed in any way if I can help it." Her aunt was still smiling at the forcefulness of her niece. "Very well, you may go into the study. And Lizzie, please remember what we spoke of yesterday." Elizabeth blushed lightly as if being caught in what she had been thinking, but smiled impishly.

She approached Darcy who had joined Richard and said with a loving smile, "William, I would like to discuss some things with you, would you mind accompanying me to the study." She looked at him deeply, his heart skipped a beat, but he recovered and took her extended hand. "Excuse me cousin but it seems my presence is required elsewhere." Richard smiled and waved him off.

Once they were out of the room Elizabeth's pace turned into a quick trot until they reached the study went inside and closed the door behind them. As soon as they were securely in the room Darcy took her in his arms and kissed her passionately, holding her tight, caressing her back and her hair. Elizabeth, for her part, had her hands behind his neck and was pulling him towards her eagerly.

They kissed for what seemed hours, but were only a few moments. Darcy finally came to his senses and pulled her apart with difficulty, since she would not let him. "Elizabeth please, I would not like for your aunt to find us like this again." Her eyes were still closed, but she opened them when he had finished and turned her back.

He was not sure if she was mad at him, but followed her to the window where she was standing. He softly put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her in the neck gently. She leaned her head back against him and sighed deeply. "What is it my love?" he asked nibbling at her neck. "William, if you want me to behave I advise that you desist of your present activity please, while it is incredibly enjoyable I will not accept the blame on my own if we are caught by my aunt again." When she was finished she turned and looked at him intently.

She softly pushed a rebel strand of hair from his forehead and looking deeply into his eyes said, "My intention in bringing you into the study with me was to tell you how hard it has become to be near you and not be able to show you all that I feel for you at this time, I have become a very wonton woman, since yesterday as you could ascertain by my most outrageous behavior as we were departing." She paused and when he went to speak, she stopped him and continued. "I want to keep the appropriate decorum, but at the same time I would love to have some quality time alone with you, were we could talk and discuss our wedding. It seems we are deciding the most important day of our lives in front of the entire world!"

He took her face in his hands softly and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, she returned it softly as well. They lingered like this for a few moments gently kissing each other and then he took her in his arms, sensing this is what she really wanted at this moment. She put her head against his chest and encircled his waist with her arms. "I love you so much Elizabeth." He said with a hoarse voice. He was caressing her hair and moving his hands up and down her back.

"I understand your frustration my love because I feel the same way, I feel that we have not had time to discuss anything, granted we just came to an agreement last night, but it seems as if no one understand that we need some time together, if anything to get to know each other a little better. There are so many things I do not know about you yet, and I am desperate to know." They both sighed in unison at this declaration, because the feelings were mutual.

"Do you think my love that your aunt would agree to let me take you out for a ride tomorrow, so we can have this time that we both desperately want and need?" she pulled away from him slightly and smiled "I think that is a wonderful idea and I will speak with her as soon as we return to the rest of the party, but right know I just need you to hold me like this, to be in your embrace is to be in heaven William." She told him lovingly.

"I am at your service my love; I will do anything that you ask of me, well within reason." He said trying to lighten her mood and it worked, she let out a laugh. "You are a fast learner Fitzwilliam Darcy, you are already realizing how to change my moody attitude. I am sorry love, for behaving in this manner, what must you think of me?" she said somewhat jokingly. "I think that you are the most incredible woman I have ever met and I want to see you happy at all times!" he pulled her away from him slightly to look into her eyes and saw that she was doing better already.

Once again he pulled her into his embrace and just held her tight. "I wish I would never have to leave you again William." Elizabeth said almost in a whisper and looked up at him, her gaze went from his eyes to his lips and lingered there, he bent down to kiss her with parted lips, pouring his soul into it, he pulled her to him and she in turn did the same. They kissed hard, passionately, like they had never kissed before and they surrendered to what they were feeling.

Slowly they began to pull away from each other realizing it was better not to go any farther. They now kissed sweet small kisses. He kissed her in the cheeks and the forehead. "Actually…the reason I…wanted to speak to you, besides this, was to ask you if everything was alright." Said Elizabeth with some difficulty as he continued placing soft kisses all over her face. "Well, whatever was on my mind has vanished at the moment, only to be replaced with what I am doing right now…." Elizabeth sighed happily, but pulled back to look at him.

His eyes were fixed on her neck, which he was kissing lovingly and she pulled him away to get his attention, but she was smiling, "Mr. Darcy, I thought we were supposed to behave, you are making this extremely difficult and I demand an answer to my question!" he stopped and sighed. "I am sorry Elizabeth, but these moments come so few and far between, that I can not waste them." He breathed deeply and looked at her impishly. "I know something was bothering you earlier my love and it probably still is." She replied looking at him intently.

"It was nothing in particular Elizabeth, just the many things that I have to take care of before we can marry and especially the fact that we have to wait four entire weeks to do so. If it was for me, I would marry you right now!" he said putting a strand of hair away from her forehead and looking deeply at her. "I love you so much, more than life itself…It is painful to have to let you go every time you are in my company. I know this is wonderful right at the moment, but to think in a few hours I will have to say goodbye to you again breaks my heart!"

He brought her to him and held her tight once again whispering, "I need you so badly Elizabeth, my love, and I do not want to let you go anymore." She could feel his breathing intensify and his heart was beating faster inside his chest. She held him tight and tried her best to comfort him. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent that he knew so well and held her like so. She rubbed his back with her hands feeling his strong body and wondering what was underneath all the layers of clothes.

At that moment the door opened softly and they both jumped away from each other. It was Mrs. Gardiner. Once again there was an awkward silence and the older woman spoke. "I am very sorry to interrupt you dears, but we were about to sit to dinner and I came to fetch you." She did not seem upset at finding them in that predicament one more time. They were both, just standing there like scared school children, looking at their shoes and not saying anything. Finally Darcy spoke, "Mrs. Gardiner, please excuse our…" she did not allow him to finish. "There is no need to apologize William, I only saw you holding your fiancé in a tender embrace."

She sensed some discomfort on both of them. "Is everything alright Lizzie?" she asked looking at her niece intently. "Aunt, William and I were discussing the fact that we have not had any private time to be in each other's company, well for any extended period of time." She paused and looked at Darcy. "Mrs. Gardiner, I would like to request your permission to take Elizabeth out for a ride tomorrow, so we could become better acquainted with each other. We are finding it very difficult to discuss anything meaningfully at the present time. I assure you that I will maintain all rules of decorum during our outing, since we will be in public." He stopped and waited for Mrs. Gardiner to reply.

"Well, I do not see why not, after all you are betrothed to each other, pending your father's approval I might add, the only problem I see is that you are making this request to go out together unchaperoned, if I understand correctly?" she looked at them intently. Darcy spoke first. "Mrs. Gardiner, I understand your implication and I assure you that nothing untoward will come to pass, I give you my word madam." She looked at Darcy thoughtfully. Elizabeth decided to make a desperate plea to her aunt. "Aunt Violet please, we need to get to know each other a little better and discuss what it is we want for our wedding and our future, we have not had the opportunity to do so."

Mrs. Gardiner hesitated, "It is not that I do not trust you Lizzie or you William, even though I have seen certain things…But if you give me your word, I have no reason to doubt your honesty sir. However, you are currently under mine and your uncle's protection Lizzie and if anything was to happen, your father would skin us alive!" she said trying to lighten the mood. Elizabeth and Darcy looked at each other and sighed.

"How about if Georgiana accompanies you that would also give her an opportunity to get to know you better Lizzie." Darcy and Elizabeth shared a knowing look and Lizzie said, "That is a wonderful idea aunt, as always you are the voice of reason, what do you think my love?" she looked at her fiancé with a loving gaze. "Well, what could be better than spending some quality time with the two women that I love the most?" He answered her with a brilliant smile.

"Well I believe it is settled then, now can we proceed with dinner, I am famished!" she said laughing. They all shared in the good humor and started towards the dinning room where the rest of the party was gathered. Darcy and Elizabeth were both in a better mood and looking forward to their rendezvous the next day.

The following day Darcy and Georgiana picked up Elizabeth from the Gardiners and they proceeded to a drive that took them to the outskirts of the city. During the drive they talked and laughed and discussed and planned for the big event. It was apparent that the mood was much lighter than the night before, and it was probably due to the fact that Darcy and Elizabeth were together.

"Well my love I sent some posts this morning to my aunt and uncle and other family about our tentative engagement, and ask them to keep it quiet until I gave them news of your father's approval. That way I thought, once the official news comes nobody will be taken by surprise and some travel arrangements would have been made. Now we do have to decide where the ceremony will take place." He paused and looked at Elizabeth with a brilliant smile.

"I must say, nothing escapes you my love. And it is a brilliant idea to let your relatives know ahead of time. As far as the location, I will save that decision until we speak to Papa, but I imagine they would want us to get married in Longbourn. Of course you would have to approve as well, after all it is our wedding day." She said smiling brightly at her betrothed.

"Well my beloved sister here is very interested in when and where the wedding will take place so she can buy her new gown!" he said laughing and looking at Georgiana who had been observing the lovely exchange. "Brother! What is Elizabeth going to think of me?" she asked in horror that he was even mentioning such a thing. Darcy let out a laugh and Elizabeth said, "Why would I be horrified Georgiana, you are actually a woman and love new gowns, is that not right?"

They continued in this manner, enjoying each other's company, laughing and teasing one another. Georgiana was still not used to her brother's new found sense of humor and apparent enjoyment of teasing her and his fiancé, but was catching on quickly. After all, their mother had been a very lively woman, not unlike Elizabeth, with an effervescent personality and teasing manners.

They had decided they were going to have a picnic, so when they reached the designated area they started unloading, blankets and baskets of food that had been brought by Darcy and Georgiana. Elizabeth was so excited to be with Darcy, that she could not contain herself and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. This startled him somewhat, but he smiled brightly at her and brushed her hair away with his finger looking longingly into her brown eyes. The fresh air did wonders to her complexion as he remembered from her visit to Netherfield.

When everything was set they all sat in the blanket, which they had placed under an old oak tree, Darcy leaned against it and Elizabeth sat beside him her head against his chest, while Georgiana sat in front of them. "This is just lovely William, what a wonderful idea it was to ask my aunt about doing this, just sitting quietly like this is well worth it my love!" her eyes were shining with the light from the sun reflecting in them, so they looked like they sparkled and were more vivacious than ever.

"Well, I am glad the weather cooperated, it looked like it was going to rain earlier and I was a bit worried about our outing." He said smiling down at her and he kissed the top of her head, taking in her lovely scent. He sighed and said, "So, let us discuss some of our wedding details. I do love the sound of that Elizabeth, 'our wedding'. You think your parents would prefer for us to marry in Longbourn as opposed to Pemberley? You know there is a beautiful chapel that could be used for the ceremony." He said sweetly.

"Yes indeed Elizabeth it is beautiful and perfect for a wedding! It has not been used much lately, it would be wonderful if we could have the wedding there, would it not brother?" she smiled at her brother. "Well, we would not want Elizabeth to feel pressured about doing that, she does need to speak with her parents as to the options, but I would also add that there is quite a bit of extra room at Pemberley for guests than you would have at home. Just something to think about, you and your parents have the last word of course."

Elizabeth smiled and said "It does sound beautiful and I do not know what my parents think, but I would like it to be a small, familiar ceremony, nothing grand, just the closest people to us and some other friends and relations that you will probably have to include." She said looking at her beloved.

"I am in agreement on that my love, I do not want anything extravagant, you know me well enough, I think, to know how I detest large gatherings, and I would definitely prefer a smaller scale wedding if that is your choice as well. I am glad to see we are in agreement on this matter as well!" he finished his thought with a deep look into her eyes.

Georgiana was quietly enjoying looking at his brother and his obvious deep love for this woman she also adored. To her Elizabeth was quickly becoming like a good friend even though she had only spent a few hours with her. And the fact that she loved her brother so and he was finally so happy, was reason enough to like her immensely. William could not have picked a better woman for a wife, she thought with pleasure.

They went on discussing this and that and they decided on buying the gown for the bride in London once everything was settled and Mr. Bennett had given his blessing, invitations would be sent from Longbourn as soon as possible, within the week and announcement would be put in the newspapers. Darcy informed Elizabeth he had met with his attorney and steward and instructed them to prepare any papers that were required to get married; he would also have to procure a license.

"I have penned a letter to Mrs. Reynolds my love, she is the housekeeper at Pemberley and I know you will adore her. She has truly been like a mother to Georgiana and I much more than just the housekeeper in many ways. I have instructed her to change everything in the Mistress' chambers, since there will be a new Mistress', you." He paused and smiled with such sweetness that Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat.

Sighing deeply he continued, "I believe my mother's old quarters might need to be re-decorated, but we can decide on that together after you move in, also I asked that she replaces all of my personal items in my bedchamber, since I have used those for quite sometime. Once your father agrees we can discuss what else you might need and I can order it so it may be delivered in time. I use very reputable and efficient merchants that I have used for many years, so if there is anything in particular you would like or a particular style you prefer we can talk about it later." He breathed deeply and said, "All this business like talk has made me very hungry all of a sudden, would you lovely ladies like to start with lunch?"

Georgiana and Elizabeth looked at each other and laughed. "Please let me serve you ladies." He started taking the food out and arranging plates with different things for his special ladies. They were both observing him and looking at each other barely able to contain their chuckles. He looked up from his duties and said, "Are you two laughing at me?" They could not contain themselves and started laughing out loud. He just sat there and took the giggles with a small smile.

"Georgiana please excuse me." Elizabeth said and even though her future sister-in-law did not quite understand what she was asking that she excuse her for nodded. Elizabeth took Darcy's hand in hers and put it to her cheek; she then took his face in her hands and came to put a soft, slow kiss on his lips. "You are the most adorable man I have ever met my love and I am so lucky to be marrying you soon!" he did not know how to respond to her compliment and just kissed her back, softly.

Georgiana was mesmerized watching the lovely scene in front of her, pleasantly smiling. Thinking back to the heartache her brother had gone through and understanding why this was the only woman for him. She understood his desperation completely, watching him now, being so happy, as she had never seen him before. Elizabeth was the perfect woman for him, she complimented him so well and they seem to have a deep understanding, even though they had only re-acquainted with each other a few days ago.

"I love you so William." Elizabeth whispered in his ear, he looked at her, searching her features, enjoying the sound of those words he had longed to hear for so long and seeing the love in this woman's eyes, those eyes he adored and could not live without. "And I love you more than anything in this world." He placed a soft kiss on her cheek as he whispered the words in her ear.

Taking a deep breath they pulled away from each other and looked at Georgiana's smiling face apologetically. "I am sorry little sister…for the public displays of affection, it is just that…" Georgiana interrupted him saying, "Brother, do not apologize to me please. I think I am old enough to understand how much you love each other and it pleases me enormously that you are not afraid to show your feelings towards each other."

Darcy looked at his sister for a moment and suddenly realized that she was not his 'little' sister any longer, she had truly grown into a very mature and lovely young lady. "I have never told you this before Georgiana, because it was too painful, but this is how mother and father were when they were together. Not afraid to show everyone just how much they loved each other. So that has been my compass in choosing a wife, I truly never thought that I would find such a woman, but it seems I have been proven completely wrong." He said looking at Elizabeth lovingly. "And I will be eternally grateful for it!" He finished smiling at his bride.

They enjoyed the lovely meal that had been served by the Master of Pemberley himself. Everything was delicious and they were quite satisfied, when they finished. Georgiana stretched out on the blanket and started dozing off. Darcy had Elizabeth in his arms, surrounding her shoulders and she had her head tucked in his chest.

"I hate to have to interrupt this most pleasant moment, but have you started packing yet my love?" he asked her lazily. "Yes, I am almost ready. You know I do not have that many things William and so it does not take me any time at all to pack my things. All I need to do is get the last minute toiletries tomorrow and I will be on my way." She looked up at him smiling broadly.

"And you?" she asked him looking into his eyes. "Well, I have left instructions that my things should be packed and ready to go for the morning." He was talking automatically; they were gazing deeply at each other and examining each other's faces. His gaze came to rest on her lips and he held it there for some moments. He looked over at Georgiana who had fallen asleep reading her book and then putting his hand to Elizabeth's cheek asked breathlessly, "May I kiss you Elizabeth?" she swallowed hard and couldn't utter a word, but nodded her head slightly.

Sitting up quickly and taking her face in his hands he bent down to give her a long soft kiss, enjoying the taste of her lips. He was aching to do more but did not want his sister to see anything inappropriate. Elizabeth was eager, trying to deepen the kiss, pulling his head toward her, "Elizabeth please…" he whispered hoarsely. She stopped and cleared her throat; she was somewhat embarrassed at acting in such a needy manner. "I am sorry William, please forgive me." She said quickly.

"Oh my love, do not apologize, I just can not stay away from you and when you act like that it is almost impossible for me to control myself. You have no idea what you do to me Elizabeth," he said looking at her ardently. "How do you think I feel, William? I feel the same passion you do, the effect you have on me is like nothing I have ever known before or imagined. When you kiss me it is like I am in a dream and the feeling I get is exhilarating!"

He smiled satisfied to hear her make such a declaration. "You are the most incredible woman I have ever known my love! How could I ever get so lucky and find you and convince you to accept me?" she closed her eyes and smiled. "I should have never refused you in the first place. You know, I regretted that almost immediately, I think I was in love with you, without realizing it and then when everything turned out so wrong at Hunsford, I knew I had made a terrible mistake."

"I always had very strong feelings towards you, I tried to convince myself that I hated you because I found you arrogant and haughty, so I did everything possible to make you look bad in front of others, I was trying to teach you a lesson in humility. I thought that if I made you feel humiliated, it would make me feel superior in a way."

He was listening to her intently, remembering her words that awful day. "I did not sleep at all that night, you know? It was just impossible to calm myself down. I cried, I chastised myself for being so stupid and of course after reading your letter I felt insurmountable remorse, for having been so harsh and having doubted your character so badly. I felt empty and cold even though I was sitting right next to the fireplace."

She swallowed hard and caressed his cheek with the tip of her fingers. "I am sorry for bringing these memories back, but I feel the need to share this with you. Richard told me some of what you were going through after your return to London last night." She said almost in a whisper. She still felt the guilt of her actions in a very strong way and they had not discussed any of it at all.

"Richard told you that?" he asked with a frown. "He should not have talked to you about this." He seemed displeased and Elizabeth immediately came to her new cousin's defense. "William, I think Richard wanted me to know exactly what had happened during the time I did not see you, because he wanted me to understand just how happy you were, that I had accepted you finally, do not hold it against him please."

"Richard sometimes talks too much, but I do not want to talk about my cousin at the moment. I will say only that I was miserable after we left Rosings, I am embarrassed to say that when my cousin confronted me with the question about my feelings for you everything came rushing through and I just lost all control. I was a complete mess Elizabeth, because I knew then as I know now that I can not survive without you by my side."

"I simply could not function for many weeks; it felt as if I was in a constant state of half sleep, or that I was living a nightmare. I could not concentrate on business affairs. I will not deny that I was completely crushed inside. The worst time of the day was nighttime, as soon as I would close my eyes, there you were, refusing me and looking at me with those hurtful eyes. Your eyes haunted me, I dreamed of seeing the look of love you have for your family and the ones you love in your eyes, for me."

"I could almost smell you, your scent of lavender followed me where ever I went, even in my dreams. That was the other torment, my constant dreaming of you. You never left me, during all those months, you were constantly in my thoughts and I ached to know if you thought of me as I thought of you, day and night. Did you think of me Elizabeth?"

She had been listening intently and was finding it difficult to stay composed, he painted such a dark, terrible picture of his life back then and she knew it was her that had caused all of his pain and sorrow, needless to say she found this heartbreaking.

"I thought if you day and night too William. When I read your letter and realized how stupid I had been regarding Wickham…well…I wanted to run to you and tell you how sorry I was to have been so wrong about him. I read your letter so many times, that I can recite it to you. I marveled in the lovely handwriting and examined your seal. But the thing that tortured me more than any other was the pained look in your eyes."

"A few days after your proposal, with a clearer mind it truly hit me like a ton of bricks, how much I had really hurt you and I almost could not accept that all those hurtful words had come out of my mouth. I struggled to comprehend what I had rejected in refusing the offer of your hand and started to regret what I had done immensely. I thought I had lost you forever and the feeling of emptiness was devastating."

"I think we have established that we were both miserable without each other my love. But I just want to add that all of this made me a different person than I was before you refused me, it forced me to take a look at myself and examine the way I treat people in general. I always believed that I was a fair person towards others, but you proved me wrong and the fact that I was hopelessly in love with you made me snap out of my complacency."

"Elizabeth, you did me a big service, believe me and I will not deny it was very painful, probably the most painful thing that I have ever gone through, with the exception of the death of my parents, but it served me well my love. I am who I am today because of all of that, because of you and I hope you can be proud to soon be able to call me your husband." He said with great feeling.

Elizabeth had grown quiet and tears were threatening to start flowing, it was difficult to speak clearly, but she said, "I could not be more proud of being able to soon call you my husband William. My eyes were opened with your letter all those months ago and with what I have seen since we got reacquainted a few days ago. You are the best man I have ever known in my life and I love you deeply, I have for a long time. I promise to make you the happiest man that ever lived."

He pulled her to him and embraced her tightly, "Oh my lovely Elizabeth, I wish I could show your just what it means to me to hear you say that. The love that I feel for you is like nothing I have ever felt or thought I could feel for a woman. It took me by surprise to say the least. You have no idea how I fought with myself over you, trying to convince myself that I did not feel how I felt and that you were not the right woman for me. It was a lost case."

"I clearly remember after the Netherfield ball, trying to do everything possible to get you out of my mind, but everything reminded me of you. A smell, a color, even the brandy that I drank to try to forget you, it was the color of your eyes and I would just stare at my glass, imagining I was drowning in your beautiful gaze. It was truly excruciating to fight you so."

"And then when I finally accepted that I was completely in love with you realizing that it was hopeless and that you would never think of me the same way was pure torture. I had planned to propose much earlier you know? I just could not gather the courage to do it. It was a very difficult thing to finally decide to propose, I spent an entire day practicing and planning on what exactly to say to you."

"Maybe I should have just done it spontaneously and it would have worked better, but it is no use in wondering and trying to guess what would have happened. I only know that my days of pain and suffering are over and you are here right now, next to me and this time it is not a dream." She snuggled next to him, tightening the grip she had around his waist.

"Do you know that you were by my side, in my dreams constantly? You walked with me down the hall; you sat next to me in my study; you lay in my bed next to me and looked at me with passion in your beautiful brown eyes, the passion that I had seen for others. Do you know what drove me insanely jealous was the way you talked to Charles compared to the way you spoke to me? I know you liked him and it crushed me to see the big smile you bestowed upon him and the displeased look you grazed me with."

"Oh William I was so very awful with you! How could you ever forgive me? I am so sorry for how I behaved and the things I said to you. You know that I take every single thing back and more do you? If I had but known just the kind of person you are back then, none of this would have happened, but you talked about learning from all this and I learned as well. I learned not to judge people from appearances, the true character of a person lies within and has nothing to do with social standing or fortune or lack of it."

She suddenly pulled away and saw that he had his eyes closed and was distracted playing with a loose strand of her hair. He opened his eyes when he felt her pulling away and smiled. Even though they were discussing the most painful episode in their relationship it brought a certain calmness to them both.

She smiled at him and placing her hand upon his lovely face said, "I love you Fitzwilliam Darcy, with all my being." Then she softly placed a long, soft kiss on his lips. He brought her to him and made the kiss deeper, not as much as he wanted to, but deeper nonetheless. This brought shivers to her whole being, the pleasures she felt when he kissed her lips like this was like nothing she had ever envisioned.

"I want to take care of you William, I want to know that nothing or no one will ever hurt you again. The urge to do this is overwhelming for me. I need to care for you and ensure that you are happy. You have this vulnerability about you that has always attracted me, but now that I know you better it is an irresistible force that brings me even closer to you. I do not want you to hurt ever, for any reason, especially not due to my fault! I need to make up for all the hurt I caused you!" she finished passionately.

"It is alright my love, I am happy now because you are with me and I know that you love me. Everything is alright now, well, except for the fact that we are not married yet. Otherwise you would be in my arms at this moment and I would love you like I have dreamed of loving you." He looked at her deeply.

She blushed and looked down, "I can not wait to be your wife William and to be able to show you just how much I love you too. Actually….hmm…well…I .." she didn't know how to post what was on her mind about being a new bride and a wife, about being with a man, with him, her man.

William pulled away slightly to see her flushed face and the confusion upon her features, "I am sorry my love I did not mean to make you uncomfortable in any way. I was just…are you…I mean…do you…What I am trying to ask is if you are scared of me…" he trailed off. "No, I am not my love, I could never be scared of you, and I love you! But I do not know what to expect. I do not even have a brother to speak of, well the Lucas boys have been almost like brothers to me so I suppose I do know something about men in that sense, but I am afraid that my knowledge goes no farther than that…"

William swallowed at the delicate conversation they were suddenly having and did not want to scare her. "Elizabeth, first of all let me assure you that I would never hurt you. You know this, do you not?" he asked looking deeply into her eyes. "Of course I do my love." she said shyly. He was uncomfortable discussing this, but needed to do it so he went on, "Elizabeth I know you do not know anything about this and I promise I will be gentle, I do not want you to be afraid, that is all, the last thing I would ever do is hurt you in any way. Now I do want to ask you something and if you have not thought of it I will understand, but I wanted to at least present you with the question."

She could tell he was somewhat uncomfortable, because he shifted his body a few times, "Well, here it goes. I was wondering…that is…well…" he did not know how to ask her. "William, my love, tell me what it is you want to please! You can ask me anything…" she said more confidently than she actually felt. "Very well my love, I wanted to express my desire of you sharing my bedchamber after we wed. You do not have to decide this minute, I understand if…" Elizabeth interrupted his babbling, which was endearing to her. "Yes I would love to." She replied and he was left with his mouth open in half sentence.

They gazed at each other for some moments, drinking in the vision of one another. Everything stopped for them at that moment and the only thing that existed was the other and this reciprocal love they felt. He closed his eyes and placed a soft kiss on her lips, she parted hers and eagerly kissed him, he pushed away gently. "Elizabeth please, do not go any further my love, I beg you, I am weak when I am with you and I do not want to do anything to compromise your honor. I would love nothing more than to kiss you will all that I have inside of me, but we must not."

Her eyes were closed and she swallowed with difficulty. "I am sorry my love, you are correct, we must maintain decorum, but it is so very difficult." She said with a pained look on her face. "I know it is, believe me my love, but for now I am happy that you want to sleep in my bed, when we are married." He smiled lovingly at her and he could see the depth of her love for him in her eyes, it was like a soothing balm for all the aches he carried with him in his heart.

Georgiana stirred and brought them back to reality. They smiled and she said, "Did I fall asleep! How embarrassing, forgive me please!" Elizabeth moved away from Darcy and said to her future sister. "You do not need to apologize Georgiana, it has been very eventful lately, and I think we are all quite exhausted! And besides, you gave us some private time to talk about some important matters, is that no so my love?" she turned to look at her beloved sweetly. "Yes my love, it is. I hope you got some rest, the day is so beautiful and the sun is shining so brightly that I also felt quite sleepy."

"I believe we should be heading back, we all have preparations to make for our journey tomorrow and I do not want to keep you ladies from taking care of your business. I will gather everything; you ladies may head back and wait for me in the carriage." They looked at each other and smiled. Elizabeth thought he was truly endearing and again chastised herself for misjudging him so.

They did as he asked and waited in the carriage. "Are you better rested Georgiana?" Elizabeth asked. "Yes, I did not realize I was that tired. As my brother said, many things have happened in the last few days and I suppose they took a toll on me. I stayed up late last night after the wonderful news of your engagement, not being able to calm myself at the prospect of having you as a sister and at finally seeing William so happy! He was beaming don't you agree Elizabeth?"

Lizzie smiled. "Yes he was, and his dimples were adorable. I never suspected he had dimples! Although, when he came to dinner at my aunt and uncle he took to my young cousins very much, and I could see the trace of his dimples, it was lovely. I found him on the floor teaching them about chess! Can you believe that?"

They both giggled at the picture. "Oh, I can not wait until I have some little cousins of my own" Georgiana blurted out. Lizzie looked away somewhat embarrassed. "I am so sorry Elizabeth, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable, please forgive me." Elizabeth smiled and said, "No need for apologies my dear, it is all so new and exciting and I can not even picture the possibility yet, that is all."

Darcy returned to find them both smiling broadly and raised an eyebrow quizzically. "What is all the giggling and why are you suddenly so silent? Where you talking about me behind my back?" They both could not contain their laughter and burst out laughing. He smiled, but pretended to be serious. "I do not know what you ladies where laughing so much about, but I suggest you desist." He could not contain the chuckles any longer and joined in the laughter.

Elizabeth thought he looked extremely handsome and young when he laughed like so. She was happy to see him so content and looked at him longingly. How she wanted to be in his arms, surrounded and safe, she felt so safe in his embrace, like nothing could ever happen to her as long as he held her tight.

Part 9

Posted on 2010-12-07

The trip to Longbourn was uneventful, the weather continued to cooperate, so they were able to make good time. The ladies traveled with Mr. Gardiner and Darcy and Bingley traveled in the Darcy coach. Actually Darcy took advantage of the excellent weather to ride his horse for part of the trip. This allowed him to check on his beloved and ensure she was comfortable and happy.

"Aunt Violet" Elizabeth was telling her aunt. "You will help us convince Papa to let us marry as quickly as possible, will you not?" Elizabeth's aunt looked at her quizzically. "Well, after what I have witnessed in the last few days, I will recommend to your father to let you marry as soon as possible. The looks that I have seen you two share tells me that if you do not marry soon… well we do not want to go there, but I can see that you and William are completely in love with each other."

Elizabeth demurely looked down somewhat embarrassed. Her aunt smiled to her husband and continued, "Lizzie dear, you know I do not wish to embarrass you. I realize how much you love each other and how important this is to you both, we can only hope that your father will be reasonable and agree to a quick engagement. Of course you can count on your uncle and my support."

To this Elizabeth flashed a brilliant smile and gave her aunt, who was sitting next to her, a kiss. She noticed that William was on his horse next to the carriage trying to discern whether he could see her inside. Elizabeth looked at him lovingly; this was not lost to the rest of the passengers of the coach. They all looked at each other and smiled.

After noon they had agreed they would stop at an Inn that William frequently made his own stops on the way to and from town. They had arranged for rooms for everyone, so they could freshen up, eat something and stretch their legs before resuming their journey.

William had gone ahead of the rest of them to ensure everything was ready when they arrived. So when the coaches pulled up he was ready to help the ladies and Mr. Gardiner off. Elizabeth was the last one to come down and he was holding his hand out for her to do so. She smiled at him and took his offered hand, he beamed and his hand held hers for a little longer than acceptable.

They quickly went inside, everyone was grateful to be able to stretch their legs and walk around for a moment. Darcy spoke to Charles and Mr. Gardiner informing them of the arrangements and the locations of the rooms, the young ladies shared a room, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner had a separate one and the gentlemen each had a room.

They decided to go upstairs to the rooms and freshen up and meet in a half an hour to take a short stroll and eat lunch. Darcy and Charles were anxious to have a few moments with their beloved.

When they met back downstairs everyone was feeling more at ease and Darcy said, "I was wondering if you would like to go for a short stroll to get some exercise ladies, Mr. Gardiner.?" They all agreed that some fresh air would be very welcome after having been cooped up in the carriage. So off they went.

Jane and Charles led the way and Elizabeth and Darcy followed. The older couple walked behind. Elizabeth had gotten a hold of William's arm and he put his hand over hers protectively. "It is so nice to be able to spend a few moments with you my love." he said glancing her way. She smiled a big smile at him, which rendered him breathless. How can she be so beautiful, her smile is stunning! He thought.

"I am very happy to spend some time with you as well my love. I spied you earlier on your horse…were you trying to make sure I was alright?" she asked with a mischievous look in her eyes. His heart skipped a beat and he swallowed, "As a matter of fact I was. I usually try to ride when I can, I much prefer it to sitting in the coach the whole trip and the weather is so wonderful that I could not possibly stay inside."

They smiled brightly at each other. "So, have you thought exactly what you are going to tell my father tomorrow? I think I should speak to him as well, I am not sure whether I should do it before or after you though…" she trailed of. He squeezed her hand, which he still held in his, and tried to re assure her. "I have indeed been thinking about what to say, I really have not prepared anything specific, I will try to just speak from the heart."

"I am afraid of forgetting a prepared speech, so that is what I will do. Elizabeth this is the most important request that I will ever make and I want to ensure a positive response in all aspect, his approval and his agreement to our wedding very, very soon."

She smiled satisfied at his impatience to get married; she felt the same and would say so to her father. Her heart started beating faster at the thought of confronting her father with this news; she knew he was going to be shocked to the core and was not sure if he would be entirely happy about her choice, after all she had made sure that everyone knew of the arrogant and disdainful Mr. Darcy when they first met. How wrong I was! She thought.

"William, you should not be intimidated by my father, he is harmless, I assure you. But I am sure he will have many questions for you, about when, where and why. I am sure you have met far more intimidating people in your business dealings."

"Yes, but like I said, our happiness is hanging in the balance here, I have never had a more important meeting and probably never will." he sighed deeply and Elizabeth put her other hand on top of his.

They walked in silence for a few moments noticing that Jane and Charles had stopped to look at some birds in the creek. They looked behind them and saw that Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were no longer following them. Darcy looked at Elizabeth pointedly and caressed her cheek with his hand, looking deeply into her eyes. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Oh Elizabeth, how I wish that I could take you in my arms and show you how much I need you and love you." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; she placed her hand softly on top of his, which continued to hold her face. "Me too my love, me too." she said sighing heavily.

They decided to walk back to the inn and get something to eat. Talking about more pleasant things, like what colors Elizabeth preferred and what kind of food she liked. He told her he had instructed Mrs. Reynolds to wait for precise instructions on that matter, so she could proceed in changing anything that was outdated in her chamber and his.

"I have been thinking about all the things that will need to be re arranged to accommodate you moving into my home, our home, and I can hardly contain myself, I am so eager to have you with me, as my wife, Mrs. Darcy…" he said with sparkling eyes.

"I like the sound of that…Mrs. Darcy, Elizabeth Darcy." she said with a radiant smile on her face. They arrived at the inn where Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were expecting them; Jane and Charles were approaching also. "What are you two smiling so brightly about?" asked Mrs. Gardiner. "We were talking about the arrangements that need to be done to receive the new Mistress at Pemberley." said William, he felt so comfortable talking to the Gardiners.

They all laughed. Jane and Charles looked at them curiously, "What is so humorous?" asked Jane. "We are amusing aunt and uncle with our plans for the future." Elizabeth answered. "Let us go inside, if I do not eat something soon I will faint. I think I just sounded like Mama." And once again they all laughed.

They all ate heartily; the walk had given them all a good appetite and since they were so content it showed in the amount of food that was consumed. They continued in their teasing manner, it was very relaxed in every way. Even William was laughing! He had never felt so at ease with a group of people in his life.

After having rested comfortably for the night they resumed that last leg of their trip in the early hours of the morning. Everyone was well rested, except for the young men, who were anxious to meet with their future father-in-law. They had spoken about it last night, still trying to get their respective speeches straight. Like William had told Elizabeth he was trying not to dwell on it and let it come from the heart.

"I think you have a better chance of getting his blessing right away, they have always liked you Charles. As for me, things with Elizabeth did not start in the best light, so I am not expecting a quick yes from Mr. Bennett, besides Lizzie is his favorite daughter, no offense to Jane." He sighed.

"Have you prepared a speech of sorts for when you speak to him?" asked William. "No not really, do you think I should, I mean is it necessary to prepare something as if it was a business dealing?" Bingley answered and Darcy looked at him as if he had three eyes and chuckled. "A 'business dealing?" he asked. "I did not mean it that way Darcy, you know that! You make me sound like some merchant that wants to buy something." retorted Charles.

"I apologize my friend; I know that is not your nature. I have been turning this issue in my head for the better part of our trip and truly I just want to get it over with. I do not know what to expect, I would like to think Mr. Bennett has his daughter's interest at heart and he will have no objections. You know that I was not in my best behavior at Meryton and that is the only time I have laid eyes on the man."

"I also believe Elizabeth was quite forceful in addressing her dislike of me to anyone who would listen, so I am sure he does not hold me in the best regard. But I hope I am able to convince him that I love his daughter and all of that is in the past now."

Talking in this manner they progressed in their journey to secure their futures, both of them excited and anxious at the same time. They journeyed in silence for a long while also, both absorbed as they were with exactly how to approach Mr. Bennett.

As they approached Longbourn everyone's anxiety level rose, each now realizing the full effect of their coming on this journey. At the same time they all made their best attempt to remain calm and act in a normal fashion.

When they approached the estate they collectively took a deep breath and started descending from the coaches. The remaining of the family had been anxiously awaiting them as they had been informed of the gentlemen also traveling with them. Mr. Gardiner had penned a letter to Mr. Bennett informing him of the general situation, as to avoid the latter man be completely taken by surprise.

Of course Mrs. Bennett was beside herself with anticipation, suspecting the reason for the two gentlemen accompanying her sister and the ladies to Longbourn. She had been endlessly talking everyone's ears off that she was certain the two sisters would receive offers of marriage from the eligible young men.

Her husband had wisely urged her to hold off on any celebrations before first having confirmation that that was exactly why the two men were coming. He did not want to hear her cries if she was to be disappointed. She was practically making wedding plans already and he still had his reservations about Lizzie and Mr. Darcy, he did not understand that development whatsoever and was very much looking forward to speaking with his daughter.

It was in the midst of these ponderings that the party arrived. Everyone came out to greet them and hugs and kisses abound. Of course Mrs. Bennett was very effusive in her welcome of her daughters and sister and brother-law. The gentlemen were standing quietly at a distance to give the family time to reacquaint themselves with each other.

"Mr. Bingley what a pleasure to see you again sir, and Mr. Darcy welcome to Longbourn!" said Mrs. Bennett. Darcy was shocked to have even received an acknowledgement from the woman, he knew she loathed him. They both bowed politely to the welcoming speech.

"Thank you Mrs. Bennett, it is a pleasure to see you again madam." Bingley answered in his usual cheerful manner, Darcy remained quiet trying to present a pleasant expression on his face. "But please come inside, you must all be tired from the journey. Let me offer you something to drink and eat. Come, come make yourselves comfortable." She guided them inside, while the girls talked with their younger sisters who were eager to get some news.

They all exchanged pleasantries asking the usual questions about the trip and how everyone fared. The Gardiners were relieved to have arrived even though the carriage was quite comfortable; it was always good to arrive at their destination. It was at this point that Mr. Gardiner approached Mr. Bennett and requested a minute of his time.

The young couples looked at each other and swallowed hard. Knowing full well what the two men were about to discuss. Darcy took a deep breath and tried to put his thoughts in order and calm himself down. As they had approached the house he could feel his heart beating faster and faster in anticipation.

"So Edward, what is your opinion of these gentlemen, may I ask, since you have been better acquainted with them than any of us?" Mr. Bennett began after pouring a glass of brandy for both of them. He sat behind his desk and Mr. Gardiner sat directly in front of him.

"Well Thomas, I must say that both gentlemen seem to be very respectable and most important, they seem to care a great deal about Jane and Lizzie. I know this is all a big surprise to you, at least in regards to Mr. Darcy, but he and Elizabeth seem to be truly in love with each other from what Violet and I have observed." replied Mr. Gardiner calmly.

"What exactly do you mean they 'seem to be' very much in love, how have you been able to discern this exactly." asked Mr. Bennett somewhat suspiciously. "Well, nothing untoword has occurred is just how they look at each other when they are together, it speaks volumes, and you can observe them yourself. I have no doubt in my mind that they love each other deeply."

"But I thought Lizzie despised the man! She could not have been more clear in her position regarding Mr. Darcy, so I do not understand how she can be so in love with him as you say in such a short period of time and how her opinion of him has changed so dramatically as to want to marry him and as soon as possible according to your wife."

"I will not pretend to tell you everything that has transpired between them in the past, but apparently they had had a previous meeting at Kent, when Elizabeth went to visit her friend Mrs. Collins. I am going to let Mr. Darcy and Lizzie tell you the details, since I myself do not fully understand just what occurred at the time."

Mr. Bennett pondered the new information thoughtfully. "So they met in the spring? Lizzie never said a word of it to me, or anyone else I believe, I will thoroughly interrogate them about this." After a brief pause he asked. "And what is the basis of the precipitous marriage they want to embark upon?"

Mr. Gardiner sighed deeply before answering. "If the feelings they have for each other are as strong as I suspect, then you can probably understand their desire to marry quickly. Even I can understand that they probably do not want to be separated any longer."

At that moment Elizabeth knocked on the door and asked if she could come in. Her father waved her in and Mr. Gardiner excused himself and left them alone. Elizabeth took a deep breath and her father looked at her quietly for a moment. "It is good to have you home Lizzie." he said somewhat seriously.

"It is good to be home Papa, I have missed you." replied Elizabeth. There was an awkward silence, which was not a usual happening between them. "Papa, I believe my uncle spoke to you of my current situation. Mr. Darcy is outside waiting to speak with you." She gulped and blushed slightly.

"Not so fast Lizzie, I would like to have a few words with you." Her father responded sternly. "Papa, please let him speak to you and I promise I will answer all of your questions afterwards, he is very anxious." her father frowned. "Very well, if you insist, but I will hold you to your word, we will have an audience and you will explain everything that has transpired to me."

(This part based mostly on P&P3)

She nodded silently and opened the door to find William pacing back and forth nervously. Elizabeth walked out and told him his father was ready to receive him. She smiled at him; he took a deep breath, straightened himself and walked inside closing the door behind him. Elizabeth could hardly breathe, a flurry of emotions going through her head. What if her father did not approve of her choice?

Of course he would, he was a reasonable man after all. Would he? She paced back and forth in front of the closed door and wondered what was happening inside and how her father was taking this most unexpected news.

When Darcy walked in the library, Mr. Bennett stood to greet him, and then asked him if he wanted to sit down across from his desk. He said, "No thank you, sir, I prefer to stand if you do not mind." The two men were silent for a moment. Mr. Bennett broke the silence first and said, "How may I be of service Mr. Darcy." Darcy cleared his throat, took a deep breath and began his speech as directly as possible.

"Mr. Bennett," he started, "I realize this is much unexpected news for you, but I will try to get directly to the point of my being here today." He paused and thought his next words carefully. "Sir, the reason for my interruption is to request your blessing, for while in London I have re-acquainted myself with your daughter, Miss Elizabeth and have requested her hand in marriage and she has given me the honor of accepting." There. He had done it. Now it was a matter of how Mr. Bennett would react to the news.

For a while there was complete silence, the only thing that could be heard was Darcy's heavy breathing. It seemed forever to Darcy, who was expectantly waiting to hear his response. Finally, Mr. Bennett said, "You are saying that my daughter Elizabeth has accepted you proposal of marriage?" It was as if he was asking for clarification. "Yes, she has, sir." Darcy responded. "This is most surprising to me Mr. Darcy, you must be aware. I have not had the slightest suspicions that my daughter was in any way interested in your affections, I have not seen any indication that she might be favoring you."

Darcy was at a loss; did he have to go into details? "Sir, I can not be aware of what your daughter has shared with you regarding my person. I confess that our relationship has been, well, how shall I put it? Unconventional, to say the least. We have not always been in agreement, but while at Rosings in the spring, I made her aware of my intentions, and made a proposal of marriage to her which at the time she refused. Apparently and thankfully, she has reconsidered." Mr. Bennett was perplexed. "So you are saying Mr. Darcy that you had proposed to Elizabeth back in the spring! She never mentioned this to me."

Darcy did not know what to think, apparently Elizabeth was even more guarded than him, regarding her personal affairs if that was possible, and it made him smile inside. "And you say that she has changed her mind, regarding your person? asked Mr. Bennett. "Sir, apparently, there are many things I do not yet know about your daughter, I can assure you, she has accepted my hand and I only ask for your blessing, so we can move on and plan for a wedding as soon as possible."

Mr. Bennett raised a brow, which Darcy recognized was the same expression Lizzy had when she was perplexed. "What is the rush, Mr. Darcy? asked Mr. Bennett with a hint of suspicion. Darcy was clearly becoming irritated with all the questioning, but tried to maintain his composure for Lizzy's sake. "Mr. Bennett, I would like to be as plain as I possibly can. I have regarded your daughter as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance almost since I first met her at the Meryton assembly last fall. Since then, my feelings for her have changed from mere attraction to something I have never felt for any other woman I have met."

"Your daughter is a very special woman, I am sure you realize that, and I love her more than any words can express, I am ecstatic that she has finally accepted my proposal. I will convey to you that her rejection in the spring was a most devastating experience for me, but I believe that most of the faults she addressed in her reason for refusing me I have at least tried to repair and be a man that she can be proud of. Also, this time of separation has been most painful for both of us and as time goes on it becomes harder and harder to be away from each other. We would very much like to get married as soon as possible if you give your consent sir." he held his breath and waited for Mr. Bennett's reply anxiously.

"Thank you for explaining yourself so eloquently Mr. Darcy, I appreciate the struggle you have been through, and do not blame you for it. However, I would like to interview Elizabeth and hear from her own lips what she has to say" Darcy was stunned, not the answer he wanted to hear. "Could you please call her to come inside?" Darcy bowed and said, "Of course, sir." He opened the door and saw Elizabeth, standing against the wall. He stepped out of the library, she walked in turning around to close the door, and she stood by it and smiled a small smile. He smiled in return and without leaving his eyes, she closed the door.

"Lizzie, are you out of your senses?" said Mr. Bennett to her daughter. "No, Papa" she replied to his question. "But I thought you hated the man!" he continued. "I do not Papa." Lizzie said. "Well, you will obviously have more fine carriages than Jane, but that would be nothing if you really liked him." Lizzy responded as firmly as she could. "I do Papa, I love him…" Mr. Bennett studied her daughter carefully. "Do you have no other objections that your belief in my indifference?" asked Elizabeth.

"No, we all know him to be a proud sort of fellow." He said. "But he is not proud, not at all. We have misjudged him Papa, me more than anybody. I have been nonsensical, but so has he, about Jane and so many other things. You see he and I are so similar." She was smiling, blushing trying to explain to her father, why she loved this man, she used to loathe.

Then Mr. Bennett asked, "What about Rosings, you never told me he had proposed to you there. And you refused him? Lizzie, why would you ever do something like that!" Elizabeth was surprised that Darcy had mentioned Rosings to her father, but maybe he had given him no choice. "That is precisely why I did not say anything, because I said no. I did not want Mama to scold me, for refusing such a perfect "match". As to why, well after I refused him I realized how stupid I had been and immediately regretted it. But I thought it was too late. I said some horrible things to him and did not wish to repeat that to you or anyone else for that matter."

"So now you are absolutely sure that you have no reservations about this man. Lizzie, I know that you have always aspired to marry somebody for love, not any other reason. That is why you refused Mr. Collins, is it not?" asked her father. "Yes, Papa. I could have never agreed to marry Mr. Collins; I could never love a man like him." She said. "But you can love Mr. Darcy?" replied Mr. Bennett.

"Papa, I truly love him and I know he loves me. All I have to do is look into his eyes to know…" It had come time to give a final answer to his daughter, so Mr. Bennett said, "Well, it seems that I am overruled. So, I heartily give my consent. You may set the earliest day at your convenience, of course, you will need to discuss all the details with your mother." he said with tears in his eyes, but with a smile on his lips. She leaned over him and said, "Thank you Papa" and kissed him. Mr. Bennett full of emotion said, 'I could not part with you my dear Lizzie to anyone less worthy" She smiled and kissed him again. Then she hurriedly left the room in search of Darcy.

She had expected to find him being accosted by her mother, but he was nowhere to be found. She looked around frantically. Her mother started with her effusions about Mr. Darcy and how wealthy she would be and how Lizzie had saved them all. She looked at Jane, with a questioning look and she tilted her head indicating outside. Lizzie sprang out the door leaving her mother talking to herself.

She could not find him, until she turned the corner. She saw him there sitting and petting one of the dogs who had his head on his lap. Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled at the picture. It seemed like he was talking to the dog and it was lovely to watch. She approached, but he did not notice her presence until she was almost next to him. "It is finalized, I am yours and he agreed to a short engagement!"

He stood up and turned to her saying, "Your father can be very intimidating when he wants!" She smiled and said, "I will have to tell him that the proud Mr. Darcy was intimidated by him, he will find it most amusing." She looked at him. "Well it seems that I have provided the entertainment for the Bennetts this morning, while you were in the library, which by the way seemed like and eternity, all I heard was giggling from your sisters." He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. He was relieved to finally know as a certainty that she would become his wife soon. He could hardly believe it to be true.

She looked into his eyes with a smile on her lips. He took her face into his hands and caressed her skin with his thumbs, his eyes moved to her lips and she felt she could hardly breathe. His fingers traveled to her lips as did his gaze, with a hoarse voice he said, "Elizabeth Darcy…soon, but not soon enough…I love you so much." He leaned to kiss her softly at first, but quickly turning to more passionate kisses. He held her close and she responded by pulling him even closer to her.

He stayed close to her, lingering, eyes closed, heavy breathing. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw that his were still closed. She smiled and at that moment he opened his eyes and looked at her with such love and tenderness, that the smile left her lips. They embraced in a quiet abandon to each other. Finally after what seemed hours, but was only a few minutes they pulled apart. They gazed into each other's eyes. Again he cupped her face with his hands, softly and brought his forehead to hers. He caressed her cheek with his thumb and played with a loose strand of her hair. He inhaled taking in her scent of lavender, which had been with him for all this time.

He remembered something and smiled, she caught him and said, "What can be so humorous, Mr. Darcy?" Letting go of her face, but intently looking in her eyes and holding her hands he said, "Your scent of lavender, has been with me since last fall. It has been such a strong sensation, that one time I was visiting a store in London with Georgiana and all of a sudden I got a rush of lavender that came to me. It made me stop in mid sentence and I turned around, half expecting to see you standing before me. It was not you, but and older woman, and she looked at me puzzled, I only saluted her clumsily and shook my head; you had such power over all my senses Elizabeth!" He was smiling still. She thought it was lovely.

"I thought I had lost you forever" she said staring into his loving eyes. "And it was unbearable." He held her in his arms again, caressing her hair with his hands. "Oh Elizabeth, you have made me the happiest man that ever lived! Thank you my love" he said kissing her cheek. "I like it when you call me that" she told him. "Nobody has ever called me that." They were gazing into each other's eyes and it was as if nothing else existed around them.

All of a sudden they heard someone approaching, it was Jane. "There you are" she said looking at them and broadly smiling. "I believe that congratulations are to be offered to both of you!" Jane and Lizzie hugged each other and then Jane turned to Darcy saying, "Welcome to the family, Mr. Darcy!"

She said this with such loveliness that Darcy had to bow and said, "I thank you Miss Bennett, I was telling Elizabeth what an entertainment I had provided for you ladies this morning!" They all laughed. Elizabeth rather enjoyed this more relaxed side of Darcy and she just looked at him thoughtfully. She loved how smiling greatly became his handsome face and made him look even more attractive if that was possible. He caught her stare and looked at her questioning with his eyes.

Jane informed them that Charles was speaking with their father at the moment and that afterwards dinner would be served "Oh Jane! This is all so wonderful do you not agree? Let us go and see if Papa has sent Charles away or has given his blessing?" They all laughed and started for the house together.

When they arrived there was such commotion caused by Mrs. Bennett, she was talking loudly about her two 'favorite' daughters having secured such eligible men and how they would be the talk of the town. Jane and Elizabeth looked at each other and the latter rolled her eyes, while the former just smiled sweetly.

Charles was looking as ecstatic as Darcy and was smiling broadly, his eyes shinning while looking at his beloved, who was demurely looking down and blushing lightly. Elizabeth and Darcy came over to congratulate him and Jane.

Finally Mr. Bennett reminded Mrs. Bennett that the guest must be hungry and lunch should be served directly. She looked at him in awe and somewhat reluctantly ordered that they should proceed to the dinning room.

Naturally the couples were seated by each other so could easily get involved in conversation. Although, there were very many questions directed at Darcy from Mrs. Bennett's quarter. Finally Mr. Bennett took pity on him and said, "Mrs. Bennett, why do you not allow Mr. Darcy to enjoy his meal and have some words with Lizzie. I am sure they have much to talk about; all the questioning can come later. We do not need to finalize the wedding plans this evening." Darcy shot him a grateful nod. Mr. Bennett smiled in turn and Lizzie mouthed the words "Thank you Papa".

After this Lizzie and Darcy were allowed some peace and quiet and it ended up being quiet and enjoyable evening after all, much to everyone's surprise. After dinner, Lizzie suggested they take a stroll, since it was still relatively mild and it was a gorgeous afternoon.

The couples walked slowly around the property. Jane and Bingley walked behind Lizzy and Darcy and talked almost in whispers. "Should we give them some more privacy?" Darcy nodded in the affirmative, with a smile upon his face. "Very well then." And they picked up their pace a bit. "I love you Elizabeth." he said suddenly and stopped walking. Jane and Bingley were not visible any longer. Elizabeth looked into his loving eyes and smiled, "I love you too, William".

Part 10

Posted on 2011-01-14

The gentlemen called on the ladies the next morning for breakfast. It had been agreed and approved by Mr. Bennett that they would eat with the family and then go for a walk to discuss the particulars of the weddings. Kitty and Mary would be accompanying them as chaperones.

The weather was wonderful and perfect for a long walk, Jane and Elizabeth had decided to show Oakham Mount to their respective betrothed since it was a famously beautiful spot in the area and they could see Netherfield in the distance.

They walked outside, Jane and Bingley in front, then Kitty and Mary, followed by Elizabeth and Darcy. She was holding his arm and he had his hand on top of hers. "Do you not think it is a glorious day William?" she asked him, her eyes sparkling in the sunshine.

He smiled down at her and squeezed her hand, "It is indeed my love, but you are even more beautiful! Your eyes are shinning so brightly! Have I ever told you that you have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen?" she blushed lightly and put her other hand on top of his coming closer.

"You are such a gallant man Mr. Darcy and yes I recall you telling me something or the other about my eyes…" she teased him.

"Something or the other?" he said, sounding offended, but he was smiling brightly. "You mean to tell me that I have paid you a compliment and you can not recall exactly what I said to you?" he continued their game.

"I believe my mind was clouded at the time, with…other thoughts." she smiled sheepishly.

"Elizabeth, do not tease me so, I could never forget your eyes, teasing, challenging, and angry. Your eyes are like a window to your heart, the emotion you show in them is the way you truly feel inside, I noticed that in Netherfield and in Hunsford." he finished quietly.

"Oh love, please do not mention that awful day any more! I wish to forget it ever happened! I was so horrible and unfair to you, I will never forgive myself." she said with sadness. "At the moment I do not want to enter into that discussion again, I look forward to taking you to my special spot!" she started running ahead and he reacted quickly to follow her. Soon with his long strides he caught up and took her hand in his.

She was laughing and her cheeks where rosy from the exercise, her breathing was hard and her hair was in some disarray. It was a sight to behold, she took his breath away. He was staring at her and she noticed. "What?" she asked finally.

"You are so beautiful, so full of life Elizabeth, you leave me breathless." he said sweetly.

She stopped again and looking him in the eyes said, "I love you William." Then she kissed him in the cheek and tried to move away, but he was quicker and took her by the waist, pulling her to him and bringing her body against his.

"I love you so much." he said bending over and planting a kiss on her neck.

It made her shiver and she pulled her head back to allow him to continue with the delectable activity. "I can not tell you what you do to me Elizabeth." he whispered in her ear. Feeling his hot breath on her neck tickled her in a most pleasant way, she moaned softly and he pulled back to look at her.

She had her eyes closed and her lips were slightly parted, he smiled and bent down to kiss her lips softly. Then she put her hands behind his neck and pulled him to her strongly deepening the kiss. He put the tip of his tongue inside her mouth gently and opened his eyes to see her reaction at the same time she opened hers in surprise. They stopped for a moment looking at each other.

"Did you not like that my love?" he asked nervously.

"No…I mean yes I did. You know I liked it when you did it before." She was also somewhat nervous. He was not sure whether to attempt it again or just stop altogether, when she said. "Do it again please?" he let out a deep sigh and taking her head in his hands pulled her face to his and kissed her passionately, putting his tongue in her mouth purposely. They lingered for a few moments just enjoying the sensations. Elizabeth was transported into the clouds.

"Mm." he said after a while.

"Oh, William." She said huskily. They looked at each other, moving from their eyes to their mouths.

"I could stay here with you forever." he told her, "but we must go to your spot now, I am surprised no one has come looking for us yet. I wonder where they are?" he said smiling. "Besides, I have something for you once we get to our destination." He smiled impishly.

She looked at him quizzically. "You have something for me? What is it?" she asked curiously.

"No, do not even attempt to try to guess; first we need to get there." He said trying to put on his serious Darcy face.

They walked at a faster pace and reach the desired place at last. Darcy was breathless and in awe of the beautiful view. She explained to him all the different points of attraction one could see on a clear day like this day and then she said, "And over there is Netherfield, if you have good vision you can make out the property from here." She looked up at him waiting to hear his reaction.

He took everything in and looked at her. Jane and Bingley were there whispering to each other and the younger sisters were playfully running around and skipping. "It is breathtaking my love! Thank you," Darcy said pulling her into his embrace so that they could both look at the striking view sideways. Her head was pressed on his chest and her arms circled his midsection under his coat.

Darcy put his chin on the top of her head and took a deep breath. Suddenly he let her go as if remembering something. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a small box never leaving her eyes and with a mischievous smile on his face. She looked at him questioning, "I would like you to have this, I wanted you to have something that would show everyone how much I love you."

She was staring at the box and tears welled in her eyes, but she was smiling. "W-What is it?" she asked hesitantly not daring to touch the box.

He smiled and said, "Open it and see!" she was almost afraid to put her fingers on the box, so he moved it close to her and turned it so she could see what was inside once he opened it for her. "Are you ready my love?" he whispered lovingly. She could not utter a word so just nodded. He slowly proceeded to open the box and she gasped at the sight of the most beautiful sapphire ring she had ever laid eyes on. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out of it. She put her hand to it in surprise and her eyes were opened so big that he thought they were going to jump out of her face.

"Oh William…" she said with tears coming down her cheeks.

"To the love of my life, my angel and the most wonderful woman in the world…Thank you for saying yes..." he could not go on, the lump in his throat was threatening to undo him and he needed to slip this ring on her finger. "May I?" he asked her.

She nodded and carefully and slowly he took the ring out of the box, took her hand in his and slipped the jewel in her finger, it fit perfectly. He had asked Jane for help to determine the proper size and she had surreptitiously taken one of two rings Elizabeth owned. He had paid his jeweler handsomely to have the ring ready in two days.

She came out of her shock and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you my love! It is beautiful! But when…how…? Is this one of your mother's rings? It looks to be brand new!" She stumbled still trying to comprehend, she had never laid eyes on such a jewel in her life and she surely never thought she would be wearing one.

"I have tremendous influence over my jeweler; he dropped all of his other work to concentrate in making this for you, my beautiful, lovely bride!" She was dumbstruck and just stared at her hand. He was enjoying surprising her and making her obviously happy.

"So, do you like it?" he asked with a grin.

"Like it? William, I have never seen anything so incredibly beautiful… and how did you know I prefer sapphires?" she asked him with suspicion.

"Well…a little bird helped me with that challenge."

She turned to look at her sister, who was standing next to Bingley some distance away. "Well, you are quite resourceful! I am impressed." She smiled at him brilliantly and came on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips; they lingered for a moment, but pulled away fearing that her sisters might come upon them. By this time, Jane and Bingley had spotted them and were walking towards them.

"Thank you Miss Bennett." Darcy said to Jane smiling. "It was a pleasure Mr. Darcy, I hope everything worked out well." she replied also smiling.

"Jane! How could you not tell me?" Elizabeth interrupted with feigned indignation.

"Well, Mr. Darcy threatened to cancel the double wedding and elope if I did not help him!"

Elizabeth looked at her fiancé, stunned. "Is this true Mr. Darcy?" he just cocked his head to one side and shrugged his shoulders while grinning mischievously. "William! You would have never…" she could not finish and was interrupted by him.

"Do not doubt my determination in marrying you Elizabeth nor my resourcefulness in getting the information that I need to stun you at every turn."

She could never have imagined that Darcy could act this way. She loved this personality that was coming to light every day for her, this playful man that she was starting to discover. It made her feel so alive and happy, like she had never felt before. Oh, how I love him. she thought.

"Let me see it!" her sister was asking her. "Oh, Lizzie! It is beautiful! Truly Mr. Darcy, you have outdone yourself with this, it is exquisite…" Darcy was smiling proudly and his eyes were beaming with happiness and love for this incredible woman that was soon to become his wife!

"You are making me look bad my friend, since I could not bribe the jeweler for he was totally devoted to making this piece. I will make it up to you my darling, I promise!" and he looked at Jane lovingly. She smiled and cast her eyes down.

"Do not fret Mr. Bingley, all that I need right now is for you to be with me." Jane said sweetly.

Lizzie looked at Jane satisfied. "Well, that was very well said my dear sister, you are learning quickly! Now, shall we change topics and ask the gentlemen what they think about this beautiful spot?" she looked from Darcy to Bingley.

"It is absolutely lovely, Miss Elizabeth, the view is just breathtaking!" Charles exclaimed enthusiastically.

"I have to agree wholeheartedly Bingley," Darcy added, "it is indeed beautiful and we thank you ladies for sharing this with us." He finished looking pointedly at Elizabeth, who was just observing him. He looked into her eyes and was lost for a moment, until Jane cleared her throat and Charles looked away smiling.

Mary and Kitty had been wandering around and had missed all the excitement of the ring presentation. When they joined the couples they immediately noticed it and started asking Elizabeth about it and were fascinated by its loveliness and impressed by the size of the sapphire. Elizabeth let them look and caught Darcy staring at her longingly, she sighed and mouthed the words 'I love you', which made him smile even more if that was possible.

After some more moments of ring staring on the part of her sisters Lizzie put an end to the activity. "Alright, I think that is quite sufficient you two. You are embarrassing your future brothers. Let us enjoy the magnificent views nature has to offer instead."

The younger Bennett sisters sighed and started giggling; Elizabeth looked at Darcy, apologetically rolling her eyes. He smiled softly at her. She then took his hand and started walking to a spot straight ahead. "I used to come and sit here to think…I found myself coming quite often as a matter of fact, after Hunsford." she had become somewhat serious. "You know, my love, I think I realized how stupid I had been by rejecting you almost immediately. When you turned around and left me standing there…I…had this sunken feeling that I had made a terrible decision." she continued.

He looked at her understandingly, remembering his dark days following her refusal, she continued. "I could not stop thinking about the hurt I saw in your eyes…it haunted me and I was desperate to know if you thought of me…I thought of you constantly…day and night."

She had moved to him and he was holding her tightly in an embrace. "I think I realized I was in love with you before I left Rosings. The day you left, it was as if a part of me was gone with you." tears were coming down her cheeks.

"Oh Elizabeth, my loveliest Elizabeth…" he sighed heavily wiping her tears with his thumbs. "I do not want to remember those dark days, but I have to tell you that what you were feeling I was also experiencing. I could not concentrate on anything, it seemed, I was not interested in anything or anyone. I dealt with problems automatically. Only the many years of experience I had under my belt helped me survive." He stopped and pulled her away to look into her eyes.

"I still can not believe you are here with me and we will marry soon. Sometimes I think it is a dream and I will wake at any moment, back in the agony and despair of those long months. When I dreamed of you, it was so real…just like this…I held you, we talked, we kissed, we laughed…and then I would always wake up into the nightmare that I was living." William paused to take a breath.

They stopped talking and held each other tightly. Her head rested on his chest and he placed soft kisses on the top of it, caressing her hair at the same time. His eyes were closed as if trying to keep this memory in him for all eternity. He sighed deeply and then realized that Charles and Jane had approached them, but without wanting to intrude in their privacy, stood by silently looking away. Darcy straightened his sleeves and ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

They spend most of the morning talking and planning for the wedding and what they would do afterwards. Jane and Elizabeth were concerned of the distance between their future husband's estates and the fact that they would not be able to see each other as often as they would like. William suggested that Bingley should look at some properties in Derbyshire, he offered that he knew of a few that were available and since Netherfield was only being rented at the moment, it should not pose a problem.

The ladies beamed at Charles' enthusiasm at this idea. He was also saddened to lose Darcy's company and advice after the wedding. So he readily agreed to look into the matter with his steward. William pointed out that he would have to go back to London to ensure that everything was in order before the wedding, a prospect that Elizabeth was not too happy about. He insisted that he would only leave for a few days.

A firm date was also discussed and they agreed on the first Saturday of September, which was exactly four weeks away. They all looked at each other satisfied and started to giggle, much like the Bennett sisters had been doing the whole time they were there.

"So we are actually doing this, it is official and in four weeks we will be married." William finally said, breaking the silence. "I believe we should inform Mrs. Bennett, so she can get all the preparations under way soon! We need to also post the official announcement in the newspaper. I have scribbled something and will send an express to my steward to take care of it. It should be in the paper this week." he stopped and looked at his beloved.

Taking her hand and bringing it to his lips he said, "I suppose the world will know about us now. I warn you to prepare yourself when you are next in London, it will not be the same as the last time you visited and actually I will venture it will never be the same again for you, or me for that matter." He smiled softly at her.

She sighed deeply and replied, "Oh my. I suppose I will find out how you feel now, having all these people's attention on you at all times."

They decided that it would be a good idea to have some kind of celebration at home for Darcy's acquaintances and family to meet Elizabeth, that way they would avoid having her introduced at every turn. They also discussed the fact that the brides should go to London for their trousseaus as soon as possible. They needed to either make or alter weeding gowns and such. Darcy suggested they go at the end of the week and stay as long as necessary.

"Actually, that would work perfectly with my plan of going back to town." he beamed at Elizabeth. "That way we can go together and I do not have to leave you behind my love!" He almost seemed like a little boy in a candy store, it was precious and Elizabeth could not resist giving him a kiss on the cheek.

He blushed lightly and returned the favor smiling sheepishly. They continued discussing details and soon realized the sun was low in the bright skies and it was getting late, so they decided to start walking back to Longbourn.

Happily immersed in the thoughts of a bright, happy future ahead of them they walked slowly, but with purpose to share their decisions with Mr. and Mrs. Bennett.

Elizabeth stole furtive looks of her handsome fiancé and wondered how she ever became so lucky to secure such a man. The more she got to know this complicated person, the more she fell in love with him and she smiled inwardly remembering that not long ago she thought he was the last man in the world…no, better not think of that anymore.